Inside TiddlyWiki: The Missing Manual

[Eric Shulman]

Greetings All!

As we well know, TiddlyWiki provides great flexibility to create a wide range of purpose-built "web applications".  However, as most people quickly discover, there is also a lot to learn in order to take full advantage of TiddlyWiki's powerful features.  In order to address this, I plan to write "Inside TiddlyWiki", a multi-volume series of "guidebooks", that will illustrate the concepts, methods, and best practices for using TiddlyWiki to build effective solutions for common, every day, real-world applications.

With the recent release of TiddlyWiki 5 out of beta, NOW is the right time to get this long-desired book project launched, and I intend to devote the next few months, starting in January 2015, to uninterrupted, focused, full-time effort writing, revising, and publishing book content.  Unfortunately, as an independent self-employed consultant, I also need to ensure that I maintain a steady income to cover my month-to-month operating expenses. To that end, I have put together an Indiegogo.com fundraising campaign to provide basic income for several months while I work on this major writing project.

To learn more about my specific plans, and to make a generous contribution, please view the "InsideTiddlyWiki: The Missing Manual" Indiegogo.com page here:

   https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/inside-tiddlywiki-the-missing-manual/x/8816263

The campaign has a very modest initial funding goal to raise $7500 in 60 days (by January 15th), so please contribute as much as you can, and as often as you can. Also note that, unlike Kickstarter.com's "all-or-nothing" funding model, this campaign is using Indiegogo's "Flexible Funding" model, so that all contributions to this project still will be collected and disbursed, even if the funding goal is not reached within the time alloted.

Of course, the more funds contributed, the more time I will have to work on writing.  So, as the Holiday season approaches, be sure tell EVERYONE you know -- friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers on the bus -- that "InsideTiddlyWiki: The Missing Manual" is at the top of your gift wish list!

enjoy,

-e

Eric Shulman

TiddlyTools / ELS Design Studios

YOUR DONATIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

HELP ME TO HELP YOU - MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO MY "TIP JAR"...

   http://TiddlyTools.github.com/fundraising.html#MakeADonation

Professional TiddlyWiki Consulting Services...

Analysis, Design, and Custom Solutions:

   http://www.TiddlyTools.com/#Contact

[PMario]

Hi Eric,
How will the books be published?
e-books or / and printed?
-m

[Tobias Beer]

How will the books be published?
e-books or / and printed?

Mentioned in the project description on indiegogo :-) 

Best wishes, Tobias.

[David Gifford]

Great idea, Eric!

Question: is this only for classic, or is it for TW5?

Dave

[Danielo Rodríguez]

Just curious,

who "bought" the super super premium badge?

[Eric Shulman]

On Monday, November 17, 2014 12:45:02 AM UTC-8, PMario wrote:

How will the books be published?
e-books or / and printed?

As noted in "The Writing Process" section of the project description:

The book will initially be published online as a TiddlyWiki-based website. The content may later be adapted to eBook and/or PDF formats and will also available through print-on-demand services to produce a traditional hard copy bound book (a first edition autographed printed copy will be offered as a perk for high-level contributors).

-e

 

[PMario]

On Monday, November 17, 2014 4:18:41 PM UTC+1, Eric Shulman wrote:

As noted in "The Writing Process" section of the project description:

The book will initially be published online as a TiddlyWiki-based website. The content may later be adapted to eBook and/or PDF formats and will also available through print-on-demand services to produce a traditional hard copy bound book (a first edition autographed printed copy will be offered as a perk for high-level contributors).

Thx,
I should have read it all, but reading the intro I did jump to the perks, so I missed it :)
-m

[Eric Shulman]

On Monday, November 17, 2014 5:12:22 AM UTC-8, David Gifford wrote:

Great idea, Eric!
Question: is this only for classic, or is it for TW5? 

The introductory section of the User Manual, "What is TiddlyWiki?" will touch on the history of TiddlyWiki, including the Classic version.  However, "Inside TiddlyWiki" as a whole will be targeted toward TiddlyWiki 5 usage, as that is the future of TiddlyWiki "for the next 25 years".

