Creating a Book Recommendation page. Community feedback appreciated.

[Daniel Pitts]

After the recent accusations from Twisted that I'm conning innocent
newbies into spending money, I've decided that I really *should* be
getting a cut for all the referring I do. I'm starting a bibliography
page of books that I refer to often here. I would like the cljp
community to provide their feedback on both this practice, and on the
design/content of the page itself.

Right now I only have two books: Refactoring, Fowler and Java
Concurrency In Practice, Goetz. I do plan on adding more books, and
improving on the explanation of the books. If anyone has a "must
read" book they'd like to recommend to me, let me know and I'll see
about acquiring it.

For those who are interested the site is http://books.virtualinfinity.net/

For those this offends, feel free to simply not click on the link.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

After the recent accusations from Twisted that I'm conning innocent
newbies into spending money, ..

<dws>*
It is probably all those links you put to 'free' books
where the book arrives with an invoice, or worse,
the ones you post to links where the page simply
reports 'ha ha u bank account has bin emptyd!!!'

..I've decided that I really *should* be
getting a cut for all the referring I do. ..

You might get a rude shock as to just how many
referrals produce a pitiful amount of money.

..I'm starting a bibliography
page of books that I refer to often here. I would like the cljp
community to provide their feedback on both this practice, and on the
design/content of the page itself.
**

Right now I only have two books: Refactoring, Fowler and Java
Concurrency In Practice, Goetz. I do plan on adding more books, and
improving on the explanation of the books. If anyone has a "must
read" book they'd like to recommend to me, let me know and I'll see
about acquiring it.

** OK. A couple of points:
- I am not a big fan of books, and generally rely on web
based documents myself.
- If I encounter a poster who seems *set* on books, I
will first point out the JavaDocs, the Java Tutorial and
Bruce Eckel's freely downloadable 'Thinking in Java'
..before linking to TechBookReport's list.
<http://www.techbookreport.com/JavaIndex.html>
- The reason I will link to TBR's list is that I get the
strong impression they (being rather passionate
about books) have *personally* read every one listed,
and the reviews are their own, so have a consistency
to them. Also TBR's reviews tend to provide enough
detail for the end reader to decide whether the book
is suited to *their* immedate purposes, perhaps
despite a high rating by TBR.

For those who are interested the site is http://books.virtualinfinity.net/

Nice colors, but I think this concept of 'negative space'***
in a web page is 'very last millenium', and more a sign of
web developers that either:
a) Do not understand how to write resizable pages - or
b) Want to extort money for 'updating' the site every time
the 'average screen size' changes.

Once you get more than 'a couple', it would probably
also help to add some HTML anchors so the OP can
be directed to *specific* books - ideally anchors whould
be alllowercase, with no '-', '_', ' ' or orther funny characters.
Some people prefer descriptive anchors like ..
<http://books.virtualinfinity.net/#javaconcurrencyinpractise>
..but for the sake of brevity, I often *also* add
a number based anchor, like..
<http://books.virtualinfinity.net/#1>

*** The gaps down either side of the page. The only
reason my own pages will have a gap down the left
side of the page (below the links) is that I cannot be
bothered filling it with ads (at this moment).

BTW -
effecient -> efficient
dispell -> dispel

I think the sentence..
"If you work in a J2EE container, Swing GUI application, .."
..should be more like..
"If you work in a J2EE container, or on a Swing GUI application, .."
..or..
"If you work in J2EE, Swing GUI development, .."
(I do not like the word 'application' since it implies
'not applet' within the Java context.)

For those this offends, feel free to simply not click on the link.

I recognise the help you are trying to provide. As Lew
might be heard saying - "I consider you to be one of
the 'white hats'".

* DWS - Dripping with sarcasm.

 

[Daniel Pitts]

<dws>*
It is probably all those links you put to 'free' books
where the book arrives with an invoice, or worse,
the ones you post to links where the page simply
reports 'ha ha u bank account has bin emptyd!!!'
</dws>

That just might be why. Too bad that account got seized by the gov'ment.

