On 05/12/2010, at 1:18 PM, Gerard Cunningham wrote: > On Sat, 2010-12-04 at 16:06 -0800, John Jason Jordan wrote: >> I recently gave a presentation on Scribus to a local Linux User >> Group. >> Like many LUGs the group is sort of amorphous, but there are ~600 on >> our e-list, of which probably 75% live locally. The presentation >> was at >> our monthly general meeting, which are usually attended by 15-30 >> people. There were nearly 30 in attendance for my presentation, which >> surprised me. >> >> More surprising was how little any of them knew about DTP basics. Few >> had heard of CMYK or knew how a printing press operates. Attempting >> to >> explain how to avoid banding in a photograph by either increasing the >> resolution of the output device or lowering the linescreen was met >> with >> amazement. Mentioning typographic issues like "professionals know >> that >> 'am' and 'pm' are to be set in small caps" was something that had >> never >> occurred to them. I had brought my copy of Bringhurst to pass around >> and they were stunned that typography was truly an art. >> >> I had only an hour and a half, but I could have gone on for three >> times >> that long, just with the material that I had prepared for the >> presentation. Several commented that they wished I could give >> additional presentations. Attending my presentation opened their eyes >> to how little they knew of how to get their work from the computer to >> the press. >> >> This has led me to ruminate on the possibility of classes to teach >> these things to people. However, the problem of formal classes is >> that >> there are few desktop publishers even in the large cities. Getting >> enough together for a class could be difficult. >> >> It occurred to me that a better venue might be the web. In fact, if a >> class could be developed, it could be something that people sign up >> for >> whenever they want - like a correspondence course. Lessons could be >> in >> the form of projects, each designed to teach a particular concept or, >> in the case of teaching about Scribus, designed to teach how to use a >> particular feature. >> >> Instructors would be Scribus volunteers, who would have the task of >> correcting and commenting on the homework, as well as answering >> questions. Instructors and others could also develop the lessons. >> >> I realize the above is very nebulous and needs discussion and polish. >> But I think the idea has merit. Or am I dreaming? Or has someone >> already done this? >> > > It's not just DTP/printing. There are an awful lot of people out there > writing, who have no idea how to write. I'm a freelance journalist, > and > as more traditional work dries up, I've been considering giving > tutorials/seminars on things that seem basic to me, but exotic to > others. Basic public relations skills like how to write a press > release, > aimed at community group PROs; DTP for groups producing small > magazines > & leaflets, even the basics of putting a news story together. > > There's definitely a market for it, and more than enough people in > need > of instruction to go round. > In need of, yes, but willing to pay for?
Andrew
