Date : Sat, 23 Jan 2016 19:31:05 -0000
From : blip@... (John)
Subject: 5 minutes of your time please
Thanks David
Briefly -
Specific to BBC in that (a) I'm picking a topic that I think I might find
more interesting, and (b) It will be a walkthrough of a diagnostic procedure
based on the symptoms presented. E.g. a particular start up sound. So not
flow diagrams, but I'll be using those in the background.
The research would be pulling together all the resources already on the web
- some of which was written years ago, and never updated/tidied.
Part of the project would be looking at interactive design, so it's not just
a question of recycling everyone's hard work on web rings, etc.
You are quite correct in that it could be web based, but I'm talking about
an app so that people could walk around with their tablet/laptop etc without
needing a network connection - I doubt it'll be a large program.
Thanks for the resource. Interestingly it's the second one provided, and
both I hadn't seen before.
Kind regards
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Dr. David Alan Gilbert [mailto:beeb@...]
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2016 6:53 PM
To: John
Cc: bbc-micro@...
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] 5 minutes of your time please
* John (blip@...) wrote:
>
>
> No - it's not your cash I am after (although if you have some
> spare...)
>
>
> I'm debating the wisdom of writing a diagnostic application in Java
> for cross platform compatibility, primarily aimed at fixing BBC B
computers.
What makes it specific to BBC B ? I guess this type of thing is similar to
most diagnostic applications; i.e. walking the user through a flow chart
with various bits of graphics/sounds/etc - so I don't think the application
should be specific to fixing a BBC B - unless I'm missing something.
> This would be for my degree project, and it has to tick a lot of
> boxes, as well as having clearly defined goals. Also I have to base it
> around an interactive design module, so it's not just a case of
> googling and pinching all your best ideas J .
>
>
>
> So, given all the wealth of experience on this list, including the
> academic world, can I ask you three questions:
>
>
>
> 1. Does this sound as though it has enough content to fulfil a
> university quality research project, with a practical computing component.
I'm not sure where the research comes in here; but for an undergrad it might
be reasonable, but it's a long time since I did mine!
> 2. Has this already been done in such a way that I would not be
adding
> anything new enough for a project? (as an application not a website).
Why is an application any different from a website? There shouldn't
necessarily be a distinction; if there is then you're probably doing
something wrong.
> 3. Would you assist me by looking at the general ideas (NOT looking
> for your solutions, that would be plagiarism) and volunteering your
> suggestions for 'best path diagnostics'?
Check the service manual;
http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/Manuals/Acorn_BBCSMOct
85_Sec1.pdf
section 6 has a bit on fault-finding (although that was written before the
machines had been out there for 30 years!).
Dave
>
>
>
> Happy to take this off list if you consider if off-topic, but I've had
> this idea for a long time, and be interesting to pool together all the
> considerable knowledge floating around out there. I will [have to
> actually!] acknowledge all sources/assistance.
>
>
>
> Also, if you are feeling really generous with your time, I'd welcome
> your thoughts on how it might work. Again, I'm keen to do something
> new using interactive principles, so that could be a touch interface
> for example, and/or feature sound samples of faulty start-up sounds.
> I'd do the hard work of assessing it under the I.D. guidelines.
>
>
>
> After marking the intention would be to publish anything completed
> under the appropriate public/open license, as many contributors do
already.
>
>
>
> Thanks for your time and reading.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> John T.
>
>
>
> PS I know little of electronics or programming, but can write simple Java.
>
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> bbc-micro mailing list
> bbc-micro@...
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--
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