This is the mail archive of the docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org mailing list .


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
Other format: [Raw text]

The DocBook community thanks Norm


I think it's time that Norm Walsh got what was coming to him:

A BIG THANK YOU


Norm,
The DocBook community wants to make sure you know
how much your unflagging efforts are appreciated.  
Below is the overwhelming worldwide response to a
single suggestion on the DocBook mailing
lists (minus you, of course) to thank you.
Savor each one.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Juan R. Migoya" <jmigoya@ingeteam.es>

Thanks Norm: You have made a great contribution in helping
us to jump that big gap between the "traditional" mode of making
documentation to the "content based" approach, and perhaps
you have not always received good words in return.

Juan R. Migoya
SPAIN

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Derek Hohls <DHohls@csir.co.za>

Simply this:

Without DOCBOOK, and Norm Walsh, my project would not have got off the
ground.
He took the time to send detailed personal replies to some pretty dumb
newbie questions.
That shows interest and caring above and beyond the call.

Cheers mate!

Derek

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dave Pawson <daveP@dpawson.freeserve.co.uk>

>I think it's time that Norm Walsh got what was coming to him:
>
>A BIG THANK YOU

+10

He's never failed to provide a polite, accurate answer to even the
silly questions. He's helped me through my SGML and XML learning curves
over 4 years.

I feel sure docbook and its stylesheets have caused more movement towards
XML than any other toolchain.

Could I add that a vote of thanks be given to his better half for her patience,
I'm sure Norm is seldom seen outside his computer, there simply aren't enough
hours in the day :-)

Thanks Norm. Regards DaveP

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Sami Lempinen <sami@lempinen.net>

Greetings,

Thanks to Norman Walsh for being instrumental in bringing SGML and XML
to the mainstream.

-Sami Lempinen

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Hsueh-Hsiang Lu <lu@gate.sinica.edu.tw>

Thank Norm for his efforts for this mailing list, especially his
enthusiam for answering questions which I always think already in the
FAQs

Sidney Lu
Academia Sinica Computing Centre
Taiwan, Taipei

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: anonymous

Hello,

"Great DTD. Great stylesheets. Great book. Great support. Great
commitment. Thank you, Norm!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Budde, Frido" <friedrich.budde@viadee.de>

I've been using the docbook xsl stylesheets for documentation in several
different projects and found them to be very valuable and useful. Without
them it wouldn't have been possible to create top quality documentation with
respect to 
content, layout and presentation. So I'd like to thank Norm Walsh for his
excellent work over the years. 
 Please keep up the good work!!!
   Frido Budde
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Prikryl,Petr" <PRIKRYLP@skil.cz>

Hi Norm,

While I am still considering myself to be a DocBook
beginner, I feel that DocBook XML will play an important
role in the company where I work and where I silently want 
to introduce it.  The DocBook sheds the light to the nightmares
of a documentation process, and you are one of those who really
helps to make the DocBook usefull and accessible to many
people.  Because of this I would like to add my personal
thanks for what you have already done, and I also wish you 
all the best for the future.

Petr
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Iezzi <jeff.iezzi@semanticedge.com>

You answer questions patiently and persistently, your tone is 
always friendly, and your work is very inspirational. While the depth 
and complexity of your style sheets may seem daunting at times, 
your work benefits the whole DocBook community. Thank you for 
your guidance, hard work, and commitment. 

Warmest greetings from a chilly Berlin, 

Jeff Iezzi

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Holger Rauch <Holger.Rauch@heitec.de>

Hi Norm!

Fist of all, let me express wholeheartedly my thanks for your great work
and patience in answering the many questions from the rest DocBook
community. I don't know where the DocBook development would be without
your contributions. Maybe it would long have ceased to exist.

Thanks again and keep up the great work!

Greetings,

	Holger

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Daniel Veillard <veillard@redhat.com>


   Though relatively new to the DocBook community, I have had the chance
to work with him a bit longer within the reals of the W3C work and in
both communities Norm's technical knowledge and dedication to improving
the current set of standards and tools is outstanding and appreciated to
its true value !
   Thanks Norm, keep up the excellent work !