Note: my **extended funding plan** includes a future "Migration Guide" that will directly compare TiddlyWiki Classic and TiddlyWiki 5 techniques and provide step-by-step guides for adapting TWC documents for use with TW5.

-e

[Mat]

Wonderful Eric! I have a few questions:

1) I understand the campaign is for the first volume which is targeted at total newcomers, yes? Does this mean funding now will not contribute to further volumes? (I imagine that themajority of members to this group are not newcomers...)

2) Even if indiegogo has a "Flexible Funding" model... what happens with the actual realization of the book if the goal is not reached?

3) As is obvious from the boards, there is no end to questions when it comes to TW. But books are somewhat static in nature. Do you have any thoughts on how to deal with this aspect?

Thank you!

<:-)



2) Sorry if this is answered but

[Eric Shulman]

On Monday, November 17, 2014 7:46:21 AM UTC-8, Mat wrote:

Wonderful Eric! I have a few questions:

1) I understand the campaign is for the first volume which is targeted at total newcomers, yes? Does this mean funding now will not contribute to further volumes? (I imagine that themajority of members to this group are not newcomers...)

The initial funding goal of $7500 will provide enough funds for approximately 3 months of writing, which should be enough to create the first volume -- the User's Guide -- targeted towards "newcomers" to TiddlyWiki 5.  However, there is no upper limit on the funding, and if funding exceeds the initial goal, then work will continue on subsequent volumes (the Author's Guide, Developer's Guide, Migration Guide, etc.).  Of course, if additional funding is needed for these other volumes, then a separate Indiegogo campaign can be launched to target those efforts specifically.

 

2) Even if indiegogo has a "Flexible Funding" model... what happens with the actual realization of the book if the goal is not reached?

The book will be initially published as a TiddlyWiki-based website, and the printed version will be produced via print-on-demand services, so even if the project is underfunded and cannot be fully realized, the content that is created will still be available for public consumption.

 

3) As is obvious from the boards, there is no end to questions when it comes to TW. But books are somewhat static in nature. Do you have any thoughts on how to deal with this aspect?

By publishing online as a TiddlyWiki-based website and using print-on-demand services for hardcopy, there is some flexibilty for providing incremental updates to content.

-e

[Mat]

Ok, thanks for you answers! I hope this will be a success!

<:-)

[iain]

I absolutely support the idea of a "missing manual" in particular if it has a section on how to transfer from classic TW to the new version with minum pain and no loss of data (which is my current problem) and if it is written for people with a good general knowledge rather than programming knowladge.

Iain

[Ed Dixon]

I think this is awesome and also an excellent opportunity to raise TW5 awareness in general to the public at large. Be sure to share Eric's indiegogo link out to your public circles! Eric, I just watched the hangout from yesterday and if there is anything I can do to help (Years of curriculum design experience) please do not hesitate to ask and good luck!

[Diego Mesa]

Hello! 

I am just wondering if this book was ever released?

Thanks!

[JWHoneycutt]

I have the same question.

On Monday, November 6, 2017 at 8:04:59 PM UTC-5, Diego Mesa wrote:

Hello! 

I am just wondering if this book was ever released?

Thanks!

On Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 8:52:00 AM UTC-6, Ed Dixon wrote:

I think this is awesome and also an excellent opportunity to raise TW5 awareness in general to the public...

[Birthe C]

I think the answer is here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/tiddlywiki/oP3r1yx4C14/UiT_yl48BQAJ

Birthe

[Diego Mesa]

Given all the recent posts, and the cyclical nature with which they popup, maybe the community should use this as a starting point/focal point for improving the docs?

https://github.com/ericshulman/InsideTiddlyWiki

https://tiddlytools.github.io/InsideTW/

[Mohammad]

Hi Diego

I support this!

It seems now the community has the enthusiasm to have a book on Tiddlywiki!

Let's encourage Eric to finalize his book The missing manual.

--Mohammad

[Diego Mesa]

I would definately like to support Eric finish - or more likely (as I understand it) is that we fork his work and can continue it ourselves.