You might get a rude shock as to just how many
referrals produce a pitiful amount of money.

I wasn't expecting to retire off this

[snip]

** OK. A couple of points:
- I am not a big fan of books, and generally rely on web
based documents myself.
- If I encounter a poster who seems *set* on books, I
will first point out the JavaDocs, the Java Tutorial and
Bruce Eckel's freely downloadable 'Thinking in Java'
.before linking to TechBookReport's list.

<tangent>I don't think I've read an up-to-date Thinking In Java. (I have

<http://www.techbookreport.com/JavaIndex.html>
- The reason I will link to TBR's list is that I get the
strong impression they (being rather passionate
about books) have *personally* read every one listed,
and the reviews are their own, so have a consistency
to them. Also TBR's reviews tend to provide enough
detail for the end reader to decide whether the book
is suited to *their* immedate purposes, perhaps
despite a high rating by TBR.

That is also my goal. The two books I have listed there are books I
have read through. Its just been too-long of a weekend (celebrated my
Wedding on Saturday).

Nice colors, but I think this concept of 'negative space'***
in a web page is 'very last millenium', and more a sign of
web developers that either:
a) Do not understand how to write resizable pages - or
b) Want to extort money for 'updating' the site every time
the 'average screen size' changes.

The page should be resizable. The negative space is simply a margin
(check the CSS), and this page is hand updated by me, so obviously I'm
trying to extort money from myself _as well_ from newbies.

Once you get more than 'a couple', it would probably
also help to add some HTML anchors so the OP can
be directed to *specific* books - ideally anchors whould
be alllowercase, with no '-', '_', ' ' or orther funny characters.
Some people prefer descriptive anchors like ..
<http://books.virtualinfinity.net/#javaconcurrencyinpractise>
.but for the sake of brevity, I often *also* add
a number based anchor, like..
<http://books.virtualinfinity.net/#1>

I was actually thinking of going a step further and having the "index"
page as well as a page dedicated to each book and/or subject. That way
I could link to books.virtualinfinity.net/refactoring

*** The gaps down either side of the page. The only
reason my own pages will have a gap down the left
side of the page (below the links) is that I cannot be
bothered filling it with ads (at this moment).

BTW -
effecient -> efficient
dispell -> dispel

Thanks. It's late at night, and I don't have a spell-check plug-in for
VIM I should run a spell-check on the whole thing.

I think the sentence..
"If you work in a J2EE container, Swing GUI application, .."
.should be more like..
"If you work in a J2EE container, or on a Swing GUI application, .."
.or..
"If you work in J2EE, Swing GUI development, .."
(I do not like the word 'application' since it implies
'not applet' within the Java context.)

Hadn't thought of that. Actually, it is relevant to AWT programs as
well. I should correct that, thanks.

I recognise the help you are trying to provide. As Lew
might be heard saying - "I consider you to be one of
the 'white hats'".

Help? I thought I was extorting money. Dangit. Got my wires crossed
again .

* DWS - Dripping with sarcasm.

Thanks for the feedback. I suppose the *best* way to make money from
selling books is to either become a publisher. The next best way would
to be a writer. I'm more likely to become the latter .


Thanks,
Daniel.

P.S. I'm using a new newsgroup interface (Thunderbird with my ISP's
NNTP, instead of Google Groups), please let me know if anything *weird*
happens. On the plus side, I can actually see some messages that google
indexed but didn't store (or can't retrieve.)

 

[Roedy Green]

Right now I only have two books: Refactoring, Fowler and Java
Concurrency In Practice, Goetz. I do plan on adding more books, and
improving on the explanation of the books. If anyone has a "must
read" book they'd like to recommend to me, let me know and I'll see
about acquiring it.

