[Zope] Zope Book Beta

[Jason Cunliffe]

----- Original Message -----
From: Michel Pelletier <michel@digicool.com>

> > Just as open source benefits from real-time peer review, so do
manuscripts
> > get better when fresh eyes and minds and go over them.
> >
> > How about 'releasing' a PDF / HTML Doc with header/footers clearly
marked:
> > 'Preview Review copy for Copy-Editing use only. Not for general public
or
> > commercial distribution'
>
> This is a good idea and probably a good compromise, but this would
> require us taking the time to negotiate it with O'Reilly and engineer a
> stx-pdf converter and pre-empt alot of work we have lined up for the
> book and other documentation efforts.  With the existing setup, we don't
> have to worry about this for a couple months and we don't have to stir
> the shit with O'Reilly.

This is truly nuts...
Sounds a like you guys are tired and just want it done and printed now.

So please just let us know whom we should contact directly at OReilly.

This really is not 'stiring the shit'.
Publishing staff are always over worked especially copy-editors. They will
appreciate some timely comments, from some [free] Zope experts to help them
get their work done quicker and better.

Hell, they can even use it on the blurb to help sell the book and get some
nice 'OpenSource reaches the Book Publishing World'-type reviews !!

I find it hard to believe given the significant role OReilly have in
openSource, Python etc that they would not be happy to embrace a __tiny__
experiment in this direction.


> > The issue is how to get the best final copy to the printer in timely
manner.
>
> Well... from your perspective (and ours) but from O'Reilly's I think
> they're woried about *who* the first person to print that best final
> copy is.  Those are the people they are worried about bootlegging the
> book, not you, they _know_ you'll buy a copy.  ;) If we open content it
> now, someone could beat ORA to the shelves by a week and undercut a
> sizable percentage of sales and all they would ahve to do is put ORAs
> name on the cover, but they don't get any money.
>
> I feel your pain on all issues.  A couple more months and this will all
> go away.

A couple of months from now is exactly when the pain will be felt!
You open the book and go ooops! damn how'd we miss that one..?

Then the reviews come and say "Been really looking forwards to this
milestone book for a long time. It is well written by two members of the
core Zope team but unfortunately...."

Please don't confuse controlled easy accesss for willing proofreaders, with
public licensing and e-distribution models. Those CAN be sorted out later.

Just as employees and freelancers working for Publishers have access to
manuscripts, so should and can designated members of the Zope community.
These are not annonymous strangers.

I have been reading and printing out various chapters of the book from
http://www.zope.org/Members/michel/ZB/ over the past month. Then saved out a
bunch of the HTML files and printed to PDF. Took 'em round the corner for
cheap fast b+ printout and had comb binding put on then. It was worth the
$15 for print+binding just to be able to scan on planes and while I was
travelling.  It already gave me a much better feeling and understnding of
Zope :-)

- Jason
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Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS['Interactive Art and Technology']