Daniel

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Carsten Wartmann <c.wartmann@gmx.net>

Hello Norm,

your work helped me to make my living the last year, I was successfull 
in writing a complete book (about game creation) and severeal other
documents. Especially that I could generate HTML for review purposes
and RTF for giving it to DTP helped me to be the free-tools bastion in 
a world with many winodws and thus combine both worlds.

THANKS!
Carsten Wartmann

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Christoph Steinbeck <steinbeck@ice.mpg.de>

Dear Norm,

thanks so much for all your work on docbook. It has made my life as a 
software engineer, programmer and academic scientist so much easier. 
Virtually everything that we publish is somehow based on your work: Our 
program documentation, our scientific articles and also my lecture notes 
and slides. And besides all this, you never even failed to answer any of 
my support requests :-)

Thanks again,

Chris

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Paul A. Hoadley" <paulh@logicsquad.net>

"Norm, Many thanks for your huge effort."


Paul.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Bovill <david.bovill@opn-technologies.com>

I'm new to DocBook - but there are two things I can tell from the outset;
first that the vision is and has always been right, and second that anyone
who puts in that amount of effort and consistency into an open source
project like this demands our respect and admiration,

David

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Giuseppe Greco <giuseppe.greco@fantastic.com>

Norm,

I would just repeat what Bob said:

A BIG THANK YOU.

Thanks for your work, for your support, for your patience, for ...

Giuseppe

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Rolander, Dan" <Dan.Rolander@marriott.com>

Norm--

Thank you for all of your work over the years on DocBook. I use it to
generate technical documentation and find it invaluable. Please keep up the
good work!

Dan Rolander

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: eric.laney@verizon.com

When I first started learning XML, it was because I had the really cool
idea to put together a way to do all my documentation in a portable format
that I could then transform into HTML, PDF, or any other format with ease.
Luckily, I did the research first and found that the work had already been
done for me.  Thanks, Norm, for not only having the vision, but for putting
action to it so that it became reality.

Eric A. Laney       

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Westbay <westbay@users.sourceforge.net>

Norm,

I was amazed at what could be done with DocBook when I first started.
And i18n was already well supported and only got better. 
This is an incredible package, and to be so responsive to bug
reports has amazed me time and time
again.  You've done an outstanding job.  Thank you.

--
Michael Westbay

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Bradford, Denis" <denisb@rational.com>

Writers and information architects like me have long railed against the
constraints of narrow proprietary formats and paradigms. Over the years I've
tried - but mostly failed - to pull together standards-based documentation
solutions that mere mortals could implement. Now, the incredible tools and
systems you have been patiently building have reached a point of maturity
where the worst barriers to open solutions are simply melting away. So the
work you're doing is nothing less than revolutionary: you are opening all
kinds of new possibilities for documentation. Bravo Norm!

______________
Denis Bradford
CTG Documentation
Rational Software Corporation 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dave Mason <dmason@dmason.net>

Norm,

A super-big thank you from the Red Hat team, the GNOME team, and
me. Your selflessness in your work and help with all things Docbook
can never fully be appreciated. Also I still have a copy of an email
where you promised me a beer - I will keep it safe!

Cheers,

Dave Mason

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Rory Hunter <roryh@dcs.ed.ac.uk>

Norm's been a great help in getting me using DocBook effectively. I love 
working with DocBook, and I'm very grateful that he (and other) invested 
the time and effort to create it, and maintain it.

Cheers Norm, you're the best!

roryh

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Rick Bronson <rick@efn.org>

Norm,

  Thanks a million for all of the times you have help me and the
docbook community, it wouldn't have progressed to the point it is
now if it wasn't for your diligence!

  Rick Bronson

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gary Lawrence Murphy <garym@canada.com>

Although our industry likes to hide its personalities, there are those
who manage to stand outside the anonymous masks, and who have changed
not only the way I use computers, but fundamentally changed how I
work, so much so that I could never go back.  This list includes Don
Knuth, K&R, Jim Gosling, Vint Cerf and other IT celebrities.

But above freely providing their "disruptive technology", some these
people also freely give of their own time to personally help total
strangers like me to understand, adapt and use their way of doing
things; one-on-one support -- this is the truly amazing part.

In that shorter list of "open, friendly and patient beyond the call of
duty" I'd include the legendary likes of Richard Stallman, Linus
Torvalds and Norm Walsh.

