jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall) (03/27/89)
OK, here are the results. As I said before, please do not send more votes. See the end for the latest copyright suggestion. Also, the vote totals may not add up exactly (I haven't checked this final version), since some answers were omitted, ambiguous or garbled... >1. Your name and e-mail address: Everyone gave different answers for this, so I'm not sure what the general consensus is ... :-) The voter list will be posted shortly. I need to tidy up the addresses and check for duplicates ... :-) (No, no, didn't find any.) >2. Given the following distribution options, which would you prefer: > > a) Plain text and MS Word > b) Plain text and MacWrite > Plain text + MS Word: 50 Plain text + MacWrite: 46 no preference: 3 This didn't help me much. Since this is such a contentious issue, I will try to produce both MS Word and MacWrite versions. The "working" document will be in MS Word format, and I will attempt to export it to MacWrite (or, more likely, pass this chore off on someone else). What the heck ... >3. How interested would you be in a HyperCard version of the UMPG (rate > your interest on a scale of 1 (least) to 5 (most)): > 1: 24 2: 19 3: 24 4: 11 5: 20 There is a group of rabid HyperCard fans out there who really, really want this in HyperCard format. (Nevermind that they're outnumbered by the moderately- and un-interested.) We should produce a HyperCard version--probably scaled down, but who knows-- and I have a list of people who have offered to do this. >4. How interested would you be in a LaTeX version of the UMPG (rate your > interest on a scale of 1 (least) to 5 (most)): > 1: 78 2: 1 3: 4 4: 5 5: 12 We also have a group of rabid LaTeX users. (They're REALLY outnumbered, though....) There was actually more interest in this that I thought there would be--I suppose it's because there are so many academic netters. If someone wants to do a conversion (after a first draft is complete), I will try to promulgate it with the other versions. >5. Would you be willing to buy a bound or looseleaf printed version of > the UMPG from a Mac user group such as BMUG -- at cost to defray > production and printing costs only, of course. (Yes or no) > yes: 73 no: 22 don't care: 4 I was truly surprised to see that so many of you would consider buying a bound version. (I would, if it were nice and opened flat ...) This is obviously a mandate for someone who has the requisite publishing experience. I've already heard from BMUG; is there anyone else--from BCS, for example--who would be willing to work on this after we have a printable product? >6. Comments Frequent comments: Use TeachText format. Word exports to MacWrite format [I haven't tried this yet] Make source available on diskette. Make sure the programming examples are WELL tested. Copyright it "to protect us." TeachText--if we supply Word AND MacWrite formats, this is overkill. The really attractive feature of TeachText is that it is universal--distributed with the system-- but it unfortunately isn't a very common method of distributing online documentation for non-Apple products. Word exports--OK, I'll give this a try. Hope it works reasonably well. Source on diskette--I'll let whoever worries about the bound version worry about this, too. Test it well--I agree. Copyright it--I still disagree. COPYRIGHT: I propose the following scheme. Submissions of text: All contributors are encouraged to release their contributions into the public domain. Contributors may, however, retain copyright so long as they allow unlimited redistribution for non-profit purposes, and in doing so may of course require that the copyright notice remain attached to the article(s) it applies to. Submissions of program source code: All submissions by individuals MUST be released into the public domain. There are too many difficulties with the use of copyrighted source code. (Ask anyone who's tried to use something even remotely connected with GNU/FSF for commercial purposes.) "Commercial purposes" equals, for some of us, "earning a living," and there's no reason to make the Guide useless or inconvenient to use for pros and aspiring pros. Maybe it will even turn a few hobbyists or amateurs into pros ... HOWEVER, some commercial contributions could be SO valuable, and could be SO difficult to obtain in a PD form, we will make exceptions for contributions of great merit as examples. (For example: source code in Tech Notes or THINK's examples.) I don't plan an anthology copyright. (That means that I, or USENET, or whoever it falls upon, doesn't reserve the right to distribute the Guide in its particular collective form.) As others have stated, a PD work cannot be copyrighted by someone else-- although a particular arrangement or presentation of it can be. Someone COULD take the Guide and publish it for profit, without consent of anyone, but this wouldn't happen--since there's nothing to prevent a competitor from doing EXACTLY THE SAME THING. Publishers don't "do" PD, unless it's Shakespeare ... :-) ... Send those contributions! (Binhexed if they're of any significant length!) That's all for now. More later... -- v v sssss|| joseph hall || 201-1D Hampton Lee Court v v s s || jnh@ece-csc.ncsu.edu (Internet) || Cary, NC 27511 v sss || the opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my -----------|| employer, north carolina state university . . . . . . . . . . .