fpRoom with KB & LB Part Uno

[Scott Walker]

Laura Brody wrote:

One question was "what about fPDJ #6-8?"

The short answer is that we want to put these issues out
this year. I feel bad that the subscribers have had to
wait so long. Creating each issue takes an unbelievable
amount of time and effort from Ken and I. He does ALL of
the layout and writes an article. I write articles and quicktips, get
other people to write articles, create zip and tar versions of all
sample code, and manage subscriptions. We both proof for stupidity (and
STILL manage to miss some!) and write the HTML for the website pages.

We are both very proud of the issues we have created, but
the whole fPDJ project has been quite discouraging to us.
The paid subscription base never exceeded 150. The feedback  from
readers was non-existant. Financially, I would have made more money by
working at the local McDonald's. With these cold facts in mind, we
decided that issue #8 will be the final issue. With that in mind, I
think that it would only be fair to get suggestions from you for article
topics to appear in the last three issues. Post your requests here if
you want comments from others. E-mail me privately if you don't.

In an effort to fill the gaping hole of filePro
documenation (without tying ourselves to a schedule and
long term obligations) we have been thinking about the possibility of
creating short "how-to" books with generous sample code, that cover a
given topic in-depth, such as "Selecting and Configuring printers",
"Importing & Exporting Data", "Header/Detail Programming", "Installing,
Upgrading and Moving fP", and "Writing Utilities and Library Routines in
fP". These books would have no hard timetable for release. The PDFs
would simply be available for purchase and immediate download when we
are done writing them.
-- 



Laura,


I read once (can't remember where) and I have come to believe this
(paraphrased):

"Most people overestimate how many people will want what they have
created.  But most people underestimate how much someone who wants it
would be willing to pay for it".


A few of the articles in the FP Developers Journal have saved me many,
many hours of figuring something out myself (if I ever would have -
probably not).  The worth to me far exceeds the $75 per year you charged
me for it.  There is nothing else like it at any price.  Although the
target market is very small, you have a monopoly for a product
(information) that is not available in the comprehensive form you've
provided, and it has a very high value to the people who need it.  I
encourage you to do what it takes to keep the Journal alive, such as:

		1.	Raise the price.  $150 per year is not
unreasonable for (3) issues.  If 			it adds a couple
of hours worth of productivity a year to what I can
accomplish,	I've made money.

		2.	Publish only 2 issues per year, or even 1 issue
per year

		3.	Cut out anything that is available at a much
lower cost elsewhere and 				concentrate on
the stuff that is not available anywhere else.  It's not
that I don't like some of this stuff, it's just that it's info that you
can get in other periodicals.  For example:

				a. No articles on vi

				b. No articles on generic Linux topics
such as hardware tips

				c. No SCO specific articles, like on
Tarantella, etc.



Just my 2 cents.


Regards,


Scott

Scott Walker
RAM Systems Corp
Ph: (704) 896-6549
Fx: (704) 896-7458
scottw1 at alltel.net