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Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?

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  Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱 <jmj@energokod.gda.pl> - 2026-06-22 13:11 +0200
    Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? vallor <vallor@vallor.earth> - 2026-06-22 12:35 +0000
      Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-06-23 04:16 -0400
        Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-06-23 17:46 +0000
          Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> - 2026-06-23 16:20 -0400
            Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? Distro Lackey <dl@lackey.com> - 2026-06-23 21:03 +0000
            Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-06-23 23:39 +0000
              Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-06-24 00:43 -0400
              Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-24 09:59 +0100
            Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-06-24 01:57 +0000
              Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-06-24 01:08 -0400
                Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-06-24 05:52 +0000
                  Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-06-24 02:20 -0400
                Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-24 10:20 +0100
    Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-24 01:22 +0000
      Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-06-24 02:45 +0000
        Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-24 10:23 +0100
      Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-06-24 00:57 -0400
        Re: Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-06-24 05:54 +0000
    Re: Do USA bookstores ... books about weapons? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-24 15:21 +0800

#88193 — Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?

Z totaliztycznym salutem!

Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?

<https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
?

What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.

-- 
Z totaliztycznym salutem!
Jacek Marcin Jaworski,  Pruszcz Gd., woj. Pomorskie, Polska 🇵🇱, UE 🇪🇺;
tel.: +48-609-170-742,   najlepiej w godz.: 5:00-5:55 lub 16:00-17:25;
<jmj@energokod.gda.pl>, gpg: 4A541AA7A6E872318B85D7F6A651CC39244B0BFA;
Domowa s. WWW:                             <https://energokod.gda.pl>;
Mini Netykieta:         <https://energokod.gda.pl/MiniNetykieta.html>;
Mailowa Samoobrona:             <https://emailselfdefense.fsf.org/pl>.
UWAGA:
NIE ZACIĄGAJ "UKRYTEGO DŁUGU"! PŁAĆ ZA PROG. FOSS I INFO. INTERNETOWE!
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<https://energokod.gda.pl/raporty-totaliztyczne/17.%20Patroni%20Kontra%20Bankierzy.pdf>

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#88194

At Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:38 +0200, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱  <jmj@energokod.gda.pl> wrote:

> Z totaliztycznym salutem!
> 
> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
> 
> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
> ?
> 
> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.

I'm not sure what that has to do with Linux...?

But I'll bite:  No.  Is that what you see in Poland, by Jingo?

Also, take a look at my ObLinux:

ObLinux: Friday, I had trouble where an office worker saw
a digital signage display "not working", so they hit the
"off" button on the remote.  (This is actually "standby".)

It's a Fire TV -- an Android device -- and I did a kind of
"hail Mary" and sent it a wake-on-lan packet from the tiny
Linux controller box -- and it woke up!

etherwake(8) to the rescue! :)

-- 
-v System76 Thelio Mega v1.1 x86_64 Mem: 258G
   OS: Linux 7.1.1 D: Mint 22.3 DE: Xfce 4.18 (X11)
   NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090Ti (24G) (610.43.02)
   "Don't play stupid with me! I'm better at it."

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#88253

On 6/22/26 08:35, vallor wrote:
> At Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:38 +0200, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱  <jmj@energokod.gda.pl> wrote:
> 
>> Z totaliztycznym salutem!
>>
>> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
>>
>> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
>> ?
>>
>> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.
> 
> I'm not sure what that has to do with Linux...?
> 
> But I'll bite:  No.  Is that what you see in Poland, by Jingo?
> 
> Also, take a look at my ObLinux:
> 
> ObLinux: Friday, I had trouble where an office worker saw
> a digital signage display "not working", so they hit the
> "off" button on the remote.  (This is actually "standby".)
> 
> It's a Fire TV -- an Android device -- and I did a kind of
> "hail Mary" and sent it a wake-on-lan packet from the tiny
> Linux controller box -- and it woke up!
> 
> etherwake(8) to the rescue! :)

   At least USED to be able to find Linux/UNIX books
   on the shelves at the bigger bookstores. Haven't
   been to any since Covid though. The big ones are
   all like 50 miles away anyhow.

   Also used to be a fair selection of books on various
   programming languages and systems. For some reason
   a lot on "Perl" ... maybe they didn't sell ?

   Again not sure if they can be found now.

   Many people just get such knowledge from the Net
   these days. However the knowledge density, and
   expert explaination/context, rarely exists outside
   of big books. The Net is like 'info snacks', the
   books are usually the Whole Context.

