Here is the link to my game I created.  It still has a few bugs and isn’t finished yet but it is playable.

http://mypage.iu.edu/~lkprathe/CIT112/cannon_fodder.exe

The basic instruction are to shoot a ball out of the cannon and bounce it off the wall and hit the monster.  At this point there are 4 levels then the game crashes (I haven’t figured out how to make the game end).  If you hit the monster you score a point.  If after a certain amount of time you haven’t hit the monster you loose a point.  At this point the game keeps playing because I haven’t figured out how to stop it yet.  You can move the cannon, I need to fix this so you can only move it a certain distance, but again lack of knowledge is a awful thing.

I can see where this program could be used for teaching concepts of OOP.  Each object builds upon itself.  You start with sprites and then combine those with events and actions to create objects.  You then add these objects to the room to create the game.  The problem I found with the program is that it is complicated enough that it is a programming language in itself and not that easy to learn.  I feel that you could learn OOP just a easily and more accurately by learning a language such as Visual Basic or C++.

I have chosen the following jobs for this lab.

• Programmer Analyst
• Web Developer
• PC Technician

I have chosen these positions for various reasons. I enjoy programming both system and web programming. I would like a job where I can see a project completed from start to finish. I enjoy working on computers.

Here is a list of skills I may need for these jobs.

• At least an Associates Degree, Bachelor Degree is preferred in one of the following.
  • IT
  • CIT
  • Computer Science
  • ECET
  • Math
• Knowledge of computing systems and development process which includes data processing equipment
• Knowledge of programming languages, programming and analysis techniques
• Knowledge of operating systems
• Knowledge of ASP.NET and C#
• Knowledge of HTML, XHTML, DHTML and other markup languages
• Knowledge of JAVA, C++, and other programming languages
• Knowledge of JAVA Script, Perl, and other script languages
• Knowledge of computer and network hardware.
• Knowledge of network devices and server software.
• Assorted other bullcrap skills, communication, multitasking, team player/leader, professional attitude, yada, yada, yada.
• 1 to 2 years experience for junior level, 5 to 10 years for senior level.

Now here are may skills

• Bachelor Degree ECET
• Knowledge of computing systems and development process which includes data processing equipment
• Knowledge of programming languages, programming and analysis techniques
  • C and C++
• Knowledge of operating systems
• Basic Knowledge of HTML, XHTML, DHTML and other markup languages
• Basic Knowledge of JAVA other programming languages
• Basic Knowledge of JAVA Script, Perl, and other script languages
• Knowledge of computer and network hardware.
• Knowledge of network devices and server software.
• Assorted other bullcrap skills, communication, multitasking, team player/leader, professional attitude, yada, yada, yada.
• 25 years experience in electronics repair
• 6 months experience as a computer analyst
• 8  experience as PC Technician

A typical day as a programmer or web developer would usually start with morning planning meetings than on to working on programs.  At some point there would probably be meetings with users to discuss the project.

As a pc technician the day would mostly be take a trouble ticket, repair the problem, take another ticket, repair another problem, repeat until quitting time.

I feel that I could always use more information on programming, web development and software systems.  The technology changes so fast it is impossible to keep up with the changes.

As far as my mind being changed, no not really.  I already made one career change after I was 50 and don’t plan on another one in the near future.

Major Milestones in the Computer Industry – My Take.

Colossus

This was really the first computer that was used for a specific task, decoding encrypted messages and breaking codes, proving that computers had a usefulness and were not just some scientific gadget.

Univac

Built in 1951 Univac was the first commercially successful computer proving there was a market and a profit that could be made from computers.

Invention of the Transistor

The invention of the transistor was a major breakthrough not only in the computer industry but in any industry in which electronics were used.  The invention of the transistor paved the way for integrated circuits and also allowed miniaturization, which is one of the major discoveries by man ranking up there with fire, the wheel, and sails.

Invention of the Integrated Circuit

As stated above the invention of the IC allowed us to miniaturize, not just computers but everything.  This is considered to be one of the major discovery of the human race.

Altair 8800

The Altair 8800 is commonly held as the first personal computer.  Sold as a kit through Popular Electronics magazine and based on an Intel 8080 CPU the Altair 8080 was the first computer to utilize a bus construction and it’s S-100 bus became the standard in later personal computers.  Microsoft’s founding product was Altair Basic, a programming language written for the Altair 8800.  On a side note the name Altair came from an episode of Star Trek, so as a minor milestone to the computer industry, Star Trek gets a vote.

