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Old 06-13-2001, 03:08 AM   #1
leif
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I just read a great book.

"In the begining ... was the command line" by Neal Stephenson is a great history of operating systems written in a somehwat non-technical manner. I'd say this is a must read for anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis.

In the spirit of things being free, the full text of it is online in many places including the site below:

<a href="http://www.cyberpunkproject.org/lib/in_the_beginning_was_the_command_line/">http://www.cyberpunkproject.org/lib/in_the_beginning_was_the_command_line/</a>

I've read one other book by the same author, Snow Crash, and after this one I certainly intend to read more.
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Old 06-13-2001, 08:17 AM   #2
jared
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Smile Work your way backwards...

"Snow Crash" was a good book..."Cryptonomicon" is a GREAT book. "Diamond Age" was OK. Stephenson has shown a clear maturing of his literary style and ability to marry plot and character. I thought William Gibson plateaued after "Count Zero" (not that I haven't enjoyed most of his writing - though why he associated himself with the movie of "Johnny Mnemonic" is beyond me), but Stephenson is getting better all the time.
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Old 06-15-2001, 09:01 AM   #3
addyd
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Thanks for the link!

Thanks for the link, first I have heard of it. (I saved a local copy so I could flip the bgcolor and the text color. SHEEESH!)
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Old 06-24-2001, 04:59 AM   #4
jaguar
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I have to agree Gibsons's Count Zero was better than Neuromancer, I want to read his latest, released in 2000....
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Old 06-26-2001, 08:18 AM   #5
OGREMkIV
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You kids might want to check out some older Stephenson works- specifically the Big U and Zodiac. Both books show his style, if a bit less mature than his later works. Big U is reflective of his days at a 'mega-university' in the early eighties. As an attendee of a mega-university in the late nineties, I can't say its too far off.
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Old 02-26-2003, 07:54 PM   #6
jaguar
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I'm going though a Stepherson phase at the moment, diamond age and Cryptonomicon. LEGEND! Best autor i've found in a long, long time. I'm loving his work. Tracking down some more at the moment.
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Old 02-26-2003, 09:39 PM   #7
SteveDallas
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I have the "command line" book tho I admit I haven't finished it.

I read Big U a while back and it's definitely more immature in style, tho worthwhile if you are a fan.
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Old 03-01-2003, 11:43 PM   #8
BrianR
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Angry rhetorical question

How is it possible for me to upgrade my system from 64M RAM to 256M RAM, add a Ati Radeon 7500LE video card and a cheapie webcam so my beloved can see me when I'm talking to her..and yet when all the dust settles, Netscape was GONE!

The directory was still there, as were the folders, but the executable was totally wiped off the HD, no trace found!

Where'd it go?

Brian
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Old 03-01-2003, 11:51 PM   #9
wolf
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Bill Gates stole it. He does that.
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Old 03-02-2003, 06:26 PM   #10
CodeBlue40
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I don't know if it's really fair to say William Gibson associated himself with Johnny Mnemonic. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the movie was a somewhat loose adaptation of his book. It's not like he directed it. Hell, someone probably took liberties with a lot of the dialogue. I mean, shit Henry Rollins plays a doctor. Nothing against Hank, but I thought he would have been better in Ice-T's role. Maybe have Ice-T play the doctor. I dunno...anyway. Now, if Gibson had fully endorsed the movie (i.e. walk-on cameo, etc.), then that's a *sore of a different STD.



*Kind of like "a horse of a different color", only...really, really gross.
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Old 03-06-2003, 10:50 PM   #11
Torrere
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Codeblue40: Please utilize ordinary black text.

I have loved all of Stephenson's novels, and I have been trying to find Zodiac: the Eco-Thriller locally. Discussions about Neal Stephenson are generally very fun to have: he does some odd stuff (such as diverging from the story for a few pages to explain Riemann-Zeta functions using the analogy of a bicycle chain in Cryptonomicon). Stephenson also has a drifting way of story telling that I quite like.

Googling for "In The Beginning Was the Command Line" returns many results, I believe that my favorite format might be the smorgasbord link.
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Old 03-09-2003, 06:50 PM   #12
CodeBlue40
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My only real problem with Snow Crash was at the end. It felt a little contrived. Was that just me?

And, I don't remember seeing in the rules that I had to use a specific color of text. I do, however, see an option for me to change the color of the text in my post. I think I'll exercise that option.

Sorry sport. I'm sticking with the dark-blue until I hear otherwise.
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Old 03-09-2003, 06:54 PM   #13
Griff
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definitely, definitely medium, medium blue definitely, blue
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Old 03-09-2003, 07:19 PM   #14
CodeBlue40
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Quote:
Originally posted by Griff
definitely, definitely medium, medium blue definitely, blue
What? This? I think it's way too bright.
And this is barely visible.
And this...? Well, that's just crazy.

No, no. I think I'll be staying with this.
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Old 03-09-2003, 08:24 PM   #15
Undertoad
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Damn coloreds moving in and ruining the neighborhood.




(*snicker*)
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