The MagPi Magazine www.themagpi.com

[fastkat]

Meltwater - I used the skydrive link which loaded PDF letting me view it by scrolling down or opening in iBooks giving a swipe per page view. As all things on iPhone its a bit small to read without resizing, but what do expect with a small screen.!

[gordon@drogon.net]

FullXion said:


I find it absolutely stupid that someone has decided to bash the website. The fact of the matter is that right now, it would be better, much, much better, for the focus to be placed on the magazine as opposed to making a website suitable for one  seemingly selfish person's needs.


Partly right, but I do not feel I'm being selfish. Your 15 year old eyes are fine. Mine are a lot older than that and often struggle with bad visual formats. I'm also dyslexic which doesn't help. There is a blind member of my local Linux user group - hows he going to navigate his way round a Flash site? I have a near-blind cousin and while she likes computers, she does struggle with sites that fail to be accessible for her.

Blind and people with other disabilities have a right to read that content. Don't make it hard for them.

So the whole point is about making it accessible to the masses. The content is fine, and focus on the magazine is the right thing do do, but if you can't get to that content in the first place, then it's a waste.

Gordon

[meltwater]

GordonH said:


FullXion said:


I find it absolutely stupid that someone has decided to bash the website. The fact of the matter is that right now, it would be better, much, much better, for the focus to be placed on the magazine as opposed to making a website suitable for one  seemingly selfish person's needs.


Partly right, but I do not feel I'm being selfish. Your 15 year old eyes are fine. Mine are a lot older than that and often struggle with bad visual formats. I'm also dyslexic which doesn't help. There is a blind member of my local Linux user group – hows he going to navigate his way round a Flash site? I have a near-blind cousin and while she likes computers, she does struggle with sites that fail to be accessible for her.

Blind and people with other disabilities have a right to read that content. Don't make it hard for them.

So the whole point is about making it accessible to the masses. The content is fine, and focus on the magazine is the right thing do do, but if you can't get to that content in the first place, then it's a waste.

Gordon


Hi again GH.

I think we've mentioned the site needs work, and we hope to make it suitable for all we can.  This is the 1st issue, and 1st day…  Best not labour the point…

FullXion thanks very much for your post.  We are very glad you have enjoyed it, we hope to bring more next time!  And we are keen to get more on the team, so email us and we'll see what you would like to do!

[Jim Manley]

Congratulations on publishing Issue 1!  I'll be trying to flog my copy on ePrey and will donate all proceeds to the Foundation

I agree that making it as accessible as possible to the target audience is paramount.  I'm more of a content-first person (as the experts here probably are), coming from the days when the very first computing publications were essentially typewritten newsletters reproduced on copiers.  However, I do understand that format can help compete for the eyeballs of kids being bombarded with other temptations every second of the waking day.  The experts here should realize that they are not the target audience for this publication, kids are, and they need to keep that firmly in mind.  If you're going to complain about format, you need to complement on content, which is very appropriate in this case.

One error I did notice – above the Javascript blurb is the Java logo.  Java and Javascript are two completely different things that have nothing in common, unfortunately, other than one being a substring of the other, and both being programming languages.  The description of Javascript given is correct, but, Java is very different.

I think this is about as unimaginative as you can get, but, this is allegedly the "official" logo for Javascript, from JSConf EU 2011:

[meltwater]

That is a very nice logo, I prefer coffee cups!

(edit: forgot to say thanks for the correction, we will use the correct one next time - as long as they don't switch it)

[Jaseman]

Jim Manley said:

I think this is about as unimaginative as you can get, but, this is allegedly the "official" logo for Javascript, from JSConf EU 2011:




According to Wikipedia (As we know is never wrong!) - It is the 'unofficial' logo - which is why I picked the other one - which sort of encompasses java in general I think.  Maybe we should put both logos, when someone comes around to submitting an article to us on it.

[rurwin]

There is no "Java in general" in connection to Javascript.

The two langauges have as much in common as London and Londonderry.

[meltwater]

Here are some photos (via camera phone) showing the MagPi PDF on a Kindle.  As mentioned before, it is not ideal, since the text is small (but just about readable) and in places the contrast is low due to background images.  It would help if the Kindle was able to zoom (I couldn"t work out how if it does – I know some readers can do this) and it would be helpful if the Kindle allowed the ability to switch off images too.

