Should we, at this point, consider creating a dedicated chatroom for the project? — Isaac Moses3 hours ago
Let's use this room for brainstorming (now) and (presumably) organizing the effort later. Please remember to bring things back to the meta post (linked under the room name) when ready!
@MonicaCellio and HodofHod, either on an abbreviated booklet or a full-on printed publication, it'd be cool to include a QR Code that points back to the electronic source. — Isaac Moses4 hours ago
@MonicaCellio and HodofHod, It's worth considering concentrating on only making a single, tiny, very polished publication, perhaps even something that can be printed on one double-sided page (perhaps of 11"X17" paper). That would make it very easy and inexpensive to slip into MM, bring in one's pocket to parties, or mass produce to drop at shuls. Also, at that scale, we (or possibly a contracted printshop or online publisher) could possibly even offer stacks of nicely-printed copies for sale at cost or at cost plus funds that would go to Matanot Le-evyonim. I am starting to like this format. — Isaac Moses4 hours ago
... The "click here for more" could lead to a larger for-print publication or it could lead to a Meta post with curated lists of great Purim (and p-t) Q&A in the various categories, and/or to simple links to the relevant tags. Since Purim is a weekday holiday, maybe we should really trade on the strength of the electronic format for breadth and economize on the physical medium to try to get many copies of it proliferating. — Isaac Moses4 hours ago
... The mini-pub could even have a space on the cover for customization, a la "Happy Purim from _____! We thought you'd enjoy this selection of Torah and fun from Mi Yodeya." If we distribute a Word (or possibly even Google) doc, that's easy to provide for. There may even be a way to do it by PDF form. Some online publishers may offer this sort of customer data insertion as an option. — Isaac Moses4 hours ago
While @Isaac was doing that ^^^ I was adding an answer to the meta post to call out the small-form book/folio option explicitly. Just FYI (so people could vote and comment on the general idea).
Zombies are actually quite problematic, though the problem seems to be with only one female zombie, Kol Haron Api, as Zephania (3:8) said:
כִּי מִשְׁפָּטִי לֶאֱסֹף גּוֹיִם לְקָבְצִי מַמְלָכוֹת, לִשְׁפֹּךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעְמִי, כֹּל חֲרוֹן אַפִּי, כִּי בְּאֵשׁ קִנְאָתִי, תֵּאָכֵל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ
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@CharlesKoppelman oh. I don't even get that much, there -- larger fonts + fixed layout does that. All the "discussion" rooms tend to look the same to me on that page, but fortunately there are tooltips.
@CharlesKoppelman Depends on the font size and how much content per question. I can envision, as a minimum, a small card with four panels: Cover/Intro, 1 Halacha/Minhag Q&A, 1 Esther Q&A, 1 PTIJ.
@CharlesKoppelman In the Hagada, some Q&A exceeded one letter-size page at normal font size.
@CharlesKoppelman definitely want to use this to pitch our other pub that'll be relevant within weeks, yes.
@IsaacMoses there was also some generous whitespace, IIRC. We don't wnat to cram stuff in, of course, but a smaller format might call for a different font and a different use of whitespace.
An 11x17 sheet is, logically, 4 8.5x11 faces. But for baskets we probably want one more fold, so think of it as 8 5.5 x 8.5 faces. Just brainstorming, as the room name says.
@IsaacMoses you mean with several narrow 11"-long panels? I'd been thinking the alternating-folds style, but that does end up with text going in different directions when the page is all opened up.
Or wait, some products I've gotten with minimal documentation (like misc. electronics) fold along the long axis first, then do accordian-style from there. (So you have an "inside" and an "outside".) Hmm, not explaining this well...
@MonicaCellio If any folds are perpendicular to each other, then one side of the paper gets folded inside and is only accessible if you unfold the whole thing. When I said 11X17, I was picturing a local parsha sheet that's folded once into four 8.5/11 panels.
@IsaacMoses gotcha. That's normally what I would do with an 11x17 sheet too; my question is whether something with a "footprint" of 8.5x11 works well in a shaloch manot basket. Maybe we just say eh, if they fold it again to make it fit, people'll unfold (like they do with, say, a newapsper)?
@MonicaCellio I think the answer to your question is "probably not."
For MM, something more like greeting-card- or brochure-sized would probably work best.
... This is all assuming one printed page, since costs (and complication) tend to jump once you get into multiple pages, bound together.
There is an industry of Matanot Leevyonim "donated in your honor" cards that people give in their MM or in lieu of MM. They're usually postcard or greeting card sized. If we produce something that people would order, it'd be partially in competition with that industry. Therefore (and also because tzedaka is good), it may make sense to make it a donation card too. Maybe even in partnership with an existing Matanot Leevyonim distributor, such as Od Yosef Chai.
OTOH, it'd be much simpler to just put out a PDF and let people print and fold it themselves.
@IsaacMoses we should consider how it'll get printed (and distributed if applicable). Most people probably can't print 11x17 at home, but can easily print multiple 8.5x11 pages and staple them if necessary. Professional printing can do anything, but then we need to get it into Yodeyans' hands.
@IsaacMoses ah, I see. Thanks; I don't have any experience with that.
@MonicaCellio An 8.5X11 sheet folded in half to make four panels or in thirds (brochure style) to make six could be a format that'd be both easy for people to produce at home and amenable to professional production.
@MonicaCellio Like I said above, I'm picturing a minimum of 1 meta + 3 Q&A. On a six-panel brochure, maybe the same, maybe bump it up to 5 Q&A and consider only putting Qs
Od Yosef Chai doesn't seem to do their own cards, and I've seen many different organizations in the US collecting on their behalf (and possibly with some sort of partnership for promotional media like posters).
If we sell cards that include a donation to OY"C, then if someone googles for Od Yosef Chai Purim Card, like I just did, they'll find ours. This may require (at least morally) consent from OYC, which we may be able to secure.
(Just brainstorming)
... If we do that, and if we include a "print your own" option (which I think we should, for greater distribution and in the spirit of our CC license), then the "print your own" version would either have to not include "funds donated in your honor" or would have to request that the person printing it donate on their own.
... Of those, I think I like the PYO being no strings attached, so people can just print and use if they like.
Zombies are actually quite problematic, though the problem seems to be with only one female zombie, Kol Haron Api, as Zephania (3:8) said:
כִּי מִשְׁפָּטִי לֶאֱסֹף גּוֹיִם לְקָבְצִי מַמְלָכוֹת, לִשְׁפֹּךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעְמִי, כֹּל חֲרוֹן אַפִּי, כִּי בְּאֵשׁ קִנְאָתִי, תֵּאָכֵל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ
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