Hello, Kossacks!
Everyday Magic is a new diary series that seeks to explain many of the computing concepts we use on a regular basis in a way that non-techies can understand, and introduce them to the lingo we techies use in the process so that people know what tech types are talking about (and how technology changes in the news will actually affect you). I'm hoping to make it a regular series, both as an educational service to the Daily Kos community, and to improve my own knowledge of topics I'll be presenting on.
So before I dive right into our first topic, I'll answer a few questions I expect to get up front, then we'll get into our first Everyday Magic article.
Why is the new series called Everyday Magic when it's about computing and technology?
The series name (and my username) are derived from a quote from Arthur C. Clarke that is known as Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." It's also based off of a lingo term in tech circles called automagically, which refers to an automated process that works, but nobody's dug deep enough to find out exactly why it works. I'm hoping to reduce the amount of computing topics that seem like magic to everyone!
What topics will you be covering?
My professional background is systems administration and the development of software that automates systems administration, so there are the topics I have content ready to go for. However, if you have a request, please drop it in the comments as a reply to the tip jar replacement, and I'll add it to the list of topics to get to.
Why are you doing this?
A few reasons. One, it's a way I can give back to the community and the 'Net as a whole. I've made a career off of computing, and I make a fine living off of it. The least I can do is give knowledge back to the culture that spawned me.
Secondly, I also believe that one's mastery of a topic is directly reflected by how wide of an audience they can explain the topic to, and that the inability to explain a concept to someone reflects on a lack of subject mastery on the part of the explainer. If I can't explain something, it lets me know where my own knowledge is lacking.
Finally, I'm on the autism spectrum, in the range formerly referred to as Asperger's Syndrome. I'm blessed with enough brain processing power to learn what comes naturally to many insofar as social interaction is concerned, but I need practice to continue to get better at social interaction and communication.
Who are you, and why/how are you qualified to teach to on this topic?
I'm a 32 year old tech worker that lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. I've been doing this stuff professionally for 15 years for companies you've heard of and companies you probably haven't, and I've been using computers since before I was potty trained. I'm also Red Hat Certified Engineer (for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5).
However, like with any other information -- go verify it yourself! And if you find that I'm not correct about something, please correct me! I'm not a fan of being wrong. Do note that sometimes there will be a bit of hand-waving (jargon for skipping over details) going on to stop from making these any longer than they already are.
What's with the bolded words or phrases?
Bolded words or phrases indicate key terms and jargon that are used when describing topics. It's also stuff you may or may not hear on a daily basis, so now when you hear these terms, you know what the geek you're talking to means!
Well, with that out of the way, let's dive into our first topic: How your computer knows where DailyKos and other sites are on the Internet when you tell it to come here!
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