Magazine Article Ideas

[parnote]

I should probably share this link... since agmg brought it up...

http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html

(alternative programs list) It's in several languages and is updated to the end of last year. I have it bookmarked but I don't use it any more, since I know what my favorite programs are by now.....  
Upon closer inspection, I see that it is missing some programs I know should be there (like LibreOffice and a few of the financial programs I reviewed a few months ago). It is a good list anyway, and might help someone.

I am sure you guys can do a wonderful series!!!

I think this list is a good start, but it needs some serious updating. If we want to do this, I propose NOT doing it in a table format, for one thing (laying out tables in Scribus is awful and clumsy, at best). Secondly, I notice that there are sections of the list on the website that are out of date, and either list apps that are no longer developed, or sections that are not complete in their listing. Third, I think we need to LIMIT the list of Linux equivalent apps to only those that are in the PCLinuxOS repository. We don't need to be encouraging users -- new users, especially -- to install from outside the official repos.

This "list" is going to take A LOT of work, but I'm sure new users to PCLinuxOS (and perhaps some veterans) will find it very useful.

OK ... one article down ... how many more to go? Please feel free to list your article ideas here.

parnote

[Meemaw]

I should probably share this link... since agmg brought it up...

http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html

(alternative programs list) It's in several languages and is updated to the end of last year. I have it bookmarked but I don't use it any more, since I know what my favorite programs are by now.....  
Upon closer inspection, I see that it is missing some programs I know should be there (like LibreOffice and a few of the financial programs I reviewed a few months ago). It is a good list anyway, and might help someone.

I am sure you guys can do a wonderful series!!!

I think this list is a good start, but it needs some serious updating. If we want to do this, I propose NOT doing it in a table format, for one thing (laying out tables in Scribus is awful and clumsy, at best). Secondly, I notice that there are sections of the list on the website that are out of date, and either list apps that are no longer developed, or sections that are not complete in their listing. Third, I think we need to LIMIT the list of Linux equivalent apps to only those that are in the PCLinuxOS repository. We don't need to be encouraging users -- new users, especially -- to install from outside the official repos.

This "list" is going to take A LOT of work, but I'm sure new users to PCLinuxOS (and perhaps some veterans) will find it very useful.

OK ... one article down ... how many more to go? Please feel free to list your article ideas here.

parnote

Sorry, when I posted it I hadn't read it thoroughly for a while... I do remember that it helped me to find equivalents for some of the programs I was using, and once I got into Linux, I didn't need it anymore... and I agree with parnote - programs outside our repo shouldn't be included, so a new user won't be tempted to try to install one of them.

Maybe an article with the first (baby) steps to figuring out just what to do to test a live cd on your system and see what works?  Everyone says "run a live cd and test everything".....  (yeah, how do I do that? I've never even heard of a live cd before now....)

Just a suggestion....

 

[Rudge]

The first article will have to be written by someone that knows Windows enough to explain how to download and "burn" a DVD.

I could probably figure it out in Windows, but I couldn't tell anyone how to do it in Windows.

Yea,, it's been that long.  

[agmg]

I think this list is a good start, but it needs some serious updating. If we want to do this, I propose NOT doing it in a table format, for one thing (laying out tables in Scribus is awful and clumsy, at best). Secondly, I notice that there are sections of the list on the website that are out of date, and either list apps that are no longer developed, or sections that are not complete in their listing. Third, I think we need to LIMIT the list of Linux equivalent apps to only those that are in the PCLinuxOS repository. We don't need to be encouraging users -- new users, especially -- to install from outside the official repos.

This "list" is going to take A LOT of work, but I'm sure new users to PCLinuxOS (and perhaps some veterans) will find it very useful.

OK ... one article down ... how many more to go? Please feel free to list your article ideas here.

parnote

How would you propose doing this list if not using a table?
Would it be better not to mention Windows programs at all and just make a list of programs available in Linux instead (in categories, of course)?

