FRATE PETI
1. Scola · 2. Esplode · 3. Aresta · 4. Prison · 5. Paranoia · 6. Rede X · 7. Spleno-Porco · 8. Paradox · 9. Furgon · 10. Claves · 11. Slogan
12. Conserta · 13. Jornales · 14. Bitnic · 15. Enrolada · 16. Reportor · 17. Tuneli · 18. Juas · 19. Vampires · 20. Tortura · 21. Judi · Epiloga

7. Spleno-Porco

Los ia prende me a estra e a ultra la canto, asta un auto nonmarcada de polisia cual ia espeta. An tal, serta no person en acel distrito ta fali comprende fasil ce lo es un auto de polisia. Sola la polisia ia usa autos grande Crown Victoria alora, cuando gasolina ia ateni ses dolares per galon. Plu, sola polisiores ia pote parci en filo duple a media de Strada Van Ness sin deveni tirada a via par la manadas de companias tirante cual sirculi nonsesante, preparada per enforsa la regulas noncomprendable de parci en San Francisco e gania un premio par saisi la auto.

They took me outside and around the corner, to a waiting unmarked police car. It wasn’t like anyone in that neighborhood would have had a hard time figuring out that it was a cop-car, though. Only police drive big Crown Victorias now that gas had hit seven bucks a gallon. What’s more, only cops could double-park in the middle of Van Ness street without getting towed by the schools of predatory tow-operators that circled endlessly, ready to enforce San Francisco’s incomprehensible parking regulations and collect a bounty for kidnapping your car.

Muco ia vacui sua nas. Me ia senta sur la banca retro, como ance el. Sua colaboror ia senta a fronte, tapente con un dito a un computador portable antica e fortida cual ia aspeta como si Fred Flinstone ia es sua posesor orijinal.

Booger blew his nose. I was sitting in the back seat, and so was he. His partner was sitting in the front, typing with one finger on an ancient, ruggedized laptop that looked like Fred Flintstone had been its original owner.

Muco ia regarda atendente mea documento de identia denova. “Nos vole mera fa alga demandas costumal a tu.”

Booger looked closely at my ID again. “We just want to ask you a few routine questions.”

“Esce me pote vide tua insinias?” – me ia dise. Esta omes ia es clar polisiores, ma me no ta es danada par informa los ce me conose mea diretos.

“Can I see your badges?” I said. These guys were clearly cops, but it couldn’t hurt to let them know I knew my rights.

Muco ia mostra lampin sua insinia a me, tan rapida ce me no ia pote bon regarda lo, ma Pustula en la seja fronte ia permete ce me regarda longa la sua. Me ia nota sua numero de divide e ia memori la cuatro dijitos de la numero de insinia. Lo ia es fasil: 1337 es ance la modo en cual codigores scrive leet, . “elite”.

Booger flashed his badge at me too fast for me to get a good look at it, but Zit in the front seat gave me a long look at his. I got their division number and memorized the four-digit badge number. It was easy: 1337 is also the way hackers write “leet,” or “elite.”

Ambos de los ia es multe cortes, e nun de los ia atenta menasa me tal como Securia Interna ia fa cuando los ia prisoni me.

They were both being very polite and neither of them was trying to intimidate me the way that the DHS had done when I was in their custody.

“Esce me es arestada?”

“Am I under arrest?”

“Tu es momental detenida afin nos pote serti tua securia e lo de la popla jeneral.” – Muco ia dise.

“You’ve been momentarily detained so that we can ensure your safety and the general public safety,” Booger said.

El ia dona mea lisensa de motoriste a Pustula, ci ia entra lo a sua computador, lenta, con un dito. Pos vide ce el ia fa un era de tape, me ia coreti cuasi el, ma ia deside mera ce lo va es plu bon si me no abri mea boca.

He passed my driver’s license up to Zit, who pecked it slowly into his computer. I saw him make a typo and almost corrected him, but figured it was better to just keep my mouth shut.

“Esce tu vole dise alga cosa a me, Marcus? On nomi tu Marc?”

“Is there anything you want to tell me, Marcus? Do they call you Marc?”

“Marcus es bon.” – me ia dise. Muco ia aspeta como si el es cisa un bonom. Estra la fato ce el ia saisi me a sua auto, natural.

“Marcus is fine,” I said. Booger looked like he might be a nice guy. Except for the part about kidnapping me into his car, of course.

“Marcus. Tu vole dise alga cosa a me?”

“Marcus. Anything you want to tell me?”

“De cual spesie? Esce me es arestada?”

“Like what? Am I under arrest?”

“Tu no es arestada a esta momento.” – Muco ia dise. “Tu ta desira lo?”

“You’re not under arrest right now,” Booger said. “Would you like to be?”

“No.” – me ia dise.

“No,” I said.

“Bon. Nos ia oserva tu de cuando tu ia sorti de la metro. Tua Carta Rapida dise ce tu ia viaja a multe locas strana a multe oras noncomun.”

“Good. We’ve been watching you since you left the BART. Your Fast Pass says that you’ve been riding to a lot of strange places at a lot of funny hours.”

Me ia senti ce alga cosa ia destensa en mea peto. Esta tota no ia pertine a Rede X, alora, no vera. Los ia oserva mea usa de la metro e ia vole sabe perce lo ia es tan bizara en tempo resente. Tan completa stupida.

I felt something let go inside my chest. This wasn’t about the Xnet at all, then, not really. They’d been watching my subway use and wanted to know why it had been so freaky lately. How totally stupid.

“Alora, vos segue cadun ci sorti de la stasion de metro con un istoria strana de viajas. Vos es ocupada, clar.”

“So you guys follow everyone who comes out of the BART station with a funny ride-history? You must be busy.”

“No cadun, Marcus. Nos reseta un avisa cuando cualcun con un profil noncomun de viaja sorti, e esta aida nos a evalua esce nos vole investiga. En tua caso, nos ia veni car nos ia vole sabe perce un xico de aspeta astuta, como tu, ave un profil tan strana de viaja.”

“Not everyone, Marcus. We get an alert when anyone with an uncommon ride profile comes out and that helps us assess whether we want to investigate. In your case, we came along because we wanted to know why a smart-looking kid like you had such a funny ride profile?”

Aora, sabente ce me no es a punto de vade a prison, me ia comensa coleri. Esta omes ia debe no spia me – txa, la metro ia debe no aida los a spia me. Como de enferno mea carta de metro ia ave la direto de denunsia me car me ave un “istoria nonormal de viaja”?

Now that I knew I wasn’t about to go to jail, I was getting pissed. These guys had no business spying on me – Christ, the BART had no business helping them to spy on me. Where the hell did my subway pass get off on finking me out for having a “nonstandard ride pattern?”

