itw dot_Sp0T for WB blog

bilbo_pingouin

19:34

// Just to give a few rules, we basically discuss within the chat, sometimes you would want to make a comment

// which shouldn't appear within the published interview. For that we will use Java-like comments

// // comments until the end of line and /* */ comment a block

// We discuss today, and tomorrow, I'll put it together in a blog post, once it is done, I'll give you the link so that you can review it

// It's better to add a picture... so if you have anything you'd like to have, tell me :) otherwise, I'll try to come up with something

// That should be about it

// any question?

dot_Sp0T

19:56

//I guess we can start, just gimme a few secs

bilbo_pingouin

// whenever you are :)

dot_Sp0T

//so here I am, what do you need me to do? :)

bilbo_pingouin

// just tell me when you're ready :)

dot_Sp0T

//ready as I'll ever be; interesting that you put a space after the comment marker

bilbo_pingouin

// always, it looks too packed otherwise ;-)

// so... let's go :)

Hi dot_Sp0T, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed for the blog.

dot_Sp0T

20:03

//do you start it or do I?

//that answers my question

I guess I say 'Hi' here as well. I'm a bit nervous I think.

bilbo_pingouin

// imagine it's a conversation...

dot_Sp0T

//I do

bilbo_pingouin

The first think we would like to know is something about the user behind the name "dot_Sp0T". Can you tell us in which part of the world you are and what do you do for a living?

dot_Sp0T

Alrighty, that's fairly easy. I more or less live in the centermost part of Europe which doesn't belong to the European Union, which means Switzerland. I spend my working day as an IT Engineer for a multinational cooperation, but I recently took up studying electrical engineering part time at a university of applied sciences just near where I live.

bilbo_pingouin

// Normally, I just take whatever you write and add it to the blog verbatim. Well maybe some typo etc. correction...

// So write as you would answer, no need for "I say xxx there", just write xxx :)

dot_Sp0T

20:09

//well that really is my way of making an introduction, it's kinda weird but then that's me :)

bilbo_pingouin

// fair enough, just had to make sure :)

I see that you have been a member of stack exchange for some time already. Yet you did not accumulate much reputation. Are you more a learner than an actor?

// I try to wait for a reasonable time in between two questions, but you can add more details to a previous question anytime :)

dot_Sp0T

I guess that fits it quite well, yeah. I love and really enjoy learning. Maybe better call it 'soaking up information'.
I came to SE via the probably still most common route of making use of stackoverflow. I have been using the site in order to find answers for my daily issues when programming (mostly java) for several years before I finally encountered the case where I actually had to pose a question myself because I couldn't find anything similar to it.

//gimme a few secs I might be able to dig it up

//not sure if it makes sense to add it in here, I guess I won't because it kinda makes me feel stupid stackoverflow.com/questions/19423080/…

bilbo_pingouin

// well if you want it there, we might... it's any way public data, and there will be a link to your user profile :)

dot_Sp0T

//probably put it right after the above sentence

bilbo_pingouin

// ok :)

You joined Worldbuilding within the first month of the site. What brought you to us?

dot_Sp0T

20:19

After that I pretty soon took up discovering the worlds upon worlds of SE sites, each dedicated to its own little island of knowledge, the thought of which was made me all giddy/jittery/excited (I would've used 'hibbelig' were the interview in german).

//that belongs to the previous question

bilbo_pingouin

//oups, sorry :)

dot_Sp0T

//now for the question about joining:

I did? I don't think I realized this so far, I knew it was in beta but I thought it had been around for longer and I just didn't happen to stumble upon it.
What made me discover the site was likely one of the hot-network questions that showed up while I was browsing stackoverflow. After that I just decided to stay.

bilbo_pingouin

// well it was a bit more than a month, but yeah, started on Sep 16 and you collected your first upvote on Nov the 4th

dot_Sp0T

I think I also pretty soon posted my first question which ended in a debacle of asking too many different things at the same time, something that even today still makes me doublecheck that I am as precise and clear as possible when asking something (sadly I still tend to stray off when writing an answer to something or whenever I am talking about something that excites me).

bilbo_pingouin

Yeah, may of our members came from the HNQ. And do you remember which question that was that made you join?

dot_Sp0T

20:31

Looking at my profile it most likely seems to have ben this question that made me join the SE stie: worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/3413/…

But I'm quite positive that I was already a stray cat having found a home here before I registered.

bilbo_pingouin

To date, you asked 6 questions and 5 answers. You seem to have a certain predominance for science-related topics?

dot_Sp0T

I guess I find them easiest to ask/specify. Most, if not all, of my questions to date have been to ask about things that I couldn't find out about/verify myself. While most of my answers to date have been on questions where I felt positive that I could give an answer that is useful. Most of the time I have lots of thoughts about something but think that I am not qualified enough to provide an answer.

