15 September 2006

Maybe Not So Dumb After All

I hate the For Dummies series. The idea that you buy a book because you're stupid is simply insulting. How about calling it For the Curious? Is that so much worse? Anyway, it seems that there is someone with intelligence at said book publishers, since they've come out with the utterly improbably Linux Smart Homes for Dummies:

364 pages and a CD-ROM that cover not only the typical X10 hardware and software characteristic of home automation, but also networking, video, audio, and even heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) control that can make your house the envy of your neighborhood.

Update: And here's the author's blog, with lots of useful stuff about Home Automation using GNU/Linux (with thanks to Neil for the comment below.)
at

2 comments:

  1. Neil Cherry1:28 pm

    You think that a 'For Dummies' book is weird? How about trying to write one. It can be very maddening! Generally it is expected that a Linux user will have a little more knowledge than your average computer user. Yet you can't skip steps since you don't know what the reader doesn't know. I did warn the editors when I wrote the book that there will be a certain expectation that the reader know how to login to Linux and have a favorite editor. Also I cover thing like compiling a kernel (definitely not for the beginner) and Asterisk (an Open Source PBX). Pretty hefty subjects for a 'For Dummies' title (but not for Linux).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glyn Moody1:33 pm

    Well, yes, that's what struck me: how on earth can you write a For Dummies book about this kind of stuff?

    So, my compliments to you for doing so - it's not something I could have contemplated, even though I've written a few books in my time....

    ReplyDelete