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DPRK Textbooks

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Re: DPRK Textbooks

#11

I think some of these aren't North Korean-authored, but international textbooks in unofficial translation. For example, Google matches code samples from "CTBooks1/ANSI_C++.pdf" to this textbook from 1999 (and the front-cover graphic is identical), https://books.google.com/books/about/Object_oriented_Softwar... I think the version they're translating is a UK print edition, because the currency unit in the code is "£".…

I would assume they copy Chinese textbooks as it's the only border. I wonder if, when discussing ANSI C++, they admit what ANSI means.

They copy anything. They don't have a legal concept of copyright in North Korea, so why wouldn't they?

And their CS majors supposedly have monitored but uncensored access to general internet. I'm sure they know that the A in ANSI means American.

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#12

If you want to hear English short wave radio broadcasts from North Korea, it is quite entertaining. Here's what to do: 1. Choose the time you want to listen and note the "target area" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_Korea#English 2. Choose a WebSDR in the "target area" from this list: http://kiwisdr.com/public/ 3. Tune the WebSDR to the correct frequency and listen. You might try a 2 or 3 different WebSDRs…

If you live somewhere like the US west coast you can even use an $8 digital shortwave radio (V-111 is a good reference model of this type) and it's very easy to pick them up in the morning, just go for a walk and hit scan. Same with Cuban numbers stations.

When you're tired of inscrutable audio you can switch over to RNZ or BBC Pacifica and there's often good programming.

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#13

I think some of these aren't North Korean-authored, but international textbooks in unofficial translation. For example, Google matches code samples from "CTBooks1/ANSI_C++.pdf" to this textbook from 1999 (and the front-cover graphic is identical), https://books.google.com/books/about/Object_oriented_Softwar... I think the version they're translating is a UK print edition, because the currency unit in the code is "£".…

I would assume they copy Chinese textbooks as it's the only border. I wonder if, when discussing ANSI C++, they admit what ANSI means.

At least it covers UML. That'll set them back a few decades.

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#14

If you want to hear English short wave radio broadcasts from North Korea, it is quite entertaining. Here's what to do: 1. Choose the time you want to listen and note the "target area" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_Korea#English 2. Choose a WebSDR in the "target area" from this list: http://kiwisdr.com/public/ 3. Tune the WebSDR to the correct frequency and listen. You might try a 2 or 3 different WebSDRs…

If you live somewhere like the US west coast you can even use an $8 digital shortwave radio (V-111 is a good reference model of this type) and it's very easy to pick them up in the morning, just go for a walk and hit scan. Same with Cuban numbers stations. When you're tired of inscrutable audio you can switch over to RNZ or BBC Pacifica and there's often good programming.

Do you have frequencies for the Cuban number stations?

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#15
post #9
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely I can postpone my next commit to check this out.. spare a link?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtwhlnjc_XIsuAquW0SIgUQ/vid... I suddenly remembered all those Norko tourists I seen in Vladivostok. These were very shy ones https://ibb.co/6BvNdFw . There used to be years when the city was squirming with them, then they suddenly all disappeared almost overnight. Funny moments I remember. Two Korean tourists stood in line for an icecream stall, started chitchat. Then one in better d…

Those YouTube videos are not in English. The instructions I gave are for English broadcasts. Also, the YouTube videos don’t follow the same format as the radio broadcasts. They seem more polished , but I did not spend a lot of time with them.

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would assume they copy Chinese textbooks as it's the only border. I wonder if, when discussing ANSI C++, they admit what ANSI means.

At least it covers UML. That'll set them back a few decades.

haha. someone introduce Agile to North Korea. They're not going anywhere now.

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#17

If you want to hear English short wave radio broadcasts from North Korea, it is quite entertaining. Here's what to do: 1. Choose the time you want to listen and note the "target area" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_Korea#English 2. Choose a WebSDR in the "target area" from this list: http://kiwisdr.com/public/ 3. Tune the WebSDR to the correct frequency and listen. You might try a 2 or 3 different WebSDRs…

As a silly amusement, people mashed up DPRK propaganda broadcast in Russian with hiphop beats :D

https://www.wykop.pl/wpis/16379237/1-wlaczasz-radio-glos-kor...

Edit: a reference in English: https://www.rferl.org/a/27485988.html

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live somewhere like the US west coast you can even use an $8 digital shortwave radio (V-111 is a good reference model of this type) and it's very easy to pick them up in the morning, just go for a walk and hit scan. Same with Cuban numbers stations. When you're tired of inscrutable audio you can switch over to RNZ or BBC Pacifica and there's often good programming.

Do you have frequencies for the Cuban number stations?

Part of the fun is discovering the communities that follow this stuff.

Re: DPRK Textbooks

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live somewhere like the US west coast you can even use an $8 digital shortwave radio (V-111 is a good reference model of this type) and it's very easy to pick them up in the morning, just go for a walk and hit scan. Same with Cuban numbers stations. When you're tired of inscrutable audio you can switch over to RNZ or BBC Pacifica and there's often good programming.

Do you have frequencies for the Cuban number stations?

They change. If you want to try direct tuning you'll want to check with monitoring groups or newest YouTube videos, etc. Otherwise if you are in the US...aka near a secret agent ;-)... scanning around works well enough.

I don't know if this is still the case but they used to use a freeware Windows XP encryption application. The amused author wrote a bit about it, IIRC.

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