Jeber’s

Does Daemon offer humanity Freedom?

My fascination with hard science fiction, especially books in which plausible technology is employed, started when I was a teen in the 60s. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the National Security Agency as a cryptographic analyst when I enlisted in the Army Security Agency in the 70s. I like to joke that my first computer was a Cray, and it was. NSA prides itself on being 10-20 years ahead of the “outside” world when it comes to technology. That experience cemented my interest in technological science and science fiction. That interest is just as strong today as it ever was.

Daemon was the first novel of its kind that I’ve read. I’ve plowed through the Clancy Net Force novels, even those written by other authors, and found the premise of each to be a bit too fantastic and unrealistic though they were entertaining. I enjoyed Jack Williamson’s The Silicon Dagger though the technology was never explained and came across as nonsensical. The social issues he raised are worth considering. But nothing I found impressed me as much as Daemon. The use of plausible and contemporary technology in ways that could potentially alter human society challenged my mind and excited my imagination.

I wrote a glowing review of Daemon when it was first self-published and recommended to me by a friend on Friendfeed, appropriately enough. I’ve re-read the novel 3 or 4 times now, and am eager to read the follow-up to Daemon called Freedom.

Daniel Suarez ended Daemon in a way that suggested a sequel. And very soon this sequel will be available in bookstores.

If you’d like to read a few sample chapters of Freedom you can do that here. As soon as I’ve read it I’ll have a lot more to say on the subject.

(On the Daemon’s website you’ll find many interesting links to how and where the technology Suarez incorporates into his novels is being used and explored. It’s well worth reading if you have an interest in the potential misuse of technology or internet security. You may also want to view this video in which Suarez talks about botnets.)

(Disclosure: I bought my first copy of Daemon, then Daniel kindly provided me with autographed copies of Daemon and Freedom. I assure you, having been provided with free copies of these books is in no way responsible for my enthusiasm for them. I was not asked to review them; it was solely my decision to do so. My recommendations are authentically my own.)

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• Stewards Of A Bot-Mediated Reality (techstartups.com)
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• 7th Son: Descent reviewed in Publisher’s Weekly (jchutchins.net)
• Freedom (TM) by Daniel Suarez (cc-chapman.com)

Blog law

Directory Aviva has posted a very informative article on “12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know”. It covers topics such as;
Whether to Disclose Paid Posts
The Legal Use of Images and Thumbnails
Handling Private Data About Your Readers

If you blog about anything, you should read and consider this article. It could save you a lot of grief in the future.

New Shortcuts

Thanks to Andrea Bledsoe at Pearson Technology Group for sending this along. The publishing world is finding new ways to push content to their readers. This new format looks promising for those of us who often don’t have time to peruse an entire book when we need information.

Pearson Technology Group (PTG) announced today the launch of Short Cuts, a new digital product line. Short Cuts are concise PDF documents about a cutting-edge technology that shows great promise, or an existing technology that has reached the “tipping point” and is about to take off.

Authored by industry experts and best-selling authors, flagship Short Cuts include: Cheating Online Games by Gary McGraw and Greg Hoglund; Refactoring to Agility by Carol A. Wellington; and Using BusyBox by Christopher Hallinan. More than a dozen additional Short Cuts are scheduled to be published by the end of 2006.

Covering programming, databases, networking, engineering, security, and more, Short Cuts are developed to save readers time, show users how to solve a specific problem, or introduce a new topic. Varying from 50 to 150 pages in length, Short Cuts are available for sale on www.informit.com and the Pearson Technology Group imprint sites: Addison-Wesley Professional; Cisco Press; Exam Cram; IBM Press; Prentice Hall Professional; Que Publishing; Sams Publishing.

“Often when a hot topic emerges, our readers do not want to wait for the print book to publish,” said Kourtnaye Sturgeon, Director of Marketing, Pearson Technology Group. “Short Cuts are quick to publish and provide valuable technical information in a timely way.”

“PTG has a unique relationship with the authoring community,” said Paul Boger, Vice President and Publisher at Pearson Education. “Readers of Short Cuts can expect the same level of quality, accuracy, knowledge, and insight they receive from our printed books, and gain access to the information sooner, but in a more portable form.”

With a diverse lineup of published Short Cuts, including Using Google Spreadsheets, Understanding AJAX: Consuming the Sent Data with XML and JSON, What Is Six Sigma for Technical Processes?, a FileMaker 8 Calculation Functions, and array of Cisco certification Short Cuts helping candidates find the quickest way to exam success, the PTG imprints have even more digital products planned for 2007.

To view additional information on Short Cuts from PTG imprints, visit www.informit.com/shortcuts.