What I mean...
Let's take "Web Browsers" for example...
Would it be better to list Windows and Linux software side-by-side or just list the Web Browsers available in Linux?
I'm thinking about this because there is also a great variety of programs in Windows that would be impossible to cover.
A solution would be to cover only the biggest and most known apps...

There is an even better site that lists alternative software for many platforms and will provide valuable help in this project:

http://alternativeto.net

[agmg]

I'm currently working on the list of articles and some general guidelines for each article's contents.
I will edit my post when I have it ready so other members can provide feedback. Stay tuned

Shall we start a new thread for this project so it would be easier for other members to find it and post comments, ideas, tips and make constructive criticism?

The first article will have to be written by someone that knows Windows enough to explain how to download and "burn" a DVD.

I could probably figure it out in Windows, but I couldn't tell anyone how to do it in Windows.

Yea,, it's been that long.  

I think I can manage that...

[parnote]

How would you propose doing this list if not using a table?
Would it be better not to mention Windows programs at all and just make a list of programs available in Linux instead (in categories, of course)?

What I mean...
Let's take "Web Browsers" for example...
Would it be better to list Windows and Linux software side-by-side or just list the Web Browsers available in Linux?
I'm thinking about this because there is also a great variety of programs in Windows that would be impossible to cover.
A solution would be to cover only the biggest and most known apps...

There is an even better site that lists alternative software for many platforms and will provide valuable help in this project:

http://alternativeto.net

Since we're mostly focused on users migrating from Windows to Linux ... preferably PCLinuxOS ... I think we'd be remiss in NOT mentioning popular Windows software that Windows users are likely to be familiar with. Then, we could follow with the PCLinuxOS equivalent for those Windows applications.

If you've never tried to lay out a table in Scribus, then you have no idea of how difficult this task is. In the couple of times that I've used tables in Scribus (mind you, they were smallish tables ... not an entire article laid out as a table), I spent several HOURS getting them to appear as they should. And don't make a mistake along the way -- any mistake is incredibly difficult to recover from. It's easier to just discard your errant table and start over. Despite its wonderful capabilities, Scribus isn't necessarily the friendliest program to use.

It would be equally effective to have something like this:

Graphical Web Browsers

Windows: Firefox, IE, Chrome

PCLinuxOS: Firefox, Chromium, Konqueror, Opera, Dillo, Midori

Of course, you could list one application per line, or as I've listed them here. This would be INFINITELY easier to layout and present in Scribus, which is what the magazine uses every month to produce the magazine's PDF.

[Rudge]

Paul, this could be a problem for people interested in "Equivalent" software.

If you have a category called "Image Manipulation" on the Windows side you might have "irfanview" and "Photoshop". Then on the Linux side you would have "Gwenview" and "Gimp".

To you and me it's obvious which program is each other's counterpart, but to simply list them under the heading of "Image Manipulation" might be a bit generic.

Maybe a spread sheet could be created in Calc and then, screen shots used. We do it all the time for regular articles?

(This is just an example of some problems with listing the programs out right.)  

[agmg]

Paul, this could be a problem for people interested in "Equivalent" software.

If you have a category called "Image Manipulation" on the Windows side you might have "irfanview" and "Photoshop". Then on the Linux side you would have "Gwenview" and "Gimp".

To you and me it's obvious which program is each other's counterpart, but to simply list them under the heading of "Image Manipulation" might be a bit generic.

Maybe a spread sheet could be created in Calc and then, screen shots used. We do it all the time for regular articles?

(This is just an example of some problems with listing the programs out right.)  

We could use more extensives categories.
For example, we could separate graphics programs to image viewers, image processors and image editors.
This way it will be easier for the reader to find each program's alternative but this also means that a program may appear in two or more different categories (i.e. Gwenview is both an image viewer and an image processor).