   "Digital Signage" - wrote my own. First in Python,
   then better in Lazarus/FPC. Used it for a few years
   at The Office. Did slides, series of slides, and even
   short video clips. Made a web setup app for it too.
   Groove on the HTML/PHP ! :-) Cool trick was that you
   could load-up the little PIs and then TAKE it to
   conferences/events - then bring it back, link to the
   corp server, and put new stuff in. Ran in our lobby
   for a long time, something for outsiders to watch
   while waiting for appointments/meetings.

   Now there's at least one Linux distro dedicated to
   the job - but never tried it.

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#88279

On Tue, 23 Jun 2026 04:16:33 -0400, c186282 wrote:

>    Also used to be a fair selection of books on various programming
>    languages and systems. For some reason a lot on "Perl" ... maybe they
>    didn't sell ?
> 
>    Again not sure if they can be found now.

The Barnes & Noble brick and mortar store used to have several full rows 
of programming books. I went in a month ago and found the programming 
books were in one small section about 3' wide. Most of the title were from 
No Starch and I don't recall any O'Reily books at all. There were indeed 
some Dummies books. Some of those aren't all that bad.

I got all the No Starch Python books I'll ever need in a humble bundle for 
the price of one hard hardcopy book.

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#88288

rbowman <bowman@montana.com> writes:

> The Barnes & Noble brick and mortar store used to have several full rows 
> of programming books. I went in a month ago and found the programming 
> books were in one small section about 3' wide.
Same here. I like the feel of actual books. Something about the pages
spread out before me seems more appealing than keeping a terminal with
Most open and my program in another (or in Emacs, etc). Back in the day,
there were many sections. Today there's just a small spot. I'd imagine
most people are getting their computer science information online rather
than buy expensive books.

My Java book is around $50+, the PHP/MySQL one $50 also. The Stephen
Longo DECSYSTEM-20 assembler scanned-in PDF has a sticker on the front:
$.99 (yes, a decimal point, so probably 99 cents although the left side
of the sticker is smudged as the book was likely used before it was
scanned in). I have a hardcover dictionary: much less fluff in there
when I really need to look up a word versus online. 

The "for dummies" series was pretty popular for awhile. Last time I
checked the physical store, there were only a couple books about games
in Python, something non-trivial to do with C, and maybe a few about
specific applications in the Microsoft orbit.

We live in a time of information overload. What a time to be alive.

-- 
PGP Key ID: 781C A3E2 C6ED 70A6 B356  7AF5 B510 542E D460 5CAE
       "The Internet should always be the Wild West!"

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#88298

On Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:20:57 -0400, jayjwa wrote:

> I like the feel of actual books. Something about the pages
> spread out before me seems more appealing than keeping a terminal with
> Most open and my program in another (or in Emacs, etc).
>

You obviously haven't had much experience in reading e-books.

For me, paper books are extremely cumbersome, whereas a PDF
or other electronic format is supremely comfortable and facile.

Paper books are total garbage.  Digital books are superior
in every way.

YOU just have not discovered this superiority and you may
not ever discover it.

Poor dumb bastard.

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#88304

On 2026-06-23, jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> wrote:

> We live in a time of information overload. What a time to be alive.

Yup.  But it's like drinking from a fire hose:
you can do it, but you have to be careful.

The Internet is like a big city: full of bright lights
and excitement, but also dark alleys down which the
unwary get mugged.

-- 
/~\  Charlie Gibbs                  |  No artificial
\ /  <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid>      |  intelligence was
 X   I'm really at ac.dekanfrus     |  used in the creation
/ \  if you read it the right way.  |  of this post.

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#88322

On 6/23/26 19:39, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> On 2026-06-23, jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> We live in a time of information overload. What a time to be alive.
> 
> Yup.  But it's like drinking from a fire hose:
> you can do it, but you have to be careful.
> 
> The Internet is like a big city: full of bright lights
> and excitement, but also dark alleys down which the
> unwary get mugged.

   Huh ? NOW they mug/kill you right on the
   main streets in broad daylight - and the
   officials side with the perps :-)

   New York just elected more of such officials.

   Well, MAYbe ... wonder how much the vote IS
   rigged there.

