Thesis Plans

Okay…so the proposal for my thesis paper is…a lot longer than I had thought it was. That’s okay, because I still have the rest of this month to do it. Granted, that includes compiling literature on the topic, describing my thesis adequately, preparing the survey in full for approval, submitting my list of subjects to be interviewed, and probably a number of other things that are included in the list of things I need to do for my proposal. (I’m not directly referencing all of them right here, just giving a review of what I need to do)

So for this month (Or rather, next month), my goals are the following – Describe my thesis as best I can and in such a way that the college will probably approve of my project. After doing so, begin sending out to my “contacts” for people who I can send surveys to for this thesis. Included in that survey, which I will write alongside asking for participants, will be a request for participation in interviews. Once the requests are sent out, my full review on the literature will begin, and all of the resources I have on the subject will be looked over and compiled into the literature review that the professors are requesting (which promises to be the largest part of the “proposal” that they’re asking for). With the literature review done, I’ll finish up the rest of the proposal sections with the remaining half of the month, in conjunction with beginning to send out the surveys.

Now if it starts to look like my “proposal” is going to take more effort and focus, I can put off the more complicated parts of my thesis writing until the proposal is complete. But at the moment, this is my basic plan.

No Post Tonight

Since my head currently feels like it has the consistency of mush on the inside right now, there'll be no new post tonight.

...Except this one that I've already started. <.<; So I'm being a little hypocritical, but hey, I told you it was mush-brain night.

Half-Life Fanfic

Image Source: http://www.tutorialpark.com/half-life-2-logo/

After half an hour of writing, I've come up with this 4 1/4-ish page fanfiction on the Half-Life universe, set before the Black Mesa incident. It's a little unpolished, but hopefully still enjoyable.

Unforseen Consequences

A Half-Life Fanfic

Deep within the Black Mesa research complex, where ICBM Missile launching silos have been converted into departments of science, three of the world’s most brilliant men hold a conference. A man might think that such a meeting of minds would affect the course of history. But then, they wouldn’t know just how these three men would shape the world.

They are scientists, Eli Vance, Isaac Kleiner, and and Arne Magnusson. Yet soon the three of them will be much more than that; they will usher in a change that will shape the world as we know it.

For better, or for worse.

“Reduce our funding?! Unthinkable!”

Magnusson waves his hands wildly at Eli Vance, while Kleiner watches from nearby. Vance has a despondent look about him, while Kleiner seems to be thinking about something very carefully.

“We’re barely receiving the funding we need as it is now.” Magnusson continued. “And that’s just to keep things operating at a decent level. This is what we get for my groundbreaking research into the fields of science?”

“Your research?” Kleiner begins, looking put-off. “You’re not the only one who-“

But before Magnusson has a chance, Dr. Vance interrupts them.

“Now hold on you two, we’ve got no time to be arguing among ourselves. We all know who’s really responsible for our reduced funding.”

“Ah yes, those ‘scientist’ at Aperture.” Magnusson says in disgust. “As if their research facility were more important than our own! As if they even had an inkling as to how far we’ve come with our portal technology!”

“If we weren’t keeping our best findings under wraps, maybe they WOULD know about it!” Kleiner replies innocently enough.

“Are you implying that-“ Magnusson began with distrust, before Vance again cut him off.

“IF we are to maintain our funding, we need a purer sample from Xen. That’s all there is to it.”

“But we don’t even know if there’ll BE a sample on our next trip.” Kleiner replied. “And we’ve only got so much of the sample with us right now as it is, every trip is a crucial one.”

“Which is why you should give your sample to ME.” Magnusson cut off. “Our research team have returned more samples than Isaac’s little crew ever has!”

“Perhaps, but Gordon’s research-“

“I don’t know this “Doctor” Freeman you have so much faith in,” Magnusson began, cutting Kleiner off once more, “but it sounds to me like you’re putting a little too much faith into the theories of a post-grad!”

“Now look, gentlemen, Breen put me in charge of resources, and I’m going to make sure you BOTH get the samples you need. But-“

“But we’re running short.” Magnusson was quick to point out. “And you know we need more before we can run Kleiner’s little ‘test’ on stable portal creation.”

“I assure you it WILL work! Given an ideal sample and, well a little bit of luck…”

“Luck?!” Magnusson cut him off again. “You’re placing the entire foundation of our company on LUCK?! I can’t believe you, Kleiner. I knew you were incompetent, but I didn’t think you were an...an IDIOT!”

“Arne!”

Vance called out to him, but Magnusson was already on his way out the door. The man shook his head, as Kleiner looked to his colleague and saw his distress, following Magnusson out shortly after.

