Are We Allowed to Spam Them Back: Featuring Computious - The Impish Sage of the Computer Age

Rating:
Summary: Computer age meets old age...
Review: Delightful, clever and subtly educational. As a businesswoman who relies heavily on my computer, laptop, and the Internet, I thoroughly enjoyed this book (sometimes laugh-out-loud enjoyment because most of us can relate to these experiences as computer users). As the mother of a little girl who undoubtedly will be computer-savvy, I look forward to when she can read this book. The cartoon characters are appealing and they present computer technology as an unintimidating part of our lives to be used for constructive purposes.

Rating:
Summary: Clever & Educational
Review: Delightful, clever and subtly educational. As a businesswoman who relies heavily on my computer, laptop, and the Internet, I thoroughly enjoyed this book (sometimes laugh-out-loud enjoyment because most of us can relate to these experiences as computer users). As the mother of a little girl who undoubtedly will be computer-savvy, I look forward to when she can read this book. The cartoon characters are appealing and they present computer technology as an unintimidating part of our lives to be used for constructive purposes.

Rating:
Summary: Computer age meets old age...
Review: I am thrilled. My Dad just bought a computer, claiming he wants to learn (he is 83)...I know the responsibility of teaching him will fall to me. I placed the order for him with Dell computers. He has had it for four weeks now and just walks by and looks at it. My brother, who lives at home, spends most of the time surfing the web. This great little book may be just the thing to get him to get over his anxiety... This is just WONDERFUL.

Rating:
Summary: A unique, fun look at computers and the Internet
Review: In one classic Looney Tunes cartoon, Marvin the Martian said, "Oh drat these computers. They're so naughty and so complex I could pinch them." In this illustrated book, the female characters have a different attitude - an empowered one - and they conquer computers and the Internet. The heroine, an American girl with Asian features named Computious, moves from being computer challenged to becoming master of the digital and dot-com worlds. The work offers a unique look at computer crashes, cyberspace glitches, online dating (including how to dress in a chat room) and more. I can't resist mentioning the author's saying Computious has things in common with Confucius, the Chinese philosopher who believed in high ethics. "Neither would ever become a hacker, create a computer virus, or spam anyone!" If spammers took a hint from this book, junk emails would disappear. This work has other cute characters that are clean-cut and innocent, such as Mei Mei ("little sister" in Mandarin), Dot Complicated, a friend who makes things, well, complicated, and Serge deFault, who's a bit geekish and short on social skills. Animals (a panda bear, pig, cat and elephant) also play roles, including being bewildered by the Internet. Highlights include drawings of Computious as Princess Leia, Betsy Ross, and as a palm reader (palm reader, get it?). The drawing of her as an archeologist who finds Egyptian computers is worthy of the Cartoon Hall of Fame. There are many cartoon books I enjoy (any Peanuts book!), but for those of us whose computer education included a lot of frustration and aggravation, this is a delightful piece of work!