No Windows XP Media Hacks book...

I hate to post bad news, but for those that were expecting to see that O'Reilly book with my name in it as a contributor: it is cancelled.

The book would have been called Windows XP Media Hacks, the author was Joli Ballew. O'Reilly cancelled the book, around the same time it was finished(this happened about three months ago...), because Microsoft released new media enhancements (some tools and media player 10).

The book would have contained 100 'hacks' (as in tweaks) for Windows XP, somehow related to multimedia. I ended up writing 3 of them:
- Recover Deleted Photos (file recovery util)
- Group Policy (policy settings related to 'media' tools such as Windows Media Player)
- Screen Savers (policy and registry settings, and cool screensaver stuff)

I still own the copyright (yeah, didn't get paid either), so I can do anything I want with it (filling up disk space for example). I've considered selling them to a magazine or website, but haven't made time to do so. Note that the audience of the book was not IT professionals (or soon-to-be professionals), but rather the intermediate computer users who know a fair bit about Windows XP, but not what goes on behind the windows...

Should I put them online here? Anyone interested? Perhaps after reading, someone can suggest an appropriate website I can donate it to (and still have an audience

)

Johan

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Comments

/usr

Do what you want with them, but since you put the time into it, I would keep them to yourself and try to sell them.

You can always post them if nothing turns up. Might as well try to get paid for your work.

TeKniques

I agree. There are lots of computer magazines that probably would be willing to take your stuff. I see lots here and there about Windows XP tweaks and tips or what have you. I would explore those possibilities first and then decide what to do.

Good luck with it and sorry to hear the bad news about the book

Webmaster

I should have done some more effort to sell them, but I've kept them for 3 months now and if nobody reads it, it has really been a waste of time. The Recover Deleted Photos would be a typical article for in a magazine, but all the known magazines did an article about it 'ages' ago. The other 2 are very specific and would be more suitable for a tweak site or similar. But, it's getting old fast, the group policy covers Media player 9, although most things still apply for 10.

So I really wouldn't mind donating them to another site, as long as it gets read.

Check out the following URL For O'Reilly Hacks series, there's a lot of cool stuff online too:
hacks.oreilly.com

Ricka182

I've seen a lot of XP questions over at MCMCSE. I don't know how many specifically on the topics you wrote about, but tweaks are always fun. I'm sure Jason would be delighted to add to his stack of articles. Just a thought; and a beer.

Webmaster

MCMCSE is also a certification site for IT professionals hence not the optimal audience, just like here (we exchange a fair amount of visitors and have done so for almost 5 years). You are right though, tweaks are always fun, but not just for IT pro's. Not that I wouldn't mind donating anything to Jason though, I wrote most of their sec+ questions, and we've worked a lot together and lots of things, but MCMCSE is not the kind of site I had in mind. Thanks for the suggestion though.

janmike

My condolences and my congratulations, Johann! Congrats that you completed the gargantuan task of writing for a book. It has to be a labor of "love" to write and to write well. That kind of patience always makes one a winner.

Condolences,of course, on being cancelled and losing the income. However, I'm sure(for what it may be worth) that the experience has taught you a lot about the writing business and the writing process.

I'm amazed too at the efficiency that you must be capable of--writing professionally and still maintaining this great TechExams Forum Web site.

Best of luck for the future!

mobri09

Agreed with janmike! Congrats Webmaster

Webmaster

Thanks guys and thanks for the kind words Janmike!

You are right, I did learn a lot from the experience. Unfortunately not all good things, but it did open some doors. Apart from that I enjoyed writing them as it was something different than usual.

I'm amazed too at the efficiency that you must be capable of--writing professionally and still maintaining this great TechExams Forum Web site.

Well, members like yourself and the moderators make these forums possible.

Non-Profit Techie

sorry to hear that they wont be published.

Webmaster

I'm reviving a 15 months old topic, but since something reminded me of the three articles I wrote, I decided to put them online. Well, two of them because I have to retrieve the third from an old hard disk.

Getting the Most Out of Windows XP Screen Savers

Control Media Player with the Group Policy Console

As I mentioned in my first post in this topic, it was written for a book called Windows XP Media Hacks, which was never published, and not specifically for IT professionals and cert students but for all computer enthusiasts and fanatics.

jescab

The links no workie for me.....

kalebksp

Try replacing .shtml with .html, that seems to work.

jescab

Yeppers, that worked.....

Webmaster

jescab wrote:

The links no workie for me.....

Sorry about that, fixed them.

shadown7

I like them!

Good job