[agmg]

I have created a new thread for the "Migrating from Windows" series of articles, so it would be easier for forum members to spot it and provide feedback.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,110108.new.html#new

Please kindly review it and make suggestions/corrections/additions to the list.
If you think that this project shouldn't have its own thread, I can post that list here and carry on the discussion in the current thread.
If you think that this effort has potential, say a good word

I have already started gathering info for the articles but I will need more advise from the Magazine stuff to go further.
It's my first time on this so be patient and try not to hit very hard

[Crow]

Well is not an idea for an article but here it is.

I know the Distro and Magazine are published in USA but the community is world wide, I've noticed that the cover is always devoted to a USA festivity, why not have the festivities from other parts of the world too?  it could be coupled with a little article explaining the tradition and we all will learn about it.

As an example, in Mexico we celebrate Christmas and give a big emphasis to the baby Jesus Christ but more than that the tradition of gifts are in January 6, the Three Wise Men Day. Another example is Dia de Muertos which is a big tradition here.

Those in charge of the Magazine could choose the festivity for the cover and if there are more than one include a brief note inside about the rest.

[Rudge]

Well is not an idea for an article but here it is.

I know the Distro and Magazine are published in USA but the community is world wide, I've noticed that the cover is always devoted to a USA festivity, why not have the festivities from other parts of the world too?  it could be coupled with a little article explaining the tradition and we all will learn about it.

As an example, in Mexico we celebrate Christmas and give a big emphasis to the baby Jesus Christ but more than that the tradition of gifts are in January 6, the Three Wise Men Day. Another example is Dia de Muertos which is a big tradition here.

Those in charge of the Magazine could choose the festivity for the cover and if there are more than one include a brief note inside about the rest.

I can't speak for Paul, but personally, I think this could open up a whole new list of topics throughout the year.

We Americans would have to be educated on different "Celebrations".

Articles and information about traditions from around the globe and what the events are all about might fill space in many issues.  

I think this is a very good idea.  

How to get participants to contribute might be a different issue.  

[Just17]

personally I believe that none of the 'festivals' should be marked by the mag  ..... 

[Xenaflux]

personally I believe that none of the 'festivals' should be marked by the mag ...

I am leaning that way too.

[Meemaw]

Well is not an idea for an article but here it is.

I know the Distro and Magazine are published in USA but the community is world wide, I've noticed that the cover is always devoted to a USA festivity, why not have the festivities from other parts of the world too?  it could be coupled with a little article explaining the tradition and we all will learn about it.

As an example, in Mexico we celebrate Christmas and give a big emphasis to the baby Jesus Christ but more than that the tradition of gifts are in January 6, the Three Wise Men Day. Another example is Dia de Muertos which is a big tradition here.

Those in charge of the Magazine could choose the festivity for the cover and if there are more than one include a brief note inside about the rest.

I can't speak for Paul, but personally, I think this could open up a whole new list of topics throughout the year.

We Americans would have to be educated on different "Celebrations".

Articles and information about traditions from around the globe and what the events are all about might fill space in many issues.  

I think this is a very good idea.  

How to get participants to contribute might be a different issue.  

I think I've said this before, and I know parnote has... we welcome any and all ideas for magazine articles.

I think articles about different countries' holidays are a good idea (my opinion only... I can't speak for parnote).  However: writing the articles we write and doing layout and assembly on the magazine leaves us very little time to research anything else but the articles we are writing. Maybe you could submit summaries of those holidays to us (since you know more about them than we do) for publication in the magazine. We have several VERY GOOD contributors, but some of us are getting low on ideas... and when help is requested, it seems to be ignored. This is, after all, a community magazine... maybe the community should help a little...

Not trying to make anyone mad... we love you all and appreciate you... and welcome all your ideas.... we could just use a little more help with the actual articles.
 

[Crow]

The whole idea is that people writes about his part of the world, I will start something about June 6, if the idea is not approved I still can put it in the forum