[CREATE] LG magazine #1::∞

Tue Aug 17 17:30:20 PDT 2010

a.l.e.,

I was surprised how rough the discussion became with the association
how accusatory some of the remarks were

that's not cool.

I may have contributed myself to this atmosphere by criticising the lack
of content without contributing any ideas of my own..

(have to sleep so I will finish this e-mail another day)

just to say, I am sure we can do better!

Op woensdag 18-08-2010 om 00:36 uur [tijdzone +0200], schreef a.l.e:
> hi
> 
> i don't really agree with the points louis mentioned, but i don't think
> that i want to argue about it any more.
> 
> 
> i have the feeling that with my views, i'm a lonely minority in the LG
> community and i will refrain in the future from bringing
> new ideas or commenting on other peoples ones.
> 
> i may have changed or the community has changed. i don't know. the fact
> is that i currently don't appreciate the way we are discussing in this
> list. and i don't like most decisions which are taken (and the reasons
> behind those decisions).
> 
> i will keep on doing things, when there are tasks i can fulfill but
> won't propose any myself.
> 
> 
> have a nice evening
> a.l.e
> 
> > totally +1
> > 
> > On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 6:34 PM, Louis Desjardins
> > <louis.desjardins at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 2010/8/17 a.l.e <ale.comp_06 at xox.ch>
> > >>
> > >> hi ricardo
> > >>
> > >> after having read your mail some more thoughts about the way i
> > >> "see" the magazine... it's just my opinion, of course!
> > >>
> > >> - as far as i am concerned, you and ana are very welcome to create
> > >>  further issues of the lgmag! at the same time, i'd also like to
> > >> see other crews creating "their" lgmag!
> > >
> > > But Ale, that "their" you put here... doesn’t it defeat the idea of
> > > gathering and joining forces around one project?
> > >
> > > 1.  It’s been already hard enough (took 5 years) to find a
> > > state-of-the-art design crew. Now we have one!
> > >
> > > 2.  Let’s continue in that direction with the goal of publishing on
> > > a regular basis and desperately stick to that rythm!
> > >
> > > 3. Start with a quarterly, keep it like that for a year, increase
> > > the number of pages if necessary, until we reach the point where
> > > the project seems viable enough and has drawn much attention and
> > > interest and then accelerate the rythm of issuing to every 2
> > > months. If we can, increase the rythm to a monthly publication.
> > >
> > > 5. With time, we’ll be able to show and store on the website a
> > > large array of issues. Every year at LGM the issues of the year
> > > will be physically available.
> > >
> > > 6. Those would be always available to download and print.
> > >
> > > Bringing such a project to life will already be a solid statement
> > > of what we can achieve as an organisation, using F/LOSS. Showing
> > > those issues at each LGM will also draw attention. It will
> > > encourage people to use the software and create with it.
> > >
> > > In order to keep production cost as low as possible and at the same
> > > concentrating as much as possible on an interesting content I would
> > > suggest we start with either a black and white publication
> > > (remember, in design black is a color) at least for the interior
> > > pages, or that we start with a color cover (C1-C4) and the interior
> > > in black ink. That way we could print at very low cost and most
> > > everybody could handle the printing locally withoug busting any
> > > budget. And we can have a state-of-the-art magazine.
> > >
> > >>
> > >>  it would be wonderful to have some sort of main group managing it
> > >> and -- on top of it -- some people who could freely work on single
> > >> issues. that way i'd like to make some publicity for people
> > >> already working with free tools and get some new designers to try
> > >> out our programs. every crew will be free to have it's own
> > >> approach to the magazine. both on the content and form side (well,
> > >> i prefer a form which is easy to print, of course). the community
> > >> would be there to help feeding the content.
> > >
> > > This seems to me quite complicated but I am of course ready to be
> > > proved wrong! :)
> > >
> > > The main drawback I see to that idea is it drives us away from
> > > having a solid, gathering brand.
> > >
> > > As I mentionned above, let’s keep the work on target with the
> > > people we have. It’s already hard enough.
> > >>
> > >> - about pdf / paper / web: i would also love to produce every
> > >> issue on paper, but i wonder if, on the one side, we can find the
> > >> money to print it and, on the other side, if we have the channels