To get a list of all my recommendations, download the HTML for my site
with the Replicator, http://mindprod.com/webstart/replicator.html

Then, do a search for the string

"recommend book"

 

[Roedy Green]

It is probably all those links you put to 'free' books

where the book arrives with an invoice, or worse,
the ones you post to links where the page simply
reports 'ha ha u bank account has bin emptyd!!!'

Just how does that work? Since when do you hand over your credit card
number or PayPal password if you did not intend to buy something?

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Just how does that work? ...

It doesn't - the delimeter that was trimmed was <dws>*,
which I expanded at the bottom of the post as '* dripping
with sarcasm'. I figured the OP would get the joke.

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.athompson.info/andrew/

Message posted via JavaKB.com
http://www.javakb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/java-general/200710/1

 

[Andrew Thompson]

[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]

reports 'ha ha u bank account has bin emptyd!!!'
</dws>

That just might be why. Too bad that account got seized by the gov'ment.

*Damn* those woolly-headed, tree-hugging /communists/!
..

[snip]

...Its just been too-long of a weekend (celebrated my
Wedding on Saturday).

Is that a Wedding *Anniversary* you are referring to?
Or have 'young people nowadays' given up on the honeymoon?
And if you are sneaking out of the wedding suite to
post to usenet.. well I don't know *what* to ask!

...

The page should be resizable. The negative space is simply a margin
(check the CSS), ..

Oh - forgot to check that (or simply resize the page) - my bad.

...and this page is hand updated by me, so obviously I'm
trying to extort money from myself _as well_ from newbies.

(HTML anchors)
...

I was actually thinking of going a step further and having the "index"
page as well as a page dedicated to each book and/or subject. That way
I could link to books.virtualinfinity.net/refactoring

That would be good.
...

Thanks for the feedback. I suppose the *best* way to make money from
selling books is to either become a publisher. The next best way would
to be a writer.

I know a lot of hungry writers!* I think that for most
authors who are not at the Stephen King level, writing
is more for the passion, than (huge) profits.

...I'm more likely to become the latter .

* So "Don't give up your day job." Your bride might
not be too happy about waiting for the royalty checks
to arrive. ;-)

 

[Daniel Pitts]

Is that a Wedding *Anniversary* you are referring to?
Or have 'young people nowadays' given up on the honeymoon?
And if you are sneaking out of the wedding suite to
post to usenet.. well I don't know *what* to ask!

Well, we technically got married 6 months ago, but we just celebrated
with our family.

I know a lot of hungry writers!* I think that for most
authors who are not at the Stephen King level, writing
is more for the passion, than (huge) profits.

* So "Don't give up your day job." Your bride might
not be too happy about waiting for the royalty checks
to arrive. ;-)

Luckily, I have enough skill as a developer to bring home a good
paycheck, and I enjoy my work.

Thanks,
Daniel.

 

[Daniel Pitts]

Is that a Wedding *Anniversary* you are referring to?
Or have 'young people nowadays' given up on the honeymoon?
And if you are sneaking out of the wedding suite to
post to usenet.. well I don't know *what* to ask!

Well, we technically got married 6 months ago, but we just celebrated
with our family.

I know a lot of hungry writers!* I think that for most
authors who are not at the Stephen King level, writing
is more for the passion, than (huge) profits.

* So "Don't give up your day job." Your bride might
not be too happy about waiting for the royalty checks
to arrive. ;-)

Luckily, I have enough skill as a developer to bring home a good
paycheck, and I enjoy my work.

Thanks,
Daniel.

 

[nebulous99]

After the recent accusations from Twisted that I'm conning innocent
newbies into spending money, I've decided that I really *should* be
getting a cut for all the referring I do. I'm starting a bibliography
page of books that I refer to often here. I would like the cljp
community to provide their feedback on both this practice, and on the
design/content of the page itself.

Right now I only have two books: Refactoring, Fowler and Java
Concurrency In Practice, Goetz. I do plan on adding more books, and
improving on the explanation of the books. If anyone has a "must
read" book they'd like to recommend to me, let me know and I'll see
about acquiring it.

