Wordy Software Highlights Frustration

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If you’re still frustrated by the new version of Microsoft Word, then you’ll get a chuckle from Word Perhect.

It’s a parody of WordPerfect, a piece of word processing software that was popular until the 1990s. Word Perhect give you the chance to write documents on rumpled receipts or out-of-date calendars but just like real word processors interrupts with unhelpful tips like “Did you know you can go outside if you like”.

If you hit the repeat key it will tell you “Don’t be lazy - do it yourself”. There are some limitations though as the font choices are limited to “messy” or “neat”.

The brainchild of artist Tomoko Takahashi and developer Jon Pollard, Word Perhect was designed to show us how limited we were by word processing software that only gives limited options and bossily “suggests” tips. Although the Word Perhect was created in the early 2000s, the point seems just as relevant today.