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Welcome to ConsortiumInfo.org
Thursday, September 02 2010 @ 07:42 AM PDT

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Introducing The Alexandria Project

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Sunday, January 17 2010 @ 03:46 PM PST

Contributed by: Andy Updegrove

Views: 7,178

Alexandria Project (an eNovel)

Read Chapter One of The Alexandria Project here

 

Those that know me know that I firmly believe that there is a Monty Python vignette, or at least a catchphrase, for every occasion.  On this occasion, that catchphrase is, “And now for something completely different!”

How completely different, might you ask, as if on cue?  Glad you asked.  Quite completely different.  More specifically, what you will find here is a cybersecurity mystery novel called The Alexandria Project, originally shared here in serial form, in the grand tradition of yesteryear, when authors like Charles Dickens presented their latest works in weekly or monthly (often cliff hanging) chapters.  
 
Except in this case, there were a few twists.

For one, readers could follow Frank Adversego, our erstwhile cybersecurity hero, on Twitter.  For another, poor un-technical slob that I am, I’ll gratefully accepted help from my readers as I attempted to describe the security exploits that lay behind the plot as it unfolded.
 
So this was something of a combination of Print 1.0 and Web 2.0 authorship, partly a traditional suspense novel and partly an interactive, social media experiment that headed off in directions that neither I, nor the readers, anticipated. Indeed, when I began posting chapters, I did not know how the saga would end in more than the most general fashion.
 
Why write a “Tale of Treachery and Technology” at all? Let’s just say that while technology cartoonists abound from Scott Addams on down, the Geek Lit bookshelf remains sadly sparse. So perhaps it’s time the IT world had a series of Dan Brown-type books written about, and for, both the IT professional and the recreational hacker.  Hopefully, you’ll find that this story is at times deeper, and at others more fun, than your typical symbologist romp.  Plus pictures, links to other sites, dynamic images and more.  But no monks, Masons or circingles.  Sorry.
 
You can find the first chapter here, and all of the chapters here.  And, in these dawning days of social media, you’ll also be able to follow our friend Frank on Twitter.

 Read the first chapter

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The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Introducing The Alexandria Project
Authored by: carlfox1 on Monday, January 18 2010 @ 05:57 PM PST

Very cool, I'll be looking forward to reading each new installment :)

-Carl from orange county movers

Introducing The Alexandria Project
Authored by: Chris Ward on Monday, January 18 2010 @ 06:25 PM PST

If you think of cybersecurity as a bit like 'skin', you will not go too far wrong. "Keeping bugs and beetles out, and all the organs in", as the song has it.

 

My skin does that most of the time, but I did eat some food today, and I caught the odd cold (and recovered from it), and I've got 3 children; also I fully expect that in 100 years' time, the bugs and beetles will have won. So I don't expect the skin to succeed in its nominal job all of the time. I'm just after 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' along the way.

 

The cybersecurity 'problem' is that different people and businesses have different agendas, sometimes mutually-incompatible ones. And it's the same in any competitive situation. And the capitalist way, the public interest in the Western world (China too), demands that businesses shall compete.

 

I'll read the story. Make it a good one. is it fact, or fiction ?

 

Introducing The Alexandria Project
Authored by: Chris Ward on Tuesday, January 19 2010 @ 02:57 AM PST

That's another 'Kings and Queens' thing. Your ancestors left my shores so that they could set up a new country where they could have a Congress in charge, and never have to swear loyalty to Kings and Queens ever again.

So I'll watch you guys with interest, and whenever I'm a tourist in your land I will "Pledge Allegiance to the Flag and to the Republic for Which It Stands". But at home it's "God Save the Queen".

What penalty do Congress have in mind for Cyber-Insecure vendors ? And how do I claim common-carrier immunity ? And how does this affect the competitive market position as between Microsoft and Apple ?

After the first installment
Authored by: Winter on Tuesday, January 19 2010 @ 09:28 AM PST

I did recognize the picture, and the name. The hero should appeal to all of us as "nerds". I will certainly read the installments.

I am really, really, curious how you will introduce the "villain" into the story. I for one could not easily think of one. Or it must be some evil monk ;-) But then, if I see what Dan Brown et al. can get away with, that should not really be a problem.

 

Winter

Introducing The Alexandria Project
Authored by: Andy Updegrove on Tuesday, January 19 2010 @ 08:52 PM PST

 

Chris/Winter,

 

If you haven't noticed and are looking at a bookmarked copy of this page, the first chapter is here.

 

  -  Andy