Also I really like spending time calculating things and making them work. E.g. spending hours on calculating what kind of wood the flightdeck of an airborne aircraft carrier had to be made of in order to be light and robust.

On the other hand, when working on my own worlds I almost never encounter issues or questions regarding sociological or other 'less math-related' areas, it just kind off flows when I'm thinking/writing.

//welcome to me straying off course

bilbo_pingouin

// it's actually a good transition

dot_Sp0T

//phew

bilbo_pingouin

Now that you mention it, are you yourself building a world? If so to which end?

dot_Sp0T

20:44

In regards to my biggest project, it started as the humble want to create a story/game with airships in it. Pretty soon it might've gotten out of hand a little when I started investigating into actual reasons for there being airships, ending up with a somewhat still rough world and some bits of a story I started writing on a mobile phone and pretty soon after that lost due to resetting said phone. From there on I just continued, I had the concept of a city that I wanted to be in the story,

the city itself went through myriads of design steps, at one point there were even dwarfs living there (although only for a brief time). Now to support the city I had to think of reasons for it to be there, these reasons then lead to more structuring and defining and the whole thing gradually shifted from 'creating a world for a story' to 'creating a world for the sake of the world'.

Currently most of the time I spend on the world goes into creating a believable and working society that differs from what we have around here to some extent. The creation process itself although is still the same as in the beginning: XY sounds pretty interesting to have, let's find a way to make it possible/believable/necessary in the world.

Also, quite late to answer the first question, but: Yes, I am building a world, in some prospect even more than one, but the project I talk about right above is the biggest and most comprehensive one I work on (and also the one that got me into the whole subject).

bilbo_pingouin

// oh, the previous part was the follow up to the previous question?

dot_Sp0T

//now you got me confused myself

//ah no

// 'Now that you mention it, are you yourself building a world?' << first question

// 'If so to which end?' << second question

// in regards to the huge blob of text above

bilbo_pingouin

// I see :D

As a long-termed user, but mostly observator, how do you see the WB community?

dot_Sp0T

Now I'm not sure how to answer that question, but let me try.
Looking at the WB community and the questions and answers I so enjoy to read, I have to say that it is something unique to stack exchange.

The format this SE is taking on and the way it works, or maybe the fact that it works, is in itself something that proves the enthusiasm between the people that come here to help each other flesh out their imagination. And I am proud to be a part of it, even if I mostly stand back and just read.

//might replace 'between' with 'of'

bilbo_pingouin

21:04

// fair enough :)

Which would you say is your favorite question and/or answer?

dot_Sp0T

I honestly couldn't say if my life depended on it. I tend to favour questions that regard things that are given little to no thought most of the time, e.g. I really liked this question about clothing on a generation ship worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/35530/…

But I could not name an all-time favourite of mine, neither question nor answer.

bilbo_pingouin

And amongst your own posts?

dot_Sp0T

Of my own questions, I really like this one http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/19630/is-this-concept-for-an-lta-gas-associated-element-lifecycle-feasible , I like the responses I got on it and the further thinking it and its responses provoked of me.
Regarding answers of mine I'd say this one http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/19738/bringing-water-and-heat-to-an-isolated-mountain-village/19740#19740 is one that I'm proud of and which makes me happy. I managed to provide someone with an answer and further thoughts for their question and it even got accepted (a big…

And then again, having asked and answered so little questions I might as well say that I favour each and every of them (besides the first question I asked on this SE), they all are well thought through and I feel that they all contribute.

bilbo_pingouin

We slowly get to the end of that interview. Is there anything you'd like to add?

dot_Sp0T

Well I'd like to thank you for taking time to interview me and giving me the chance to show that I'm around, even if mostly passively. I am glad for this community and looking forward to many more interesting topics and issues that need resolution :)

bilbo_pingouin

21:20

Well, I thank you again for agreeing to it and taking the time to share a bit about you to our readers.

dot_Sp0T

//do i say something more or is it over?

//oh dear that sounded negative, I didn't intend it to sound negative

bilbo_pingouin

// as you wish :)

dot_Sp0T

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed spilling my thoughts

bilbo_pingouin

// but on my side it's over... so up to you if you want to have the final word :)

// thanks again, really... hope it was up to your expectations... :)

dot_Sp0T

//btw you mentioned a picture in the beginning?

//oh it was fun; I hope i was up to your expectations and didn't waster 90 minutes

bilbo_pingouin

21:25

// the picture, yes, we need to include one... if you have something you'd like to associate with your interview, just drop a link here :)

// and no, no time wasted for me. I could have asked more and discuss for a longer time, but then the post would end up too long... ;-)

dot_Sp0T

//I can't really think of anything fitting, alas I love WW2 planes they just don't fit

//yes that's the issue with interviews all the time

bilbo_pingouin

// WW2 plane it is. Who cares about fitting :)

// you're more messerschmitt or spitfire?

// or... what was the name of the US planes in pacific again... corsairs?

dot_Sp0T

//I'm actually looking for a nice shot of the beautiful Gregor-FDB-1

bilbo_pingouin

// good, I leave you at it, you know better than me :) just drop a link in here whenever you find something satisfying :)

dot_Sp0T

//here we are:

// tis one's a beauty: vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/News%20Stories%20I/…

// but this probably shows the plane better: avionslegendaires.net/wp-content/uploads/images/avion_militaire/…

// I would still go with the first one as it's inmidst construction, like most of the worlds and the reason I love worldbuilding

bilbo_pingouin

21:33

// have you checked the copyrights ?

dot_Sp0T

//actually no, let me have a look at it

//what i can find: the same picture is featured in this article but in better quality: airspacemag.com/military-aviation/…

//and it seesm they source it with the Thunderbay Historical Museum Society

//but I can't find anything about copyrights so I guess we'll drop the pic and go for some classic f1f action

//alas the f1f is not half as beautiful

bilbo_pingouin

// google.de/…

dot_Sp0T

//wait, you're german?

bilbo_pingouin

// no, but I live in Germany

dot_Sp0T

// still interesting

// that's probably the best images.google.de/…

// I didn't know of these search options, nice to learn sth new

bilbo_pingouin

21:47

// I usually avoid using google exactly for those things google.com -> google.de or whatever... but for the images, and the copyright filters, they are hard to beat

dot_Sp0T

// just type google.com/ncr and you get the .com version which should refrain from localizing mostly

bilbo_pingouin

// I use duckduckgo... which doesn't have that problem... unless I want to get images...

// which is seldom

dot_Sp0T

//see there, you got me to make spaces!

bilbo_pingouin

// ah ah ah :D well I do like spaces... in vim, I have some commands to comment out a line and I always include a space in it... :P

dot_Sp0T

// you mean whim

bilbo_pingouin

21:56

// '// ' or '# ' or '% ' etc.

dot_Sp0T

// as in it's a whim of fate that you actually even use this editor

bilbo_pingouin

// actually, according to the recent SO poll, it's the third most use editor for programming... ;)

dot_Sp0T

// if you count scripting as programming then I'm sure it is

bilbo_pingouin

// I wasn't the one counting... see the SO poll :P

dot_Sp0T

// I probably won't... mostly because I tend to use vim as well, it's just easier than copying a file off the server for some editing and then ftping it back

bilbo_pingouin

22:02

// my bad... it was the 4th: stackoverflow.com/research/…

dot_Sp0T

// what disturbs me most is that visual studio is placed that high-up

// but notepad++ is where it belongs (and eclipse could be used more commonly if it were for me)

// btw isn't the commenting used here ANSI C?

bilbo_pingouin

// I'm not surprised with Visual Studio... it is a reasonable software... but it's a pain for an all-round editor...

// /* */ was also authorised ;)

// works in many languages as well...

dot_Sp0T

/*
* oh look at my beautiful block comment
* it's so useful in a chat system that sends a message everytime you press 'enter' ;)
*/

// but yeah VS is great for getting into C/Cpp coding, but I still think one should switch to eclipse or something else afterwards in order to actually understand what a toolchain is

bilbo_pingouin

// I leaned with Borland back then... then I used VS when it was called Visual C++... and I was happy with it. Eclipse, I tried a few times, but never took to it

dot_Sp0T

// well nowadays (I'm from the youuuuuunger generation) I think using VS keeps you away from the hassle of actually compiling code, which is nice, but at the same time sucks because you will get into serious problems when you cant use it

// but now I need to go, see you around I guess

bilbo_pingouin

22:14

// sure thing :) g'night :)

Transcript for

itw dot_Sp0T for WB blog