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author | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no13/matter b/info/digests/texline/no13/matter new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9588113326 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no13/matter @@ -0,0 +1,331 @@ + +{ +\let\subsection\section + +\title{The matter of TUG} +TUG has changed and is changing. Until the appearance of +{\sl \TeX\ and TUG News} (TTN), TUG's newsletter, which was +sent to every TUG member, the nature of these changes has +not been made very public. For reasons which are sometimes +clear and sometimes obscure, the details have not really +been shared widely by the membership. Apart from the +understandably bland and anodyne reports in TTN, other details can +be found in the reports furnished by the five or six +so-called international vice presidents. Regretably +neither the President, Nelson Beebe, nor the Vice +President, Rick Furuta presented their membership the +guidance and information they deserved. But despite these +inferred misgivings, I remain confident that TUG has a +future, and that TUG remains the international voice of +\TeX. + +TUG gives some appearance of being unhealthy and +moribund. I suspect there are a number of reasons for +this. Let me try to gather together some of these, and +then tell you why I think that the alarum bells need not be +sounded yet. + + +\subsection{\TeX3} +First, \TeX\ itself. For a moment ignore +the euphoria about \TeX3 and virtual fonts. Really there is +not much that is new there. ML\TeX\ had already solved the +eight bit `problem' and virtual fonts had actually been +around for a good many years. What \TeX3 did was to make +these available in a non-proprietary way, so that they +were truly part of \TeX. Perhaps more significant is +Knuth's statement that there is to be no more development +of \TeX\ at all (or of \MF\ or Computer Modern). The only +proviso is that bug fixes may be carried out, until such +times as Knuth's death, at which point work on \TeX\ must +cease. Any development based on \TeX\ may not be called +\TeX. It is by no means clear to me where, for example +J\TeX, V\TeX, or extended Computer Modern fit into this +embargo, but I guess we would all wish to respect Knuth's +wishes. There is a slight paradox here. For many years, +\TeX\ had not changed: basically since 1982. In the +intervening years it has become evident that there were +some pretty severe deficiencies in the system which, it +could be argued, precluded it from achieving its avowed +aim of producing `masterpieces of the typesetting art', +unless of course that masterpiece happened to be {\sl The +Art of Computer Programming}. The innovation of \TeX3 +suddenly reawakened the dream that perhaps Knuth would see +\TeX\ as an evolving project. And just as suddenly, the +prospect was dashed from our lips. My own hopes were that +Knuth would refuse to bring \TeX\ up to an 8-bit standard, +and equally to be unwilling to allow the hyphenation and +diacritical support that we needed. In this way, the \TeX\ +world would have been forced to create a structure where +enhancements like these could be accommodated, and \TeX\ +would still be \TeX. Instead, any improvements or changes +will have to adopt a much more radical model. At much the +same time, Leslie Lamport agreed that \LaTeX\ 2.09 would +be `corrected' to version 2.10. This work was not to be +done by Lamport, but by a team led by the dynamic duo +(Mittelbach \& Sch\"opf), under the chairmanship of +Lamport himself. This project evolved into the \LaTeX3 +project. So, in a sense, we have had the self removal of +the chief players. What we are noting is that the flame +is being passed on to a new generation, and that at the +moment of being passed on it is in danger of being +guttered. + +Ideally one would like the flame to be passed to TUG. +TUG's support for \TeX\ is considerable, as one would +hope. I guess it is widely known that it was TUG funding +which enabled the \TeX\ project to be completed in the +first place, and that it supports the {\tt texhax} digest +and Orin Patashnik's completion of \BibTeX. It also +supports a wide educational programme -- perhaps wider +than you might realise, since many courses are delivered +in house, with no advertising in TUGboat or elsewhere. + +\section{TUG works} +A brief account of TUG's continuing activities includes +\bitem \TUGboat: perhaps the single most cogent reason for membership +of the group. Now published four times a year and comprising around 600 +pages in total, \TUGboat\ contains information on new developments in +\TeX, \LaTeX, \AmSTeX, \MF, and the allied macro packages. + + \bitem TUG's annual meeting brings \TeX\ users together to learn the +latest in \TeX\ applications and innovations through seminars, talks +and informal gatherings (the last three conferences have featured +10-pin bowling as a major social event). Each conference is +informative, but it is also friendly. + +\bitem TUG provides a single location for +information, documentation and product purchase for +\TeX-related materials (hardware, software, publications). + + +\bitem pursues ways of extending the use and +applications of \TeX\ into many areas (such as publishing +-- hence the 1991 theme for the annual meeting). + +\bitem continues to provide seminars and classes for beginner, +intermediate and advanced \TeX\ users. It is also developing +new courses in other areas of concern to the community, for +example typography, document design\dots + +\bitem is investigating methods for sponsorship to help + form and stimulate +Local User Groups (LUGs). + +\bitem the publications committee is developing `\TeX\ and +TUG News', a second TUG publication which may be available +electronically, demonstrating \TeX's portability. + +\bitem the {\sc dvi} standards committee