I know that one of the advantages of electronically publishing is that you can make corrections and then update the "core document", as it were, but it costs some people money to print out documents.
Might I propose a separate "Update document" that lists all changes since the _initial_ publication of these sourcebooks?
At the top of the update document, you list the current version of the sourcebooks, and then go down, version by version, indicating changes?
This would be a much shorter document to print for those of us who have to pay for printing, so we wouldn't have to re-print our sourcebooks unless we _want_ to. All we'd need to do is reference the Update Document. Or download the new version and print only the affected changes -- again, referencing the same Update Document.
Well, I certainly intend to post collected errata here as often as I deem necessary. I don't really see any point in assembling it into any sort of separate document, though. But I suppose I could make whatever I type up available as a PDF for those who want it.
Even better if the changes could be made in the document then the corrected pages "cut out" so we can print the corrected pages and put them in our binders or whatnot. That way we don't have a big sheaf of "errata" at the end or loose.
Let me see if I can make this a little clearer ...
_When_ you update the main document, it'd be nice to have a Change Log that lists all the changes made to that document -- I do something similar with the codebook at work, for example. Every time a code is changed or added, I detail what page number has changed, and what changes have been made.
For example, (And I don't have my copy here, so bear with me if the numbers are grossly off) if I were going to change the available power on the Akira to 300, and I saw that I'd misspelled fifteen words on page 120, I'd mark in the change log:
January 3, 2000
Page 7 -- Changed "Available Power: 675" to "Available Power: 300" in Akira Template
Page 120 -- Corrected spelling of fifteen words.
That way, if I have a copy of SD, I can grab the Change Log to see what's changed and on what pages, so that I can either:
() Print just those pages which have changed
(b) Add the newest Change Log to the end of my copy
or
(c) Print a brand new copy of the document and throw my old (imperfect) one away.
I second this change log idea. I just finished printing out SD, and had to buy new print cartridges in the process - they can get a little expensive... especially when the colour one is only using blue
I'll see what I can do about a change log. I'm certainly familiar with them from my days as a practicing attorney.
However, the changes and additional material are likely to change the layout of most, if not all, of the pages. If I add a section early on, it "pushes down" the layout for many pages after that. I don't think that it's going to be feasible to "cut out" the corrected pages and make them separately available -- there will be too many pages that are different. Nor do I want to impose on Don's valuable time by asking him to provide multiple different versions of things for people to download.
As for the cost of printing out the document -- I have no pity. In Spacedock alone you're getting the equivalent of two $20+ LUG supplements' worth of material -- for free. If it's not worth it to you, don't print it out. If it is worth it, there shouldn't be any need to complain.
I was willing to pay thousands of dollars to get these manuscripts back to give to you guys -- it's only due to WOTC's kindness that I didn't have to. And Don has paid substantial sums out of his own pocket (a lot more than any of you are paying to print the book) to prepare the manuscripts and make them available here on this site. I really don't see where anyone who's downloaded the manuscript has cause for complaint regard the cost of printing it.
Steve Long
[This message has been edited by Steve Long (edited 01-04-2001).]
I don't have a problem with the way Steve has the errata system right now...if any are found he posts them in the section below and from there we corrections to our text as they come up. Whats the big deal? I have quite a few RPG books with neatly written corrections in the margin, I don't mind at all doing it again, especially in light of the service Steve and Don have gone through to get us these books. Why should they do all the work, when its just as easy for us to take out a good pen and liquid paper. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!!!!
Y'all make it sound like I'm complaining about the fact that there are going to be updates.
I'm not.
I realize that Steve & Don have put huge amounts of effort into getting these for us. And I'm extremely thankful for their effort.
And Steve, you may have no sympathy for gamers who can't afford to print multiple copies, but, if we want 'em to look nice, it's going to cost us (on average) between 5 and 10 cents/page -- in black and white. No, we didn't pay for the product itself, but I don't game next to my computer. In order to have a usable copy, I had to pay to have it printed. If we want it in color, it's an average of 75 cents per page locally -- That means that a decent color copy of Spacedock will cost about $148.50. (I'll admit, however, that _I_ have no sympathy for _these_ people - They can evidently afford it).
Don, at no point did I suggest doing multiple layouts, either. That was someone else's idea. All I suggested was that there be a log somewhere of every change made between versions.
I'm pretty sure that either you or Steve would have just such a log in order to make the changes in the first place.
Page numbers jump? *shrug* Here at work, I generally notate, "Page numbers from page 15 to the end have been shifted."
Added paragraphs? "Paragraph beginning 'While on the other hand ...' was added to page XX"
Personally, I'm okay with continually printing updates. But there are gamers out there who aren't. Or who can't.
If you'd like, _I_ can handle doing the change log myself, in my spare time. When you update the main document, just E-Mail the changes to me, and I'll pull it into MS Word, .pdf it, and send it back for you. It won't be as pretty as SD and SRM are, mind you, but it'll help those gamers who can't afford continual complete copies.
Eric
[This message has been edited by Gamethyme (edited 01-04-2001).]
Steve has already touched upon the problem: many corrections aren't as simple as changing a "72" to a "27" and calling it done. Paragraphs move, sentences get added, and entire page breaks and columns get moved. The next version of SD, from what I've seen thus far, will feature new material, as well as corrections.
Now, you're always free to pick and choose what pages you print out, so I don't view it as that big of a deal.
What I >really< don't want to happen are multiple versions floating around with "add-ons" and such that provide confusion. ("I downloaded SD and the two errata, but noticed that my page numbers are all screwed up. Which pages are the new ones that I should print?")
One and only one version, representing the latest data and corrections, released at a time. There is no way I am laying out multiple versions of SD just to make them "backwards compatable."
I guess I'm Un-Canadian: No Beer, No Hockey, No Paul Martin!
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Steve and Don have done us a great service. Something that few others would have even considered doing. All without compensation. Please remember this first and foremost.
I also had to buy new cartridges after printing Spacedock. I even burned out my printer in the process. Would I do it again. As soon as I get a new printer, I'm printing the Ship recognition Manual. Compared to the investments of the gentlemen I mentioned above, a small price to pay. The only thing that bothers me about my costs in this regard is that I could not channel some of my investment to the people who created the book and prepared it for distribution.
I simply copy the errata from these boards and paste in a Word document I keep on my computer. I will then print out the pages as soon as they are ready, and when I get a printer. I'm very protective of books and can't make myself write in them. I like to keep them as crisp and attractive as when I get them. To each their own.
I hope this all made some kind of sense. I don't usually rant. Or when I do there usually is no record of it.
Proposal: Errata for SD and SRM
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