From: ptkwt@... (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2004-01-14T15:06:36+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby books (was "Re: ruby 1.8.1 windows installer")

In article <14677345266.20040113211852@soyabean.com.au>,
Gavin Sinclair  <gsinclair@soyabean.com.au> wrote:
>On Tuesday, January 13, 2004, 10:31:37 AM, Phil wrote:
>
>>> 
>>> Is there any plan to update the pickaxe book in the future?  The 1.6.1
>>> version is a bit out of date now (but still very handy!)
>>> 
>>> 
>
>> The computer book industry has had three years of declining revenue now.
>> Perhaps the improving economy in 2004 will help, but it seems that most
>> of the publishers are still being very conservative about new projects.
>> Since the first edition of the Pickaxe book didn't exactly fly off the
>> shelves (that's my understanding anyway) you can imagine that AW would
>> be reluctant.
>
>> Perhaps a letter writing campaign to Addison-Wesley is in order?
>
>I doubt the few hundred letters they might receive would make much
>difference.  

Quite true.  The letters would probably have to contain checks in for 
advance  payment for the 2nd edition pickaxe before they would take notice.
And they would want to see a bunch of them.

>They are surely capable of measuring the market.  Ruby
>advocacy in a general sense (e.g. killer apps/websites) would help
>their measurements to be more positive, and would cause any letters
>they do receive to be more "interesting".
>



>
>P.S. The declining revenue is not surprising, or a bad thing,
>considering the amount of dross out there.  Positive spin: after the
>shake-out, people are more likely to spend their money on *good*
>books.  Maybe.

We can only hope.

>
>P.P.S. The momentum in the mailing list (new users) and the maturity
>of 1.8 are genuinely positive indicators that must eventually have an
>effect in the market.

we do seem to be seeing another wave of new names on the list these days.  
That's a good thing.

Phil