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