What we need is J for Dummies books. In http://groups.google.com/group/J-Programming i have tried to write some simple explanations how to do simple things simply with J
2009/6/1 PackRat <[email protected]> > Raul Miller wrote: > > I think a better approach, for gathering information about new user > > issues, would involve observing lots of new users and asking them > > questions, when they encounter difficulties. > > As an elementary school teacher many years ago and as a relatively new > J user, I agree with you, Raul. > > Frankly, what bothered me most when I first encountered J (and still > does) is that the whole shebang is far too disorganized and "geeky" to > attract a popular following. New users simply MUST be able to find > information easily--in today's J environment, this is virtually > impossible. Another example, the labs contain good information, but > who uses (or WANTS to use) 1970's-ish "educational" display techniques? > Presentation is everything if you want to attract more users. (The > labs should be Powerpoint presentations or something, or some J coding > that produces a similar effect.) Or is there a subconscious desire NOT > to attract more people but to keep J "elite"? > > I am trying hard in my little part of the world to turn people on to J, > but I have to do all the persuasion myself--the current J environment > won't do it. I'd lose people (and I'm talking NON-mathematicians here-- > in other words, liberal arts folk who might take advantage of some of > the uniqueness and power of J) if I turned them loose in the J world as > it currently exists without extensive preparation. Otherwise, you'd > have a reversal: they'd be persuaded, all right...but to avoid J at all > costs! And that's something that I DON'T want to happen. > > It's why I've attempted (and continue to attempt) to write some very > elementary introductory materials to get non-mathematicians interested > in using J to solve particular problems they have and challenges they > face. The audience I have works with tables (matrices) all the time > and have never realized that there are other, maybe better, ways of > dealing with these than always turning to Excel. Dealing with the > WHOLE array at once is a completely foreign concept to the people I'm > trying to reach, but it has such power to better solve some of the > situations they face. > > I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'm just trying to lay > out my case for why I feel as I do about the current state of affairs. > In JChat there's currently the cooperative project to edit the "At Play > With J" book. What I'd like to see is all the expert J programmers > here work in a similar cooperative manner to "upgrade" the entire J > *experience* to attract newcomers. For example, the Windows controls > editor (as helpful as it is) is about as klutzy as klutzy can be, > compared with other Windows controls editors available. Or another > example: compared with the Visual Basic 6.0 IDE (the high point of MS > BASIC), the J environment is "amateurish". How can you get people > interested in programming to take a serious look? I really don't want > to sound negative, because I'm NOT. However, there's an awful lot > about the J environment that could be overhauled for improvement. I > know the kinds of things that I'd like to see improved, but I'm nowhere > near good enough with J to even begin to create those improvements. > But many of you are... > > Harvey > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > -- Björn Helgason, Verkfræðingur Fugl&Fiskur ehf, Þerneyjarsundi 23, Hraunborgum Po Box 127,801 Selfoss , t-póst: [email protected] gsm: +3546985532 Landslags og skrúðgarðagerð, gröfuþjónusta http://groups.google.com/group/J-Programming Tæknikunnátta höndlar hið flókna, sköpunargáfa er meistari einfaldleikans góður kennari getur stigið á tær án þess að glansinn fari af skónum /|_ .-----------------------------------. ,' .\ / | Með léttri lund verður | ,--' _,' | Dagurinn í dag | / / | Enn betri en gærdagurinn | ( -. | `-----------------------------------' | ) | (\_ _/) (`-. '--.) (='.'=) ♖♘♗♕♔♙ `. )----' (")_(") ☃☠ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
