Re: Typeover Mode

[Beverly Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL>]

Roy Johnson <Roy -at- MANTEX -dot- DEMON -dot- CO -dot- UK> wrote-->
   I am writing a book on 'Writing with Computers' and I wonder
   if anybody has experience of using Typeover [or Insert] mode.

   It seems a potentially useful tool, but I've never come across
   anyone who uses it. Any observations would be welcome.
======================
Well, Roy, you seem to indicate that typeover and insert modes
are the same thing. In truth, they are opposite modes. Most
computer typists probably enter text in the insert mode the
majority of the time. However, when creating a document from
scratch, typeover mode will also work for initial text entry.

I will occasionally use typeover mode when making changes, but
in most cases I either type the new text in insert mode, then
delete the old text; or I'll delete the old text first, then
type the new text (in insert mode).

Typeover mode can be *dangerous*! If you forget it's on, you
will quickly type over large sections of text you didn't mean to
delete! If your software performs automatic saves, this could be
disastrous. Usually, when you've noticed what you've been doing
(major oops!), you can just quit without saving the document,
which dispenses with all your typeovers (and anything else you
may have done before your last save).  Either way, you usually
end up reconstructing some portion of text.

If typeover mode went by the wayside, I, for one, would not miss
it.

Thanks for the interesting--though unusual--question.

    =*=  Beverly Parks =*= bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil  =*=
   =*=  "Unless otherwise stated, all comments are my own. =*=
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