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When you talk about IBM's costs how did their costs/pricing change when all
of those old printed manuals switched to being on CD's and then to being
online? Would Redbooks have been included in that category? If I remember
correctly you used to get lots of binders when you bought a new system.
How about if they split the savings from distributing them in print format
to online PDF's and paid that to the authors? Maybe margins are tighter
now than they used to be so that scenario might not be valid.
Stirring the pot for what it's worth... :)
Dave Parnin
Nishikawa Standard Company
Topeka, IN 46571
daparnin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bob Cozzi
<cozzi@xxxxxxxxx> To: RPG programming on the
AS400 / iSeries
<rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>@SMTP@CTB
06/30/2004 11:28 cc: (bcc: David A
Parnin/Topeka/NISCO/SPCO)
AM Subject: RE: Time for a new
"Sorcerer's Guide"? (was RE:
Please respond to DTAARA keyword, IN opcode, and
sub-procedure)
RPG programming
on the AS400 /
iSeries
<rpg400-l@midrang
e.com>
IBM doesn't think like that; at least not in my experience. Sure IBM
employees might think that way ("how much do we have to sell to recover the
cost") but IBM certainly doesn't.
When I was selling my RPG books myself via "Cozzi Research" IBM purchased
several hundred copies for resale to its customers. The formula the
purchasing agent told me they used to figure out the retail price (and I'm
going from memory here...) was something like:
Retail Price = (cost * 9) * 2
The point is IBM gives away the redbooks (online) because it might cost
them
too much internally to sell them for a profit.
Granted today, things have changed, and these economic models may not even
be used anymore... But the point is a huge company rarely, if ever, tries
to
break even on products... it does no good (in their view) to sell something
for zero or near zero profit.
Of course certain things can be a loss-leader. Things that improve the
marketing or satisfaction level with the customer. Give-aways at
conferences
are one such loss leader, and I believe Redbooks could fall into that
category for an IBM-sized company.
-Bob Cozzi
-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 11:19 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: Time for a new "Sorcerer's Guide"? (was RE: DTAARA keyword, IN
opcode, and sub-procedure)
Paid for their services?
So, most of you purchased the redbook, like I did, and didn't just
download the PDF's?
And how many copies would they have to sell in order to cover the costs of
Jon, Susan and the rest of the fine people who worked on it?
(My Redbook is autographed by Jon and Susan.)
Granted, I am a big fan of online books, for reference purposes. But for
new techniques and concepts I like hard copy. I do my best reading "down
the hall".
Rob Berendt
--
Group Dekko Services, LLC
Dept 01.073
PO Box 2000
Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com
RPower@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent by: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
06/29/2004 05:35 AM
Please respond to
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc
Fax to
Subject
RE: Time for a new "Sorcerer's Guide"? (was RE: DTAARA keyword, IN opcode,
and sub-procedure)
Was off for a little while and man what a full mailbox. Been reading this
thread with interest and I have to agree with Bob. I have benefitted
greatly from his advice, and the advice of the others on this list, but to
help those who need it is one thing. To help Big Blue who is too cheap to
pay, forget it. If they want their books to be good, then they should
have to pay for it. I find it ironic that they expect the users to pay
for their services (ahem, a bit overpriced IMHO at that) but they cannot
fork out a few dollars for those who would write a good book? I find that
hilarious. Just try calling IBM and ask them if they would mind coming
down to your shop for two weeks and help you install a new system. Then
tell them "Sorry, but you won't be paid". Then get ready for the rush of
support staff coming in your door, NOT! Lol. Can't say I blame you one
bit Bob.
Ron Power
Programmer
Information Services
City Of St. John's, NL
P.O. Box 908
St. John's, NL
A1C 5M2
Tel: 709-576-8132
Email: rpower@xxxxxxxxxx
Website: http://www.stjohns.ca/
___________________________________________________________________________
Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. -
Sir Winston Churchill
"Bob Cozzi" <cozzi@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
06/23/2004 01:41 PM
Please respond to
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To
"'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'" <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc
Subject
RE: Time for a new "Sorcerer's Guide"? (was RE: DTAARA keyword, IN opcode,
and sub-procedure)
Hi Scott,
Sleep? What's that? :)
No, it is that while you and other have regular jobs, people like me and
X,
Y, Z write and contribute to this space for a living. While myself and X,
Y,
and Z also contribute probably more than others it is to our advantage.
What
is not to our advantage is to have an $80 Billion company ask those who
will
not receive one dime from an employer during that time in Rochester
working
for them for FREE. I suppose after 20 years of notoriety having my name on
a
book that IBM publishes for free, means nothing to me. Okay, perhaps I'm
Jaded.... Why don't you volunteer to do it instead? You can take a couple
of
weeks off, can't you? :) You'd do just as good a job as I would and
probably better because you would probably pay attention whereas I would
want it done my way instead. <g>
If it were something of greater interest to me, then I agree. For example,
if NASA were to asked me to do something on the Commercialization of Space
(I'm part owner of Rockeplane www.rocketplane.com) that would require my
free time for no compensation, I would jump at it.
-Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Scott Klement
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 10:56 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: Time for a new "Sorcerer's Guide"? (was RE: DTAARA keyword,
IN
opcode, and sub-procedure)
Hi,
> But since IBM pays ZERO Dollars to have you spend your dedicated time
> (often two week or more) writing a Red book for them, I doubt that I'll
> be working on it, what would be the point/benefit?
Hmmm... what is the point/benefit of writing responses in this forum?
I know that I've written a few free tutorials and put them on my web site,
and I've never regretted it. I love receiving e-mails from people who
are thrilled with my site and have been able to accomplish things that
they otherwise wouldn't have been able to do.
I would think that having the opportunity to do the same thing while
getting the kind of exposure that IBM can provide for you would be a great
thing.
Though, I suppose you've gotta sleep sometime... :)
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