mattdb.com

In another of what is starting to be a series of public-interest stories¹, I recently set about attempting to find a PDF copy of Obie’s masterpiece, The Rails Way.

Unfortunately, this book is published by Addison Wesley, who aren’t exactly the Pragmatic Programmers. Daunted by the 912-page heft, and following nightmares of a 20-pound addition to my computer bag, I sought out some sort of PDF option.

Obie himself recommended diesel-ebooks² on Josh Sutter’s blog. Surely an enlightened member of the agile community would not recommend some fly-by-night organization? Diesel’s site listed the format as “Adobe”, alongside a tiny PDF icon. I searched for information on the help pages, etc. about the if there was any DRM, etc. I couldn’t find any. Perhaps it does exist somewhere, but I’m a pretty savvy web user and if I couldn’t find it in 5 minutes, you can bet Joe Consumer ain’t gonna find it, either. So I shrug, and with the thought of 900 pages on my back, I decide it’s worth a shot. I pony up my dough, more than amazon is charging for the actual, physical book, and go through a pointless exercise in getting a code from them from an automated phone call³. I retrieve my email and click that verification link, and I get to download a file. Wait, it’s a .etd file, and only just over 1 kB in size? I guess it’s some special reference file that Acrobat Reader understands?

Yes, and no. I download Acrobat Reader⁴, and drag my file over. It tells me I need something called “Digital Editions” or something like that and bounces me to the webpage to download. Except I can’t. Where I gather the link is supposed to be, inside a flash applet, is just a link to the system requirements. Digital Editions does not run on Leopard (nor are you allowed to even try, apparently). End of road. Except I’m out my 36 bucks.

I have now put in a support request at diesel asking for a refund, as I can’t even use it, and this was not disclosed to me. Somehow I’m not that hopeful. So far I haven’t even heard a peep from them. I’m mentally preparing myself for the fun that contesting the credit card charges will be.

Please world, if ever a book deserved a real, honest-to-goodness PDF version, this is the one. Can’t we work out some sort of a deal? I’d stop short of giving an arm or a leg, perhaps a toe or something? Maybe the one who got roast beef?

¹ Perhaps I should apply for a gig at The Consumerist?

² No link love for the wicked.

³ I guess they have a verified number that I was at, but wouldn’t a “bad guy” just have it call a pay phone somewhere?

⁴ Thank you, Preview, for saving me from this for so long.