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diff --git a/doc/context/sources/general/manuals/musings/musings-staygo.tex b/doc/context/sources/general/manuals/musings/musings-staygo.tex new file mode 100644 index 000000000..4be647e47 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/context/sources/general/manuals/musings/musings-staygo.tex @@ -0,0 +1,461 @@ +% language=uk + +% Written with on repeat: +% +% Rai Thistlethwayte: Betty Page (the keyscape version) + +% \usemodule[art-01,abr-04] +% +% \setupbodyfont[12pt] +% +% \startdocument +% [title={What’s to stay, what’s to go}, +% subtitle={The 2018 Bacho\TeX\ theme}, +% author={Hans Hagen}] + +\definedescription + [theme] + [before=\startnarrower, + after=\stopnarrower, + title=yes, + alternative=serried, + width=fit, + distance=.5\emwidth, + text={\documentvariable{title}:}] + +% \starttitle[title=\documentvariable{title}\\\txx\documentvariable{subtitle}] + +\startcomponent musings-staygo + +\environment musings-style + +\startchapter[title={What’s to stay, what’s to go}] + +\startsection[title=Introduction] + +The following text was written as preparation for a 2018 talk at Bacho\TEX, which +has this theme. It's mostly a collection of thoughts. It was also more meant as a +wrapup for the presentation (possibly with some discussions) than an article. + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Attraction] + +There are those movies where some whiz-kid sits down behind a computer, keys in a +few commands, and miracles happen. Ten fingers are used to generate programs that +work immediately. It's no problem to bypass firewalls. There is no lag over +network connections. Checking massive databases is no big deal and there's even +processing power left for real time visualization or long logs to the terminal. + +How boring and old fashioned must a regular edit||run||preview cycle look +compared to this. If we take this 2018 movie reality as reference, in a time when +one can suck a phone empty with a simple connection, pull a hard drive from a +raid five array and still get all data immediately available, when we can follow +realtime whoever we want using cameras spread over the country, it's pretty clear +that this relatively slow page production engine \TEX\ has no chance to survive, +unless we want to impress computer illiterate friends with a log flying by on the +console (which in fact is used in movies to impress as well). + +On YouTube you can find these (a few hours) sessions where Jacob Collier +harmonizes live in one of these Digital Audio Workstation programs. A while later +on another channel June Lee will transcribe these masterpieces into complex +sheets of music by ear. Or you can watch the weekly Wintergatan episodes on +building the Marble Machine from wood using drilling, milling, drawing programs +etc. There are impressive videos of multi|-|dimensional led arrays made by hand +and controlled by small computers and robots that solve Rubic Cubes. You can be +impressed by these Animusic videos, musicians show their craftmanship and +interesting informative movies are all over the place. I simply cannot imagine +millions of kids watching a \TEX\ style being written in a few hours. It's a real +challenge for an attention span. I hope to be proven wrong but I fear that for +the upcoming generation it's probably already too late because the \quote {whow} +factor of \TEX\ is low at first encounter. Although: picking up one of Don Knuths +books can have that effect: a nice mixture of code, typesetting and subtle +graphics, combined with great care, only possible with a system like \TEX. + +\starttheme + Biology teaches us that \quote {cool} is not a recipe for \quote {survival}. + Not all designs by nature look cool, and it's only efficiency and + functionality that matters. Beauty sometimes matters too but many functional + mechanisms can do without. So far \TEX\ and its friends were quite capable to + survive so there must be something in it that prevents it to be discarded. + But survival is hard to explain. So far \TEX\ just stayed around but lack of + visual attraction is a missing competitive trait. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Satisfaction] + +Biology also teaches us that chemistry can overload reason. When we go for +short|-|term pleasure instead of long|-|term satisfaction (Google for Simon Sinek +on this topic), addiction kicks in (for instance driven by crossing the dopamine +thresholds too often, Google for Robert Sapolsky). Cool might relate more to +pleasure while satisfaction relates to an effort. Using \TEX\ is not that cool +and often takes an effort. But the results can be very satisfying. Where \quote +{cool} is rewarding in the short term, \quote {satisfaction} is more a long term +effect. So, you probably get the best (experience) out of \TEX\ by using it a +lifetime. That's why we see so many old \TEX ies here: many like the rewards. + +If we want to draw new users we run into the problem that humans are not that +good in long term visions. This means that we cannot rely on showing cool (and +easy) features but must make sure that the long term reward is clear. We can try +to be \quote {cool} to draw in new users, but it will not be the reason they +stay. Instant success is important for kids who have to make a report for school, +and a few days \quotation {getting acquainted with a program} doesn't fit in. +It's hard to make kids addicted to \TEX\ (which could be a dubious objective). + +\starttheme + As long as the narrative of satisfaction can be told we will see new users. + Meetings like Bacho\TEX\ is where the narrative gets told. What will happen + when we no longer meet? +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Survival] + +Survival relates to improvements, stability and discarding of weak aspects. +Unfortunately that does not work out well in practice. Fully automated +multi||columns typesetting with all other elements done well too (we just mention +images) is hard and close to impossible for arbitrary cases, so nature would have +gotten rid of it. Ligatures can be a pain especially when the language is not +tagged and some kind of intelligence is needed to selectively disable them. They +are the tail of the peacock: not that handy but meant to be impressive. Somehow +it stayed around in automated typesetting, in biology it would be called a freak +of nature: probably a goodbye in wildlife. And how about page breaks on an +electronic device: getting rid of them would make the floating figures go away +and remove boundary conditions often imposed. It would also make widows and clubs +less of a problem. One can even wonder if with page breaks the windows and clubs +are the biggest problems, and if one can simply live with them. After all, we can +live with our own bodily limitations too. After all, (depending on what country +you live in) you can also live with bad roads, bad weather, polution, taxes, lack +of healthcare for many, too much sugar in food, and more. + + +\starttheme + Animals or plants that can adapt to live on a specific island might not + survive elsewhere. Animals or plants introduced in an isolated environment + might quickly dominate and wipe out the locals. What are the equivalents in + our \TEX\ ecosystem? +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Niches] + +But arguments will not help us determine if \TEX\ is the fittest for survival. +It's not a rational thing. Humans are bad in applying statistics in their live, +and looking far ahead is not a treat needed to survive. Often nature acts in +retrospect. (Climbing mount probability by Richard Dawkins). So, it doesn't +matter if we save time in the future if it complicates the current job. If +governments and companies cannot look ahead and act accordingly, how can we +extrapolate software (usage) or more specifically typesetting demands. Just look +at the political developments in the country that hosts this conference. Could we +have predicted the diminishing popularity of the \EU\ (and disturbing retrograde +political mess in some countries) of 2018 when we celebrated the moment Poland +joining the \EU\ at a Bacho\TEX\ campfire? + +Extrapolating the future quality of versions of \TEX\ or macro packages also doesn't +matter much. With machine learning and artificial intelligence around the corner and +with unavoidable new interfaces that hook into our brains, who knows what systems +we need in the future. A generic flexible typesetting system is probably not the +most important tool then. When we discuss quality and design it gets personal so +a learning system that renders neutrally coded content into a form that suits +an individual, demands a different kind of tool than we have now. + +On the short term (our live span) it makes more sense to look around and see how +other software (ecosystems) fare. Maybe we can predict \TEX's future from that. +Maybe we can learn from others mistakes. In the meantime we should not flatter +ourselves with the idea that a near perfect typesetting system will draw attention +and be used by a large audience. Factors external to the community play a too +important role in this. + +\starttheme + It all depends on how well it fits into a niche. Sometimes survival is only + possible by staying low on the radar. But just as we destroy nature and kill + animals competing for space, programs get driven out of the software world. + On a positive note: in a project that provides open (free) math for schools + students expressed to favour a printed book over \WEB|-|only (one curious + argument for \WEB\ was that it permits easier listening to music at the same + time). +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Dominance] + +Last year I installed a bit clever (evohome) heating control system. It's +probably the only \quotation {working out of the box} system that supports 12 +zones but at the same time it has a rather closed interface as any other. One can +tweak a bit via a web interface but that one works by a proxy outside so there is +a lock in. Such a system is a gamble because it's closed and we're talking of a +20 year investment. I was able to add a layer of control (abusing \LUATEX\ as +\LUA\ engine and \CONTEXT\ as library) so let's see. When I updated the boiler I +also reconfigured some components (like valves) and was surprised how limited +upgrading was supported. One ends up with lost settings and weird interference +and it's because I know a bit of programming that I kept going and managed to add +more control. Of course, after a few weeks I had to check a few things in the +manuals, like how to enter the right menu. + +So, as the original manuals are stored somewhere, one picks up the smart phone +and looks for the manual on the web. I have no problem with proper \PDF\ as a +manual but why not provide a simple standard format document alongside the fancy +folded A3 one. Is it because it's hard to produce different instances from one +source? Is it because it takes effort? We're talking of a product that doesn't +change for years. + +\starttheme + The availability of flexible tools for producing manuals doesn't mean that + they are used as such. They don't support the survival of tools. Bad examples + are a threat. Dominant species win. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Extinction] + +When I was writing this I happened to visit a bookshop where I always check the +SciFi section for new publications. I picked out a pocket and wondered if I had +the wrong glasses on. The text was wobbling and looked kind of weird. On close +inspection indeed the characters were kind of randomly dancing on the baseline +and looked like some 150 \DPI\ (at most) scan. (By the way, I checked this the +next time I was there by showing the book to a nephew.) I get the idea that quite +some books get published first in the (more expensive) larger formats, so +normally I wait till a pocket size shows up (which can take a year) so maybe here +I had to do with a scan of a larger print scaled down. + +What does that tell us? First of all that the publisher doesn't care about the +reader: this book is just unreadable. Second, it demonstrates that the printer +didn't ask for the original \PDF\ file and then scaled down the outline copy. It +really doesn't matter in this case if you use some high quality typesetting +program then. It's also a waste of time to talk to such publishers about quality +typesetting. The printer probably didn't bother to ask for a \PDF\ file that +could be scaled down. + +\starttheme + In the end most of the publishing industry will die and this is just one of + the symptoms. Typesetting as we know it might fade away. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Desinterest] + +The newspaper that I read has a good reputation for design. But why do they need +to drastically change the layout and font setup every few years? Maybe like an +animal marking his or her territory a new department head also has to put a mark +on the layout. Who knows. For me the paper became pretty hard to read: a too +light font that suits none of the several glasses that I have. So yes, I spend +less time reading the paper. In a recent commentary about the 75 year history of +the paper there was a remark about the introduction of a modern look a few +decades ago by using a sans serif font. I'm not sure why sans is considered +modern (most handwriting is sans) and to me some of these sans fonts look pretty +old fashioned compared to a modern elegant serif (or mix). + +\starttheme + If marketing and fashion of the day dominate then a wrong decision can result + in dying pretty fast. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Persistence] + +Around the turn of the century I had to replace my \CD\ player and realized that it +made more sense to invest in ripping the \CD's to \FLAC\ files and use a decent +\DAC\ to render the sound. This is a generic approach similar to processing +documents with \TEX\ and it looks as future proof as well. So, I installed a +virtual machine running SlimServer and bought a few SlimDevices, although by that +time they were already called SqueezeBoxes. + +What started as an independent supplier of hardware and an open source program +had gone the (nowadays rather predictable) route of a buy out by a larger company +(Logitech). That company later ditched the system, even if it had a decent share +of users. This \quotation {start something interesting and rely on dedicated +users}, then \quotation {sell yourself (to the highest bidder)} and a bit later +\quotation {accept that the product gets abandoned} is where open source can fail +in many aspects: loyal users are ignored and offended with the original author +basically not caring about it. The only good thing is that because the software +is open source there can be a follow up, but of course that requires that there +are users able to program. + +I have 5 small boxes and a larger transporter so my