4 ms·

Looking at the site, I think there should be a strict open-source education model. Pretty much all of the books I've seen look no different than your average bl

Looking at the site, I think there should be a strict open-source education model. Pretty much all of the books I've seen look no different than your average blog post, and not interesting or good ones at that. The only book I saw that I thought might actually be worth any time is "The Case of IBM 386 PC: A Detective Story for Techies." "Indy books" should be about indie subjects. Topics that have little public information on them, but that can be interesting, valuable, or in some way beneficial. Yet all I see are books that hold the equivalent of 2010's Buzzfeed titles. Indie books could even be from indie authors, in the regard of creative writing (as my example above). But listing books on how to do something that's been discussed, and I don't think I'm exaggerating here, millions of times, doesn't seem like you're "helping developers find indie books." I like the concept, but I'm not a fan of the execution. Of course, I'm a bit biased in the manner as I think anything beyond using the manual, Google, Discord/IRC, and forum, is generally a complete waste of time. Want to know anything? Manual > Google > Discord/IRC > forum post.

kowlo 6y ago
Do you think Indie Games should also only be about indie subjects?
- de_nied 6y ago
  I'm confused as to what your point is. The title had to do with indie books, not indie games. The two aren't really comparable in this scenario because indie games rely on the creativity of the people making them. The reason they're called indie is because people can't afford a large budget because they're not from or related to a major company. If we take the same definition, as you did, and apply it to books written for developers, then I'm afraid an "indie book" in your context would be literally anything written by anyone on the internet. My definition was that indie implied a sort of "unknown," as indie games often are.
  - kowlo 6y ago
    It doesn't sound like you're confused about my point... Indie Books are books published outside of mainstream publishing. You're misrepresenting what Indie Books are with your own opinion of what you want to see on the site instead.
    - de_nied 6y ago
      >Indie Books are books published outside of mainstream publishing. If the books are books for developers, then by now it's clear that they will be sold online. What effect does "mainstream publishing" have on publishing material on the internet? It's the internet. There is 0 meaningful difference if a book has mainstream publishing if both books can easily be listed on Amazon, Ebay, or anywhere else, because it's the internet.
mtlynch 6y ago
>But listing books on how to do something that's been discussed, and I don't think I'm exaggerating here, millions of times, doesn't seem like you're "helping developers find indie books." Why shouldn't there be indie books about subjects that are discussed frequently? If something has been discussed millions of times, it means that the good information is scattered across several different sources and a lay person has no way of distinguishing between good and bad advice. I've happily paid for indie books in the past few years from authors I trust because I want to read their perspective and information that they've curated. Two I'll mention in particular: Hello Web App by Tracy Osborn - This is a book about web design, which is discussed in millions of places, but Tracy's book gathers together high-quality information in a concise book. Starting & Sustaining by Garrett Dimon - This is about running a small SaaS app. Another topic discussed in tons of places online, but Garrett is telling it from the context of his personal experience running a successful SaaS app for several years.
codazoda 6y ago
I ready "indy" as Independent. To me, that just means self published without a publishers backing. I plan to submit Splash of Code, which teaches brand new developers JavaScript by creating art. It's designed like the books I grew up on where you simply copy the authors code and then run it, plus it includes additional explanations. https://splashofcode.com https://splashofcode.com I don't know any definition of "indy" that means "little public information". Maybe a voting mechanism would float the good stuff to the top and maybe that's planned if the site catches on. Bravo to the builder.

kowlo 6y ago

Do you think Indie Games should also only be about indie subjects?

de_nied 6y ago
I'm confused as to what your point is. The title had to do with indie books, not indie games. The two aren't really comparable in this scenario because indie games rely on the creativity of the people making them. The reason they're called indie is because people can't afford a large budget because they're not from or related to a major company. If we take the same definition, as you did, and apply it to books written for developers, then I'm afraid an "indie book" in your context would be literally anything written by anyone on the internet. My definition was that indie implied a sort of "unknown," as indie games often are.
- kowlo 6y ago
  It doesn't sound like you're confused about my point... Indie Books are books published outside of mainstream publishing. You're misrepresenting what Indie Books are with your own opinion of what you want to see on the site instead.
  - de_nied 6y ago
    >Indie Books are books published outside of mainstream publishing. If the books are books for developers, then by now it's clear that they will be sold online. What effect does "mainstream publishing" have on publishing material on the internet? It's the internet. There is 0 meaningful difference if a book has mainstream publishing if both books can easily be listed on Amazon, Ebay, or anywhere else, because it's the internet.

mtlynch 6y ago

>But listing books on how to do something that's been discussed, and I don't think I'm exaggerating here, millions of times, doesn't seem like you're "helping developers find indie books." Why shouldn't there be indie books about subjects that are discussed frequently? If something has been discussed millions of times, it means that the good information is scattered across several different sources and a lay person has no way of distinguishing between good and bad advice. I've happily paid for indie books in the past few years from authors I trust because I want to read their perspective and information that they've curated. Two I'll mention in particular: Hello Web App by Tracy Osborn - This is a book about web design, which is discussed in millions of places, but Tracy's book gathers together high-quality information in a concise book. Starting & Sustaining by Garrett Dimon - This is about running a small SaaS app. Another topic discussed in tons of places online, but Garrett is telling it from the context of his personal experience running a successful SaaS app for several years.

codazoda 6y ago

I ready "indy" as Independent. To me, that just means self published without a publishers backing. I plan to submit Splash of Code, which teaches brand new developers JavaScript by creating art. It's designed like the books I grew up on where you simply copy the authors code and then run it, plus it includes additional explanations. https://splashofcode.com https://splashofcode.com I don't know any definition of "indy" that means "little public information". Maybe a voting mechanism would float the good stuff to the top and maybe that's planned if the site catches on. Bravo to the builder.