Proposal: Expanding the Polkadot ecosystem with Polkadot for Beginners (book) v2

Overview

This proposal aims to update the Polkadot for Beginners book to reflect recent developments in the Polkadot ecosystem. The new edition will include updates on OpenGov, Polkadot v2.0 features, and new parachains, ensuring accurate and comprehensive information for newcomers to drive community growth.

Requested Funds: $40,000

Full Proposal here.

Below is an excerpt.

Context of the Proposal

In June 2021, I applied for funding to write the Polkadot for Beginners book because I saw a need for one. My proposal was approved, and I wrote and published the book. With the rapid development of Polkadot, particularly the release of OpenGov and the staggered evolution towards Polkadot v2.0 (Async Backing, Coretime, Elastic Scaling), it has become necessary to create a new, more up-to-date version. This is why I am requesting funds to write a second edition. Since its publication, Polkadot for Beginners v1 has:

• Garnered over 6,000 views
• Gotten over 3,000 downloads
• Been translated into 7 languages by community members: Spanish, Chinese, German, Romanian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Persian These modest numbers are significant because the book’s reach was entirely organic. I wonder what could be achieved with a more concentrated marketing push, but this is a conversation better had when the book is ready.

Problem Statement

Given the pace of development over the last two years (even one year would suffice), it is safe to say that Polkadot is the fastest-evolving blockchain. While this is great from a technology perspective, it poses challenges for community acquisition and management. Information mutates faster than it can be disseminated, rendering parts of "Polkadot for Beginners" v1 obsolete. As the only book about Polkadot for onboarding newbies, it is important to keep it as up-to-date as possible to ensure new converts receive accurate and complete information.

Proposal Solution and Objectives

This proposal seeks funding to write "Polkadot for Beginners" v2, updating the book with current information about the ecosystem. Revisions and new additions will include, but are not limited to:

• Adding details about OpenGov to the governance chapter, including the deprecation of Gov v1 (Council, Technical Committee, etc.) and the primary role of OpenGov.
• Introducing the concept of Polkadot as a quality blockspace provider, as proposed by Robert Habermeier, to the chapter on the relay chain.
• Providing a short overview of new parachains in the chapter on parachains.
• Offering a deep dive into XCM and its various use-cases in the section on interoperability.
• Adding a section dedicated to JAM and the future of Polkadot.
• Including any other updates discovered during research.

Why Write a Book at All?

I fell in love with Polkadot after reading Gavin’s whitepaper. Its balance of simplicity and complexity, as well as the grandness of its vision, deeply impressed me. The whitepaper was like a book on Polkadot, guiding me from Gavin’s vision to the technical aspects. However, it is incredibly technical for the average person and doesn’t scale well in terms of accessibility. The Polkadot wiki attempts to address this by consolidating information on one website, but there are two issues:

• Information is still somewhat scattered.
• The wiki, like the whitepaper, is written from a technical standpoint, which can be challenging for beginners to understand.

As it stands, learning about the Polkadot ecosystem in a holistic and non-technical fashion requires extensive research. This can be daunting for newcomers. To inspire others as I was inspired, we need a holistic view of the ecosystem, similar to reading the whitepaper but accessible to everyone. A book about Polkadot written for beginners would provide a single, comprehensive resource for anyone interested in the ecosystem. It would:

• Reach a broad audience by being written for the lowest common denominator in terms of understanding, thus bringing more people into the DOT community.
• Potentially inspire professionals to launch their own parachains.
• Give the Polkadot community a simple resource to point to when asked about the ecosystem, why it matters, and how it works.
• Boost the profile of the Polkadot ecosystem because a book signifies importance and credibility.

Writer

I gbaci have been a dedicated Polkadot enthusiast since 2021. My journey began with writing Polkadot articles on Medium, leading to my role as a Polkadot Ambassador. As a co-editor of DotLeap, I contributed to a weekly newsletter updating on the Polkadot ecosystem and served as a content writer at RMRK for two years.

Timeline

• Research (4 weeks)
• Writing (2 months)
• Editing (2 months)
• Review (1-2 months)
• Final Release - Jan/Feb 2025

Publishing Milestones

1. New table of contents showing the new additions
2. Delivery of the first draft of the new book
3. Delivery of the finished book

More details on the book production process can be found in the full proposal.

Fee and Payment Terms

Total - $40,000

License

The book will be available under the CC license, allowing community members to download, share, and quote extended passages with attribution. However, I retain the rights to economically exploit the book. This right does not and will never supersede the book’s free nature, given the origin of its creation. The book will likely be sold on ebook marketplaces and as physical copies for the following reasons:

• Some book marketplaces (Amazon, etc.) do not offer free options.
• Profit incentivizes extra marketing efforts.
• Not everyone likes reading on screens, necessitating physical copies and the burden of printing.

I considered asking the treasury to fund the book’s dissemination but decided against it to retain the option of earning royalties. Given that the treasury funds for-profit projects, this seems reasonable to me. However, I am open to reconsidering my position if there is a consensus against it.