Hacker News Reader

The title of the book is "Oracle PL/SQL Programming: Guide to Oracle8i Features", not "Oracle PL/SQL Programming, plus my rambling political edge"

View on HN

I'm not sure why you think that's a prohibition on political content in examples. Lots of technical books have diatribes concerning many things irrelevant to the subject matter.

I read a programming book that dared to have jokes in it once. Gasp! One even talked about DNA and the wagging of dogs' tails. I suppose we've got to be extra puritanical and dogmatic once our delicate political sensitivities become more important than learning something. That way lies progress.

Jokes are what is called comic relief - a psychologic tool to ease the acceptance of the content. I find it hard to imagine a political topic fitting the same function. But who am I to judge the author o his choices of examples. The only way is through not buying the book and maybe giving advice not to buy it either.

Admittedly, that would be the kind of title that would make me want to pick up the book waaaay more.

Which is fine - but the point is you know what you're getting.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com