Category Archives: good code

Mr. Gates clarifies. Continue reading →

So here’s something cool that I’m happy to be able to announce. Five years ago, I published Code. It’s time for an update. But rather than update in the old fashioned way, Basic Books has agreed to the following:
Beginning in February, we’ll be posting Version 1 of Code to a Wiki. “Chapter Captains” will then supervise updates and corrections. Depending upon the progress, sometime near June, I will take the product and edit and rewrite it to produce Code, v2. The Wiki will stay live forever (under a Creative Commons license). The edited book will be published in the fall. I have donated my advance for Code, v2 to Creative Commons. All royalties beyond the advance will be donated as well.
At this point, we’re collecting “Chapter Captain” (CCs, of course) volunteers. CCs should be expert in the subject of the chapter, and willing to work through the Wiki to produce an updated chapter. (Here’s the table of contents.)
My aim is not to write a new book; my aim is to correct and update the existing book. But I’m eager for advice and expert direction. If you’re interested in volunteering, email me at this address.
I am grateful to Basic Books to allow me to try this experiment. I worked very hard five years ago to learn enough to write Code. I’m extremely eager for the book to gain from the collective wisdom of at least part of the Net. No one can know whether this will work. But if if does, it could be very interesting. Continue reading →

So the most significant change in my technology-related life in the last year is the elimination of spam without a white-list technology. I used to use Mailblocks for my main account, but Marc Perkel convinced me to try his own Bayesian spam filter.
I’m on record saying such systems could never work. I was wrong. Marc’s system is amazing. I get endless email. His system filters the mail into three boxes — my inbox, a low probability box, and a high probability box. I have never found a mistake in the high probability box, so I no longer look at it. I very rarely find a mistake in the low probability box, so I scan it about once a week (maybe 1% error). And it is almost fun to get an error in my inbox, reminding me that there still is this problem of spam out there.
Anyway, I’m giving Marc’s spam filter service to my family for Christmas (no, they don’t read my blog). And I’d recommend it to anyone else out there looking for a gift (note, I don’t have any financial interest in this). As Marc described to me:

I sell it as a service. I can do it several ways. If someone wants a single email address I can give them a [email protected] account. $25/year. Or I can host their email domain for $95/year. Or I can be a front end spam filter where I clean it and pass it on to their existing email server $75/year.

You can reach him for at this MarxMail address. Continue reading →

Ted Nelson has launched The Little TransQuoter. The idea, if broadly implemented, would have a profound effect on how we speak, especially (if extended) with video and audio. Let it spread. Continue reading →

The Lessig Blog got a Bobs. Continue reading →

So there are very few things in my life that I am really proud of. Here’s one. As some of you know, I’ve launched a campaign to recruit people to the blogging world. My nephew was a big victory. A talented writer-in-the-making I knew in high school was a second. And now, I am extremely pleased to report that Judge Richard Posner and Professor Gary Becker have decided to take a spin. Tomorrow is the launch of the Becker-Posner-Blog. Judge Posner was a guest blogger on my blog. (You can see the collection of his posts here.) In this way we, if not Congress, help promote the progress of science. Continue reading →

Jamie’s got a great new piece at the FT. Continue reading →

Jamie Boyle has a fantastic response to Richard Epstein’s fantastic (not) attack on what he calls “open source”. Continue reading →

EFF is hosting an event about e-voting. As they post:

BayFF Event – “E-voting and the Upcoming Election” on Tuesday, October 12 at 7pm: Come join EFF at the 111 Minna Gallery in downtown San Francisco to talk about e-voting and the upcoming election, as well as share food and drink and listen to live music by talented local artist Samantha. This event is free and open to the public, so be sure to invite your friends and colleagues!

More information here. Continue reading →

So I’m at the Tech Nation Summit, watching Dan Gillmor talk about real-time blogging. Continue reading →