[FM Discuss] why writing in collaboration is better

[Andy Oram]

Quick reply: I really do want to build my ideas into booki. I'm juggling so many things--but I think my work and my interests take me in that direction and I've got to try it. I'm doing some studying to get ready. As a reminder, the main ideas are in these two blogs:

http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2008/02/developing-an-i.html
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2008/01/two-tools-we-ne.html

As for writing for small audiences: yes, I think that's one of the great things about the web. In fact, my main goal is to provide support for people to write documentation that doesn't have a big enough market for O'Reilly to turn into a book. But I think one can go too far. I've done plenty myself of what I call "desk drawer publishing."

Andy

----- Original Message -----
From: "adam hyde" <adam at flossmanuals.net>
To: discuss at lists.flossmanuals.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 12:24:19 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [FM Discuss] why writing in collaboration is better

hey

Andy...I think your ideas on working out topics on what to write are
really cool. We talked a lot about including them in booki - I hope you
still feel the passion to work on this?

I have a few questions about what you raise which I'd like your thoughts
on if you have a minute.... using your examples - the cold fusion doc
writer may have very few people using the docs but what they do have is
the motivation to write them. scraping FAQs, log files, and forums does
raise the potential audience by targeting a topic, but how do you
motivate someone to write the docs that answer those questions? 

secondly, i have written a few docs that i am sure not many have read
(ever tried streaming under Linux using VLC and icecast?...not many
have, but i wrote a doc to tell u how...), ..but...i'm still glad i did
it....there is something to writing docs that is inherently satisfying
to some...isn't this ok too?

adam

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