Path: sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!info-tex
From: Michael Downes <M...@MATH.AMS.ORG>
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: LaTeX3 call for volunteers
Message-ID: <716838991.9278.MJD@math.ams.org>
Date: 18 Sep 1992 13:56:30 -0400 (EDT)
Organization: Info-Tex<==>Comp.Text.Tex Gateway
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LaTeX3 Call for Volunteers
This is a call for volunteers to help in the development of LaTeX3.
There are many tasks needing to be done in support of the LaTeX3
project which can be worked on concurrently with the development of
the LaTeX3 kernel. Furthermore, some tasks require special expertise
not found among the core programming team. Initial research,
analysis, and work on these tasks by volunteers can greatly speed up
the process of integrating a number of desirable features into
LaTeX3. Many of these features can be extensively developed and
tested under LaTeX 2.09 even before the LaTeX3 kernel is available.
Therefore we are publishing a list of tasks to the LaTeX user
community through various channels and we ask readers to consider
contributing some time and effort (particularly, but not exclusively,
readers with expertise in the various areas touched on). The task
list is distributed in the form of a LaTeX article; it is fairly
readable in electronic form, and it can be printed on paper if
desired.
GETTING AND READING THE LATEX3 VOLUNTEER TASK LIST
---Anonymous FTP from the following sites.
niord.shsu.edu
directory [fileserv.vol-task]
ftp.uni-stuttgart.de
directory soft/tex/vol-task
---Mail server from files...@shsu.bitnet
or mail-ser...@rus.uni-stuttgart.de
Send mail to files...@shsu.bitnet. No subject line is necessary. In
the body of the mail, write one line:
sendme vol-task
Send mail to mail-ser...@rus.uni-stuttgart.de. No subject line is
necessary. In the body of the mail, write one line:
send soft/tex/vol-task/vol-task.tex
---Request a printed copy from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
t...@math.ams.org
PO Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940
USA
401-751-7760
---Read it in your copy of TUGboat (or your friend's copy, or your
library's copy ...) when it is published there [soon].
It will also be mailed initially to some mail lists and newsgroups
that are likely sources of volunteers. Suggestions for additional
publication destinations are welcome.
If after reading the descriptions you are interested in working on a
particular task, the first step is to contact the coordinator for
that task (if one is listed), or else contact the volunteer list
manager:
George D. Greenwade
Department of Economics and Business Analysis
College of Business Administration
P. O. Box 2118
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas, USA 77341-2118
bed_...@SHSU.edu (Internet)
BED_GDG@SHSU (BITNET)
SHSU::BED_GDG (THENET)
telephone (409) 294-1266
FAX (409) 294-3712
If someone else is already serving as the task coordinator for that
task, that person will discuss with you the current status of the work
and ways in which you might contribute. Otherwise, the list manager
will designate you as the `task coordinator' for that task, and assist
you in getting answers to any initial questions you may have. Further
details are found in Appendix A of the task list.
Michael Downes
(on behalf of the LaTeX3 team)
Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!rpi!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!info-tex
From: Timothy Murphy <t...@maths.tcd.ie>
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: LaTeX3 call for volunteers
Message-ID: <9209190111.aa13237@salmon.maths.tcd.ie>
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 92 1:11:42 BST
Organization: Info-Tex<==>Comp.Text.Tex Gateway
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> This is a call for volunteers to help in the development of LaTeX3.
> There are many tasks needing to be done in support of the LaTeX3
> project which can be worked on concurrently with the development of
> the LaTeX3 kernel. Furthermore, some tasks require special expertise
> not found among the core programming team. Initial research,
> analysis, and work on these tasks by volunteers can greatly speed up
> the process of integrating a number of desirable features into
> LaTeX3. Many of these features can be extensively developed and
> tested under LaTeX 2.09 even before the LaTeX3 kernel is available.
Sadly, this sounds to me like a completely misconceived project.
Was any usable software ever developed in this way?
I like LaTeX as it is --
with NFSS, which I consider a natural completion
of this aspect of Lamport's work.
I hate to think what LaTeX will look like
after an army of "improvers" has done their worst.
In the words of the prophet:
If it ain't broke, don't mend it.
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: t...@maths.tcd.ie
tel: +353-1-2842366 (home/office)
+353-1-7021507 (university)
fax: +353-1-2842295
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
Path: sparky!uunet!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!info-tex
From: Michael Downes <M...@MATH.AMS.ORG>
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: LaTeX3 call for volunteers
Message-ID: <717081016.585277.MJD@math.ams.org>
Date: 21 Sep 1992 09:10:16 -0400 (EDT)
Organization: Info-Tex<==>Comp.Text.Tex Gateway
X-Gateway-Source-Info: Mailing List
Lines: 19
> Date: 19 Sep 1992 01:11:42 -0300 (BST)
> From: Timothy Murphy <t...@maths.tcd.ie>
...
