Earlier today Michael Branson Smith brought his Dr. Oblivion bot to life on the web. Cogdog had the doctor produce an ode to HTML:
Which was great. We had talked about having students submit their work to Dr. Oblivion for feedback, so here was an opportunity to try it out:
That little pause between how and creative is perfect. OK, but what more could I do with this? Well, I could find an open source backing track from bensound that sounded appropriate for beatnik poetry and put it all together:
I hadn’t paid much attention to zines until recently. The Gettin’ Air episode with Dr. Anne Pasek talked about a zine-based conference raised my interest, and then some criticisms of our library brochure led me to slap together to above zine thing. Today I heard about the HTML Zine Club and thought it had possibilities.
I wonder if we might use this with ds106. There is a category for code assignments, but I’ve never done anything with it due to my ineptitude. It could also work under web assignments which I’ve given minimal attention. There is a primitiveness to the zine concept, a punk-rock anyone-can-do-it aesthetic, that suits a basic HTML page.
I was thinking it might work in AI106 as a rebel action – fight back against the machine by taking control of the inner workings, or something like that. It might be a Luddite move, or a way of infiltrating a Luddite group.
If we do it late in the semester it could be a way of bringing together previous work and creations in a low tech way, a handmade web page substituting for a handmade zine, presenting some sort of narrative. It’s something to think about
The good people at Metafilter introduced me to NEEDS MORE BOOM today, which will apparently script Bayhem into any movie scene. My first thought was to see what it would do with Nicholson’s “You can’t handle the truth” scene, which came out okay.
So what might it do with Radio Raheem?
The output is below. Not really what I expected. It somehow feels happier. I’m wondering how this might be used in AI106. Could this be built upon, illustrated and visualized? Sweded? Or made into an audio production?
The Love and Hate soliloquy scene with Radio Raheem in Do the Right Thing
directed by Michael Bay
INT. SAL’S PIZZERIA – NIGHT
The neon sign outside the pizzeria flickers, casting a menacing glow on RADIO RAHEEM’S face as he enters, wielding his BOOMBOX like a weapon.
Raheem’s music clashes with the rock ballad playing inside, causing an eerie dissonance. He’s a tower of a man, decked out in rings. A DRONE shot reveals two rings: one that reads “LOVE”, the other “HATE”.
RAHEEM
You see these? These are my rings.
Sal looks disinterested, wiping down the counter. Raheem turns up the volume on his boombox, causing the chandelier to vibrate.
RAHEEM (CONT’D)
This here is LOVE. And this…HATE.
Suddenly, a low angle shot shows the LOVE ring activate, glowing bright as it projects a holographic story. It’s a modern Romeo and Juliet tale, except with more explosions. Laughter, love, then tragedy.
RAHEEM (CONT’D)
Love always wins. Always.
Sal rolls his eyes. Raheem steps closer, the floor creaking under his weight. The HATE ring activates, projecting an equally explosive war scene filled with missiles and robots.
RAHEEM (CONT’D)
Hate is everywhere. But love? Love is stronger.
Suddenly, the Italian opera aria crescendos, and the ceiling fan spins out of control, then EXPLODES. Everyone ducks for cover.
Sal raises an eyebrow at Raheem, dusting plaster off his apron.
SAL
So what? You a philosopher now?
RAHEEM
Just speaking truth, Sal.
A close-up of the LOVE ring glowing, Raheem slams his fist on the counter. The BOOM causes the plates on the wall to quiver.
RAHEEM (CONT’D)
Love is a powerful thing.
Suddenly, the ground rumbles, and a CAR bursts through the wall, chased by a ROBOT DOG. The two tumble out into the street, causing a fantastic EXPLOSION.
Sal and Raheem look at each other, then back at the wall.
SAL
Well, that was unexpected.
As they walk outside to assess the damage, a small PIZZA BOX near the counter ticks ominously, followed by a tiny, yet impactful EXPLOSION, sending bits of cheese and tomato sauce flying.
The best part of co-teaching, the most fun, is seeing how different ideas come together. As we’re planning AI106, I get to see all the genius conceptions gel, and hopefully make more of my thoughts than I could on my own.
I had a couple ideas coming in. One I touched upon earlier comes from reading Sontag, and Sacasas as well. Storytelling is a fundamental human activity. It is necessary in that it is how we understand the world, and essential in that it is something we’re driven to do. While it may be possible for a tech app to string words together in the form of a story, any deep meaning in the story would come from the human reader rather than the machine generator. When I had ChatGPT create a story outline, it put forth something workable. But it was also too familiar, lacking in any twists or surprises. The output is like an averaging of storylines, squarely targeting mediocrity. I’m not sure how to work this idea into the run of the course, but it may fuel ongoing discussion.
