From: Zen Technologies Ltd
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 1997 7:33 PM
To: Editor@ercb.com
Subject: Dr Dobb's takes over ERCB?
Sir,
I saw the Dr Dobb's logo over your otherwise beautiful stack of books. What happened?
Ashok Atluri
I have a long-standing association with Dr. Dobb's Journal (the second article I ever had published was in DDJ in 1979), and I have always felt a special bond to DDJ and its editorial agenda and values. Jon Erickson, the Editor-in-Chief of DDJ, has been a constant source of advice and encouragement ever since I first started thinking about a web site for independent computer book reviews. I am very happy to report that DDJ has agreed to officially sponsor the ERCB site as of June 16, 1997. -- RD
From: Sundar Kadayam
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 1997 6:11 PM
To: Editor@ercb.com
Subject: ERCB Search Problems
Hi,
I found your "Search" facility quite helpful to locate reviews of some books I was looking for. However, I also found a number of discrepancies and inaccuracies in your search results. Here are some Examples.
1. Search for "Java" yielded a number of hits, and then I wanted to focus in on Java books pertaining to databases. So I searched for "Java AND database" -- and I got no results, when I know for a fact that there are at least a couple of documents in the Java list that had the term "database" in their title itself (Example: "Java Database Programming" http://www.ercb.com/received/bk368.html).
2. Search for "JDBC" yielded no results, when in fact there is at least one book review "Java Database Programming with JDBC" -- http://www.ercb.com/received/bk329.html
3. Search for "MFC" yielded no results, when in fact there is at least one book review "Programming Windows 95 with MFC" -- http://www.ercb.com/received/bk88.html
I could go on -- but you get the point.
Though I find the search function nice, I find it very disconcerting that the quality of the search results in far from being trustworthy! I hope you will take the effort needed to fix it -- to make it a much more usable and valuable resource for developers like me.
Thanks
S. Kadayam
After some investigation, we now understand most of the phenomena that you commented on (although not all). We are using the public domain program SWISH to implement our search facility. The version of SWISH we are using does not index strings that are all numerals, all vowels, or all consonants. This excludes from indexing, for example, the strings "95" and "MFC" -- both of which would otherwise be highly useful as search qualifiers. If you ask for a search that is implicity or explicitly constrained with such non-indexed terms, the search will fail. -- RD
From: Doug_Nickerson@onsetcomp.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 1997 8:26 AM
To: Editor@ercb.com
Subject: Dynamics of SW Devel.
Thanks for your review of 'Dynamics of Software Development' at www.ercb.com. I've been on a private crusade of sorts since having spent the money for that book over a year ago.
You crystallize the book's mistaken, misguided, self-involved, pompous, watered-down psychological approach quite well. Thanks for pointing out the (Bibliography?). I thought it was guilty of hubris. "Get acquainted with Freud." he says. Doesn't he talk about being psychoanalyzed as a "luxurious experience?" The bibliography resembles a rambling list of stuff he's recently seen or done. This is bad enough, but when you consider he's telling you that if you experience what's on his pet list you will ship historic software. Like him, I suppose.
The part about "Wolf Packs" bothered me. I don't know if it's I hope the world doesn't work that way, or what. It *is* likely 'so Microsoft.'
Your analysis of the "Vanity press" had escaped me. I'm trying to write a JavaBeans book for Ventana and they have a bevy of people at least *trying* to tell me when I'm misguided.
Just discovered the ERCB site. It's a really good idea.
Kind regards,
Doug Nickerson
doug_nickerson@onsetcomp.com
Thanks for your comments. By "vanity press" I meant that Microsoft, with its captive publishing house and infinite marketing resources, is in a position to flood the market with books by its own employees or associates that further its own agenda -- whether or not those books would withstand the scrutiny and checks and balances of the normal publishing process. -- RD