From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from imr-da02.mx.aol.com (imr-da02.mx.aol.com [205.188.105.144]) by speech.braille.uwo.ca (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5AB19C1A22E for ; Fri, 2 Mar 2012 03:36:07 -0500 (EST) Received: from mtaout-ma04.r1000.mx.aol.com (mtaout-ma04.r1000.mx.aol.com [172.29.41.4]) by imr-da02.mx.aol.com (8.14.1/8.14.1) with ESMTP id q228a4nl029191 for ; Fri, 2 Mar 2012 03:36:04 -0500 Received: from layla (mwhapples.plus.com [80.229.137.216]) by mtaout-ma04.r1000.mx.aol.com (MUA/Third Party Client Interface) with ESMTPA id 7FF98E0000C5 for ; Fri, 2 Mar 2012 03:36:03 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <4C2ABDB7BD32406380191D6FD659048D@layla> From: "Michael Whapples" To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." References: <29495B53-8B34-440D-BCB5-9DAE24160F7A@brannan.name><15AFCCF03C36474F84423057918A7A38@angelomube38f8><4F42F4F1.9090504@tysdomain.com> <4F500A7B.1080301@gmail.com> <4F501076.6000104@earthlink.net><3D3B0793-BACA-44AE-8B91-8A1CA1564F8E@gmail.com> <4F5047E7.3070708@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <4F5047E7.3070708@gmail.com> Subject: Re: LaTeX and big writing projects Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 08:35:58 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Importance: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Windows Live Mail 15.4.3538.513 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V15.4.3538.513 x-aol-global-disposition: G DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mx.aol.com; s=20110426; t=1330677364; bh=ZUzDK0y4uvjyHMwzLVuN7Mbq+yJKOZcjqPSpf5aJbuE=; h=From:To:Subject:Message-ID:Date:MIME-Version:Content-Type; b=FzPZEA2rVAdItQD2J112407gWKpjn7Y4ZpQs7mHAbnRq+Hzlp1qfx9UdfCdusBPPa 7Wz1k8mAVXdTSHkelF0oTO9ST1A+91hLtQ1ufjaRnWdlZUpYKj6+DszA0kMamOD+QJ NEdFLqNtYNXvWM7/bfb/iOVnDxFcI/EpnRwsIYXg= X-AOL-SCOLL-SCORE: 0:2:509015296:93952408 X-AOL-SCOLL-URL_COUNT: 0 x-aol-sid: 3039ac1d29044f5086734ad2 X-AOL-IP: 80.229.137.216 X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list Reply-To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." List-Id: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:36:07 -0000 The wikibook on LaTeX is quite good, I tend to use that as a reference book, although it does have sections which would be good for beginners as well. I have to agree with Liz though, you may come across times where the expected format means using LaTeX is not possible (eg. I am studying with the Open University and I must submit my project report as a word document or RTF). Michael Whapples -----Original Message----- From: Robert cole Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 4:09 AM To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca Subject: Re: LaTeX and big writing projects Thanks for the replies, Liz and Justin. I came across a free LaTeX book [1] at Wikibooks [2]. The book is evidently a featured book there due to its good content and formatting. It is downloadable as a PDF as well as it is readable online. I have not read through it yet, but it looks to be a 295 page book. Here is a brief description of the book from its main Wikibooks page: This is a guide to the *LaTeX* markup language. It is intended that this can serve as a useful resource for everyone from new users who wish to learn, to old hands who need a quick reference. I am going to search for tutorials as well, and hopefully I can just print them to PDF. My Internet connection, though fast as it is, can be slightly flaky sometimes, so I like to have materials on-hand. I plan to possibly start reading this book after I finish the current book which I am reading. I actually have a book which I began writing while I was still using windows (it was a fictional novel), and I may just port it over and redo it using LaTeX. I stopped writing it sometime back in 2004...I hope to pick it up and finish it one day. Once again, thanks for the replies. Take care, everyone. [1] http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX [2] http://www.wikibooks.org/ On 03/01/2012 06:51 PM, Justin Harford wrote: > I learned LaTeX back in 2006 by reading on the internet. I also took a > semester class in 2007, but I mostly learned from the online tutorials. > On 01-03-2012, at 16:12, Liz Hare wrote: > >> Hi Robert, >> >> I'm not Jason, but I wrote my dissertation in LaTex 14 years ago. Back >> then, I had someone read me the print books that had been written on the >> subject. I'm not sure what resources are out there now, but I bet there >> is a lot of online documentation. It's also helpful to look at the .tex >> files for documents others have written that have similar features to >> those you want. >> >> It was great. I had way more control of the formatting and tables than I >> ever could have had with a word processor. I think if you are taking on a >> project like writing a thesis or a book, it's definitely worthwhile. >> >> The disappointing part was that once I finished the degree and made it >> out into the real world (working in the life sciences), I couldn't use it >> much. Journal articles had to be submitted in Word. I didn't have any >> coworkers who knew LaTeX and so many documents, like grant applications, >> had to be in word processing files. If I had the opportunity to work on a >> large writing project now, I'd have a lot to re-learn, and things have >> probably also changed a lot since then. But I still use the notation from >> LaTeX to communicate with sighted people about equations. >> >> Liz >> >> Liz Hare PhD >> Dog Genetics LLC >> doggene@earthlink.net >> http://www.doggenetics.com >> >> On 3/1/2012 6:47 PM, Robert cole wrote: >>> Jason, >>> >>> Sorry to divert this, but I have read about you writing your thesis >>> using LaTeX on the Orca list in the past. I was always curious and >>> wanted to ask you what resources you used to learn LaTeX. I've been >>> working to learn both vi and Emacs, and I think I would rather use LaTeX >>> than a GUI word processor for different projects. >>> >>> As far as the Raspberry Pi goes, I am definitely planning on getting one >>> (or more, if possible) when they are offered with cases. It is so >>> wonderful to see all of these nice flashy Linux systems coming out. >>> >>> Although the price is out of range for me right now, I'd like to get my >>> hands on a KDE Plasma Active powered Spark tablet [1] one of these days. >>> this looks like a very promising device, especially as KDE is seeming to >>> become more accessible thanks to QT-AT-SPI, Orca, and all of the other >>> projects which are being developed. This is definitely getting exciting! >>> >>> Take care, and my apologies for my diversion from the original topic. >>> >>> [1] http://makeplaylive.com/ >>> >>> On 03/01/2012 03:17 PM, Jason White wrote: >>>> Littlefield, Tyler wrote: >>>>> emacs. I love it, especially with emacspeak. >>>> And to be more specific, AucTeX mode for anything complicated and >>>> Org-mode for >>>> notes and other simple documents. >>>> >>>> I wrote my thesis in Emacs, with BRLTTY operating the braille display >>>> and >>>> emacspeak for speech output, and, of course, Git for revision control >>>> of the >>>> files. TeX gives better typeset output, reputedly, than popular word >>>> processors and you can use a good text editor such as Emacs for input. >>>> I've >>>> been using LaTeX instead of a word processor since 1998, so there was >>>> no doubt >>>> as to what tool to use when it came to writing my thesis. >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Speakup mailing list >>>> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca >>>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Speakup mailing list >>> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca >>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Speakup mailing list >> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca >> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup