Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!udel!brahms.udel.edu!jon
From: jon@chopin.udel.edu (Jon Deutsch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: AMIGA DEMOS: Europe VS. USA
Keywords: demos
Message-ID: <16972@chopin.udel.edu>
Date: 23 Apr 91 19:45:14 GMT
References: <20691@brahms.udel.edu> <1991Apr23.071311.46295@vaxb.acs.unt.edu> <1991Apr23.164302.6289@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Organization: University of Delaware - Smith Consulting
Lines: 86

In article <1991Apr23.164302.6289@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes:
>In article <1991Apr23.071311.46295@vaxb.acs.unt.edu> wright@etsuv2.etsu.edu writes:
> And concerning demos, they are not the most difficult kind of programming
>on the Amiga, they are the easiest. Spend about an hour in the hardware
>manual once and if your good at algorithms, in a few days you'll have
>yourself a library of routines for drawinbg lines and moving bobs.
>The OS by volume, is much harder to learn because there are so many
>structures and functions to know. When your programming asm on the Amiga,
>all you need to know are the hardware registers, any structures you
>use are yours so you already know what they contain.
>
>>>Sure wish we could harness all that European creativity and free time
>>>into better productivity software...
>>
> There is nothing "awesome" about copper tricks and vectorballs. They are
>easy once you shut the OS down. Multitasking on the Amiga is not slow,
>graphics.library has just too much overhead. Eurocoders don't hit the
>hardware because its faster, they do it because it's easier. How many
>teens can afford to become a developer, purchase the autodocs, rkms, devcon
>notes, and the AmigaDOS manual? Do you think those teens purchase
>Devpac or Seka? I doubt most European or American teens could write
>a program like AmigaVision, it's too much work. Most demo coding is done is
>a week, usually less, with the majority of time taken up programming
>tools you need and waiting for the graphics/music to get done.
>

(wow -- a follow-up to my own original post -- )

	OK, maybe there isn't anything AWESOME about copper tricks and
	vectorballs... BUT what is awesome is what these "Euro-kids"
	actually *DO* with these tricks!!  To get the speed and smoothness
	of such complex animations without system bogging *is* very
	difficult programming -- EFFICIENCY!  There are many many demos
	(euro and us) that will slow down and speed up do to system overhead.
	The *good* demos won't do this - no matter what they are doing.
	You can't just say these kids are taking the easy way out by writing
	demos.

	Another *big* thing that is being overlooked is the amazing
	artistry that is involved with many of these productions!
	It some, the graphics are superior to things I've seen 
	as sporting event intros!  These kids could make a lot of money
	if they knew how to channel their talents!

	Artistry doesn't stop at graphics, either -- 
	I CANNOT believe what these kids are doing with a measely 4
	voices of sound!!!  WOW- for instance, Cryptoburner's demo
	("crb1.exe" on xanth)  has a soundtrack that rivals anything
	that *I'VE* written or produced on my multi-thousand dollar
	MIDI setup in my room (for what they're working on, at least).
	There are some beautiful/funky/creative/awesome scorers out there.
	It's amazing.  It seems as though quite a lot of talented musicians
	are spending a lot of time scoring these demos,
	and I send kudos out to them -- hopefully they will
	take it one step further and actually do something financially
	constructive with these amazing talents.

>
>  One thing I am sick of in the US is the way intelligence and creativity
>are put down. Why does being a "nerd" have bad connotations? If anything,
>it should be encouraged. I wonder how it is in Europe and Japan? 

	Intelligence and creativity are NOT put down in this country.
	What is put down are people who focus their entire lives on
	subject, and don't care to spread themselves out personally
	or socially.  Someone who spends their entire childhood coding
	is considered a freak (or "nerd") because man is a social beast:
	It is not socially acceptable to concentrate 100% of your time
	and energy into such an abstract and antisocial hobbie.  

	There are many intelligent and creative people who learn how
	to manage their time.  These people are able to function normally
	in our current society, but are still able to code to their heart's
	content - it just means you have to find a *balance*.

	That's the key word -- balance.


						Pseudosociologically yours,

						Jon Deutsch

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