Apple Computers

Stephen Job’s introduction of the  Apple I and the Apple II computers proved that there was a market for personal computers.

IBM Personal Computers

Not only did IBM place a computer on every desk their decision to use third party components and software instead of proprietary components and software opened up the field to other computer companies to build compeeting systems for a cheaper price.

Graphical User Interfaces 

Graphical interfaces such as Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s LISA and Macintosh operating systems opened up computers to the masses.  No longer did you need to memorize cryptic 8 character commands to use a computer, you just pointed and clicked.

The Internet and the World Wide Web

Although the internet had been around for quite some time it was not until computers had become popular and most were running GUI software that the introduction of TCP/IP and the World Wide Web made it accessible for the masses.  This same technology made smaller networks possible.

The Merging of Multimedia

From the very start one of the most commercially successful applications of computers have been for games and entertainment.  Today with the merging of audio, video, and communication we have seen a revelation in the multimedia entertainment industry.  Digital audio and video have paved the way for higher quality products at a less expensive price tag.

This list is by all means not all ot the major milestones in the computing industry but just my take on some of them.  I see the current trends in computing to be based on the multimedia and communications aspect of the industry.  Not only in the entertainment aspect but this has also allowed global companies to conduct business as if they were all located at the same place.  We are becoming more connected all the time, who doesn’t have a cell phone these days.

This huge growth of technology, while most of the time we see it as a advantage does have some unpleasant side effects.  Because everything is so connected we have opened ourselves up to information jacking.  This includes identity theft and computer crimes.  With a persons name and social security number it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find out most everything about this person, and it is not just the bad guys we have to worry about, remember big brother is watching you.

The computer industry is not unlike other engineering and technological fields.  You get out of it what you put into it.  It does however seem that there are more low paying entry level jobs in the computer industry than in most technological fields.  This may be due to the rapidly changing advancements in the computer field.  Unless you keep up with the current technology you will be left behind.

I am attracted to the IT industry because I have always been attracted to math and logical problems.  I started studying electronics when computers were in their infancy, but I have always been attracted to binary logic and programming.  I feel my background in electronics will help me in my IT goals.

Since most of my favorite movies do not have a lot of computer generated special affects I will pick one that does, Tron. In 1982 Walt Disney studios was trying to reestablish itself as a powerhouse movie studio. It’s family friendly format wasn’t bringing in the revenue that it used to and their attempt at breaking into the special effects laden adult sci-fi genre with “Black Hole” was a miserable failure. Disney’s next attempt at sci-fi was the hugely expensive “Tron”. Tron is the story of a computer programmer, played by Jeff Bridges, who is blasted into molecules and reassembled inside his computer. He must then compete in a number of computer generated games and contests to gain his freedom and expose the evil executive, played by Bruce Boxleitner, for what he really is.

Enough of the plot, since that is not what this blog is really about. Tron, while it wasn’t the first movie to use computer generated graphics. a lot of the images were hand drawn, it was the first to use computer generated imagery incorporated with live action to create a three dimensional world making it one of the pioneering CGI films. Remember that in 1982 while computers could display images, animating these images still required the coordinates to be entered by hand. Tron was also one of the first movies to have a video game created after it, which may have been more successful than the movie.

Tron was not a wildly successful movie and caused quite a bit of controversy. Many of the Disney animators refused to work on the project because they feared it would elimate their jobs, which it eventually did. Even though the movie was innovative and the special effects were extraordinary for their time it was passed over by the academy awards because they felt that using a computer for the special effects was cheating.

Even though Tron was groundbreaking, the plot and storyline of the movie was not that good, just average with some truly hokey dialog. While other movies that were considered to be milestones in the FX industry such as Star Wars, Logan’s Run and 2001 still stand up to time, Tron has not. Since Tron relied so much on special effects the plot is sometimes lost to us. The special effects do not meet up to todays standards so you are left with a bad sci-fi movie and interesting but outdated special effects. I have heard that a new version is due to be released in 2010 along with a new version of Logan’s Run.

Now for my photos, this is me at a dinner party.