> > >> to distribute the printed copies.
> > >
> > > The question about the channels is spot-on. The same question could
> > > be raised about the community filling content. Do we have the
> > > people to write all that stuff?
> > >
> > >>
> > >>  very likely, most of the content which will be in each issue will
> > >>  already be available somewhere on the web. one of the reasons why
> > >> i've pushed the idea of a magazine is to have an archive of
> > >> selected topics anybody could download and get a clue what that
> > >> "libre graphics" thing is. in that sense a "clunky" pdf does make
> > >> sense to me. if we can produce a magazine which is easy to print
> > >> in few copies, i guess that anybody needing a few dozen copies can
> > >> print them at the nearest print shop. (more expensive to print,
> > >> but cheaper to spread around the world)
> > >
> > > Defintely yes: print locally and in small quantities is the way to
> > > go.
> > >
> > > At the same time we’re going to need a PDF version, no?
> > >>
> > >> - after having produced a few issues on paper and/or on pdf, i
> > >> guess it will be much easier to find some sponsoring... i hope! (i
> > >> have already an idea where i could ask here in switzerland. but i
> > >> need to have some more issues and i can't ask any money for this
> > >> year anymore).
> > >
> > > I would suggest to secure the few sponsors we have for LGM and
> > > offer them a bit more visibility (it’s still close to nothing
> > > considering the close to nothing expected circulation numbers of
> > > the magazine, so far). But of course people are encouraged to find
> > > a local sponsor to print the copies they need.
> > >
> > >>
> > >>  i'd also like to have some sort of subscription model... but
> > >> since we still don't have a schedule, a clear direction, nor a way
> > >> to manage the money, i guess it's still a bit too early to talk
> > >> about it!
> > >
> > > Exact. Much too early! :)
> > >>
> > >> i guess that for now the best thing would be to just do some
> > >> magazines and not talk too much about what the magazine should not
> > >> be or what its limits are.
> > >
> > > Let’s put the next one together and keep in mind we’ll produce one
> > > every 3 months from now on... That’s already a decent goal, in my
> > > view.
> > >>
> > >> let's just do it! and we will see in which direction the wind
> > >> blows!
> > >
> > > Let’s set the sails and decide where we go no matter the wind
> > > direction! :)
> > >>
> > >> ciao
> > >> a.l.e
> > >
> > > À la prochaine !
> > >
> > > Louis
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> > On 08/16/2010 10:57 AM, Alexandre Prokoudine wrote:
> > >> > > I had the magazine idea a year ago: as a concept, few layout
> > >> > > ideas and content plan for a couple of issues. But never had a
> > >> > > team to support it and didn't see a way to make it financially
> > >> > > rewarding. Ginger and Ricardo picked the idea
> > >> >
> > >> > and Ana Carvalho
> > >> >
> > >> > > and then Libre Graphics Magazine #0 was done
> > >> > > for LGM this year. In three days.
> > >> >
> > >> > Production was two days, actually :o)
> > >> >
> > >> > > Amazing job they did, by the way. I
> > >> > > wonder if they intend to work further on it.
> > >> >
> > >> > This is a good cue. Ginger's reply said everything i would have
> > >> > -- having a real object that we can show people how FLOSS tools
> > >> > can get the job done nicely is 1000x more effective in promoting
> > >> > FLOSS tools than dry evangelising about software packages and
> > >> > their pros and cons.
> > >> >
> > >> > Me and Ana would definitely be happy to go further with LGMag.
> > >> > Let me emphasise that the #0 issue was produced on a 2-day
> > >> > sprint -- definitely shedding my own preconceptions that
> > >> > publishing a magazine would be a more sluggish and convoluted
> > >> > process*. And having that issue to show skeptical designers how
> > >> > FLOSS can get stuff done is a godsend.
> > >> >
> > >> > So yes, the team from LGM Magazine #0 is up for going on with the
> > >> > project. We can go on discussing this on another thread.
> > >> >
> > >> > One remark though -- i'm not fond of the idea of a PDF-only
> > >> > magazine. Sure, we'd need to get funding and/or sponsorship to
> > >> > support the printing costs, but a printed publication is many
> > >> > things that a PDF file is not. (also, if it would be
> > >> > online-only, better to have a website containing the desired
> > >> > content than a clunky PDF, IMHO.)
> > >> >
> > >> > :r
> > >> >
> > >> > * And of course, Ginger's awesome copyediting-fu is much to
> > >> > blame for this having turned out right.
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