O'Reilly Community Press Series: Where's the animal?

Congratulations! It�s a book! After what seems like a long and difficult pregnancy, the MySQL Reference Manual, the first book in the new O�Reilly Community Press series, has been born. Oops -- I mean released.

Related Reading MySQL Reference Manual Documentation from the source By Michael "Monty"�Widenius, MySQL AB, David�Axmark Table of Contents Index

This new series hasn�t been an easy one to get started. When we first began the discussion over a year ago to create a new series, little did we know how many obstacles we would have to overcome to make it a reality.

The idea seemed straightforward enough: publish essential community-generated documentation. So just what is that? Since the advent of computers, do-it-yourself documentation has been a foundation of grassroots technology development. FreeBSD, Linux, Perl, Apache, MySQL, and other core open source Internet technologies have flourished with the help of online documentation created by dedicated members of their technical communities. Part of the criteria that we use when deciding whether a title belongs in this new series is that the technology has proven itself in the field and has a dedicated and enthusiastic group of users that would like to see the documentation in printed form.

Thanks to that classic user interface � the book � O�Reilly Community Press allows hackers to access the wisdom of their community on the bus, at the beach, or in the bathroom.

Okay. Sounds reasonable. We take the documentation that has already appeared online, we put it into a book, and voila! Well, it isn�t that easy. Even with traditional books, editors have found it hard to predict release dates. It�s even harder with Community Press books. We don�t have the buffer of a tech review and production cycle that takes up to several months for traditional books. Instead, we expect to get the book and send it immediately to the printer after a light proof read. In addition, these books are constantly being updated along with the technologies they cover. I won�t even mention the challenges we faced in the conversion process � but we�re making improvements so that future Community Press titles will go more smoothly.

The reason I�m writing about this is to explain why the covers look different from O�Reilly�s classic animal books. �The series look is a direct descendent of early O�Reilly Nutshell handbook covers, which featured simple, classic line drawings printed with black ink on nubbly brown paper,� said Edie Freedman, O�Reilly�s Creative Director and original cover designer. �The oak tree on the cover of the books in the series represents the organic way the O�Reilly Community Press titles develop. The covers also evoke the books� importance to their communities, for oak trees grace the �town common� in most New England towns, anchoring the town�s gathering place.�

Difficulties aside, I�m as proud of this first offering as I can be. We�ve worked together as a company to publish the best of the documentation that emerges from the technical communities we serve. And this is just the beginning. Other books in the pipeline include a new edition of Greg Lehey's The Complete FreeBSD and DocBook, 2nd Edition by Norm Walsh and Lenny Muellner.

So get yourself a copy and let me know what you think: MySQL Reference Manual

What do you think of the new series?