Re: Books

Hey all,

There's a new series of PostgreSQL books available:

PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume
I<http://www.amazon.co.uk/PostgreSQL-8-4-Official-Documentation-Language/dp/1596821582/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258645559&sr=8-6>
PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume
II<http://www.amazon.co.uk/PostgreSQL-8-4-Official-Documentation-Administration/dp/1596821590/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258645559&sr=8-12>

And so on, up to volume V I think.

Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are they
just a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random author calling
him-/herself "The 토토 사이트"? :o)

Regards,
Thomas

thomas(dot)granvej6(at)gmail(dot)com (Thomas Løcke) writes:
> There's a new series of PostgreSQL books available:
>
> PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume I
> PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume II
>
> And so on, up to volume V I think.
>
> Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are they just
> a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random author calling him-/
> herself "The 토토 사이트"?  :o)

Lulu.com has some books of this form...

http://www.lulu.com/product/e-book/postgresql-84-official-documentation---volume-i-the-sql-language/5912706#detailsSection

Looking at "publishing information":

ISBN 978-1-59682-163-7
Publisher Fultus Corporation
Language English
Publication Date 8 January 2009
Format Adobe Encrypted PDF

Apparently this is a way of providing "proprietary encrypted
documentation"...

While I'd be fairly prepared to pay something for a printed copy of the
documentation (and would not be loathe to have someone profit from the
service of publishing it for me), I don't think I'll be buying encrypted
PDF files from anyone just now!
--
(format nil "~S(at)~S" "cbbrowne" "acm.org")
http://linuxfinances.info/info/slony.html
"Bother," said Pooh, as he deleted his root directory.

Thomas Løcke wrote:
>
> Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are
> they just a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random
> author calling him-/herself "The PostgreSQL Global Development
> Group"? :o)
They're a printout of the manuals that come with the database. As you
can see at http://www.linbrary.com/postgresql/840/index.html "Fultus
Corporation is not affiliated with
The 토토 사이트."

--
Greg Smith 2ndQuadrant Baltimore, MD
PostgreSQL Training, Services and Support
greg(at)2ndQuadrant(dot)com www.2ndQuadrant.com

On Thu, 2009-11-19 at 15:34 -0500, Chris Browne wrote:
> thomas(dot)granvej6(at)gmail(dot)com (Thomas Løcke) writes:
> > There's a new series of PostgreSQL books available:
> >
> > PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume I
> > PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume II
> >
> > And so on, up to volume V I think.
> >
> > Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are they just
> > a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random author calling him-/
> > herself "The 토토 사이트"? :o)
>
> Lulu.com has some books of this form...
>
> http://www.lulu.com/product/e-book/postgresql-84-official-documentation---volume-i-the-sql-language/5912706#detailsSection

If you are looking for a known contributor to the project for
documentation I would review the following:

http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/postgresql-81-volume-ii/543356

Or:

http://www.network-theory.co.uk/

Sincerely,

Joshua D. Drake

--
PostgreSQL.org Major Contributor
Command Prompt, Inc: http://www.commandprompt.com/ - 503.667.4564
Consulting, Training, Support, Custom Development, Engineering
If the world pushes look it in the eye and GRR. Then push back harder. - Salamander

So I bought this "book" thinking it was a PDF file which I am fine with.

Its not. They download an .acsm file that will only work with their
proprietary Windoze software.

I am really angry with lulu.com about this.

- Alan Gruskoff

On 11/20/2009 11:35 AM, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> On Thu, 2009-11-19 at 15:34 -0500, Chris Browne wrote:
>
>> > thomas(dot)granvej6(at)gmail(dot)com (Thomas Løcke) writes:
>>
>>> > > There's a new series of PostgreSQL books available:
>>> > >
>>> > > PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume I
>>> > > PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume II
>>> > >
>>> > > And so on, up to volume V I think.
>>> > >
>>> > > Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are they just
>>> > > a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random author calling him-/
>>> > > herself "The 토토 사이트"? :o)
>>>
>> >
>> > Lulu.com has some books of this form...
>> >
>> > http://www.lulu.com/product/e-book/postgresql-84-official-documentation---volume-i-the-sql-language/5912706#detailsSection
>>
> If you are looking for a known contributor to the project for
> documentation I would review the following:
>
> http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/postgresql-81-volume-ii/543356
>

2009/11/21 Alan Gruskoff <linux(at)performantsystems(dot)com>
>
> So I bought this "book" thinking it was a PDF file which I am fine with.
>
> Its not. They download an .acsm file that will only work with their
> proprietary Windoze software.
>
> I am really angry with lulu.com about this.
>
> - Alan Gruskoff
>

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of them providing an electronic
book copy of the PostgreSQL documentation since it's already available
as both a PDF (A4 and US) and Windows help file (CHM) for free:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/manuals/

Thom

The Adobe ebook reader is available for Windows and Mac. I thought Adobe
offered a Linux version too but apparently not. It is not Lulu's fault
that Adobe does not offer a Linux version of the ebook reader.

