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206 lines
9.0 KiB
Markdown
206 lines
9.0 KiB
Markdown
*Platform is the Problem* is an open source publication produced
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with free / open source software and fonts. Use has been made of the
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ConTeXt typesetting system due to its precision.
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# The short version
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``` fish
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$ fish install-context.fish
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$ fish install-fonts.sh
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$ fish compile.fish
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$ open src/platform-is-the-problem.pdf
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```
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The remainder of this document outlines how to contribute to the
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publication and make your own version.
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# How to contribute to this publication
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There are many ways to contribute to this publication. The following
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protocol details one way amongst many to create your own version of *The
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Platform is the Problem*.
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## Download and install ConTeXt luametatex
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ConTeXt luametatex is required to typeset the pdf version of *The
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Platform is the Problem*. To download and install ConTeXt luametatex
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visit <https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Installation>. Alternatively, if
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you are a Linux user, you can run the script install-context.sh which is
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included in this repository. This will install Context luametatex and
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its modules within \~/Applications/. Ensure to add the executables to
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your path.
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## Installing fonts: Bitter and Compagnon Light
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Bitter and Compagnon Light are libre fonts which we have used throughout
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the publication. In order to typeset in these fonts, and assuming you
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are a Linux user, run the script install-fonts.sh. You will need to have
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installed ConTeXt luametatex, wget and git to execute the script
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successfully. If you are not running Linux, you may need to follow the
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script manually. In which case, to enable these fonts it is necessary
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to:
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1. Create appropriate subdirectories within your ConTeXt distribution.
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2. Copy fonts/type-imp-bitter.mkxl and fonts/type-imp-compagnon.mkxl to
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the appropriate location in your ConTeXt distribution.
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3. Download the libre fonts from the web and install them into your
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system for use with LibreOffice Draw
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4. Make it possible to use the fonts in ConTeXt by passing various
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arguments to mtxrun.
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## Copying the ConTeXt template
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The template for a feature page can be found in the contrib directory.
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The file, named template.mkxl, is comprised of macros specific to the
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ConTeXt luametatex typesetting software. Each feature page in the src
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subdirectories are based upon this template. You might like to edit one
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of the examples in contrib/examples. If not, determine the name and page
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number of the feature you would like to contribute. For example, the
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feature might be \'Privacy Policy\' and the page number might be 24.
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Inside the contrib directory create a subdirectory called, for instance,
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\'24-privacy-policy\'. Copy the template.mkxl to that subdirectory and
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call it, for example, \'24-privacy-policy.mkxl\'. The reason for placing
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.mkxl files inside folders is largely due to neatness. ConTeXt generates
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auxiliary files when compiling .pdf documents and, if these files are
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not purged, this can quickly become messy.
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## Typesetting your contribution
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Each entry in *The Platform is the Problem* is composed of three parts:
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- Feature
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- Implications
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- Alternatives / Anecdote
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It is suggested write no more than 123 words for each part. Otherwise,
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there is the possibility that the copy may not fit inside the frame.
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Replace the placeholder text in the copy of template.mkxl with the
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appropriate information. The following table outlines on which lines
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placeholder text appears and what it should be replaced with.
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```
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Placeholder Line(s) Replace with
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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PAGENUMBER 41, 46, 52 The page number
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TITLE 73 The name of the feature
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FEATURECOPY 79 A description of the feature
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IMPLICATIONSCOPY 86 A discussion of implications of the feature
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ALTERNATIVESCOPY 93 Some alternatives to this feature
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```
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### Ensuring copy fits within the frame
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As each page is physically cut into thirds it\'s worth double checking
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that your copy will fit in the available space. Here is an excerpt from
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template.mkxl (lines 75 to 88).
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``` context
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\definelayer[head]
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[x=30mm,y=10mm,width=99mm,height=60mm]
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\setlayer[head]
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{\switchtobodyfont[bitter,9pt] \framed[width=99mm,height=60mm,frame=off,align={tolerant,width,hz,hanging}]{\kerncharacters[0.03125]{
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FEATURECOPY
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}}}
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\definelayer[torso]
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[x=30mm,y=80mm,width=99mm,height=60mm]
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\setlayer[torso]
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{\switchtobodyfont[bitter,9pt] \framed[width=99mm,height=60mm,frame=off,align={tolerant,width,hz,hanging}]{\kerncharacters[0.03125]{
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IMPLICATIONSCOPY
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}}}
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```
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To ensure that copy will fit on the page when it is cut, activate the
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\"bottomframe\" for the head and torso layers. In other words, change
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lines 78 and 85 so that they read as follows:
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``` context
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{\switchtobodyfont[bitter,9pt] \framed[width=99mm,height=60mm,frame=off,bottomframe=on,align={tolerant,width,hz,hanging}]{\kerncharacters[0.03125]{
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```
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Save the mkxl file and run context on it. Check the output pdf document.
