Books on RunRev

Richard Gaskin ambassador at fourthworld.com
Mon Jun 2 11:08:02 EDT 2003


Ken Norris wrote:

>> However, on a personal level, I think a good book on RunRev is the
>> best thing that could happen right now. Certainly the product is
>> sufficiently mature that it is truly ready for prime time.

As soon as someone can negotiate the financing with a publisher I'm prepared
to commit to at least a chapter.

> ----------
> I agree, as I've already stated. This has very little to do with making
> comparisons to other xTalk IDE's, but is rather a thing which many of us in
> the same position as yourself are expressing a need for.
> 
> How about a simple two-question poll?
> 
> 1) Would you like to see a complete (as possible) easily updateable (online
> website posts) book and accompanying CD (or download) with examples?
> 
> 2) Would you be willing to contribute. i.e., working with others who are
> interested as to organization and writing/proofreading, etc. and/or
> financial commitment?

Financial, no.  It should not be necessary for a quality work.  That's what
publishers do, and as much as I'd like to diversify into publishing books
one day, in the meantime I've worked in that industry just enough to feel
better leaving that challenging, low-margin game to the pros for now.

Rev is in the "transition period" (or to use the better term, preparing to
"cross the chasm"*), and during this period we have the common catch-22 with
regard to books:  the market may be too small just yet to cinch a deal with
a publisher, but indeed growth could be accellerated if there was a book.

Not to worry:  all successful products go through this moment.  The trick is
to focus on other activitis to build marketshare and community, and in due
time publishers will line up with little prompting.

Along these lines, there is still much we can do to further the true goal:
sharing Rev knowledge and experience.

Web sites, Wikis, PDFs, Rev-based media -- all good options, all immediately
available.   No complications, no waiting, no fuss, no muss -- we have
everything we need right now to further this goal.

Several are already moving works forward, and there's more in the pipeline.
If we need a cetral index for such things, there's always RevNet...


*"Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore is the seminal work on technology
adoption.  Every person in Silicon Valley who drives a nice car recommended
it to me for years before I finally got around to reading it, and once I did
I kicked myself for having put it off for so long.  Given Moore's background
and cogent argument, IMNSHO any discussion of long-term growth planning will
be compromised before reading that book.

-- 
 Richard Gaskin 
 Fourth World Media Corporation
 Developer of WebMerge 2.2: Publish any database on any site
 ___________________________________________________________
 Ambassador at FourthWorld.com       http://www.FourthWorld.com
 Tel: 323-225-3717                       AIM: FourthWorldInc




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