coronavirus

In March, I made my DevOps books free to help anyone who wanted to learn new skills during the global pandemic lockdown. In April, Device42 generously extended that offer for another month.

I originally had the idea to give the books away on a whim on a Sunday night, thinking I'd give up a fair chunk of revenue, but nothing too substantial. The response I did get was overwhelming, to say the least!

As with many other metrics during these unprecedented times, book sales shot through the roof while they were free. The top chart is Ansible for DevOps, and the bottom is Ansible for Kubernetes:

I had hoped this would never happen, but I've already seen some friends of friends either get reduced hours or get some contracting gigs revoked. Hiring freezes aren't yet in place, but I know they're on some companies' radars.

I still hope this trend diminishes (and it might!), but if it doesn't, we should all be there for our friends—if it becomes anything like the 2008 recession, we will probably all have at least one close friend or coworker lose their livelihood.

While things like a small gift won't turn around someone's life, the gesture of being there for another person, and the knowing that someone is not alone, is priceless.

Especially as we are all shutting ourselves in (at least in most parts of the world), please make an effort to reach out to those you know. Let's be open to our family, friends, and co-workers and make sure nobody feels alone!

March 31st Update: Through Device42's generosity, this offer's been extended through the month of April!

The ongoing Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and bear market made me realize how beneficial it has been to be adaptable in the tech industry. There are no guarantees in life, and the ability to earn a livelihood is probably the most underrated important aspect of overall health. Most people take it for granted until they are deeply affected by it.

I can't do much to help during this crises, but I figure that I can make my two books, Ansible for DevOps and Ansible for Kubernetes, free for anyone who wants to learn a new skillset as a buffer against possible coming layoffs.