Quote:Original post by Oberon_Command
Coming from a 16-year-old

What's with all this teen stuff? I mean, I went to the bookshop the other day to get a book on AI, and in every section related to game development, there's an "X for Teens" book. In one case, they took up more than half the shelf! In fact, I went to that bookstore because the one I usually go to didn't have ANY of the books that I was looking for, because more than half the selection was "X for Teens".

I understand that a lot of teens are getting into this stuff (and some are even younger; I got into programming when I was about 9), but that doesn't mean that you have to label them and make them seem different! They really aren't, they just think differently and act differently from most adults. That doesn't mean that we have to create a whole subforum for them; rather they should simply be integrated into our little society. No need to treat them differently, just talk to them as if they're an adult and they'll rise up. That's what happened to me.

When I first started attending this board, I was an immature, selfish 13-year-old. My rating even dropped below 1000 for a while. By the time I was 15, I was a completely different person both online and offline, and I had a rating ove 1200. These boards change people, mostly for the better. For instance, without the flamewars in the lounge I don't think I would be as interested in politics or writing as I am now (and my writing would probably be horrible, too). In addition, I don't think I would know all the useless random facts that I know if I hadn't started coming here.

So, in other words, I don't think we should create a subforum just for teens; I think that we should encourage them to blend in with the adults.

you kno what, im convinced and wow another person that programs thats into politics(i want to go into law when im older and eventually go into politics) anyway kool!

Actually, I don't want to go into politics. [grin] I just take more of an interest than the average teen, that's all. A lot of the teens I know are only into school or what the media and tabloids say and such silly, insignificant things.

In any case, I don't think I'd make a good politician, despite my occasional pompousness, outspokenness, and the sheer length of my public speaking speeches (at one point, we were to do a <5min speech. Mine clocked in at about 8min. It was very political, too, it was about the lack of a "proper" Canadian space program and how anybody patriotic would do something about it. I got 92% on it, but I didn't go to the finals...).


2 edits and counting...

Quote:Original post by Oberon_Command
So, in other words, I don't think we should create a subforum just for teens; I think that we should encourage them to blend in with the adults.

That's my angle on it as well. I had no idea you were 16 years old, and it doesn't really matter to me, either. You act like an adult, and people treat you like an adult.

In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a sizable majority of GDNet members who are teenagers. While they're not as experienced as the more vocal members (due to their lack of time on this Earth writing code) there's no reason to assume that all teenagers should be shunted off into another forum.

Quote:Original post by Ravuya

Quote:Original post by Oberon_Command
So, in other words, I don't think we should create a subforum just for teens; I think that we should encourage them to blend in with the adults.

That's my angle on it as well. I had no idea you were 16 years old, and it doesn't really matter to me, either. You act like an adult, and people treat you like an adult.

Exactly my point. :P

I just wish that people in "real life" could see each other that way, too.

I sympathize with you, xanados, I too wish hyperbolic time chambers were real. :) Or at the very least, the ability to manually slow the passing of time.

Quote:Original post by Oberon_Command
Coming from a 16-year-old:

What's with all this teen stuff? I mean, I went to the bookshop the other day to get a book on AI, and in every section related to game development, there's an "X for Teens" book. In one case, they took up more than half the shelf! In fact, I went to that bookstore because the one I usually go to didn't have ANY of the books that I was looking for, because more than half the selection was "X for Teens".

I understand that a lot of teens are getting into this stuff (and some are even younger; I got into programming when I was about 9), but that doesn't mean that you have to label them and make them seem different! They really aren't, they just think differently and act differently from most adults. That doesn't mean that we have to create a whole subforum for them; rather they should simply be integrated into our little society. No need to treat them differently, just talk to them as if they're an adult and they'll rise up. That's what happened to me.

When I first started attending this board, I was an immature, selfish 13-year-old. My rating even dropped below 1000 for a while. By the time I was 15, I was a completely different person both online and offline, and I had a rating ove 1200. These boards change people, mostly for the better. For instance, without the flamewars in the lounge I don't think I would be as interested in politics or writing as I am now (and my writing would probably be horrible, too).