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#88332

On 24/06/2026 00:39, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> On 2026-06-23, jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> We live in a time of information overload. What a time to be alive.
> 
> Yup.  But it's like drinking from a fire hose:
> you can do it, but you have to be careful.
> 
> The Internet is like a big city: full of bright lights
> and excitement, but also dark alleys down which the
> unwary get mugged.
> 
And nothing but superficial acquaintances.


-- 
Canada is all right really, though not for the whole weekend.

"Saki"

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#88316

On Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:20:57 -0400, jayjwa wrote:

> Today there's just a small spot. I'd imagine most people are getting
> their computer science information online rather than buy expensive
> books.

When we started the Angular project I bought 'ng-book The Complete Book on 
Angular 6' 6 was May 2018. By the time I became involved a year the 
project had moved to Angular 8. One of the programmers gave me the ebook 
version. It's up to 22 now, with even more changes. My calculus text from 
60 years ago, if I still had it, would still be pertinent. A software book 
from last year, not so much.


> My Java book is around $50+,

I bought 'Java in a Nutshell' in the 2nd edition. It was a fairly slim 
book to match the slim, lithe Java of '97. Like the high school hottie 
that turned into a 350 pound harridan I lost interest about the time Swing 
reared its head.

 
> The "for dummies" series was pretty popular for awhile. Last time I
> checked the physical store, there were only a couple books about games
> in Python, something non-trivial to do with C, and maybe a few about
> specific applications in the Microsoft orbit.

I've got 'Flute for Dummies' and it's pretty good. I can play an Irish 
flute/tin whistle but they only have 6 holes and do D and G. I bought a 
cheap Boehm flute and it has a lot more moving parts to figure out. An 
Irish flute has zero moving parts so that's a low bar.

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#88324

On 6/23/26 21:57, rbowman wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:20:57 -0400, jayjwa wrote:
> 
>> Today there's just a small spot. I'd imagine most people are getting
>> their computer science information online rather than buy expensive
>> books.
> 
> When we started the Angular project I bought 'ng-book The Complete Book on
> Angular 6' 6 was May 2018. By the time I became involved a year the
> project had moved to Angular 8. One of the programmers gave me the ebook
> version. It's up to 22 now, with even more changes. My calculus text from
> 60 years ago, if I still had it, would still be pertinent. A software book
> from last year, not so much.
> 
> 
>> My Java book is around $50+,
> 
> I bought 'Java in a Nutshell' in the 2nd edition. It was a fairly slim
> book to match the slim, lithe Java of '97. Like the high school hottie
> that turned into a 350 pound harridan I lost interest about the time Swing
> reared its head.


   I think I had JIANS too ... it went into the trash
   when I retired because by then I realized I'd never
   use Java.

   Still have "Algorithms In 'C'" (Sedgewick) and a few
   other 'right down to it' guides - and, of course, my
   K&R book.


>> The "for dummies" series was pretty popular for awhile. Last time I
>> checked the physical store, there were only a couple books about games
>> in Python, something non-trivial to do with C, and maybe a few about
>> specific applications in the Microsoft orbit.
> 
> I've got 'Flute for Dummies' and it's pretty good. I can play an Irish
> flute/tin whistle but they only have 6 holes and do D and G. I bought a
> cheap Boehm flute and it has a lot more moving parts to figure out. An
> Irish flute has zero moving parts so that's a low bar.

   Despite the degrading, off-putting, names ... some
   of the "For Dummies" books weren't all that bad.

   Books writ by/for academics can be VERY bad - better
   to get the 'translations' for the more practical folks.

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#88327

On Wed, 24 Jun 2026 01:08:28 -0400, c186282 wrote:

>    I think I had JIANS too ... it went into the trash when I retired
>    because by then I realized I'd never use Java.

We had one application that used Java and I tried to stay well away from 
it. In its defense it started life as an applet that could be easily 
installed in remote sheriff substations to give them an overview of what 
was happening. Then it grew and browsers stopped running applets.

Microsoft's Visual J++ wasn't all that bad but a suit by Sun shut it down. 
C# has a lot of J++ DNA.

My first attempt with Java was a simple AVR simulator. If you expect to 
bang bits don't use Java. Then it kept grow and getting slower and slower. 
The answer on Java forums was 'you need a faster machine.' I haven't used 
it in a long time but Eclipse was slower than shit. NetBeans was worse. 

Moving from Java in the Arduino v1 IDE to Electron/Javascript in v2 was an 
improvement. 

