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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/6_2/9May96.tex |
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diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/9May96.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/9May96.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..bac867c5fc --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/9May96.tex @@ -0,0 +1,244 @@ +\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article} +\title{Draft Minutes of a meeting of the UK \TeX\ Users' Group Committee +held at LSE} +\date{9th May, 1996} +\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{40pt} +\setlength{\evensidemargin}{\oddsidemargin} +\setlength{\marginparwidth}{2\marginparwidth} +\newcommand{\action}[1]{\marginpar{\textsf{Action: #1}}} +\newcommand{\BV}{\textsl{Baskerville}} +\let\pound\pounds +\begin{document} +\maketitle + +\noindent +Present: Robin Fairbairns (in the chair), Peter Abbott, Kaveh Bazargan, + Malcolm Clark (Minutes Secretary), Carol Hewlett. +There were apologies from Alan Jeffrey, David Carlisle and Sebastian Rahtz. + +\section{Minutes of the last meeting (25th January 1996)} +No corrections other than trivial literals brought forward. + +\section{Matters arising} +MC was presented with the Honorary Membership Certificate. + +Adobe Capture: apparently it would cost us a few hundred dollars. It was +agreed to pursue this despite the cost.\action{RF} It will enable us to scan +and make available old copies of \BV, for which we have no masters or +sources. A likely use would be to put all back issues on CD-rom in pdf format. + +\section{Chairman's Report} +RF indicated that thee was little to report, but introduced the following +\begin{itemize} +\item TUG: it was noted that there are intermittent problems with +communication to TUG. +\item GUT: the FAQ in \BV\ 5.6 has been translated into French +and will appear in either \textsl{Lettres} or \textsl{Cahiers}. The FAQ +was also being translated into Czech and Russian. +\item archive: the archive is alive and well and continues +its pre-emminent position. +\end{itemize} +\section{Committee Secretary's matters} +CH had received some copies of Dante's \textsl{Kom\"odie}, which +she circulated. It was agreed that any suitable articles might +be used in \BV, if permission from Dante was forthcoming.\action{RF, PA} + +Carol will clarify the existing committee's membership details prior +to the AGM.\action{CH} + +\section{Meetings} +\begin{itemize} +\item \textsl{Portable documents}: a high turnout, although slightly +down on the initial Bridewell meeting. Somewhat higher costs, due +to venue and audio-visual support, but covered by BCS electronic and multimedia +specialist group. At least one paper from this should be forthcoming +for publication in \BV. +\item \textsl{\TeX\ and the Internet}: in an email message, +DC noted that the punters who turned up seemed quite pleased with what they got. +But he continued that since a +large number of speakers were drawn from the committee +it was not clear how often we can do this kind of thing. Unless we can +put up some new faces people are not going to want to come to hear the +same people next time. Bringing people in from outside costs money +(except when we can count on goodwill from Elsevier.) If we could be +sure further in advance of reasonable numbers of people coming, this +sort of thing would be easier to finance. + +\item \textsl{\TeX\ and \LaTeX\ for Publishers seminar}: +KB reported on meetings he had had with MC. It is anticipated +that costs may be a little higher than first estimated. It was planned +now to accommodate 18--20 people. KB was expecting to try to +locate a date in September for the seminar.\action{KB} It was agreed that +this should be pursued vigorously, and that it was vitally +important to do this in a thoroughly professional manner. + +\item \textsl{\TeX\ for University Admin}: MC reported that this +was in Allan Reese's hands. He would pursue it with him.\action{MC} + +\item \textsl{em\TeX\ and non-English \TeX}: CH noted that there +had been some confusion over this with Anna Moraskawa.\action{CH} However it was +agreed to continue developing this theme, subject to being able +to find a suitable presenter (?Allan Reese). The second half of the +meeting was discussed and it was agreed that it would be about Babel. +Again, the necessity of finding a suitable presenter was discussed. RF and AJ +were identified as programme organizers.\action{RF, AJ} + +\item \textsl{AGM and associated meeting}: confirmed that the +meeting would be held at Warwick University on October 16th.\action{MC} +MC noted that he would be at King's College, London by then. AJ was again +identified as a potential programme organiser.\action{AJ} Likely topics +suggested included Scientific Word, the Unix CD-rom (see topic~\ref{cd} below), +Maple\slash Mathematica interface to \TeX\slash \LaTeX\dots\action{All} + +\item \textsl{Packages in \LaTeXe}: generally agreed that +this should be pursued.\action{who?} + +\item \textsl{\dots\ and anything else}: in view of the very poor +attendence at the recent Warwick meeting, and at the last AGM, MC +suggested that we rethink our strategy of one-day meetings. The +general discussion which followed included a tentative proposal +for a two-day meeting which would include the AGM. The likely +costings need not be very high, and it would be possible to +have more diverse topics, or multiple themes. Since committee +members appear to comprise the bulk of speakers for meetings, it +would impose less burden on them. CH agreed to examine the +constitutional implications\action{CH} since incorporation of +the AGM could determine timings. Some enabling mechanism will +be introduced at the AGM. +\end{itemize} + +\section{Additional committee members} +In email +DC noted that the current comittee is not really large enough to cope with two +or three people having other commitments at certain times. This seems +to be inevitable in a volunteer organisation. +He