Re: [fonc] Molotov cocktail #2
I for one am thankful for getting rid of CRTs. It's better than having the world flashing in front of my eyes like a CRT. On Sat, Dec 22, 2012 at 11:21 AM, John Pratt jpra...@gmail.com wrote: There is one other problem with modern computers: anti-aliasing is an injurious blur that can never be focused. If people are not going to go the extra mile and have non-grid displays, no one should ever read on a screen. I know that people do it, I do it because I have to because it became accepted 10 years ago, but really we all know it is terrible and it hurts our eyes. Please, I know that eInk is improving, but I don't care. The more I read Alan's stuff, I think that maybe to *other people* he comes off as a crank or extremist, but to me I totally agree. Like this: Binstock: Well, look at Wikipedia — it's a tremendous collaboration. Kay: It is, but go to the article on Logo, can you write and execute Logo programs? Are there examples? No. The Wikipedia people didn't even imagine that, in spite of the fact that they're on a computer. That's why I never use PowerPoint. PowerPoint is just simulated acetate overhead slides, and to me, that is a kind of a moral crime. That's why I always do, not just dynamic stuff when I give a talk, but I do stuff that I'm interacting with on-the-fly. Because that is what the computer is for. People who don't do that either don't understand that or don't respect it. Straight on. Everything he says is like that, it is just that people can't understand. Why does no one else at PARC champion the things he says? I don't understand that. Everything he says is straight on right like this. Are you all just buried in computer data? ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
Re: [fonc] Falun Dafa
Or going out and sledding in the snow with my daughter. Have a white Christmas everyone! On Sat, Dec 22, 2012 at 11:28 AM, John Pratt jpra...@gmail.com wrote: I want to tell everyone on this list about something I found. Maybe someone out there hears what I say, thinks I am pretty crazy for saying it to an entire mailing list, but appreciates it. That is the kind of person I am sometimes. I might tell a CEO not to use high-class mustard on a hotdog and genuinely wonder afterwards why he gets angry. So, similarly, I am going to tell all of you to go to FalunDafa.org because this is the best thing I have done to extricate myself cognitively from computer prison that we all live in. It is true that computers are impressive, but they are also injurious in other respects and if people won't acknowledge the downsides to what they do to our cognition, I don't think that is ok, either. I am actually a generalist on this subject, so I don't take technical stances on this minor subject or that minor subject inside the vast field of computer science. But what holds true for me also holds true for you, that computers draw you in to a certain, narrow type of thinking that needs to be balanced by true, traditional, *human* things like music or dance or art. ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
Re: [fonc] Falun Dafa
Thank you, captain obvious. Man is a three-centered (three-brained if you will) being. Focussing on only one of the brains is by definition imbalanced. Bring back the renaissance man. Julian On 23/12/2012, at 4:28 AM, John Pratt jpra...@gmail.com wrote: I want to tell everyone on this list about something I found. Maybe someone out there hears what I say, thinks I am pretty crazy for saying it to an entire mailing list, but appreciates it. That is the kind of person I am sometimes. I might tell a CEO not to use high-class mustard on a hotdog and genuinely wonder afterwards why he gets angry. So, similarly, I am going to tell all of you to go to FalunDafa.org because this is the best thing I have done to extricate myself cognitively from computer prison that we all live in. It is true that computers are impressive, but they are also injurious in other respects and if people won't acknowledge the downsides to what they do to our cognition, I don't think that is ok, either. I am actually a generalist on this subject, so I don't take technical stances on this minor subject or that minor subject inside the vast field of computer science. But what holds true for me also holds true for you, that computers draw you in to a certain, narrow type of thinking that needs to be balanced by true, traditional, human things like music or dance or art. ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
Re: [fonc] Falun Dafa
On 12/22/2012 5:52 PM, Julian Leviston wrote: Thank you, captain obvious. Man is a three-centered (three-brained if you will) being. Focussing on only one of the brains is by definition imbalanced. Bring back the renaissance man. so, if, say, a person likes computers, but largely lacks either an emotional or creative side, is this implying that computers somehow took away their emotions and creativity, or is it more likely the case that they didn't really have them to begin with?... like, a person after a while, observing that they rarely feel much of anything, no longer have much of any real sense of romantic interest, have little intrinsic creative motivation, are unable to understand symbolism, tend to see the world in a literal manner, ... and, then wonder: so it is? what now?... doesn't really seem like it is the computer's fault anymore than a person also noting that they are also partially color-blind. unless I have missed the point?... a more obvious downside though is that generally, doing lots of stuff on a computer keeps the user nailed down to their chair. even though they might realize that getting up and doing stuff might be better for their health, doing so is time away from working on stuff... I guess a mystery then would be if, some time in the future, there will be ways of using computers which don't effectively require the users to be sitting in a chair all day (ideally without compromising either the user experience or capabilities). (granted, yes, traditional exercise can be tiring/unpleasant though...). as for the mentioned practice, it seems like it could conflict with a persons' religious beliefs (many people consider these types of things as being occult). more often a person might do something like memory-verses or similar instead (like, memorize and recite John 3:16 or similar, ...). or such... Julian On 23/12/2012, at 4:28 AM, John Pratt jpra...