Re: [DOCS] Re: [HACKERS] Outline for PostgreSQL book

> Bruce Momjian wrote:
>
> > > OTOH an entry-level book is probably required to get as big a user-base as
> > > possible.
> >
> > Publishers have already talked to me about multiple books.  I think we
> > need to start with an newbie book, with the chapters clearly arranged so
> > experienced people can skip newbie chapters.
>
>     I  don't  think it really matters that much if the first book
>     about PostgreSQL is more for a newbie than a professional  or
>     vice  versa.  What  count's  is  that  it  is  up to date and
>     correct. If I go to a book store and find only one book on  a
>     topic,  it's  usually  not  the one "I" was looking for.  But
>     what would make other authors write another book on the  same
>     topic  -  most likely the authors who write details I haven't
>     known before? It's the success of the former one.
>
>     Think about it a little.
>
>     The first book has to be  successful.  Therefore  it  has  to
>     address  most of the interested people. Those who know how to
>     get the information they need out of manpages, RFC's and  W3C
>     recommendations  aren't  the ppl who to address in this case.
>     So let it please be a newbie book, and  the  hard  ones  will
>     follow.



That was my thought too.


>     Another  problem  is  that during the last release cycles, it
>     wasn't  that  easy  to  follow  all  the   changes   in   the
>     capabilities  of  PostgreSQL.   Not  even for me, and I'm not
>     counting myself to the outermost circle.  Now what chance  do
>     you  give a book that's written based on v6.5 if we are about
>     to release v7.1 some months ahead? And more important, if  it
>     happens  this  way,  does our "aggressive" development invite
>     other authors to take a chance on the  same  topic?  I  don't
>     think so.
>
>     If  we  really  want professional publishing about PostgreSQL
>     (we want - no?), the core team has  to  co-operate  with  the
>     authors  of  those  books in a way, that they can write their
>     book based on the upcoming release and  sell  it  with  a  CD
>     where that release is included.  At the time it is published,
>     there should only be bugfixes available  on  the  net  -  not
>     already two newer releases.

I have a list of interested publishers, and am going to post it so
people can get involved and start writing.


--
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