Vance was left alone, thinking about the state of Black Mesa. Only yesterday had Breen dropped the bomb on him that their department was going to be “reduced, at least in personnel, unless better results were found to compete with the Aperture Science competitors”. Yet they were months behind the research they’d need before a safe trip could be made to Xen with a stable portal. The consequences of an uncontrolled portal that would not close on its own were…

Just then, as nightmares began to form in his mind of the consequences it would have, a knock came at his door. “Come in.” He called out, not sure who it would be on the other side.

The man who entered was dressed in a fine business suit, and carried a black briefcase. His eyes were green, like emeralds, and his skin white like ash. Dr. Vance couldn’t put his finger on it, but looking at this person felt…wrong.

And when he started to speak, it didn’t help his nerves in the slightest.

“Doctor…Vance, I presume?” The man said, in a manner that suggested he wasn’t comfortable with normal, human speech.

“Yes, I’m Dr. Eli Vance. Who are-?”

“Ah, then you ARE the man I was…hoping to see.” The strange man approached Eli, his grin not fading for a second, in a very uncanny way. Vance felt a bit put off by the unnatural expression, but found himself unable to confront it, as if trying to figure something out that wasn’t easy for his mind to comprehend. “What do you want?” He asked, looking at the man warily.

“Oh, this visit isn’t about what I want, Mister Vance. It’s about what you want. What you…need.”

Momentarily, Vance felt himself relax, and even allowed himself to laugh a little, even if it was an uneasy laugh. “Well, unless you happen to have the perfect specimen for a portal experiment, I don’t think you have what I-“

As he was finishing the sentence, the strange man produced something, from out of nowhere apparently, in his hand. A yellow crystal, as big as a football, as perfect and clear as a diamond, and glowing the eerie yellow of a Xen sample.

“A Xen sample…!” Vance whispered, not believing his eyes. “Where…how did you?”

“I believe this…discussion should be moved to a new location.” The strange man grinned, and as Eli looked up, he realized he was no longer in the room he had been in before. Around him, the laws of science were being defied. Platforms of strange minerals hovered in the air. A strange liquid pooling in a nearby puddle gave off an energy that felt warm and relaxing, while all around him everything felt light, and almost insignificant.

“This is…”

“The Xen Borderworld.” The strange man completed, still smiling, and holding the specimen. “From which I have extracted this very unique object, for your…purposes.”

Suddenly, before his eyes, Vance could see the center of the Aperture Science research complex, as they installed a large fixture into the ceiling. He could not tell what the thing was, bit it appeared to have eyes of some sort, and wires dangling around it everywhere. Vance became aware that the entire scene was frozen in place, and that the strange man was now there before his eyes.

“The governments of your world have seen fit to distribute their funding to the quickest scientists. The one who can provide conclusive results faster than the other. And in your case, the ones who are doing less to keep things...”safe” for their colleagues.”

A moment later, in a bright flash of light, the two of them were back in Black Mesa. Vance looked around, making sure the world around him was familiar, as the strange man continued.

“So I have seen fit to bring to you a sample, one of the finest qualities, to be used in an experiment. I believe it is scheduled to take place soon. One proposed by a mister…Gordon Freeman?”

“How do you…” Vance shook his head, coming to his senses. “Now listen here, I don’t know how you got that sample, but we can’t just use something that some stranger walked in with out of nowhere! We need lab tests to ensure-“

“All of the paperwork is right here on your desk, Eli Vance.” The man replied, and as Vance looked down, he saw the paper before him, with proper approval, to utilize a new sample for a test, administered by himself and Eli, along with a third party, and to be run by Dr. Gordon Freeman.

“Of course, you don’t have to accept my offer…” the strange man continued. “…you could go on the way you are, or you could change the world as you know it. What do you say, ‘Doctor’ Vance?”

Vance looked up at the man, furrowing his brows and grimacing.

“You can’t suggest such a thing! The safety of the people in this complex would be at risk, not to mention my own daughter! I-“

“Your…daughter?” The man grinned. “Is that for whom you are concerned?”

For a moment, Eli’s face went stiff, as fright overtook his senses, thinking of his daughter, and what this…monster of a man could do to her.

“Heh…very well then, Mister Vance. Use this sample at the end of the week, and I promise you that I will personally see to it that your daughter will not be harmed for as long as you live.”

The strange man placed the sample on the table, Eli’s face contorted with rage, fear, and awe.

“Of course, you can still ignore my offer, and not use this sample in your test…but I cannot assure you that this complex will continue to exist if you don’t. So use it, or don’t. The choice is yours.”

“If you lay one hand on my daughter…” Vance replied, though weak and in fear of what might happen.