"Thanks" (and buying your book) isn't payment enough; I can only
attempt to repay this debt by trying my best to do for others as you
all have done for me.

Gary Lawrence Murphy <garym@teledyn.com> 
CEO TeleDynamics Communications Inc
http://www.teledyn.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jonathan Marks <jm@cmex.org>

Great Work Norm,

I switched to using DocBook early 2001, and took to it for
documentation, like a duck to water.  Thanks very much for making
something useful.

Jonathan

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Lane Stevens <lane@cycletime.com>

Norm:

Docbook rocks, and largely because of your tireless work!  Thank you for your
dedication and effort.  I particularly appreciate your willingness to jump 
in and help out when questions are posted to the mailing list.

Thanks,
Lane.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Hildebrandt, Nancy" <nancy.hildebrandt@documentum.com>

What impresses me most about Norm (beyond his vision, persistence,
dedication, and huge contribution to an important project) is his unflagging
cheerfulness and courtesy on the DOCBOOK list. Norm, you have inspired and
helped more people than you can imagine.

Nancy

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Merrill <david@lupercalia.net>

The Linux Documentation Project relies on DocBook for our publication
systems. We have several projects underway that build on DocBook to
do document management and publication. Norm's works have been some of
the most important to us, because they make our lives easier and give
us capabilities we just wouldn't have otherwise.

Thank You, Norm!

David C. Merrill                         

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ronald Hayden <rhayden@apple.com>

Every document I create now, personally and professionally, uses your 
tools. Thanks to you I can just think about what I'm writing, and let 
you worry about what it looks like!"

  -- Ron Hayden

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Arun Khan <arunk@surjait.com>

When I started to write a hand book for a Linux class, I had to decide 
whether to use a commercial or an open sourceword processor.
I got interested in using DocBook because of it's versality - one source many 
output formats and the fact that it is open source.

The "DocBook: The Definitive Guide" co-authored by Norman Walsh, available in 
HTML format, was instrumental in my transition to using DocBook and Norm's 
style sheets.  I consider myself a DocBook newbie and the style sheets 
developed and maintained by Norm certainly go a long way in shortening the 
learning curve for DocBook.  Thank you Norm for all the effort you have put 
into DocBook and the style sheets.

Best wishes and regards,
Arun Khan
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Nancy (Paisner) Harrison" <nancyh@rational.com>

I think anyone who knows something about DocBook agrees that we in the DocBook
community all owe Norm a great deal.  Ever since he joined the Davenport group
(about 10 years ago, as I remember...) and started working on DocBook, he's
consistently gone way above and beyond the call of duty to support his
co-developers, folks working on associated technologies, and the user
community, to which I recently returned.

I personally find it hard to imagine DocBook having attained its current
robust, fairly stable state were it not for Norm's persistent efforts.  While
it was a good piece of work to begin with, and had many capable contributors,
even the best work product requires polish and
maintenance to keep it functional and compatible with current technology.  For
example, however good an SGML DTD it was, how relevant would it be at this
point if no one had taken responsibility for moving it from SGML to XML, ...? 
And how many folks would use it if there weren't good documentation - i.e.,
Norm's book - available to figure it out?


Thanks, Norm!!!   


Nancy

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Alexander Schatten <alasan@gmx.net>

I think the Docbook framework is an excellent concept for cross media 
publishing. I hope the development continues in the quality as we know 
it and documentation continues to improve.
Thank you Norman Walsh for your excellent work.

best wishes

Alex

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bruno Cornec <Bruno_Cornec@hp.com>

I think it's a great idea as Norm is always kind to support DocBook users,
whatever their knowledge, giving musered and accurate answers, improving
his software the best way possible, having created a sourceforge project
to allow a better management,... 

I just wish that every sw project could be managed in such a clever way !
Kudos Norm.

Hope you'll receive thousands of replies that Norm deserves.

Bruno.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bob McIlvride <robert@cogent.ca>

Hi Norm,

I never cease to be amazed at your hard work, high standards, concise
answers, and amazing signature quotes.  All of us who work with
documentation here at Cogent truly appreciate everything you have done to
help us transform our docs from unmanageable Word files into a coherent,
consistent, publishable whole.

