tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-10-06 04:17:10 +0000 UTC]

I have, at times. Algorithmic graphics in general, really.

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2014-10-06 14:21:04 +0000 UTC]

I'm taking a complex systems course, and a large part of it deals with fractals and their relation to real-world phenomena. Very compelling stuff. It's everywhere.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-10-07 06:07:46 +0000 UTC]

For good reason.

They have structure that is varied enough to use for interesting effects, but the actual information content is low and therefore more thermodynamically likely/stable.

(In an information theory sense, a pattern of data's true information content can be approximated as the size of the smallest possible program to generate that sequence of data. A repeated value is obviously a short loop, and the digits of pi are not very information-dense either due to being a computable mathematical fact. Fractals are similar.

Whereas truly random data has high information content because there's no algorithm to generate it, just the literal values themselves.)

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2014-10-07 19:15:58 +0000 UTC]

Interestingly, the power-law distributed nature of impact sites and sizes on inner-planetary bodies, if they all have the same or very similar scaling exponent, is going to immensely help me account for many impact sites on earth that either remain hidden, or were destroyed via erosive or tectonic processes. I didn't expect something like a fractal distribution to be involved, much less provide a way to model what is expected from the data missing from a damaged or incomplete data set.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-04-18 16:45:30 +0000 UTC]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


(man, nearly a quarter-century... not many projects I can point at as "finished"...)

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VeniaSilente In reply to tangent128 [2014-06-01 03:15:14 +0000 UTC]

Hey don't worry, at least your track record is more interesting than mine!

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-04-02 17:49:30 +0000 UTC]

Never used Matlab, alas. Can usually figure out what alien code is trying to do if I have enough example code for the language, and suggest bug fixes, but would need Google to figure out actually writing it.

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2014-04-06 16:37:53 +0000 UTC]

Wow, I'll admit that surprises me a bit. Such a widely used program, or so I'm told....

I'm definitely not the best programmer, but I'm trying to learn it to an extent in order to run neural networks on impact data and the coincidental biodiversity trends that occur to try and pick up a signal, if one is there.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-04-10 02:07:09 +0000 UTC]

Matlab is popular among non-computer engineers, as I understand.

Career programmers, however, tend to prefer other languages. Python is popular in that space as I understand.

And ooh? Trying to work out if impacts have local effects on biodiversity?

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2014-04-12 03:59:07 +0000 UTC]

I can believe that. The Geology people at my college got wind that I man the computing help desk (probably by me helping them over the phone lol) and have had some programming classes. They swept me into some independent study-type courses where I can program and use it to produce work for my senior thesis. They claim a student has yet to pass through this program without being immediately snagged by high-caliber employment before graduation.

Python is what I hear, along with Ruby and R (the latter is used in bioengineering, I think). I was taught in Java, and I still assert that it has begun its end-days and will (if it hasn't already) enter a downward spiral very soon.

I made "substantial" progress last semester doing just an observational analysis on the data. I generated a simple line graph based on the times and magnitudes of known impacts (especially well-dated ones) and probability estimates for the timing of all others we had little or error-laden dating data on. I then overlaid it on a known graph of biodiversity... got the following kind of display: onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=… For now, ignore the inaccurate bell-curve type signals saturating the bottom. The well-dated points I already had (denoted by the sharp peaks) were pretty convincing.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-04-13 21:20:51 +0000 UTC]

Java is very popular in the "serious business" world. I suspect it is going to stick around for a while yet. The style taught in schools is pretty poor practice, however; the style actually used in the real world is usually more workable, though still typically dull and over-verbose. (My personal favorite language is Lua. It is not very commonly used, alas, except for embedded scripting in games, which tend to not be able to demonstrate its beauty.)

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2014-04-13 23:27:32 +0000 UTC]

My talk of Java being in bad shape actually comes from its use in a business setting. Ever since Oracle bought it out and Microsoft Acquired Oracle, Java has suffered MAJOR security and compatibility problems... some of which have effectively paralyzed my University's ability to perform data management across all departments for several days. We unfortunately use a lot of database administration and frontend-type programs in our system, as does other nearby universities and businesses, that require a Java runtime to function. The only way to prevent that (and the constant security update nightmares... ugh) is to jump to another platform that does not need it. In addition, most antivirus systems, web browsers, and even Apple has begun proactively disabling or even uninstalling it when they detect it.

Lua... I know I've heard of it. I think one of the art programs I use has Lua scripting capability built into it. Sort of an SDK-thing, if I recall. It can be used to create user-defined extensions and such. That said, I know very little about it.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2014-04-14 14:33:18 +0000 UTC]

Pretty sure Microsoft has not bought Oracle.

But I know full well the kind of frustrating the recent changes have been. We dread Java updates here because half the time something is going to break for half our customers and we have to find what quiet barely-announce change is the culprit.

But the customers actually do want Java. Lot of inertia and political reasons. As it happens, Java applications are the easiest to sell to government agencies, because the security policies (NMCI and the like) are far more strict with native code that needs an installer than they are with "stick this jar on the desktop and run it".

Lua is a pretty quick language to learn; helps that it simplifies data structures (array, set, map, object) down to one unified type (the table). Disadvantage is that it is very much "batteries not included"; Complex applications may require writing your own extension libraries. (Which are very easy if you know C, but it still intimidates people.)

