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<p>I sent this mistakenly to tug.org, which shows how remote I am
from the centre of things here on te Devon-Cornwall border. <br>
</p>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Subject:
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<td>UKTUG future</td>
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<td>Sun, 6 Dec 2020 14:10:11 +0000</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>chris <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:chris@downeycroft.co.uk"><chris@downeycroft.co.uk></a></td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:tex-announce@tug.org">tex-announce@tug.org</a></td>
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In response to a request to hear from silent members, I offer the
following:<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<p>Best wishes to those who are dealing so patiently with the
administration of the last rites.</p>
<p>Chris Weeks</p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Chris Weeks
Downeycroft
Virginstow
Beaworthy
EX21 5EA
tel: (44) (0) 1409211346</pre>
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