Can't believe this is my introduction to Neal Stephenson's work? What a way to start! I cackled, nodded sagely and pondered the world in which operating systems are bigger than the Superbowl.  Happy to report that his wit and observations piqued my interes in the rest of his repertoire. 

To the topic at hand.  What if, stay with me, our world is the one Aliens deem magical?

What if Technology and Science are just magic in a parallel world. I mean  - look at the marvels of our sorcery.  We can heat food and reheat it in colorful boxes (they used to just come in black and silver for decades). What about suspending moving people inside flat contraptions we hold in our hands or larger ones we nail to our walls and watching them go through life in a flurry of action, drama, mystery, fantasy, romance and so much more? What about the thing that has an invisible  power and existance that we can't physically touch but it knows everything and tells us everything and connects us to everything and as the saying goes: "if it's not on Google it's not worth knowing?" 
Sorcery my fellow Homo Sapien.

The teletype sequence sounds like something from Unseen University in Disceorld. Young apprentices (high school students) need to first write down alphanumeric code on paper (spells) then go to their teletype room and input the spell into the electronic cauldron (machine, not computer) and it eould boil away communicating with the spirits (university mainframe) which would send back a powerful elixir (teletype receiving meaningful symbols via) letters. Maybe Rincewind could learn this sorcery.

Magic I tell you. Magic