[Qgis-developer] Fwd: Re: [Qgis-community-team] Books section on our website

Sat Oct 17 10:22:21 PDT 2015

On Oct 17, 2015 4:39 PM, "Yves Jacolin" <yjacolin at free.fr> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> Anybody wants to review my Pull Request to check that I didn't forget some
> books?
>
> DO you think that the structure is the good one, may be there is a more
formal
> way to list books.

What's the intended order? Newest first?
Would be good to have a note at the top imho.

Best wishes
Anita

> https://github.com/qgis/QGIS-Website/pull/285/files
>
> Thanks,
>
> Y.
>
> Yves JacolinLe mardi 13 octobre 2015, 21:56:13  a écrit :
> > Hello,
> >
> > Here is a first draft of PR:
https://github.com/qgis/QGIS-Website/pull/285
> >
> > Feedbacks are welcome :)
> >
> > Y.
> >
> > Le mardi 13 octobre 2015, 22:31:23 Nathan Woodrow a écrit :
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I do feel for people who try and write books given the pace of QGIS, I
> > > write the training manuals for my employer so I know what it feels
like,
> > > however, this is just the world we live in and a fact of software.  I
have
> > > tons of books on bookshelf that are outdated, new programming books
come
> > > out only to be outdated a year or so later.
> > >
> > > If you are writing a book, manual, etc, you should target the LTR
version
> > > as it will not change. As we evolve the software, things need to
change
> > > and
> > > that includes UI. I'm not a fan of keeping stuff in the same place
just
> > > because that is how it has always been done. If we can do it better we
> > > should.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 10:25 PM, Andreas Neumann <a.neumann at carto.net
>
> > >
> > > wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > In the context of our release discussion I am forwarding the
perspective
> > > > of an educator and book author - just posted to the QGIS community
> > > > mailing
> > > > list. See forwarded mail.
> > > >
> > > > I understand it must be a nightmare to teach, document and write
books
> > > > on
> > > > QGIS at the current pace.
> > > >
> > > > I hope that the devs and QGIS.ORG board can listen to their users
and
> > > > understand their perspective.
> > > >
> > > > Andreas
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re:
[Qgis-community-team]
> > > > Books section on our website Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:53:56 +0100
From:
> > > > Colin D. MacLeod <cdmacleod at GISinEcology.com>
> > > > <cdmacleod at GISinEcology.com> To: qgis-community-team at lists.osgeo.org
> > > >
> > > > Hi Otto,
> > > >
> > > > In response to your question:
> > > > >>I just wonder how can we be more attractive to people writing QGIS
> > > > >>book?
> > > >
> > > > As someone who writes GIS book (including a QGIS book for marine
> > > > biologists
> > > > (and a percentage of profits will be donated to the QGIS project
from
> > > > its
> > > > sales once I get the yearly sales in), and one I'm currently
finishing
> > > > for
> > > > undergraduate biologists, which also uses QGIS), I have given a lot
of
> > > > thought to how to make QGIS more attractive to writers of books, so
> > > > maybe
> > > > I
> > > > can add my two-cents worth from this perspective (and as an
educator in
> > > > general).
> > > >
> > > > The main issue with writing books about QGIS (or indeed any software
> > > > package) is the time it takes to prepare, write and edit a book
versus
> > > > the
> > > > time between updates of the software package. It will typically
take at
> > > > least 12 months to develop a book, edit it, test it out and then
> > > > complete
> > > > it, especially if you are aiming for a high quality product. If the
> > > > software is updated during this time, this can cause major problems
> > > > because either the book is outdated before it is published, or it
has to
> > > > be re-worked to a greater or lesser extent.
> > > >
> > > > The main thing that causes problems is when there are changes in
where
> > > > tools or settings are placed within individual menus (rather than
the
> > > > addition of new functionality). In particular, people working from
books
> > > > can quickly become lost if things are not exactly where a book says
they
> > > > are. This can mean having to edit and re-test a book with each and
every
> > > > software update (no matter how minor they might seem). For example,
with
> > > > the book I'm currently finishing (which was written over a 12
months or
> > > > so period), I started it off under QGIS 2.4, then updated it for
2.6,
> > > > and
> > > > then again for 2.8.3 (with the latest version of QGIS now being
2.10,
> > > > but
> > > > I will stick with the long-term legacy edition). The changes might
have
> > > > been relatively minor between these editions of QGIS, but they are
> > > > enough
> > > > to have to re-work books, and this slows the publication process. In
> > > > addition, it greatly reduces the useful lifespan of books written
about
> > > > using QGIS.
> > > >
> > > > One of the things I really like about QGIS is that older versions
are
> > > > always available, and that there is a long-term legacy edition. This
> > > > makes it much more attractive to write books using QGIS as the GIS
> > > > software package as you can tell people exactly what version to use
> > > > (once
> > > > they know how to do things in one software version, it is easy
enough to
> > > > transfer this knowledge to newer versions that might be available).
> > > > However, this doesn't alter the underlying issue that changes
between
> > > > QGIS versions, and the speed that versions are put out make writing
> > > > books
> > > > problematic. This is not to say that QGIS should not be updated
> > > > regularly, and the addition of new functionality is always to be
> > > > applauded, it's just that it causes problems for would-be book
writers
> > > > and publishers.
> > > >
> > > > One potential way round this issue is to avoid relatively minor
changes
> > > > in
