Thread: Books
Hey all,
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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :o)
Regards,
Thomas
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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :o)
Regards,
Thomas
thomas.granvej6@gmail.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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :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@~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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group." -- Greg Smith 2ndQuadrant Baltimore, MD PostgreSQL Training, Services and Support greg@2ndQuadrant.com www.2ndQuadrant.com
On Thu, 2009-11-19 at 15:34 -0500, Chris Browne wrote: > thomas.granvej6@gmail.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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :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
On Thu, 2009-11-19 at 15:34 -0500, Chris Browne wrote: > thomas.granvej6@gmail.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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :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.granvej6@gmail.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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :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@performantsystems.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:
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.granvej6@gmail.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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :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#detailsSectionIf 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/
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Thom Brown <thombrown@gmail.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.radunchev@gmail.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.radunchev@gmail.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.radunchev@gmail.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@archicoop.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 PostgreSQL Global Development Group"? :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.