“Me pensa ce me ta gusta es arestada aora.” – me ia dise.

“I think I’d like to be arrested now,” I said.

Muco ia apoia a retro e ia leva sua suprasil a me.

Booger sat back and raised his eyebrow at me.

“Vera? Su cual acusa?”

“Really? On what charge?”

“O, tu vole dise ce la viaja par transporta publica en modo nonormal no es un crimin?”

“Oh, you mean riding public transit in a nonstandard way isn’t a crime?”

Pustula ia clui sua oios e ia frota los con sua ditones.

Zit closed his eyes and scrubbed them with his thumbs.

Muco ia fa la suspira de un esplotada. “Vide, Marcus, nos es a tua lado asi. Nos usa esta sistem per catura la viles. Per catura teroristes e traficores de drogas. Cisa tu mesma es un traficor de drogas. Acel es un modo vera bon per move tra la site, un Carta Rapida. Anonim.”

Booger sighed a put-upon sigh. “Look, Marcus, we’re on your side here. We use this system to catch bad guys. To catch terrorists and drug dealers. Maybe you’re a drug dealer yourself. Pretty good way to get around the city, a Fast Pass. Anonymous.”

“Perce anonimia es mal? Lo ia es sufisinte bon per Thomas Jefferson. E en pasa, esce me es arestada?”

“What’s wrong with anonymous? It was good enough for Thomas Jefferson. And by the way, am I under arrest?”

“Ta ce nos prende el a sua casa.” – Pustula ia dise. “Nos pote parla a sua jenitores.”

“Let’s take him home,” Zit said. “We can talk to his parents.”

“Me pensa ce esta es un idea eselente.” – me ia dise. “Me es serta ce mea jenitores va desira oia como on spende sua dolares de imposta —”

“I think that’s a great idea,” I said. “I’m sure my parents will be anxious to hear how their tax dollars are being spent –”

Me ia tisa tro multe. Muco ia es a punto de toca la manico de porte, ma aora el ia turna subita a me, multe semblante Hulk con venas palpitante. “Perce tu no clui la boca aora mesma, cuando lo es ancora posible? Pos tota cual ia aveni en la du semanas pasada, tu ta debe vide no problem en coopera con nos. Sabe, cisa nos ta debe aresta tu. Ta ce tu spende un dia o du en prison en cuando tua avocato xerca tu. Multe pote aveni en acel tempo. Multe. Tu ta gusta acel?”

I’d pushed it too far. Booger had been reaching for the door handle but now he whirled on me, all Hulked out and throbbing veins. “Why don’t you shut up right now, while it’s still an option? After everything that’s happened in the past two weeks, it wouldn’t kill you to cooperate with us. You know what, maybe we should arrest you. You can spend a day or two in jail while your lawyer looks for you. A lot can happen in that time. A lot. How’d you like that?”

Me ia dise no cosa. Me ia veni de es stimulada e coler. Aora me ia es xocada par asusta.

I didn’t say anything. I’d been giddy and angry. Now I was scared witless.

“Pardona me.” – me ia susede dise, denova odiante me en dise lo.

“I’m sorry,” I managed, hating myself again for saying it.

Muco ia vade a la seja fronte e Pustula ia embraji la auto, cruserinte longo Strada 24 e traversante Colina Potrero. Los ia sabe mea adirije par mea documento de identia.

Booger got in the front seat and Zit put the car in gear, cruising up 24th Street and over Potrero Hill. They had my address from my ID.

Mama ia abri la porte cuando los ia tintina, sin sutrae la cadena. El ia regarda cauta de pos lo, ia vide me e ia dise – “Marcus? Ci es esta omes?”

Mom answered the door after they rang the bell, leaving the chain on. She peeked around it, saw me and said, “Marcus? Who are these men?”

“Polisia.” – Muco ia dise. El ia mostra a el sua insinia, permetente ce el regarda bon lo – sin aranca lo a via como el ia fa con me. “Nos pote entra?”

“Police,” Booger said. He showed her his badge, letting her get a good look at it – not whipping it away the way he had with me. “Can we come in?”

Mama ia clui la porte e ia desfisa la cadena e ia lasa ce los entra. Los ia trae me a en, e Mama ia fa un regarda de sua tipo a la truple de nos.

Mom closed the door and took the chain off and let them in. They brought me in and Mom gave the three of us one of her looks.

“A cua esta pertine?”

“What’s this about?”

Muco ia indica me. “Nos ia vole fa a tua fio alga demandas costumal sur sua moves, ma el ia refusa responde a los. Nos ia senti ce cisa lo va es la plu bon si nos trae el asi.”

Booger pointed at me. “We wanted to ask your son some routine questions about his movements, but he declined to answer them. We felt it might be best to bring him here.”

“Esce el es arestada?” La pronunsia brites de Mama ia es fortinte. Mama la brava.

“Is he under arrest?” Mom’s accent was coming on strong. Good old Mom.

“Esce tu es un sitadan de la Statos Unida, seniora?” – Pustula ia dise.

“Are you a United States citizen, ma’am?” Zit said.

El ia fisa el con un regarda cual ia ta pote sutrae pinta. “Serta me es, ha,” el ia dise, con pronunsia forte sude. “Esce me es arestada?”

She gave him a look that could have stripped paint. “I shore am, hyuck,” she said, in a broad southern accent. “Am I under arrest?”

La du polisiores ia regarda lunlotra.

The two cops exchanged a look.

Pustula ia xefi se. “Lo pare ce nos ia fa un mal comensa. Nos ia identifia tua fio como algun con un istoria nonormal de usa de transporta publica, como un parte de un program nova de enforsa preveninte. Cuando nos vide persones de ci sua viajas es nonusual, o ci conforma a un profil suspetable, nos investiga plu.”

Zit took the fore. “We seem to have gotten off to a bad start. We identified your son as someone with a nonstandard public transit usage pattern, as part of a new pro-active enforcement program. When we spot people whose travels are unusual, or that match a suspicious profile, we investigate further.”

“Un momento.” – Mama ia dise. “Como tu sabe como mea fio usa la bus munisipal?”

“Wait,” Mom said. “How do you know how my son uses the Muni?”

“La Carta Rapida.” – el ia dise. “Lo trasa viajas.”

“The Fast Pass,” he said. “It tracks voyages.”

“Me comprende.” – Mama ia dise, crusante sua brasos. La crusa de brasos ia es un mal indica. Lo ia es ja sufisinte mal ce el no ia ofre a los un tas de te – en Pais Mama, esta ia es cuasi como obliga ce los cria tra la buco de posta – ma cuando el ia crusa sua brasos, la situa no va fini bon per los. A acel momento, me ia vole vade per compra un buce grande de flores per el.