We thank you very much,

Bob McIlvride
Paul Benford
Andrew Thomas
Manuel Dias
Sam Roberts

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Thacker, Brad" <Brad_Thacker@jdedwards.com>

As a Newbie to DocBook, I'm awed by the complexity and sophistication of
both the DTD and the stylesheets. They were obviously very well thought out,
and Norm Walsh must have spent  countless hours developing them. But as
great as Norm's intellect and drive may be, he has an even greater quality
which I greatly appreciate - patience. When I first began to use the DocBook
stylesheets, before I realized what an unending stream of e-mail Norm must
recieve, I wrote to him directly requesting help with an xslt parser
problem. After a series of five e-mail exchanges, he solved my problem. 

To have both awesome expertise and a compassion for newbies is quite rare,
but I'm very grateful the DocBook community is blessed with such a great
leader - Thanks, Norm!

Brad Thacker 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Karl F. Best" <karl.best@oasis-open.org>

OASIS would like to express its appreciation for the many and varied
efforts that Norm has made in furthering the consortium's technical. In
addition to his work with the DocBook DTD and chairing the DocBook TC,
Norm has also contributed heavily to the efforts of other OASIS TCs, and
also provided OASIS with technical expertise in building our IT
infrastructure. I have personally worked with Norm for many years and
have always admired his technical expertise and appreciated his
willingness to lend his time and talents to furthering the cause of
interoperable standards.

   -Karl F. Best, OASIS Director of Technical Operations

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jochen Hein <jochen@jochen.org>

Well, thanks Norm.  I'm using Docbook for a couple of years now, for
publishing, websites and slides.  I do like having a similar
environment for them, and like the style of your stylesheets ;-)

Still very impressed
    Jochen

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ismael Olea <ismael@olea.org>


In Spanish: +Norman, eres cojonudo; :-)


	A.Ismael Olea Gonzalez

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Carlos <carlos@cvc.edu>

Norm:

Thanks for all you wonderful work on Docbook... The Definitive guide was my
book of choice to learn how to use it and your patience in answering
questions when I was so sure I was right... And I wasn't.

You've taught me a lot about documentation writing and about supporting
other people and I hope I can put what you've taught me (without knowing)
and give back to the community.

Thanks
Carlos

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Laurent Pointal <laurent.pointal@lure.u-psud.fr>

[Difficult to express complete thanks in english for me, so I will
do it in french - hope there will be many different languages.]

Cher Monsieur Norman Walsh, j'appricie beaucoup tout ce que vous avez fait
et faites encore pour l'idition de documents ` l'aide de DocBook.
Je suis impressionni par votre patience avec les
questions qui arrivent sur
les listes de diffusion, par votre traitement en direct pour aider `
risoudre certains problhmes (j'en suis timoin), par votre rapiditi 
` ripondre aux posts sur la liste.

Pour tout cela, un grand MERCI.

Amicalement.

Laurent Pointal.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeffrey Lomas <jeff.lomas@oasis-open.org>

I have had the previlige to 
correspond with Norm from time to time and have always found him to be a 
helpful and insightful person.

Jeffrey Lomas
OASIS

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Tristan Bishop <tristan@inviosoftware.com>

Norm, we appreciate your example of service. It amazes me that you
continually donate your time, talents and imagination to help other people
accomplish their goals. Your tireless work has helped me and my team realize
our vision of unified documentation. I don't see this as possible without
your sacrifice. We're especially aware of your daily and prompt attention to
the countless questions that fly over the lists. You, and others you've
inspired, continue to build our hope that it's ok to be helpful without
charging a fee. Thanks again and again.


Tristan David Bishop

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eric Richardson <eric.richardson@milagrosoft.com>

Norm,

Thank-you for all the work and energy you have put into the Docbook and 
associated technologies. Your personal attention and almost endless 
patience on the docbook-apps list is refreshing and highly appreciated. 
We all know some lists are not so friendly.

This is very important work and really changes the long term face of 
publishing that perhaps will change the way we look at documents - at 
least hopefully. Please know that we appreciate the support your company 
hopefully gives you for this important work. By the looks of it, there 
is a bit of fun for you as well.

Best wishes and a toast to the future!

Eric
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ian Castle <ian.castle@looksystems.co.uk>

My immediate response at glancing at the first paragraphs of Bob's email
was one of alarm.