Overall though, I could probably read it quite happily on the Kindle, thanks mainly due to the crisp eReader screen, everything is small but readable (my shaky camera is not!).

We would welcome anyone who is interested in generating a Kindle (and other ereader friendly format), I guess it wouldn"t be a massive job.  I did a quick convert using Calibre, but it doesn"t detect columns so it didn"t work.

I think this will also allow text-to-speech apps to work (I"ve no idea how well they would work with the PDF, please let me know if you try this – I expect it may get some things out of order).

Also, if you use the Issuu app, it appears to be able to use Google Translate on the text, which may be useful for some.

[Jaseman]

rurwin said:


There is no "Java in general" in connection to Javascript.

The two langauges have as much in common as London and Londonderry.



Okay - well since nobody pointed that out during the two months that the magazine was available in draft form - it's stuck like that for issue 1... We can use the other one for future issues - assuming someone wants to write about it that is.

[Forrrge]

Thanks very much for providing this mag, I'm very much looking forward to further issues and to see how it develops.

[ArborealSeer]

kudos on the first issue. very well put together for a first issue, and i'm sure if the momentum keeps going there will be some interesting stuff in there as you cover peoples projects and suchlike.

too kid orientated for myself, but brilliant where the greater good is concerned.

[Jaseman]

Anyone who is interested in observing or taking part in the development of Issue 2, you can see the draft version here:

http://issuu.com/themagpi/docs.....ssue2draft

It's pretty much a blank template at the moment, but will start to take shape fairly quickly.  Constructive comments are always welcomed.

Let us know if you wish to submit something:

editor@themagpi.com

BTW: Thank you for all your kind words - much appreciated.  I notice that the views and downloads are still fairly steady - an hour has not passed since 6pm on the 30th April where at least 1 person has not downloaded the PDF (This includes during unsociable hours).  We have had about 700 downloads in total and over 1,400 views via issuu.  That is not to say that everyone loved it - but thank you for taking an interest!

[Tavalin]

While I didn't learn anything groundbreaking (I'm a software developer) I did learn a few new things about Linux and think the coding tutorials are pitched at the perfect level for a beginner!  Well done guys!

[Jaseman]

Some of you probably were not aware that this project was going on.

It all started with a forum post on 7th of March by Ash Stone:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/for.....i-magazine

We didn't even have a name for the magazine at that point, or any clue to what the format would be, but it has been a long journey since then.

Once it was decided that it was to be called 'The Magpi' we spent another good while trying to come up with some kind of mascot / logo.

Once we had some basic page layouts, things really started to take shape, and the articles started to flesh-out.  How we got up to 32 pages - I'm not quite sure!  But it was great that everyone was pulling together to make it happen.  A few characters emerged - people that were willing to step forward and devote some time to helping out.

We are still a very small team - and we really would welcome any assistance that we can get, so that we can share the burden a little.  Really the success of the magazine is the hands of all of us.  Nobody really owns it - it's just what we all make it.

Frankly, I have very little time for people that are quick to criticize what we have done and slow at stepping forward to help make it better.  It's very easy to be judgmental and not take part.

The first issue was always planned to be mainly 'introductory' - nothing too heavy in terms of technical depth, and I think the next few will also be quite light, and not offer much to the experienced computer expert.  To be honest those people don't really NEED a magazine anyway - They tend to do their own research and steer it in whatever direction interests them.  They also speak in a language that mainly baffles the average person, so if we can help to bridge the gap even slightly - we will have succeeded.

My personal experience is that I've had to learn most of what I know through my own research, and I've often encountered a certain arrogance from some experts who are unwilling to share their knowledge and mock / be-little the beginners who start off genuinely keen to learn - but get annoyed by some off-the-cuff smart-remark and give up.  I think that's a real shame.  I see this all the time on forums... someone asks a question 'how do i do this?' and they get half of the answer and some sarcastic quip to the effect 'THAT'S REALLY EASY! DON'T YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO THAT?'.

