I've been a computer programmer for quite some time now, but I've never actually been to a programming conference of any sort. That has changed now that I'm attending the DC PHP Conference on Nov. 7-9. The first day of events went about as I expected, considering that there's a lot I need to learn about the tools I use at my current job.

And to top it off, the first speaker, PHP and web application security expert Chris Shiflett, talked about an Amazon.com bug that is easy to exploit. It's a pretty simple one: without doing a thing, you can add a book to someone's Amazon shopping cart.

You don't believe me, do you? Assuming you have an Amazon account, go check your shopping cart. It's a pretty safe bet that you will see "The Developers" in your cart. I bet you're wondering how I did it? Well, I guess you'll have to go to the conference to find out ... maybe next year.

The funny thing is that Shiflett noticed this error more than a year ago and contacted Amazon about it immediately. They chose not to fix it, so he decided to post it on his website. Even still, the company hasn't fixed the issue, as evidence by the script on this page that adds my book to your shopping cart.

This should teach you two important lessons. First, if you shop online, make sure you check your shopping cart before checking out. Secondly, some companies don't care as much about programming concerns as they should. Pretty sad, but I'm guessing Amazon assumes that if someone wants to exploit the problem, the company will profit, as it will be an additional sale.

And trust me, Amazon makes a lot more off you buying my book than I do. But I like trying new ways to sell books.

Book review: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"

They say that if you believe enough in something, and have enough persistence to see it through to the end, then regardless of the circumstances, it will be accomplished.

I have a hard time indisputably believing this. However, after reading " Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave," it's tough to deny the plausibility of the above statement actually being true.

To put it bluntly, Frederick Douglass had virtually zero chance to survive. He was intended to be a slave for life. Through a series of events, however, he came to the conclusion that by receiving an education, he may have a chance, albeit slim, to lead life as a free man.

To achieve learning at all costs, Douglass made his way through various terrains, people and incidents, any of which could have ended his life, or at the very least, his crusade. Instead, he somehow managed to adapt and succeed at nearly every turn. And even when he was knocked down, he found a way to have the last laugh in the end.

I could go into specific details, but in such a brief column, it would be impossible to do them justice. There are multiple reasons I would recommend this book. First, if you've ever felt as if you could not do something, you should put yourself in Douglass' shoes for an instant. You would be hard-pressed to be in a more difficult situation than he.

Second, and most important, is the emphasis on education that Douglass cherished during his lifetime. Being able to grow through learning is such a critical item for every human being, yet many of us take it for granted, or even worse, have the notion that it really doesn't matter. It's not just about answering questions on a test or about a passing grade in school, though. What it's really about is reading or observing a person and/or a situation and understanding what is occurring.

Once you start to collect the knowledge of the world around you, there's no limit as to what you can do. Frederick Douglass was an example of this, and to take him for anything less than an example of a great human being would be a completely injustice.

Check out Ben's book, The Developers (The easiest thing to find on the Internet: crazy people.) , which is now in stores across the country. Send comments and suggestions to info@benwoods.com.