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DJ Omnimaga
http://i-lost-the-ga.me
Calc Guru
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 1196
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 Posted: 21 Oct 2005 01:56:13 pm Post subject: |
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Here is it
http://rt7.us/~15
sry for my bad grammar in the article (took me a while to write it) but I think thats an important matter  |
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Jeremiah Walgren
General Operations Director
Know-It-All
Joined: 24 May 2003
Posts: 1937
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 02:30:39 pm Post subject: |
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I'm thinking a couple people here who are good with English could touch it up a bit, if you're really concerned about grammar.
Other than that, I think it's just awesome. It should be put on ticalc.org and other major sites, I'd say. |
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Brazucs
I have no idea what my avatar is.
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 3349
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 02:39:46 pm Post subject: |
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Good article. Here are the grammar corrections, I think I lost your links, though:
Quote: Hello to all our calculator fans. As some of you might know, I have been programming for calculators for over 4 years now. Even though I haven't been an active member of the TI community (on forums, IRC and comment pages), I was here browsing TI-related websites and project pages and seen a lot happening since then. What follows is not related to RPGs in particular but to the whole TI community in general. I believe this is something very, very important that everyone should care about, although some of you might have already noticed.
When I joined the TI community back in the fall of 2001, three months after getting my TI-83+, I stumbled across many French and English TI websites that weren't updated anymore (last news dated back to the summer of 2001). As I browsed the web, I kept running into those kinds of websites. Later, I found some that were still updated and, after a few weeks of the webmaster’s announcing their detachment from the TI community, their homepage was no longer updated. Only a few active website I regularly visited remained. Then I found Badja TI Programs, Void Productions, Calc.org and Ticalc.org. I visited Badja regularly, only to find out that they were fading away as well and most website links they had were broken or were dead websites and programming groups. Until the summer of 2002, I saw many other programming groups fading away, websites shutting down, and finally saw Void Productions’ main projects (Zelda: Illusion of the Past and RPG Alpha) disappear in the void with no more news, and Badja TI Program disappear from existence with the Calc.org server crash. Destination Software (a.k.a Midknight Soft) disappeared as well, Tcpa as well and most of those never came back. If you go though the list of featured programs at ticalc.org, you will notice that only one program got featured between August 2001 and March 2002. There was even some joke back then about ticalc.org pending queue being extremely low. Basically I joined the TI community at the time it was falling apart and I saw all this happen.
You are probably going to ask me why I am posting this on Omnimaga front page. I believe that stuff is happening once again right now. If you went through that featured page at ticalc.org recently, you have probably noticed that the amount of featured TI-83/+ programs so far is inexplicably low. There are only 5 programs, 2 of which are mine, not to mention that there aren't many programs for other platform compared to the past years. Some old members of the TI community who are still here and I have never seen that happen since early 2002, and I think it is a shame how inactive the TI community went through this year, especially the z80 calculator scene.
I have been a very active member of MaxCoderz forums from the summer of 2003 to the summer of 2005 (as well as many other calculator related forums) and remember that, on the old MaxCoderz forums (before they got hacked in November 2004), there were always new projects popping up and progressing nicely (including Metroid, Corbin, etc.). In 2005, however, something I have never seen happen before occurred. Lots of new people joined the TI community and brought along many projects. However, they all started to slowly fade away and those who stayed were moving to other interests, not to mention that at that time some old TI community members were also fading away from calc programming. I have seen this happen, even after I left MaxCoderz, and I still see this happen right now. Some projects are left with no news, and others becomes non-calculator projects (like Shattered Oasis, which was a 83+ project that is now a Pocket PC project, and The Sword of Darkness, which was a 89 project that is now a PSP project). I think this is very sad to see that many people are losing interest in calc programming. Because of that I even lost motivation myself and stopped calculator programming for 4 months (as you can see my last finished project before that Dance Dance Revolution clone was released 8 months ago). Some programming groups like Epic Programming Studio and Macross Software are starting to become inactive again. Others are now gone. If it continues at this rate, the TI community will fade away and, in a few years, students coming to ticalc.org, Omnimaga or other remaining calculator sites will not find any new games. Basically, the TI community will become like a museum where old stuff is stored in the memories of other people.