@gmail.com mailto:jpra...@gmail.com wrote: I want to tell everyone on this list about something I found. Maybe someone out there hears what I say, thinks I am pretty crazy for saying it to an entire mailing list, but appreciates it. That is the kind of person I am sometimes. I might tell a CEO not to use high-class mustard on a hotdog and genuinely wonder afterwards why he gets angry. So, similarly, I am going to tell all of you to go to FalunDafa.org http://falundafa.org/ because this is the best thing I have done to extricate myself cognitively from computer prison that we all live in. It is true that computers are impressive, but they are also injurious in other respects and if people won't acknowledge the downsides to what they do to our cognition, I don't think that is ok, either. I am actually a generalist on this subject, so I don't take technical stances on this minor subject or that minor subject inside the vast field of computer science. But what holds true for me also holds true for you, that computers draw you in to a certain, narrow type of thinking that needs to be balanced by true, traditional, /human/ things like music or dance or art. ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org mailto:fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
Re: [fonc] Falun Dafa
I think you've missed the point. The point is... you need to use your body and your emotions as well as your mind. Our society is overly focussed on the mind. Julian On 23/12/2012, at 1:52 PM, BGB cr88...@gmail.com wrote: On 12/22/2012 5:52 PM, Julian Leviston wrote: Thank you, captain obvious. Man is a three-centered (three-brained if you will) being. Focussing on only one of the brains is by definition imbalanced. Bring back the renaissance man. so, if, say, a person likes computers, but largely lacks either an emotional or creative side, is this implying that computers somehow took away their emotions and creativity, or is it more likely the case that they didn't really have them to begin with?... like, a person after a while, observing that they rarely feel much of anything, no longer have much of any real sense of romantic interest, have little intrinsic creative motivation, are unable to understand symbolism, tend to see the world in a literal manner, ... and, then wonder: so it is? what now?... doesn't really seem like it is the computer's fault anymore than a person also noting that they are also partially color-blind. unless I have missed the point?... a more obvious downside though is that generally, doing lots of stuff on a computer keeps the user nailed down to their chair. even though they might realize that getting up and doing stuff might be better for their health, doing so is time away from working on stuff... I guess a mystery then would be if, some time in the future, there will be ways of using computers which don't effectively require the users to be sitting in a chair all day (ideally without compromising either the user experience or capabilities). (granted, yes, traditional exercise can be tiring/unpleasant though...). as for the mentioned practice, it seems like it could conflict with a persons' religious beliefs (many people consider these types of things as being occult). more often a person might do something like memory-verses or similar instead (like, memorize and recite John 3:16 or similar, ...). or such... Julian On 23/12/2012, at 4:28 AM, John Pratt jpra...@gmail.com wrote: I want to tell everyone on this list about something I found. Maybe someone out there hears what I say, thinks I am pretty crazy for saying it to an entire mailing list, but appreciates it. That is the kind of person I am sometimes. I might tell a CEO not to use high-class mustard on a hotdog and genuinely wonder afterwards why he gets angry. So, similarly, I am going to tell all of you to go to FalunDafa.org because this is the best thing I have done to extricate myself cognitively from computer prison that we all live in. It is true that computers are impressive, but they are also injurious in other respects and if people won't acknowledge the downsides to what they do to our cognition, I don't think that is ok, either. I am actually a generalist on this subject, so I don't take technical stances on this minor subject or that minor subject inside the vast field of computer science. But what holds true for me also holds true for you, that computers draw you in to a certain, narrow type of thinking that needs to be balanced by true, traditional, human things like music or dance or art. ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
[fonc] a simple IDE for teaching basic computer structure and programming
Hello folks, I just wanted to mention something I am putting together to support a class or course I intend to give on the fundamentals of computer programming. I wanted to mention it here because it is both inspired by the work of VPRI and FoNC, and meant to act as a sort of feeder course into deeper waters (specifically the kinds of systems and tools being researched at VPRI.) Also, I would really welcome any feedback or advice about how to proceed. I've never run a course before and I'm not sure how to begin. So, what I've made is a very simple GUI that contains: * An assembler for the ATmega328P micro-controller. * Meta-II * Forth-like firmware in assembly for the micro-controller . * Very simple high-level Meta-II language for assembly control structures. And the IDE itself is a stack-based fully-FP virtual machine that can be programmed using minuscule LISP-like not-quite-language. GPL'd Source code: https://github.com/PhoenixBureau/PigeonComputer Draft manual: http://phoenixbureau.github.com/PigeonComputer/ I made an announcement on python-announce-list with more information: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-December/009713.html