Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by sharpshin

@Z_P:

HUD = Heads Up Display, a semi-transparent overlay over your normal visual field, currently used by military pilots, but a frequent SF construct too.

Grepping = verbification of Unix grep command for searching text for regular expressions.

I think the others in your list are more specific to "Down and Out..."; as I remember they may be explained later. A lot of the context may remain mysterious if you haven't been to DisneyLand/World, but the main plot is still amusing.

hey, thanks ! that helps a lot.

since you said HUD is currently used by military pilots i looked it up (i didn't realize it was a real thing) ; that's crazy ! now i'm imagining having a transparent overlay of my vision during my daily life... i think i would feel like an android...


HUD of an F/A-18C

Originally Posted by astra

I never new the proper meaning of the abbriviation, but it is used in FPSs too

astra, you have clearly not understood the point of my questions. i was requesting explanations for words i did not know, not yet more obscure TLAs.

[astra]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

astra, you have clearly not understood the point of my questions. i was requesting explanations for words i did not know, not yet more obscure TLAs.

Then my plot worked

FPS - First Person Shooter - a certain type of computer game where you sort of reside inside of the main character vs. watching everything from side view like a movie.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

... that's crazy ! now i'm imagining having a transparent overlay of my vision during my daily life... i think i would feel like an android...

I used to feel like that a while back and was even scared of it. I think it was due mostly to the disservice brought on by the concept of "The Borg".

We were "designed" with a number of senses built in. What if we could add others? That is a philosophical question indeed.

Looking at it further, we do. Although it's not built in and mostly artificial, our use of tools prolong our members and the long range communication tools such as phone and internet, prolong our hearing and visual senses.

I'm addicted to internet to defeat a certain loneliness. I would be very happy to wilfully have the instant communication unity of the Borg. Wouldn't you?

Seeing in the dark and much further, other wavelengths, hearing ultrasounds etc. Those augmentations would be acceptable for most anyone. How about magnetic homing like migratory birds?

Lotsa quetions indeed...

[yvanleterrible]

At the opposite, what if we could willfully turn off a sense? That would also fall in the augmentation of senses.


Sunday morning eh!

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

At the opposite, what if we could willfully turn off a sense?

I could so use that ability.

[Mindy]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

At the opposite, what if we could willfully turn off a sense? That would also fall in the augmentation of senses.

Like turning off all sense pertaining to a hangover for an appropriate duration? Could definitely use that one on occasion.
Or being able to 'record' meetings and 'switch off', with appropriate 'playback' and 'fast forward' when you could be bothered with them.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

- whuffie

This is certainly a made up word for the book. It seem to be a combination of Karma and Cash. You seem to acculate it automatically when people you meet like you or you make a contribution to society. At least this is what I have gleand so far.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

- HUD

Someone gave you this before, yes Heads Up Display. Apparenlty these people have some cybernetic implants... the HUD allowing them to see the time display, caller ID, and varios other status messages from their cybernetic implants.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

- dead-heading

This seems to mean putting a "back-up" of your brain/conscisness in long term storage. So, if you deadhead for 200 years, in that time frame you are stored, then your backup is restored to another body/clone... as far as you were concerned, you laid down for a nap and wake up 200 years later, you don't reckon deadheading time.

The only reference I know of this is when a pilot for an airline needs to get from one place to another he will "dead-head" on another flight that he isn't part of the crew on, to get where he is going.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

- jaunting

Not sure, I must have missed that one. But, I probably took it at the litteral meaning of traveling around without much of a destination in mind.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

- grepping

Doctorow seems to like to use unix/linux admin terms alot. The grep command in unix/linux is used to search the contents of files. So, in the books this means searching for or looking for.

You might have heard grok too... that is basically a term for "understanding" something. It also is based on a unix command.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

would you recommend i read a different one first ? if i've understood correctly, this is his first novel, which is why i decided to start there, but i could still switch to a different one...

This is only my second Doctorow book. I read Little Brother first... it is much different style/setting and read, I thought, much easier and quicker. But, I think it is also a "young adult" novel too... so that may explain that.

BOb

[astra]

I think grok was used by Heinlein as well.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

...now i'm imagining having a transparent overlay of my vision during my daily life... i think i would feel like an android... :

Coming soon:
http://www.t3.com/news/rodenstock-in...glasses?=35935
(they don't seem to have thought of using them for reading ebooks yet though )

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by astra

I think grok was used by Heinlein as well.

