[Edu-sig] New game in town

[Stephen R. Figgins]

>>During my time at Waikato University I developed POVTalk (Using Python and
>PyOpenGL). POVTalk is a Natural Language driven >>3D scene generator.
>Basically you type commands like "create a large pink ball called bob",
>"make bob bigger" and "make bob >blue", and a 3D scene is generated. A few
>demo scripts are included.
>
>>If you are interested in taking a look go to
>http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~synopsis/computing/ to donwload it.

This just gave me an idea.  How about a database of programming tools
and programs divided into categories and rated by complexity.

This way learners could find code that matched their interests and
capabilities.  They could tear it apart, study it, put it back
together, play with it, maybe even contribute to it.

One thing about tribal cultures that I have learned is that when a
young member of the tribe wants to go hunting, they don't give them a
toy bow and arrow, they give them fully functioning bows and arrows
suited to their size and send them out to hunt.  

In this same way, it might also be possible to have a database of open
source projects appropriate to newcomers, or perhaps even tasks in a
larger project appropriate to newcomers.  The projects would be
appropriate sized bows and arrows, but the hunting would be for real.
Welcome to the hacker tribes. 

Stephen R. Figgins
fig@oreilly.com