Programming with GNU Software

Mike Loukides is a senior editor at O'Reilly & Associates. His current technical focus includes Java programming and networking topics. He is the author of two other O'Reilly books, System Performance Tuning and UNIX for FORTRAN Programmers. Mike previously worked at Multiflow Computer, where he created all of Multiflow's documentation on programming languages. In addition to Java and networks, Mike's technical interests include programming languages, system administration, and computer architecture. He is also a pass able pianist-in fact, one of the few amateur pianists who even tries to play music by Olivier Messiaen. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Judy, and their daughter, Alexandra. Over a ten-year career in computer documentation Andy Oram evolved from a proponent of the congenial user-oriented approach to a fanatic on the subject of explaining models and internal operations so as to empower computer users. He was not prepared by his education (which included music and social work) for the philosophical and pedagogical demands of this role, but seems to have fallen into it. His technical writing career encompassed several computer manufacturers, including Honeywell Information Systems (now Bull) and MASSCOMP (eventually merged with a couple of other companies). During this stint he wrote articles and delivered workshops on making user documentation verifiable through the same quality-assurance process used on other components of a computer system. Eventually giving up on the organizations that make software, he joined O'Reilly & Associates to write and edit the types of books he likes. Andy has also been a member of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility for many years and moderates their Cyber Rights mailing list, among other activies. Details can be found at http://www.ora.com/people/staff/andyo.