| Claus' Last Stand |
S. Claus
S. Claus takes issue with user demands. He insists that from now on, wish lists should be submitted in well-formed XML, and offers good and unusual last-minute suggestions for the computer bookworms on your list.
Claus' Last Stand
by S. Claus
The North Magnetic Pole has been shimmering with activity in recent weeks. The Reindeers are so flighty it's hard to keep them grounded. Rudolf's indignant that the National Guard insisted on two fighter escorts when approaching major urban centers. He understands why all parcels must be x-rayed, but feels that it's going too far to ask a Reindeer to remove his shoes.
We've done a good job so far coping with the rising population and user demands. But now and then I have a sinking feeling. Melting icecaps aside, this is the last year we will accept scribbled wish lists from computer-literate kiddies.
Next year, we will expect lists in well-formed XML. In fact, we've developed our own XML specification, Santa's List Expression Dialect, so we can cope. You can read more about it at http://sledXML.org.
And no selfish e-mails generated by proprietary, closed source software, either. Let me tell you, the "outlook" is bleak for any script kiddies who think they can sneak under the DEW Line. Naughty-naughty.
Here's a few books the dwarves tossed around the workshop this year . . . - How Computer Programming Works, by Dan Appleman, APress, ISBN 1-893115-23-2, US$29.95 -- A great introduction to programming, vividly illustrated and suitable for young and old. Appleman begins with simple concepts like variables, and ends with chapters on Assembly Language, C, User Interface Design, Internet Programming, and Embedded Programming.
- Encyclopedia of Networking & Telecommunications by Tom Sheldon, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-212005-3, US$79.99 -- Someone keeps saying the network is the computer, so if you can't tell your Qbone from your funny bone, redirect your packets, and finger your way through this huge 1447-page tome. Better yet, install the CD, which contains the full text plus a complete set of Internet RFCs.
- Red Hat Linux: The Complete Reference, 2nd Edition, by Richard Peterson, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, ISBN 0-07-219178-3, US$49.99 -- Complete with Red Hat Linux 7.2, this updated guide to the predominant distribution covers everything from installation and configuration to networking, security, and the Linux desktops. If you plan to live or work with Red Hat, this book belongs in your toolkit.
- Mac OS X:The Complete Reference, by Jesse Feiler, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-212663-9, US$39.99 -- Face it, Mac detractors, OS X is going to change your world. This Mach/FreeBSD-based OS has a desktop that Linux deserves, and a version of it will eventually run on Intel hardware. If anything will bring established printing and graphics software nearer to Linux, this is it. (I can't avoid noting that this book is produced by Santa's favorite publishing software, Corel Ventura, which had a brief existence on Mac OS, and now is only available for Windows. Next year, Santa wants an OS X/Linux version.)
- The Cathedral & The Bazaar, Revised Edition, by Eric S. Raymond, O'Reilly, ISBN 0-596-00131-2, US$24.95 -- Here's a foundation document for the Open Source Revolution, the declaration of independence from software monopolies, but also a vision of co-operative evolution which is gradually transforming the world culture through "an implausible form of magic."
- Peer-To-Peer: Harnessing the Power of Disruptive Technologies, edited by Andy Oram, O'Reilly, ISBN 0-596-00110-X, US$29.95 -- What's this Brave New World of Web Services, .NET, P2P? Is Peer-to-Peer a new sacred cow, the justification for more expensive upgrades, or a new vision of Internet-enabled community? Nineteen essays explain what Lawrence Lessig calls "the next great thing for the Internet."
- The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Physics, by Julian Barbour, Oxford Press, ISBN 0-190511729-8 -- Okay, this is not about computers, but it may just explain how those files which just got zapped actually still exist in a previous eternal moment. Time is something we fabricate, it's a story we create. Barbour believes in a timeless universe "for the childlike reason that time cannot be seen. This is mind-bending frontier physics which touches art, religion and history. Chew thoroughly before swallowing.
- Language and the Internet, by David Crystal, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-80212-1 -- New technologies require new language and new art. Thus, Prof. Crystal, one of the world's foremost authorities on language, argues that the Internet is spawning Netspeak, a language with new words like "trolling", and new symbols such as the famous emoticon, the "smiley." Crystal say it's clear "we are on the
brink of the biggest language revolution ever."
