[SciPy-user] Re: [SciPy-dev] Re: [Numpy-discussion] Purchasing Documentation

[Travis Oliphant]

Matthew Brett wrote:

>Hi Travis,
>
>So, can I summarize for my own benefit?
>
>I think we all agree that software without documentation is not
>usable, and therefore that free software requires that the basic
>documentation also be free.
>
>Obviously if the _basic_ documentation is not free, this will
>dramatically reduce software uptake.
>
>And I think we all also agree that there is no problem of any sort
>with not-free documentation that expands in a useful way on the basic
>documentation.
>
>So, just to clarify - does Fenando win his bet (was it dollars or
>doughnuts)?  Are you happy for the community to write and release free
>basic documentation for scipy.base?
>  
>

Yes, yes.  Fernando knows me pretty well in that regard. I'll probably 
contribute to it with useful selections from the book (once I have the 
book finished).    It really motivates me to produce more  (of 
everything) when I see people actually purchasing the documentation.

And I certainly don't want "lack of free documentation" to hamper 
adoption of scipy core.   So, it benefits everybody to have free version 
available.

It would be great if somebody could at least post the pydoc output for 
the core.  That is a good start.  I'll add basic C-API calls to free 
documentation and we'll be ready to go.

-Travis