In many iterations of ds106 students created characters that they used to interact with the course and build stories around. We have floated the idea that in AI106 their characters could be human or bots. My second idea borrows from role-playing games. We could have a list of character archtypes, like
Innovator – interested in making new things, trying new things, open to risk and disdainful of guardrails
Regulator – interested in stability and security, approaches risk with great caution
Luddite – militantly values people over property and technology
Mad genius – feels entitled to rule the world by virtue of intellectual superiority
Documentarian – tracks the facts and tells their story
Technician – dedicated to making things work and keeping things running
Artist – sees all tech as paintbrushes and palettes, tools and media for self-expression
Evangelist – dedicated to spreading the good news and preaching the potential, disinterested in drawbacks
Philosopher – works to bring clarity to truth, meaning and ethics
Investor – feels entitled to rule the world by virtue of financial advantage
and have the students fit their characters into one. This could give the students some inspiration and direction, and sets the stage for interaction and plot development while giving the class a lot of latitude to determine where the story goes.
Imposter Syndrome is a psychological effect where a person doubts their skills or talents, causing them to see themselves as a fraud and fearing being exposed for it. Surprisingly, this is a more common occurrence than one might think. Research shows that nearly 70% of individuals will go through Imposter Syndrome at least once in their life. Some may have Imposter Syndrome as an effect of another related mental health issue, but it is important to note that Imposter Syndrome itself is not a mental disorder.
I have personally experienced Imposter Syndrome, due to outside pressure and expectations. Whenever friends or family ask me about my major and I answer with “Cybersecurity,” they always give me praise for pursuing a well-paying major that is commonly associated with intelligence. When I explain the subjects I am taking and the homework/projects I am working on, my family and friends expect me to have extensive knowledge on computers. My fear is constant when questioned on it, since I am afraid that I would be exposed for not being that confident and knowledgeable on programming, computers, etc.
There is an article titled “Programmer Imposter Syndrome: 6 Ways to Get Over Yours” by Ethan Urie that explains how common Imposter Syndrome is in the programming field. The reason for this is because software development is constantly evolving. Also, software development is given a skewed image due to media, which portrays the founders of new tech startups as creative geniuses. This puts pressure on new programmers and gives them a false sense of insecurity. “Programmers and software developers need to be extremely smart”, is a saying that goes through their minds constantly, which can cause Imposter Syndrome.
There are six methods Urie explains that would help people get over Imposter Syndrome. First, one must be comfortable with being uncomfortable. He says that we see others success constantly but never see their failures or doubts. Everyone goes through negative times, but it is important to accept it and become motivated to overcome and learn from these moments. You will never become a expert in software development or programming, but that is okay because these fields are always changing.
The second method is to adopt the growth mindset. This means to see failures and obstacles as opportunities and moments of growth, instead of attacks on your intelligence. Third, is to keep track of your accomplishments. To do this, you should write down accomplishments and reflect on them. Even if you fail those accomplishments later, it is okay since it is a moment of growth. The fourth method is to find out how your manager thinks you’re doing. Setting up a meeting and asking them what they see as your strengths and weaknesses would be beneficial. Fifth, is to find out what method helps you learn the best. Some are better at reading over notes, while others are better at discussing it with someone. You should experiment to find the best method for you. The sixth and final method is to plan your career goals for the future. A lot of Imposter Syndrome stems from the uncertainty of the future, so planning on what you want to learn and where you want to work would help keep a clearer mind and increase motivation.
I think all of these methods would be effective. Everyone is different, but there is at least one method someone could use to ease their Imposter Syndrome. Another method I would recommend that helps me personally is to find a hobby that you enjoy, that is not related to programming, and work on it. Finding something one is passionate about, whether it be painting, dancing, singing, or many more things, one can feel more comfortable since they have an outlet of emotion where they can feel confident and happy. I like to write scripts and books. This has helped me overcome my Imposter Syndrome at critical times in my life at University.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome#:~:text=Impostor%20syndrome%2C%20also%20known%20as,being%20exposed%20as%20a%20fraud.
Coding conventions are a set of rules for programming languages that are followed. Some things it focuses on are programming styles, methods, and different practices. Indentation, comments, naming, and declarations are some examples.
An example of a coding convention is Google’s Style Guide for Java. After reading through the guidelines, there are some things to consider. Everyone in a team that adheres to this convention will have an easier time understanding and comprehending their teammate’s code. An example of this is indentation. The amount of spaces define a line of code’s purpose and could cause problems if not followed.
