Re: Using ConTeXt for a thesis?

["George N. White III" <gnwiii@gmail.com>]

On Sat, Dec 19, 2009 at 9:55 AM, Manuel P. <ayeye.sysforge@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi everyone! This is my first post here.
>
> I've a limited (but sufficient) experience with LaTeX (I've written several
> work-related documents with it) and now I have to write my undergraduate
> thesis (the deadline is mid-january 2010). I've been fairy impressed by a
> book typesetted with ConTeXt, so I used it for some documents and liked the
> idea and the configurability. The possibility of having a unique and
> personalized look-and-feel for every document is very appealing to me, and I
> have already began to assemble a style for the thesis.
>
> However, I've a very limited experience with it and I wonder: is ConTeXt the
> right choice in my circumstances? Can it be used without a degree in
> typography? I can't write half thesis and then stumble on some obscure (to
> me) typesetting problem, things have to be smooth and I need to concentrate
> on content (but I still find desiderable a good unique look). When I have a
> problem I try my best to resolve it by myself, but given the limited time I
> can't learn and investigate everything, so if I'll write my thesis in
> ConTeXt in some (desperate) cases I'll need your help.
>
> What do you think?

I was the first person at my institution to use a computer to "type" my thesis
(with a daisywheel printer that was essentially a modified typewriter) in the
days before TeX was accessible to students.

When you follow an existing process you benefit from the efforts of those who
have gone before, but when you do things in a new way you may find that your
efforts get more rigorous scrutiny.   I have heard of cases where some of the
institution's rules for thesis formats are not enforced "because it is
too hard to
do that using MS Word", but the same exceptions are not granted to TeX users.

ConTeXt has been used, but different institutions have different rules
and expectations.
At many institutions there is already a LaTeX thesis style "ready to go", but I
have heard of problems when these were used outside science, e.g, because
the science people don't use footnotes the same way as for other fields.

FInd out if LaTeX is used at your institution (even if you choose ConTeXt,
the LaTeX style can serve to document fonts and other details.  Find out
who enforces the institution's standards and discuss your plans with them --
they may be able to help you identify particular trouble spots in advance
so you can get more specific help/advice while there is time to change plans.

> Thank you all!
>
> PS: I live in Italy, sorry for my probably imperfect english!
>
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-- 
George N. White III <aa056@chebucto.ns.ca>
Head of St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki     : http://contextgarden.net
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