Hobbies and interests of INTjs

[Luke]

I have all these hobbies that I get really interested in, at least for a time. I'll usually take a break every so often (for months on end, years sometimes) then come back to them with full force. It's like they provide me with points of stability that I can come back to, but are also sources of near-constant cerebral stimulation.

* Forth (programming language) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* Cryonics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* Vermicompost - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* Socionics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* Personal development - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is this true of everyone? Or every LII? What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have? (Wikipedia links if possible )

[Mediator Kam]

Forth looks like it sucks to use.

[Luke]

Forth looks like it sucks to use.

Which aspect are you referring to? Passing things on the stack?

I like the low-level interactive feel it gives.

[Mediator Kam]

That may be why i don't like it. I like the idea of reverse polish notation,but the huge capitals remind me of FORTAN and COBOL and older languages.

[Luke]

That may be why i don't like it. I like the idea of reverse polish notation,but the huge capitals remind me of FORTAN and COBOL and older languages.

The version of forth I use is Retroforth, which uses lowercase.

Retro, A Minimalistic Forth

I agree that being stuck with all caps would suck big time. Forth is as old as Fortran and Cobol, but more elegant in my opinion. Lisp is also pretty elegant, although I have less experience with it. I guess what I like is the way Forth lets me start with simple primitives that are barely more than assembly codes and build my way up to stuff like arrays, strings, objects, parsers, etc. There's a certain draw to having the lowest-possible-level aspects of programming in your peripheral vision while working your way to the higher level stuff. I guess that is a thing..?

[MatthewZ]

You, sir, have an odd set of interests.

[Luke]

You, sir, have an odd set of interests.

The red wrigglers are in a garbage bag in the garage. I keep meaning to build a nice large bin for them, but when it comes to actually doing things physically I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator. