On Tue, Dec 08, 1998 at 07:32:18AM -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Hello everybody,
[Everbody: ] Hi, Mike.
(Hope the cold is better, since it's now served its purpose of getting you to
finish the lgt :)
> Lars has put my first whack at the "graphical tutorial" at
> ftp://ftp.devel.lyx.org/pub/lyx/lgt.tar.gz (thanks, Lars). Please have a
> look and critique it, especially as to whether it succeeds as an
> informative tutorial/evaluation tool. Don't worry about typos or extra
> image files; I've cleaned up a bunch of that kind of cruft already.
> Suggestions and improvements welcome as always.
I like it!
Minor Thoughts:
- I think there could be a few fewer screenshots. For example, it's not a bad
idea to screenshot the "File" menu (although I might have made the shot
include more of the background). But you probably don't then need to
screenshot the math menu, right? (The math *panel* you of course should show.)
(And perhaps for Insert->Floats you could instead have *one* screenshot
showing both open).
- There were a few places where you put the lyx shot & the dvi shot on
separate lines. IMO, every time except the very first, they ought to go on
the same line. (That way you're using horizontal dead space and saving
vertical space, all comments by Asger notwithstanding.)
- IMO, you don't need to have quite as many examples of selecting things from
the layout menu. While you've effectively used the Weissian humor during
repetition menu, if you've already had them use it for title and author, they
don't need to also use it for abstract and section, The itemize & changing an
itemize to subsection, though, demonstrate new material, so they're OK.
- While I'm talking about layout menuing: I almost always select the layout
before I type anything into the new paragraph. You could at least mention
the possibility of doing that. (e.g. for "Author")
- "simply type the name of the file". I would add "or select it by double
clicking on folders until you get to the right folder, then double clicking
on the name." It is, after all, a GUI application!
Now to the larger point. I guess this was not what I was expecting when you
described the project. OTOH, I think it's really great! I think it could
definitely convince people to use LyX. In addition, I think it ought to be
included with the distribution (perhaps trimmed down a bit to avoid long
download times--- or make it a separate download?). AFAIAC, this graphical
tutorial could provide a wonderful first look to new users, overcoming the
initial barrier of annoyance with learning a new processor, and fear that it
will be hard to use. I particularly see it as something for a sysadmin to use
for a bunch of people at her site, say. "Just fire up lyx and run netscape on
this file and do the graphical tutorial. Then read the real tutorial."
What do you think?
-Amir
