From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2007-04-27T16:50:04+09:00
Subject: Re: Programming Ruby: Improvements, copyright issues

On 26.04.2007 10:05, twinxor@gmail.com wrote:
> I've been learning Ruby with the help of version 1 of the introductory
> book Programming Ruby, which has been released by the publisher under
> the Open Publication License. Of course, there are newer books
> available, but I've found the Pickaxe is convenient because it's free
> and available as HTML files.
> 
> I've noticed a couple issues with the online version of the book, and
> I'm interesting in working on them. In particular, I'd like to:
> 
> - Add code samples and images not extracted from the paper text
> - Add more hyperlinks, and anchors within each chapter for more
> precise links
> - Expand the table of contents to include subsections of each chapter
> - Add an index

There *is* an index.  See http://www.ruby-doc.org/docs/ProgrammingRuby/

> - Make the library reference pages more consistent

That effort rather goes into the original code IMHO so everybody can 
benefit via ri.

> I haven't seen all these changes implemented elsewhere, but several
> folks have done some work on them. For instance, Gavin Kistner has
> made a version available at phrogz.net/ProgrammingRuby with a more
> detailed TOC and an index.
> 
> I'd just build on the existing versions, but there's some copyright
> issues too. Newer versions of the book, such as the one hosted at
> RubyCentral, aren't so free. The license is more restrictive, banning
> "substantively modified versions", which would seem to preclude the
> changes I'm talking about. The changelog for the Debian package
> (http://packages.debian.org/stable/doc/rubybook) discusses the license
> change - a previous version of the online version was licensed under
> the OPL alone, with no additional conditions. (I can't even find the
> XML versions Dave refers to in the README - I'd be interested to see
> what others have cooked up with those.)
> 
> So, I'm asking for a little backstory and advice. Why was the license
> changed? Would it be sensible to do some work on the old version of
> the book, even though it's dated?

I would not.  Rather talk to Dave and Andy and see where you can lend a 
hand, maybe for 3rd edition.   I think it's a great book and it deserves 
to be bought.

Kind regards

	robert