I've been intrigued by blockchain for months... but feel frustrated by the (lack of) technical material I can find on the subject.

I definitely want to use (something with what I understand to be the properties of) blockchain for a few different purposes:

• Not-easily-falsifiable audit. I would like my (internet facing) application to record every relevant event - and provide confidence that the events could not (reasonably) have been tampered with ex-post. Essentially, I'd like to be able to demonstrate that an event didn't happen. An example of such an event might be to grant access to a service.
• Distributed sequencing of events. I really like the concept of IPFSt... but I can't find much information about how to publish a sequence of documents using the technology... Each document only gets its contents once it exists in its final digital form. For IPFS to be useful, a publisher needs to be able to associate new documents with the existing one - and to do so in such a way as to retain control about association of future documents. As a consumer of published data, I need to acquire access to the latest documents associated with a document of interest.

For both of these use cases, it seems that BitCoin has already tackled the questions. While, I accept, I could review Bitcoin source code - that would be time-consuming and provide an insight into only one implementation of BlockChain technology.

I'd like to know: are there any good technical resources that tell me how BlockChain technology is implemented - in order that I can establish the effort required to adopt such a technology in the context of a specific application?

I've recently thought again about potential membership of professional bodies. I used to be a student member of the ACM - and, despite a steep discount, I felt there was little value there... so dropped it as soon as my discount eligibility changed.

The idea that a professional body should prosper by restricting access to content might work in academia, but it does not represent a compelling proposition to me.

I would consider joining a professional body if it were:

1. Relevant to professionals who work with software - neither pandering to esoteric academic nor lowest common denominator content.
2. Needs to involve (fairly local) physical gatherings "Conferences" - at which I will meet relevant people and discover interesting things beyond what can be found on the web.
3. Needs to be recognised widely as conferring an active interest - to bolster academic credentials and professional engagements.

Not only does the ACM fail to meet even one of these criteria... I can't find any other organisation that does much better. In fact, I came to wonder if membership was actually counter-productive... does it suggest someone who is not sufficiently confident in their other credentials... someone who hopes to buy recognition.

I come from a background of systems-level software... server-side and thick client, predominantly. I've recently been looking at in-browser Javascript again - and recognise that it has come a long way in recent years. JQuery is nifty; Backbone useful; Angular is neat... but they lack a certain je-ne-sais-quoi.

In one sense, I love the flexibility of dynamic programming with Javascript - but, on larger projects, this benefit becomes a burden. What I'd really like is a Javascript-like language - that compiles to efficient Javascript - where I get to structure my application; enforce type constraints at compile-time; provide test-time assertions... etc... and allow me to implement my Javascript application as a collection of independently tested components. Client-side libraries are going in the right direction - but remain an evolutionary step away from where, I think, web-technology deserves to be.

Javascript has come a long way - but the journey isn't over yet... IMHO.

In the 80s, lots of adults were fascinated... this enthused them to study alongside students. That happened. Today, adults are either specialists already or are disinterested. Specialists are, in my experience, today, unlikely to find a career teaching a mandated subject (likely to a bunch of less than enthusiastic high school students) a compelling occupation.

That description of measure theory re-affirms why I wanted to know more in the first place. I tried reading one book - and, while the subject material was interesting, the language used to explain the concepts felt rather opaque and this represented an uphill struggle - for me - as a non-specialist. I cheekily mentioned it - erm - because I'd love to find someone who has a deep understanding who wants to de-mystify the subject... My interest was piqued by the possibility that measure-theory might illuminate an approach to comprehending scale - distinct from "counting units". Everyone has an intuitive grasp of the real line - but - I suspect - it is a poor model for lots of observations. I don't know what a better measurement model would be - but think a clear understanding of measure theory might provide helpful insights. I am enthusiastic about the idea that novel measurement models might have significant practical applications.

I was not previously aware of a connection from measure theory to Kolmogorov - though it doesn't surprise. This is something I'd love to know more about - but I'm failing to find accessible material from which to learn.

Show me one person capable of explaining how to write software and I'll show you one person who doesn't want the job of providing such tuition.

Show me one person who wishes to do such tutoring - and I'll show you someone who can't competently explain any of it.

Sorry - those are the breaks.

If someone wants to learn, they will. If someone doesn't have that drive - they won't. Making this material more 'accessible' won't make the blindest difference. Please teach the main subjects... and embrace every question from a student. I've LOADS of questions... the interesting thing is that the ones about programming are either trivially answered by an on-line search... or are far more complex and in-depth than training could ever hope to address. I desperately want education to be engaging - if that involves programming, fine by me... Education must be relevant... when it is... it is the most addictive activity imaginable. If educators strive for relevance (rather than following a dull script) students will be transformed from reluctantly accepting drudgery... to engaged fanatics. Couple that with teachers who are knowledgeable and flexible... and you have a winning combination. It is easier, of course, to employ cheaply those who couldn't get another job... mandate a script... and blame the students when they, inevitably, and reasonably, fail to see the point in any of it.

