Counterpoint: the gaming industry has revolved around hardware, polygon count, etc. and neglected elements of fun and play for too long. A good story, character development, fresh ideas and settings.
Yes, tools are vastly better, but they amount to zero if the game isn't fun.
Sorry to rattle your cage, chief, but I am just stating what reality is in the corporate, for-profit world. I know geeks don't like to concede it, but that doesn't mean corporations are not slighting R&D. Not flamebait, but cold reality.
Because that's what happens in the game. Unless there was a Cold Coffee mod I don't know about that allowed you to unlock the scene where C.J. bangs a homie in the ass.
I know this won't be a popular sentiment, but I think it's worth writing, so here goes...
You want to get into computer science? Look what happens to a winner of the Turing Award. Computer science, programming, and just about anything related to computers is now passe. It's no longer a book of spells from which you cast great power. It is a hack-n-slash battle of attrition. "Just get it done" is the new methodology. R&D is old school.
Everyone wants to launch in against HP or the corporation in general for this, but this doesn't surprise me. Guys like Kay are better suited in academia anyways.
Well since I got raped by a modder and there's nothing worse you can do to me, allow me to retort.
Fuck you, modder. I posted this before seeing the other post that got modded to the heavens. I'd rather you go jam four fingers up your anus. Probably do you better anyways. Bitch.
[X] Only accept cookies from originating server [X] Automatically accept session cookies
Default Policy (X) Ask for confirmation ( ) Accept all cookies ( ) Reject all cookies
This allows me to sort the wheat from the chaff. After a while, my cookie preferences stiffarm the tracking cookies to the point that I don't have to react to every cookie thrown at me.
Every time I read about students rioting on college campuses when their respective athletic teams win something, I always wish there was a way to effectively (and entertainly to me) suppress them. Best idea I could come up with was a pepper bomb. Now this.
Lt. Lockhart: [reading]... we have a new directive from M.A.F. on this. In the future, in place of "search and destroy," substitute the phrase "sweep and clear." Got it?
Private Joker: Got it. Very catchy.
Ironically, I'm looking for a way out of software engineering, perhaps into manual labor, construction, etc. A skilled laborer can pull down some good deniro, and you can't offshore the construction of a house or building.
But yeah, I too have often felt that programming is mental ditch digging.
Vincent: Remember, I just got back from Silicon Valley. Lance: Am I a script kiddie? Are we on IRC? No... You're in my home. Videophiles who know the difference between good shit and bad shit, this is the house they come to. Now, my shit, I'll take the Pepsi challenge with that Silicon Valley shit, any day of the fuckin' week. Vincent: That's a bold statement. Lance: This ain't Silicon Valley, Vince. This is a sellers market. HD-DVD is fucking dead as... dead. Blu-Ray, it's coming back in a big fucking way.
Personally I think this whole uproar has done nothing but sell more copies of GTA:SA.
No question about that. I didn't like the game for its lame, tightly structured missions, and the 90's gangsta rap ambience didn't do it for me. So I put it up for sale on eBay. Usually when I do this with games I finish, I have to offer a fair discount to just sell it.
I used a starting price of $19.99 with a "Buy It Now" of $34.99. It was bought in less than four hours! A lot of people are trying to get their hands on this game right now. I should have created a slighly higher price for the quick buyer. Oh well.
Re:Reading, writing, & arithmetic through six
on
Improving Education?
·
· Score: 1
Maybe I didn't outline what I would like the U.S. educational system evolve towards, so here goes. I would like to see a two-tiered system.
The first tier is what is currently elementary grades, K-6. This is the foundation. This is where we have to pound on kids to embrace reading, writing, and arithmetic. I excelled in these grades when I had teachers who challenged me and my parents refused to let me slack off. I believe a kid leaving the 6th grade should have the skills to hold down a simple job if age weren't an issue.
The second tier is much more focused on individual interests and strengths. This comes in the years that are currently filled with grades 7-12. Somewhere between the first and second tiers, we need a means to evaluate which subjects students excel in. More often than not, they are subjects he/she enjoys. Push them toward specialized curricula that concentrate on their interests and incorporate skills that are used in the workforce.
The point about the second tier is that we don't waste students' and teachers' time (and money in the students' case) going over subjects those students are not interested in or have little aptitude for. Everyone should know fundamentals like vocabulary, phonics, spelling, and algebra. Should they all have to know how to write a proper bibliography, debate the effectiveness of the Marshall Plan, or understand calculus derivatives? Of course not. I've never once used calculus since college. Hell, I haven't even used the Pythagorean theorem, and that's basic geometry.
