[OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Richmond
Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned 
largely with computer stuff

have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.

What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

 . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of 
their market reach.


What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have made 
no enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of 
experience in the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.


I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal 
person to review this book for us.


Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth 
would that actually tell you
about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona 
fides vis-a-vis computer programming.


Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of the 
book plus another from their
stable of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what 
motivates me; what does is the fact that my
c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship 
and/or publication would spice things

up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.

What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of clout 
in a c.v at all, or is just a bit of

fun to get a couple of books.

Richmond.

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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Phil Davis

Hi Richmond,

They published Colin's book last year. That all I know about them.

I received an email from them too, similar to yours. Not sure how to 
respond.


Best -
Phil Davis


On 7/9/13 12:20 PM, Richmond wrote:
Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned 
largely with computer stuff

have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.

What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

 . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of 
their market reach.


What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have 
made no enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of 
experience in the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.


I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal 
person to review this book for us.


Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth 
would that actually tell you
about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona 
fides vis-a-vis computer programming.


Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of 
the book plus another from their
stable of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what 
motivates me; what does is the fact that my
c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship 
and/or publication would spice things

up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.

What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of clout 
in a c.v at all, or is just a bit of

fun to get a couple of books.

Richmond.

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Phil Davis


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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Richmond

On 07/09/2013 10:31 PM, Phil Davis wrote:

Hi Richmond,

They published Colin's book last year. That all I know about them.

I received an email from them too, similar to yours. Not sure how to 
respond.


Well, I read their guff and said 'Yes', and they have sent me more 
guff, and I am waiting for a chap

to start sending me chapters.

At worse I will lose a few hours reading the book; at best a copy of the 
book and another one, and, just possibly, something to put on my 
brag-sheet.


I certainly cannot see any real damage ensuing.

I will have a go with this one, and then have a good long think 
afterwards as to any future stuff they may

lob at me.

I do get a slight half-a-dozen people in a small room with a couple of 
computers hooked up to the internet
feeling; but as a Schumacher sort of capitalist, I'm going to find that 
hard to fault so long as they are not ripping people off.


Probably the best way to 'cope' with this is to watch 'Bowfinger' [ 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowfinger ]
and have a good laugh; BUT, make sure you do your bit 100%. That is the 
way I'm getting on with it.


Richmond.



Best -
Phil Davis


On 7/9/13 12:20 PM, Richmond wrote:
Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned 
largely with computer stuff

have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.

What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

 . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of 
their market reach.


What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have 
made no enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of 
experience in the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.


I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal 
person to review this book for us.


Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth 
would that actually tell you
about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona 
fides vis-a-vis computer programming.


Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of 
the book plus another from their
stable of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what 
motivates me; what does is the fact that my
c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd 
editorship and/or publication would spice things

up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.

What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of 
clout in a c.v at all, or is just a bit of

fun to get a couple of books.

Richmond.

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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Peter Haworth
So did I.  I think they're just trolling the email list/forum.

I turned them down because the title of the book indicated it was about
mobile development and I know nothing about that.

Pete
lcSQL Software http://www.lcsql.com


On Tue, Jul 9, 2013 at 12:31 PM, Phil Davis rev...@pdslabs.net wrote:

 Hi Richmond,

 They published Colin's book last year. That all I know about them.

 I received an email from them too, similar to yours. Not sure how to
 respond.

 Best -
 Phil Davis


 On 7/9/13 12:20 PM, Richmond wrote:

 Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned largely
 with computer stuff
 have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.

 What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

  . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of their
 market reach.

 What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have made
 no enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of experience
 in the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.

 I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal
 person to review this book for us.

 Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth would
 that actually tell you
 about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona fides
 vis-a-vis computer programming.

 Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of the
 book plus another from their
 stable of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what
 motivates me; what does is the fact that my
 c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship
 and/or publication would spice things
 up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.

 What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of clout in
 a c.v at all, or is just a bit of
 fun to get a couple of books.

