Blame Manuals/Tcar-ug/Preface/overview.docbook

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<section id="preface-overview">
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    <title>Overview</title>
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    <para>
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        The corporations always have a corporate identity, even when
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        they don't take an intentional control over it. It is a choise
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        from the corporation to define how much control to take over
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        its identity.  This kind of control is expensive and not all
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        corporations are able to maintain it.  However, it is
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        necessary that, based on pragmatic facts, the corporation
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        assume an acceptable degree of compromise with its identity in
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        order to create a consistent idea of itself in a way that can
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        be progresively improved through time.
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    </para>
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    <para>
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        During the years (2003-2009), we've seen a growing interest
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        inside &TC;; for helping on &TC;; development. Some people
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        seem to be very clear about what the project needs are and how
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        to maintain it being a very stable project, but others however
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        don't to get what &TC;; is (even it is explained time after
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        time) and sometimes decide to put their efforts in the wrong
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        direction making everything to be a waste of time and source
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        of distraction from what is really needed.
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    </para>
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    <para>
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        &TCAR; phases the question <quote>What can I do for
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        &TC;;?</quote> by identifying different work lines you can
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        join in and providing automated production mechanisms that
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        complement one another according to each work line needs so
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        consistent results can be achieved inside a distributed
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        environment under version control.  For example, consider an
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        environment where there are graphic designers to produce
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        images, documentors to produce documentation manuals (whose
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        can use images produced by graphic designers), programmers to
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        produce automation scripts (needed to standardize production
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        tasks) and translators to localize source files created by
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        graphic designers, documetors and programmers.  Once such
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        environment has been implemented, it would be possible for
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        packagers to take localized images and localized documentation
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        from &TCAR; (through an automation script probably) to
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        rebrand/update the content of those packages inside &TC;; that
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        must include information specific to &TC;; itself (e.g., boot
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        loader, distribution installer, release notes, display
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        managers, release notes, web browsers default page, etc.).
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    </para>
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    <para>
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        Most production tasks inside &TCAR; are focused on the files
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        needed to implement &TC;; corporate visual identity.<footnote>
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        <para>
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            Notice that, here, visual identity means everything
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            perceived through the human's visual sences (i.e., the
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            human eyes), but the corporate identity is a wider concept
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            that extends to all human senses (i.e., visibilty (eyes),
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            audition (ears), scent (nose), touch (fingers), and savour
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            (tongue)), not just that one related to visual aspects.
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            Nevertheless, we need to be consequent with the media
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            where &TC;; manifests its existence on, as described in
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            <xref linkend="identity" />. 
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        </para></footnote> This includes everything from file edition
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        (e.g., text width, text indentation, line numbering, text
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        tabulation, etc.) up to how the web sites, distribution, and
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        industrial stuff (e.g., pullovers, caps, installation media,
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        etc.) look and feel.  Notice that, more specific details like
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        typography, window design, icons, menu items, etc., inside
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        &TC;; are already covered by &TC;; upstream provider.  In our
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        effort to be 100% binary compatible with the upstream provider
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        and also keeping maintainance low, we stand over those
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        specific details as much as possible assuming them as default.
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        However, if you feel brave enough (and prove your ability to
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        keep yourself being that way) it would be possible to open a
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        work line for you to maintain variants of such very specific
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        details inside &TCAR;.
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    </para>
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    <para>
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        In addition to visual manifestations, there are also emotional
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        feelings and ethical behaviours that must be considered as
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        part of &TC;; corporate identity. A pleasant experience in
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        this area includes &TCWIKI;, specifically the way it was
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        conceived and administered. When the &TCWIKI; was published,
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        &TC;; published a list of needs with it so anyone could
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        contribute based on them.  Not much time after that, the list
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        of tasks triggered some souls' motivations ruled by the good
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        will of initiating the translation of that content published
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        inside the wiki, redesigning its visual style, proposing the
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        TreeFlower theme for &TC;;, and reducing to zero the
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        contraditions of precoceived minds with respect, reason and
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        passion. As result of this experience, we found that &TC;;
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        posseses an incredible strong creative force, however, a long
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        path must be traveled before it can be focalized into the
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        right direction because: it isn't enough just telling what the
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        right direction is, it is also necessary to provide the
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        vehicles for &TC;; be able of moving through it.
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    </para>
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    <para>
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        &TCAR; extends the feelings and ethicals behaviours from
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        &TCWIKI; to itself by identifying the visual manifestations
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        &TC;; is made of (i.e., tracing a direction) and allowing
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        people to develop them through standardized procedures inside
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        a colaborative environment (i.e., providing the vehicles).
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    </para>
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    <para>
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        Finally, if you find yourself needing to do something for
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        &TC;; and &TCAR; isn't the place for it,  be sure to define
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        what that something exactly is and also make it a community
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        effort so it can be validated as something useful to the
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        community itself.  Otherwise, the effort would loose its
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        initial sense soon enough so as to be considered seriously.
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        Notice that the way these needs are described may take
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        different forms: they can be written and organized inside a
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        book, an article, or even a well documented program ;-).
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    </para>
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</section>