priit@imke

For two weeks, starting from yesterday, professor Tassu will be introducing alternative input & output devices and topics around them. Firstly it seemed another (in addition to javascript one) programming lesson but after Tassu realised, that technical background (or more like mathematical) of us is kind of a week, he is problably taking more creative approach for us.

4-5 years ago, i tried 3D graphic tool called POV-Ray. It’s a small program which allows user to create enormous images with programming skills mixed with creativity. That is the reason why I’ve preferred Solid Edge or Vertex G4 type tools - I don’t like programming.

Yesterday Tassu introduced us similar program called Processing. Similar means here that the both of these are using text file to describe the objects in a scene. Main difference is that Processing is using similar language to java. Small homework was also given, to draw simple chess board. Our task for tomorrow is to think about alternative text typing tools or ways exept traditional keyboard. Would it be something related with eye-recognition or voice-to-text, that’s our decicion - as long as one solution is completely or partly ours.

Since there is only five of us on the course, it’s quite easy to organise some evening for getting know each other better than at the moment we actually do. I almost know, where everyone is working (exept Jaan) but that is the all. So I but my bets on Friday the 29th :]

It is another way of looking at a webpage, the HTML Visualizer Applet displays the tag hierarchy of any html page as a graph. By using colours for the different tags (e.g.: blue for links, violet for pictures, etc.) beautiful graphs are created. In the blink of an eye the result gives an idea of the complexity of the page.

simpleliving, aharef Here is a graph of the IMKE homepage (at least 3 dandelions are represented here).

Today Kakk spoke about viruses, trojans and other bad software around us and how we must live with them and protect against them. Here are questions for discussion and my answers to them:

*  Try to outline the main techniques used in malware from the 80s to today.
    
Modern malware affects emotionally to users, who are addicted in buying and shopping. "I must get it because it’s so cheap or even for free". Using emotional side of humans, we will find some day that our computer is full of installed crap but nothing cheap we still don’t have. Techniques have turned quite nasty.
    
* Some people say it would help to fight malware if MS Windows was open-source. Do you agree? Explain.
    
It might, but disputable - avarage user doesn’t even know, how to update windows (in case automatic update is turned off). There can be tens of updates and fixes per day but dumb-users remains.
    
* Uneducated users are often quoted as one of the main reasons to the malware pest in Windows. Propose some ways to improve the situation.
    
MS has said that new Vista and Office will be simpliest tools ever - anyone can use them, have fun with them and same time having a feeling like beeing best computer-guy in the World. Next people think: "Why should I pay money for learning basic skills how to use internet and MS Office, instead of just using them?". Result will be more uneducated users, who knows maybe expression "virus" but never "seen" one or needed to prevent those either. Time goes by and this uneducated user will go to work where all PC-s are running with Windows 98, for example. And this will be a first time when he/she actually feel that there are more "creatures" inside the internet than we can imagine. But lack of skills, how to defend yourself against these makes user vary vurnable. Some solution are that software companies should prevent malware intruding by working more effectively against these, but I cannot agree with it: users should be able themselves think about this problem and keep the door shut. Has anyone heard, that living in a luxury apartment means automatically no burglars?
    
* Propose some solutions to decrease the malware business (especially commercial worms like Zotob)
    
Online world needs some serius amount of respect and skills, how to live together without disturbing your naighbour and friends. Olso stickers like we do have in Estonia on mailboxes "no ads, please!". Now I have to think, where to put those stickers :]

As new rector has told and confirmed, all the lectures will be begin 15 minutes past the "correct time". It’s hard to get used to it even for a students, not mention a teachers.

A very good example is our programming guru Jaagup. He is like MacGyver - dancing folkdances, singing, problably playing some musical instrument, using bike instead of public transport or car, and having a really warm heart. But today he managed to overslept :]. Plus he looked like dead beat. I can’t believe that partying has caused that, he’s not that kind of guy. Mystery anyway.

Last week Jaagup mentioned, that next 5 weeks he will be concentrate on javascript. Although, I’ve already learned it in spring, I don’t remember a thing about it. I also suspect that Jaagup has worked out whole new program for this fall. 

And I’ve worked out a promise to start learning. Actually first time of my life, because BA studies were just 3 years of joking. 

Although tailor can’t become a farmer, i hope that carpenter can at least try to study something more than carving.

After finishing my BA studies, i had to make a decision: whether multimedia or new media. Main differences between those two were (and are): multimedia MA is fully in Estonian, more technical and more like distance learning. New media course, IMKE, on the contrary in English with schooldays from mon to fri 8-14. I’m not really technical guy, so I chose IMKE :]

All started on Monday the 4th with … programming. OK, html with css ain’t so hard to follow and learn because my everyday job is full of that kind of code. Javascript is something else. Jaagup teaches well but little too fast for me and perhaps for rest of the class also. Windows are blinking on the big screen so fast, it seems for me that somekind of evil virus has conquered Jaagup’s computer :]

Mauri is our mental leader who reads "Introduction to new media". For me it is a new experience to discuss topics with each other in the middle of the lecture and maybe it’s just going to take some time to get used to it. Through this I know that Ivo is one of the Rada7 team, for example. In very first time we were practicing composing mindmaps on topic "new media". Simpel relations between keywords showed clearly, how we are seeing media in our point of view.

Kakk knows the secrets of security and backgrounds of communities. Although many examples are mainly known for estonians, Ray seems to be a smart man to follow these.