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I heartily recommend Andrew Blum's book Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet for any non-technical folks interested in the physical infrastructure that make

I heartily recommend Andrew Blum's book Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet for any non-technical folks interested in the physical infrastructure that makes all that internet magic happen. It's more in the travel memoir/popular history genres than actual engineering, but a very atmospheric layman's introduction. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23047146-tubes https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23047146-tubes And of course, if you're ever in SW England, the Museum of Submarine Telegraphy near Penzance is an awesome geek-out experience.

mbreese 7y ago
My favorite Wired article of all time was the 1996 article written by Neal Stephenson all about undersea cables. I can’t believe I was able to find a link, but I may still have the physical copy someplace. That was an amazing example of long form writing and was my introduction to Stephenson. https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/ https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/
- vidarh 7y ago
  The moment I saw the subject I thought of the same article. It is one of the all time great articles of 'early modern' era of the net.
- prepend 7y ago
  I really miss wired. I got into the Internet with their 93 article by William Gibson where they sent him to Singapore. It was a really neat place to have articles by people like Stephenson and Gibson.
  - samstave 7y ago
    Heh do you recall Mondo 2000 It was what wired was inspired by... Also since we are on the topic: 2600 was a great phreaking resource back in the day... 2600 may still be going though...
    - prepend 7y ago
      I didn’t read Mondo 2000 in real time and I think found it on its last issue. 2600 is still going last I checked, along with monthly meetups in my mall.
  - twic 7y ago
    'Disneyland With The Death Penalty': https://www.wired.com/1993/04/gibson-2/ https://www.wired.com/1993/04/gibson-2/ Another article which left a mark on me is Bruce Sterling's 'The Future? You don't want to know': https://www.wired.com/1995/11/wired-scenarios-future-dont-want-know/ https://www.wired.com/1995/11/wired-scenarios-future-dont-wa... In the original print edition, this was a tumult of mad typography, as well as an essay, which was a very Wired thing but taken to extremes. Appropriately for a cyberpunk writer, it may not entirely hang together logically, but it delivers a thrilling stream of eyeball kicks. I still remember the conclusion: Real futurism means staring directly into your own grave and accepting the slow but thorough obliteration of everyone and everything you know and love. Does this sound like fun? It can be. Just don't expect it to move a lot of product.
- ujeezy 7y ago
  Thanks for sharing! I remember enjoying the undersea cable plot in Cryptonomicon. Inspired by another recent HN post about subsea cables, I'm currently reading The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage which walks through the history of the telegraph. It blows my mind that North America and Europe were connected by undersea cable before the start of the Civil War.
- Tepix 7y ago
  It's also part of his recent collection "Some remarks"
arbuge 7y ago
If you want to go back to where it all began, I recommend "A Thread Across the Ocean" by John Steele Gordon: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/410958.A_Thread_Across_the_Ocean https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/410958.A_Thread_Across_t...
AareyBaba 7y ago
Andrew Blum's Ted talk https://youtu.be/XE_FPEFpHt4?t=292 https://youtu.be/XE_FPEFpHt4?t=292

mbreese 7y ago

My favorite Wired article of all time was the 1996 article written by Neal Stephenson all about undersea cables. I can’t believe I was able to find a link, but I may still have the physical copy someplace. That was an amazing example of long form writing and was my introduction to Stephenson. https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/ https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/

vidarh 7y ago
The moment I saw the subject I thought of the same article. It is one of the all time great articles of 'early modern' era of the net.
prepend 7y ago
I really miss wired. I got into the Internet with their 93 article by William Gibson where they sent him to Singapore. It was a really neat place to have articles by people like Stephenson and Gibson.
- samstave 7y ago
  Heh do you recall Mondo 2000 It was what wired was inspired by... Also since we are on the topic: 2600 was a great phreaking resource back in the day... 2600 may still be going though...
  - prepend 7y ago
    I didn’t read Mondo 2000 in real time and I think found it on its last issue. 2600 is still going last I checked, along with monthly meetups in my mall.
- twic 7y ago
  'Disneyland With The Death Penalty': https://www.wired.com/1993/04/gibson-2/ https://www.wired.com/1993/04/gibson-2/ Another article which left a mark on me is Bruce Sterling's 'The Future? You don't want to know': https://www.wired.com/1995/11/wired-scenarios-future-dont-want-know/ https://www.wired.com/1995/11/wired-scenarios-future-dont-wa... In the original print edition, this was a tumult of mad typography, as well as an essay, which was a very Wired thing but taken to extremes. Appropriately for a cyberpunk writer, it may not entirely hang together logically, but it delivers a thrilling stream of eyeball kicks. I still remember the conclusion: Real futurism means staring directly into your own grave and accepting the slow but thorough obliteration of everyone and everything you know and love. Does this sound like fun? It can be. Just don't expect it to move a lot of product.
ujeezy 7y ago
Thanks for sharing! I remember enjoying the undersea cable plot in Cryptonomicon. Inspired by another recent HN post about subsea cables, I'm currently reading The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage which walks through the history of the telegraph. It blows my mind that North America and Europe were connected by undersea cable before the start of the Civil War.
Tepix 7y ago
It's also part of his recent collection "Some remarks"

arbuge 7y ago

If you want to go back to where it all began, I recommend "A Thread Across the Ocean" by John Steele Gordon: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/410958.A_Thread_Across_the_Ocean https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/410958.A_Thread_Across_t...

AareyBaba 7y ago

Andrew Blum's Ted talk https://youtu.be/XE_FPEFpHt4?t=292 https://youtu.be/XE_FPEFpHt4?t=292