Re: Advice Please: Assembly Language Programming Book

From: Beth (spamtrap_at_crayne.org)
Date: 02/26/05 

Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 05:44:36 +0000 (UTC)

Randy Howard wrote:
> The idea that any sentient being would intentionally buy a book
> entitled "XYZ for Dummies" is abhorrent. The idea that they
> are often sold in large volume is beyond comprehension.

Admittedly, the title _sounds_ "abhorrent" but the books themselves are
actually rather good for most of the topics I've looked at...and they sell
in large volumes because of this very good mix of "good quality" with
"plain English / non-elitist" sentiment..._THAT_ is the kind of book that a
majority of beginners are actually looking for...as _CLEAR_ in its
language, as it is good and accurate in its facts...

Indeed, the truth behind the title is that it's not attempting to be
"accurate", in that kind of sense, but "colloquial"...you know, it's a
"friendly sounding" title...it makes absolutely clear in a "Plain English"
kind of way that it's a "no experience required" introductory book to the
subject (indeed, the first titles in the series - that won it most of its
original fame - won those "Plain English" awards for the expert care in
writing factually and usefully _without_ confounding or bogging down the
reader in difficult language :)...

The "dummies" in the title should be read in a colloquial context...as in
when someone makes a stupid mistake and says something like: "oh, I am such
a dummy at this kind of thing at times"...indeed, note the slight "baby
talk" of "dummies" rather than, say, "for idiots" or "for complete
imbeciles"...now, those would be insulting and, indeed, they _wouldn't_
sell in large volumes...but - and perhaps this is slightly "cultural" that
it might not be "got" in all locales - the term "dummies" is often used
self-depreciatingly...a joke-ish / colloquial way of saying "beginner" or
"amateur"...and it is in that context that the book titles are attempting
to "level" at the reader...

Indeed, if one takes it literally, then it seems a little "abhorrent"
perhaps...but, in the intended context, it's actually fiendishly clever
(and the "for dummies" people immediately grabbed the rights to the use of
"...for dummies" as their trademark and do actually pursue others
attempting to use it diligently...because it "struck a chord" with the
target audience)...

The greatest issue many beginners encounter - in many subjects, to which
programming (assembly or otherwise) is no exception - is degrees of
"jargonising" and "elitism" in the typical texts on the subject...where an
author is perhaps too concern for "reputation" amongst their peers to have
the - allow me to also be colloquial for a second - "balls" to dare to
write an introductory text "sans" all the jargonising and that touch of
"elitism" that does creep in from time to time...

Hence, the title is exact to its target audience and, well, those "large
volumes" themselves (unprecedently high at the beginning that they began a
"resurgence" in this type of book) demonstrate that they've pitched it
absolutely perfectly, in fact...

By using a _colloquial_ phrase in the title, it immediately promises: "no
exclusionary elitism or confusing jargonising within this volume, thank you
very much"...it starts as it means to go on...that the natural spoken,
colloquial, "Plain English" phrasiology will "win out" within the pages of
the book...it's a clever pitch because the most serious issue often
presented by similar titles is perhaps too much insistance on "using the
right terms" rather than "getting the concept _UNDERSTOOD_ first"...

Some topics - of which programming isn't an exception - do often have a
"members' club" feel about them...that one is not "in" with the "crowd"
unless one is adhering to the "rituals" and "special language" of the
topic's "club"...this is, in fact, a form of "elitism"...possibly not
intentionally so but, well, any exclusionary factor - most specifically
"special language" - can very much give off this distinct impression to the
beginner...note: For something like programming, the "jargon" does have a
"cultural" edge but, also, there is very good, hard _REASONS_ too...for
instance, one _NEEDS_ terms like "byte", "crash" and such because these are
_specific_ things that _ONLY_ can be found in the sphere of computers...you
know, it's a "new thing" and, simply, "new things" all need to be given
"new names" in order to reference them...computers naturally engender this
to happen...but, also - as a browse of something like "the Jargon File"
reveals (and is proud to demonstrate, not unjustly) - there are also
"cultural" elements involved...these - when "outside" the sphere of
understanding - can present an "exclusionary" feel to the subject...you
know, if someone speaks a sentence with excessive "jargon" in it then, for
the "jargon illiterate", the phrase might as well be spoken in Klingon or
Quenya for all that is understood in passing...

Hence, this title expertly captures - in a surprisingly concise manner of
just two simple words - the non-exclusory nature of the language the book
attempts to abide by...that it will talk on the colloquial, "natural"
spoken level of typically used "Plain English", as the "default"...though,
by some interpretation of "dummies" - as "idiot" or "imbecile" - this could
seem offensive, it is not intended to be interpreted at that level...