is working towards +providing standards for drivers. The level 0 will be +available `shortly'. + +\bitem is looking into ways in which it might `certify' +\TeX\ products. + +\bitem is compiling a Resource Directory of all \TeX\ +material available; commercial and public domain \TeX\ implementations; +supporting software; documentation; publishing services -- a sort of `Whole +\TeX\ Catalogue'. TUG members should have received their copy by now. + +\bitem has recently purchased a disk copier so +that it can begin to supply public domain software to the +membership, in cooperation with Jon Radel. + +\bitem increasing public awareness of \TeX, +particularly to the user of personal machines, not +connected to any electronic network. + +\bitem Discounts: members obtain discounts on the annual meeting, +TUG-sponsored courses and selected publications. There are also student +rates for both membership and courses. + +From where does TUG obtain its funding? TUG's +income comes from two sources: membership subscriptions +and from `generated income'. The membership subscriptions +cover \TUGboat\ but also leave a substantial surplus. In +1990 the membership dues were \$171,000 and the +TUGboat expenses were only about half of this at \$92,000. Note though +that there is an advertising income of \$33,000; I assume that most of +that advertising is in \TUGboat. Running the TUG office is met from the +generated income. This includes sales, courses and conferences. (Yes, +that's why they are so expensive.) In 1990, total TUG income was +\$623,700. The two largest components of income were from the annual +meeting and courses (\$206,000), and from the sales of +books, software etc. (\$190,000). I~personally believe this +factor, that the income generated from sources other than membership +accounts for only 27\% of the total income inhibits +serious attention to membership expansion. After all, extra members do +not bring in significant amounts of extra cash. The net benefit is +not large. Increasing +membership by say 1000 would probably only generate \$35,000, less +say \$5--10,000 for \TUGboat\ and its postage. Perhaps TUG should be +pursuing industrial sponsorship from those hundreds of organisations who +have or do benefit from \TeX: like DEC, Interleaf, IBM etc. At present +they depend rather too much on the benevolence of a few vendors. No +vendor I have talked to feels they have had any real `commercial' +benefit from adverts in \TUGboat\ or attendance at the conferences. In +fact, I was recently struck by the fact that in \TUGboat\ Volume~11, +no.~4, there was no advert from PC\thinspace\TeX, for so long a stalwart +supporter of the magazine. + +The dependence on courses for generation of income has +meant that the recent downturn in the US economy has had +a deleterious effect on TUG. The reduction in in-house +courses has, at a stroke, induced a serious financial +shortfall. After all, what is the first thing you cut +back on? Why, education. In fact the sums are not so bad +and TUG can survive on its reserves for a few years, serious thought +has to be given to the pattern of finances. + +\subsection{The truth, but only some of the truth} +But this still skirts round the problem. Let's tackle it +at last. At the end of 1990, Ray Goucher, for many years +TUG's Executive Director, left the organisation. I think +it is fair to say that this was not the happiest of +partings. Partly as a result, the Treasurer, David Ness, +the Vice President, Rick Furuta, and later the Secretary, +Calvin Jackson, have tendered their resignations. This in +itself is no recipe for disaster, since the President may +appoint replacements. Sadly though, as far as the Board is concerned, +Nelson Beebe was curiously silent from late October 1990 through to +about the middle of March 1991 (and not too voluble since). The +Executive and Finance Committee were unable to act. This was especially +sad, since the rest of the Board of Directors affirmed +its willingness and determination to rally round in time of +crisis and to be directed in ways which are constructive. +In the face of this inaction, the TUG office thrived. +Despite dire warnings from the President of mass staff +resignations, the staff were as committed and active as +ever. Under the temporary direction of the extremely able +Ron Whitney, the business of TUG continued. + +In passing, Charlotte Larendeau, has recently married and has moved to +California with her new husband. Charlotte's dynamic presence will be +missed. She put her heart and soul into TUG and I'm delighted that she +had time for romance (although rumour murmurs that email had an important +part to play). Far from wishing to leave TUG, Charlotte may in the +future be called on to help organise other conferences. + + +\subsection{The problems restated} +We therefore have three visible problems: that the former +direction, embodied by Knuth (and to some extent, +Lamport) is no longer there; that the TUG Executive +apparently went absent without leave; and that TUG is +going through a period of financial austerity. I do not +believe that any of these are reasons to despair. In the +first case, try to remember why Knuth wrote \TeX\ in the +first place. Recall that he only expected it to be used +by himself and his secretary; that it is a software tool +to assist the production of {\sl The Art of Computer +Programming}. Yes, it took on a life of its own, like +some creation by Frankenstein. (I would be prepared to +argue that the analogy may be pursued further, but only +after a few beers\dots) The matter of the Executive was +serious, but it has been evident for some years that the +mechanism by which the executive are elected and the +remainder of the Board appointed, needed substantial +overhaul. It may have been adequate in the days when TUG +membership was a small and almost exclusively