Tag: writing
-
Self-publish and be damned
Way back in 2009 I thought it would be fun to write a book. The result of this ill-thought-out endeavor was Oracle User Productivity Kit 3.5, a technical reference to an obscure piece of software that myself and apparently three other people used. Although it didn’t sell particularly well (around 1,000 copies), it was a fun little project that kept me busy for a couple of months, and gave me something new to put on my resume. Once I’d finished it I had absolutely no intention of writing another book (or certainly not another reference work – I’m still working… Read more
-
Fun With Servers – Part 1*
A couple of years ago, for the fun of it, I wrote a book on UPK 3.5. The latest version of UPK (11.1) has now been available for several months, and although my current client doesn’t have it yet, I keep getting asked for an update to my book. Also, in the spirit of being a true ‘consultant’, I thought I’d better stay at least one step ahead of my client, who are upgrading soon, and learn about UPK 11 before I need to teach them about it. UPK 11.1 can run as a stand-alone product on a single PC,… Read more
-
978-1-849680-16-5
For U.S. bands, the traditional way they would know they had ‘made it’ was when they were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone (witness Cover of the Rolling Stone, by Dr. Hook – yes, I’m embarrassed I know it, too…). For UK bands, it was when they performed on the now defunct Top Of The Pops. For me, I always thought that the pinnacle of achievement was getting a book published. Or, more specifically, getting a real book with an actual ISBN published. Many years ago, I worked on the Torchum Never Stops books, but these were self-published [by… Read more
-
My Glittering Second Career
I have a bad habit of writing in books. Only textbooks, and only my own books, but it’s still a bad habit. I highlight key passages, make notes in the margins, and underline important concepts. I even cross out bits I disagree with. I know that you shouldn’t deface books (lord knows I had my knuckles rapped for it often enough at school) but I read a lot of textbooks, and this makes it easier to find back key information when I’m looking for it. Plus, I find I actually retain more of what I read this way. An extension of this (and… Read more
-
Whatever happened to BeerScene?
I know it’s hard to believe from the truly amateur feel of this blogsite, but this isn’t my first foray into Web development. In fact, this is the fourth or fifth website I’ve put together. My first (and most widely-read) website was BeerScene. I still get asked about this every so often, so for historical record, here’s the full story. Back in the day (some 15 years ago), I was involved in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in England. This is a consumer organization that promotes ‘real’ beer – i.e. not the mass-produced, over-chilled, artifically-carbonated beer that dominates the industry. … Read more