Congratulations…you have given birth to a new generation of kids that will question authority and, maybe, just maybe, take the time to revolt against the status quo.

Also picked up Look At Me- quite a good book. And I finished Snitch Jacket which has the most hilarious satire of Burning Man you’ll ever read. Maybe this week I’ll take a crack at Anathem(?) or whatever else I can get my hands on.

your mother would be proud.

Congrats.

Jean

“Even if you only write code for one day, one afternoon, you have to do it. Computers can control you or they can lighten your work — if you want to be in charge of your machines, you have to learn to write code.”

Congrats – this is LB news that’s worth reporting.

It was exceptionally good.

Heh, I was lucky enough to pick up a signed copy at Elliott Bay Book Co. a couple days after you’d signed there. Of course, I would have much rather been there for the actual signing, but road trips can’t always be hurried and I couldn’t get to Seattle in time. Ah well. Thank for the great read. I’ve been rec’ing your book, so I’m glad it’s doing well.

seems I can’t find any picture of it online, sorry…

cn’t blv ths s th frst stry s thgh. ws gttng fd p wth ll th plgs fr ths bk bck whn t cm t.

Prbbly gd rd, bt shsh … tlk bt vrkll :ywn:

Wow. That must feel good to hear. Congratulations and thanks for your work, it’s great that you’re spreading these ideas to a new and broader audience. They need to be heard again.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/27/boing-boings-moderat.html

(that old saw?)

Single issue voters cannot be placated.

It’s funny – it actually made me think of my time working in restaurants as a high school kid. The connection is that even dabbling in something gives you a sense of the enormity of another type of life. I’ve only dabbled in code but it gave me a palpable appreciation for a remarkable way of thinking and the people behind it.

(Me, I like just about every flavor of the free ice cream)

RE: “you have to learn to write code” — as a professional, often low-level (assembler language on a mainframe) coder, of course that statement resonates. It is important, however, to spend some time educating people about how much of what they do these days is “coding” in a sense:

– use the task scheduler in Windows to automate repetitive things like backups
– learn to code formulas and things in Excel
– controlling what is automatically started when you start your machine
– learn the power of Notepad to modify various settings, playlist files, etc.
– once comfortable, start on things like Windows scripting

Once they realize all the opportunities for coding, the next step is to demand that the software they use be programmable in those senses – for example, don’t accept binary-coded playlists for your music devices or software; use one that lets you edit the playlists via a text editor.

Note that I used Windows examples not because I’m a Windows fanboy (z/OS is my OS of choice) but because that’s what a lot of people who are “just using” computers have.

after reading it online, i read the articles at the bottom, and paid very close attention to the books that were mentioned there. and now i’m going to read those. i think i’m well on my way to becoming a Cory Doctorow fangirl.

I haven’t read much in the way of fiction in a long time – been focused on podcasts and audiobooks the last few years. But this was the best thing I have come across in a long time. When it first came out, I was worried about letting my 11 year old son read it, because I thought it might be too scary, or the “adult” stuff might have been too racy. I’m not worried about that now.

He started middle school a few weeks ago, and his eyes have already been opened a lot wider to the world around him. They’re talking in detail about the political process, they’re reading The Hobbit in his English class, he’s getting exposed to a much wider range of opinions and decisions in the halls, classrooms… even the lunchroom. This is exactly the sort of book he needs to read now.

I’m really going to have to put an effort into digging out my old Newton, whacking together a NewtonBook of it, and giving it to him. Congratulations, Cory, on writing such a great and successful story.