Game play (theory of fun)

We just finished playing some of the Christmas games. It brought me to thinking about the theory of fun book. It seemed interesting I think that the theory of fun book has it partially right, game fun is based on learning or possibly not learning but developing a strategy for game play. Perhaps engagement (rather than fun) carries on while we can gain new strategy.

Flock

had an idea of a new programming language over lunch.

Flock

In flock everything is a graph.
So
A = 5 ;

assigns a graph with one node ( with value 5 ) to the Flock called A.

A graph consists of nodes + (weighted)edges.

A node can be an atom ( int,float,string,char..) or another graph as a 'value' or label.

A flock can have a disjoint (unconnected) graph.

Naturally everything can be represented with a graph of one sort or another. For example
A = 'map.gig'.loadAsImage();
makes a gridded graph with each A node being a pixel and the links are the way to get from one adjacent pixel to another.

alternatively a linked list is a linear graph. A hash table is a graph.

In Flock method can be assigned to
a) A Node
b) an edge
b) The entire flock ( single message shared over all instances)

Flock methods can be used to implement parallel programming by using a special method to call the method from the flock in parrell.

A large flock may be distributed invisibly across a number of computers. Hence a message may be transmitted from one sheep/link to another down an edge and actually be transmitting over the network.

More hardware

Went to IKEA and got table + box for new table interface. Need to go again and get mirror and change legs. I need more light in the box but we need more IR lights + filter for the table

M801 project Ideas

M801 Project Ideas
It takes me about a day to write one up. I thought I would dump my current idea list up.

1. People as streets. Trying to produce flat representations for non flat graphs. Get students to try to develop mechanisms to layout arbitrary graphs as axial representations.

2. [IN] Cognitive Maps ( Sketch Maps ) for long term user interface analysis. Get people to draw maps of the user interface for commonly used programs like Word or Excel ( or 3D program or IDE ). Use reference to sketch mapping ( Lynch).

4. Sketchy display of user interface elements to facilitate GUI requirements engineering.

3.Future Finder.Containment layout algorithms. How to layout rectangles in the most efficient way while not spending all day doing it.

4. ReCctor vision - implementing something in reactor vision. Embodies displays.

5. Algorithms for GPU. Thinking about concurrent program what kinds of mischief can we get up to. Searching sorting anything that isn't a graphical rendering algorithum.

6. Advanced documentation. Implement a doclet to add visualisation and getting started to java doc code.

8. CSP - a like ASP or PHP but embeds C into HTML text. Runs compiler that produces a CGI.

something edgy, something collaborative, something borrowed, something blue

From the last shareIt meeting. We wanted something
1. Edgy
2. Easy and quick to do. ( no new expensive hardware)
3. Something we can do more collaborative/shareable (real time collaborate) research with.
4. Something playful but not an art work.
5. Fairly simple reliable.

here is my next idea

On the way down the the ShareIt meeting I was chatting about thinking about another kind of floor saver application. When we entered the building I realised what I wanted.

As you enter many buildings you see bits of paper stuck up with 'meeting here this way'

I wanted to make a floor stickies (RM's rather brilliant name).

As you enter the building and through out the building you see rectangles projected on the floor like sticky notes. As you walk on them the pages move and reorder to keep out of the way ( fun with crowds) or stick to you if you don't move for a bit. Some playful interaction between two people as the notes move to avoid both pedestrians. Messages can be either simple text or and image (downloaded).

To avoid annoyance messages can only live for 1-7 days. So the floor is never casually out of date(unlike paper ones you have to go and take down).

These are messages ( some including a direction arrow) that anyone in the local department intranet can add via web page.

Edgey factor.
Posts are anonymous, for example if you took pictures of peoples desks you could put them on floor stickies until controversy or boredom takes over.

Modes of collaboration: from inhabitants to visitors ( Dave - Third floor for mike ),
for inhabitants (Paul gone to Cafe see you later).
for one to many inhabitants ( meeting of OU visions group 2:30 all invited).

Pages show a walked on count ?(soft implementation of gates).

Shareable tech - capturing pages or moving/arranging.

tacky research question - is a floor sticky more noticed than a bit of A4 stuck up some where. How event aware are people?

real research question is about looking at how people adopt/ma-adopt(misuse) technology. Do a survey of what people might use a technology for in the abstract then try again a few months later. Also a probe into open space collaborative technologies ( the research question arises from the result ).

Any thoughts ?