 Richmond.

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 --
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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Mark Schonewille
Hi Richmond,

Yes, it looks like they operate from India, but the owner of the company might 
be in Great Britain or somewhere else. They work with interns it seems, whom 
they may not have to pay. They don't pay reviewers/editors and I think they pay 
authors per book sold. So, that's pretty much a risk-less enterprise for them 
(or him).

They have no academic standing whatsoever. Perhaps their interns don't even 
know what that is. Actually, I might be misunderstanding your exact definition 
of academic standing as well.

I don't know their market reach, but they use their own website and Amazon and 
that seems to work well for them.

I got the same e-mail as you. Apparently, they collected e-mails on this list. 
I'm slightly offended, because they said I'd be _the_ ideal person, while 
apparently dozens or hundreds of other persons appear to be equally ideal. I'm 
not offended because I'm no more ideal than you, but because they don't mean 
what they write.

If you decide to do this, consider this a fun job. It is hardly worth 
mentioning on your c.v. If I decide to do this, it'll be to help out the 
author, not for them or for me.

They found the author by asking in a number of places, like forums, mailing 
lists, Facebook and LinkedIn. The author must have thought he was fit for the 
task and decided to respond to the request.

--
Best regards,

Mark Schonewille

Economy-x-Talk Consulting and Software Engineering
Homepage: http://economy-x-talk.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xtalkprogrammer
KvK: 50277553

Use Color Converter to convert CMYK, RGB, RAL, XYZ, H.Lab and other colour 
spaces. http://www.color-converter.com

We have time for new software development projects. Contact me for a quote.






On 9 jul 2013, at 21:20, Richmond wrote:

 Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned largely 
 with computer stuff
 have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.
 
 What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .
 
 . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of their 
 market reach.
 
 What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have made no 
 enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of experience in 
 the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.
 
 I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal person to 
 review this book for us.
 
 Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth would 
 that actually tell you
 about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona fides 
 vis-a-vis computer programming.
 
 Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of the book 
 plus another from their
 stable of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what 
 motivates me; what does is the fact that my
 c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship and/or 
 publication would spice things
 up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.
 
 What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of clout in a 
 c.v at all, or is just a bit of
 fun to get a couple of books.
 
 Richmond.
 
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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread J. Landman Gay
I got one too, they write me a couple of times a year. I reviewed a book 
outline for them once. They don't pay for any of that.


On 7/9/13 2:31 PM, Phil Davis wrote:

Hi Richmond,

They published Colin's book last year. That all I know about them.

I received an email from them too, similar to yours. Not sure how to
respond.

Best -
Phil Davis


On 7/9/13 12:20 PM, Richmond wrote:

Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned
largely with computer stuff
have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.

What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

 . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of
their market reach.

What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have
made no enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of
experience in the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.

I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal
person to review this book for us.

Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth
would that actually tell you
about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona
fides vis-a-vis computer programming.

Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of
the book plus another from their
stable of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what
motivates me; what does is the fact that my
c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship
and/or publication would spice things
up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.

What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of clout
in a c.v at all, or is just a bit of
fun to get a couple of books.

Richmond.

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--
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jac...@hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software   | http://www.hyperactivesw.com

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[OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Lynn Fredricks
 Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation 
 concerned largely with computer stuff have asked me to be 
 involved in editing a publication.

They are India-based, but they do get technical books into retail. Ive seen
plenty and read a couple - a Joomla book, plus another one.

 Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on 
 earth would that actually tell you about either my ability to 
 review a publication or my academic bona fides vis-a-vis 
 computer programming.
 
 Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard 
 copy of the book plus another from their stable of 
 publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what 
 motivates me; what does is the fact that my c.v. has got a 
 bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship 
 and/or publication would spice things up a bit when/if I 
 decide to apply for a new job.
 
 What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort 
 of clout in a c.v at all, or is just a bit of fun to get a 
 couple of books.

