From:   GORDON::COCKCROFT    "Jeremy Karl Cockcroft (Tel. 0171-631-6800)" 22-DEC-1999 10:55:51.73
To:     SMTP%"danka@elvod.co.yu"
CC:     COCKCROFT
Subj:   Re: PD Course, Timetable

Dear Sinisa,

I was at the UK synchrotron end of last week, and I wanted to discuss your
comments with several colleagues before replying.

>I would like to ask you is it possible, before this long pause, to obtain
>some lessons in advance. I suggest Symmetry II and III, since I suppose they
>are already ready for deliverance, being prepared for other courses.

You are correct when you say that Symmetry II and III are prepared for other 
courses, but the emphasis is very different when I am teach symmetry, to say,
the protein crystallographers since they are only really interested in 
enantiomorphic symmetry when it comes to their protein crystals. I have had to
extensively modify these for the powder diffraction course. At the moment they
only about 90% ready since there are still one or two figures that make use of
proteins ribbons which I need to replace. I will consider releasing Symmetry II 
and III early when I am >99% finished. (100% is difficult since a few typos 
are always missed even with several people proof reading the material.)

>I deeply apologize if you find it counterproductive for the course, and will
>understand if it is not possible. From my point of view, the pace of the
>course is just too slow. On the other hand, for some personal reasons, I
>have much more time now than I will have later, so that in this way I would
>capitalize on it.

I have sympathy with your comments, but you must remember that the course is
part-time, i.e. it is aimed at those who may already be doing a full-time
job or a PhD or post-doc. As I said before, it is possible that some material
is not evenly split up in terms of time, and you will have the opportunity
to make comments on this in the questionnaire which will be made available
in early January.

>Also, not connected with the previous issue, I would say that I would
>benefit from being possible to download a (presumably compressed, zip) file
>containing a particular release. My connection with Internet is through a
>private telephone line, thus not a permanent one, so that by "attending" a
>lecture my family is deprived of telephone. Not to mention telephone
>impulses spent while reading an already completely downloaded document. In
>fact, what I am doing after releasing the lecture is that I browse it
>without reading, and save every single document and picture to a folder on
>my disk, and then change some links by hand, if necessary.

There are programs on the Internet that allow you to "Grab-a-Site" to download
on to your PC. This approach may suit you better. (I also use a modem and 
telephone a lot and so understand how frustrating it can be for people 
trying to ring in or for other family members to phone out when one is
connected to the Internet in this manner.) The problem with zip files is 
keeping them up-to-date. Very minor changes, e.g. fixing typos, get done
and it is just a little more work each time to redo the zip file. It takes
enough time at the moment just keeping three versions in parallel (on
the server, on a PC at work, and on a PC at home).

Also there is a second point here that I must make. So far, the concept of the
zip file will work - even the interactive material in symmetry I, II and III
will work OK since it is "client-side" HTML. Later in the course, we also
make use of "server-side" HTML, for example to run software to demonstrate
particular points. This can not simply be zipped up.

Please feel free to come back to me on any of these points,

With best regards,

Jeremy Karl Cockcroft

P.S. I have had email to you bounce. I will try to resend it a day later when 
this happens.

Back