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Comment by erikb | Hacker News Reader

Why do you write a 600 page book and offer it for free?

Why do you write [an entire kernel, an operating system, an RDBMS, a web application framework, ...] and offer it for free? Sometimes, the journey of creation and the sharing are more important than any remuneration you might otherwise get.

I hope he publishes a print version of the finished book, like Miran Lipovača did with Learn You a Haskell for Great Good! If someone releases a free book that has immense value to me, I'm more than willing to support them by buying a wonderful print version. There's something wonderful about having the ergonomics of a print book, combined with the ability to copy and paste and follow links from a PDF...

Yes, I'll signup with service like lulu.com in future, for those who want hardback, when I'll feel I finish the thing, maybe 1-2 years later.

http://blog.yurichev.com/node/80 I think it's a work in progress.

Well, I've got nothing close to a 600 page book, but I offer a number of smaller documents at the website for my side business, plus some software and other design tools. If I have any ulterior motive, it's that those materials give me some technical credibility and maybe generate a bit of goodwill.

Has it helped? Over the years, it's gotten me a little bit of "buzz" on web forums, and has attracted a couple of people who wanted me to do custom work for them. Also, in a manner akin to OSS, a couple people have been kind enough to report mistakes in my documents.

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