> I hate to think what LaTeX will look like
> after an army of "improvers" has done their worst.
>
> In the words of the prophet:
> If it ain't broke, don't mend it.
LaTeX is broke, as far as anyone who has to write and maintain
documentstyles satisfactory for the publishing industry is concerned.
But actually I would not choose the word `broke'; LaTeX is indeed like
a `comfortable family sedan', but one that was built in 1908: done
almost singlehandedly, an excellent, nay, phenomenal, effort for its
time, but requiring you to turn that crank by hand every time you
start the car. And there are no windshield wipers, no seat belts, no
automatic transmission.
Michael Downes
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From: scho...@sc.ZIB-Berlin.DE (Rainer Schoepf)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: LaTeX3 call for volunteers
Message-ID: <9209210744.AA14217@sc.zib-berlin.dbp.de>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 09:44:08 +0200
Organization: Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum fuer Informationstechnik Berlin
X-Gateway-Source-Info: Mailing List
Lines: 15
Timothy Murphy writes:
> > This is a call for volunteers to help in the development of LaTeX3.
> > There are many tasks needing to be done in support of the LaTeX3
> > project which can be worked on concurrently with the development of
> > the LaTeX3 kernel. Furthermore, some tasks require special expertise
> > not found among the core programming team. Initial research,
> > analysis, and work on these tasks by volunteers can greatly speed up
> > the process of integrating a number of desirable features into
> > LaTeX3. Many of these features can be extensively developed and
> > tested under LaTeX 2.09 even before the LaTeX3 kernel is available.
>
> Sadly, this sounds to me like a completely misconceived project.
> Was any usable software ever developed in this way?
Yes.
Path: sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!info-tex
From: Timothy Murphy <t...@maths.tcd.ie>
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: LaTeX3 call for volunteers
Message-ID: <9209211846.aa19820@salmon.maths.tcd.ie>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 18:46:33 BST
Organization: Info-Tex<==>Comp.Text.Tex Gateway
X-Gateway-Source-Info: Mailing List
Lines: 46
> > Sadly, this sounds to me like a completely misconceived project.
> > Was any usable software ever developed in this way?
>
> Yes.
Is this Oui, or Ja?
To remove any misunderstanding,
I have the highest opinion of NFSS,
and regard it as a worthy development of Lamport's LaTeX.
(Sadly I can't say as much for its documentation.)
If Rainer and Frank are to develop LaTeX3,
with the help of people like Viktor and Sebastian,
the endeavour would have my warm support.
Particularly if the result is compatible (or almost compatible)
with the present LaTeX.
(If that is not the case, then I would suggest that some name
other than LaTeX should be used.)
Doubtless those who have suggestions to make
will send them to S&M, and they can judge
whether or not they are useful.
But that is not what seemed to be suggested.
What worries me is that the vast army of ordinary LaTeX users
are being completely ignored.
When even a good change like NFSS can cause a huge amount of confusion,
I hate to think of the chaos that would be caused
if a large number of incompatible and undocumented changes
were made to LaTeX.
Thank goodness DEK saved TeX from the developers.
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: t...@maths.tcd.ie
tel: +353-1-2842366 (home/office)
+353-1-7021507 (university)
fax: +353-1-2842295
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
Path: sparky!uunet!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!info-tex
From: Michael Downes <M...@MATH.AMS.ORG>
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: LaTeX3 call for volunteers
Message-ID: <717170404.129388.MJD@math.ams.org>
Date: 22 Sep 1992 10:00:04 -0400 (EDT)
Organization: Info-Tex<==>Comp.Text.Tex Gateway
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Lines: 18
> If Rainer and Frank are to develop LaTeX3,
> with the help of people like Viktor and Sebastian,
> the endeavour would have my warm support.
It seems that I may have inadvertently caused some confusion by
not explicitly signing Frank and Rainer's names to the `call for
volunteers' that I mailed to info-tex. When I wrote
"on behalf of the LaTeX3 team"
the team being referred to was Frank Mittelbach, Rainer Schoepf, Chris
Rowley, et al.: the core programming team that is currently working
on LaTeX development, with the cooperation of Leslie Lamport. A glance
at the \author list in the LaTeX document that accompanied the call
for volunteers will reveal Frank's name there also. My apologies
for any confusion.
Michael Downes.
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