steven (u/steven) - Readit News

steven commented on Code that helped end Apartheid wired.com/story/plaintext... · Posted by u/impish9208

McBainiel · a year ago

The tech side of this is really cool but I'd also like to read more about the non-tech stuff. I wonder if the sympathetic Dutch flight attendant is still alive or the guys who actually carried the Trojan horse books to Mandela.

What an amazing story!

steven · a year ago

She is alive and hearing her recollections is super cool. If you follow the link to the short documentary I mentioned in the column you will see her then and now.

steven commented on The Google employees who created transformers wired.com/story/eight-goo... · Posted by u/thm

xnx · 2 years ago

> Not only were the authors all Google employees, they also worked out of the same offices.

Subtle plug for return-to-office. In-person face-to-face collaboration (with periods of solo uninterrupted deep focus) probably is the best technology we have for innovation.

steven · 2 years ago

Not so subtle!

steven commented on Remembering Bell Labs as legendary idea factory prepares to leave N.J. home nj.com/essex/2024/01/reme... · Posted by u/andyjohnson0

fuzztester · 2 years ago

hackers: heroes of the computer revolution

by Steven Levy.

I think he also wrote some of the other well known books, maybe including fire in the valley. need to check.

He is a journalist, so the book is sure to be embellished to sound good, but a cool read nonetheless, IMO.

steven · 2 years ago

No, I didn't write Fire in the Valley, but did write some other books. I appreciate that you felt Hackers was a cool read. But whether you believe me or not, the default for real journalists is NOT embellishing, but doing reporting to get to the nearest thing to truth. Not all writers do that (some "nonfiction" authors are frank about making up dialogue, and even moving the timeline) but to me and the vast majority of my peers, nonfiction means just that.