“I see,” Mom said, folding her arms. Folding her arms was a bad sign. It was bad enough she hadn’t offered them a cup of tea – in Mom-land, that was practically like making them shout through the mail-slot – but once she folded her arms, it was not going to end well for them. At that moment, I wanted to go and buy her a big bunch of flowers.

“Esta Marcus ia refusa dise a nos perce sua moves ia es tal como los ia es.”

“Marcus here declined to tell us why his movements had been what they were.”

“Esce vos dise ce vos opina ce mea fio es un teroriste par causa de sua manera de viaja par bus?”

“Are you saying you think my son is a terrorist because of how he rides the bus?”

“Teroristes no es la sola viles ci nos catura tal.” – Pustula ia dise. “Traficores de drogas. Xices de gang. An furabotecas sufisinte astuta per visita un distrito diferente a cada ves.”

“Terrorists aren’t the only bad guys we catch this way,” Zit said. “Drug dealers. Gang kids. Even shoplifters smart enough to hit a different neighborhood with every run.”

“Vos opina ce mea fio es un traficor de drogas?”

“You think my son is a drug dealer?”

“Nos no dise acel —” – Pustula ia comensa. Mama ia colpa sua palmas a el per silenti el.

“We’re not saying that –” Zit began. Mom clapped her hands at him to shut him up.

“Marcus, dona a me tua bolson, per favore.”

“Marcus, please pass me your backpack.”

Me ia fa lo.

I did.

Mama ia dezipi lo e ia esplora lo, pos turna sua dorso a nos.

Mom unzipped it and looked through it, turning her back to us first.

“Ofisiores, me pote aora afirma ce on ave no narcoticas, esplodentes o ornetas furada de botecas en la saco de mea fio. Me pensa ce nos ia fini asi. Me ta gusta ave vosa numeros de insinia ante cuando vos parti, per favore.”

“Officers, I can now affirm that there are no narcotics, explosives, or shoplifted gewgaws in my son’s bag. I think we’re done here. I would like your badge numbers before you go, please.”

Muco ia grima a el. “Seniora, la Uni Esuan per Librias Sivil litiga tresento polisiores de San Francisco. Tu va debe ajunta tu a la filo.”

Booger sneered at her. “Lady, the ACLU is suing three hundred cops on the SFPD, you’re going to have to get in line.”

Mama ia prepara per me un tas de te ante reproxa me car me ia prende un come de sera cuando me ia sabe ce el prepara falafel. Papa ia reveni a casa cuando nos ia es ancora a la table, e Mama e me ia alterna en dise a el la raconta. El ia secute sua testa.

Mom made me a cup of tea and then chewed me out for eating dinner when I knew that she’d been making falafel. Dad came home while we were still at the table and Mom and I took turns telling him the story. He shook his head.

“Lillian, los ia fa mera sua labora.” El ia porta ancora la jaca blu e pantalon caci cual el porta a la dias cuando el consulta en Vale Silico. “La mundo no es la mesma loca como en la semana pasada.”

“Lillian, they were just doing their jobs.” He was still wearing the blue blazer and khakis he wore on the days that he was consulting in Silicon Valley. “The world isn’t the same place it was last week.”

Mama ia pone sua tas de te. “Drew, tu condui riable. Tua fio no es un teroriste. Sua usa de la sistem de transporta publica no es un causa per un investiga polisial.”

Mom set down her teacup. “Drew, you’re being ridiculous. Your son is not a terrorist. His use of the public transit system is not cause for a police investigation.”

Papa ia desapone sua jaca. “Nos fa esta en mea labora, constante. En esta modo on usa computadores per trova eras, anomales e resultas de tota spesies. On demanda ce la computador crea un profil de un article promedia en un banco de datos, e demanda alora ce lo trova cual articles en la banco de datos es la plu distante de la promedia. Lo es un parte de lo cual on nomi la analise Bayes, e lo esiste ja tra sentenios aora. Sin lo, nos no ta pote filtri spam —”

Dad took off his blazer. “We do this all the time at my work. It’s how computers can be used to find all kinds of errors, anomalies and outcomes. You ask the computer to create a profile of an average record in a database and then ask it to find out which records in the database are furthest away from average. It’s part of something called Bayesian analysis and it’s been around for centuries now. Without it, we couldn’t do spam-filtering –”

“Donce tu dise ce tu opina ce la polisia debe era tan multe como mea filtro de spam?” – me ia dise.

“So you’re saying that you think the police should suck as hard as my spam filter?” I said.

Papa ia coleri nunca contra me en mea disputas con el, ma a esta sera me ia pote vide ce la tensa en el es alta. An tal, me no ia pote resiste. Mea propre padre, suportante la polisia!

Dad never got angry at me for arguing with him, but tonight I could see the strain was running high in him. Still, I couldn’t resist. My own father, taking the police’s side!

“Me dise ce lo es intera razonada ce la polisia comensa sua investigas par esplora motifes en datos, e segue alora esta par un labora sur pede en cual un person real interveni per descovre perce la situa nonormal esiste. Me no opina ce un computador debe dise a la polisia ci los debe aresta – mera ce lo debe aida los a esplora la monton de feno per trova un ago.”

“I’m saying that it’s perfectly reasonable for the police to conduct their investigations by starting with data-mining, and then following it up with leg-work where a human being actually intervenes to see why the abnormality exists. I don’t think that a computer should be telling the police whom to arrest, just helping them sort through the haystack to find a needle.”

“Ma par aseta tota acel datos de la sistem de transporta, los crea la monton.” – me ia dise. “Acel es un monte jigante de datos, e cuasi no cosa ala merita es regardada, de la punto de vista de la polisia. Lo es un malspende enorme.”

“But by taking in all that data from the transit system, they’re creating the haystack,” I said. “That’s a gigantic mountain of data and there’s almost nothing worth looking at there, from the police’s point of view. It’s a total waste.”

“Me comprende ce tu no gusta ce esta sistem ia causa alga nonoportunia a tu, Marcus. Ma tu, de tota persones, debe reconose la gravia de la situa. Los ia fa no dana, no? Los ia dona a tu an un viaja a casa.”

“I understand that you don’t like that this system caused you some inconvenience, Marcus. But you of all people should appreciate the gravity of the situation. There was no harm done, was there? They even gave you a ride home.”

“Los ia menasa envia me a prison.” – me ia pensa, ma me ia comprende ce on ave no valua en dise lo.

They threatened to send me to jail, I thought, but I could see there was no point in saying it.

“Plu, tu ancora no ia informa nos a do en la enfernos flaminte tu ia viaja per crea un istoria tan nonusual de trafica.”

“Besides, you still haven’t told us where the blazing hells you’ve been to create such an unusual traffic pattern.”

Esta ia para me en modo subita.

