But when he thinks no one's looking
Posted on 10/27/2008 2:46:48 PM PDT by paudio
A group of scientists is building the world’s most evil computer program. This isn't a B-movie setup: A team at Rensselaer Institute’s AI & Reasoning Lab is bringing personified evil to virtual life in the hope that they'll unlock the secrets of human morality. The researchers have given their creation a face and a name, and quiz it daily, using its answers to further blacken its hideous character.
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.com ...
A lot of effort being spent to understand evil. Wouldn't it be easier to interview a democrat? (Say Joe Biden?)
Simplicity is the surest sign of genius. Complexity, such as providing highly customizable features, is a sign the designer had no clue so threw in everything to let the user sort out.
They named it the Beast I take it?
But when he thinks no one's looking
That’s not true at all. With the vast majority of software packages, customizability (providing the user with options) is a good avenue for development. It’s more work for the developer and the benefit is to the user. Of course, this is especially true of an operating system. These days what’s “included” with an operating system is a gigantic gray area, so letting the user pick and choose is ideal from the user’s perspective.
I’m guessing you’re not a software developer, because one thing you absolutely cannot do is dictate to the user what your software will do. That is just not how it works.
The project was abandoned after they got a nastygram from Microsoft IP lawyers.
I'm a business software developer. The end-user is not a professional software designer. If you let them do the design work because you don't really understand their job you end up with an amateur system. Users prefer a well thought out professionally crafted simple design, one where the developer took the time to understand the user's job rather than played with bells and whistles all day. I have seen many projects spiral out of control, such as $20 million sunk into a project that took 7 years, failed to meet any deadlines, failed to deliver anything the user wanted, and had terrible performance. It's all because they took their eye off the ball of keeping it simple. It's because the software developers were clueless and everyone would be better off if they found a new profession.
"Hmmmmm...I don't think he looks so creepy."
I have a general "rule" of refusing to watch any show that has a laugh-track.
Night Court was one of the very few exceptions to that rule.
Plus that killer bass line and blues guitar rift in the opening theme song was a real hook.
I didn’t say you let users design the software. Software developers design the software. Users dictate the requirements, which is an entirely separate phase. You’re free to go back and forth with the customer on the requirements, but if the customer says they want features X, Y, and Z, you can either deliver it to them in the simplest and most effective way you see fit (that’s the design portion) or renegotiate the terms of the deal.
Users, for example, might want something so complex from a software perspective that it is impractical. You can go back and forth and say “well, if you want me to do this, then my development cycle is going to be extended, and it will cost $X dollars more than the original agreement.” I’m not saying the user designs the software, but if the user says I want the software to do X, Y, and Z and you as a software developer say I went ahead and didn’t include features X, Y, and Z so it would be simpler you wouldn’t be long employed.
Your Google and Yahoo! examples are noted, but you might also realize they don’t serve the same crowds. Google is almost exclusively a search engine whereas Yahoo! does much more than that.
Shawn Robert Adolf.
Quite a name for a skinhead!!
The white version of Rev Wright!!
“Did you catch a DELICIOUS bass?”
Napoleon, don’t be jealous that I’ve been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I’m training to be a cage fighter.
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