"Oh no! - is Norm retiring from the field? or is he perhaps ill?"

Then, as I read further and found this was not the case, my response
turned to one of relief.

An interesting reaction on my part to someone that I have never meant
and cannot even claim to know.

Not only has Norm continually delivered high quality, interesting and
extremely useful work over the years - work that is now central to both
my, and my company's information handling and document processing
systems - but that work has been both generously and freely given.

I continue to be impressed by Norm's dedication and staying power (how
long has he been doing this now!) and the level of patience that he
displays on the mailing list - answering queries at whatever level.

I think it is fair to say that Norm is the cornerstone of the community
- a strong presence across all aspects from design to development and
through to support. Not only is Norm's work impressive, but the style
with which it is done is an exemplar to all in the community and beyond.

So not only am I grateful for "the product", but I am also grateful for
the man himself. Saying A BIG THANK YOU is the least I can do.

Regards,

Ian.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ben Curtis <docbook@bencurtis.com>

Thanks, Norm, for all the incredible work you've done with DocBook.
You've given my inner technical writer a means of expression that
also appeals to my inner software developer.  How I love the concept of
using descriptive markup for my documentation, and DocBook is a
wonderful implementation of that concept!  Keep up the good work, and
thank you again.

Benjamin Curtis
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Tim Waugh <twaugh@redhat.com>

Norm: thank you for putting as much effort as you do into making
DocBook the success that it is!

Tim.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Karl Eichwalder <ke@gnu.franken.de>

<qandaentry>
 <question>
  <para>Why using <productname/DocBook/?</>
 </>
 <answer>
  <para><author role="spiritus rector">Norman Walsh</> is on board.</>
 </>
</qandaentry>

-- 
ke@suse.de (work) / keichwa@gmx.net (home):              |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Park Yong Joo <yongjoo@kldp.org>
 
 Hi.
  
 My name is Park Yong Joo. I am a contributor to Korean
 localization of DocBook. I am amazed at how you could have
 such good idea! :) Thank you for such good idea.

 Here is the thanks message from Korea.
 I wish this message included your great email.
---

 We Korean users give our thanks to Normal Walsh.

 In Korea, mostly all advances of documentation environment
 are primarily based on DocBook and its Korean localization.

 DocBook has been adopted as a standard format by Korean
 Linux Documentation Project(http://kldp.org) and other 
 free documentation projects. Also it is going to spread
 to everywhere needs effective documentation.
 
 We thank Norm for his great contribution to these advances
 of Korean documentation environment.
 
 Thank You.


 With regards from Seoul.
  
 yongjoo 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Eve L. Maler" <eve.maler@sun.com>

I'm lucky enough to work with (or is that take advantage of?) Norm on a 
daily basis, and I know how much heart and soul -- not to mention technical 
prowess -- he brings to so many endeavors.  A technology such as DocBook, 
whose value depends on community uptake, needs more than mere technical 
contributions; it needs a champion.  Norm has been DocBook's champion and 
much more for several years, and his efforts have helped to make it one of 
the most successful applications on the planet.  Thanks, Norm, and when 
you're done reading this message, could you just help me out with this 
question I have over here?...

         Eve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Michael P. Urban" <Michael.P.Urban@jpl.nasa.gov>

Docbook is indispensable, and much of its value is the result of Norm's
hard work.  "Thank you, Norm" barely covers it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: camille <camille@mandrakesoft.com>

When I entered the world of technical publication about two years ago,
I first discovered a great tool called DocBook. DocBook allowed our
documentation department to get rid of a dusty system while directly
jumping to a next-generation documentation system. It was a big jump
and the decision to take it was greatly due to the strong support and
the very active development of the tools. It quickly showed up that a
single man was behind all that. I say a single man, but I've been
wondering more than once if there was not more than one people named
"Norman Walsh"... One having a "real" job at Sun, another one
answering mails on mailing lists, another one as a W3C active member,
yet another one as a DocBook developer, and so on. Once i met one of 
the Norman Walshes, the one which gives conferences. I was very 
surprised to see this young and very tall hero, very much in demand,
that I couldn't dare approach.