- The X-Economy: Profiting from Instant Commerce, by Thomas Koulopoulos and Nathaniel Palmer, Texere, ISBN 1-58799-074-1, US$27.95 -- Planning a new business? The death of the Dot-Coms has confused many into thinking that the world economy is not in transformation, that e-Commerce really means brochureware. The Delphi Group's Koulopoulos and Palmer show that throughout history, the "time-to-community" has steadily decreased. As the transformation in global politics since Sept. 11, 2001, shows, new communities and allies now form instantly. This new global "exchange economy" offers unprecedented opportunities.
- The Shattered Self: The End of Natural Evolution, by Pierre Baldi, MIT Press, ISBN 0-262-02502-7, US$24.95 -- All the talk about intelligent computers, nanotechnology, and genetic research challenge our most basic concepts, leading to calls for limits on research and a return to "traditional" values. Baldi shows that emerging technologies will soon make our self-centered view of the universe obsolete. The boundary between the self and the world has begun to blur and ultimately may evaporate entirely.
- Sair Linux and GNU Certification Guides, by Tobin Maginnis, eight volumes, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., US$39.99 each -- "I am a microscopic part of this great experiment in shared intellectual propriety referred to as Linux," says Prof. Maginnis. His eight volume series of study guides, now updated for Linux 2.4, covers the major distributions and includes lab materials, exercises, and practice questions for the Sair Linux and GNU Certified Administrator exams. As a balanced education in the broad world of Linux, or as study guides for certification and professional enhancement, these carefully developed study guides belong in your collection.
- Network Consultants Handbook, by Matthew Castelli, Cisco Press, ISBN 1-58705-039-0, US$45.00 -- Networks are no longer simple LANs. Even small business networks are including wireless as well as wireline technologies. If you're asked to evaluate or diagnose a network, where do you begin? Cisco's guide shows you how to gather the relevant information, how to analyze it, and how to document it. Valuable, and unfortunately rare, skills. The book has a companion Web site with downloadable data templates to get you started.
- Essential Business Tactics for the Net, second edition, by Larry Chase and Eileen Shulock, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN 0-471-40397-0, US$29.99 -- Many people think that doing business with the Internet simply means e-Commerce. Larry Chase explains that Internet technology is useful not only in running a leaner, more competitive organization, but in spying on your competition. From Human Resources to marketing and PR, Larry shows how business can cut to the Chase.
- Cheap Web Tricks!, by Anne Martinez, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-219099-X, US$19.99 -- Build and promote a successful Web site without spending a dime! But first buy this book.
- The MIT Guide to Teaching Web Site Design, by Barrett, Levinson and Lisanti, MIT Press, ISBN 0-262-02500-0, US$22.95 -- The vast majority of Web sites are strong evidence that their authors don't understand the medium. Nor are you likely to gain this wisdom from the user manuals of popular Web tools. The authors believe the Web has not altered the principles of good communication design, which combines technical skills with written and oral communication skills. Readin, Rightin, Spellin, and Speakin.
- experience design 1, by Nathan Shedroff, New Riders, ISBN 0-7357-1078-3, US$45.00 -- Marshall McLuhan used to produce books like this, full of complex layouts, interesting photos, pithy paragraphs punctuating each page. "Experience Design is not only a way of designing online experience, but more importantly, it is a way of approaching all design, whether it be products, services, environments, or events."
- Hack Proofing Linux, by Stanger, Lane, and Danielyan, Syngress, ISBN 1-928994-34-2, US$49.95
- Hack Proofing Your Web Applications, by Forristal, and Traxler, Syngress, ISBN 1-928994-31-8, US$49.95
- Hacking Exposed, Second Edition, by Scambray, McClure, Kurtz, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-212748-1, US$39.99
- Incident Response: Investigating Computer Crime, by Mandia, Prosise, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-213182-9, US$39.99
Driver's insurance for the Internet. Learn to stop evil-doers by thinking like an evil-doer. The Syngress books each come with a 1-year upgrade plan which includes monthly mailings and white papers, plus a wallet-sized resource CD. Hacking Exposed concentrates on network security for the more experienced reader. Incident Response shows you how to recognize and respond to security breaches and hacker attacks. Copyright © 2001 by Malcolm Dean. Reprinted with permission.
About the author: Contributing Editor Malcolm Dean is a writer and IT strategist based in Los Angeles.
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