The bottom of the barrel Like millions of other people, my shower consists of a large bucket of cold water and a plastic scoop or… Read More »Design Matters (15): Bucket Bath Edition (Kiramas 0318 vs Trixy GN311)
Singha (of Thai beer fame) – getting better every day.
So, game designers sculpt a form of agency and embed it in a game. And players submerge themselves in that sculpted agency. Games, then, turn… Read More »C. Thi Nguyen: games and agency; games as art
The Rules 1. Be kind: all else is details. 2. Remember that you are not your learners… 3. …that most people would rather fail than… Read More »Greg Wilson: Ten Rules for Teaching
I came across this paper via Ezra Klein’s NYT piece about Elon Musk and Twitter. It reads like a blend of Finite and Infinite Games… Read More »C. Thi Nguyen on Twitter, Gamification and Thin Metrics
So in computer science we’re in the business of formalising this how-to, imperative knowledge. How to do stuff. And the real issues of computer science… Read More »The Wizards (2): Harold Abelson on controlling complexity and real vs idealised systems
Computer Science isn’t Computer Science is a terrible name for this business. First of all, it’s not a science. It might be engineering, or it… Read More »The Wizards (1): Harold Abelson on the essence of computer science as formalising procedural knowledge
Quite a few people have asked, “Why are you actually doing it? You’re in fact making a guidebook for evil designers and making it very… Read More »Design Matters 13: Dark Patterns
Educators, generals, dieticians, psychologists, and parents program. Armies, students, and some societies are programmed. An assault on large problems employs a succession of programs, most… Read More »Alan J. Perlis on Programming and Avoiding the Constipation of Philosophy
Tall But Perfectly Formed “Who needs a specialist dispenser for dish soap?” To my surprise it turned out that I did. This bottle: Has a… Read More »Design Matters (12): IKEA Detergent Bottle