That brought me up short.

“Me ia pensa ce tu fida mea judi, ce tu no vole spia me.” El ia dise ja esta a veses sufisinte comun. “Esce tu vole vera ce me esplica cada viaja cual me ia fa de sempre?”

“I thought you relied on my judgment, that you didn’t want to spy on me.” He’d said this often enough. “Do you really want me to account for every trip I’ve ever taken?”

Me ia lia mea Xbox direta pos reveni a mea sala. Me ia buloni la projetador a la sofito afin lo pote brilia a la mur supra mea leto (me ia debe sutrae de la mur mea decora merveliosa de posteretas punc cual me ia prende de sur palos de telegraf e ia coli a folias grande de paper blanca).

I hooked up my Xbox as soon as I got to my room. I’d bolted the projector to the ceiling so that it could shine on the wall over my bed (I’d had to take down my awesome mural of punk rock handbills I’d taken down off telephone poles and glued to big sheets of white paper).

Me ia comuta la Xbox e ia regarda en cuando lo ia inisia se sur la scermo. Me ia intende eposta Van e Jolu per informa los sur la pesti par la polisiores, ma cuando me ia pone mea ditos a la teclador, me ia para denova.

I powered up the Xbox and watched as it came onto the screen. I was going to email Van and Jolu to tell them about the hassles with the cops, but as I put my fingers to the keyboard, I stopped again.

Un senti ia pleni lenta me, no nonsimil a lo cual me ia senti cuando me ia comprende ce on ia cambia mea Salmagundi povre a un trador. A esta ves, lo ia es la senti ce mea Rede X amada es cisa difusante la loca de cada de sua usores a Securia Interna.

A feeling crept over me, one not unlike the feeling I’d had when I realized that they’d turned poor old Salmagundi into a traitor. This time, it was the feeling that my beloved Xnet might be broadcasting the location of every one of its users to the DHS.

Lo ia es como Papa ia dise: On demanda ce la computador crea un profil de un article promedia en un banco de datos, e demanda alora ce lo trova cual articles en la banco de datos es la plu distante de la promedia.

It was what Dad had said: You ask the computer to create a profile of an average record in a database and then ask it to find out which records in the database are furthest away from average.

Rede X ia es secur car sua usores no ia es direta liada a la interede. Los ia salta de un Xbox a un otra asta trova un cual es liada a la interede. Alora los ia injeta sua materia como datos sifrida e nondesifrable. Nun ia pote distingui cual de la pacetas en la interede es Rede X e cuales es mera la comunicas sifrida normal per bancos e ecomersia e otras. On no ia pote descovre ci texe Rede X, e an min ci usa Rede X.

The Xnet was secure because its users weren’t directly connected to the Internet. They hopped from Xbox to Xbox until they found one that was connected to the Internet, then they injected their material as undecipherable, encrypted data. No one could tell which of the Internet’s packets were Xnet and which ones were just plain old banking and e-commerce and other encrypted communication. You couldn’t find out who was tying the Xnet, let alone who was using the Xnet.

Ma como de la “statistica Bayes” de Papa? Me ia jua con la matematica Bayes a ante. A un ves, Darryl e me ia atenta scrive nosa propre filtro plu bon de spam, e cuando on filtri spam, on nesesa la matematica Bayes. Thomas Bayes ia es un matematiciste brites de la sentenio 18, a ci nun ia es interesada asta sirca dusento anios pos sua mori, cuando informaticistes ia comprende ce sua tecnica per fa un analise statistical de montes de datos va es estrema usosa con la Himalaia de informa en la mundo moderna.

But what about Dad’s “Bayesian statistics?” I’d played with Bayesian math before. Darryl and I once tried to write our own better spam filter and when you filter spam, you need Bayesian math. Thomas Bayes was an 18th century British mathematician that no one cared about until a couple hundred years after he died, when computer scientists realized that his technique for statistically analyzing mountains of data would be super-useful for the modern world’s info-Himalayas.

Asi es un esplica partal de la statistica Bayes. Imajina ce tu ave un colie de spam. Prende cada parola cual es en la spam e conta a cuanto veses lo apare. On nomi esta un “istogram de frecuentia de parolas”, e lo indica la probablia ce cualce grupo de parolas pare es spam. Aora, prende un monton de epostas cual no es spam – la profesales nomi esta “jamon” – e fa la mesma.

Here’s some of how Bayesian stats work. Say you’ve got a bunch of spam. You take every word that’s in the spam and count how many times it appears. This is called a “word frequency histogram” and it tells you what the probability is that any bag of words is likely to be spam. Now, take a ton of email that’s not spam – in the biz, they call that “ham” – and do the same.

Espeta asta la ariva de un eposta nova e conta la parolas cual apare en lo. Alora usa la istogram de frecuentia de parolas en la mesaje probada per calcula la probablia ce lo parteni a la grupo “spam” o la grupo “jamon”. Si lo pare es spam, on ajusta la istogram de spam en modo corespondente. On ave multe modos de refina la tecnica – par regarda duples de parolas, par dejeta datos vea – ma esta es fundal como lo funsiona. Lo es un de acel ideas simple e eselente cual pare evidente cuando on conose lo.

Wait until a new email arrives and count the words that appear in it. Then use the word-frequency histogram in the candidate message to calculate the probability that it belongs in the “spam” pile or the “ham” pile. If it turns out to be spam, you adjust the “spam” histogram accordingly. There are lots of ways to refine the technique – looking at words in pairs, throwing away old data – but this is how it works at core. It’s one of those great, simple ideas that seems obvious after you hear about it.

Lo ave multe aplicas – on pote demanda ce un computador conta la linias en un imaje per descovre esce lo es plu simil a un istogram de frecuentia de linias per “can” o un istogram de frecuentia de linias per “gato”. Lo pote trova porno, froda de banco, e geras de flami. Un cosa usosa.

It’s got lots of applications – you can ask a computer to count the lines in a picture and see if it’s more like a “dog” line-frequency histogram or a “cat” line-frequency histogram. It can find porn, bank fraud, and flamewars. Useful stuff.

E lo ia es un mal nova per Rede X. Imajina ce on spia la interede intera – como, natural, la Departe de Securia Interna fa. On no pote identifia ci envia pacetas de Rede X par regarda la contenida de esta pacetas, par causa de cripto.

And it was bad news for the Xnet. Say you had the whole Internet wiretapped – which, of course, the DHS has. You can’t tell who’s passing Xnet packets by looking at the contents of those packets, thanks to crypto.