Not only should teams focus on coding conventions, but even individual workers. Following a set of guidelines that you are not used to is a great exercise to improve your coding. Having adaptivity is a huge benefit, since some companies want their programs to look a certain way.
I don’t believe there are any downsides to using a coding convention. Yes, some rules could be seen as limitations, but I believe that a good team is one with communication. If something feels limiting to someone, they could discuss it and see if it is a personal thing or something that can be improved upon. Communication is very important, especially in a programming team.
Certain parts of Google’s Style Guide for Java was interesting to me. After reading through, a part that stuck with me was that type variables needed to be named with a capital letter, such as T. It is sometimes followed up with a number, such as T2. Another way to name a type variable is by using class names ending with a capital letter, such as requesT.
Reading these rules made me realize that I needed to be more organized with my coding. I need to improve my comments to communicate my intent behind my style. Sometimes my comments can be lackluster, or sometimes I can just forget to write one in the first place. I believe that being forced to write my code using this style would be beneficial to me. There’s a sense of professionalism within these guidelines that motivate me and I would be glad to follow them.
I started programming in my second year of university. I had no interest in anything related to computer science at the time, but I decided to take an Intro to Computer Science class on a whim. I planned on majoring in Marketing when I entered university, but I knew that that wasn’t my passion. I started trying new things to find a spark. Surprisingly, after creating my first program in Python in class, I felt a sense of excitement. I held on to that feeling and it continues to this day.
My favorite thing about programming is the feeling of satisfaction when my program runs smoothly after working long and hard on it. Having a vision for something is one thing, but working towards it is a whole other experience. You learn to appreciate the process and have a sense of admiration towards those that create complex programs that people use everyday without realizing.
My least favorite thing about programming is how easy it is to get overwhelmed. Programming requires your full attention for long periods of time. I have a “go with the flow” attitude in life, but that does not mesh well with programming. Planning is a must, since trial and error takes up a majority of your time.
For my project, I chose to do an interactive story. After creating a word cloud with my script, it motivated me to explore my scripts in another fashion.
I chose interactive fiction, because I dream of becoming an author or screenplay writer in the future. Interactive fiction provides us with a first-hand experience of what the characters go through. I am writing a story similar to the one I wrote for my project, but the difference is all of the unique possibilities I can explore. This gives me a deeper understanding of my characters and what is seen as realistic when making decisions.
It took me some time to learn how the process works. The worst part is forgetting to link a choice to a part of the story. I would be left with dead ends within the story many times before I got the hang of it. Eventually, I found my way and finished my story.
Re-reading and editing the rough draft
Interactive fiction has given me a new angle, which has helped me tremendously with my script-writing. I will continue using inklewriter in the future.
For my text analysis, I chose to use my own script of a story that I was working on last year. This script is close to my heart, since it’s the first script that I have completed. My script was called, “The Witch’s Reyn,” which was about a former gangster that got sent to another world filled with horrifying monsters and fantasy-esque creatures like fairies. My word cloud has given me a real look into my story. After observing it for a couple of minutes, I can understand the type of mindset I was in when writing this story. I was obsessed with writing about villains, criminals, and corrupt systems run by evil monsters. The main character, Reyn, is a violent gangster with murderous tendencies accompanied by a small fairy that represents the innocence of the world. The little fairy is covered in red words associated with danger and evil, while he is surrounded by darkness. I think the word cloud is great, since it looks like the words are tainting the fairy, which makes sense in the context of the story.
In today’s society, analogue technology is being used in different ways. For example, Polaroid Cameras have increased in popularity over the past two years, due to it’s aesthetic appeal and fun process. When taking a photo on a smartphone, it is quick and easy. This is a great thing since everything in life is fast paced now, but it takes away something else; a unique experience. Polaroid photos are physical and take time to process, so it has a deeper meaning when observing and touching it. It uses our senses more than digital photos, which makes it more memorable. That is also why I believe books will never die out, since books provide a different way of gaining knowledge. When studying my notes on my laptop, I tend to struggle with remembering important information. But, when I learn my notes by reading physical copies, I take in the new information more easily.
Another form of analogue technology that is often used is physical money. I am one of these people, due to one reason. It allows me to keep track of my daily purchases. If I carry a limited amount of cash with me, I can limit my purchases to the amount I brought with me. This is a small example of analogue technology that is used and will be used for a long time. I believe that analogue technology will never die out, since it is imbedded into our culture to use them everyday.
The best part of co-teaching, the most fun, is seeing how 
