Outside the lines

Wysocki posits a valuable question in terms of software design and functionality as it pertains to composition: "how many word-processing or Web page composing software packages do you know that encourage scribbling, doodling, writing outside the margins, or writing in anything but straight lines?" (6).

This feels to be a pretty important question as we look at software which helps us create, whether it is Web page composition, word processing, or some type of photo- or graphic design software.  It feels so often, that the software would rather tell me, the composer, what the piece should look like, feel like, or even what words I wish to use and that I need to work almost too hard to attempt to circumvent the predictive nature of the application as it attempts to guess/dictate what I say and the way that I wish to say it.

So often, my kids won't be able to correctly format their work because the application default settings are making them feel that they will be wrong if they change it.