from the +United States, but it does not suit a large international +organisation. Apart +from the four elected office bearers, the only other +elected members of the Board were the `International' Vice +Presidents (presumably elected by their own groups). The +title of Vice President is more an honorific one than one +which actually bestows obligations on the bearer. So what +I am saying is that this was a crisis that was bound to +occur, by the very nature of the Board structure. + +And +lastly, the financial problem: it is unfortunate that +this should occur at a time when TUG should be extending +its services to its membership, and should be more +vigorously pursuing fields like publishing. Still, as +Joachim Lammarsch of \dante\ and and Bernard Gaulle of +\GB\ have both pointed out, much can be done with volunteer +help. TUG seems to lack the skills to mobilise volunteers. +Perhaps the fact that we have paid, professional, office +staff has encouraged us, the membership, to assume that we +are paying to have things done and therefore need not lift +our hands to help. Clearly this is not a fair statement, +since so many TUG members do give selflessly of their +time and energy to TUG and \TeX\ related activities., +But note that the financial position is not as bad as once +thought. Despite David Ness' scaremongering about a purported +\$50,000 loss, attributable to the breakdown between the Executive and +the remainder of the Board, close attention to the accounts will reveal +not only that there is currently only a small projected loss for 1991, +but that a sum of \$44,000 is listed in the 1990 accounts as `expense +associated with departure of ED'. I am unable to find any evidence +for Ness' claims. The office staff, and especially Ron Whitney are to be +commended for their close attention to financial details over the last +year. + +\subsection{A ray of hope} +In March a board meeting was convened in Dedham. Despite the absence +of Nelson Beebe, and most of the rest of the Executive +and Finance committes, this was a very +successful meeting which helped to repair most of the +damage done by the Executive's abrogation of their +responsibilities. This meeting has been reported to some extent in +{\sl \TeX\ and TUG News}. I took it as a mark of some progress that +even the dour Bernard Gaulle appeared to return more confident that TUG +has a future. Among the plans adopted were that (at last) the Long Range +Planning Committee will get under way; that a Publications Committee +will review the current TUG publications and make proposals for new +publications, which include a more informal newsletter (TTN), and that +the voting procedure and the board structure will be overhauled. Much +other work was done on the infrastructure of the Board, laying a useful +foundation for the future. Reading between the lines much of the success +of this board meeting seems to have lain in the absence of the old +rearguard and the active, positive participation and preparation of +people like Hope Hamilton and Christina Thiele who ensured that the +meeting ran smoothly, was planned, and tackled the serious issues. +Equally, the real support of the TUG office staff was an essential +component. + +\subsection{Since the Annual Meeting} +The fruits of these changes began to be reaped at the Annual Meeting at +Dedham. The Long Range Planning Committee spend a lot of time together, +immediately before, and during the meeting, and started to lay out a +far reaching set of proposals which will be gathered together and +published in some form by the end of the year. Similarly, the +Publications Committee drew up the beginnings of a comprehensive +overhaul of TUG's approach to publications. Other active committees +included the Site Selection Committee for the 1992 meeting. The other +major issue was the mechanics of the election of next year's Board. The +Board is to be reduced in size to the President and 15 elected members, +plus the 5 existing International Vice Presidents and the three +Honorary members. The 15 elected Board members will be elected by the end +of this year. If you are a TUG member, you will have received details of +the election procedure. The only slightly awkward note was that the +President, who will in future years be elected by postal ballot, was in +this one special instance elected by the existing Board, but only for +the year 1992. In this way, some continuity is ensured. It was thought +to be unwise to have an entirely new Board {\it and\/} President. I find +it incredibly ironic that as one of those who sought greater involvement +of the membership in the selection of the Board and the President, I +should now be in the position of having been elected to the post of +President of TUG by the Board. I'm going to try to live with the irony +(at least for one year).\looseness-1 + +\subsection{Conclusion} +Despite the problems I believe that \TeX\ is sufficiently +important that joining TUG and participating in it +actively is a small way of expressing my joy, gratitude and +delight. It seems strange to me that we exult in the +public domain aspect of \TeX\ and yet whinge over the +paltry sums needed to join TUG, or fail to return something to the +general good. If we believe that TUG needs changing, it seems more +constructive to participate and try to change it, rather than standing +on the sidelines and bemoaning its current state. We do not +improve TUG by standing aloof, or by creating +rival organisations. The Board has instigated some +radical changes which I believe will ensure the long term +future of the organisation. I am especially confident +that the incoming Board will contain new blood which will +invigorate, brim over with new ideas and spark us all +with their enthusiasm. I look forward enthusiastically to +my period as President.\author{Malcolm Clark}} |