i really think that Lisp, or better yet, Scheme, is the way to go for teaching kids to program. it teaches algorythms etc, rather than structure (which changes from language to language) I just finished a scheme class at my college, and in my opinion scheme is simultaneously one of the worst and one of the best languages ever invented. Scheme users are forced to write really gorgeous code. If they don't, their programs are pretty much doomed to failure. Scheme is a lot less forgiving in this sense than C, for example. Scheme can be a _very_ difficult language to get into. However, if your kids can figure it out, they'll be really well of in terms of learning other languages. There're two books you'll want to check out if Scheme is something you want to pursue. The first is called Simply Scheme (I don't remember who wrote it), and the second is the standard Scheme book at every college and university in this country: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson and Sussman. Good luck!
It wouldn't be for ALL writing...its more things like "this chapter is free, $1 and you can read the whole book", etc. Very true. E.g. the web site forCryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson's year-old (and awesome) book includes the first ~75 pages of the book, plus an essay entitled In the Beginning Was the Command Line. Recently, I emailed a friend the URL for the book excerpt. He promptly purchased the book. Furthermore, in regards to In the Beginning... the entire essay is available for free on the site, or for $10 at any bookstore. I read it online and went out and purchased an actual copy of said essay. Just because people have access to the contents of a book or music or whatever doesn't mean they won't actually support the artist/author/whatever. If these musicians can't convince people that liner notes and a pressed CD are worth $15 then they should (as someone else pointed out) tack on some added value.
As for the gun issues: For a semiautomatic pistol which has a magazine, I do not object to having to insert the mag before firing the gun. What exactly is your objection to the smartgun concept whereby there would not actually be any delay in being able to fire, as opposed to having to pop in a magazine as with a semi-auto. There is something really wrong in a society where an 18 year old could go out and purchase three guns and give them to a pair of 17 year olds without checking or being aware of what these guns were to be used for (denver rocky mountain news 1/24/2000). I don't know if simply creating stricter gun laws will solve the problem, but it certainly can't hurt.
Also, if it takes time to deactivate the lock (of find a ring, fumble with it, get it on), this is an actual danger to anybody trying to defend themselves against a crime in progress.
By this rationale I'm assuming that you also feel that actually having to LOAD the gun before firing on a home-invading perp is yet another attack on your second amendment rights by those kooky liberals, right? Furthermore, I'm also guessing that you aren't too fond of locking up your gun when you aren't killing murderous thugs either, right? After all, keeping a loaded gun in an unlocked drawer without a safety only enhances the protection of yourself and everyone around you. It's people like you who truly make me sick.
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i really think that Lisp, or better yet, Scheme, is the way to go for teaching kids to program. it teaches algorythms etc, rather than structure (which changes from language to language)
I just finished a scheme class at my college, and in my opinion scheme is simultaneously one of the worst and one of the best languages ever invented. Scheme users are forced to write really gorgeous code. If they don't, their programs are pretty much doomed to failure. Scheme is a lot less forgiving in this sense than C, for example. Scheme can be a _very_ difficult language to get into. However, if your kids can figure it out, they'll be really well of in terms of learning other languages. There're two books you'll want to check out if Scheme is something you want to pursue. The first is called Simply Scheme (I don't remember who wrote it), and the second is the standard Scheme book at every college and university in this country: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson and Sussman. Good luck!
It wouldn't be for ALL writing...its more things like "this chapter is free, $1 and you can read the whole book", etc.
Very true. E.g. the web site forCryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson's year-old (and awesome) book includes the first ~75 pages of the book, plus an essay entitled In the Beginning Was the Command Line. Recently, I emailed a friend the URL for the book excerpt. He promptly purchased the book. Furthermore, in regards to In the Beginning... the entire essay is available for free on the site, or for $10 at any bookstore. I read it online and went out and purchased an actual copy of said essay. Just because people have access to the contents of a book or music or whatever doesn't mean they won't actually support the artist/author/whatever. If these musicians can't convince people that liner notes and a pressed CD are worth $15 then they should (as someone else pointed out) tack on some added value.
As for the gun issues: For a semiautomatic pistol which has a magazine, I do not object to having to insert the mag before firing the gun. What exactly is your objection to the smartgun concept whereby there would not actually be any delay in being able to fire, as opposed to having to pop in a magazine as with a semi-auto.
There is something really wrong in a society where an 18 year old could go out and purchase three guns and give them to a pair of 17 year olds without checking or being aware of what these guns were to be used for (denver rocky mountain news 1/24/2000). I don't know if simply creating stricter gun laws will solve the problem, but it certainly can't hurt.
Also, if it takes time to deactivate the lock (of find a ring, fumble with it, get it on), this is an actual danger to anybody trying to defend themselves against a crime in progress.
By this rationale I'm assuming that you also feel that actually having to LOAD the gun before firing on a home-invading perp is yet another attack on your second amendment rights by those kooky liberals, right? Furthermore, I'm also guessing that you aren't too fond of locking up your gun when you aren't killing murderous thugs either, right? After all, keeping a loaded gun in an unlocked drawer without a safety only enhances the protection of yourself and everyone around you. It's people like you who truly make me sick.