Open sourcing my book Bitcoin Hands-On \ stacker news ~bitcoin

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576 sats \ 10 comments \ @BitcoinHandsOn 4 Aug bitcoin

I'm considering making my book Bitcoin Hands-On! open source. By this I mean - posting the whole thing up on github.

Obviously I wouldn't make money that way, but I'd be able to mention it everywhere online, without seemingly blatantly promoting something that I'm selling. Also, I could request donations on github.

I would continue selling the book on Amazon, because that's often where people look first for information. And in the future I'll potentially sell an expanded version that could include things like support, personalized instruction, etc.

Any thoughts or considerations? What are some forums/groups that focus on open source?

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32 sats \ 1 reply \ @denlillaapan 4 Aug

excellent -- love this format.

Books ain't making their authors money anyway, so might as well align with the ethos and give them away

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BitcoinHandsOn OP 4 Aug

They can, sometimes. I made decent money on this one:

SQL Practice Problems: 57 beginning, intermediate, and advanced challenges for you to solve using a “learn-by-doing” approach.

(You may notice a certain similarity in subtitle to my bitcoin book (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4SZSCH8)

But you're right, most of the time they don't.

32 sats \ 0 replies \ @supratic 4 Aug

you should, open source is the future. The future is now. You could still sell the printed version to support your work.

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @optimism 4 Aug

Also, I could request donations on github.

You could also get collaborative contributions to it that may help improve quality! Andreas' book has lots of contributors.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @BitcoinHandsOn OP 4 Aug

Yes. It's amazing how myopic you can get when you're immersed in something - it gets to the point that you can not understand, how other people can misunderstand what's so easy for you.

Feedback is critical.

32 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 4 Aug

I think Andreas Antonopoulos does that, so you will be in good company.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @398ja 5 Aug

Antonopoulos' books are also available on GitHub for free...

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @d680ecaa8e 4 Aug

Most communities focus on open sources freemium.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @BitcoinHandsOn OP 4 Aug

What do you mean by that?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @d680ecaa8e 5 Aug

People search for open source software because an open source even if there is paid service you could edit open source code unlike those locking the code.