Although nearly a toy by the standards of most of us reading this message I'm sure, nonetheless I am building a robot and programming it via this system. It is not meant so much as a production system as a model with enough real relevance to prepare normal everyday people for, say, a college course on C++, and permit them to have a fighting chance at knowing what's going on under the hood of the compiler. It's no good having vocational training for Java programmers, without real understanding users are just another kind of factory worker (meaning no disparagement of factory workers) rather than minds empowered with calculating engines. But I'm preaching to the choir, yes? Warm regards, and happy holidays, ~Simon -- The history of mankind for the last four centuries is rather like that of an imprisoned sleeper, stirring clumsily and uneasily while the prison that restrains and shelters him catches fire, not waking but incorporating the crackling and warmth of the fire with ancient and incongruous dreams, than like that of a man consciously awake to danger and opportunity. --H. P. Wells, A Short History of the World ___ fonc mailing list fonc@vpri.org http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
Re: [fonc] Falun Dafa
On 12/22/2012 9:11 PM, Julian Leviston wrote: I think you've missed the point. The point is... you need to use your body and your emotions as well as your mind. Our society is overly focussed on the mind. could be, fair enough... emotions are hard though, like nearly completely absent at one moment, or showing up and being distracting at another moment, and generally not very easy to make much sense out of them. but, I guess, if ignored too much they can start to fade away altogether. but, if not controlled, they can make a mess of things, leading to poor judgement and irrational behavior, but most often when emotions do show up, they are like I am bored and lonely, and this kind of sucks, which isn't really all that helpful. in other cases, they might show up, cause a sense of sadness, and erode ones' ability to do stuff, which also isn't really helpful. for most things in life, it doesn't seem to make much difference, but does apparently have a bit of a dampening effect in the relationship sense, like no one is really interested, which probably doesn't help matters all that much (and it doesn't help much when one can know with statistical near certainty that it wont go anywhere, most often because there is some critical incompatibility, or more often, the other person has only a short period of time before they lose interest and go elsewhere). most else is the short of short-lived emotional states which arise from watching TV shows or similar, but, when the show ends, everything is as it was before. nevermind things like poetry or similar, which are more just confusing and cryptic than anything else (what does it mean? who knows? wait, it was about drinking coffee? oh well, whatever...). even for as ineffective as it ultimately is, a person can still get a lot more of an effect by watching a pile of anime or similar (say, a person can get ~ 75 hours of emotional stimulation by watching ~ 150 episodes of InuYasha, then be looked down on by others for doing so, or similar...). and, sometimes, there are good shows, some of which a person can wish there were more of (like, say, Invader Zim), but then again, there are always new shows (like MLP: FiM...). and elsewhere, there are videos on YouTube, like all the endless Gangnam Style parodies. otherwise, a person is left to realize that their life is kind of empty and unproductive, and seemingly all their emotions can really seem to do is remind them about how lame their life is (and there isn't even really much to want, like say, there is no real way to build a newer/better computer without dumping lots of money into overly expensive parts, and better is trying to find a way to earn some sort of income...). but, even as such, it is hard to imagine though if/how it could be any different. in a way, such is life... but, at least I am sort of making a game, and putting some videos of it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRVaCPgVxb8 and, a video about some of the high-level architecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlamKh8vUJ0 nevermind if it amounts to anything much more than this (hardly anyone cares, no one makes donations). but, keeping going is still better than falling into despair, even if everything does eventually all amount to nothing. or such... Julian On 23/12/2012, at 1:52 PM, BGB cr88...@gmail.com mailto:cr88...@gmail.com wrote: On 12/22/2012 5:52 PM, Julian Leviston wrote: Thank you, captain obvious. Man is a three-centered (three-brained if you will) being. Focussing on only one of the brains is by definition imbalanced. Bring back the renaissance man. so, if, say, a person likes computers, but largely lacks either an emotional or creative side, is this implying that computers somehow took away their emotions and creativity, or is it more likely the case that they didn't really have them to begin with?... like, a person after a while, observing that they rarely feel much of anything, no longer have much of any real sense of romantic interest, have little intrinsic creative motivation, are unable to understand symbolism, tend to see the world in a literal manner, ... and, then wonder: so it is? what now?... doesn't really seem like it is the computer's fault anymore than a person also noting that they are also partially color-blind. unless I have missed the point?... a more obvious downside though is that generally, doing lots of stuff on a computer keeps the user nailed down to their chair. even though they might realize that getting up and doing stuff might be better for their health, doing so is time away from working on stuff... I guess a mystery then would be if, some time in the future, there will be ways of using computers which don't effectively require the users to be sitting in a chair all day (ideally without compromising either the user experience or capabilities). (granted, yes, traditional exercise can be