Just this year, there was a sort-of flamewar through my school's email system. This war mostly consisted of a girl looking for something she'd lost, and asking everybody to keep an eye out for it. She was responded to by a cranky grade 12 who told her to learn to spell. This eventually led to me sending him and the entire school an email that this particular grade 12 called an "essay". Me, I wouldn't call it that (it was only a few paragraphs, sort of about the length of this post), but I must admit, my "post" was the longest one there. I blame it on my GameDev.net "education". In fact, I believe that if every teen spent enough time on this site, participated in enough threads, and "assimilated" themselves properly, the entire "debate" would have consisted of posts as long as mine.

I believe that GameDev.net and other forum communities change young people, make them more mature, and force them to become more intelligent and thoughtful people. And, of course, to edit their posts... I must have edited this post 5 times by now, juding from 14-year-old's quote of my post. :P

So, in other words, I don't think we should create a subforum just for teens; I think that we should encourage them to blend in with the adults.

Seconded, by a 16 year old :P. Those were exactly my thoughts on that matter.

<actually on track> On the matter of the OP's question, I still stand by my previous answer - it just isn't possible no matter how you cut it. I'd advise you to listen to the people saying to decide on one or two of those things and focus on them alone. I also hope that I speak for (almost) everyone in saying that you shouldn't be afraid to continue posting here for help despite all the negative answers you received. Just please choose one or two topics from the list and focus on them. That will take you farther than sort-of memorizing information on 30+ topics. Good luck on your path to learning.

A word of advice though, while it is good to set difficult goals - reach for the stars, touch the clouds as they say - this should be done within reason. This is because as the time limit for the completion of the self development projects approaches and you have done not even .00001% of them, you place undue stress on yourself, creating feelings of doubt on ability and worth. Risk of depression and even insanity are greatly increased.

So strike a balance and choose something that you may complete within a few years and an accompaning project whose completion is not so important as the learning experience that would be gained.

Here is you list (which shows striking similarities to a keyword list for some bot) with some of the more vague concepts such as FX or Softimage removed:

Quote:
Java
C
C#
C++
.NET
SQL
Max Script
DirectX 9
DirectX 10
Direct3D redundant as DirectX9/10 encompasses this
Shader Technologies
Ashli
Technical Design Documents (TDD)
MMOG [Development]
Multi-core architectures
Real-time Physics
3D Studio Max
3D Studio Max SDK
Maya
Linux
Networking
3jane
Renderware [products]
OpenGL
D3D [redundant, same as Direct3D]
STL
Vista [development]
Perl
Havok
AI
UI [development]
OOD
OOP
SQL

Some of the things you have on your list are entire fields (AI, real time physics) with others requiring entire new skillsets and schema reordering (3D software packages), something which on its own, will take months to do before you can even begin to become competent in the usage of the tools. Others though share skillsets (OpenGL <--> Direct3D, 3D art software tools) or group together (shaders,DirectX, scripting) such that learning one greatly reduces the time of learning the other. Nonethless, the list will take you far longer than a year to run through.

For example, consider a multidisiplinary fields as AI, even a small subset of this subject will take years to master.

My Recommendation is managed direct x, smalltalk, OCaml, C#, numerical methods and game engine development. 3D studio is expensive so consider taking up MilkShape or something in a similar price range. This should keep ye busy for a while, if you are for real. :)

P.S. if all this does not workout consider purchasing game studio.
P.P.S Good Luck!

Quote:Original post by Nytegard
post

The issue has not to do with ambition, knowledge, learning by doing - all very important things - nor even with tutorials themselves but with the problem of teaching concepts without foundation and connection. Simple manipulation without motivation does no good for the learner and complicates things and fosters unecessary misconceptions for the future (as there are necessary misconceptions) far more than not.