“Oh, I won’t Vance…I won’t…” He began to walk away, but turned just before opening the door.

“Unless, of course, there are unforeseen consequences.”

-End-

Computers and My Dad

I know I said I was going to write a fanfic today, but I actually have something much better to write about, so I'm going to do it while it's still fresh in my mind.

I went out with my dad today to pick up his new computer. His old computer has inexplicably broken down, so he had the kid at our local computer shack hook him up with a brand new one. As he and I were driving on our way back home, we started talking about the computer and how he'd have to learn how to use OpenOffice. It was then that this exchange ensued:

Me: Of course, if your files aren't in the right format we can just find a file converting software online to make it the right format so that you can use them.
Dad: *Chuckles*
Me: Ah, you were thinking of that too, eh?
Dad: No, I was thinking of the little boy who used to sit on my lap and play Virtual Yahtzee who knows more about co...mputers than me now.
Me: ...*smile*

That really did make me smile, because it reminded me of exactly where I came from, and why I love computers so much. The first memory I have of computers is, in fact, sitting on my dad's lap and playing Virtual Yahtzee with him, not even fully understanding the rules of the game, but being mesmerized by how various numbers on the screen would appear by simply tapping against that magic board in front of the screen.

We also talked about later events in my "computer education", including the first computer they had before me (required a disc just to operate), the game menu that we had later (which had the epic Virtual Chess and some silly knight-buying land-owning game), and the fact that I actually begged my cousin to install Civilization onto our computer (which he did through an act of piracy which, by today's standards, would be considered a capital offense). We also talked about the Encyclopedia Britannica we had installed on the computer, and how I was fascinated at a young age how information could just be brought up on the screen as if from a real encyclopedia.

So that I could win at Carmen Sandiego.

Education was awesome when I was a kid.
Source: http://lukehimself.net/?p=65

So in a way, this blog is a product of all of those things - sitting there on his lap to play Yahtzee, buying knights to fend off barbarians, looking up the country that a bird comes from to catch Dick the Slick, all of that lead up to me writing this blog on the internet.

His computer is set up now, and is running just fine. It'll take him a little time to figure out OpenOffice and a few other Windows 7 things, but hey, this is the guy who taught me how to play Virtual Yahtzee, so I'm sure he'll be fine.

New Thesis Idea

So it turns out my teacher isn't too keen on me interviewing people I know for my thesis.

I kind of figured that'd be the case anyway, so I have a back-up plan for handling my research. What I'm going to do is use the people who I was going to interview as launching points for finding people who are connected to the online gaming world. Rather than interviewing those people directly, I'm going to send them open surveys (roughly 20 questions) on their experience in online gaming world, and ask them in the survey to participate in interviews.

This way, I'll be able to gather preemptive information on each subject around which to frame the interviews, and from that frame my thesis. It'll also give me the best chance to plan out my interview schedule around my participants availability without invading into their lives too closely, and avoid the bias of interviewing my friends and family.

The only problem with this is the reliability of finding people through other people, and the time it'll take to hear back from those people. I'll have to schedule the survey carefully to make sure that I can include the interviews in my research without stretching too close to the deadline.

That solves that problem. However, another issue that I'm facing with this paper is the research question that I'm actually trying to answer. Right now, it's simply a matter of "how does this affect people, what does that mean, and why do they do it?", which might be considered too vague by my teacher. So I might need to come up with a more specific question to ask.

That's a bit of a problem, because I don't really have any specific questions I want answered other than those three things. I don't want to connect it to education or medical research, and while I wouldn't mind connecting it to the status of people's social or economic position, that's nto really my goal. What I want in the end is a paper that someone could pick up, read, and say "Ah, I understand this phenomenon now, and I can use this as a reference in answering my scholarly, medical, or socioeconomic questions about online gaming". Maybe even just shed some light on the effects it has on people, and the way people relate to one another in these online games.

I know, for example, that my Aunt has received friend requests from people that she has never met before or even heard of, just so they could get an extra person to join their guild or get their virtual item, and narrowly avoided being part of an online flame war by declining that request. That sort of interaction is what I want to research - the way people function in the online gaming world. I know for a fact that there is a dark side to it, but I also know that people keep going back to it and enjoy it anyway.

I could probably go on with the ways I want to research this topic *hence why I AM researching this topic*, but my main point is that I think I have a way in which I want to do it, and now I just need to know exactly where I'm going to go with that method.

Creative post tomorrow. I think I'll try to make it a fanfic of sorts.

The Woodsman

Another short story, this one with a different sort of theme.