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If the copy fits within the frame, remove the \"bottomframe=on\" option,
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save the file and recompile. Otherwise, edit the copy and recompile
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until it fits.
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## Adding your contribution to platform-is-the-problem.mkxl
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platform-is-the-problem.mkxl is a file which collates pages from
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different .pdf documents and assembles them into one file. It lives in
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the src directory. Here is some sample code from
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platform-is-the-problem.mkxl.
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``` context
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\externalfigure[{./21-blocking-content/21-blocking-content.pdf}]
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\externalfigure[{./22-curating-content/22-curating-content.pdf}]
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\externalfigure[{../maps/maps.pdf}][page=22]
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\externalfigure[{../maps/maps.pdf}][page=21]
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\externalfigure[{./23-customisation-of-profile/23-customisation-of-profile.pdf}]
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\pagebreak[+2]
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\externalfigure[{../maps/maps.pdf}][page=23]
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```
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What is this code doing? The first two \'`\externalfigure`{=latex}\'
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commands instruct ConTeXt to insert into the main typesetting area two
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feature pages: 21 - Blocking Content and 22 - Curating Content. These
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features are single-page pdf documents. The next two
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\'`\externalfigure`{=latex}\' commands instruct ConTeXt to typeset two
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further images: page 22 and page 21 of maps.pdf. Note the order of the
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pages across the first four \'`\externalfigure`{=latex}\' commands: 21,
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22, 22, 21. This micro-structure is required to ensure that the map
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printed on the reverse of the feature page corresponds to the feature
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itself. You might like to experiment with this layout for a different
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reading experience or keep it as is.
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The third \'`\externalfigure`{=latex}\' command instructs ConTeXt to
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typeset feature 23. As this is the last page and it is an odd number,
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it\'s necessary to add two blank pages in between the feature and the
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corresponding map. This ensures that the map is on the reverse side of
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the feature when the document is printed.
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Suppose you have written a contribution and would like to add the
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feature to the publication. The following code snippet expands on the
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above example to illustrates how that can be done.
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``` context
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\externalfigure[{./23-customisation-of-profile/23-customisation-of-profile.pdf}]
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\externalfigure[{../contrib/24-privacy-policy/24-privacy-policy.pdf}]
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\externalfigure[{../maps/maps.pdf}][page=24]
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\externalfigure[{../maps/maps.pdf}][page=23]
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```
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## Making a map
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Complementing each feature is a map which is printed on the reverse of
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the page. Short-side flipping should be enabled when it comes to
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printing the document. This is to ensure that the map which appears on
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the reverse side of the feature corresponds to that feature. The maps
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have been made with Libreoffice Draw and a map-framework.odg file is
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included to assist with making your own maps. The idea behind the maps
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is that the \"cross-points\" align on every page. This entails that,
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when the document is cut and bound, the maps line up with each other to
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produce many possible variations. Throughout the publication rounded
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rectangles and curved connectors have been put to use. You may like to
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follow this aesthetic for consistency or mix it up for a different
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effect. If you installed the libre fonts correctly, it should be
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possible to select these from within Libreoffice Draw. To create your
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own map, open the map-framework.odg file. Select all the elements on the
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page and copy them to the clipboard. Next, open maps.odg and navigate to
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the last page. This can be done via the menu bar through Page \>
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Navigate \> To Last Page. Create a new page via the menu bar with Page
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\> New Page. Paste the contents of the clipboard onto the new page and
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design your map. When you have finished you may like to rename your page
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to the name of your feature. This can be done through the menu bar (Page
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\> Rename Page). Once you are satisfied with your design, you may like
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to delete the framework objects; the two horizontal lines traversing the
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page. Do you prefer more organic curves? If so, you might like to rotate
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the four short vertical lines by 90 degrees and align the connectors
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before deleting the four, short (now horizontal) lines. After the
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framework lines have been deleted, export the odg drawing as a pdf
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document.
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