Yes, lean on kids through the first tier so they know the fundamentals. However, in the second tier, we need to stop wasting time teaching subjects that have only a peripheral impact on students. I assert that students are less inclined to read for, study, and excel in subjects these days because the curricula we now offer them is too bloated.
I blame school administrations and institutions with a "big umbrella" philosophy towards education. I would rather see smaller schools with smaller, more focused curricula that are better prepared to teach subjects that will truly inspire students of those fields. I dare to think that if I had gone to a school dedicated to programming and computer science, I might have developed something profound that others can benefit from instead of limping job to job for a paycheck.
As for college, if we started preparing students for the workforce sooner, college wouldn't be today what high school was forty years ago. If undergraduate admission and attendance declined, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Universities exist more to conduct research and win research grants, so maybe they become research and grad student institutions only. Never happen, I know, but perhaps it should.
This does not make anyone smarter. Sounds like the antidote for grade inflation, but what you're really doing is subverting trust students would have had in you to instruct and stimulate their interest in the subject.
I had a college physics class that graded on a bell curve. A typical sophomore year "weed-out" class. Those who got 40s on the exams got an A. Nobody pursued another physics class for the rest of their collegiate career. Many fellow students including myself moved on to different colleges and left the chemistry, physics, and engineering schools behind. And some wonder why law is a popular destination instead of graduate degrees in the sciences.
1. Grading on a curve, making tough tests, generally making classes hard.
Making a class difficult does not make students smarter. I had a college physics course that exemplifies this method of instruction. It was a travesty. Very bright, hard working students scored 40s on their tests. These were the As! We were demoralized, as as much as I can remember, no one pursued another physics class the rest of their collegiate careers. I agree that students fare well when challenged, but grading on a curve is for teaching what Cliff's Notes are for students of literature, i.e. unrepresentative of the body as a whole. Goddamn curves to hell.
2. Teacher pay based on student progress.
Again, this isn't something that scales well. Sounds good in theory, but making pay scale punitive isn't going to attract the right people to the teaching profession. You want grade inflation? Implement pay based on performance. This will not work.
3. Two year mandatory civil service.
Buddy, I'm on board with you regarding civil service of some sort. I think before a kid gets to enroll for college he/she should go out into the world first. Really firm up what it is you want from life and what you can offer in return. That said, two years is too long. People will tire of this after twelve months, and those services will suffer. Keep it brisk, keep it to one year. We only get eighty to begin with.
4. The paddle.
That is the domain of parents. I'm not married, nor do I have kids. But I don't see a scenario where I want someone else striking my kid when I should.
5. Same sex schools
Highly overrated. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. If anything, having girls around made me want to improve myself. In grade school and college, if I were out of line or just being a jerkoff, girls often told me when boys wouldn't. Being told you're a jerk or acting stupid by a girl is a very effective way to get your attention.
Things I agree on:
1. Kids teaching kids
Cannot be overstated. Builds leadership skills, raises self-esteem in younger students, underscores the whole point of learning.
2. Recess.
Yes, and then some. I would like to see school districts engage entire families to take up physical activities. Too often, sports are thought of as the domain of particular jocks. Shouldn't be that way. Sure, they'll take up those stick-n-ball scoreboard games. I'm talking about activities that promote fitness. Running and cycling come to mind. Sports where you can readily track personal progress while enjoying the actitity with others.
Reading, writing, & arithmetic through six gra
on
Improving Education?
·
· Score: 1
Emphasize those skills through and through up to the six grade. Anything that follows is an extension of those fundamentals.
After the six grade, I found school to be more of a social institution. What is taught and learned is diversified to meet our interests and strengths. I'm cool with that.
Where I would reform the U.S. education system is high school through college. Prepare people for jobs. If someone has no interest or struggles with advanced math like calculus or doesn't give a hoot to write a ten page essay, don't make them. As long as they proved they can read, write, add, subtract, multiply, and divide, don't keep piling on unnecessary skills they'll never use.
In short, make high school and college more useful by making them less attractive to everybody.
It still amazes me how many people there are who choose to remain ignorant of the truth when the evidence is out there. Trying to laugh off the truth by saying "Monkeys COULD fly out of my butt" simply illustrates your fear at accepting the truth. If you have a better explanation for these kinds of things, I'd like to hear it.
No fear. More of an acceptance of what I can and cannot control. I choose to fear and embrace other things. If brighter minds with more time on their hands want to pursue this sort of thing, you know, saving the world, then that's okay by me.
There is much less likelihood of that happening since it's unlikely that your but (and the rest of your GI tract) is capable of holding even one monkey.
Do not underestimate the power of my butt! (Vader breathing)
Slashdot Mirror
Counterpoint: the gaming industry has revolved around hardware, polygon count, etc. and neglected elements of fun and play for too long. A good story, character development, fresh ideas and settings.
Yes, tools are vastly better, but they amount to zero if the game isn't fun.
Sorry to rattle your cage, chief, but I am just stating what reality is in the corporate, for-profit world. I know geeks don't like to concede it, but that doesn't mean corporations are not slighting R&D. Not flamebait, but cold reality.
Why limit it to the opposite sex?
Because that's what happens in the game. Unless there was a Cold Coffee mod I don't know about that allowed you to unlock the scene where C.J. bangs a homie in the ass.
Devil's Advocate:
Where's the value in new programming languages then? Could it be said that Kay, like the dinosaurs, had his day?
I know this won't be a popular sentiment, but I think it's worth writing, so here goes...
You want to get into computer science? Look what happens to a winner of the Turing Award. Computer science, programming, and just about anything related to computers is now passe. It's no longer a book of spells from which you cast great power. It is a hack-n-slash battle of attrition. "Just get it done" is the new methodology. R&D is old school.
Everyone wants to launch in against HP or the corporation in general for this, but this doesn't surprise me. Guys like Kay are better suited in academia anyways.
Well since I got raped by a modder and there's nothing worse you can do to me, allow me to retort.
Fuck you, modder. I posted this before seeing the other post that got modded to the heavens. I'd rather you go jam four fingers up your anus. Probably do you better anyways. Bitch.
[X] Only accept cookies from originating server
[X] Automatically accept session cookies
Default Policy
(X) Ask for confirmation
( ) Accept all cookies
( ) Reject all cookies
This allows me to sort the wheat from the chaff. After a while, my cookie preferences stiffarm the tracking cookies to the point that I don't have to react to every cookie thrown at me.
Fuck 'em.
Often with yellow or orange signs to indicate that a web site is under construction. Talk about old school...
...(buffering)...No.
JibJab? How about goatse.cx?
(.)(.)
Run away! My eyes, aaaahhh!
Beautiful.
Lt. Lockhart: [reading] ... we have a new directive from M.A.F. on this. In the future, in place of "search and destroy," substitute the phrase "sweep and clear." Got it?
Private Joker: Got it. Very catchy.
But yeah, I too have often felt that programming is mental ditch digging.
Vincent: Remember, I just got back from Silicon Valley.
Lance: Am I a script kiddie? Are we on IRC? No... You're in my home. Videophiles who know the difference between good shit and bad shit, this is the house they come to. Now, my shit, I'll take the Pepsi challenge with that Silicon Valley shit, any day of the fuckin' week.
Vincent: That's a bold statement.
Lance: This ain't Silicon Valley, Vince. This is a sellers market. HD-DVD is fucking dead as... dead. Blu-Ray, it's coming back in a big fucking way.
No question about that. I didn't like the game for its lame, tightly structured missions, and the 90's gangsta rap ambience didn't do it for me. So I put it up for sale on eBay. Usually when I do this with games I finish, I have to offer a fair discount to just sell it.
I used a starting price of $19.99 with a "Buy It Now" of $34.99. It was bought in less than four hours! A lot of people are trying to get their hands on this game right now. I should have created a slighly higher price for the quick buyer. Oh well.
The first tier is what is currently elementary grades, K-6. This is the foundation. This is where we have to pound on kids to embrace reading, writing, and arithmetic. I excelled in these grades when I had teachers who challenged me and my parents refused to let me slack off. I believe a kid leaving the 6th grade should have the skills to hold down a simple job if age weren't an issue.
The second tier is much more focused on individual interests and strengths. This comes in the years that are currently filled with grades 7-12. Somewhere between the first and second tiers, we need a means to evaluate which subjects students excel in. More often than not, they are subjects he/she enjoys. Push them toward specialized curricula that concentrate on their interests and incorporate skills that are used in the workforce.