And this is the party before I arrived

This discussion deals with digital rights, copyright, and fair use issues. Personally I am torn between my feeling on these issues since I see both sides. While I do not advocate piracy, I am not sure that our current copyright and fair use laws are in the best interest of the artists, but in place for the record labels, RIAA, BMI, and ASCAP.

Question 1 asks if I have ever had trouble using a product due to copy protection. Of course I have, mainly with software. Any copy protection is going to limit user friendliness. I hate having to make sure a certain CD is in my CDRom before I can run a program. While registration keys are probably on of the more user friendly copy protection devices, it is just another thing I have to keep track of in case I ever need to reinstall the software.

Question 2 asks if music download sites, such as ITunes Music Store, offer consumers with enough flexibility for copying files and creating playlists. What do I know, I have never downloaded a music file from any pay site. If I want a particular piece of music I also want the extra’s that go with the CD, therefor I have an extensive collection of CD’s and vinyl, yes I said vinyl. I do purchase a lot of this music second hand, thrift stores and rummage sales, which brings up a whole new copyright issue. I also record a lot of the vinyl to digital, which may or may not be legal.

Question 3 asks if if I feel that digital rights management technologies are justified because of the high rate of piracy. As I stated at the start of this blog, I am torn in my feelings here. While the artists and companies creating the media have a right to say how it is used, the consumer has purchased the product and should have so rights to use the product as the see fit, providing this use does not violate the rights of the owner of the copyright. This is where the problem lies. If the media is open to copy there is no way of stopping people from violating the copyright, while if the copy is limited then we are violating the rights of the consumer.

Diablo II Objects

1. Game Selection Screen
   1. Selects Play, upgrade, options, readme, exit
2. Logo Animation One
   1. Audio
   2. Graphics
3. Logo Animation Two
   1. Audio
   2. Graphics
4. Menu Screen
   1. Music
   2. Selects Type of Game
   3. Options
   4. Credits
5. Character Selection Screen – Single Game Selected
   1. Select Saved Character or new Caracter
   2. New Character
      1. goes to create character screen
      2. Select type of character
         1. Enter Name For Character
      3. Starts New Game with created Character
   3. Select existing Character
      1. Starts saved game with existing Character
6. Game is loaded – Objects used
   1. Character
      1. Attributes
      2. Skills
      3. appearance
      4. Magical affects
   2. Items – Per Each Item Possesed by Character
      1. type
      2. appearance
      3. attributes
      4. equipped
   3. Companion
      1. Attributes
      2. Items
      3. Magical Affects
   4. Location
      1. Graphics
      2. Monsters
      3. Visited
   5. Game
      1. Mode
      2. Graphics
      3. Audio
      4. Interface
      5. Difficulty
      6. Saved Games

1. Can you think of a specific instance when you have become frustrated with a software user interface?

Not right off hand, although I know it has happened on numerous occasions.

2. Is it possible to make computer software significantly easier to use?

Yes but you can only dumb it down so far. If you get it to easy to use you may have to remove advanced features that may be important to more experienced users.

3. Would you agree that programmers do not understand the viewpoint of a typical computer user and consequently produce bad software?

No, most programmers are users also, and although they may have more experience in using computers than a typical user they still want the programs to be easy to use.

Although the user bill of rights is an interesting concept, it is not really that practical. While programmers should try to make programs that are easy to use we are talking about a high tech industry and there is always going to be a learning curve. Just like someone visiting another country may want to learn a little bit of that countries language first a user of a software package may want to study up on some of the features of that software.

As for using technology for educational purposes, I really like taking courses online. I don’t have to go to campus and I can work on them at my own leisure. Computer and technological classes seem to work best for online classes. I feel that oncourse is a very good interface but I would like to see more multimedia utilized for lectures and demonstrations. Online items that don’t work are fill in the blank tests that the computer tries to grade, and I am not sure that blogging is that great of a learning tool.

This was a strange assignment.  I am not sure I created my table right but here it is.  In response to the question marks I will try to address this by each row.

Name – I really see no need in not giving out my name for most anything.  The only time I am weary of giving out my name is when responding to an email or registering for a web site, and even these most times I do not have a problem with it, if fact if I do I will probably not even respond to the email or register on the web site.

Address – The same as my name applies to address, in fact if the person has my name all you have to do is google it and up comes my address and phone number, it’s published in the phone book and I never had a problem with it.