I'm glad to see that there are people out there that have the patience to help beginners out - I only wish there were more people like that.

[Jim Manley]

rurwin said:


Okay - well since nobody pointed that out during the two months that the magazine was available in draft form - it"s stuck like that for issue 1... We can use the other one for future issues - assuming someone wants to write about it that is.


You probably should put up a beta version as many days in advance of intended publication as you think you need to make minor changes to attract more flies, I mean critics, to find the most significant problems. Few people will have the cycles to revisit the draft, especially if it is changing over time (monotonically increasing in size at a minimum, if not also in quality, we hope).

I"ll volunteer to write up Java for Issue 2, since I"ve been involved with it since it was called Project Oak by James Gosling at Sun a now-surprising number of decades ago (almost two!). In addition to a quick history about why it was developed, I"ll focus on the simpler aspects of the current ARM release that will run on the Pi, and maybe a comparison with some related variants used for Android and other low-power, mobile platforms (which is really what the Pi is). This could very easily turn into a column or series of tutorial articles, if response to the first article is positive and my volunteer "salary" is multiplied in proportion to circulation

[Jaseman]

Brilliant - Thanks Jim.  I look forward to reading it.  Just to clarify - this is 'Java' or 'Java Script'? - It has been pointed out that the two things are far removed.

The beta will be available all month so that people can see where any gaps are that need filling.  It will be changing day-to-day.  I agree we should invite the critics, spelling & grammar checkers in just before the issue becomes final.  Obviously we will need some time also to put those changes into effect.  Having the draft visible will help to promote the idea that anyone can get involved.

One of the alternative mirror links has now changed:

You can access the fotopanda server version from this link:

goo.gl/kOIYQ
 

[meltwater]

Jim Manley said:


rurwin said:


Okay - well since nobody pointed that out during the two months that the magazine was available in draft form - it"s stuck like that for issue 1... We can use the other one for future issues - assuming someone wants to write about it that is.


You probably should put up a beta version as many days in advance of intended publication as you think you need to make minor changes to attract more flies, I mean critics, to find the most significant problems. Few people will have the cycles to revisit the draft, especially if it is changing over time (monotonically increasing in size at a minimum, if not also in quality, we hope).

I"ll volunteer to write up Java for Issue 2, since I"ve been involved with it since it was called Project Oak by James Gosling at Sun a now-surprising number of decades ago (almost two!). In addition to a quick history about why it was developed, I"ll focus on the simpler aspects of the current ARM release that will run on the Pi, and maybe a comparison with some related variants used for Android and other low-power, mobile platforms (which is really what the Pi is). This could very easily turn into a column or series of tutorial articles, if response to the first article is positive and my volunteer "salary" is multiplied in proportion to circulation


Hi.  We will certainly be glad of more help, so we will PM you and get you on board (sounds like we can expect some excellent articles).

The mag was being updated, a few times a day on the issuu site as a draft, and we had a few hundred views in that time (I can't remember the figures now).  However, it is understandable that many weren't watching and didn't get to comment.  We did have a few corrections and comments come back over that time (and I think we included them all).

Personally I was rather nervous of doing that way, it is like hanging up your washing before you've even washed it!  But it seemed to work well, and I think it helped us keep the community we were producing it for in mind.

Anyway, we are looking at more ways we can get people involved at whatever level they want to.  It is something we aim to evolve as we go.

Hopefully we can include more advanced articles in later issues, it is hoped that will come with time (generally you need a few people who know the topic very well so they can each ensure things are factually correct etc).

Also thanks to those who have already sent us some articles.

[Jaseman]

meltwater said:

The mag was being updated, a few times a day on the issuu site as a draft, and we had a few hundred views in that time (I can't remember the figures now).  

It was just over a thousand views of the draft for Issue 1

[meltwater]

Hi all!  Good news I hope.

We have updated our wordpress site to also host links to the magazine.

http://themagpi.wordpress.com/

Therefore, if you had problems using the flash version of the site you can use this instead.

Short-term:

We will update the http://www.themagpi.com site to show a link to it if flash is not enabled.  We will also add the alternative links and direct links to issuu.

Long-term:

We hope we can bring you a Raspberry Pi friendly site at some point too and have a single site which caters for everything.