> > > > the location of tools and the layout of menus between different
software
> > > > versions. For example, between QGIS 2.4 and 2.6, the location of
the ADD
> > > > VECTOR LAYER tool was shifted from one set of menus to slightly
> > > > different
> > > > one, meaning that books would need to be updated to remain useful.
> > > > However,
> > > > as far as I can work out, this does not affect the functionality of
QGIS
> > > > in
> > > > any way (I may well be wrong on this point), but it does affect the
ease
> > > > with which books can be written and remain up to date.
> > > >
> > > > Now, from a programming point of view, it might not be easy to
maintain
> > > > the
> > > > location of tools and the layout of menus between software
versions, but
> > > > if
> > > > it could be (i.e. if the standard approach was to maintain layout as
> > > > appearance between versions rather than make relatively minor
> > > > non-functional changes with every update), it would make writing
books
> > > > using QGIS much easier, and it would make the books more useful
because
> > > > they'd have a longer shelf life.
> > > >
> > > > In addtion, it would make it much easier to develop other resources
that
> > > > would remain relevant for much longer periods of time (such as how
to
> > > > videos, on YouTube - another thing I produce - and so on). Such a
policy
> > > > would likely to lead to an increased uptake by educators, because
they
> > > > are
> > > > not having to continually update their instructions and exercises
all
> > > > the
> > > > time (it is the bain of many educators when, just before you start a
> > > > block
> > > > of teaching, a key software package is updated and you are faced
with
> > > > having to either hastily update your instructions, or somehow muddle
> > > > through with something that is out of date). Finally, it would also
make
> > > > producing effective free documentation for QGIS by the QGIS project
> > > > much,
> > > > much easier, because it wouldn't need to be continually updated (or
at
> > > > least, less of it would need to be updated between software
updates).
> > > >
> > > > All this having been said, this is not a problem restricted to
QGIS, or
> > > > indeed to GIS software in general. In fact, QGIS is actually one of
the
> > > > better packages for maintaining menu layouts etc, but still, I feel
that
> > > > it
> > > > is limitting factor for those wishing to write and publish books,
create
> > > > self-help resources and write effective documentation using QGIS.
> > > > However,
> > > > these are just my thoughts based on my own experiences, and others
may
> > > > differ on this subject.
> > > >
> > > > I hope this in some way helps, and thanks to all who develop QGIS
for
> > > > producing such a great alternative to commercial GIS software
packages
> > > > (I
> > > > really feel that QGIS has come of age on the last 12 to 18 months).
> > > >
> > > > All the best,
> > > >
> > > > Colin
> > > >
> > > > PS As a QGIS user, I'm always happy to donate a proportion of
profits
> > > > from
> > > > books back to the QGIS project, and will do this with all books I
> > > > produce
> > > > that use QGIS.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > But it
> > > > would be much nicer, if we could publish our own (free)
documentation.
> > > > We
> > > > could provide it as free download and people can pay for printed
books,
> > > > if
> > > > they want and authors could get payed from that, too. Would it make
> > > > sense
> > > > to go in that direction, too?
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Otto
> > > >
> > > > Am Tue, 13 Oct 2015 10:42:48 +0200
> > > >
> > > > schrieb "Neumann, Andreas" <a.neumann at carto.net> <
a.neumann at carto.net>:
> > > > > Hi website team,
> > > > >
> > > > > I have been in contact with the company PacktPub - a company
> > > > > specializing in IT and in particular OpenSource IT books. They
publish
> > > > > several books on QGIS. The nice thing is that they return some of
the
> > > > > revenues back to the Open Source projects. We just received a
payment
> > > > > over EUR 140 from Anitas book. They will add the other books to
our
> > > > > royalty scheme.
> > > > >
> > > > > We also just recently added an entry in their Open Source section:
> > > > >
https://www.packtpub.com/books/info/packt/open-source-projects-startin
> > > > > g-> > > q
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I noticed that we don't have a book section yet on our website.
Given
> > > > > that there are more and more books on QGIS, it would be nice to
have
> > > > > such a section. It would be a win-win situation - for PacktPub
and for
> > > > > us. And of course it wouldn't have to be limited to books from
> > > > > PacktPub
> > > > > but can reference any books.
> > > > >
> > > > > The PacktPub manager would offer us additional discount codes or
group
> > > > > discounts for ebooks if one wants to buy all QGIS ebooks at once
- if
> > > > > we
> > > > > integrate this in our web page. Please note - the more books
there are
> > > > > sold - the more we also get back from the royalty scheme program.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > >
> > > > > Andreas
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Qgis-community-team mailing list for organizing community resources
such
> > > > as
> > > > documentation, translation
> > > > etc..Qgis-community-team at lists.osgeo.orghttp://
lists.osgeo.org/mailman/l
> > > > i
> > > > stinfo/qgis-community-team
> > > >
> > > >
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> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Qgis-community-team mailing list for organizing community resources
such
> > > > as documentation, translation
> > > > etc..Qgis-community-team at lists.osgeo.orghttp://
lists.osgeo.org/mailman/l
> > > > i
> > > > stinfo/qgis-community-team
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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>
> --
> Yves Jacolin
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