The Woodsman

Smoke curled out of the chimney on the log cabin, curling like a python wrapped around a mouse as tightly as possible. The fire inside was built with care and conservation in mind, as the wood pile next to it was nearly empty. A dog lay curled up on the rug, its paws kicking every now and then through the air.

A loud thump sounded at the door, as a great big man pushed it open with an armful of logs, a small sleigh behind him carrying several more stacks that were freshly-cut.

His dog rose immediately, and walked over to him, wagging its tail and inspecting the freshly-cut wood. The big man just smiled, patting the dog on the head as he dragged in the logs, stacking them neatly on his wood pile so he could keep track of exactly how many he had left, while carefully adding one more to his dwindling flames.

Then he unfastened his coat and set it beside the fire to dry, dropping himself onto the worn-out couch in front of the hearth to bring some life back to his fingers and toes. It was a night he didn’t relish staying out in for long, and he was glad to be back inside.

At that moment, the phone rang out on the other side of the room. Groaning in disappointment as he lifted himself away from the warmth of his fire, the large man ambled over to the phone and picked it up, wiping some of the snow out of his beard.

“Clark, we need you down here right now!” said the woman through the phone. “Something’s come up that you’ll want to see!”

“Can’t it wait, Lynda?” Clark said, rubbing his aching back. “I just got back from-“

“Listen, we need you right NOW. We aren’t going to get another chance like this, just-“

“Alright already then!” Clark shouted back, irritation in his voice. “It’s damn cold out is all. I’ll be down there in an hour. Should I bring Sparky?”

“No, we won’t need him today, Clark. Just…drive safe, alright?”

Clark, despite himself, blushed a little. Lynda sometimes treated him like a little brother, even though he was nearly twice her height and looked nothing like her. But she knew what a soft heart he had, despite his…preferred lifestyle.

“You know I will, Lynda. I’ll see you in half an hour.”

He hung the phone up, letting out a great big sigh, as he reached into the closet and grabbed a white lab coat. As he walked over to grab his drying winter coat, he rubbed his robotic dog behind the ear, smirking as it nuzzled against him like a real dog.

“See you later, Sparky. They need me down at the lab. Probably to help finish building your brother more’n likely.” He grinned, proud of his work on the dog that now happily curled back up on the rug. Putting on his cap and shrugging on his coat, he walked outside to his truck, and began the long drive down to the research center at the base of the hill.

Down there, he would make strides in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. But back home, he would lead the simple life of a woodsman.

Did Not See a Movie - Instead: Miyamoto

So we didn't wind up seeing a movie at all last night. So no review today.

However, I DID promise that I'd do something creative today. So here instead I will provide you with a "proposal" for an Anime show I thought up a long time ago.

Working Title: Miyamoto

Genre: Action/Shonen

Summary:

It is modern-day Japan, and 15-year old Protagonist is living an ordinary life, attending High School and Kendo Club, at which he excels. Yet he is kicked out when he takes one fight too far, and critically injures a fellow Kendo Club member. He is horrified by his own power, and goes soul-searching on the streets, only to run into a gang of ruthless thugs. With his wooden sword, he somehow manages to defeat them with ease.

It is then that a girl approaches him, holding a gun. Her name is Robin, and she is a member of the Ancient Warriors Society. Our protagonist discovers that his body contains the spirit of the ancient Samurai Miyamoto, and she is here to recruit him.

Characters:

Protagonist: A 15-year old boy who was recently thrown out of Kendo club. He has a strong spirit, but is brash and often acts without considering the long-term solution.

Robin: A girl with an eye for accuracy and talent, she is the first to recognize the spirit of Miyamoto in the protagonist, and usually the first to take initiative against trouble.

Kojiro: The Protagonist’s Rival, he hates him for holding the spirit of Miyamoto, who defeated the ancient Kojiro using “Underhanded tactics”.

Arthur: The leader of the group, he is the only one that can make the others listen to each other. He has a heavy burden on his shoulders, keeping them from fighting each other.

The Dark Ones: Spirits of dark warriors who challenge the validity of the main group. It becomes evident over time that some of the “dark warriors” are being led by another leader, and that their intentions may be a dark reflection of the AWS.

Plot Twist Spoilers:

- It turns out that The Dark Ones are a government-funded group, selectively taking children who show signs of being “useful hosts” for especially strong spirits.

- Arthur introduces the mechanics of the world as being “the recycled spirits of ancient heroes”, but the actual spiritual essence each character holds matches more closely with the stories of those heroes, leading them to conclude that it is not just the “heroic spirit” that gives them their talents.

- It is revealed that the government organization has actively implanted some of the children with these spirits at birth, and that the few who gathered together simply “fell under the radar” because they did not exhibit signs of successful transfer early in life.