[Jaseman]

I've just updated the Feedback page for issue 2.  With the minor gripes and suggestions filtered out, it occurs to me that we received some very positive feedback.

Thanks everyone!  Keep your comments coming - We do appreciate them, and we will do our best to please.

[benzeman]

Right. A couple of things:


I would like to donate some hosting (on a clustered platform) for a proper wordpress.org site (where you can host the pdf downloads, etc), how should I do this?
I would like to propose you change the design to something less cluttered - perhaps one like this (I made the design myself in Adobe InDesign CS5.5)? Obviously that design is just filler text, etc, so it looks very bland, but if you give me two articles in word *.doc format, and possibly some pictures I'll get them imported, and it'll look a lot more reasistic.
I think we should use #themagpi on freenode as our official chat channel (I have registered it for now, will happily add other people as ops if they are suitably qualified).
The Scratch Patch should be renamed to Scratch School, to keep with the alliteration pattern (Python Pit).
I suggest we try to stay with a regular monthly format (which needs to be an even number of pages if we want it formatted like a "proper" magazine). It could be something like:

Outside Front Cover
Inside Front Cover
Contents
Blank
Editorial & Credits
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4

10. Article 5

11. Article 6

12. Interview

13. Distributions

14. Scratch School

15. The Python Pit

16. Official Article

17. Inside Back Cover (Odd)

18. Outside Back Cover (Even)

I think for now that's all I can think of, which is good, because the second list has kinda mucked the rest of the post up...

[Jaseman]

I dunno, The Scratch Patch has a ring to it I think.

We have been using Zoho for communicating within the team, due to its collaboration features - we have a todo list there which is helpful as well as chat.  We are using dropbox for file and content sharing as we put the magazine together.

If you look at Issue 1, the format has a logic to it...

First you find out what a Raspberry Pi is, who made it and why, what projects are spinning off (Hardware etc).  Before you can start programming you need an OS/Distro, and then it somehow made sense that the feedback page went at the back.  The web links on the back because... you've finished the mag already and want more sources of info.

I will let Ashleigh and Meltwater respond to the other comments.

[tzj]

there is logic behind the 2 programming titles.

the scratch patch covers the code to make it more suitable for younger kids, yet the python pit allows you to delve into the coding side of programming more suited for older kids (of any age). patch = cover, pit = deeper.

plus, would ya name a cat, school?

[benzeman]

Damnit – can"t edit my post! Yeah, actually I see what your doing with Scratch Patch and Python Pit, ignore what I said about Scratch Patch!

@Jaseman – are you going to explain what the Pi is etc every month?

[Jaseman]

No, I think what will happen is that the first few pages will be about recent news and topical subjects.  I imagine that by the time you have got to Issue 2 - you already have a pretty good idea what it is.

I would really like to get an article for page 3 from that guy that managed to snare 2 Raspberry Pi's.  Can someone approach him about it please?

A lot of people are saying that they would like to get involved with the magazine, but are not sure what they can offer... I can give you a few pointers here.

I would like to see a small team who just look after the scratch patch - the secret here is quality - not quantity - Between that small group, come up with one really good program that we can print.  It must be simple enough that children can follow it, but interesting enough to keep them engaged.

Another team would look after reporting on all the hardware projects, and someone with a good linux background to handle the operating system tutorials.

We already have enough people to cover Python Pit - however if you think you have something good to offer - send it in.

Clearly we need to work on the website - how we present the magazine is important, and we need to keep Flash Gordon happy (If that is even possible!)

So another team of web designers should get together to sort out that aspect of things.

If you don't have much time to devote, maybe you would like to gather up the positive feedback comments from the forums, so that we post them on the feedback page.  All of this will lift pressure off me.

You might want to get involved with the admin side - checking the email address, updating the twitter feed, assisting with other admin stuff like introducing people to the Zoho group, merging the PDF pages together and uploading them to issuu, looking after download sites and mirrors, etc. - chasing blog writers for contributions or interviews.

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a photographer of artist - again we can use you.... Little doodles and graphics to accompany some of the articles or to add a little colour and spice to a boring looking page.

So you see there is plenty of opportunity to get involved!