Comments for Dustin Freeman http://dustinfreeman.org Thu, 16 May 2013 00:44:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Comment on First Dungeonmastering Experience by Jim Davies http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/first-dungeonmastering-experience/#comment-993 Jim Davies Thu, 16 May 2013 00:44:06 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=925#comment-993 Dustin, knowing your personality, I think there are many RPGs you'd like a whole lot more than D&D, which is still designed more as simulation than a set of rules to encourage good player behavior and stories. I recommend reading through the free online "Spirit of the Century" rules. You'll love it, and even if you don't play it, you'll find its ideas inspiring for every RPG you will ever play again. Dustin, knowing your personality, I think there are many RPGs you’d like a whole lot more than D&D, which is still designed more as simulation than a set of rules to encourage good player behavior and stories. I recommend reading through the free online “Spirit of the Century” rules. You’ll love it, and even if you don’t play it, you’ll find its ideas inspiring for every RPG you will ever play again.

]]> Comment on The State of Kinect Gaming by Garth Shoemaker http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/the-state-of-kinect-gaming/#comment-611 Garth Shoemaker Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:53:29 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=835#comment-611 Agreed Bill. As an example I never liked jazz violin, and just don't think it can be a good jazz instrument. But in this case I would argue it is not a question of violin vs. saxophone (two different "true" voices), but rather kazoo vs. saxophone, the traditional controller being the kazoo. Agreed Bill. As an example I never liked jazz violin, and just don’t think it can be a good jazz instrument. But in this case I would argue it is not a question of violin vs. saxophone (two different “true” voices), but rather kazoo vs. saxophone, the traditional controller being the kazoo.

]]> Comment on The State of Kinect Gaming by Hans Gerwitz http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/the-state-of-kinect-gaming/#comment-580 Hans Gerwitz Tue, 14 Aug 2012 21:20:06 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=835#comment-580 Your dictionary metaphor is wonderful. I will be shamelessly adopting it when explaining why so-called NUI is more nuanced than select-noun-and-verb. There are some anecdotes about controller-oriented games such as driving sims that use Kinect for adjusting view for head movements, using this new input channel to augment gameplay rather than shoehorning it into established patterns of discrete action. I've been noodling on how the prevalence of spatial sensing will give rise to more nuanced <a>casual gesture</a> approaches in UI, but you are right to challenge the "gesture" mindset itself. Your dictionary metaphor is wonderful. I will be shamelessly adopting it when explaining why so-called NUI is more nuanced than select-noun-and-verb. There are some anecdotes about controller-oriented games such as driving sims that use Kinect for adjusting view for head movements, using this new input channel to augment gameplay rather than shoehorning it into established patterns of discrete action.

I’ve been noodling on how the prevalence of spatial sensing will give rise to more nuanced casual gesture approaches in UI, but you are right to challenge the “gesture” mindset itself.

]]> Comment on The State of Kinect Gaming by Bill Buxton http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/the-state-of-kinect-gaming/#comment-578 Bill Buxton Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:53:47 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=835#comment-578 Dustin, nice job. In music there is a term, "idiomatic". It underlies why you use a certain instrument in a certain way for a certain intent in composition and orchestration. The reasons that we have different instruments (viz. "musical controllers") is to expand the richness of the palette that we have to draw on, and in turn, to expand the breadth of music. There is no need to invent the sax if we are going to remain in the baroque forever. But in inventing the sax, the challenge was collectively discovering its true voice, and the idiom(s) where it could expand our musical vocabulary - jazz being just one. I read what you have written as an insightful step in helping articulate the properties of full bodied gestural controllers, especially in contrast to - equally valid but different - traditional controllers. For me, at least, it was interesting, insightful and welcome. Thanks. Dustin, nice job. In music there is a term, “idiomatic”. It underlies why you use a certain instrument in a certain way for a certain intent in composition and orchestration. The reasons that we have different instruments (viz. “musical controllers”) is to expand the richness of the palette that we have to draw on, and in turn, to expand the breadth of music. There is no need to invent the sax if we are going to remain in the baroque forever. But in inventing the sax, the challenge was collectively discovering its true voice, and the idiom(s) where it could expand our musical vocabulary – jazz being just one. I read what you have written as an insightful step in helping articulate the properties of full bodied gestural controllers, especially in contrast to – equally valid but different – traditional controllers. For me, at least, it was interesting, insightful and welcome. Thanks.