It, in fact, is making the effort to _greet_ the reader as immediately as
possible in the very title itself...on which, the premise should be
heartily commended...it attempts "welcoming" right from the get-go...it
does not even wait for the "sub-heading" before doing so...

In this, many an author of textbooks should pay specific attention...people
like to hear people "speaking their language"...note: This is exactly true
of those fluent in a subject as much as beginners...the difference is that
the beginner's vocabulary is not yet "embellished" with the required
"jargon" and such...so, the "language" they delight in seeing is language
that has no such "previous requirements" placed upon it...note that this
same principle is equally true for those who've graduated beyond beginner
but their vocabulary in the subject is _richer_ and, thus, the appropriate
language needed to "speak their own language" becomes different as the
learner proceeds in the subject...

For example, I myself Love the term "grok"...I think it's the phonetics of
it that delight me...that, phonetically, it's actually a rather "ugly"
word, which contradicts, in a way, its semantics...so, it's probably that
"juxtaposition"...hence, I feel "at home" amongst such terminology...BUT
the word carries "cultural" context...indeed, correct me if I'm wrong but
it was Heinlein that coined the term as a "Martian" word, yes? I never
encountered it there, though...picked up "second-hand" through usage in
programming contexts...

Anyway, the "cultural" connection is probably too obvious to be laboured
but programmers do often enjoy "sci-fi" and many would read Heinlein to
encounter the term...hence, within the "cultural bounds" of the
"community", its use is almost second-nature...but having not encountered
it in original form and having been quite surprised to see what I always
considered "programming jargon" in a book not aimed at the programming
community, this word - as well as simply liking its phonetics - stands out
for me because the usage was correct in a science fiction novel (to which
this could be ascribed)...hence, not actually being a "programming term"
but one that is often used by programmers because of "sci-fi connections"
in the cultural backgrounds of many, I could experience that "exclusory"
nature directly...

I had to divine its meaning through context and check it up with a web
search...not a big deal, except that it did _one_ crucial thing: It created
a "disconnection"...I was temporarily excluded from the conversation I was
reading...you know, I _thought_ I was "in" with all the terminology that
could appear in a programming discussion...and this term - used in
programming context but originally from outside that sphere - brings it
home to what beginners must often feel in abundance...a "disconnection"
from what they are attempting to read...to be "excluded" from the goings
on...

And, in context, one has to consider what is more "abhorrent", as you term
it...a discriminatory "community" (whether unintentional or malicious) that
does not make the efforts to _greet_ and _welcome_ those "into the
fold"...or the mild, harmless use of a colloquial "dummies" expression in a
book title, simply to _recognise_ and _identify_ with the target audience,
to re-assure them of their "level" of address?

Considering the frequency by which "exclusionary" tends to lead to
"elitism" which tends to lead to "arrogance"...which, in its more extreme
forms has lead to the most abhorrent crimes of all humanity, such as
torture and murder and systematic genocide...well, in consideration of
such, one could ascertain that considering a simple welcoming introductory
title as "abhorrent", seems ill-placed when its counter is among some of
the most "abhorrent" behaviour humans ever endeavour to conduct themselves
in...

Would you not concur, "dummy"?

Beth :)

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Advice Please: Assembly Language Programming Book
    ... language, as it is good and accurate in its facts... ... "amateur"...and it is in that context that the book titles are attempting ... Some topics - of which programming isn't an exception - do often have a ... also - as a browse of something like "the Jargon File" ...
    (alt.lang.asm)
  • Re: Advice Please: Assembly Language Programming Book
    ... language, as it is good and accurate in its facts... ... "amateur"...and it is in that context that the book titles are attempting ... Some topics - of which programming isn't an exception - do often have a ... also - as a browse of something like "the Jargon File" ...
    (comp.lang.asm.x86)
  • Re: object system...
    ... for that you need machine language. ... But the price of abstraction is performance. ... involves the function call overhead, the cost of copying the structs around on the stack, much less efficiently crafted ASM output (since the compiler may lack most of the context from the caller), ... ... But because of the 3GL type system compromises the way one must do that is with a different mindset towards design, not OOPL programming. ...
    (comp.object)
  • Re: terminology
    ... I was speaking of the programming ... languages theory context. ... general purpose programming language, and later, reading ...
    (comp.databases.theory)
  • Re: object system...
    ... for that you need machine language. ... isn't even as fast as other systems programming languages. ... Stroustrup's stated design goal was to enable ... all manner of elegance or abstraction can be sacrificed for speed, ...
    (comp.object)