Norman, Mandrake Linux publications and many people working there are
heavily indebted to you, we hope this little blurb tells you how much
we appreciate your noble and generous contribution to open-source and
free-software movements, as well as your indefectible availability for
solving our own problems.

Norman, merci.

Camille Bignis, MandrakeSoft, Documentation Project
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Fredrik Svensson <fred@ludd.luth.se>

Dear Mr Walsh.

I have been interested in DocBook and followed the list for a long time
now. I used DocBook to produce my Master Thesis, and it worked
beautifully.

I still use the docbook for all kinds of computer documentation.
Since I use only Unix/Linux computers this is a very clean way for me to
handle all documentation I need.
I can easily generate pdf or html. I use the slides.dtd together
with programs like Dia and gnuplot to make presentations in a quick and
easy maner.
Much if not all of my documentation system has switched from LaTeX to
DocBook.

Thank you for all your contributions!!

Fredrik Svensson
Swedish Student

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Gilmour, John" <John.Gilmour@fanucrobotics.com>

Thanks Norm! You have impacted more individuals and companies than you will
ever know.  We appreciated you and all of your efforts.

John Gilmour

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Trevor Jenkins <trevor.jenkins@suneidesis.com>

> A BIG THANK YOU

I agree. He's given tirelessly to the DocBook community over the years.
Always offers sensible advice---even when the question is stupid, like so
many of mine. Always accepts bug reports in his stylesheets with good
grace and provides a fix.

Regards, Trevor

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Cramer <dcramer@broadjump.com>

Great idea. An online surprise party. Well, words hardly seem adequate,
but I'm short on cash so they'll have to do. I'm pretty sure that if it
weren't for DocBook and its community--neither of which would be viable
without all of the work Norm has done--I wouldn't enjoy my job. It's so
clearly the right way to do documentation, but it couldn't exist without
this community and its leader. Your energy, patience, and responsiveness
are all just amazing. So, <emphasis>Thank You</emphasis> Norm! Be seeing
you ;-)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jirka Kosek <jirka@kosek.cz>

Norm, DocBook and DocBook stylesheets are substantial and excellent
outcome of your hard work. Me and many others are appreciating and using
it every day. This would be enough to call you our hero, guru and
whatever. But you are still able to find time and strength to answer
questions of many DocBook users. Without your help I will never be able
to use DocBook with Czech and thus DocBook at all. So thanks again.

			Jirka Kosek

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From:   Gerrit Kuilder <gkuilder@portalyx.com>

I have nothing nice to say about Norman Walsh.
other than:
Without him my knowledge about XML and the Docbook dtd would be non 
existant.

We use the Docbook dtd and XML for Publishing Software we sell, which 
is now 'highly xml aware' (for lack of a better buzzword). I have 
learned the new xml capabilities with the help of DocBook. The Docbook 
mailing lists and the frequent postings of Norm have been a great help 
for achieving a high level of expertise and knowledge.


Regards,

Gerrit Kuilder

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Steffen Maier <Steffen.Maier@studserv.uni-stuttgart.de>

<quote role="thanks-to-Norm">
Hello Norm,

I'm gonna make it short because I assume there will be numerous others
that would like to say something. Thanks for your commitment to DocBook.
You are always helpful, be it in thoroughly answering questions or
improving DocBook always considering possible side effects. I appreciate
your work very much. DocBooking with such an invaluable support makes lots
of fun even if I sometimes have a hard time keeping the constantly
evolving stuff working ;-).

>From a happy DocBooker,
Steffen Maier.

</quote>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Francesco Giacomini <francesco.giacomini@cnaf.infn.it>

Hello.

I don't have anything special to say, apart from
a big "thank you", nevertheless
I feel I have to say it explicitly.

Francesco.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Matthew Braun <mbraun@urbana.css.mot.com>

>A BIG THANK YOU

Indeed, a HUGE "Thank You"!  Thanks for working on the DTDs, on the
"DuckBook", on the stylesheets (especially on the stylesheets!), for the
guidance and advice on the mailing lists.  DocBook wouldn't be where and what
it is today without your efforts.

m@
(Matt Braun)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "M.-A. DARCHE" <ma.darche@cynode.org>

For Norman :

Your dedication, kindness and availability are a serious driving force
for the DocBook effort.

