[FM Discuss] updates

[adam hyde]

howdy howdy

I just wanted to give a quick update on some developments.


* PureData Book Sprint
We have delayed the PureData Book Sprint slightly. I could not find
funding to support it and we had a clash of schedules. I am as keen as
keen can be to see this happen so I think we just need to do it. Derek,
Luka, and I will work out another date.

* Inkscape Book Sprint
I made an application to Google to support the PureData Book Sprint and
they weren't too keen. However, Google have generously decided to
support an Inkscape Book Sprint. Many thanks to them! We got a small
amount of $ which we will use to bring together the core Inkscape docs
team for a Book Sprint in Paris in June or July. 

* OLPC
Anne Gentle is doing great things with the OLPC manual. Currently Zita
Joyce is doing a lot of editing and I am testing the manual. We had
discussed the possibility of a book - I think Anne is working on this
now (Anne - any updates for the list you would like to make?)

* Wikimania 
Wikimania is in Alexandria this year. Brianna Laugher and I have
submitted a proposal to do a workshop on Inkscape using the newly minted
Inkscape manual together with some tutorials from Wikimedia Commons.

* PDF Generation
Luka Frelih is developing some advanced PDF generation support to
improve the look and feel of the PDFs generated automatically. This will
mean we will hopefully be able to automagically create PDF for print on
demand.

* Farsi
We got a proposal approved for the translation of the site and manuals
into Farsi. We will work to establish a Farsi FM community so the
manuals are continually being developed and updated. Zita has more
updates regarding this.

* Farsi PDF support
Mr Snow and Brett Haydon are looking at building Farsi support into our
PDF generation.

* Future of the Book
I mentioned this before - it looks like the Future of the Book
foundation may use FM for documenting their Sophie software.

* Digital Foundations
I met with Michael Mandiberg from the forthcoming Digital Foundations
book:
http://www.blog.digital-foundations.net/

We discussed a book sprint to convert the book from photoshop to gimp
(it is a book on bauhaus design principles). I hope we may be able to
have some namespace and give some support to the book sprint (it will
possibly be at Eyebeam, NYC).

* Part Time Writer
Mick was our first Part Time writer, then he got a full time job! Ugh!
Many congrats to Mick...I am very sorry he wont be working part-time for
FM. However Mick has been doing some writing and I think he plans to
keep going so thats good news. I have yet to decide if we will employ
someone straight away to replace him. It would be a good thing indeed to
do so but I am thinking to talk to a few orgs first about helping us pay
for this....


There are many more things going on but I think those are the
biggies...I will update more if I think of them from Amsterdam (I leave
for there tomorrow)

:)

adam




-- 
Adam Hyde
FLOSS Manuals

http://www.flossmanuals.net