On 23 March 2011 08:12, Graham Smith <myotis...@gmail.com> wrote: > One possible approach is to write an introduction to Lyx specifically aimed > at Word users. > > 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. >
There was a version for LaTeX http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/info/latex4wp/latex4wp.pdf > > > 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 > -- Stephen