Bill

Alan Gruskoff wrote:
> So I bought this "book" thinking it was a PDF file which I am fine with.
>
> Its not. They download an .acsm file that will only work with their
> proprietary Windoze software.
>
> I am really angry with lulu.com about this.
>
> - Alan Gruskoff
>
>
> On 11/20/2009 11:35 AM, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 2009-11-19 at 15:34 -0500, Chris Browne wrote:
>>
>>
>>>> thomas(dot)granvej6(at)gmail(dot)com (Thomas Løcke) writes:
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>> There's a new series of PostgreSQL books available:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume I
>>>>>> PostgreSQL 8.4 Official Documentation - Volume II
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And so on, up to volume V I think.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are they just
>>>>>> a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random author calling him-/
>>>>>> herself "The 토토 사이트"? :o)
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Lulu.com has some books of this form...
>>>>
>>>> http://www.lulu.com/product/e-book/postgresql-84-official-documentation---volume-i-the-sql-language/5912706#detailsSection
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>> If you are looking for a known contributor to the project for
>> documentation I would review the following:
>>
>> http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/postgresql-81-volume-ii/543356
>>
>>
>
>

It IS their fault that they're selling DM books -- plenty of other
publishers (like the Pragmatic Programmers) seem to make a living without
assuming that all of their customers are thieves. I bought a book from them
assuming it would be a PDF & was furious when it was that adobe thing. It
may have said somewhere that that would be the case, but it certainly wasn't
anywhere obvious, like it should be with an issue like that. They lost my
custom for ever.

On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 08:37:45AM -0700, Bill Todd wrote:
> The Adobe ebook reader is available for Windows and Mac. I thought Adobe
> offered a Linux version too but apparently not. It is not Lulu's fault that
> Adobe does not offer a Linux version of the ebook reader.
>
> Bill
>
> Alan Gruskoff wrote:
>
> So I bought this "book" thinking it was a PDF file which I am fine with.
>
> Its not. They download an .acsm file that will only work with their
> proprietary Windoze software.
>
> I am really angry with lulu.com about this.
>
> - Alan Gruskoff
>

Postgre have such a great (and helpful and wiling to share knowledge)
community and great on-line documentation for free. Why should one buy a
book? Is there anything in that book that one can't find in the on-line
documentation or here?! Seriously? Even if it is PDF I will pass. Books
(content) tent to get old and more useless with every Postgre update. If
some one offers a book with lifetime support meaning that it will be
updated regularly following Postgre updates - that will be an offer...
but still - I don't need a book.

-- All texts and all
ideas expressed by me in this message are covered by CC-BY-NC-SA-3.0.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Thom Brown <thombrown(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

>> So I bought this "book" thinking it was a PDF file which I am fine with.

>> Its not. They download an .acsm file that will only work with their
>> proprietary Windoze software.

>> I am really angry with lulu.com about this.

> I'm not sure I understand the purpose of them providing an electronic
> book copy of the PostgreSQL documentation since it's already available
> as both a PDF (A4 and US) and Windows help file (CHM) for free:
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/manuals/

Apparently, you can make money out of it.

Tim

On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 18:10, Yordan Radunchev
<jordan(dot)radunchev(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

[...]
> Why should one buy a book?

Books are invaluable reading material when "number two" is due.
Laptops and on line-documentation doesn't stand a chance in that
particular case. Also, I prefer laying down in the sofa reading a
book. Using a laptop, I can't lay down - I'd have to sit. Books are
for the win here.

--
- Rikard

2009/11/21 Yordan Radunchev <jordan(dot)radunchev(at)gmail(dot)com>:
> Postgre have such a great (and helpful and wiling to share knowledge)
> community and great on-line documentation for free.

+1

> Books (content) tent to get old and more useless with every Postgre
> update. If some one offers a book with lifetime support meaning that it will be
> updated regularly following Postgre updates - that will be an offer...
> but still - I don't need a book.

I bought an O'Rielly Javascript book once, but had to ask a question
online on the javascript group. I was flamed for using outdated
documentation. (And they never even answered my question, either)

This Postgres list is one of the most helpful around; thank you all!

I read books about software products when I need to get introduced to
the whole picture: architecture, underlying technologies.....
In this way I also understand what to search for when I need detailed
information or tip and tricks.

Rikard Bosnjakovic ha scritto:
> On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 18:10, Yordan Radunchev
> <jordan(dot)radunchev(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
>
> [...]
>
>> Why should one buy a book?
>>
>
> Books are invaluable reading material when "number two" is due.
> Laptops and on line-documentation doesn't stand a chance in that
> particular case. Also, I prefer laying down in the sofa reading a
> book. Using a laptop, I can't lay down - I'd have to sit. Books are
> for the win here.
>
>
>

--
==================================================
dott. Ivano Mario Luberti
Archimede Informatica societa' cooperativa a r. l.
Sede Operativa
Via Gereschi 36 - 56126- Pisa
tel.: +39-050- 580959
tel/fax: +39-050-9711344
web: www.archicoop.it
==================================================

2009/11/22 Ivano Luberti <luberti(at)archicoop(dot)it>

> I read books about software products when I need to get introduced to
> the whole picture: architecture, underlying technologies.....
> In this way I also understand what to search for when I need detailed
> information or tip and tricks.
>
>
> Well that's the problem in this case. The book isn't a high-level
introduction, it's the official documentation in print. It's the same as
the online documentation verbatim. As far as I can see, the differences
between the electronic copy that Lulu sells and the PDF provided on the
official site are that Lulu's one costs money, has restrictive DRM
protections and is presented in a slightly different layout. Furthermore,
when the next major release comes out, you can just download another copy
from the official site for free, but not so with Lulu.

Thom

Thomas Løcke escribió:

> Would I be supporting the PostgreSQL project by buying these, or are they
> just a compilation of the online manuals, done by some random author calling
> him-/herself "The 토토 사이트"? :o)

If you really want to support the PostgreSQL project, you could donate
money through SPI.

--
Alvaro Herrera http://www.CommandPrompt.com/
The PostgreSQL Company - Command Prompt, Inc.