LaTeX is great for writing letters. It seems like a little known secret how well the scrlttr2 class formats letters for windowed envelopes. LaTeX really makes letter writing enjoyable for programmers (though it would likely be hell for non-programmers).

If I were using a WYSIWYG tool like Libre Office, writing letters would be mundane, boring, and tedious. And the results would be aesthetically limited without doing copious manual labor.

There is noteworthy gratification in turning letter writing into a programming exercise. So whenever a gov agency or corporation fucks me over in some way, I find it theraputic to write complaints and petitions in LaTeX.

There is an hacktivist mantra that goes something something like this:

“write code not text” (not sure on the exact wording)

LaTeX basically turns that on its side because you do both at the same time. I have built up a library of captioned legal statutes in LaTeX, such as commonly referenced GDPR law. So I can crank out GDPR requests quite quickly by using \input statements that imports a very nicely formatted block quote of law which I have thoroughly over-engineered. Also fun to use the qrcode package to reference URLs.

The perfectionism probably consumes more time than using a shit tool like MS Word in the end. But it’s enjoyable. And because it’s enjoyable, it triggers writing more petitions and complaints that I would otherwise write. Every time I get fucked over by some administrative malpractice, it’s another fun opportunity to play in LaTeX and refine my code.