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2014-04-14 23:32:40 +0000 UTC]

I'll admit that one's from talk within the office. I'll need to research the claim now that you've said that. I haven't really cared enough to look past the idle talk it came from... I should know better :/

Man, I need to get back into Minecraft over the Summer. A java update derailed that months ago lol

Huh. I might want to look into that regarding this program, then. I think the software's programmer includes a set of libraries to work with, if I'm not mistaken. Then again, I haven't touched it in months.

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tangent128 In reply to Harper-Collins [2014-01-07 19:01:45 +0000 UTC]

Creators should not expect special treatment. Like anybody else, they can edit their work's page if they follow the site's rules, and can't if they don't. 

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tangent128 In reply to HowSplendid [2013-06-17 21:35:01 +0000 UTC]

You'll welcome.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2013-05-14 01:05:41 +0000 UTC]

I actually hadn't. Makes sense though.

(to be technical, Android is a Linux OS. Just near-everything except the kernel is different. Don't have much personal experience with it, though, as with my self-control if I had a smartphone I'd never get offline )

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2013-05-14 11:11:01 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I knew Android was a Linux OS. Why I support it so much Xp

Though I thought it was cool that little $35 USD computer could run it. Surprised you didn't catch that particular news release.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2013-04-18 00:46:07 +0000 UTC]

*pats*

Don't sweat it, it was a low-key event for me. Got pizza for two meals, an ice-cream cake, and a Wreck-It Ralph DVD.

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2013-04-18 04:19:35 +0000 UTC]

Hey, that really doesn't sound all that bad, really.

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2013-04-18 20:23:48 +0000 UTC]

It was pretty nice. Oh, and writer-sister sent me a ppt recapping her memories of my life, which was pretty sweet.

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2013-04-19 02:31:45 +0000 UTC]

Hmm... Interesting. I tend to lack sentiment, though... I wonder how something like that would play out on me.

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tangent128 In reply to KoolCartoons [2013-04-14 18:21:16 +0000 UTC]

Dude, if your response to not getting your way is vandalism, they are quite right in not letting you back.

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KoolCartoons In reply to tangent128 [2013-04-14 19:28:43 +0000 UTC]

Dude, those bastards had me waiting for two months just say they forgot about me, and ban me right after being nice calm and respectful I have the right to be pissed.

Nothing against you I won't cause you trouble or anything, but that was dickish thing for them to do that. You can't deny that was outright kicking the dog.

But whatever I had my fun yesterday.

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tangent128 In reply to KoolCartoons [2013-02-12 01:44:53 +0000 UTC]

Depends on what it is, and why.

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KoolCartoons In reply to tangent128 [2013-02-12 01:54:25 +0000 UTC]

If you're the same one on tv tropes, I basically I did something stupid on Tv Tropes, and I did something even worse that got me perma banned, I made another account to inform the Mods there that that was the only time I meesed up on Tv Tropes before, and they reply that they have someone else decide on what if they will lift my ban or not.


I can't recieve the message because I couldn't access my other account, so I'm wondering if you could speak to the BestOf to tell me what there decision was.

Just tell them this was from DavidtheMouse, If you can do this.

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tangent128 In reply to KoolCartoons [2013-02-12 04:37:09 +0000 UTC]

You were banned for a couple months to have time to rethink your behavior; that was a month ago, so still a month or two left. Contact them then, preferably with evidence that you've boned up on Netiquette.

(for reference, what was the handle name you appealed from?)

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KoolCartoons In reply to tangent128 [2013-02-17 11:31:51 +0000 UTC]

Also I shoould mention I can gain access to DavidtheMouse14 and DavidtheMouse. It just DavidtheMouseFinal I can't gain access. Is there any way after a month they can left the ban on those accounts so I can contact them?

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KoolCartoons In reply to tangent128 [2013-02-12 08:51:16 +0000 UTC]

Um, DavidtheMouseFinal.

Things is when I log on that account it says the combination doesn't match, and my other accounts have there PM turned off, so there isn't really a way I can contact them.

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tangent128 In reply to taranee9 [2013-02-05 04:28:00 +0000 UTC]

I happen to be a bit of a Tropius fan

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taranee9 In reply to tangent128 [2013-02-05 12:18:48 +0000 UTC]

Even though Tropius gets only the corners of the drawing You really are a fan

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tangent128 In reply to taranee9 [2013-02-06 04:47:19 +0000 UTC]

Indeed!

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tangent128 In reply to SentientAberration [2012-10-22 17:23:41 +0000 UTC]

Every Gym gets its own music remix! And the sidequests/minigames are better.

Did you get to do the Memory Link yet?

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SentientAberration In reply to tangent128 [2012-10-22 20:27:08 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool. I think that Driftveil's gym music was probably my favorite. Haven't touched anything outside of the main game itself, though, really.

Ghetsis is officially my favorite bad guy for the series by miles... the guy's actually point-blank mental, and they portrayed it pricelessly. I can take the threat of his presence seriously. The f**ker actually tries to kill the player directly I was like "Really? Dude--what the hell." And then they remixed his battle theme to fit the bill. As for the rest of his army, you know how much I like the techno-sky pirate theme. These guys are almost a fictional game-variant of the Hydras.

One of the things I particularly liked was that they made Cheren and Bianca a bit less annoying. I was glad to sort of take them somewhat seriously for once.

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