proposed that some form of concession to committee +members might encourage wider participation. This proposal was discussed. +There was some sympathy for this, but no clear conclusion was +reached. A possible model was to give committee members free +or subsidised attendance at meetings. CH\action{CH} would examine +the constitutional aspects of this. Again, an enabling mechanism +would, if necessary, be introduced at the AGM. Naturally, those +availing themselves of such concessions would be expected to +fulfill their role of committee member fully at any meeting. +\section{Membership Enquiries} +As a gesture of goodwill, +it was agreed to extend free membership for this year to Ahmed Hindawi, +in view of the difficulties he had been experiencing in arranging +membership through the TUG office. + +PA suggested that we offer membership to US students by asking them +to pay with a shiny new \$10 bill. This avoids problems of currency exchange. + + +PA noted that enquiries were trickling in at about one a week. +\section{Publicity} +In view of the difficulty in communicating with JF, and the likelihood +that most of the information he has is now past its sell-by date, it +was agreed to drop this item from the agenda. + +It was agreed that we would have a press release\action{KB, MC} + for the \textsl{Publishers} seminar. + +\section{Membership Secretary's matters} +\textsl{Membership statistics}: PA circulated details of current +membership. Membership is about 42 down. PA\action{PA} will +follow up some non-renewers who were thought to retain a significant +\TeX\ interest. + +\section{Treasurer's matters} +RF noted that the policy of the committee was to place +services to members before the need to accumulate capital. + +PA recommended that there be no change to subscription levels for next +year. This was agreed by the committee. +It was stressed that it was of the utmost importance to +get details of TUG's 1997 subscription rates, as early as possible.\action{RF, MC} + +KB pointed out that there are accounts into which foreign currency +could be paid, without swingeing commission. PA\action{PA} agreed +to look into this. +\section{Baskerville} +\begin{itemize} +\item \textsl{Editor's report}: DC noted that + he was reasonably happy with the final result for \BV\ 6.1 + although it took longer to do than he anticipated. +He would be unable to edit a second one this year, through +pressure of other commitments. + +MC had circulated most of a draft copy of \BV\ 6.2 which he was currently +editing. He was experiencing some difficulties with production, but +receiving assistance from RF. + +\item \textsl{Publisher's report}: nothing to report. +\item \textsl{Editorship arrangements}: +Future editions are, or will be, + in the hands of CH (6.3), AJ\action{RF} (6.4), PA (6.5) and +RF (6.6). +\end{itemize} + +\section{Services to members} +\begin{itemize} +\item \textsl{Mac CD-rom}: in order to follow this it was agreed +that MC\action{MC} would look at the costs of a CD-rom writer for +use with a Mac. Some useful input had been received from Andrew Trevarrow. +\item\label{cd} \textsl{Unix CD-rom}: SPQR +reported (via email) that + the CD is now called ``\TeX\ Live''. He hoped to send it for pressing on +Friday or next Monday at the latest (i.e. 10th or 13th May); then to + take 200 copies to CERN +on May 24th, and to launch on 29th. Documentation will be run +off on a Docutech at CERN that weekend, so he will bring 200 copies back. + +See CTAN:\texttt{info/tdscd} for a list of files on the CD. It has ready to run +Unix binaries for over 20 systems and a very large +support tree of fonts, macros, documentation etc. It also contains the complete +GUTenberg distributions for Windows, DOS and Mac. + +The CD bill is around \pounds1000 for 500 copies, and the documentation +costs may be `absorbed'. It will cost around \pound1 to post. +GUTenberg buy 200 copies immediately, NTG 50, and we lose 50 in +freebies to poor people and review copies. That means we have 200 +copies with which to recoup \pound500. + +The committee recommended that the CD should be sold at \pound15 to +members and \pound25 to non-members. Although this figure is higher +than that suggested by SPQR, it was felt that this level was more +in line with other comparable CDs, and that it would enable us to +consider other CD projects at similar overall cost to our members. + +A further proposal was to include a voucher for (say) \pound5 +which would be redeemable against future UKTUG-produced CDs. +\end{itemize} +\section{Annual award for \TeX\ support}\label{cartoon} +Agreed to approach Duane Bibby with a view to obtaining a small +series of cartoons which can be used as awards, but which may +also be used as promotional items (coasters, t-shirts, mugs\dots). +RF\action{RF} will obtain details of how to contact Duane.\action{MC?} +\section{Cartoon and/or t-shirts} +See item \ref{cartoon} above. +Chris Rowley has the original. It was agreed that we would produce +a special 10th anniversary archive t-shirt based on the original +design, in time for the Dubna meeting.\action{MC, ??} +\section{AOB} +\begin{itemize} +\item \textsl{relational database}: PA asked if the group could invest in +FileMaker Pro to enable him to maintain the membership database. KB agreed +to send him a copy of the manual to confirm that this software was indeed +suitable.\action{KB} + +\item \textsl{Dubna}: it was agreed that the committee was sympathetic to +providing cash for a bursary fund to be used to enable suitable indigent +\TeX ies to attend. RF noted that he had talked to Michel Goossens +about this, but had received no formal request. + +It was also agreed that the committee should send a representative +to Dubna. The short straw was eventually accepted by Robin, +with the customary show of reluctance. The +committee agreed this was an admirable choice and that he would be +an excellent representative, anticipating that he would + promote the group and its +activities assiduously, and expecting a suitable report +for \BV. +\end{itemize} +\end{document} |