Also many thanks for your other open source projects and tools (diffmk,
catalog support for Java, website, slides) which make life in the world
of XML easier.

I hope we will soon witness the true advent of DocBook!

                                                         Be seeing you,

-- 
Marc-Aurhle DARCHE  <http://www.cynode.org>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eduardo Gutentag <eduardo.gutentag@sun.com>

It is a fact of life that standards, like humans, are born, go through
adolescence, mature and descend into maintenance mode. DocBook was at that 
last stage when some years ago, with a sigh of relief born of lack of 
imagination, I passed to Norm the chairmanship of the OASIS DocBook TC, 
where he was already one of the most active members.

What Norm has achieved since then is truly amazing. He certainly had 
the help of the TC members, as well as the prodding of the DocBook
community, but given the same help and the same prodding, few people
(if any) would have been able to do what Norm has done, and keep
a day job too... 

Thank you Norm. It's both an honor and a pleasure to work with you.

Eduardo Gutentag               

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Sasha Zucker <szucker@mail.mac.com>

Dear Norm,

Thanks for all your hard work on DocBook and for answering my newbie 
questions.

sincerely,

--
Sasha Zucker

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Patrick Powell <papowell@astart.com>

Thanks, Norm!

The DOCBOOK stuff has been invaluable in my work.

Patrick Powell                 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Smith <smith@xml-doc.org>

  Norm,

  The peanut had George Washington Carver. Electricity, Nicola Tesla.
  Comic books, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. And DocBook has you.

  Generations from now, as the tale of DocBook is told around the
  campfires, they shall speak of the "one who showed us that man and ape
  could live in peace-- " whoops, different tale. [Collecting my
  thoughts for another try...]

  ...they shall speak of

   the days when, though he was involved in many other important
   standards efforts, he still walked among us in the Garden, guiding
   development of the Law, documenting its 375+ commandments, patiently
   answering our questions about it, regularly adding new and really
   cool features to the stylesheets, and often replying to supplications
   from the true believers with the reassuring words:

     Fixed in CVS


Michael Smith

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Steinar Bang <steinar@bang.priv.no>

I've only recently started to use DocBook XML and the DocBook XSL
style sheets.  I'm doing it on my own initiative, to introduce DocBook
XML as an alternative to writing technical documentation in MSWord.

I would like to thank Norm for making this alternative be available,
and for making it free!

I would also like to thank him for the prompt and helpful response he
seems to make to almost all postings on the docbook-apps mailinglist.

- Steinar

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bjorn Remseth <rmz@rmz.priv.no>

  Norm's contribution has been invaluable. He's made Docbook
   a real alternative for serious technichal document production.
   I've used both his documentation and his stylesheets on a daily
   basis for several years, and I'm simply grateful for having
   such good tools available.

Bjxrn Remseth 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Rune Enggaard Jensen <rune@enggaard-lausen.dk>

Hi Norm!

A big thank you from Denmark.

DocBook and your stylesheets are in use daily at my work, to everyone's 
great satisfaction.

As maintainer of our local setup and customizations, I must say that 
your stylesheets are a source of continuous inspiration!

Keep up the good(!) work!!!!

Best regards

	Rune Enggaard

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bob Stayton <bobs@caldera.com>

Norm,

It's a joy to work with you on DocBook stuff.
Despite your being the recognized world expert on
DocBook, you still listen respectfully to suggestions
and treat DocBook as a community project.

I've always been impressed with the quality and quantity
of your output.  There are few XSL stylesheets out there
that exercise as much of the standard as yours.

And then there is your persistence.  I trolled through the
old Davenport mail archives and found your name first
mentioned in 1994 when you introduced your troff DocBook
tools.  You have been at it ever since.
In "Internet Years", that amounts to an epoch.

Others make significant contributions to the open source
world and then move on to new projects, leaving someone
else to carry on.  You start new projects, but continue to
carry on with DocBook.  For example, how many people know
that you are one of the coauthors of the actual W3C XSLT
Recommendation itself?  That standard was released on
16 Nov 1999, and DocBook XSL 1.0 was released on
18 Nov 1999.  Coincidence?  Of course not!

You don't get paid for your continued good efforts, so
I hope this round of electronic applause provides
some compensation to keep you going.


Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
Caldera International, Inc.                 fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@caldera.com


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]