Journalism Interview: BenG

BenG: I joined the BYOND community almost a decade ago, and to be honest, I can't remember exactly what drove me to it. What kept me there, though, was the promise I saw in the platform and the rather easy learning curve. I was never really big into video games, except for a couple mid 90s DOS classics: Commander Keen, Earthsiege, the original (side-scrolling) Duke Nukem games, and a couple others of that ilk. Something about the simplicity and pure fun of those sorts of games really appealed to me.

BYOND offered a platform that allowed me to create the sort of games that I liked, but more importantly, it was a fun and interesting way to acquaint myself with computer programming.

BenG: A little bit, I suppose. I made a couple of one-off games for developer contests, like Hex and Breakthrough. The first thing I ever created was a (terrible) remake of an old board game I enjoyed called Spy Alley. Most of my efforts in DM programming, however, weren't really what I'd call games. I created Converse, a chat program that, at one time, was the most feature rich chat client on the platform.

I spent a great deal of time working with DMCGI as well, and created some interesting things with that, like BBash or Condominium. Some of these games and programs were popular for a while, most weren't. I didn't really care about that; my only real interest was furthering my knowledge of computer programming and pushing the envelope of possibilities on the platform.

BenG: I actually didn't really play any games regularly. I recall enjoying Last Robot Standing and contributed some sound effects to that. There were a lot of games that I found intriguing in some way, but it wasn't generally how I spent my time.

BenG: Surprisingly well, actually. I created a one semester curriculum for high school students. The class used the Blue Book as a textbook and progressed through it in a way that made sense for students with no experience in computer programming. Most of the assignments were relatively open-ended, requiring only that the student demonstrate a grasp on a specific concept, allowing them to create things that they found personally interesting while also teaching them what they need to know.

BenG: I haven't talked to Tom in ages, but around this time he had expressed an interest in BYOND as an educational tool. I compiled a curriculum I thought would be appropriate and asked Tom for some insight and he graciously donated a number of books. Some are available for students interested in taking the class, others donated to public libraries. I still have some to get rid of, I just want to make sure they go to the right places.

BenG: Completely independently. No faculty at my school had any knowledge of even basic computer science. The way the curriculum is set up, the student spends time reading a selection from the Blue Book, and then has a related assignment. The assignments are set up in such a way that a teacher can evaluate the students' success without even knowing how to program.

At the time I thought that this would be the most effective way to get the information out there, and all these years later I still strongly believe it. American high school classes essentially romanticize the concept of students not caring about the course or the material taught. Just do the busy work, the bare minimum required to get whatever grade you want. But when a student is responsible for his or her own education and is able to complete projects that are exactly what they want to do, they have an incentive to truly invest themselves in learning the material. In my experience, that's always been the case.

BenG: Hell yes. Kids, especially nerdy kids, love video games. Computer programming is an incredibly valuable skill, and introducing it to them at a young age in the form of game development makes it more likely that they'll become interested and stick with it.

On this subject, although it's been a couple years, I would be more than happy to talk with Tom about revising the original curriculum and finding ways to introduce it in new venues. In my experience it's been very successful, and this is where I've always thought BYOND's true potential really lies.

BenG: When you say interview like that, you make it sound like I was actually being a journalist. My verbal interviews were basically all making fun of people who I felt deserved to be made fun of. I was sort of a dick at the time, but in all fairness to myself, a lot of those people really did need to be made fun of in front of a large audience.

BenG: At the time, I did. I don't think I would now. I'm a lot more mellow.

BenG: I think I've talked one on one with every vital member of the BYOND community (Dan included!) at one time or another. It would be great to talk to Tom about BYOND's educational possibilities again because I really do believe in that. So if you're reading, Tom, feel free to e-mail me!

BenG: I'm not quite sure when I left BYOND, exactly, but I think it was three or four years ago. I lived in Stuttgart, Germany for a year as a foreign exchange student. I finished up high school and entered a really quirky college where I could truly pursue my passions. For a while now I've been studying music composition (with a significant emphasis on film scores) and audio software technology development. I have a modest but full-featured music studio. I've been very fortunate so far, and it's great being able to do what I love. I'll be moving to California shortly to work at some fantastic studios and develop some of my audio applications.

BenG: My hobbies don't differ much from my studies and my work; I dedicate most of my time to music. Aside from that, the only somewhat interesting hobby I have is stand-up comedy. I have a lot of fun at open mics and shows and by and large the audiences have been very receptive to my material. It's a great way to vent, very cathartic.

BenG: BYOND served a very important purpose for me: it introduced me to programming, and that has become a huge part of my life. As I mentioned earlier, though, I'm not really that into games. At this point, having learned a number of different programming languages and dialects, BYOND as a platform for development isn't as appealing to me as it once was.

With that said, if there is sincere interest in exploring BYOND as an educational platform, I would love to contribute. With the experience I have in that area, I'm sure I could offer some useful insight.

Aside from that, if a developer needed a musical score or theme for a game, that could be a fun project. Hell, I'll even do your Dragonball Zeta rip if the price is right! ;)