[SLUG] Re: Graphic design quick guess at standard

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

> Hi
>
> John wrote: " For text, we use Helvetica for titles and Utopia for
> main body text."
>
> Why Helvetica?  I prefer Kword which doesn't have it.

>From here
<http://www.codestyle.org/css/font-family/sampler-UnixResults.shtml>
which Steve provided, we know Helvetica and Utopia are the most
popular serif and non-serif fonts on Linux systems. Choosing those
gives us the best chance of people already having them on their
system.

In the case that a font isn't installed on your system, I think there
are two options:

1) find it and install it
2) write your piece and give it to a friendly other soul who will lay
it out for you

I think having a consistent font is an important component of the
normalisation of our output, particularly when we have a display to
which many will contribute. I know there's a pain element to that, but
I think it's worth it.

> Here is a first (unfinished) draft for a sheet on free software in
> education.
> It offered for comment as to (a) things in that ought not be in,  and
> (b)
> things not in that ought to be in.  Also before it gets any
> further I need to know what else is likely to appear.  I assume other
> sheets on (a) commonly used free software such as Firefox and
> OpenOffice and
> (b) ways to put together  a cheap system that runs Linux.

We already have too many to fit on the board, so there's a vote in
progress. However I just thought of another that would be very useful
.. how to get started, including choosing a distribution to suit you,
live discs, and so on.

> "                            SCARBOROUGH LINUX
>
>
>            Linux, free software, KDE and education.
>
> Free software, Linux especially, is great for anyone in education, and
> great
> for anyone with a child in education. Most of our schools and colleges

However .. ?

> don't
> use it.  This is a shame.  Free software has at least as much value as
> commercial software and costs about half as much.  BECTA, the British
> Educational Communications and Technology Agency says so.  The fast
> growing
> economies of the Pacific rim use it. Our children will have to compete
> in a
> world that uses it.
>                                  BECTA-WHAT OPEN SOURCE COSTS IN
> SCHOOL.
>
> A report produced by BECTA last May concluded that both primary and
> secondary
> schools could provide computer software for their pupils by using Open
> Source
> at about half the cost of commercial suppliers like Microsoft.  There
> is a
> short account at:
> http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39197751,00.htm
>
> The report stresses the importance of training for the teachers who
> use the
> software.   This reduces the need for specialist technical support.
> The full
> report is available at:
> http://www.becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/documents/BEC5606_Full_report18.pdf


I'd bring the short and long reports together to help the flow, or
even footnote them all to the end.


> You might expect that this would make schools enthusiastic about free
> software.  Very few are.  One reason is that they need to bid to
> become
> specialist schools.  The sponsorship they need to do this often locks
> them
> into a single commercial supplier for their most important software.
> You can
> find a report on this at:
> http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/03/11/ms_specialist_schools_deal/
> Another reason is that using this software properly needs training,
> and it is
> hard for schools to find time.


although for those who are interested, we do run our own self-taught
LPI training course, free of charge :-)


> SCHOOLS THAT BENEFIT FROM LINUX NETWORKS
>
> Even schools with lots of computers find it hard to give their
> students much
> 'hands on' experience.  So they need more computers.  Orwell High
> School in
> Felixstowe found itself unable to provide all the computers it needed.
>  To
> exploit free software to the full they use Linux for networking and
> operating
> systems.  Linux provides the best and most widely used software for
> networking.  It can allow you to use older computer systems that might
> otherwise clog up landfill sites.  They can become thin client
> servers.

Explain

> These work without the most failure prone feature of the computer, its
> hard
> disc.  This can make them both cheaper and more reliable.  You can
> find a
> full account at:
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/page/linux_case_study_orwell_high_school.html
>
>
> The best way to exploit free software at home is by installing the
> Linux
> operating system.
> You can find plenty of information from FLOSS.


URL?


>         FREE/LIBRE OPEN SOURCE SYSTEMS
>
> FLOSS exists to support software, especially in education that is both
> free,
> as in free beer, and free (libre), as in free speech.  You can use
> free
> software in education best with Linux.  Firefox and OpenOffice are
> essential for both the college student, and for the family that wants
> to have
> reliable access at home to an internet computer that does not eat up
> their
> budget.  Try FLOSS on:
> http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/index.php/Try_FLOSS_Now .
>
> Even without installing Linux, there is plenty of useful free
> software.
> OpenOffice and Firefox both work with windows.


The Gimp, Inkscape, too


> For example, a really
> useful
> site is http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm .
> This
> allows you to download an entire maths textbook.  Again FLOSS will
> help you
> to find software you need, once you have an internet connection.
>
>                   KDE
>
> If you install Linux you should consider a version that uses the KDE
> window
> manager, and you should look for one that comes with the Kdeedu
> programs
> already installed.

suggest replacing these 'shoulds' with something gentler, 'you might
like to'

What's kdeedu? Did you mention that before? If you explain that (ah, I
see, below). If it's really worth choosing your window manager over
(it doesn't sound like it from your list), then "if you want to use
kdeedu (URL) which provides .... then you may find it easier to choose
a Linux that uses the KDE window manager, such as distribution1 or
distribution2 (urls))"


> This is an expanding collection of programs which
> contains various language games and activities, a touch typing tutor,
> a
> planetarium, a program for plotting graphs and much more.
>
> "

Hope that's OK :-)

Well done for being the first to write :-)

Cheers
J