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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