[Live-demo] Re: [Marketing] Marketing artefacts, subversion directories, and source formats

[Cameron Shorter]

Alex,
I'll also throw in the requirement that whatever template we decide 
upon, we need to make the docs as easy as possible to maintain. Ie users 
should not have to learn how to use a new application in order to update 
the docs. They should be able to use applications which are already 
installed on their computer. I think I'm a usual in that I don't have an 
application installed which supports Scribus or Latex, and I'd need to 
do research if I were to update these docs.

We want to avoid the situation where it takes 1 hour to install and then 
learn an application before making a 5 minute tweak to docs.

(Of note: Wikis do well under the above criteria, but wiki->pdf doesn't 
do well)

Alex Mandel wrote:
> If layout matters, in my mind that is the opposite of Office formats.
> Scribus+text file+image file might work or latex+image files
>
> Just some ideas,
> Alex
>
> Cameron Shorter wrote:
>   
>> I've written our OSGeo's marketing requirements, and defined what I
>> believe to be a list of marketing artefacts that each project should
>> produce.
>>
>> What I wish to do now is to write down very clear guidelines on what
>> authors should include in the artefacts so that:
>> 1. We see a level of consistency between projects
>> 2. To make it easy for authors to write. (It is much easier to write to
>> a template and with an example than to write free hand).
>>
>> What I'd like to resolve now is:
>> a. What subversion directory we store artefacts in.
>> b. What format we store artefacts in.
>>
>> svn directory location:
>> ==============
>> To date, apart from the LiveDVD, there has not been a periodic updating
>> of artefacts, fixed around a specific milestone. I'd like to see that
>> change, so that we can know that at least once a year (at foss4g) all
>> core marketing artefacts are brought up to date. I suggest that all
>> marketing artefacts are updated at the same time as the LiveDVD,
>> twice/year.
>> So I suggest that our marketing artefacts use the same release numbers
>> as the LiveDVD and potentially are incorporated into the LiveDVD svn
>> directory structure.
>> I understand that projects may wish to keep their docs with their
>> projects, and I'm ok with that.
>> What I propose is that we initially set up
>> marketing/artefacts/{trunk,r4_0}/overview/{project}.doc
>> We will start by putting all overview docs into the above directory
>> structure.
>> Projects may then move their documentation back into their own svn, and
>> our scripts can be smart enough to look for them there. (We would need a
>> google docs lookup spreadsheet or similar to point to the location of
>> project documentation.
>>
>> source doc format
>> ============
>> For the 1 page project overview, our target media is both HTML and a 1
>> page PDF, with an embedded image. Hence, layout is important, and
>> therefore I believe the source format of this material needs to be in
>> Word/OpenOffice/GoogleDocs or similar which provides this layout.
>>
>> Similarly, Quick Starts and Tutorials need to be printed on PDF as well
>> as HTML, and contain images.
>> I acknowledge Hamish's concern regarding inability to bulk change word
>> docs, and I admit that is painful. One work around which may work is
>> that we can export to HTML, bulk apply changes, then import back into
>> word format. (I have done this once and while not ideal, it will
>> probably work if we need to change templates or similar).
>>
>>     
>
>   


-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Director
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Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

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