E-mail address – I am becoming more weary about posting my email address on the web.  If in a lot of cases I use a temporary email address to apply for web sites, unless I fully trust them.

Social Security number is one that I hardly ever give out.  Only for job and government information.  I don’t really think anyone needs this information.  The only exception may be registering for classes because of financial aid.  The other could be for credit checks by a bank.

Credit Card Information – The only time I would think that you would need to give out CC info is if you are actually authorizing someone to charge something to your credit card.

Phone number – Just like address this information is easy to obtain so I don’t have a problem in most cases with giving it out.

Height, weight, gender -  I see nowhere except for the doctor where anyone would need to know this information.  I don’t have a problem with suppling it though.

Hobbies – I see no place where this would be required although most marketing people would like to have it for demographics.

Medical History – Doctor only, no one else needs it.

Employer -  This would only be given out if I knew that there was a credit or background check being done.  If I was asked I would become suspicious.

Spouses and Children’s name – Other than possible the doctor and maybe the bank if it was a joint account no where else.

 What strategies can an organization use to respond to threats from competitors or take advantage of opportunities? How does an organization’s mission statement help to guide them in identifying and pursuing these strategies?

I am going to start with the second part of this question and address mission statements.  Mission statements are a short one or two line statement that summarizes a companies goals and values, in other words it’s reason for being.  Corporations have spent countless hours and millions of dollars to come up with a catchy mission statement, while most are just an exercise in creative writing some actually come up with a catchy mission statement.  Once they have come up with a mission statement, does the company actually follow it?  “Respect, Integrity, Communication and Excellence” was the mission statement for Enron.

While companies may think these mission statements are the greatest thing since sliced bread, most of their employees are making fun of them, yes I have been on both sides.  Most of their customers never read them, they are sort of like elevator music, you know it is there but you tend to block it out.  In a lot of cases management doesn’t follow it.

Most mission statements can be summed up as follows, “Make the most money without pissing off our customers or screwing over our employees very much”.  Therefore I say mission statements are a waste of time and money.

Now for the first part of the question, if a company supplies a quality product for a reasonable cost, with exceptional customer support while maintaining contented employees it shouldn’t have a problem.

The decision to create an information system is sometimes driven by new technology “that is, new hardware or software that makes it possible to automate a system or process” while others are driven by users’ the people who will ultimately use the information system. What are the pros and cons of each approach?

First let’s look at a technology driven system.  With a this system you are going to have the newest hardware and software, it is going to be cutting edge and up to date, but cutting edge comes with a price.  New technology is expensive since the R&D is still being paid for.  There are quite often bugs and design flaws since they have not all been worked out.  There may also have been older technology that would fit your needs at a cheaper price.

In a user driven system the hardware and software it tailored for the end user, hopefully having all the features, whistles and bells the user wants while completing the desired tasks.  The main problem with this system is that you can never full satisfy all the users.  What the finance department wants may not be what the maintenance department needs.  You then have to balance out the system to make the most people or the most important people happy and you may have to give up features that other users want.

Recall a time when you were frustrated by the way a program or operating system was functioning. How did you solve the problem? For example, did you use a help desk, user manual, or solve the problem on your own? Could the design of the program or operating system itself cause the problem? If so, what changes would you recommend to make the solution to your problem more obvious.

I once worked for a large corporation that had a small base here in Indianapolis.  Since the Indy base was the smallest in the organization the company decided that we didn’t need an on site IT department choosing instead to utilize the main base help desk and a subcontractor that showed up once a week.  The company also had some of the highest computer security I have ever encountered locking out everything that could be locked out all the way down to setting the time on your clock.  To make matters worse my job required me to work with some specialized software that was not installed on the standard work station.   I logged so many tickets that the IT department finally gave me limited admin rights to my work station.

This problem could have been solved by treating each user as an individual instead of writing blanket rules for all users.  Security is necessary and a requirement on any network, but security comes at a price, the more secure the less user friendly a system becomes.

Some users have suggested that user documentation should be developed before the system, and then used as the blueprint for system design. How would this approach change the development process and the system itself?

These users probably have their head up their butt.  Sure you develop an outline or a blueprint but to develop the documentation first seems like putting the the thrust in front of the rocket.  In most cases the documentation would change so much during the developmental process it would have to be rewritten anyway.

http://mypage.iu.edu/~lkprathe/CIT112/resume.html