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stevengoodwin

Worked second time for me (on Mint)

The first time it barfed was because there was a space in the filename, and the QB64 editor didn't handle it. Running on the command line, with quotes around the name, was flawless.

Re:Asciinema: Record and share your terminal sessions on Friday July 25, 2025 @02:23AM (#44680156)
This is a really nice, and very compact, way of demonstrating the terminal in action.

I used it to show off my 2002 version of ASCII pacman game, since no one's going to bother compiling it, and it'll eventually end up with bitrot.

You can see me playing it (really badly!) at https://asciinema.org/a/723703

Re:Isometric Projection in Game Development on Monday August 12, 2024 @05:05AM (#41222554)
The third iteration of the PC strategy game, Grand Prix Manager, was meant to be in isometric. Instead of clicking on the "Designer" button, and going to a graphical database indicating how you'd proportional the designers work, you'd click on an isometric map of the office, and watch your PC walk there and discuss the new game plan.

The iso engine worked at 60fps, in 1024x748, back in 1997. But it was pulled. It was the right tech, but for the wrong game. When released GPM3 became GP World, it reverted to the traditional spreadsheet views of GPM1 & 2. (At least it looks like they kept most of my "3D" race code intact.)

Buzzers and batteries count as electronics, imo. The experiment, as per title, is a version _without_
Handy if you want to see the basics of how an emulator works, but only have the time to read 100 lines of code.
It has - but I conscientiously recheck my threads for new insight! :) Will email you when I know everything that I have!
Given I'm UK-based, postage might be a bit steep. Let me see how much stuff _isn't_ still out there.

FWIW, on most other systems I'm contactable via @marquisdegeek

OP here:

Primarily to read them offline. These messages were usually part of usenet, or in emails lists, or held on (remote) servces like Mono at Imperial. You could read them on the HP-UX systems, via a dumb terminal, which were connected to the Internet, but not connected to a PC with a disk drive. (Well, there were a few PCs and Mac classics around, but not enough for everyone and - as an Amiga fan - there wasn't yet CrossDos to let me use compatible disks.)

Some items, like early drafts of the Star Wars scripts, I did print for archival purposes as I (foolishly) thought that they'd be spotted and taken down by the copyright police, and lost forever!

Spoiler alert: This was all around 1991

Ask HN: What to do with text from old, unarchived, online forums?

I have a stack of printouts of various discussion forums from between 1991-4. Mostly chatter, but several interview transcriptions, news reports, and magazine articles that no longer appear to be online.They vary from Billboard charts, to Associated Press reports on Michael Jackson's wealth, and Debbie Gibson discussion groups!Are they useful/interesting as pieces of Internet history?Are the...

( Read More... | 107 comments | on HN )
Re:20 GOTO 10: 10101001 facts about retro computers (book) on Tuesday January 02, 2024 @06:56AM (#38840708)
Thank you - and you're welcome! :)
Re:20 GOTO 10: 10101001 facts about retro computers (book) on Thursday December 28, 2023 @11:09AM (#38794857)
No - it came from the line of code that everyone liked to type into computers at the local shop:

10 PRINT "My mate is an idiot "; 20 GOTO 10

I suspect they were inspired from the same events.

Re:20 GOTO 10: 10101001 facts about retro computers (book) on Thursday December 28, 2023 @05:31AM (#38792036)
[Book author here]

If you have questions about the contents of the book, it's inception, etc, then feel free to ask.

(I also spoke about the book at the computer museum in Cambridge, so this video might give you some background: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15cC6hq66I0)

If you have questions about the book itself, ask the publisher!

Re:Human Shader on Friday July 21, 2023 @05:46AM (#36811906)
Now that it's almost complete, I feel happy in releasing the solve and renderer code that many might consider a cheat.

https://github.com/MarquisdeGeek/HumanShader

Re:How to Survive FOSDEM on Friday January 13, 2023 @12:48PM (#34371212)
For my personal account of FOSDEMs past, including beer, food vans, beer, and talks then I've written a diary that might be an amusing read:

https://marquisdegeek.com/words_fosdem

Might not help decide whether to take your own sandwiches, but it's something to do on the trip there! :)

Re: on Monday November 21, 2022 @11:30AM (#33694415)
I've been experimenting with AI and other algorithms to expand and enhance my original leitmotif compositions. So I wrote the linked soundscape as backing for “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Can any HN readers spot which parts are composed by a human (me!) and which by a machine?

And does it matter whether a computer writes the music or not?

Re:Shepard Tone on Thursday June 16, 2022 @02:49PM (#31769542)
Hear it here, being used to symbolise the drifting into an infinite sleep:

https://steevonhypothesis.bandcamp.com/track/the-dream-song

Ask HN: The Sinclair Spectrum is 40 – do you have one?

It's the 40th anniversary of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum on Saturday. What did you do program with it? Best games?(Or do you have any other stories to share that I might include in my #RetroComputing book, "20 GOTO 10"?)(for those reading who have no idea what book I'm talking about - https://unbound.com/books/20goto10)

( Read More... | 4 comments | 3 points | on HN )
Re:Ask HN: What numbers do you associate with old computers? on Tuesday August 03, 2021 @02:34PM (#28052499)
Care to elaborate on their meaning, for the less informed?

Ask HN: What numbers do you associate with old computers?

I'm writing a book on retro computers and the numbers that tie them together. (Full blurb and example prose at https://unbound.com/books/20goto10/)What are the ultimately geeky, deep knowledge numbers, that aren't as obvious as 64K, 8, or 0's and 1's? (And bear in mind, I might need an explanation!)Thanks in advance...

( Read More... | 16 comments | 3 points | on HN )