I don't know what we should do about this but I think giving more support to programmers, avoid flaming and destructive criticism and instead give constructive comments to help others improve their work might help a lot. If someone doesn't get any feedback on his project, they will think no one is interested in seeing his game come out and he will eventually stop working on it and, in some cases, like I have seen happen before, they will leave the scene. I don't think anyone wants the TI community to die. We need to do something about this.
I think that it's normal for a community to fluctuate, no matter what it is: church, calc programming, etc. Ask some of the older members (e.g. Jeremiah Walgren), they should know. Since TI calcs are still being made, the TI community will never cease to exist. Just this month, 19 new members joined UTI alone.
Calc programming has additional problems. Most serious programmers move on to computer-related programing/web design or things like PSP. Even though there are many exceptions to this, most great projects are the programmer's last.
But, don't worry: Even though some are giving up projects and ending wesites, other will discover TIs from their school, learn how to program, find the TI community online, start a project, and make a new website. It's all a big cycle.
Last edited by Guest on 21 Oct 2005 03:15:07 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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CoBB
Active Member
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 720
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 03:13:57 pm Post subject: |
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Brazucs wrote: Calc programming has additional problems. Most serious programmers move on to computer-related programing/web design or things like PSP. Even though there are many exceptions to this, most great projects are the programmer's last.
It was the inverse direction in my case. I had already many years of programming experience when I got interested in calculators. Of course I can't say I moved to this platform, just added it to my palette of skills. |
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Brazucs
I have no idea what my avatar is.
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 3349
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 03:32:59 pm Post subject: |
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There are always exceptions...
Oh also: "Status of the TI community" -> "State of the TI community". Both work, but state's cooler because of "State of the Union".
Last edited by Guest on 21 Oct 2005 03:33:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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AlienCC
Creative Receptacle!
Know-It-All
Joined: 24 May 2003
Posts: 1927
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 05:10:41 pm Post subject: |
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Kevin, you are mostly correct.
I've been a member of the TI community for many years now (almost 10), although I did technically retire for a couple of years around 2000, and have been back more or less since a little before the beginning of United-TI.
From my perspective, the TI community has changed drastically from when I first joined. It was very friendly and accepting of new members, basic or asm programmers when I got started. This all started to change a while before I initially retired, you started to see the segmentation of the Asm programmers with typically inflated ego's scoffing at the Basic programmers. This I'm sure was among the main reasons that many of us older members left the community, the community had become arrogant and unfriendly. Not all members, but enough to leave the overall perception as such.
What happened during the 3 years of my absense I am unable to account for in good conscience, so I will leave that to those who were here between 2000 and 2003.
When I got involved again I saw the beginning of change, various programming groups wanted to merge to become one bigger group. People wanted change, they wanted it more friendly again, they saw the need for one place to come get programming help, instead of several, they wanted United-TI. This was about where I got involved again. So I have tried to help as much as I could to keep United-TI friendly, inspirational to upcoming programmers, and motivational for those working on programs.
The three main things I've always wanted for United-TI:
(*) To be a valueable asset to the overall TI community, not the group everyone hates because we're not trying to compete against the other groups, we're just trying to help everyone. This comes in the way of hosting TI-sites in subdomains, programming help through main forum, and other such things.
(*) To help members learn to work together as a team, or part of a team, and help each other.
(*) Everyone who is involved, I want them to walk away when all is said and done and be glad they were once a part of United-TI, I want the experience here to be so profound that it has a positive impact on their life.
While I have never been a spectacular programmer, or even an active programming member of the TI community for many years, I have as many of you know recently become involved in programming again.
Well now the secret is out, what I am really here for, so if you want to flame me, please do so via PM out of respect for everyone else.
--AlienCC |
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Jeremiah Walgren
General Operations Director
Know-It-All
Joined: 24 May 2003
Posts: 1937
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 05:43:46 pm Post subject: |
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Brazucs wrote: ...Ask some of the older members (e.g. Jeremiah Walgren), they should know...[post="59348"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
I can't say that I've been considered "old" before. I say, this is a new feeling...
AlienCC wrote: Well now the secret is out, what I am really here for, so if you want to flame me, please do so via PM out of respect for everyone else.