The point about the second tier is that we don't waste students' and teachers' time (and money in the students' case) going over subjects those students are not interested in or have little aptitude for. Everyone should know fundamentals like vocabulary, phonics, spelling, and algebra. Should they all have to know how to write a proper bibliography, debate the effectiveness of the Marshall Plan, or understand calculus derivatives? Of course not. I've never once used calculus since college. Hell, I haven't even used the Pythagorean theorem, and that's basic geometry.
Yes, lean on kids through the first tier so they know the fundamentals. However, in the second tier, we need to stop wasting time teaching subjects that have only a peripheral impact on students. I assert that students are less inclined to read for, study, and excel in subjects these days because the curricula we now offer them is too bloated.
I blame school administrations and institutions with a "big umbrella" philosophy towards education. I would rather see smaller schools with smaller, more focused curricula that are better prepared to teach subjects that will truly inspire students of those fields. I dare to think that if I had gone to a school dedicated to programming and computer science, I might have developed something profound that others can benefit from instead of limping job to job for a paycheck.
As for college, if we started preparing students for the workforce sooner, college wouldn't be today what high school was forty years ago. If undergraduate admission and attendance declined, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Universities exist more to conduct research and win research grants, so maybe they become research and grad student institutions only. Never happen, I know, but perhaps it should.
I had a college physics class that graded on a bell curve. A typical sophomore year "weed-out" class. Those who got 40s on the exams got an A. Nobody pursued another physics class for the rest of their collegiate career. Many fellow students including myself moved on to different colleges and left the chemistry, physics, and engineering schools behind. And some wonder why law is a popular destination instead of graduate degrees in the sciences.
Making a class difficult does not make students smarter. I had a college physics course that exemplifies this method of instruction. It was a travesty. Very bright, hard working students scored 40s on their tests. These were the As! We were demoralized, as as much as I can remember, no one pursued another physics class the rest of their collegiate careers. I agree that students fare well when challenged, but grading on a curve is for teaching what Cliff's Notes are for students of literature, i.e. unrepresentative of the body as a whole. Goddamn curves to hell.
2. Teacher pay based on student progress.
Again, this isn't something that scales well. Sounds good in theory, but making pay scale punitive isn't going to attract the right people to the teaching profession. You want grade inflation? Implement pay based on performance. This will not work.
3. Two year mandatory civil service.
Buddy, I'm on board with you regarding civil service of some sort. I think before a kid gets to enroll for college he/she should go out into the world first. Really firm up what it is you want from life and what you can offer in return. That said, two years is too long. People will tire of this after twelve months, and those services will suffer. Keep it brisk, keep it to one year. We only get eighty to begin with.
4. The paddle.
That is the domain of parents. I'm not married, nor do I have kids. But I don't see a scenario where I want someone else striking my kid when I should.
5. Same sex schools
Highly overrated. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. If anything, having girls around made me want to improve myself. In grade school and college, if I were out of line or just being a jerkoff, girls often told me when boys wouldn't. Being told you're a jerk or acting stupid by a girl is a very effective way to get your attention.
Things I agree on:
1. Kids teaching kids
Cannot be overstated. Builds leadership skills, raises self-esteem in younger students, underscores the whole point of learning.
2. Recess.
Yes, and then some. I would like to see school districts engage entire families to take up physical activities. Too often, sports are thought of as the domain of particular jocks. Shouldn't be that way. Sure, they'll take up those stick-n-ball scoreboard games. I'm talking about activities that promote fitness. Running and cycling come to mind. Sports where you can readily track personal progress while enjoying the actitity with others.
After the six grade, I found school to be more of a social institution. What is taught and learned is diversified to meet our interests and strengths. I'm cool with that.
Where I would reform the U.S. education system is high school through college. Prepare people for jobs. If someone has no interest or struggles with advanced math like calculus or doesn't give a hoot to write a ten page essay, don't make them. As long as they proved they can read, write, add, subtract, multiply, and divide, don't keep piling on unnecessary skills they'll never use.
In short, make high school and college more useful by making them less attractive to everybody.
No fear. More of an acceptance of what I can and cannot control. I choose to fear and embrace other things. If brighter minds with more time on their hands want to pursue this sort of thing, you know, saving the world, then that's okay by me.
Do not underestimate the power of my butt! (Vader breathing)
Monkeys COULD fly out of my butt.
There, and I don't even know your sex. Feel better?