Author Archives: caislas

from Adele

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Great creativity from a BIG southern heart!!! Adele, at her farewell gathering last Thursday, read the FINNISH blessing to us, composed by her and based on the idea of the Irish blessing. All of us enjoy it a lot, reason why I want to plasm it in here, for easy retrieval 😉

Thank you very much Adele for all!

IRISH BLESSING

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

FINNISH BLESSING:

May the road your travel on not have slippery ice
and if it does may you have your winter tires on.
May the snow not fall on the path to your front door.
May your sauna warm quickly
and no moose-fly infest your hair.
May your berries be sweet and the summers long,
May the sun often shine,
and you always have something warm when you need it.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

brown bear rescue

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the text is in Spanish, however the adventure is from an US brown bear. Through the series of six pictures anyone can understand it (I believe). The serie talks about a difficult rescue of a brown bear who got stock through a bridge .

I found it cute, but also I identify with it. In this XXI century, oh my!!! you get lost with so much technology and information !!! What it is “natural” turns to be just a passing oasis though our path. Yes, confusing for anyone, I would say. We need help to get ourselves rescue and sometimes just by putting us to sleep we can comeback to our own feet again.

about games

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it has been long since I post some games that might be interesting to show, from my point of view. But today is the day and for sure those are games I would like to try, at least once, what about you?. Take a look:

a) for those who like sensors, and chanllenge the believe that actions of humans can be predictable, here is an interesting research: “Skin signals betray a gamer’s moves” .

b) for those who do not like to be connected to a machine, but still use their body for playing, this “Shadow Monsters (Gameplay?) Is A Bit Amazing”

c) Last but not least, for those who like the one person shooting game, and who does not get surprise that the military is trying to advance much on the development of technologies, here it goes how they are working on live-virtual, immersive systems, here a video of the Virtual Combat Simulator.

Then that is for the moment folks!

nature and humans

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this section is not directly related to my research, I am not referring to games neither toys nor personal reflection on the matter. However, it can be an inspirational source of ideas, but overall, to offer respect of our planet.

In addition, I can’t stop to get amazed each time I read something related to nature and humans. We do not live in the vacuum !!!! 🙂 (or just between cables, concrete and other humans)

I start this new section, presenting the deceased Alex. A 31 year old African gray parrot that pass away last week, but it seems it would have been quite interesting to meet him. According to the media, he had an “equivalent” brain of a five years old child. Never heard before of brain research on birds.

If animals would talk to us in a way we understand them, I wondering what they will tell us!

user centered vs user experience

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ALARM! Another confusion on board!!!

I think it is not the same to talk about user centered than user experience.

Several papers related to computer science are highlighting that their focus is to enhance the user experience. Excuse me?, how do they measure and validate that the experience is enhanced with their intervention? (haven’t seen/read measurements and less validations of their intervention on the experience of the users)

In parallel, game studies is putting a lot of effort on the understanding of the game experience. However, on this field it is possible to observed long ethnographies (in case of virtual worlds) or the use of psychological methodologies for specific purposes.

Perhaps one can assume, due to the fact that “x” is developed using a user-centered approach, the experience will be enhanced using ex. But isn’t is a dangerous generalization?, because which experience is enhanced? (positive or negative experience), diminish frustration, increase enjoyment, inspirational, etc. And even those elements should be clearly define first.

To be direct: according to whom, which experience is enhanced, how is it enhanced, under which specific context and using what?.

Maybe I am getting picky, I am confusing myself easily, or complicating myself. :/

But clear thinking, it is not easy!