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#88329

On 6/24/26 01:52, rbowman wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Jun 2026 01:08:28 -0400, c186282 wrote:
> 
>>     I think I had JIANS too ... it went into the trash when I retired
>>     because by then I realized I'd never use Java.
> 
> We had one application that used Java and I tried to stay well away from
> it. In its defense it started life as an applet that could be easily
> installed in remote sheriff substations to give them an overview of what
> was happening. Then it grew and browsers stopped running applets.
> 
> Microsoft's Visual J++ wasn't all that bad but a suit by Sun shut it down.
> C# has a lot of J++ DNA.
> 
> My first attempt with Java was a simple AVR simulator. If you expect to
> bang bits don't use Java. Then it kept grow and getting slower and slower.
> The answer on Java forums was 'you need a faster machine.' I haven't used
> it in a long time but Eclipse was slower than shit. NetBeans was worse.
> 
> Moving from Java in the Arduino v1 IDE to Electron/Javascript in v2 was an
> improvement.

   Java was sort of a Good Idea - within a certain
   time context. However it quickly became much
   easier to create or port to REAL compilers across
   many kinds of systems.

   Interpreted ? Python now has that across pretty
   much everything from Ards on up and it's easier
   to use.

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#88333

On 24/06/2026 06:08, c186282 wrote:
> Still have "Algorithms In 'C'" (Sedgewick) and a few
>    other 'right down to it' guides - and, of course, my
>    K&R book.
Th advent of the internet caused me to throw most of my books out.
Still have a javascript one, but its years since I used it.

I still have a thousands science fiction and mystery fiction books though


-- 
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to 
rule.
– H. L. Mencken, American journalist, 1880-1956

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#88305

On Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:38 +0200, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱 wrote:

> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
>
> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
> ?
>
> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.

LOL at the fact that none of those books are about “Computer Science”.

Do they have “λ-Calculus For Dummies”?

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#88320

On Wed, 24 Jun 2026 01:22:31 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:

> On Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:38 +0200, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱 wrote:
> 
>> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
>>
>> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
>> ?
>>
>> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.
> 
> LOL at the fact that none of those books are about “Computer Science”.
> 
> Do they have “λ-Calculus For Dummies”?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_Made_Easy

Well before dummies... 

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#88334

On 24/06/2026 03:45, rbowman wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Jun 2026 01:22:31 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
> 
>> On Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:38 +0200, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱 wrote:
>>
>>> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
>>>
>>> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
>>> ?
>>>
>>> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.
>>
>> LOL at the fact that none of those books are about “Computer Science”.
>>
>> Do they have “λ-Calculus For Dummies”?
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_Made_Easy
> 
> Well before dummies...

The principles of calculus are extraordinarily easy. Thee practice isn't 
too bad. What makes it hare is they never connect the two,

Ultimately it's about dealing with [values associated with] curves 
rather than straight lines (or flat surfaces)


-- 
Climate is what you expect but weather is what you get.
Mark Twain

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#88323

On 6/23/26 21:22, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:38 +0200, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱 wrote:
> 
>> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
>>
>> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
>> ?
>>
>> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.
> 
> LOL at the fact that none of those books are about “Computer Science”.

   Do NOT remember seeing any for 'computer science' per-se.
   But that's not ACTUALLY about real computers ... more
   stats and formal method analysis and other stuff that
   won't get anything done.

> Do they have “λ-Calculus For Dummies”?

   Never looked for it - not that great at ordinary
   math stuff. MAY be there however.

   Try a large college bookstore instead ... or are
   there still such things ? Author better not "sound
   Jewish" either or the books will be thrown into the
   bonfire as the mob cheers.

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#88328

On Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:57:27 -0400, c186282 wrote:

>    Do NOT remember seeing any for 'computer science' per-se.
>    But that's not ACTUALLY about real computers ... more stats and
>    formal method analysis and other stuff that won't get anything done.

Yeah, but you get to talk about Big O.

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#88331 — Re: Do USA bookstores ... books about weapons?

On 6/22/2026 7:11 PM, 🇵🇱Jacek Marcin Jaworski🇵🇱 wrote:
> Z totaliztycznym salutem!
> 
> Do USA bookstores look like this nowadays?
> 
> <https://fqa.9front.org/books.jpg>
> ?
> 
> What I meant was the For Dummies series on the top shelf.
> 

You all talking about books about weapons?

-- 

    @~@   Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
   / v \  May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
  /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^   https://github.com/changmw/changmw

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