Blake Ross is an inspiration

As a Firefox Campus Rep, I get a box of Firefox goodies to use while promoting Firefox on the USC campus. A few days ago, I received a box for this year. It contains a book called Firefox for Dummies, by Blake Ross.

I have to be honest. I’ve always been a little hesitant to pick up “for Dummies” books because they’re a huge series, which reeks of mass media and brainless fluff. With a title including the word “Dummies”, who can take it seriously? As usual, I was wrong. These books are often full of good stuff.

Firefox for Dummies is no exception. It’s written by the main man himself, Blake Ross, co-creator of Firefox. There’s no better person to write a book on this topic, and he’s fully equipped and a heck of a lot more knowledgeable than me.

Despite his stunning credentials, he comes across as humble and down-to-earth, at least in my opinion. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

One great thing about developer-authors is that if anything goes wrong with your Firefox experience, whether the error lies in this book or in the software, it’s my fault. You don’t have to spend any time figuring out who deserves an earful. It’s me, all me. See? Firefox is making your life easier already!

Very well said, Blake.

The “About the Author” page is extraordinarily gripping as well. This is what really convinces me that Blake Ross is an inspiration for me.

Blake Ross discovered computers when he was 4 and hasn’t had time to eat since then. He began working at Netscape at 14 and cofounded the Firefox project two years later to make the Web easy to use for plain old human beings. He also cofounded the SpreadFirefox.com community evangelism project, which has changed the face of software marketing and distribution. … He is on leave from Stanford University, where he is an undergraduate.

Wow. Could I ever write something so smooth about myself? Let’s see if I can meld the facts to fit my life. I don’t remember when I discovered computers, though I could well have been 4. I’ll put in something I do know.

Elliot Lee discovered web publishing when he was 8 and hasn’t had time to sleep since then. He worked for JPL at 18 and for Google at 19, and is currently working on cofounding a project to make online community easy to use for plain old human beings. He will be on leave from the University of Southern California, where he is an undergraduate.

I need an editor.