Lo cual on pote fa es descovre ci envia vera multe plu trafica sifrida ca tota la otra persones. Per un surfor normal de interede, un sesion enlinia conteni probable sirca 95 persentos de testo clar, e sinco de testo sifrida. Si un person envia 95 persentos de testo sifrida, cisa on ta organiza un visita par la corespondentes tecnical astuta de Muco e Pustula, per demanda esce acel person es un usor de Rede X, un traficor de drogas e un teroriste.

What you can do is find out who is sending way, way more encrypted traffic out than everyone else. For a normal Internet surfer, a session online is probably about 95 percent cleartext, five percent ciphertext. If someone is sending out 95 percent ciphertext, maybe you could dispatch the computer-savvy equivalents of Booger and Zit to ask them if they’re terrorist drug-dealer Xnet users.

Esta aveni constante en Xina. Alga disentor astuta ave la idea de sircoveni la Muron Grande Dijital de Xina – cual es usada per sensura la lia a interede de la pais intera – par usa un lia sifrida a un computador en alga otra pais. Bon, la Partito ala no pote sabe cua la disentor surfa: cisa lo es porno, o instruis per construi un bomba, o leteras erotica de sua xica de cor en la Pilipinas, o materia political, o bon novas sur sientolojia. La Partito no nesesa sabe. Tota cual lo nesesa sabe es ce esta person reseta multe plu trafica sifrida ca sua visinas. Alora, lo envia el a un campa de labora forsada, mera per mostra un esemplo, afin cadun pote vide cua aveni a la sabetotas.

This happens all the time in China. Some smart dissident will get the idea of getting around the Great Firewall of China, which is used to censor the whole country’s Internet connection, by using an encrypted connection to a computer in some other country. Now, the Party there can’t tell what the dissident is surfing: maybe it’s porn, or bomb-making instructions, or dirty letters from his girlfriend in the Philippines, or political material, or good news about Scientology. They don’t have to know. All they have to know is that this guy gets way more encrypted traffic than his neighbors. At that point, they send him to a forced labor camp just to set an example so that everyone can see what happens to smart-asses.

Asta aora, me ia ta aposta felis ce Rede X es su la radar de Securia Interna, ma lo no va es sempre tal. E pos esta sera, me no ia es serta ce me es an en un situa plu bon ca un disentor xines. Me ia es perilinte tota la persones ci lia se a Rede X. A la polisiores lo no ia importa esce en fato on fa cualce mal cosa; los ia es preparada per regarda tra un microscopio cualcun ci es mera statistical nonormal. E me no ia pote an para esta – aora, operante, Rede X ia ave sua propre vive.

So far, I was willing to bet that the Xnet was under the DHS’s radar, but it wouldn’t be the case forever. And after tonight, I wasn’t sure that I was in any better shape than a Chinese dissident. I was putting all the people who signed onto the Xnet in jeopardy. The law didn’t care if you were actually doing anything bad; they were willing to put you under the microscope just for being statistically abnormal. And I couldn’t even stop it – now that the Xnet was running, it had a life of its own.

Me va debe repara lo en alga otra modo.

I was going to have to fix it some other way.

Me ia desira pote parla con Jolu sur esta. El ia labora a Rede Spleno-Porco, un furnor de servi de interede ci ia emplea el cuando el ia ave des-du anios, e el ia sabe multe plu sur la rede ca me. Si cualcun sabe preveni la prisoni de nos povres, esta es Jolu.

I wished I could talk to Jolu about this. He worked at an Internet Service Provider called Pigspleen Net that had hired him when he was twelve, and he knew way more about the net than I did. If anyone knew how to keep our butts out of jail, it would be him.

Fortunosa, Van e Jolu e me ia intende reuni per cafe a la sera seguente, a nosa loca favoreda en la Mision, pos scola. Ofisial, esta ia es la reuni de nosa ecipo de Joia Loco Harajuku, ma car la jua ia es canselada e Darryl ia desapare, lo ia es plu o min mera un asembla semanal per plora, aumentada a cada dia par sirca ses telefonis e mesajes instante cual ia dise: “Vos es oce? Esce lo ia aveni vera?” Lo ia es bon ce nos va ave un otra tema de parla.

Luckily, Van and Jolu and I were planning to meet for coffee the next night at our favorite place in the Mission after school. Officially, it was our weekly Harajuku Fun Madness team meeting, but with the game canceled and Darryl gone, it was pretty much just a weekly weep-fest, supplemented by about six phone-calls and IMs a day that went, “Are you OK? Did it really happen?” It would be good to have something else to talk about.

“Tu es loco.” – Vanessa ia dise. “Esce tu es vera intera real sinsera loco, o como?”

“You’re out of your mind,” Vanessa said. “Are you actually, totally, really, for-real crazy or what?”

El ia veni en sua uniforma de scola de xicas car el ia debe segue la via longa a sua casa, desendente tota la via asta la Ponte San Mateo e denova asendente a la site, usante un servi de buses navetin operada par sua scola. El ia odia ce on vide publica el en acel vestes, cual ia es en stilo asoluta de Sailor Moon – un falda plisada, un tunica, e calsetas de jeno. El ia es en mal umor de cuando el ia ariva a la caferia, cual ia es plen de studiantes de arte, plu vea, plu modosa, emo, muante, ci ia rie furtiva en sua cafes de lete cuando el ia ariva.

She had shown up in her girl’s school uniform because she’d been stuck going the long way home, all the way down to the San Mateo bridge then back up into the city, on a shuttle-bus service that her school was operating. She hated being seen in public in her gear, which was totally Sailor Moon – a pleated skirt and a tunic and knee-socks. She’d been in a bad mood ever since she turned up at the cafe, which was full of older, cooler, mopey emo art students who snickered into their lattes when she turned up.

“Cua tu vole ce me fa, Van?” me ia dise. Me mesma ia deveni frustrada. La scola ia es nontolerable aora, pos la fini de la jua, con la manca de Darryl. Tra tota la dia, en mea lesones, me ia consola me par pensa a vide mea ecipo, lo cual ia resta de lo. Aora nos ia es disputante.

“What do you want me to do, Van?” I said. I was getting exasperated myself. School was unbearable now that the game wasn’t on, now that Darryl was missing. All day long, in my classes, I consoled myself with the thought of seeing my team, what was left of it. Now we were fighting.

“Me vole ce tu sesa perili tu, M1k3y.” La capeles sur mea nuca ia erije. Serta, nos ia usa sempre nosa aliases de ecipo en reunis de ecipo, ma car mea alias ia es aora ance asosiada con mea usa de Rede X, me ia es asustada par oia lo diseda a vose en un loca publica.

“I want you to stop putting yourself at risk, M1k3y.” The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Sure, we always used our team handles at team meetings, but now that my handle was also associated with my Xnet use, it scared me to hear it said aloud in a public place.

“No usa plu acel nom en publica.” – me ia replica sever.

“Don’t use that name in public anymore,” I snapped.

