GNU Sir Terry Pratchett

The internet is paying a truly beautiful tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett, simply by adding a hidden line of code to web addresses. I can practically hear the frowns forming. Let me explain, if I can, which I probably can't because it's technical and I'm only pretending I understand:

Terry Pratchett's 'Going Postal' centred heavily around the Discworld's clacks system, which was a means of speedily sending messages via semaphore towers. In the story the clacks was bought out by an unscrupulous consortium who cut back on investment leading to breakages, and even deaths of the linesmen who operated the towers. John Dearheart was the son of the creator of the clacks, and when he was murdered his father inserted a special hidden message with his name into the clack's code. This code would be continuously re-sent but never logged, secretly keeping his son's name alive in the 'overhead'. The message was referred to by the code GNU. The internet tribute, started by the Reddit community, adds a similar hidden message, or GNU, keeping Sir Terry Pratchett's name alive over the Earthly equivalent of the overhead: the internet.

Quirky Tales is now GNU, thanks in no small part to the fact that one person here at QTHQ is technically super competent, while the rest of us just nod in what we hope is a knowledgeable way.

For more information, and a far better explanation than I've managed, take a look at these pages:

GNU Terry Pratchett
Telegraph coverage

K.

Sir Terry Pratchett

I was devastated last night to hear of the passing of one of the greatest writers of our age, Sir Terry Pratchett. The 'embuggerance', as he termed it, of his early onset Alzheimer's disease has robbed us of any further voyages to the Discworld, but it was good to know that he died at home with his loved ones at his side.

His writing constantly inspires me to write, and to strive to write better. His capturing of the human nature is unrivalled, and his wonderful humour makes me smile on the darkest of days.

You will be very sadly missed, Sir Terry.
K.

News in Colour

The Daily Mail has an article today from inside the American factory that makes Crayola crayons. Just looking at the pictures took me right back to one of my proudest possessions as a child:  a humungous box of Crayola crayons that had every colour imaginable, as well as its own built in sharpener for keeping my crayon's points pointy!

I would have loved a job in that place. What am I saying, I still would love a job in that place. So many crayons, so many colours, that glorious smell ... that's not work at all!

K.