I disagree with Jean-Baptiste Query's presentation, which implies that you have to understand all levels of any process to understand the process itself. If that were true we would all have to understand quantum mechanics to understand everything. But no one understands quantum mechanics. So no one understands anything. <snip>
Well, the point is that for non tech folks, it is a tower of babble.
I like the presentation because it starts with a simple idea: view a web page, and shows the dirty little secret.
I believe it should be the intro to a book that does what I think you might prefer: top down, breadth first introduction to digitology.
Or in other words: modularity, and its implementation in standard formats and protocols. And no, modularity .. tho nice in program structure .. does not happen without the standard formats and protocols.
I have found it hard to explain modularity to non geek folks. Can you do it? Most start with code, which as I say, is wrong. But most folks understand contracts, and that leads into protocols & formats.
I tried to explain DNS once to a very very smart guy. Registrars, Name Servers, TLD hierarchy. His questions kept leading deeper into details, and made it all impossible. My poor friend actually got dizzy and ended up in tears.
-- Owen