A group of English-speaking gamers have compiled a phrasebook for chatting online with Chinese gold farmers, including phrases like "Would you like to join my group?" and "please do not steal my mobs."

jia you - GO GO GO! (Use as a cheer)
ni kan! - look!
Pao! - Run!
Deng yi xia. - Wait a moment.
Ni xian zou. - You go first.
bu yao sha ta - dont kill him/her/it
bu yao sha wo - don't kill me

Farmer Speak (Thanks, Nick!)

Here's a video from a recent U Washington Law School panel discussion with Neal Stephenson regarding his video-game crime-thriller REAMDE. The law school assembled cyber lawyers, security experts from the computer science department, and Stephenson himself, and discussed the real-world implications for the sorts of business, technology, security and crime described in the (excellent) book. This video would probably work better as an MP3 -- there's not much in the video track beyond a nearly static image of the panel -- but the actual content is fascinating.

Update: Here's the MP3, courtesy of U Washington.

2012 10 18 LTA Bookclub Neal StephensonHQ

I'm heading to Germany next week for a series of school visits and public appearances to promote the German edition of my novel For the Win. I'm doing public stops in Hamburg (Nov 7, 10AM, Hamburger Kinderbuchhaus im Altonaer Museum), Berlin (8PM, Sankt Oberholz), and Munich (7PM, Lovelybooks, livestream available). Full details at the RandomHouse.de site.