[Edu-sig] Re: Acadmic gender gap (was Thoughts)

[Kirby Urner]

> If you can write code to pick a random color, you can write
> code to have a bad guy choose a random target. But try
> convincing someone who has been living in a completely
> different world for the past week that he needs to be able
> to tell a turtle how to make a square before he can create
> his own world and you may be in for a tough sale.
> 

What's true about many state of the art computer games, is that graphic
artists, some of whom have little direct knowledge of coding, at least to
start, are integral to the execution.  Same in the movie biz.  Pixar isn't
Pixar just because of code jocks.

Basically, we need to remember that computers have a very strong role and
following in *the humanities* (quick takes of statues, classical buildings,
Mona Lisa, Bart Simpson... sound track -- I can hear it, from 'Jesus Christ
Superstar', a kind of mega-flash forward on all that his story would
become).

The computer science environment can be a little too antiseptic.  

That's partly why I enjoy OSCONs so much (the O'Reilly gig).  You meet
people heavy into computers who walk on the wild side somewhere, at
Industrial Light and Magic for example (two years ago, I spent a lot of time
with two ILM guys -- missed seein' 'em in 2004).  Plus some of the keynote
speakers.  Like wow.  Out there.

> Why doesn't it just have a "Make a Square" button?
> 
> Because no one wants to make a square.
> Because no one is there to click the button.
> Because the square is really a circle.
> 

Sounds like you're getting zen on me here.

Kirby