Feeling of Computing

We've renamed the podcast and community — we are now the Feeling of Computing! Here are some thoughts about the motivation to rename and the choice of new name. It's a small change, but it feels meaningful and clarifying. The new name better fits what we've been doing all along, and sets us up for the next decade of this community. The new name reminded us of The Computer is a Feeling, a document (of some definition) by Tim Hwang and Omar Rizwan. Unlike our usual selections, which are crouton-dry and tiring, this one is basically a 1-pager, quick and fun — you should totally give it a glance and see what you make of it, before Jimmy and I tease it apart and lawyer over the many nuances. This piece makes us question what the computer means in our lives, and how that may have changed over time. Light on specifics and arguably steeped in nostalgic yearning, its series of declarative statements come out more like broadly probing questions. Is the computer feeling possessed only by those who remember the time before the internet? Are computers even required? What does feeling this feeling elicit one to do? We answer at least one of these questions. "But you can't trust them, they're podcasters," said everyone ever, "you've got to feel it for yourself." Links $ While these main Feeling of Computing episodes are, in a word, infrequent, the bonus episodes over on our Patreon — Feeling Off — arrive at a dependable regularity! Why, in the time since we recorded this here episode, we've released two (2) bonus episodes. The first was a unruly deep tangent Jimmy and I fell upon right smack in the middle of this very episode, and then excised out — That's Shakespeare — about code.org, whether the "everyone should learn to code" movement is actually about literacy, the backlash to this movement, and our personal feelings on it all. Then in December we shared our annual end-of-the-year spectacular with games, awards, music, spelling, men who are spiders, and our predictions about the near and distant future — All of the False Ones — free free free for download, no patronage required. The old name is cursed. The old name might have been inspired by Bret Victor's talk The Future of Programming, but the vibe of the community is probably closer to Inventing on Principle. The new name invites us to reflect on the way our tools make us feel. For instance, Kid Pix was a quirky, playful drawing program designed for younger users which had its heyday in the 1990s when Ivan was a younger user, and it gave him some pretty specific feelings at the time. (Also, in the time since recording this episode, Ivan dug up a Snow Leopard iMac from the sedimentary rock and installed KidPix Studio 4, and his 6 year-old daughter has been having a blast with it.) One Piece is a manga and anime that's pretty popular, but perhaps off-topic for our community. Did you know about our virtual meetups? Every month we have people showing off their work, and it's been fantastic to see the wild variety of creative programming projects built by members of our community. We share the details of upcoming meetups in the #announcements channel on our Slack, and publish them in this Luma calendar. You should come! The feeling is still present, in your time, as it was in ours You can build computers out of water, if you want Sim City 3000 was released in 1999, and gave Jimmy the computer feeling. (Ivan played Sim City 2000 back in 1997-ish, and got pretty good at typing the word "FUND", before learning that this didn't actually give you free money and instead gave you a bond.) When Ivan says "go to six or seven bookmarks", that's a reference to this appfrom 2024, not the mid 2025 meme. The two folks in our sphere — Folk Computer by Omar (et al), and FolkJS by Chris Shank and Orion Reed. Folk Computer is similar to Dynamicland, which Omar did some interesting work on. Back in 1997, Ivan taught himself to edit videos using Avid Cinema, a Mac-only video editing tool that predates iMovie but served similar goals. (It came bundled with the infamous Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One, aka the "Molar Mac", which was Ivan's second home computer.) The Programmable Ink gang at Ink & Switch have spent the past few years on this one project, and it sometimes gives Ivan the computer feeling. The Bazaar and the… The Whatever… Yeah, Yeah. MetaCreations was the company behind Bryce 3D and Poser 3, which Ivan used quite extensively when he was a young'un. Here's a photo of Ivan, midlife crisis rapidly approaching, holding his original Bryce 3D box. Wormholes used in this episode: One wormhole to/from the Feeling Off bonus episode That's Shakespeare No secret wormholes. ! Send us gushing, uncomfortably familiar fan mail, join the Feeling Of community, and find us on-line: A: B: C: D: e: F: G: H: I: 🐘 🦋 🌐 J: 🐘 🦋 🌐 K: L: 🐘 🦋 🌐 M: N: O: P: Q: R: S: T: U: V: W: X: Y: Z: https://feelingof.com/episodes/079Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/feelingofcomputingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Delve into the quirky world of esoteric programming languages, where humor meets coding creativity. The hosts discuss favorites like Entropy and Piet, exploring their unique mechanics and cultural significance. They debate whether these languages can be taken seriously, touching on themes of nostalgia and playful challenge in programming. From visual esolangs to the role of AI in creation, listeners will uncover how these languages reflect our coding culture and question the boundaries of computational expression.