They aren't as well known as O'Reilley but they are willing to publish books
on relatively new (or not that well known) technologies.

Sometimes they get a bit spammy on promotions, but I lay that more to
someone inside being assigned to promote a book and getting overzealous.

It wouldn't look good if they paid you to review a book - getting a free
copy is about what they can do. Its not like doctors going to pharma
lectures ;-)

Best regards,

Lynn Fredricks
President
Paradigma Software
http://www.paradigmasoft.com

Valentina SQL Server: The Ultra-fast, Royalty Free Database Server 







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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Colin Holgate
They also asked me. Glad they asked enough people to hopefully get a couple of 
takers.

I have been a reviewer on two Packt books, both SketchUp ones, and it’s an 
interesting task to take on. You end up reading the book more closely than you 
would if you were a regular reader. Also, you go through every single exercise 
in the book, so that you can then pass back comments about any points of 
confusion.

There’s a small amount of money you get too, but for the two books I reviewed I 
told them not to bother paying me, it wasn’t enough money to be worth the 
hassle of declaring it in my income.
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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Mark Schonewille
Hi Colin,

You don't get paid (anymore) for reviewing or editing a book.

--
Best regards,

Mark Schonewille

Economy-x-Talk Consulting and Software Engineering
Homepage: http://economy-x-talk.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xtalkprogrammer
KvK: 50277553

Use Color Converter to convert CMYK, RGB, RAL, XYZ, H.Lab and other colour 
spaces. http://www.color-converter.com

We have time for new software development projects. Contact me for a quote.






On 9 jul 2013, at 23:22, Colin Holgate wrote:

 They also asked me. Glad they asked enough people to hopefully get a couple 
 of takers.
 
 I have been a reviewer on two Packt books, both SketchUp ones, and it’s an 
 interesting task to take on. You end up reading the book more closely than 
 you would if you were a regular reader. Also, you go through every single 
 exercise in the book, so that you can then pass back comments about any 
 points of confusion.
 
 There’s a small amount of money you get too, but for the two books I reviewed 
 I told them not to bother paying me, it wasn’t enough money to be worth the 
 hassle of declaring it in my income.



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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Mark Schonewille

Oh, wait a sec. I don't mean you specifically ;-)

--
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Mark Schonewille

Economy-x-Talk Consulting and Software Engineering
Homepage: http://economy-x-talk.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xtalkprogrammer
KvK: 50277553

Use Color Converter to convert CMYK, RGB, RAL, XYZ, H.Lab and other 
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http://qery.us/3fi


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On 7/9/2013 23:29, Mark Schonewille wrote:

Hi Colin,

You don't get paid (anymore) for reviewing or editing a book.


On 9 jul 2013, at 23:22, Colin Holgate wrote:


They also asked me. Glad they asked enough people to hopefully get a couple of 
takers.

I have been a reviewer on two Packt books, both SketchUp ones, and it’s an 
interesting task to take on. You end up reading the book more closely than you 
would if you were a regular reader. Also, you go through every single exercise 
in the book, so that you can then pass back comments about any points of 
confusion.

There’s a small amount of money you get too, but for the two books I reviewed I 
told them not to bother paying me, it wasn’t enough money to be worth the 
hassle of declaring it in my income.





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Re: [OT] Packtpub?

2013-07-09 Thread Mark Wieder
Richmond richmondmathewson@... writes:

 
 Packtpub

Packtpub is possibly the worst company I have ever dealt with online.

 What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

That is correct. They answer nothing. Not queries, not support emails about
why they charge a different amount than on an order, nothing. There's no
contact information other than a web page that gets no responses. Emails to
support go unanswered and presumably end up in a bitbucket.

I'm surprised they're in India - I would have guessed Nigeria.
I'd stay far away from them.

Wait... did I say possibly above? Strike that.

-- 
 Mark Wieder
 mwie...@ahsoftware.net






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