For those who are interested the site ishttp://books.virtualinfinity.net/

For those this offends, feel free to simply not click on the link.

I'd suggest prominent links to Sun's Javadoc and Java Tutorial pages
and a few other free materials (someone mentioned Thinking in Java?)
-- this may be appreciated by people of limited means, non-local
people who even if they have the money can't actually buy the books
from wherever they are anyway, people with no credit card who
therefore can't order things over the 'net, etc., and those people
wouldn't generate revenue anyway. Some people who might have might
check out the freebies and end up satisfied by one of these enough not
to end up buying anything, but in that case the money you missed out
on *would* have been effectively ripping someone off, which isn't very
nice.

The use of the word "books" in the link is helpful; when the URL
appears people will probably be expecting pay books rather than free
online articles and information, and if they *do* encounter some links
to the latter they'll be pleasantly surprised. This is far preferable
for all concerned to them arriving expecting free information and
running into some sort of a paywall and being angry and/or
disappointed.

 

[Daniel Pitts]

I'd suggest prominent links to Sun's Javadoc and Java Tutorial pages
and a few other free materials (someone mentioned Thinking in Java?)
-- this may be appreciated by people of limited means, non-local
people who even if they have the money can't actually buy the books
from wherever they are anyway, people with no credit card who
therefore can't order things over the 'net, etc., and those people
wouldn't generate revenue anyway. Some people who might have might
check out the freebies and end up satisfied by one of these enough not
to end up buying anything, but in that case the money you missed out
on *would* have been effectively ripping someone off, which isn't very
nice.

The use of the word "books" in the link is helpful; when the URL
appears people will probably be expecting pay books rather than free
online articles and information, and if they *do* encounter some links
to the latter they'll be pleasantly surprised. This is far preferable
for all concerned to them arriving expecting free information and
running into some sort of a paywall and being angry and/or
disappointed.

Believe it or not, I was thinking of you when I created that
subdomain. While I often disagree with your method of argument,
sometimes you bring up a good point.

As what I link to from this page, I plan to only link to things that I
personally have found useful, regardless of the financial implications
for me.

 

[Mike Schilling]

After the recent accusations from Twisted that I'm conning innocent
newbies into spending money, I've decided that I really *should* be
getting a cut for all the referring I do. I'm starting a bibliography
page of books that I refer to often here. I would like the cljp
community to provide their feedback on both this practice, and on the
design/content of the page itself.

Right now I only have two books: Refactoring, Fowler and Java
Concurrency In Practice, Goetz. I do plan on adding more books, and
improving on the explanation of the books. If anyone has a "must
read" book they'd like to recommend to me, let me know and I'll see
about acquiring it.

_Effective Java_ by Josh Bloch. It's a bit outdated, because much of his
advice has become part of Java, e.g. his suggested implementation for enums.
But it's such a good guide to OO programming in general that I've heard it
recommended by Microsoft employees to people learning .NET.

 

[bbound]

_Effective Java_ by Josh Bloch. It's a bit outdated, because much of his
advice has become part of Java, e.g. his suggested implementation for enums.
Hrm.

But it's such a good guide to OO programming in general that I've heard it
recommended by Microsoft employees to people learning .NET.

Eh. I thought you were intending to endorse that book. Saying it's
recommended by Microsoft employees to people learning .NET seems more
like an indictment to me.

 

[Mike Schilling]

Eh. I thought you were intending to endorse that book. Saying it's
recommended by Microsoft employees to people learning .NET seems more
like an indictment to me.

Oh, look: a superior attitude, wholly unearned. How trite.

 

[Daniel Pitts]

Oh, look: a superior attitude, wholly unearned. How trite.

Don't feed the trolls. It was a stab at M$, not you.

 

[bbound]

Oh, look: [insult deleted]

Don't feed the [insult deleted]

Hmm -- Looks like it's Pick on BBound Day today. Because it's way too
early for anyone to be wearing their "arsehole" or "netkkkop"
Halloween costumes already ...