User talk:Dennis G. Jerz

Thanks, and spoilers.

Thanks for your constructive fix to Gregor the Overlander‎. I'm sorry to say that the spoiler warning may not last. I personally like it, but you'll want to see the discussion on Wikipedia:Spoiler.

Saugart (talk) 06:32, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

I'm glad you found my feedback above helpful. Thank you for leaving feedback on my talk page. It's a nice feeling. I don't like the spoiler policy either, but it seems to be the consensus, so it looks like we have to live with it. Saugart (talk) 05:46, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

Thanks

I liked your most recent wordsmithing to Gregor the Overlander too. Saugart (talk) 06:29, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

Test

Testing my signature. 01:29, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

Trying again. My name should appear as a link. Dennis G. Jerz (talk) 04:21, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

Rename

I'm sorry, I've just realised that someone "helpfully" archived your rename request before I had a chance to do what you asked. Would you still me to rename either of your accounts? WjBscribe 16:56, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

File:ADVENT_--_Will_Crowther's_original_version.png license

Dennis, I have changed the license template on File:ADVENT_--_Will_Crowther's_original_version.png to {{PD-Pre1978}}. The software was "published" before 1978 with no copyright notice. Your screenshot has some creativity so you could change the license to some "free" version that requires attribution. I have read some of your web pages and appreciate your research into the history of Adventure. -- SWTPC6800 (talk) 19:31, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks! I'm perfectly happy with people using that screenshot without crediting me as the screenshot-taker.

Colossal Cave Adventure screen shots

Hi Dennis, I have the original Crowther's and Crowther/Wood's Colossal Cave Adventure code running in in a PDP-10 simulator and thought you might be interested. Copies of my PDP-10 terminal input/output are available at http://www.asun.net/pdp10/downloads.

I think the current screen shot you have for the Colossal Cave Adventure isn't quite true to the original. The Crowther's original code didn't recognize lower case user input, and I think the output text should be left justified to column 1 (rather than 2).

Also unknown is the original version of the Fortran compiler used, though I think that version is prior to DEC Fortran-10 version 5. The code does build successfully with Fortran-10 version 6. Also unclear is the PDP-10 operating system, though it is likely to be an earlier release or customized versions of TOPS-10.

Retro98 (talk) 17:25, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

The screenshot I uploaded to Wikipedia is from a modern compiler's executable from Crowther's original source code, which is a representation of how the game would have looked before Woods expanded it. As I understand it, Crowther and his daughters played the game on a print terminal, so the green-on-black image is just a visual representation, and it is labeled as running on a Windows computer.

Do you have any ideas on how we might get a more accurate representation, showing how the game might have appeared on the kind of video display a PDP 10 would have used? I mean, if I simply manipulated the screen capture so that the text lines up as you describe, that would not really be that useful. I'd appreciate any suggestions you have. Thanks! Dennis G. Jerz (talk) 00:59, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I believe running a PDP-10 (real or simulated) and matching the original programming environment would produce the most accurate representation for the original adventure. I have a simulated PDP-10 running (see my URL above) with session logs on how to set this up. However, the matching old version of the PDP-10 operating system and Fortran compiler Crowther used are unknown and may be lost. A PDP-10 with later OS and Fortran still compiles and runs Crowther's and Crowther's/Wood's code as is, and all print terminal input/output can be logged. Below is Crowther's adventure (see build-adv0.txt) as it would have been printed on a PDP-10's hard copy terminal:

.RUN ADV11

WELCOME TO ADVENTURE!!  WOULD YOU LIKE INSTRUCTIONS?  


YES
SOMEWHERE NEARBY IS COLOSSAL CAVE, WHERE OTHERS HAVE FOUND 
FORTUNES IN TREASURE AND GOLD, THOUGH IT IS RUMORED   
THAT SOME WHO ENTER ARE NEVER SEEN AGAIN. MAGIC IS SAID    
TO WORK IN THE CAVE.  I WILL BE YOUR EYES AND HANDS. DIRECT
ME WITH COMMANDS OF 1 OR 2 WORDS. 
(ERRORS, SUGGESTIONS, COMPLAINTS TO CROWTHER)    
(IF STUCK TYPE HELP FOR SOME HINTS)    


YOU ARE STANDING AT THE END OF A ROAD BEFORE A SMALL BRICK 
BUILDING . AROUND YOU IS A FOREST. A SMALL  
STREAM FLOWS OUT OF THE BUILDING AND DOWN A GULLY.    