The discussion kicks off with a lively debate on renaming the podcast, touching on the community's evolving identity. They hilariously reflect on quirky vintage advertisements, revealing surprising societal norms. Vannevar Bush's innovative vision of technology is examined, alongside a look at photography's evolution from dry techniques to digital. The concept of the Memex sparks thoughts on fluid information interaction, while they humorously dive into the interplay of computing and military needs during WWII, all layered with charming anecdotes about a pet beagle.

Joining the discussion is Felienne Hermans, a computer scientist renowned for her work in programming education and spreadsheet programming. They dive into Alan Turing's legacy, critiquing the outdated assumptions in his famous paper on artificial intelligence. The conversation navigates gender identity, deception in the Turing Test, and the complexities of machine intelligence versus human thought. They also challenge the simplistic definitions of intelligence, advocating for a broader understanding that goes beyond language. Hermans' insights make for a thought-provoking exploration of Turing's impact.

Felienne Hermans, a programming language researcher known for her work on Hedy, discusses the critical intersection of feminism and programming language design. She reveals the biases in academia that prioritize formal research over human-focused studies, which can stifle diverse contributions. With personal anecdotes, she emphasizes the need for inclusivity and the significance of addressing gender dynamics in the field. The conversation also highlights how outdated norms in academia affect women's participation and advocates for a more nuanced understanding of gender in tech.

Dive into an exploration of whether the universe itself acts like a computer. Delve into philosophical debates about computation and the mind, where historical insights from figures like Alan Turing enrich the discussion. Discover distinctions between deterministic and non-deterministic systems, and their implications for understanding reality. The conversation poses lofty questions about existence and our place in the cosmos, mixing humor with deep thoughts on how computation shapes our understanding of time and change.

In this engaging discussion, Alexander Repenning, an innovator in educational tools, shares insights from his 20-year journey with AgentSheets, a platform designed to foster kids' computational thinking. He delves into the evolution of block-based programming, critiques the limitations of syntax-focused education, and advocates for more accessible coding tools for diverse students. Repenning humorously addresses the naming conventions in programming and emphasizes the importance of a deeper understanding of semantics and pragmatics in coding education.

The podcast delves into the history and significance of Pygmalion, the originator of concepts like icons and programming by demonstration. It explores the original paper by David Canfield Smith, the debate between reading sequentially or jumping to conclusions, and critiques gender dynamics in visual programming. The hosts also discuss the role of language in thought, explore the existence of triangles, and examine visual representations in programming.

The podcast delves into topics like 'Inventing on Principle' by Brett Victor, Paris Fashion Week, Canadian Tuxedo, hot module replacement, and innovative programming demos. It also discusses the intersection of technology and art, exploring surrealism, direct manipulation in art and technology, and the utilization of tools and constraints for creativity.

Dave Ackley challenges conventional software engineering by advocating for a balance between correctness and efficiency. The episode explores robustness in computing, prioritizing resilient solutions over peak performance. Examples range from RAID to Byzantine fault tolerance, highlighting the importance of handling unpredictable situations in software development.