Van ia secute sua testa. “Esta es esata lo a cual me refere. Ultima, tu ta pote vade a prison per esta, Marcus, e no sola tu. Multe persones. Pos lo cual ia aveni a Darryl —”

Van shook her head. “That’s just what I’m talking about. You could end up going to jail for this, Marcus, and not just you. Lots of people. After what happened to Darryl –”

“Me fa esta per Darryl!” Studiantes de arte ia turna per regarda nos, e me ia cuieti mea vose. “Me fa esta car la alternativa es permete ce los evade sua puni per tota.”

“I’m doing this for Darryl!” Art students swiveled to look at us and I lowered my voice. “I’m doing this because the alternative is to let them get away with it all.”

“Tu crede ce tu va para los? Tu es loco. Los es la governa.”

“You think you’re going to stop them? You’re out of your mind. They’re the government.”

“La pais es ancora nosa.” – me ia dise. “Nos ave ancora la direto de fa esta.”

“It’s still our country,” I said. “We still have the right to do this.”

Van ia aspeta como si el va plora. El ia fa du enspiras profonda e ia sta se. “Me no pote fa lo, pardona me. Me no pote regarda ce tu fa esta. Lo es como regarda un colide de autos, en move lenta. Tu va destrui tu, e me ama tu tro multe per regarda ce acel aveni.”

Van looked like she was going to cry. She took a couple of deep breaths and stood up. “I can’t do it, I’m sorry. I can’t watch you do this. It’s like watching a car-wreck in slow motion. You’re going to destroy yourself, and I love you too much to watch it happen.”

El ia curvi a basa e ia dona a me un abrasa ferose e un besa forte a la jena, cual ia toca la borda de mea boca. “Cauti tu, Marcus.” – el ia dise. Mea boca ia arde do sua labios ia presa lo. El ia dona la mesma trata a Jolu, ma plen a la jena.

She bent down and gave me a fierce hug and a hard kiss on the cheek that caught the edge of my mouth. “Take care of yourself, Marcus,” she said. My mouth burned where her lips had pressed it. She gave Jolu the same treatment, but square on the cheek. Then she left.

Jolu e me ia regarda fisada lunlotra pos sua parti.

Jolu and I stared at each other after she’d gone.

Me ia pone mea fas en mea manos. “Txa.” – me ia dise, final.

I put my face in my hands. “Dammit,” I said, finally.

Jolu ia colpeta mea dorso e ia comanda per me un plu cafe de lete. “Lo va es oce.” – el ia dise.

Jolu patted me on the back and ordered me another latte. “It’ll be OK,” he said.

“On ta pensa ce Van, de tota persones, ta comprende.” Un dui de la familia de Van ia abita en Corea Norde. Sua jenitores ia oblida nunca ce on ave ala tan multe persones vivente su un tirano demente, noncapas de fuji a la SUA como sua jenitores.

“You’d think Van, of all people, would understand.” Half of Van’s family lived in North Korea. Her parents never forgot that they had all those people living under a crazy dictator, not able to escape to America, the way her parents had.

Jolu ia leva sua spalas. “Cisa esta es la causa de sua asusta tan grande. Car el sabe como perilosa lo pote deveni.”

Jolu shrugged. “Maybe that’s why she’s so freaked out. Because she knows how dangerous it can get.”

Me ia sabe a cua el refere. Du de la tios de Van ia vade a prison e ia reapare nunca.

I knew what he was talking about. Two of Van’s uncles had gone to jail and had never reappeared.

“Si.” – me ia dise.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Bon, perce tu no ia es en Rede X a la sera pasada?”

“So how come you weren’t on Xnet last night?”

Me ia bonveni la distrae. Me ia esplica tota a el, la cosas Bayes e mea teme ce nos no pote continua usa Rede X como a ante, sin deveni caturada. El ia escuta pensosa.

I was grateful for the distraction. I explained it all to him, the Bayesian stuff and my fear that we couldn’t go on using Xnet the way we had been without getting nabbed. He listened thoughtfully.

“Me comprende cua tu dise. La problem es ce, si on ave tro multe cripto en la lia de interede de algun, acel person va es vidable como nonusual. Ma si on no sifri, on va fasili la spia par la viles.”

“I see what you’re saying. The problem is that if there’s too much crypto in someone’s Internet connection, they’ll stand out as unusual. But if you don’t encrypt, you’ll make it easy for the bad guys to wiretap you.”

“Si.” – me ia dise. “Me ia serebri lo tra tota la dia. Cisa nos ta pote lenti la lia, vasti lo tra la contas de plu persones —”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ve been trying to figure it out all day. Maybe we could slow the connection down, spread it out over more peoples’ accounts –”

“Acel no ta funsiona.” – el ia dise. “Per lenti lo tan ce lo ta desapare en la ruido, on ta debe cuasi descomuta la rede, e nos no pote eleje acel.”

“Won’t work,” he said. “To get it slow enough to vanish into the noise, you’d have to basically shut down the network, which isn’t an option.”

“Tu razona bon.” – me ia dise. “Ma cual otra cosa nos pote fa?”

“You’re right,” I said. “But what else can we do?”

“Cua ta aveni si nos ta cambia la defini de normal?”

“What if we changed the definition of normal?”

E esta ia es perce Jolu ia es empleada per labora a Spleno-Porco cuando el ia ave 12 anios. Si on dona a el un problem con du mal solves, el dedui un solve tre, completa diferente, fundida en dejeta tota la suposas presedente. Me ia acorda con testa vivosa. “Continua, dise a me.”

And that was why Jolu got hired to work at Pigspleen when he was 12. Give him a problem with two bad solutions and he’d figure out a third totally different solution based on throwing away all your assumptions. I nodded vigorously. “Go on, tell me.”

“Cua si la usor promedia de interede en San Francisco ta ave multe plu cripto en sua dia promedia de interede? Si nos ta pote cambia la divide afin lo es plu prosima a sincodes persentos e de testo clar e de testo sifrida, alora la usores ci furni Rede X ta aspeta simple como normal.”

“What if the average San Francisco Internet user had a lot more crypto in his average day on the Internet? If we could change the split so it’s more like fifty-fifty cleartext to ciphertext, then the users that supply the Xnet would just look like normal.”

“Ma como nos ta fa esta? Persones vera no atende sufisinte sua privatia per surfa la rede tra un lia sifrida. Los no comprende perce lo importa si escutores secreta sabe cua los gugli.”

“But how do we do that? People just don’t care enough about their privacy to surf the net through an encrypted link. They don’t see why it matters if eavesdroppers know what they’re googling for.”

“Si, ma pajes ueb es cuantias peti de trafica. Si nos ta fa ce persones descarga abitual un pico de fixes jigante sifrida a cada dia, esta ta crea tan multe testo sifrida como miles de pajes ueb.”

