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[dcm redhat com]

gnome-hackers@gnome.org 
Subject: Re: Writing free documentation/GNOME books
References: <199905251339.IAA32196@metropolis.nuclecu.unam.mx> <ybb4skzj2n4.fsf@chelseafc.labs.redhat.com> <s81zg43r72.fsf@metropolis.nuclecu.unam.mx> <199905261944.OAA26145@erandi.nuclecu.unam.mx>
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From: "David C. Mason" <dcm@redhat.com>
Date: 26 May 1999 20:17:42 -0400
In-Reply-To: Miguel de Icaza's message of "Wed, 26 May 1999 14:44:52 -0500"
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Miguel de Icaza <miguel@nuclecu.unam.mx> writes:

> What an idiot I am.  I never saw that you were Dave at Red Hat in my
> last mail, I just read the thread and replied blindly. ;-)
> 

You always were quick on the response :)


> So, no, I do not think the documentation is bad.
> 

I didn't think you did, I just wanted to separate this discussion from
the documentation needs of the project.


> Here are the facts:
> 
>    1. Authors get paid a missery by publishers.
> 
>    2. Still some of them need money.
> 
>    3. We want those books to be Open Source.
> 
> So, we want to make some sort of setup in which we can produce
> OpenSource documentation and pay the authors more than they currently
> receive.
> 
> This does not only span GNOME, it spans every technical book the free
> software community needs. 
> 


First of all, let me give you my thoughts on the industry: I disagree
that authors don't get paid enough. Yes, sometimes they do, but thats
not always the case. It depends on the negotiation skills of the
author and the author's previous experience... first books aren't
great but in my experience it is not as bad as some people make it out
to be.

I don't see the publishing industry as badly as
some do, I think they are misrepresented. The music industry is
another case and shouldn't be compared to publishing. It takes a lot
of money to put a book together and the publishers do NOT make much
money on specialty technical books at all!  

You are right in the fact that the industry doesn't like open source
books but I personally don't think it is as important as software
is. This is one of those areas that can help people who work on free
software to pay the bills, opening them up the same way we do software
WILL hurt profits. Opening them up to be free to read and download is
a different matter and many publishers are open to it.. the consumer
benefits in the same manner as having it truly open source.

The reason I tied this whole thing into the GNOME project is because
personally I would rather we spend our efforts on getting our free -
non-commercially-published documentation in order before we start new
things.  

Just my opinions... nothing else

Dave

-- 

          David Mason
        Red Hat AD Labs

        dcm@redhat.com