[Edu-sig] programming for artists

[Dethe Elza]

on 01/6/5 03:04 PM, Jason Cunliffe at jasonic@panix.com wrote:

> What is closest to your passion and skill?
> What would you like like most to learn/teach?
> What do your think are important questions?
> What would you want to see in a table of Contents?

Hrmm.  Well, I've been struggling with computers since 1977 and I still have
this crazy idea they could be easier to use.  In the course of my struggles
I found myself with a BS in computer science and an MS in electrical and
computer engineering.  For the past couple of years I have taken a couple of
stabs at writing a book called "Programming for the Fun of It (PFI)," but
keep finding I need more research -- some of which led me to Python.  When I
think about PFI, I try to think of it as, "Programming for the Daniela of
It," in other words, what can be expressed in a computer program that my
wife would be interested enough to learn it?  So far, multimedia seems like
a good bet for raw potential to capture and hold interest.

As far as my skills, I've been playing around with python for a couple of
years now, but I'm just starting to use it for my day-to-day work (via
Zope).  I've coded in a bunch of languages for a bunch of systems, but I try
to avoid C++ and Windows, for similar reasons.  Given my choice I work with
Python on a Mac or Linux box.

In my work experience, most of the past few years have been spent on the
server-side, execpt for a brief foray into 3D plugins for the web (I was
lead developer for Antarcti.ca, you can see the results at http://map.net).
On my own time I'm interested in damn near everything (which makes it hard
to finish some of my projects %-)

Right now I teach XML through continuing ed. classes at UBC, but I really
want to develop a series of classes using Python to develop modern
network-savvy, multi-threaded, graphical software.  As they say, you teach
best what you most need to learn.  I also have a dream of seperating the GUI
language from the implementation language, so designers can design the
interactions in some XML dialect (what I'm calling "AmbiGUI") and the
programmers can code the functionality in whatever language
<cough>Python</cough> is most appropriate to the job.  Like what is being
done with so-called webapps, but for software in general.

How does all this fit into the "Programming for Artists."  I dunno, but I
know it does.  I want to learn some of these tools myself, and I enjoy
making toys (programs) for my kids (currently age 4 years and 9 months),
like the turtle-draw program I posted here last month.  Somewhere in there
is a pattern.

> If possibele, for the time being, would like to keep this discussion thread
> going here on EDU-SIG, because I agree multimedia is a key part of CPFF/CP4f
> [for fun].... unless/until people object, in which case we can go off-list
> as Art anticipated.

I agree that we should continue on Edu-sig for now.  If we begin laying out
a book in earnest we can move that offline with occasional progress reports
here, but what we're talking about now is an approach to education which
certainly qualifies for this group.

As for the Math aspect, I think visual tools can only make math easier to
learn.  Some of the concepts are pretty tough going, and being able to
interact with something that lets you see changes as you make them would be
really helpful.  I just discovered the graphing calculator that came with
Mac OS9 and have been having fun plugging 3D formulae into it, even pulled
out my old calculus book to dig out more equations.  And there's always the
Bucky Fuller/Synergetics side.  That stuff is mind-bogglingly complicated to
read, but could be expressed quite nicely with interactive software.

HTH
 
-- 

Dethe Elza 
Chief Mad Scientist
Burning Tiger Technologies