setup is for now safe from +extinction. And I can run the server on any (old) \LINUX\ or \MSWINDOWS\ +distribution. For the record, when I recently connected the 20 year old Cambridge +CD2 I was surprised how well it sounded on my current headphones. The only +drawback was that it needs 10 minutes for the transport to warm up and get +working. + +In a similar fashion I can still use \TEX, even when we originally started using +it with the only viable quality \DVI\ to \POSTSCRIPT\ backend at that time +(\DVIPSONE). But I'm not so sure what I'd done if I had not been involved in the +development of \PDFTEX\ and later \LUATEX . As an average user I might just have +dropped out. As with the \CD\ player, maybe someone will dust off an old \TEX\ +some day and maybe the only hurdle is to get it running on a virtual retro +machine. Although \unknown\ recently I ran into an issue with a virtual machine +that didn't provide a console after a \KVM\ host update, so I'm also getting +pessimistic about that escape for older programs. (Not seldom when a library +update is forced into the \LUATEX\ repository we face some issue and it's not +something the average user want (or is able to) cope with.) + +\starttheme + Sometimes it's hard to go extinct, even when commerce interfered at some + point. But it does happen that users successfully take (back) control. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Freedom] + +If you buy a book originating in academia written and typeset by the author, +there is a chance that it is produced by some flavour of \TEX\ and looks quite +okay. This is because the author could iterate to the product she or he likes. +Unfortunately the web is also a source of bad looking documents produced by \TEX. +Even worse is that many authors don't even bother to set up a document layout +properly, think about structure and choose a font setup that matches well. One +can argue that only content matters. Fine, but than also one shouldn't claim +quality simply because \TEX\ has been used. + +I've seen examples of material meant for bachelor students that made me pretend +that I am not familiar with \TEX\ and cannot be held responsible. Letter based +layouts on A4 paper, or worse, meant for display (or e|-|book devices) without +bothering to remove the excessive margins. Then these students are forced to use +some collaborative \TEX\ environment, which makes them dependent on the quality +standards of fellow students. No wonder that one then sees dozens of packages +being loaded, abundant copy and paste and replace of already entered formulas and +interesting mixtures of inline and display math, skips, kerns and whatever can +help to make the result look horrible. + +\starttheme + Don't expect enthusiast new users when you impose \TEX\ but take away freedom + and force folks to cooperate with those with lesser standards. It will not + help quality \TEX\ to stay around. You cannot enforce survival, it just + happens or not, probably better with no competition or with a competition so + powerful that it doesn't bother with the niches. In fact, keeping a low + profile might be best! The number of users is no indication of quality, + although one can abuse that statistic selectively? +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Diversity] + +Diversity in nature is enormous. There are or course niches, but in general there +are multiple variants of the same. When humans started breeding stock or +companion animals diversity also was a property. No one is forcing the same dog +upon everyone or the same cow. However, when industrialization kicks in things +become worse. Many cows in our country share the same dad. And when we look at +for instance corn, tomatoes or whatever dominance is not dictated by what nature +figures out best, but by what commercially makes most sense, even if that means +that something can't reproduce by itself any longer. + +In a similar way the diversity of methods and devices to communicate (on paper) +at some point turns into commercial uniformity. The diversity is simply very +small, also in typesetting. And even worse, a user even has to defend +her|/|himself for a choice of system (even in the \TEX\ community). It's just +against nature. + +\starttheme + Normally something stays around till it no longer can survive. However, we + humans have a tendency to destroy and commerce is helping a hand here. In + that respect it's a surprise that \TEX\ is still around. On the other hand, + humans also have a tendency to keep things artificially alive and even + revive. Can we revive \TEX\ in a few hundred years given the complex code + base and Make infrastructure? +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Publishing] + +What will happen with publishing? In the production notes of some of my recently +bought books the author mentions that the first prints were self|-|published +(either or not sponsored). This means that when a publisher \quotation {takes +over} (which still happens when one scales up) not much work has to be done. +Basically the only thing an author needs is a distribution network. My personal +experience with for instance \CD's produced by a group of musicians is that it is +often hard to get it from abroad (if at all) simply because one needs a payment +channel and mail costs are also relatively high. + +But both demonstrate that given good facilitating options it is unlikely that +publishers as we have now have not much change of survival. Add to the argument +that while in Gutenbergs time a publisher also was involved in the technology, +today nothing innovative comes from publishers: the internet, ebook devices, +programs, etc.