--AlienCC[post="59372"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
Only a jerk would flame you for that, in my opinion. Afterall, there are not many in your position willing to help others in such a way.
Last edited by Guest on 21 Oct 2005 05:47:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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DarkerLine
ceci n'est pas une |
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 8328
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| You were the seventh member here, and that makes you old. |
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Arcane Wizard
`semi-hippie`
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 02 Jun 2003
Posts: 8993
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:18:51 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know about the TI community because I don't care about more than half of it (oh noes asm is superior. oh noes basic is superior. oh noes drama. oh noes a noob basic programmer let's bash his code. oh noes oh noes oh noes) but I've only seen UTI grow so I'm not afraid anything bad is going to happen.
Quite the contrary even.
edit: the first 100 or so members joined in 2 months, from all the joining of the programming groups and such. Old members are more along the likes of ACC, JBirk, John, David, etc. imho
Last edited by Guest on 21 Oct 2005 06:20:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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DarkerLine
ceci n'est pas une |
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 8328
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:28:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, most people aren't likely to know which members were old members before the creation of UTI. I know I don't, for the most part. |
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Rezek
Better Than You
Calc Guru
Joined: 24 Apr 2005
Posts: 1229
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:34:29 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: oh noes drama
I think that's what drives more than 90% of the spam on most boards... |
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Vinthian
formerly known as shortround4271
Advanced Member
Joined: 24 May 2005
Posts: 258
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:35:09 pm Post subject: |
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with time comes wisdom (for most people)
wait, are you calling him a prune? lol, jk
well, i can't say too much about this, because i wasn't even around to see it, but all i can say is that it's pretty nice here. noone tries to put me down to anything, but i can see that starting to change, for good or bad. |
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Rezek
Better Than You
Calc Guru
Joined: 24 Apr 2005
Posts: 1229
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:36:52 pm Post subject: |
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The best way to keep a community alive; is to be a very friendly community. People join; and stick around; and the community grows.
I also thinks there is an upper-bound on any community: If it grows to large; no-one knows eachother and... bonds(?)... aren't formed. I hope we never reach that bound. |
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Arcane Wizard
`semi-hippie`
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 02 Jun 2003
Posts: 8993
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:38:07 pm Post subject: |
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| So even I'm old? Nice. |
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DarkerLine
ceci n'est pas une |
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 8328
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 06:57:46 pm Post subject: |
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You're old Arcane.
...am I old? |
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Arcane Wizard
`semi-hippie`
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 02 Jun 2003
Posts: 8993
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 07:19:40 pm Post subject: |
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Sure are if I am. :)
But I stand by my previous opinion of old, since we're talking about the ti community in general and not UTI. :)
(so I don't really think I'm old either and I was around for a year before uti I believe)
Last edited by Guest on 21 Oct 2005 07:59:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Brazucs
I have no idea what my avatar is.
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 3349
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 09:36:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm just a few months off, lol. Mid-life crisis here I come. |
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Jeremiah Walgren
General Operations Director
Know-It-All
Joined: 24 May 2003
Posts: 1937
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2005 11:54:43 pm Post subject: |
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Sir Robin wrote: You were the seventh member here, and that makes you old.
[post="59383"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
Gee, thanks. I feel so much better now.  |
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leofox
INF student
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
Posts: 3562
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| Posted: 22 Oct 2005 03:44:35 am Post subject: |
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| I've been noticing the opposite lately. Yes, MaxCoderz is not getting much new projects anymore, but UTI is more active than ever. FBF is restarted, Sonic is processing nicely, Robot War is almost done, i'm even working on Destiny Realm every once in a while again. Not to mention all the new UTI members. |
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tr1p1ea
Elite
Joined: 03 Aug 2003
Posts: 870
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| Posted: 22 Oct 2005 05:00:29 am Post subject: |
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We at MaxCoderz have noticed the decline in the community and are currently cooking up ideas as to how we can improve it. Our focus is mainly the guidance of new-comers ... people with creativity and will but lack the programming skills to achieve what they want. AlienCC is correct, we as more experienced programmers need to welcome those who are eager to learn and become a part of this community.
UnitedTI is a great group, i applaud you AlienCC for taking the stance that you have. We really do need more people like you around. |
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Community News & Discuss Nspire => Technology & Calculator Open Topic
