Is Kazaa distribution part of the answer? (was: Python and p2p)

[David LeBlanc]

Even simpler, why not put copies of free Python eBooks on python.org?

David LeBlanc
Seattle, WA USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: python-list-admin at python.org
> [mailto:python-list-admin at python.org]On Behalf Of Carlos Ribeiro
> Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 10:56
> To: claird at phaseit.net; Cameron Laird; python-list at python.org; pedro
> alvarez
> Subject: Re: Is Kazaa distribution part of the answer? (was: Python and
> p2p)
>
>
> Cameron,
>
> Being from Brazil, I understand Pedro's plight. Now I have most
> of my books
> shipped from Amazon, or from 'Submarino', a brazilian e-bookstore
> that does
> have a good selection of titles; but it was not always like that.
>
> When I was a student - from high school to college - it was not
> uncommon for
> we to photocopy chapters, or even entire books, for one (or both) of two
> reasons: (1) books were, and still are, *way too* expensive in
> third world
> countries, and (2) at that time, sometimes you just couldn't find
> the book to
> buy, even if you had the money. The 'net almost eliminated the
> second issue,
> but there are lots of poor students that can't afford to buy
> books (specially
> imported ones, as it's the case most of the time with computer
> programming).
>
> [For you to understand how bad the situation is, it is not
> uncommon for the
> teachers themselves to lend a book for photocopying; the ones who
> should be
> educating to stop piracy are forced to encourage it.]
>
> As for the libraries, there are a few good public libraries, but
> most of them
> have problems keeping up-to-date with the latest books; and in
> some cases,
> the number of copies available is very small, while in others,
> people simply
> disappear with books.
>
> All that said, it is pretty much as Pedro Alvarez stated - an
> unfortunate but
> realistic fact of life. Now, following for Geoff's suggestion,
> why not put
> copies of the 'free' Python books available on a P2P network? It
> would help
> to create a bigger 'mindshare' for Python - people would find
> material using
> the tool of their choice, and would be able to compare the quality of the
> material, which is really excellent (as Python itself).
>
>
> Carlos Ribeiro
> cribeiro at mail.inet.com.br
>
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