P.S. Anyone care to tell me about "measure theory"? Any genuine teachers out there who want to impart knowledge rather than get paid for doing a mandated dance? Can you explain it? Do you care if you can or can't? Do you need me to tell you what you need to teach - rather than react to questions from students? For me, education is about such questions... No, I don't demand a dramatic production - this isn't entertainment... I'd like educators to be the sort of people who - when they see a question like mine - are enthused... point me at books or web pages or films or documentaries... then - after I've put in the legwork.... they talk to me about what I've found out... Such resources are as rare as hens' teeth... but that is how people learn. The rest of "education" is an exercise in politics... "one size" does not "fit all"... pretending it does gives rise to an entire industry... not one that benefits the students.

I thought this was an interesting poll question. I started thinking about Google-esque driverless cars, and thought - perhaps in 20 years or so... then I thought "would I want one?" and answered that you can "pry the steering wheel from my cold dead hands." Yes, I do realise that I'm vastly inferior to a developed automated system - so, my cold dead hands wrapping a steering wheel is more likely than it need be. No, I'm not into 'racing' - or even really enjoy driving much - it is a means to an end... but my end involves me having control over how I travel, it matters that I make choices... and, yes, I'm aware that this seems preposterous when I'm also a sat-nav junkie.

I recently replaced my car - after a decade... and it's interesting to me how things have moved on. Last time I was adamant that I wanted a petrol car and that it had to be manual, as I didn't trust the apparent lack of control in automatics - which might prove relevant in an extraordinary situation. This time round, most automatics leave me with the same feeling - but DSG diesels from VW gave me exceptional confidence... and - now I own one - I no-longer want the hassle of a gear-stick. A few months on, and it's been a revelation... a huge improvement. Perhaps we will never see driver-less cars, but - instead - technology will continue to evolve... slowly reducing the necessary effort? That's a future I can believe in, because it is identical to the past. Of one thing I'm sure, cars aren't just about convenience - they're also about empowering people with freedom of choice... and any technological idea will ignore that at its peril.

Quite possibly... I might need to jump through some hoops to get this working on my LAN... but, on the surface, it looks as if it might be exactly what I need. Thanks. :)

I've used Calibre on my desktop for a few years - it was the best tool I could find, but it was frustratingly slow Version 1.0 seems to have that fixed I'm officially impressed.

What I'd like to do is access my (ever growing) library from my Android tablet (a Nexus 10 which I bought for its near-laser-printer screen resolution). I'm a real tight-arse when it comes to paying for software... but I'd pay for an application that gave me seamless access to read my Calibre library (on my LAN) from my Android device (with limited local storage).

I find these titbits about number theory absolutely fascinating... I followed a few courses at undergraduate level that touched on this material - without giving me a solid grounding. What I'd like to know is this: Is there a good textbook that would bring me up to speed with this material? I like Wikipedia articles - but I find them disjointed.. what I'd like from a textbook is something that leads me through the subject from undergraduate level onwards. Can anyone make any recommendations?

Does LLVM have features for coverage analysis to compare with GCOV?

And how are we measuring the size? What sizes are measured for typical 'big data'?

Are we talking about detailed information, or inefficient data formats?
Are we talking about high-resolution long-term time series, or are we talking about data that is big because it has a complex structure?

Is the data big because it has been engineered so, or is it begging for a more refined system to simplify?

Perhaps... I'm considering buying a replacement for my 2000-vintage 28" 4x3 ratio CRT TV. I'm not in a hurry as I rarely "watch TV".

I like the Samsungs - especially the ultra-thin 46" ones... with fast refresh and high-definition. Their biggest down-side is that they aren't competitively priced relative to other manufacturers - IMHO.

I am interested in a seamless way to use the TV to display what would be on my Laptop otherwise... I like the idea of watching internet video on a big screen... and I like the idea of lounging with a keyboard and having a full-PC environment on my wall... but I don't know if these will be mere gimmicks for me.

I don't care about 3D - but I do care about slimline high-resolution displays with great connectivity. Thereafter, for me, it's price, price, price.

Congratulations.... I'm pleased to see that things worked out for you.

When I think about it, I notice a number of weird problems with the idea of dating sites. Free dating sites, inevitably, will be the preferred haunt of the insincere who lack commitment to the idea of forging a new lasting relationship... you'd expect the participants - if genuine at all - to be looking for cheap thrills... encouraged that by avoiding handing over credit card details, they're in some sense shielded by anonymity. Conversely, paid dating sites turn my stomach. I'd have no objection to paying a fair commercial price for introductions to people of interest to me... romantic or otherwise. The snag is that dating sites aren't selling a competitive introduction service - the most charitable description of their business model would be that they're trying to 'sell love' - though maybe they should just be regarded as old fashioned pimps. The obvious lack of integrity in the sales pitch for such services leaves me feeling very negatively towards them.

If there was a site that introduced me to groups of locals interested in obscure topics that might interest me - I'd pay for that... assuming the party I paid understood that they were engaged in a merely administrative capacity. I guess that a useful service like that doesn't present the same opportunities to gouge the vulnerable - so I don't expect to be a customer of such a service any time soon.

Perhaps not an ideal way to ask a question, but you sound authoritative. :)

Can you recommend a book for someone who's broadly familiar with Fourier transforms who wants to get to grips with all of "Fourier's mathematics" rather than just some limited aspects of it as exposed by a particular practical application?