Re: FLASH: A Warning on the Hillman Curtis Book

[Catherine Kunicki]

A friend is currently writing a book on OSX for the Mac. There are few 

people more qualified to write such a book, however the process she's

undergoing is pretty daunting.


The software hasn't been released, so although the publisher and Apple are

doing their level best to keep her provided with materials (ie, loaner

computers and updates of the software) they aren't always successful. She is

not a programmer and not part of Apples Developer group, so even GETTING

beta copies of the operating system presented a challenge at first. She has

to familiarize herself not only with new features, but to use all of the

updated features of the existing OS. She doesn't bother to use some of these

(existing) features on a daily basis since they don't apply to her personal

useage habits. So she has to figure them out, cross check to see how

previous versions worked, see if the new version is the same, whats

different, yada yada yada.


Her book is intended to be released around the same time as the new

operating system, so she has no chance for gathering user experience and

anecdotes for this book either.


She'd be rolling on the floor at the idea of a fact checker for this book.

The editor will read it, but since she (the author) is the only person

associated with the publisher who even HAS any facts about the OS, she's

kinda up the river. She can't send it to Apple for approval either. They

NEVER comment on unreleased software.


You get the picture.


Its a miracle that anyone can write a how to book at all.


catherine


> Greg,

>

> I can understand your frustration but I have yet to find one Flash book that

> DOESN'T have errors. And don't knock the author, have you ever tried writing

> a book? I am sure after a couple of months the content starts to blur

> together, unfortunately, I know fiction books have staffs for proof-reading,

> I had assumed that technical help books did as well but as for the quality

> of them, I am not sure. I doubt technical proof readers know everything

> about every program.

>

> jb

>

> -----Original Message-----

>

From: Roadrunner [glandry1maine [dot] rr [dot] com (mailto:glandry1maine [dot] rr [dot] com)]

> Sent: Monday, September 04, 2000 5:46 PM

>

To: flasherchinwag [dot] com

> Subject: FLASH: A Warning on the Hillman Curtis Book

>

>

> I have posted for help on this site with regards to the Curtis Hillman book

> and have had feedback from only one person. Amazing! That's okay. I figured

> out the problem and want to share it. If that's okay. Also, I would like to

> suggest that someone consider posting to an area when errors are found in

> this book considering how popular this book is. Note different errors may

> arise for different OS's.

>

> I want to tell all those folks running Flash 4 and a Win OS like I am,

> beware of the Hillman book. You WILL run into a number of problems

> especially with the Modify/Align command when working on Chapter 4 of the

> Hillman book. DO NOT use this command in Chapter 4! Use the "Object Info"

> window to do ANY aligning. I was banging my head against the wall for days,

> and being a newbie I was too uninformed to understand what one kind person

> had discovered and tried to relay to me.

>

> Again, be aware there is a great deal to learn from this book, but you must

> have the basics down, which I did not, but had to learn quickly in order to

> survive the experience of this book. It is amazing how much I have learned

> in two short weeks. BUT, this book is FULL of ERRORS!!!!!!!! Too bad

> considering this gentleman is such a talent, though not a very good proof

> reader.



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