Book Response Project

For this assignment, you will respond to reading the book In the Beginning...Was the Command Line, by Neal Stephenson. Your paper will be a response, not a simply a review. As such you should respond how the book influenced you, either positively or negatively, with respect to your career goals. Based on your reading, write a short essay (3-5 pages) with one of the following topics:

• All software source code should become public domain after about 5 years.
• Operating Systems should be standardized and be freely available.
• Microsoft is the greatest company ever.
• Microsoft Windows 95/98/2000/ME/NT/XP is the best OS ever.
• Unix is the best OS ever.
• Mac-OS is the best OS ever.
• Be-OS is the best OS ever.
• Microsoft Windows 95/98/2000/ME/NT/XP is the greatest OS ever.
• The open source movement is a great idea.
• Windows/Intel is a successful pair because of great marketing of a mediocre product.
• The future of operating systems is important for the advancement of civilization.
• The future of operating systems has no bearing on the advancement of civilization.
• Other along these same lines (check with me first).

Your paper will be between 750-1000 words, typed, double space in a 12 point, proportional spaced font. You should cite particular passages in the book with quotes and give the page number. You only need to cite the text if you include citations from more than one location. The goals of this exercise is for you to think about how business decisions influence computer science, think about trends in computer science, and to learn some history of operating systems. Click here for the grading rubric.

Have fun!

References

1. How to Read a Book: Guidelines for Getting the Most out of Non-Fiction Reading
2. How to Read a Book
3. grading rubric
4. The Albion College Writing Center
5. Bedford Handbook