C. Thi Nguyen: games and agency; games as art
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
design
Greg Wilson: Ten Rules for Teaching
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
C. Thi Nguyen on Twitter, Gamification and Thin Metrics
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
The Wizards (2): Harold Abelson on controlling complexity and real vs idealised systems
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
The Wizards (1): Harold Abelson on the essence of computer science as formalising procedural knowledge
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
Design Matters 13: Dark Patterns
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
Alan J. Perlis on Programming and Avoiding the Constipation of Philosophy
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
Design Matters (12): IKEA Detergent Bottle
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
Design Matters (11): PowerPoint Wizardry
In case you’ve missed it, the quality of PowerPoint’s automatic design recommendations has been getting better and better over the last few years.* This latest… Read More »Design Matters (11): PowerPoint Wizardry
Generous, Reasonable, Sustainable; or, Goldilocks Pricing
Bad old business* says, “How can I maximise profit? I will use up the resources available to get as much as I can.” Naive charity… Read More »Generous, Reasonable, Sustainable; or, Goldilocks Pricing