“Yeah, but web-pages are small amounts of traffic. If we got people to routinely download a few giant encrypted files every day, that would create as much ciphertext as thousands of web-pages.”

“Tu refere a rede-nondep.” – me ia dise.

“You’re talking about indienet,” I said.

“Esata.” – el ia dise.

“You got it,” he said.

rede-nondep – tota en leteras minor, sempre – ia es lo par cual Rede Spleno-Porco ia deveni un de la plu susedosas en la mundo de servis nondependente de interede. En la epoca cuando la publicores major de musica ia comensa litiga sua fanes ci ia descarga sua musica, multe de la publicores nondependente e sua musicistes ia es xocada. Como on pote profita finansial si on litiga sua clientes?

indienet – all lower case, always – was the thing that made Pigspleen Net into one of the most successful independent ISPs in the world. Back when the major record labels started suing their fans for downloading their music, a lot of the independent labels and their artists were aghast. How can you make money by suing your customers?

La fundor de Spleno-Porco ia ave la solve: el ia ofre un contrata a cualce bande ci desira labora con sua fanes en loca de batalia contra los. Cuando un bande lisensa Spleno-Porco per distribui a sua clientes la musica de la bande, la servi dona a la bande un parte de la paias de enscrive, en proportio con la popularia de acel musica. Per un musiciste nondependente, la problem grande no es la piratia, ma la oscuria: nun es an sufisinte interesada par la melodias per fura los.

Pigspleen’s founder had the answer: she opened up a deal for any act that wanted to work with their fans instead of fighting them. Give Pigspleen a license to distribute your music to its customers and it would give you a share of the subscription fees based on how popular your music was. For an indie artist, the big problem isn’t piracy, it’s obscurity: no one even cares enough about your tunes to steal ‘em.

Lo ia susede. Sentos de bandes e publicores nondependente ia enscrive a Spleno-Porco, e plu on ia ave musica, plu la fanes ia traversa a Spleno-Porco per sua servi de interede, e plu on ia ave mone per la musicistes. Pos min ca un anio, la servi de interede ia ave sento mil clientes nova, e aora lo ia ave milion – plu ca un dui de la lias de banda larga en la site.

It worked. Hundreds of independent acts and labels signed up with Pigspleen, and the more music there was, the more fans switched to getting their Internet service from Pigspleen, and the more money there was for the artists. Inside of a year, the ISP had a hundred thousand new customers and now it had a million – more than half the broadband connections in the city.

“Un revisa de la codigo de rede-nondep es en mea lista de taxes ja tra menses aora.” – Jolu ia dise. “La programes orijinal ia es scriveda en modo vera rapida e nonatendente, e los ta pote deveni multe plu eficas par un pico de labora. Ma mera, me no ia ave tempo sufisinte. Un de la puntos marcada per trata prima es la sifri de la lias, sola car Trudy prefere lo.” Trudy Doo ia es la fundor de Spleno-Porco. El ia es un puncor lejendin de San Francisco vea, la cantor e fem xef de la bande anarciosa femiste Sputaputas, e el ia es manica per privatia. Me ia pote crede completa ce el ta desira sifri sua servi de musica, par prinsipes jeneral.

“An overhaul of the indienet code has been on my plate for months now,” Jolu said. “The original programs were written really fast and dirty and they could be made a lot more efficient with a little work. But I just haven’t had the time. One of the high-marked to-do items has been to encrypt the connections, just because Trudy likes it that way.” Trudy Doo was the founder of Pigspleen. She was an old time San Francisco punk legend, the singer/front-woman of the anarcho-feminist band Speedwhores, and she was crazy about privacy. I could totally believe that she’d want her music service encrypted on general principles.

“Esce lo va es difisil? Me vole dise: cuanto tempo lo va ocupa?”

“Will it be hard? I mean, how long would it take?”

“Alora, on ave enlinia un monton de codigo criptografial sin custa, natural.” – Jolu ia dise. El ia fa lo cual el fa sempre cuando el comensa pensa sur un problem major de programi – regarda distante, tamburi par sua manos sur la table, tal ce la cafe ia malversa se a sur la platetas. Me ia desira rie – cisa tota ia es destruida e cacin e asustante, ma Jolu va scrive acel program.

“Well, there’s tons of crypto code for free online, of course,” Jolu said. He was doing the thing he did when he was digging into a meaty code problem – getting that faraway look, drumming his palms on the table, making the coffee slosh into the saucers. I wanted to laugh – everything might be destroyed and crap and scary, but Jolu would write that code.

“Me pote aida?”

“Can I help?”

El ia regarda me. “Ma tu no crede ce me es capas de lo?”

He looked at me. “What, you don’t think I can manage it?”

“Como?”

“What?”

“Me vole dise: tu ia fa tota esta cosa de Rede X an sin informa me. Sin parla con me. Me ia pensa alga ce tu no nesesa mea aida con tal cosas.”

“I mean, you did this whole Xnet thing without even telling me. Without talking to me. I kind of thought that you didn’t need my help with this stuff.”

Me ia es subita parada. “Como?” – me ia dise denova. Jolu ia aspeta vera coler aora. Lo ia es clar ce esta ia preocupa el tra tempo longa. “Jolu —”

I was brought up short. “What?” I said again. Jolu was looking really steamed now. It was clear that this had been eating him for a long time. “Jolu –”

El ia regarda me e me ia pote vide ce el es furiosa. Como me no ia nota esta? Txa, me ia es tan stupida a veses. “Vide, xic’, lo no es multe importante,” – e par esta el ia vole clar dise ce lo ia es vera multe importante – “ma mera, sabe, tu ia demanda an nunca. Me odia la Departe de Securia Interna. Darryl ia es ance mea ami. Me ia ta pote vera aida sur acel.”

He looked at me and I could see that he was furious. How had I missed this? God, I was such an idiot sometimes. “Look dude, it’s not a big deal –” by which he clearly meant that it was a really big deal “– it’s just that you know, you never even asked. I hate the DHS. Darryl was my friend too. I could have really helped with it.”

Me ia desira pone mea testa entre mea jenos. “Escuta, Jolu, acel ia es un ata vera stupida par me. Me ia fa lo sirca la ora du de matina. Me ia es loco cuando lo ia aveni. Me —” Me no ia pote esplica lo. Si, el ia razona coreta, e esta ia es la problem. Lo ia es la ora du de matina, ma me ia ta pote discute lo con Jolu a la dia seguente o la dia seguente acel. Me no ia fa lo, car me ia sabe como el ta responde – ce lo es un rus fea, ce me nesesa considera plu profonda lo. Jolu ia pote sempre serebri un modo de cambia mea ideas de la ora du de matina a codigo real, ma lo cual el ia produi ia es sempre pico diferente de lo cual me ia imajina. Me ia desira ce la projeta es sola la mea. Me ia deveni intera focada a es M1k3y.

