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What's the ideal format for an open source whitepaper? Certainly not PDF. Straight up HTML on Github?

by bbrooks 13y ago

asveikau 13y ago
latex.
jessaustin 13y ago
What disadvantages do you perceive for PDF?
- mpyne 13y ago
  The same ones that we perceive for "open source development" on compiled binaries. With that said, it's not hard in this case to C&P to something more suitable for GitHub and really get things kicked off, but LaTeX would be more suitable.
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    Although it was effectively the case before, since 2008 PDF is an open format. It's quite misleading to compare it to a binary for which source is unavailable. Since the format specifies compression, not every part of a PDF file may be easily observed in a text editor, but there's a bunch of open software that can read (and edit, and produce) PDF.
    - mpyne 13y ago
      Producing and reading PDF isn't the issue. Again, we have open source tools that will generate, mangle, introspect, disassemble, etc. to both ELF and PE binaries. What PDF is not is the "preferred format for development", no matter how good the open-source tooling is.
      - jessaustin 13y ago
        Sometimes practical considerations preclude using the most "preferred format". Will editing this white paper really be a significant obstacle to deploying a system like the one it describes? Conversely, does anyone ever release a white paper in LaTeX only?
        mpyne 13y ago
        What are you on about? No one here is saying that an open-source project to assist with Hyperloop could not be launched. Nor that the ability to edit the whitepaper that was released has anything to do with this proposed open-source project. Nor even that people typically release whitepapers only in LaTeX format. However if an open source project will be launched with Hyperloop then its success will be at least somewhat dependent on the ability of participants to meaningfully contribute. If "contribute" just means discussing key points then a simple Wiki might suffice. However if "contribute" means technical designs, then the actual drawings and data will be what's needed, not glorified screenshots of AutoCAD and MATLAB.
        jessaustin 13y ago
        mpyne you're hilarious.
pooyak 13y ago
I converted the PDF to a rough markdown: https://github.com/pooyak/hyperloop/blob/master/document/hyperloop_alpha.md https://github.com/pooyak/hyperloop/blob/master/document/hyp... Needs more clean up, but still easier to work on.

What's the ideal format for an open source whitepaper? Certainly not PDF. Straight up HTML on Github?

by bbrooks 13y ago

What's the ideal format for an open source whitepaper? Certainly not PDF. Straight up HTML on Github?

asveikau 13y ago

latex.

jessaustin 13y ago

What disadvantages do you perceive for PDF?

mpyne 13y ago
The same ones that we perceive for "open source development" on compiled binaries. With that said, it's not hard in this case to C&P to something more suitable for GitHub and really get things kicked off, but LaTeX would be more suitable.
- jessaustin 13y ago
  Although it was effectively the case before, since 2008 PDF is an open format. It's quite misleading to compare it to a binary for which source is unavailable. Since the format specifies compression, not every part of a PDF file may be easily observed in a text editor, but there's a bunch of open software that can read (and edit, and produce) PDF.
  - mpyne 13y ago
    Producing and reading PDF isn't the issue. Again, we have open source tools that will generate, mangle, introspect, disassemble, etc. to both ELF and PE binaries. What PDF is not is the "preferred format for development", no matter how good the open-source tooling is.
    - jessaustin 13y ago
      Sometimes practical considerations preclude using the most "preferred format". Will editing this white paper really be a significant obstacle to deploying a system like the one it describes? Conversely, does anyone ever release a white paper in LaTeX only?
      - mpyne 13y ago
        What are you on about? No one here is saying that an open-source project to assist with Hyperloop could not be launched. Nor that the ability to edit the whitepaper that was released has anything to do with this proposed open-source project. Nor even that people typically release whitepapers only in LaTeX format. However if an open source project will be launched with Hyperloop then its success will be at least somewhat dependent on the ability of participants to meaningfully contribute. If "contribute" just means discussing key points then a simple Wiki might suffice. However if "contribute" means technical designs, then the actual drawings and data will be what's needed, not glorified screenshots of AutoCAD and MATLAB.
        jessaustin 13y ago
        mpyne you're hilarious.

pooyak 13y ago

I converted the PDF to a rough markdown: https://github.com/pooyak/hyperloop/blob/master/document/hyperloop_alpha.md https://github.com/pooyak/hyperloop/blob/master/document/hyp... Needs more clean up, but still easier to work on.