Tim, I imagine you'll get over here eventually, if this thread picks up steam. I've quite enjoyed and found useful many O'Reilly titles, especially the "classics" from the '90's and early on in the prior decade.
However, I've had in-depth experience with several recent O'Reilly titles that are not just somewhat worse, but frankly not at all worth the money. That have left me wondering where the hell the editor, any editor, was; not just to tidy up the language a bit, but to assess the competence of the author and the worthiness -- and correctness -- of the title's content.
My impression is that you've shifted your own attention more to the conferences and some of the forward-thinking activity going on in the Valley and beyond (e.g. "alternative" energy development). While I don't begrudge you that, part of me hopes you might cast a rather attentive, and sustained, eye upon the current state of O'Reilly's publishing activities and titles. If they aren't improved (perhaps the "Head Start" series being an exception; but that's a genre, not a publishing house), I fear for O'Reilly's future as your pre-existing momentum runs out. My selfish interest being that I could use, and would readily pay for -- as I have often in the past -- higher quality titles akin to those of yore.
Maybe my anecdotal experience is the exception, but I've been reading here and there comments from others to at least somewhat similar effect.
However, I've had in-depth experience with several recent O'Reilly titles that are not just somewhat worse, but frankly not at all worth the money. That have left me wondering where the hell the editor, any editor, was; not just to tidy up the language a bit, but to assess the competence of the author and the worthiness -- and correctness -- of the title's content.
My impression is that you've shifted your own attention more to the conferences and some of the forward-thinking activity going on in the Valley and beyond (e.g. "alternative" energy development). While I don't begrudge you that, part of me hopes you might cast a rather attentive, and sustained, eye upon the current state of O'Reilly's publishing activities and titles. If they aren't improved (perhaps the "Head Start" series being an exception; but that's a genre, not a publishing house), I fear for O'Reilly's future as your pre-existing momentum runs out. My selfish interest being that I could use, and would readily pay for -- as I have often in the past -- higher quality titles akin to those of yore.
Maybe my anecdotal experience is the exception, but I've been reading here and there comments from others to at least somewhat similar effect.