--- On Wed, 3/23/11, Liviu Andronic <landronim...@gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Liviu Andronic <landronim...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: LyX Promotion > To: "Graham Smith" <myotis...@gmail.com> > Cc: "LyX Devel" <lyx-de...@lists.lyx.org>, lyx-users@lists.lyx.org > Received: Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 4:34 AM > On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 9:12 AM, > Graham Smith <myotis...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > One possible approach is to write an introduction to > Lyx specifically aimed > > at Word users. > > > This makes a lot of sense to me. Most of all we probably > need an > introduction for those coming from the world of Word > (highest > priority) and, perhaps, one for those with a heavy LaTeX > background. > (For the latter, we might simply recycle the existing Help > > Tutorial > > LyX for LaTeX users, but give it much better > visibility on the > lyx.org home page.) > > If you give it some thought, the two are essentially the > only ones > that make sense, because there aren't really other types of > newcomers: > you are either already familiar with Word, or with LaTeX; > else you > wouldn't be looking at LyX in the first place. Logic splitting here but I would be coming, well am, from an SGML,OOo/AmiPro, FullWrite Professional background and there still seem to be quite a few WordPerfect people still out there. Agreed that the majority of people are likely to be Word or Latex but not all, > > Liviu > > > > This has been done for R at > > http://chartsgraphs.wordpress.com/learnr-toolkit/ where > the tutorials assume > > familiarity with Excel and demonstrate how things > differ (or are the same) > > in R. There have also been similar things done for the > GIS program Manifold, > > comparing it against the Industry standard products > from ESRI. > > > > I had a couple of aborted attempts with Lyx, because, > as a Word User, I just > > couldn't get my head around certain concepts (the > concept of compiling a > > document probably being the main one). I then > eventually came back to Lyx > > via SWeave in R, which introduced me to Latex, and > then Lyx fell into place > > and I realised it gave me an easy interface to Latex > for every day > > documents. > > > > A Lyx equivilant of the R tutorials would have been a > great help. > > > > Graham > > > > > > > > On 22 March 2011 15:51, Rob Oakes <lyx-de...@oak-tree.us> > wrote: > >> > >> Dear Users and Developers, > >> > >> Thank you to both Pavel and Stefano for ollowing > up with Google about why > >> the GSoC application was turned down. Is there any > way that I could help in > >> that review? Stefano, will you be attending the > IRC meeting to be held later > >> today? I think it's very important that we > understand why LyX was rejected > >> as a mentoring organization, and I'd be willing to > hep in any way necessary. > >> > >> While I have some ideas about why it may have > happened, I think that Pavel > >> hit the nail on the head. When I talk to people > about LyX, they seem to > >> think of it as a specialized academic writing > tool. Basically, a program > >> which helps professors and students write a thesis > or articles. (To be even > >> more narrow, it seems like many think it is for > math and physics people to > >> write a thesis or article.) Which is to say, a > specialized program with an > >> incredibly small user base and use. > >> > >> While that stereotype may be somewhat true (I > don't think anyone would > >> argue that many of the developers and users are > within academics), it > >> significantly understates LyX's appeal, especially > if you consider the > >> enhancements available in the upcoming version. > From my own personal > >> experience, I've found LyX to be the most capable > pre-press/writing tool > >> I've ever come across. If I were a publishing > company or involved in the > >> creation of any type of documentation, I would be > looking at LyX very > >> carefully. It's the only tool that I know that > allows you to manage > >> collaboration, typesetting the final output, and > target both electronic and > >> print from the same source. With the recent > explosion of electronic > >> publishing and eBooks, I think that makes it > *highly* relevant. > >> > >> Yet, I'm not sure that the wider community > appreciates that. (Hearing > >> Google's rationale for rejecting the GSoC > application will help somewhat in > >> clarifying how LyX is perceived.) Which really > brings me to the reason I'm > >> writing. > >> > >> Would it be worth trying to promote LyX to people > who might find it > >> helpful? > >> > >> We've talked for a long time about writing a LyX > book, which is an > >> excellent and wonderful project. But what if we > first tested those waters by > >> tackling some smaller projects first? > >> > >> For example: > >> > >> 1.) I just learned about a new open design > magazine this morning, called > >> LibreGraphics magazine (http://libregraphicsmag.com/). The goal of the > >> publication is to help designers find tools for > their work. It seems like an > >> article about using LyX for book design would be a > natural fit for their > >> target audience. > >> > >> 2.) In similar vein, the LibreGraphics meeting is > also coming up. This > >> year, it will be held in Montreal. LibreGraphics > targets a similar > >> demographic, and it seems like such a presentation > would be a natural fit. > >> Even better, they pay the travel expenses of > presenters > >> (http://libregraphicsmeeting.org/2011/). > Might anyone be interested in > >> talking about using LyX to talk about book design, > typography, or writing? > >> > >> 3.) It's been some time since Linux magazine or > one of the other trade > >> publications published a general purpose article > on LyX. Might it be worth > >> creating and submitting one? We might try and > target Linux users magazine > >> (http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/), ZdNet, or > one of the large Linux blogs (like > >> OMG!Ubuntu, http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/). > >> > >> 4.) It seems that there are people willing to help > promote/evangelize LyX, > >> but I'm not sure we offer much in the way of > promotional materials to help. > >> Would it be worthwhile to create a limited number > of tutorials for people, > >> like Venom, who will be holding seminars or > workshops? (I've also thought > >> about teaching a design workshop through my local > library, and these > >> materials would help provide a curriculum.) > >> > >> The tutorials could address some of the finer > points of using LyX that are > >> not covered in the manuals. For example, how do > you collaborate using > >> version control? What is the process for creating > custom, typeset > >> publications with LyX and LaTeX? We could publish > cohesive examples and then > >> walk through how the code works. They might > describe principles of design, > >> or typographical effects, and how they can be > accomplished using LyX. Maybe > >> we could create a writeup on how to prepare files > for multiple output > >> formats (print, web, eBook) using a single source. > I'm sure that there are > >> other tutorials that I'm overlooking. > >> > >> Which really brings me to the point I want to > make: if we target the right > >> groups and create nice looking materials, it could > go a long ways to > >> clarifying LyX's position in the free-softare > world. It's also likely that > >> we might find developers to contribute time and > code, businesses who would > >> be willing to support future development, and > others who could help grow the > >> LyX user base. > >> > >> Many of the other projects who were accepted seem > to have dedicated > >> marketing/promotion teams. Would it be worth > trying to organize such an > >> endeavor for LyX? It might provide a great way for > less code savvy types to > >> contribute to the project. > >> > >> Cheers, > >> > >> Rob > > > > > > -- > Do you know how to read? > http://www.alienetworks.com/srtest.cfm > http://goodies.xfce.org/projects/applications/xfce4-dict#speed-reader > Do you know how to write? > http://garbl.home.comcast.net/~garbl/stylemanual/e.htm#e-mail >
