[UK-TUG] Fwd: UKTUG future

[chris]

I sent this mistakenly to tug.org, which shows how remote I am from the 
centre of things here on te Devon-Cornwall border.


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	UKTUG future
Date: 	Sun, 6 Dec 2020 14:10:11 +0000
From: 	chris <chris at downeycroft.co.uk>
To: 	tex-announce at tug.org



In response to a request to hear from silent members, I offer the following:

I am a now very occasional user of LaTeX and I have been a member of 
UK-TUG for perhaps 25 years. I have never attended any meetings. I 
started using LaTeX using the Goossens and Lamport books and I was 
delighted to find the TeX DVD distributed by UK-TUG. My main work was in 
mathematics education and I used LaTeX for preparing documents for 
students and also for articles for publication where mathematical 
expressions were needed (annoyingly some would publishers asked me to 
resubmit with a Word version). I soon discovered that LateX offers more 
than the ability to insert attractive layout for mathematical 
expressions, it provides a template for well-balanced type setting and 
control of page layout. When I later discovered tikz I found it to be 
far better at integrating diagrams within text than pasting an image.

UK-TUG provided me with regular revised versions of LaTeX but things 
have changed. The first is that LaTeX is included as standard in all 
Linux distributions. Second, as has been noted here, there is a wealth 
of support for users on web forums. Third, most word processing software 
includes at least some basic tools for inserting mathematical 
expressions (OK, not beautiful, but it fulfils the needs of many users). 
I still wish academics and others would care more about print layout and 
readability and I think there is a need to promote the use of LaTeX. But 
interest is waning and my feeling is that the time for UK-TUG over.

Finally, I have been involved in other organisations whose time is up 
and I find it is better to admit the inevitable and have a good end 
rather than a long slow decline. One civic organisation I was in refused 
to end itself and for years now exists in name only and still has a bank 
account and assets it cannot use or distribute.

Best wishes to those who are dealing so patiently with the 
administration of the last rites.

Chris Weeks

-- 
Chris Weeks
Downeycroft
Virginstow
Beaworthy
EX21 5EA

tel: (44) (0) 1409211346

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