[Clipart] Introduction to the Open Clip Art Library

[Jon Phillips]

On Thu, 2005-06-30 at 21:55 -0400, Jonadab the Unsightly One wrote:
> Jon Phillips <jon at rejon.org> writes:
> 
> > Hello, I posted this writing on my site and would like to get some
> > feedback from you all. 
> 
> On the site, you mention not having enough references.  It is
> legitimate to list as references knowledgeable (regareding the topic
> of the paper) persons with whom you consulted during the writing of
> the paper.  I believe MLA has a standard format for including a
> personal interview in a Works Cited page, for instance.  I would think
> that at least you could list Bryce, especially if you include a quote
> from him at some point in the paper.  (A quote on the subject of his
> motivation in helping to get the project started seems appropriate,
> for instance.)
> 
> Also, the website itself should be cited.

Man, I will go back and do this after this draft is out. I'm up against
the clock right now.

> Oh, and at the beginning, where you define what clip art is, you
> should cite a dictionary (preferably the OED if it has a suitable
> entry).
> 
> And anything you list by name in the text of the article, such as Nova
> Development's Art Explosion, should have an entry in the references,
> either for the item itself or for some source that lists it.
> 
> Wait, I just noticed that you have footnotes for some of those things,
> but they are not listed at the bottom of the document with the book
> references.  Anything you cite in a footnote, or with an inline
> citation for that matter, should definitely be listed on the works
> cited page.
> 
> When you mention a standard format or protocol (such as SOAP), you
> could probably list in the references a book on the topics.
> 
> Other, non-reference-related notes...
> 
> > Graphic designers and artists use these art fragments to make
> > compositions rapidly rather than having to build images tediously
> > from scratch.
> 
> Perhaps, but on the whole I think clipart is also (perhaps more)
> frequently used by people of limited artistic ability, to spruce up
> documents or compositions of various kinds with artwork better than
> they can personally draw.
> 
> Here:
> > So, Bryce Harrington, Ted Gould and myself brainstormed ...
> 
> Be aware that "myself" is first person.  Any paper formal enough to
> have footnotes and references should probably stick with the third
> person.  Also throughout the following section.

Yes, I wrote most of my book (CVS) as more of a narrative, learned as a
bad habit when getting my masters from my profs who walked the line
between academic and popular. I switched to all third person I believe.

> > Also, SVG is the standard file format because it is an open
> > standard.
> 
> I can't put my finger on a specific reason, but starting a paragraph
> with "Also" doesn't seem like the best possible word choice to me.

Yes...

> > Beyond a standard's war
>   
> Did you really intend singular possessive here?

no...thx...fixed

> Example 1 should probably go in a sidebar (Insert->Frame in OOo), and
> for some audiences it may be too technical altogether.

Removing the metadata...no reason for any charts in this document...I
think it should be kept in reach. I think I pontificate too much about
metadata anyhow.

> > To zoom out slightly and look at the entire Library, one will see
> > that
> 
> The use of the infinitive here seems to imply purpose, but I think
> probably what you intended was circumstance; a participle might
> communicate that better.

Good eye! Thx...fixed!

> > The only criteria for these files is that the file is an SVG, or a
> > package of SVG files with meta-data fields embedded, or in an
> > accompanying metadata.rdf file.
> 
> In terms of subject/verb agreement here, you want to say criteria are,
> or else criterion is.
> 
> Probably criteria are, because we also require the images to be public
> domain.  And with the word "only" in there, you probably should
> mention that (briefly) there.  Either that or say "primary criterion"
> instead of "only", since you do get around to the other one a
> paragraph or so later.

fixed....rock!

> > Currently, the categories in the browser are static, but this is
> > being improved so that the categories are dynamically selected by
> > users based upon the keywords in the files.
> 
> s/are/will be/;
> Also this might be a good place to mention (briefly) the l10n plans.

Ah man...remind me in another draft ;) I don't have the bandwidth right
now in my brain.

> > In the end it is better to get one's artwork out into the world,
> > used, and seen rather than for it to sit idly on a web site unusable
> > because of copyright restrictions.
> 
> Also, the collection is more useful if users don't have to concern
> themselves with the licensing issues surrounding any given item.
> 
> And yeah, the whole thing needs more terseness.
> 

Terseness coming on a platter shortly...thanks so much!

Jon

-- 
Jon Phillips

USA PH 510.499.0894
jon at rejon.org
http://www.rejon.org

Inkscape (http://inkscape.org)
Open Clip Art Library (www.openclipart.org)
CVS Book (http://cvsbook.ucsd.edu)
Scale Journal (http://scale.ucsd.edu)