]]> Comment on The State of Kinect Gaming by KinectShare - The State of Kinect Gaming | | Dustin FreemanDustin Freeman http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/the-state-of-kinect-gaming/#comment-575 KinectShare - The State of Kinect Gaming | | Dustin FreemanDustin Freeman Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:42:30 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=835#comment-575 [...] Follow this link: The State of Kinect Gaming | | Dustin FreemanDustin Freeman [...] [...] Follow this link: The State of Kinect Gaming | | Dustin FreemanDustin Freeman [...]

]]> Comment on Your code doesn’t need to be THAT good by Craig A http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/your-code-doesnt-need-to-be-that-good/#comment-508 Craig A Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:38:12 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=793#comment-508 Agile: make it work, make it right, make it fast! Good luck! Agile: make it work, make it right, make it fast!

Good luck!

]]> Comment on India isn’t good at bars by Sneak Peek! DUSTIN FREEMAN | Anchorless Press http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/india-isnt-good-at-bars/#comment-507 Sneak Peek! DUSTIN FREEMAN | Anchorless Press Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:13:10 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=562#comment-507 [...] has lived on three different continents in the last 6 months. He blogs and makes really cool things, and was interviewed on [...] [...] has lived on three different continents in the last 6 months. He blogs and makes really cool things, and was interviewed on [...]

]]> Comment on Cultural Imports by George http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/cultural-imports/#comment-501 George Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:51:25 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=748#comment-501 Here are some things I hate about living in Canada (compared to the US): 1. Canada post is terrible, why? Worse than US postal service and, from what I hear, worse than the British post. 2. The Internet often has USA only content, this annoys me. It is hard to really assign blame for this, but I would like to use stuff like Hulu and Pandora and not have all links to daily show clips broken even though they are ALSO free in Canada. Canada and the USA have the same DVD region code, so can't this also be better? 3. Telecoms are 20% worse than in the US 4. It is unreasonably difficult to find high quality pizza 5. Books are strangely expensive, although they are getting more expensive in America. Also, Amazon.com is more awesome in 'Merica. Here are some things I hate about living in Canada (compared to the US):
1. Canada post is terrible, why? Worse than US postal service and, from what I hear, worse than the British post.
2. The Internet often has USA only content, this annoys me. It is hard to really assign blame for this, but I would like to use stuff like Hulu and Pandora and not have all links to daily show clips broken even though they are ALSO free in Canada. Canada and the USA have the same DVD region code, so can’t this also be better?
3. Telecoms are 20% worse than in the US
4. It is unreasonably difficult to find high quality pizza
5. Books are strangely expensive, although they are getting more expensive in America. Also, Amazon.com is more awesome in ‘Merica.

]]> Comment on Aviation Technology Program by Aviation Photos http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/aviation-technology-program/#comment-489 Aviation Photos Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:53:56 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=607#comment-489 Great! Well, I admire the precious time and effort you put into it, especially into interesting articles you share here! It was very interesting.. Great! Well, I admire the precious time and effort you put into it, especially into interesting articles you share here! It was very interesting..

]]> Comment on Your code doesn’t need to be THAT good by Daniel http://dustinfreeman.org/blog/your-code-doesnt-need-to-be-that-good/#comment-486 Daniel Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:55:18 +0000 http://dustinfreeman.org/?p=793#comment-486 I like this, it's a very important point to make. It reminds me of something that was discussed a lot in undergrad, under the name of "extreme programming": start by building the test suite, and then hack hack hack until something passes the suite. Then refactor later. However in a lot of cases there will be little to no time or motivation to refactor later, and then after a few months the software becomes entirely useless: uncommented, unmodular, incomprehensible even to the author (a lot of this stems from the problem of lack of training or support for refactoring). So if you ever want to use the code again, it's not just completed on time and does what it's supposed to do. I think disasters relating to that are the reason why a lot of groups have half-assed standards for "good structure" or documentation in place: it slows you down, and it might be inconsistent, but if that's your one pass through the code then its better than nothing. But this entry makes a great point that there are no absolute values for code, and oftentimes in research and business speed and functionality are the only meaningful virtues. I like this, it’s a very important point to make. It reminds me of something that was discussed a lot in undergrad, under the name of “extreme programming”: start by building the test suite, and then hack hack hack until something passes the suite. Then refactor later. However in a lot of cases there will be little to no time or motivation to refactor later, and then after a few months the software becomes entirely useless: uncommented, unmodular, incomprehensible even to the author (a lot of this stems from the problem of lack of training or support for refactoring). So if you ever want to use the code again, it’s not just completed on time and does what it’s supposed to do. I think disasters relating to that are the reason why a lot of groups have half-assed standards for “good structure” or documentation in place: it slows you down, and it might be inconsistent, but if that’s your one pass through the code then its better than nothing. But this entry makes a great point that there are no absolute values for code, and oftentimes in research and business speed and functionality are the only meaningful virtues.

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