[Scribus] Again: Tutorial

[Christoph Schäfer]

Am Mittwoch, 26. Juli 2006 20:21 schrieb Louis Desjardins:
> (Sorry folks, I am sending this again. There is typo in the end that
> changes my idea. Please skip my previous post and keep this one. ? Louis)
[snip]

>
> Yes. You've got very good points. I didn't remember all those titles.
> And actually, if I didn't, it must be because they did not hurt or
> strike me. Of course, one can be sensitive to the "fertile adolescent
> mind" ...

This argument is totally lost on me. One would have to send children/juveniles 
to school wearing blinkers to "protect" them from advertisements. And, by the 
way, the same people complaining about too much "skin" don't care about ads 
for alcohol, cigarettes or companies that treat their employees like dirt. 
That's just bigoted. But that is, actually, another topic.

>
> Really, I still think it is manageable but I am no expert and as I said,
> let's look at the long term effect... I realize the issue is a bit
> further important than just re-cropping a few pics and editing a title.
> To that point, let's leave this document like it is and let's make
> another one, like you say. That was version 1. Version 2 will be
> different. I have no problem with this approach.
>
> One thing I would mention is the fact that we have concentrated our
> sight on what was "wrong" (in a general way) in that document, taking
> good care of more sensitive souls and this is all right. This is some
> kind of "active listening" and it always proves to be a good thing to
> do. At the same time, let's concentrate on what we like in this
> document. Niyam's content was all aimed towards the idea of "Freedom".
> This, I think, could (should, whatever!) drive us in our choice for
> something else. "Free minds" are not difficult to find in History.
> Rembrandt was certainly a "free minded person" (I hope!)

He was a child of his time, but he was a remarkable person, even if measured 
by today's standards.

> What I liked 
> also was the total different culture from the Occidentals... This is
> also a big part of Open Source. Sharing, showing other things and other
> ways of looking at things.

If we use Rembrandt, we have to enter a world (the 17th century Netherlands) 
which is as different from ours than Indian culture compared to European. And 
it's certainly no less fascinating :)

> I might sound a bit serious here but I am 
> writing this with serenity! :) And this doesn't mean I am *not* behind
> Rembrandt! :)
>
> In the end, the content must meet the container like it did in version 1.

Fully agreed.

>
> I am sure Christoph has interesting to mention about Rembrandt that will
> support this! :)

There are lots of things to tell about Rembrandt (One can fill a huge library 
with literature on Rembrandt, 17th century culture and history etc.). The 
reason for me to suggest Rembrandt were manifold. Rembrandt is, like Mozart 
or Shakespeare, an artist, who seems to be able to "touch" people all over 
the world. Then we have the man himself, whose humaneness is still 
impressive. He painted his first and second wife and his son with so much 
tenderness, and, after having lost all of them, his grief in pitiless 
reflected his self portraits. Look at his portraits and you regognise a wise 
man looking deep inside the human mind. Also think about the country in which 
Rembrandt lived: The United Provinces of the Netherlands, who had deposed 
their king and fought the longest war in modern history to preserve their 
freedom. With respect to copyright and openness, Rembrandt is interesting as 
well, especially in connection to FOSS. Rembrandt was already famous at his 
time. If he was living in our times, he'd be a superstar, and he was also a 
great teacher. In his "studio" there were up to 100 employees, lots of them 
volunteers, to learn the magic "technique" behind his paintings. Rembrandt 
was so succesful in spreading his knowledge that hundreds of works had been 
erroneously ascribed to him, among them the famous "man with the golden 
helmet". What is interesting here is that there was a difference between a 
work from Rembrandt's shop and a work by himself or a work signed by him. If 
a painting was signed by Rembrandt himself, its value rose enormously. This 
corresponds, IMHO, to a certain degree, to FOSS development: The methods are 
open for everyone to study and learn, the results are for free (as in beer) 
or available at low cost, but if "branded", they have their price.

With respect to design/layout/printing issues it should be remembered that 
Rembrandt was a master of colours, and his use of colours was somehow 
"revolutionary". Compare his paintings to Flemish art of the same period!

Finally, in 2006 Rembrandt's birthday is celebrated. Why not take the 
opportunity to use the many freely available images of this genius to create 
something of beauty as a tutorial?

>
> Thanks, Greg, for this wide angle overview!
>
> Louis

Christoph