I believe he originated the term, in _Stranger In a Strange Land_.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

The only reference I know of this is when a pilot for an airline needs to get from one place to another he will "dead-head" on another flight that he isn't part of the crew on, to get where he is going.

The same term is applicable in other forms of transport.

Not sure, I must have missed that one. But, I probably took it at the litteral meaning of traveling around without much of a destination in mind.

Alfred Bester used the term in _The Stars My Destination_ for teleportation practiced by the characters. The trick was, you had to have a clear mental picture of where you were now and where you were going, or your destination would be indeterminate (with fatal results for you and possibly others.)

Doctorow seems to like to use unix/linux admin terms alot. The grep command in unix/linux is used to search the contents of files. So, in the books this means searching for or looking for.

Doctorow used to be a *nix sysadmin, so no surprise.

You might have heard grok too... that is basically a term for "understanding" something. It also is based on a unix command.

Nope. It was created by the late Robert A. Heinlein, in his novel _Stranger In A Strange Land_. It's a Martian word, and means roughly "to understand something so completely you merge with it and become part of it." It has roots in the Martian word for "drink".

There is no grok command in any *nix distribution I'm aware of. (I'm a *nix SysAdmin. I think I'd notice if one existed. Mind you, I wouldn't mind a grok command. *nix man pages can be obscure on occasion.)
______
Dennis

[zelda_pinwheel]

thanks pilotbob for the further help. i've read a bit further now and your definition of whuffie seems to be quite accurate. i'm interested to find out whether it is used to like money or credit as well...

i think jaunting may refer to travelling around in space / other planets (although it's still not very clear ; i'm just extrapolating). one of the charaters seems to make a distinction between jaunting and being "on world". i'll let you know, if i figure it out more.

i haven't seen grok yet in this book but i think i've read it around here and there somewhere...

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Coming soon:
http://www.t3.com/news/rodenstock-in...glasses?=35935
(they don't seem to have thought of using them for reading ebooks yet though )

every time i hear about some crazy technology like this i think "it's finally the future". imagine, when these glasses will be a bit more refined, you can have books or even movies projected just in front of your eyes, and since it uses wireless, you could check your emails while waiting in line at the grocery store, or look at your bank account in the store to see if you can afford to buy the new color e-ink screen liseuse with video capability... if they start adding functions other than just the heart rate, i bet in a few years *everyone* will have these.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I believe he originated the term, in _Stranger In a Strange Land_.
______
Dennis

That is what I'm actually reading. Love his sense of humo(u)r. You can feel the guy did not like the social conventions of his time.

[Elsi]

I'm currently reading a couple of diverse books right now:

• The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope, which I downloaded from MobileRead in the Ruritania Duology edited and uploaded by Flogiston.
• In the Bleak Midwinter, a murder mystery by Julia Spencer-Fleming which Amazon.com was offering to Kindle owners for free last week. Apparently the publisher was offering free copies of the first and second in the series to promote the forthcoming new episode.
• The Bobbsey Twins in the Country by Laura Lee Hope. This is the second in the series and the second that I formatted and uploaded to MobileRead. I'm now reading through the book with an eye to formatting problems. Once I locate a printed or scanned copy of the book, I will compare the eBook to the original to make sure that the formatting is consistent. I will also scan the illustrations and update the eBook.
• Parlour Games by Mavis Cheek. This is a paperback book that I picked up second-hand in the Oxfam Shop in Winchester in early February. I have promised to mail it to a book swapping friend in Massachusetts when I finish it and I need to get moving so she doesn't have to wait so long.
• Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith, which I'm listening to (unabridged CDs) in my car during those times I'm driving and alone. Since these times are quite rare, I've been "reading" this book since the first of April and I'm on the 6th CD of the set of 12. Much as I dislike commuting into my office (~50 miles each way), maybe I need to do so a couple of days so I can finish listening to this book. In case you've read the book, I've gotten the the part in the plot where Cyril has escaped from his kidnapper.

[mazzeltjes]

I've just finished the dead tree version of
Line War by Neal Asher
I'm actually a bit pissed off with the ending
if it is that ?
The whole storyline gets wrapped up
in a few chapters.I got the impression
that he ran out of steam.
Not suprising if you look at the amount
of novels published over the last few years.
All in all still a writer I'd love to get the E-books of
when they become available
7 out of 10