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List:       python-distutils-sig
Subject:    [Distutils] Python Documentation in ThoutReader format
From:       mcarey () osoft ! com (Mark D !  Carey)
Date:       2005-02-02 18:15:59
Message-ID: 20050202171557.1BAFF1E4003 () bag ! python ! org
[Download RAW message or body]

Dear Fred, Guido, and the rest of the Python Documentation Team,

I am part of a small group of developers that distributes the ThoutReader?,
an open source documentation platform that allows developers to browse,
search, bookmark, and append their open source documentation as well as
favorite reference books, at the same time, in one format, even off line.
The ThoutReader? is a cross-platform application written in Java, licensed
under GPL 2.0, and hosted on SourceForge.

A large international web hosting company asked us to parse the Python
Documentation into the ThoutReader? format which they feel would be a huge
benefit for their client sites. So far we have parsed into the ThoutReader?
format PHP, MySQL, Perl, Apache, Linux, BSD, and now Python. 

I would like to share with you the work that we have done and ensure it
meets your approval before we post or distribute it on our website
www.osoft.com. I believe we have included all of the required copyright,
author, and license requirements but I seek your approval before proceeding.
I posted the file www.osoft.com/python/Python-Documentation-2.4.jar to our
server for you to download and review. The link to the latest version of the
ThoutReader? (required to read the file) is http://www.osoft.com or direct
from SourceForge at
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=101817&package_id=1258
90. 

The benefit of the ThoutReader? is that it standardizes all of a developer?s
documentation needs. Documentation comes in different formats and different
locations, making information hard to find when, where and how you need it:
this means a lot of inconvenience and frustration by developers. Not only
could a developer search the Python documentation, but they could also
search related books like ?Dive into Python? by Mark Pilgrim or other such
titles at the same time. Best of all, all of this is done offline!

Our goal (with your approval) is to be listed as an alternative
documentation source at http://docs.python.org/download.html. Whatever
documentation is free, we provide for free. Authors may also contribute
commercial content to be distributed via the ThoutReader?. Authors retain
ALL of their IP rights and set the selling price. OSoft does not make any
money to support our project until the author makes money first. We believe
that it is not fair for an author to write a reference book that sells for
$49.00 and only make $1-2 per book royalty. 
 
I look forward to hearing back from you before I proceed. Thanks for giving
us this opportunity. We are still tweaking our parsed content but it is
certainly useable right now. 

Mark

Mark D. Carey
President
OSoft, Inc.
253-284-0475
mcarey@osoft.com
2511 South Hood Street
Tacoma, WA? 98402


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