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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 |
commit | e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d (patch) | |
tree | 60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /usergrps/uktug/baskervi/3_2/mclark.tex |
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diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/3_2/mclark.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/3_2/mclark.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..07bcd32606 --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/3_2/mclark.tex @@ -0,0 +1,200 @@ +\title{Malcolm's Gleanings} +\author{Malcolm Clark} +\begin{article} +\section{Quotes} +`\LaTeX, developed at UCLA\dots' Seybold Report on Publishing +Systems, volume~20, number~7, 1990. + +`When I first started using \TeX, I would have said that +if you don't actually need it you should opt for one of +the more friendly alternatives. With the benefit of a few +hours experience behind me, however, I have to say that +I'm becoming hooked. Don't exclude it on the grounds of +perceived user unfriendliness, since you'll be throwing +away the chance of first-class output.'' Computer Shopper, +number~52, June 1992, pages 128 \& 130. + + +\section{Frame 0, \TeX\ 1} +A recent advertisement from Framemaker claimed that it +`runs on more platforms than any other publishing +program'. This is manifestly incorrect and the +was referred to the Advertising Standards +Authority as an example of an advertisement which was not +`honest and truthful'. The ASA upheld the complaint, as +outlined in their Monthly Report 12 for 1992, released on +May 13th. A consequence of this decision will be that the +offending advertisement will have to be withdrawn or +re-written. + +Because of \TeX's public domain nature, we have no +obvious way of combating the misinformation purveyed by +commercial vendors of alternative publishing systems, and +it depends upon the motivation of individuals to +challenge such advertisements. That means you. If you +can't be bothered yourself, forward any misleading +information of this type to me, and I'll take it up. +We've been nice guys for too long. + +\section{Book Review} +{\em Books and Printing, A Treasury for Typophiles}, Paul A +Bennett, editor, Frederic C Biel, Savannah, 1991 (reissue +of 1951 edition), 417pp, ISBN 0-913720-72-0 + +This is a collection of short articles (from many +sources) collected by Paul Bennett. It covers many +aspects of printing and publishing, historical, +aesthetic, discursive and bombastic. Some very well-known +names are present: I picked the book up originally +because it had Beatrice Warde's famous essay `Printing +should be invisible', where she elaborates her metaphor +of drawing a parallel between wine in a fine crystal +goblet and typography. She also coins the phrase `stunt +typographer' for those who amaze with `vulgar +ostentation'. As a colleague of Stanley Morison, it is +natural then to skip to Morison's `First principles of +typography'. It is in this prescription for appropriate +typography that Morison expounds his belief that the +average line should contain between 10 and 12 words. But +there is much more here, often stated rather than +demonstrated, but usually with some appeal to a plausible +explanation. The underlying theme however is little +different to Warde's. Eric Gill's article on `Typography' +contains the recommendation that `using Italics to +emphasize single words should be abandoned in favour of +the use of ordinary Lower-case with spaces between the +letters (l\,e\,t\,t\,e\,r-s\,p\,a\,c\,e\,d)'. Gill, +perhaps the last flowering of the Arts and Crafts +movement, notes that `(it) is not that Industrialism has +made things worse, but that it has made them different', +and observation that might be applied to the new +publishing of the 90s. Goudy too recounts some of the +thinking and beliefs which he put into action in the +design of his typefaces. Orcutt's `The anatomy of a book' +identifies the physical structure which is partially +exemplified in SGML and \LaTeX, but fills in some of the +details of the whys. This article is used as the basis of +a symposium which is given here too, discussing whether +there had been any material changes in that structure. + +What is missing from this book? It is a very American +view of the world: perhaps one might be gracious and +extend that to `english speaking', but in truth the vast +majority of writers are American. Virtually the only time +that `comptemorary' European typography makes an +appearance is in Updike's round condemnation of +the Bauhaus School, and especially its rejection of upper +case. This illustrates number of points: typographers, +as exemplified in this book, are conservative -- this is +often stated as a good thing by the writers, and their +reasoning seems valid today. They are essentially book +people, where the function of the typography is to convey +meaning. Advertising typography is something else. But +this conservatism spills over into what appears to be a +total isolation from the political and social context. +Somehow they manage to realise the social impact of +Gutenberg, but not of the Bauhaus' inherent political +statement in removing the distinction between