\ all come from elsewhere. And I get the impression that even in +picking up on technology publishers lag behind and mostly just react. Even +arguments like added value in terms of peer review are disappearing with the +internet where peer groups can take over that task. Huge amounts of money are +wasted on short|-|term modern media. (I bet similar amounts were never spend on +typesetting.) + +\starttheme + Publishers, publishing, publications and their public: as they are now they + might not stay around. Lack of long term vision and ideas and decoupling of + technology can make sure of that. Publishing will stay but anyone can + publish; we only need the infrastructure. Creativity can win over greed and + exploitation, small can win over big. And tools like \TEX\ can thrive in + there, as it already does on a small scale. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +\startsection[title=Understanding] + +\quotation {Why do you use \TEX?} If we limit this question to typesetting, you +can think of \quotation {Why don't you use \MSWORD ?} \quotation {Why don't you use +Indesign?}, \quotation {Why don't you use that macro package?}, \quotation {Why +don't you use this \TEX\ engine?} and alike. I'm sure that most of the readers +had to answer questions like this, questions that sort of assume that you're not +happy with what you use now, or maybe even suggest that you must be stupid not to +use \unknown + +It's not that easy to explain why I use \TEX\ and|/|or why \TEX\ is good a the +job. If you are in a one|-|to|-|one (or few) sessions you can demonstrate its +virtues but \quote {selling} it to for instance a publisher is close to +impossible because this kind of technology is rather unknown and far from the +click|-|and|-|point paradigm. It's even harder when students get accustomed to +these interactive books from wherein they can even run code snippets although one +can wonder how individual these are when a student has the web as a source of +solutions. Only after a long exposure to similar and maybe imperfect alternatives +books will get appreciated. + +For instance speaking of \quotation {automated typesetting} assumes that one +knows what typesetting is and also is aware that automated has some benefits. A +simple \quotation {it's an \XML\ to \PDF\ converter} might work better but that +assumes \XML\ being used which for instance not always makes sense. And while +hyphenation, fancy font support and proper justification might impress a \TEX\ +user it often is less of an argument than one thinks. + +The \quotation {Why don't you} also can be heard in the \TEX\ community. In the +worst case it's accompanied by a \quotation {\unknown\ because everybody uses +\unknown} which of course makes no sense because you can bet that the same user +will not fall for that argument when it comes to using an operating system or so. +Also from outside the community there is pressure to use something else: one can +find defense of minimal markup over \TEX\ markup or even \HTML\ markup as better +alternative for dissemination than for instance \PDF\ or \TEX\ sources. The +problem here is that old||timers can reflect on how relatively wonderful a +current technique really is, given changes over time, but who wants to listen to +an old|-|timer. Progress is needed and stimulating (which doesn't mean that all +old technology is obsolete). When I watched Endre eNerd's \quotation {The Time +Capsule} blu|-|ray I noticed an Ensoniq Fizmo keyboard and looked up what it was. +I ended up in interesting reads where the bottom line was \quotation {Either you +get it or you don't}. Reading the threads rang a bell. As with \TEX, you cannot +decide after a quick test or even a few hours if you (get the concept and) like +it or not: you need days, weeks, or maybe even months, and some actually never +really get it after years. + +\starttheme + It is good to wonder why you use some program but what gets used by others + depends on understanding. If we can't explain the benefits there is no + future for \TEX. Or more exact: if it no longer provide benefits, it will + just disappear. Just walk around a gallery in a science museum that deals + with computers: it can be a bit pathetic experience. +\stoptheme + +\stopsection + +{\bf Who knows \unknown} + +\stoptitle + +\stopdocument |