[FM Discuss] Beyond manuals

[Andy Oram]

Ed asked some very deep questions on Tuesday about my whole motivation for being part of FLOSS Manuals. Well, two days is not such a bad gap for such heavy questions.

For O'Reilly:

* As I wrote in earlier mail, I think we need to get really serious about communities--to embed ourselves in communities. We have to produce free documentation and find ways to get paid for it. I'm hoping to build a new business on serving communities. One might call it a new branch of publishing.

* I think most of the people in our company are pursuing short-term mechanisms for prolonging our role as trusted information source. I don't know whether these mechanisms are sustainable, but I'm ready for a big leap and to swallow the rules of crowdsourcing whole.

For FLOSS Manuals:

* I want to find ways to ensure success in two ways. I think we've succeeded through luck up to now, although I'm open to learning that what we're doing is a reliable way to succeed. The two ways we're successful is 1) Finding people willing to write, and 2) producing good documentation. I have hypotheses about how to put these goals on firmer ground, and I want to try them.

For myself:

* I want to make a living by doing work that I've always loved doing and that I'm convinced is worth paying for. I can see the difference I've made in many books at O'Reilly and elsewhere, and other people seem to validate my impression. I want to continue bringing writer together, bringing audiences together with writers, and editing their work.

I got involved first with FLOSS Manuals because Adam flattered me by approaching me. Then I did it because it was fun. Soon I'll have to make sure I'm meeting the goals I've just listed, but I think I can get there.

Andy