upper and +lower case. (Yes, Gill is more aware of the social +context, but he was English.) This is therefore a rather +one-sided or even lop-sided view of the world. Recalling +that most of the articles were first published when the +USA was pursuing its policy of isolationism, this is +perhaps not too surprising. I would still have loved to +see but one article by (say) Tschichold. + +This quibble aside, there is much to mine in here, from +details of Shaw's relationship with his printers and +publishers (following his strict instructions on word +spacing, they hyphenated \hbox{a-n} and \hbox{t-he}: he +relented), to supposed histories of the alphabet. Besides +the chart from Dwiggens, a rather remarkable feature of +the book is that each article is in a different typeface. +Besides giving the rare opportunity to compare typefaces +when many other factors are held constant, like page +size, paper quality, inking and so on, it has the rather +convenient feature of making it easier to spot when +articles change, if you are flicking through looking for +the start of a particular article. + + +\section{A sidelight on `\TeX\ in Practice'} + +One of the events of this year was the appearance, finally, of Stephan +von Bechtolsheim's monumental {\em \TeX\ in Practice} volumes. An +interesting reaction came in a Usenet posting by Professor David +Rogers: + +``As some of you have perhaps noted, I am the Editor of the {\it +Monographs in Visual Communication Series} for Springer-Verlag +which includes {\it \TeX\ in Practice} by Stephen von Bechtolsheim. +The forward in the volume is {\bf not} what I wrote. It was +modified by Stephen without my concurrence. The unmodified version +is given below. I think the second paragraph is particularly +interesting as I have noticed a significant dichotomy in the way +different people approach \TeX. + +Further, I take {\bf no} responsibility for the quality of the +typesetting of the book nor for the quality of the English or the +proofreading. I consider the book a prime example of a very poor +design and typesetting job. The English is atrocious and the +proofreading is nearly non-existent. Both the editorial and +production departments at Springer-Verlag and I tried to get these +defects corrected but with little success. + +Having said that why did we publish the book? Basically because it +contains very valuable information about the use of \TeX. +Information that the \TeX\ community very much needs. After all, the +fundamental purpose of a book is to convey information. So the +decision was made to ignore the defects and publish it anyway. + +I trust that you can ignore the presentation defects in the book +and concentrate on the information.'' + +\subsection*{The original foreword} +\begin{quote} +You might well wonder why {\it \TeX\ in Practice} is a part of +the Monographs in Visualization series. However, if you +really think about typesetting, especially fine typesetting, +you soon realize that, in large part, it is a {\it visual art\/} +as well as a science. This is especially true for mathematical +typesetting. As fine and robust as are the algorithms upon +which \TeX\ is based, they do not produce aesthetically perfect +results. Visually one frequently wants a little more (or less) space before +a subscript or superscript or a little less space above the +denominator or below the numerator in a fraction or this page opening +would look a little better if the line below the last +equation was pushed to the next page, etc. Fine typesetting +is a visual art form. Fortunately, Donald Knuth, in his +wisdom, recognized this and provided \TeX\ with unsurpassed +capabilities for accomplishing these small visual adjustments +so critical to fine typesetting. + +\TeX\ itself can be considered from at least two significant and quite +different viewpoints. The first is as a typesetting {\it system\/} in +which the typesetter has precise control of the placement of +characters and white space, the design and make-up of lines, +equations, paragraphs, and pages. The second is as a macro-extensible +{\it programming\/} language. Fundamentally, \TeX\ in Practice +addresses \TeX\ from the latter viewpoint. + +The four volumes of Stephan v. Bechtolsheim's long awaited {\it \TeX\ +in Practice} present a comprehensive view of \TeX. His thorough +discussion of each aspect of \TeX\ is liberally laced with cogent +illustrative examples. Many of these examples represent complete, +ready to use macros that enhance the capabilities of \TeX. These +examples are of particular interest to both the typesetter and the +\TeX\ programmer. The typesetter can often solve an immediate problem +by either using one of the examples directly or by making minor +changes to adapt it to the problem at hand. The \TeX\ programmer can +use the examples, along with Stephan's detailed discussion, to +increase both the depth and breadth of his or her knowledge of +\TeX. The value of the text is further enhanced by the author's +concerted effort to explain the reasoning behind each topic or +example. In many cases, he details the inner workings of \TeX's +processing of the example. + +Stephan is to be congratulated on producing a work of fundamental +and lasting value to the \TeX\ and publishing community. +\end{quote} +\end{article} |