Indian CS & IT Academic Reform (Past) Activism: Happy to receive first hard-bound copy of my Indian CS IT Acad. Reform book for which order was placed before lockdown

Last updated on 17th June 2020

Note: This post was composed around 16th May 2020 but kept as a private post. I am publishing it now on 16th June 2020.

I am happy to share that today (16th May 2020) I received the first hard-bound copy of my book: Indian Computer Science & Information Technology Academic Reform (Past) Activism Blog Book. I had placed the order on 13th March 2020 as is shown in attached Pothi.com order partial screenshot info. (with some info. blanked out). The Hard-bound (Hard Cover) book (as against paperback book) takes 8 to 10 business days (as per Pothi.com) to get processed (printed & bound) and so I think that as per original schedule the book should have got dispatched towards end March.

[To open pic in larger resolution, right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]

But India got into Janata (voluntary public) curfew on March 22nd and lockdown started on 25th March which would have frozen my book production (Print-On-Demand) work. Phase 3 of the lockdown started on 4th May 2020 during which some relaxations were provided for non-essential items like books in areas which are not in red zones/containment zones, and so I think this hard cover book copy work would have picked up from where it had been frozen. It got dispatched on 8th May 2020 by Indian government postal service Speed Post and I got delivery of it today 16th May 2020.

I must also mention that new orders for this hard cover book, https://store.pothi.com/book/ravi-s-iyer-indian-computer-science-cs-information-technology-it-academic-reform-past-activis-0 , (or my other paperback books) are not being fulfilled typically as of now by Pothi.com (orders outside Bangalore NOT fulfilled) or by Notion Press, the two self-publishing platform companies that I use for my books.

Of course, I took appropriate precautions by wearing a mask while taking delivery, washing hands with soap after removing the outer package cover and putting it in garbage bag, and soap-washing the scissors I used to cut open the outer package cover. I let the inner contents of the package fall (from a short height) onto the floor, after I cut open the outer package. This way, I touched the inner package only after I had discarded the outer cover and soap-washed my hands carefully.

I am learning to get on with life in Coronavirus pandemic. I am NOT going to allow it to stop me from doing work that is permitted by Indian government authorities. But I decided to share this post, as of now, privately with a few people only as I have some concern that publicly sharing this could get misused by others, and perhaps stop courier and other delivery to Puttaparthi areas outside red zone/cluster containment zone. I may make it a public post some months down the line when I feel that possibility of misuse of this info. by some in the public, is very low.

I have also attached some pics of the hard bound book. As it is my first hard bound book, I can see some needed improvement(s) right away. The hard bound book binding area is clearly visible on the cover. The beginning part of the title text on front cover, starts in this binding area - so that has to be moved slightly to the right to start ***after*** the binding area. I will also now apply for an ISBN for this hard cover book after making required changes to cover of book, and also any inner contents of book if necessary. I had to wait to apply for ISBN till I got the first hard cover copy and checked it out.

I am glad to see that after 25th March when the lockdown started, now on 16th May 2020 I have re-started my book work, which falls in non-essential category of work. I am determined to get back to such work that was doing prior to lockdown, but within guidelines and restrictions imposed or advised by the government of India and/or the government of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

17th June 2020 update

Given below are pics taken by a mid-range mobile (Samsung M21) camera on 17th June 2020.

The two pics below show the binding top and bottom edge in the inner contents part of the hard cover / hard bound book.

The pics below have a comparison of the hard cover / hard bound (hardback) book with paperback book. Note that only the front, spine and back of the cover page of hard bound book is larger than paperback book, but the inner contents of hard bound book have same size as the paperback book (A4 size).

Above pic has hard bound book on left and paperback book on right.

Above pic has hard bound book above and below the paperback book.

Above pic has paperback book kept inside the hard bound book, on top of hard bound book's inner content. The two pics below show from top angle and bottom angle, how the paperback book size fits exactly with inner content of hard bound book. Only the hard bound book cover pages are bigger than paperback book size.