October 2008 Archives

“…this book allows you to start your learning journey in whatever way works best for you.” - xviii, Flash Journalism by Mindy McAdams, part 1.

This book sounds like it will be very flexible. Rarely does a how-to book offer different ways of completing tasks. Flash appears to be very relative to new media journalism and a tool that actual professionals use on a daily basis.

"At Georgetown University, students looking for the inside dope on particular courses can go to The Hoya's "Course Review" section and find out how other students rate the course. There they can find a statistical analysis of such key points as the number of exams, studying time required per week and whether students felt they learned much." - Ch. 17, The Student Newspaper Survival Guide by Rachele Kanigel, p. 164.

In both chapters, the author gives story ideas that I thought weren't really permitted in papers, even school papers. The author recommends writing about which teachers are popular, what students are saying about certain professors and courses at rating websites. Such topics don't seem very professional.

Coding an interactive fiction game can feel like you’re using an alien language until you become accustomed to it. It’s an easy language to learn once you know the rules. And the rules never change - they don’t seem to be circumstantial. I think I like that.

Coding an interactive fiction game helps you develop a language of programming. If you were unaccustomed to computers or using search engines, developing an interactive fiction game is another way to use trial and error with language until you achieve the desired result. I enjoy the aspect of experimentation.

You also have to anticipate the actions of your audience -- the player. This can be difficult because you have to play the game as they would and imagine what actions they would want to take.

It also forces you to focus on the words and the order in which you use them. You must have an attention for detail in order to fix the error messages you encounter. You have to keep trying different methods of coding until you find a way of expressing what you want the player to accomplish.

It’s about molding your writing style into a form the software can understand. We don’t have any classes on technical writing, despite the fact that there seems to be a large job market for it, so I like to think that the basic language used in programming an interactive fiction game is good experience.

I prefer to start by creating the beginning, middle and end. After I flesh out the general plot, I get the directions and rooms mapped out. This can be difficult and I think is the most time-consuming part. It’s also the most important part because if the player cannot move effortlessly move about, they’ll get stuck or quit the game.

After working out the troubleshooting errors, I can spend time filling out the interactive details. This is the process that works best for me.

I am pleased that my game is a finished product. It feels more like an accomplishment.

“Most student publications have a relatively rigorous policy for selecting the top editor… Generally candidates have to go through a formal process that may include writing a letter of application or an action plan, interviewing with a selection committee and making a presentation to the staff.” - Ch. 10, The Student Newspaper Survival Guide by Rachele Kanigel, p. 78

This is one of those times when the book’s advice isn’t remotely applicable to the Setonian. There is never any competition for the position of editor-in-chief, or any editorial positions, so it’s impossible to have a lot of standards or any formal process.