Conference vaxuum::online_bookbuilding

    Note that the CUIP local doctypes must be installed to use this
    doctype.

    
    Hi Mary,
    
    I was able to build two memos successfully for bookreader, but in the
    .log file for each, I got a warning about "'\end' occurred inside group
    at level 1".  Here's one of the log files:
    
    ELUDE> type dg_review1.log
    $ SET NOVERIFY
    $ set default USER1:[GREMBOWICZ.RDB41.GDDD]
    $ D DG_REVIEW1.SDML;5 MEMO.ONLINE BOOKREADER/CONT/NOPRIN
    %DOC-I-IDENT, VAX DOCUMENT V2.0-1
    [ T a g    T r a n s l a t i o n ]...
    %TAG-I-DEFSLOADD, End of Loading of Tag Definitions
    %TAG-I-ENDPASS_1, End of first pass over the input
    [ T e x t    F o r m a t t i n g ]...
    %TEX-W-ENDINGROUP, '\end' occurred inside group at level 1
    %TEX-I-PAGESOUT, 11 pages written.
    -TEX-I-OUTFILENAME,
    'USER1:[GREMBOWICZ.RDB41.GDDD]DG_REVIEW1.DVI_BOOKREADER'
    [ C o n t e n t s   G e n e r a t i o n ]...
    [ T e x t    F o r m a t t i n g   C o n t e n t s ]...
    %TEX-I-PAGESOUT, 1 page written.
    -TEX-I-OUTFILENAME,
    'USER1:[GREMBOWICZ.RDB41.GDDD]DG_REVIEW1_CONTENTS.DVI_BOOKRE
    ADER'
    [ D e v i c e    C o n v e r s i o n ]...
    %DVC-I-INCLUDED, File doc$bookr_fonts:small_logo.rags was successfully
    included
    %DVC-I-INCLUDING, including input file:
       DG_REVIEW1_CONTENTS
    %DVC-I-BOOKBUILT, book was successfully built
    $ exit $status + 1 + f$verify(verify_context)
      GREMBOWICZ   job terminated at 30-MAY-1991 09:27:28.75
    
      Accounting information:
      Buffered I/O count:             330         Peak working set size:   6600
      Direct I/O count:               766         Peak page file size:    16671
      Page faults:                   5579         Mounted volumes:            0
      Charged CPU time:           0 00:00:45.83   Elapsed time:     0 00:01:59.24
    
    
    Maybe I didn't set up the doc$designs file correctly, but I thought I
    did.
    
    Helen
    
    

    Yeah, that seems to happen sporadically (in some files but not in
    others). I haven't been able to get it to happen consistently so I
    could figure out where it's coming from (nor have I had the time...).
    It appears to be totally harmless: the output it fine so my advice is
    to ignore it.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Mary

  This may be a dumb question, and perhaps it was just an academic exercise:
  but who wants memos in bookreader format?

  Is this to allow people to write their own personal diary online, so that,
  once they are famous, they can publish it immediately on CD-ROM... or to
  let everyone in the company enjoy the paperless office that now turned into
  a disk-full office???

  This writing business... nothing to it.

  Eeyore

    Pardon *me*, but *I* want memos in Bookreader format.
    
    I have produced a number of longish memos over the past couple of
    years; I have also formed the habits of generating Bookreader
    versions of almost everything I produce (and asking others to
    do the same) and of reviewing documents online. Memos are a
    particular pain because (until now) I've had to conditionalize
    the header stuff.
    
    Not everything that is put in Bookreader format is published on CD.
    (Just as not everything that is put in PostScript format is sold as
    end user documentation.) Bookreader is just another output device.
    A memo in Bookreader format is much more readable than one in ASCII
    format sent via mail. Granted, PostScript is even more readable but
    requires paper. The more information that's put online, the more
    trees are left in the 100 aker wood.
    
    Mary

>>    Pardon *me*,
   You are.
    
>    A memo in Bookreader format is much more readable than one in ASCII
   Only if you have a workstation or Xwindows terminal, something most
   managers (in my neighbourhood) don't have.
   
>>    requires paper. The more information that's put online, the more
>>    trees are left in the 100 aker wood.
   In the 100 Acre Wood (note spelling!) texts are normally *written* due to
   the simplemindedness of its inhabitants. The best they can do is write
   a "ples ring if an rnser is reqird" message on a sign stuck to a tree.
   And that lettering wobbles (in that respect it resembles bookreader).
   
   Greetings from the gloomy place,


   Eeyore

>>    Pardon *me*,
   You are.
    
    >>> Gee, thanks. [Dripping-with-Sarcasm symbol goes here]
    
>    A memo in Bookreader format is much more readable than one in ASCII
   Only if you have a workstation or Xwindows terminal, something most
   managers (in my neighbourhood) don't have.
    
    >>> Yes, I understand this can be a problem when you're stuck in some
    >>> tiny backwater country...
    
   In the 100 Acre Wood (note spelling!) texts are normally *written* due to
    
    >>> I believe that my (mis)spelling is one that the otherwise
    >>> admirable inhabitants of those woods are wobblingly guilty of.
    >>> If it isn't, it should be. Maybe when VAX DOCUMENT has a spell
    >>> checker, we can line them up as customers...
    
   Greetings from the gloomy place,
    
    >>> Still raining in Holland, eh?
    
    :-)
    
    Mary

Dear Eyesore,

Different people have different environments and different styles.  Everybody's
not the same, and not everything has to be lowest common denominator.  Just
'cause your group (and many others) are not ready for it doesn't mean that
others aren't.

I *love* the online environment, and "evangelize" others to use it as their
workaday world whenever possible.  Unfortunately, it has been used mostly
for technical manuals, etc., thus far.  The kind of stuff Mary is playing with
will make it easier for people to stay in the online (Bookreader) environment
for more of their work.  I believe that will help make a lot of converts.

No, it isn't universal.  No, it doesn't eliminate all need for paper.  But it
has significant advantages, and I'm hoping more people will come to communicate
this way.

It's analogous to the early laser printer days:  why use proportional formatters
for memos, etc., if much of the greater DEC audience only had character printers
and terminals?  Well, as proportional devices became more available, and as
people got more tools that took advantage of them, the situation changed from
a technology "push" to a user "pull".  As people were able to use the new
technology, more and more of them came to *expect* it as part of their
environment.

This is what I hope things like Mary's "non-technical" online designs will do
for the Bookreader style of communication.  It's also why I think there should
be a general-purpose, "low-end" DDIF-to-Bookreader converter, analogous to the
general-purpose, "low-end" DDIF-to-PostScript converter, so that "ordinary" jobs
can become part of the new environment, too.  It's too good to be limited to
the high-end, "sexy" stuff.  (That always draws a response!)

<endmark>

 Point taken! I found another advantage of Bookreader (sorry: online)
 memos: as long as there is no PRINT facility, and the screen captures are
 not really meant for reading (but for getting an idea of what a screen
 looks like), online memos might be the first step to a paperless office,
 simply 'cause there is no paper interface. More disks though...

 Theo

    RE .8 and .9:
    
    Thank you, Mark and Theo.