[CREATE] LG magazine #1::∞

Wed Aug 18 01:27:00 PDT 2010

2010/8/17 Alexandre Prokoudine <alexandre.prokoudine at gmail.com>

> On 8/17/10, Louis Desjardins wrote:
>
> >> - 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?
>
> King Crimson has been extremely successful having up to four
> simultaneous touring spin-offs in 2000s. You can't kill a project that
> diversifies itself.
>

Dear Alexandre !

My point is about being consistent and persistent.

So far we have produced a LGM brochure in 2007 and a LGM brochure in 2010.

And we do have a Sponsors’ document as a PDF file that may have been printed
in a few copies.

We have also been discussing about plans for a magazine since 2007 and maybe
back in 2006, I don’t recall. You and I and a few others have been
discussing this with much enthusiasm. I certainly don’t mean myselfl to kill
anyone’s enthusiasm! I think enthusiasm is a big human driver.

But let’s look at what we have achieved. The field is open. It has been open
since ever and will be open for ever and ever. There are absolutely no
restrictions whatsoever about publishing anything with free software. We are
all involved at various levels in the LGM projects, including the possibilty
to participate into a periodical publication.

Maybe I simply missed the point a.l.e was bringing up. Maybe I just didn’t
understand what he meant.

Again, my own point here is about being *persistent* (which is what
periodicity is all about and I suggest we start with a quarterly, which I
think is a pretty decent goal in itlself and will bring us hours of fun) and
*consistent* in the mean of a well designed container with an interesting
content. To tie those 2 goals together, the consistency of the design from
one issue to the other will help create reading expectations and habits and
will thus serve well the persistence of our magazine....

Let me just add to this that if we are to prove anything to the outside
world, we could well start by putting together such a publication and do it,
keep the publication rythm and let know all the major Linux publications
that it’s feasible with F/LOSS tools. So far, when I go to the magazine
stand, I see lots of Linux publications and I believe that so far none of
them is made with Scribus, for instance. In 2007 I honestly thought that the
initiative would have been a kick-off start to further publications but in
fact in was not and we waited 3 years to finally get another one... This is
not what one would call persistent nor consistent, to say the least! :)

I am a dreamer, you all know that. But to make dreams come true, we have to
put our hands at work.

I don’t mean to shut anyone’s enthusiasm. Quite the opposite. I only think
it’s enough to concentrate on publishing with regularity so people can
expect the next one in a predictable time.

Issue -0 = May 2007 > LGM 2
Issue 0 = May 2010 > LGM 5
Issue 1 = August 2010 > put your event here
Issue 2 = November 2010 > put your event here
Issue 3 = February 2011 > put your event here
Issue 4 = May 2011 > LGM 6

With such a publishing tempo, we could show up to 6 issues of what the
community can publish using tools crafted by the community before LGM 2011
starts. WOW !!!!!!!!! I would love to put that on the table. What a
statement. What a statement!

Ah! And we need a pagination plan... I suggest we start with 16 pages of
magazine size but it’s only a suggestion... for the sake of the discussion.
I will not put here again the printing specs for magazines but when we get
there, just ask me! :)

Now, if one of those issues falls into the time frame of any LG event, it’s
of course a good thing to have some of the contents in phase with this
event. And if we are VERY strong at keeping that pace, then we can introduce
here and there some Special Edition of 4 or 8 pages (or more — don’t get me
wrong on numbers, it’s only for the sake of the discussion) aimed at this
Special event and it will only add up to the regular publications.

Playing around with the graphic design of our magazine — that is, let every
artist come with its own approach — in not the way to go in my view. This
would be quite noisy and disturbing, in fact. The content could well show
the work of artists using F/LOSS but the container should remain consistent
for all the reasons above. LG Mag Logo should not change and the overall
layout should be consistent as well, from issue to issue. This doesn’t mean
the layout cannot evolve. But this certainly means that when you open the
pages of the next issue, you feel at home.

Anyway. I am profoundly sorry that my comments brought a.l.e and maybe you
too to a conclusion that was never on my mind and not my intention at all.
Long live to the LG magazine!

We need strong design and strong typography (no holes, nice typographic
grey, good contrasts between titles and body text, etc.) and
state-of-the-art pictures and design and text (no typo, well-written, fun to
read, etc) and so on. (If we want to be impressive...) The issue minus zero
of LGM 2007 (my design) failed on the design point because I am no designer!
:) So now that we have Ricardo, Ana Carvalho and Ginger on board with us, I
completely trust we can put together an outstanding designed masterpiece,
free for us to fill with the best possible content.

My 2-cents, for what it’s worth.

Thanks for reading!

Louis

>
> >>  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! :)
>
> There is nothing complicated about that. The trick is to be really
> open to various crazy ideas. Chances are that over time the general
> style will settle down anyway.
>
> > 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?
>
> Let me decompose your question.
>
> 1. Do we have people who can submit impressive design of photography
> samples created with free software?
>
> 2. Can these people write text that doesn't require a dozen of
> complete rewrites?
>
> 3. How can we get these people to spend their time writing text?
>
> >>  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! :)
>
> You know, I'm quite amazed nobody mentioned tablets so far. With iPad
> and all sorts of to-be-rivals coming it's a growing market. Of course,
> there will be little subscriptions if you make the magazine a monster
> with pictures of RMS, several pages long source code samples and
> console screenshots. Write cool tutorials, write about contemporary
> art (or history of art), do contests with good prizes for subscribers
> (like books or art albums).
>
> Alexandre Prokoudine
> http://libregraphicsworld.org
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