I wanted to stick my head between my knees. “Listen Jolu, that was really stupid of me. I did it at like two in the morning. I was just crazy when it was happening. I –” I couldn’t explain it. Yeah, he was right, and that was the problem. It had been two in the morning but I could have talked to Jolu about it the next day or the next. I hadn’t because I’d known what he’d say – that it was an ugly hack, that I needed to think it through better. Jolu was always figuring out how to turn my 2 AM ideas into real code, but the stuff that he came out with was always a little different from what I’d come up with. I’d wanted the project for myself. I’d gotten totally into being M1k3y.

“Pardona me.” – me ia dise. “Vera multe, me repenti lo. Tu razona tan coreta. Me ia deveni simple asustada e ia fa un cosa stupida. Me nesesa vera tua aida. Me no pote reali esta sin tu.”

“I’m sorry,” I said at last. “I’m really, really sorry. You’re totally right. I just got freaked out and did something stupid. I really need your help. I can’t make this work without you.”

“Tu es sinsera?”

“You mean it?”

“Natural me es sinsera.” – me ia dise. “Tu es la codigor la plu bon ci me conose. Tu es un jenio enfernin, Jolu. Me ta es onorada si tu ta aida me con esta.”

“Of course I mean it,” I said. “You’re the best coder I know. You’re a goddamned genius, Jolu. I would be honored if you’d help me with this.”

El ia tamburi plu par sua ditos. “Mera ce – comprende. Tu es la gidor. Van es la intelijente. Darryl ia es… El ia es tua viscomandor, el ci ia organiza tota, ci ia atende la detalias. La programor, acel ia es mea rol. Lo ia pare ce tu ia dise ce tu no nesesa me.”

He drummed his fingers some more. “It’s just – You know. You’re the leader. Van’s the smart one. Darryl was… He was your second-in-command, the guy who had it all organized, who watched the details. Being the programmer, that was my thing. It felt like you were saying you didn’t need me.”

“Ai, me es tan stupida. Jolu, tu es la person la plu bon cualida ci me conose per fa esta. Vera multe, me —”

“Oh man, I am such an idiot. Jolu, you’re the best-qualified person I know to do this. I’m really, really, really –”

“Ja bon. Para. Lo sufisi. Me crede tu. Tota nos es multe ajitada en esta tempo. Donce si, natural, tu pote aida. Probable nos pote an paia tu – me ave un bujeta peti per programores contratal.”

“All right, already. Stop. Fine. I believe you. We’re all really screwed up right now. So yeah, of course you can help. We can probably even pay you – I’ve got a little budget for contract programmers.”

“Vera?” Nunca algun ia paia me per scrive programes.

“Really?” No one had ever paid me for writing code.

“Serta. Probable tu es sufisinte bon per merita lo.” El ia fa un surion e ia colpa forte mea spala. Jolu es abitual vera calma, e par esta causa el ia xoca tan multe me.

“Sure. You’re probably good enough to be worth it.” He grinned and slugged me in the shoulder. Jolu’s really easy-going most of the time, which is why he’d freaked me out so much.

Me ia paia per la cafes e nos ia sorti. Me ia telefoni a mea jenitores e ia informa los sur cua me fa. La mama de Jolu ia insiste prepara sanduitxes per nos. Nos ia clavi nos en la sala de Jolu con sua computador e la codigo per rede-nondep, e nos ia embarca un de la sesiones la plu grande de sempre per programi maratonin. Cuando sua familia ia vade a leto sirca 23:30, nos ia pote fura la macina de cafe, traente lo a nosa sala per drogi nos con sua furni majiosa de favas de cafe.

I paid for the coffees and we went out. I called my parents and let them know what I was doing. Jolu’s mom insisted on making us sandwiches. We locked ourselves in his room with his computer and the code for indienet and we embarked on one of the great all-time marathon programming sessions. Once Jolu’s family went to bed around 11:30, we were able to kidnap the coffee-machine up to his room and go IV with our magic coffee bean supply.

Si tu ia programi nunca un computador, ta ce tu proba lo. On ave no cosa simil en la mundo intera. Cuando on programi un computador, lo fa esata lo cual on comanda a lo. Lo es simil a arciteti un macina – cualce macina, como un auto, como un valva de acua, como un xarnier de gas per un porte – par matematica e comandas. Lo es merveliosa, de sinifia la plu leteral: lo pote pleni on con mervelia.

If you’ve never programmed a computer, you should. There’s nothing like it in the whole world. When you program a computer, it does exactly what you tell it to do. It’s like designing a machine – any machine, like a car, like a faucet, like a gas-hinge for a door – using math and instructions. It’s awesome in the truest sense: it can fill you with awe.

Un computador es la macina la plu complicada cual tu va usa a cualce ves. Lo es composada de biliones de transistores microminiaturida cual on pote ajusta per esecuta cualce program cual on pote imajina. Ma cuando on senta se a la teclador e scrive un linia de codigo, acel transistores fa lo cual on comanda a los.

A computer is the most complicated machine you’ll ever use. It’s made of billions of micro-miniaturized transistors that can be configured to run any program you can imagine. But when you sit down at the keyboard and write a line of code, those transistors do what you tell them to.

La plu de nos va construi nunca un auto. Cuasi tota de nos va crea nunca un sistem de avioni, arciteti un construida, projeta un site.

Most of us will never build a car. Pretty much none of us will ever create an aviation system. Design a building. Lay out a city.

Los es macinas complicada, aceles, e los es ultra la limitas per persones como tu e me. Ma un computador es cisa desuple plu complicada, e lo va dansa a cualce melodia cual tu jua. Tu pote aprende scrive un program simple en un posmedia. Comensa con un lingua como Python, cual ia es creada per dona a nonprogramores un modo plu fasil de fa ce la macina dansa a sua melodia. An si tu va scrive codigo per sola un dia, un posmedia, tu debe fa lo. Computadores pote controla tu o los pote lejeri tua labora – si tu vole mestri tua macinas, tu debe aprende scrive codigo.

Those are complicated machines, those things, and they’re off-limits to the likes of you and me. But a computer is like, ten times more complicated, and it will dance to any tune you play. You can learn to write simple code in an afternoon. Start with a language like Python, which was written to give non-programmers an easier way to make the machine dance to their tune. Even if you only write code for one day, one afternoon, you have to do it. Computers can control you or they can lighten your work – if you want to be in charge of your machines, you have to learn to write code.

Nos ia scrive multe codigo en acel note.

We wrote a lot of code that night.