Deemed a “writing enrichment” program, WhiteSmoke is designed to turn most any document, e-mail or prose into a grammatically correct work that is both more professional and interesting to read.
Allegedly, WhiteSmoke has the ability to analyze sentences and concepts, not just words. In theory, this is superior to a typical word processing program. However, does it live up to its promises?
Reviews are mixed for WhiteSmoke software, which I purchased a few weeks ago at the sale price of $56.25. The company’s effective advertising piqued my interest.
WhiteSmoke lures both writers and non-writers both for its time-saving edits and improved prose. Nothing replaces hands-on editing but technology bares a reputation for efficiency.
After all, even esteemed writers benefit from an editor – though I happen to prefer a living one, sometimes. Moreover, WhiteSmoke better fits into a writer’s budget than to put one on the payroll.
Should you wish to save time reaching the bottom-line, ultimately, a refund was requested and received. Yet, not all writers have the same literary needs. Further, the majority to benefit from WhiteSmoke may indeed be non-writers.
WhiteSmoke’s Performance
The basic WhiteSmoke writing software works with additional enhancement modules such as creative writing, medical writing, legal writing, and an expanded dictionary and thesaurus.
The basic module seemed a sufficient place to begin, and the modules are not particularly low cost. Though WhiteSmoke is currently running some decent sales.
Eager to do an edit, WhiteSmoke soon analyzed some of my documents. The results were about equal parts helpful and a mix between “Blah” and “Huh?”. After I happened to uninstall a novel writing program not in use, the ratio increased to about 75 percent totally ridiculous in word replacement suggestions.
Seemingly, WhiteSmoke was feeding off the intelligence of the custom dictionary formerly installed with the other writing program, though WhiteSmoke is not suppose to work that way.
Another drawback to WhiteSmoke entails the requirement of being online when it’s in use, to access necessary databases. Had this been clear at the start I likely would not have purchased the program. Although it is not as if most of my documents require a security clearance to read.
Notably, three and one-half to four stars is fitting for WhiteSmoke’s enhancement suggestions — as it recommends potential adjectives and adverbs. The suggestions at least provide room for pause concerning modifiers — either to consider WhiteSmoke’s proposals or to create your own.
For creative writers, the WhiteSmoke creative module may prove extra helpful. As I optimize for Web copy and write 99 percent non-fiction, admittedly I have eliminated many modifiers in my work, perhaps to a fault.
WhiteSmoke’s Bottom-Line
Overall, WhiteSmoke will be a dismal failure to some and to others the next best thing since the advent of the word processor. It depends in part on what type of writing you do and how well you write.
WhiteSmoke has received a number of accolades, so it obviously works for some people. In addition, business writing or correspondence would seem well suited for WhiteSmoke’s capabilities.
To the company’s credit, despite some criticism to the contrary, they honored their 30-day guarantee of WhiteSmoke and responded within a few days with a refund.
Yet, for my particular writing style and editing needs, WhiteSmoke failed to live up to expectations. Though I may re-investigate it in the future pending improvements and for other writing purposes.
Additional Specifications:
Numerous accolades for WhiteSmoke include:
CNN’s Business 2.0, “The Best 31 Business Ideas in the World
The State of Mississippi values WhiteSmoke’s services and support…
– State of Mississippi, Department of Finance & Administration
WhiteSmoke Functions:
English grammar check
Thesaurus
Spell check
Proper punctuation
Text enrichment
Synonym dictionary
English grammar corrector
Punctuation corrections
Adjectives & adverbs
Idiom Dictionary