GO IN
YOU ARE INSIDE A BUILDING, A WELL HOUSE FOR A LARGE SPRING.


THERE ARE SOME KEYS ON THE GROUND HERE.


THERE IS A SHINY BRASS LAMP NEARBY.    


THERE IS FOOD HERE.


THERE IS A BOTTLE OF WATER HERE.  

The font, and maybe the command to start the adventure program, may differ with the true original hard copy. I think the print out may be the more accurate representation. Since, that was how Crowther wrote and played the game?

--Retro98 (talk) 18:09, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Great! Would you be able to scan a printout from a terminal running from a PDP 10? Even if it's not exact, you could upload it to Wikipedia with an explanation of what it is, and the extent to which you can vouch for its accuracy, I'd be happy to put it in the Colossal Cave article to replace (or augment) the screenshot that's currently there. Dennis G. Jerz (talk) 03:53, 15 August 2009 (UTC)

I can upload a figure to the wiki that represents the print output (from the text above) from a PDP-10 login session. A future contributor with access to a real vintage printout terminal (I believe asr33 or TI silent 700s were popular at the time) may be able to print the text and scan an actual printout.

--Retro98 (talk) 20:05, 17 August 2009 (UTC)

POV pushing

Kindly stop POV pushing on Fisking. You are confusing someone's (erronious) opinion with objective fact. Our job is not to take sides. Please learn to attribute WP:ATT. Wikispan (talk) 13:21, 24 July 2010 (UTC)

Since the term came into in a particular historical context, reporting that context is an important part of understanding the term. But I recognize the language will and should undergo adjustment until it reaches a balance. Dennis G. Jerz (talk) 17:13, 5 November 2010 (UTC)

Proposed deletion of Critical code studies

The article Critical code studies has been proposed for deletion because of the following concern:

Wikipedia is not a crystal ball

While all contributions to Wikipedia are appreciated, content or articles may be deleted for any of several reasons.

You may prevent the proposed deletion by removing the {{proposed deletion/dated}} notice, but please explain why in your edit summary or on the article's talk page.

Please consider improving the article to address the issues raised. Removing {{proposed deletion/dated}} will stop the proposed deletion process, but other deletion processes exist. In particular, the speedy deletion process can result in deletion without discussion, and articles for deletion allows discussion to reach consensus for deletion. Guerillero | My Talk 04:14, 31 January 2012 (UTC)

Okay, the only forward-looking detail was the reference to a forthcoming book, but there is plenty of other support out there. The article will be fleshed out soon, I'm sure. 08:16, 31 January 2012 (UTC)

Video game genres: Visual Novel citation.

The cited source is from 1up.com. They are not a credible resource insofar as having expertise on a subject. Furthermore the section from which the article is an opinion section, albeit not labeled as such.

See: http://www.1up.com/features/violent-games-lack-creativity-conviction http://www.1up.com/features/whats-worth-seeing-e3 http://www.1up.com/features/what-if-dreamcast-won http://www.1up.com/features/steve-jobs-never-returned-apple

It would be equally as inappropriate to use the article 'What If Steve Jobs Had Never Returned to Apple?' as a citation for an Apple page as it is to use one about Visual Novels for a Video Gaming related page, such as 'Video Game Genres'. There are no valid citations for the information present, and are simply present as opinion. Wikipedia pages should not strive to be opinion, that is most poor, and does not appear to be in line with the general purpose of the website as a whole.

Moreover, it is clear to me that Visual Novels fall well within the purview of Interactive Fiction, in which they are already listed as such. The user 'Hellknowz' continues to make poor edits despite this. It is my belief that he aims to keep his opinions within the article, even at the cost of a better written, more correct page.

I must admit I am unaware if Wikipedia demands some manner of proof for the removal of material. I would assume, however, that there ought to be some credible source for the inclusion of material as well. At this time none of the sources for the 'Visual Novel' section have any credibility to them, as there is only one citation alone, the one mentioned. If that citation is to be treated as valid, essentially the argument made is that opinion ought to trump fact if it is published. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.181.58.64 (talk) 02:21, 6 June 2012 (UTC)

Fair enough, 98.181.58.64. The next time I'm doing library research, I'll look up an academic article on visual novels, and try to write something that indicates that visual novels fit some but not all definitions of video games. If a significant number of people in the gaming community do categorize VNs as games, that is worth noting, so I don't think the 1up coverage is so unreliable to the point that the article is better with that passage deleted. Dennis G. Jerz (talk) 15:30, 6 June 2012 (UTC)

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