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Which Computer Books For Prisoners?
Brian D. writes "I've recently begun working with a group that sends books to prisoners in federal and state prisons. We try to match their requests as well as we can. One request that we consistently have trouble filling is for computer books. This is not for lack of books, but because the prisoners' requests tend to be vague and their computer resources are obviously severely limited. Keep in mind that we send prisoners all types of books — from gardening and landscaping to cooking and sailing — about topics they don't have the resources to experiment with. With basically one shelf devoted to books on computing, what types of books should I tell them we should keep? What are the best types of books to send a prisoner who requests a book on 'computer repair?'"
I've used Ada a fair bit, but the biggest joke in that particular line when I used the language tended to be that none of the compilers complied with all aspects of the specification because it was just too complex. Ada is powerful and I do like many aspects of Ada (including the fact that many common programming errors are impossible in the language) but it is... clunky in some respects and the runtime components tend to be heavy. Modula-2 I don't like at all - it has a tighter structure than Pascal but I've not seen any way in which it does so that is actually useful.
When it comes to programming languages, I am not satisfied with any of the languages currently out there and feel they tend to either be over-engineered or over-reliant on evolution to fix a lack of engineering. There are some that seem to have a better balance, but they tend to be obscure and therefore insufficiently exercised to be sure that this appearance reflects reality. If they were better, it would seem they'd be used more.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Well there's 2 sides to this coin, on the one hand you have inmates who are remorseful for what they did and eager to re-enter society. These people indeed I have no problem spending my taxpayer dollars on to fund computers and other devices to let them stay in tuned with the world.
But most of your types in State Prison? The hardcore, those who have no intention of leaving or functioning normally in society. Whom would view a computer and say "what kind of improvised weapon can I make to better make someone's life hell and/or kill them?" They're a$$holes pure in simple.
The trick is to separate one from the other here and fund accordingly...
...in bed