[Fhsst-admin-priv] Re: FHSST - idea

[Mark Horner]

Dear Warrick

Great to hear from you. Although this project is 2 years old, the last 6 
months have been the most exciting
and things are really moving fast. Just to give you an idea of 
timescales, we hope to have the physics book
completely finished before June. The rough draft will be finished by the 
end of March and we have many
volunteer editors. Chemistry and Maths will follow before the end of the 
year.

We have support from Education Departments at Rhodes and UCT as well as 
from the Dean of Science
at UCT and we have more than 20 active volunteers and this number seems 
to be growing steadily. I just want to
let you know that we are really pushing hard on this project and I 
really think it can make a huge difference.

We have actually started discussing, at a very high level, distribution 
plans. We have already been contacted
by the Shuttleworth Foundation and I am sure the capital to get things 
started will be there when the time comes.
Our plan needs much work but it must include costing and distribution. 
We would benefit immeasurably from
your input on the practicalities of on-demand printing,  projected costs 
and feasibility of shipping. I must
admit that my physics career has left me knowing nothing of these things.

Would you be prepared to furnish us with some rough numbers and details 
of these issues? Then we can come
up with a draft plan and get input from you on it. Here are some rough 
numbers from our side:

Physics - currently - 150 pages of A4 type 12 font. Would be printed in 
black and white but can be printed
in colour - black, green, red. It will probably expand to close to 200 
pages. I expect (but am guessing) that
chemistry will be roughly the same. Maths will probably be longer - 300 
pages is my guess. I (or Spencer)
can send you a postscript file with the current physics draft if you 
would find this more enlightening.

Thank you very much for showing interest, it's positive responses from 
people that keep us going!
Hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,

Mark



Warrick Selzer wrote:

> Dear Mark Horner or Spencer Wheaton,
>  
> Wow. I have spent the majority of the afternoon reading articles on 
> the Science in Africa website. I came across your link and thought 
> that that was an unique project. My background is in media printing 
> and publishing. I would be very interested in discussing further the 
> potential printing of this document/text for persons wanting a hardcopy.
>  
> We are a family run company in Midrand, Gauteng. However, we are for 
> example, the exclusive printers for IBM Lotus SA in Africa to print 
> their training manuals on a print-on-demand basis. We manage the 
> printing from the first page off of the printer to the packaging, CD 
> duplicating, stiffy disk replicating, boxing and shrink-wrapping. We 
> currently manage print project for an Anglo American division and send 
> their training material to meet the lecturer wherever the course is 
> being held albeit next week Tuesday on a Mine in Botswana. The 
> courseware material (7 manuals) was sent today by courier.
>  
> So, I think that there could be some benefit in discussing the 
> potential of a service like this where aside from an interactive CD or 
> website, or both, a hard copy printed off could very well be an 
> additional option which we would like to be involved in.
>  
> I admire the investment this is in Science and Technology for South 
> Africa and commend you all on a project worth all the support possible 
> and then some. Best wishes and results.
>  
> I look forward to your thoughts.
>  
> Kind regards,
>  
> Warrick Selzer
>  
> Media Consultant
> 27-11-315-2886
> 27-82-359-8787
>  
> *February Specials on A4 letterheads 
> <http://www.symondsnightingale.co.za/> *
>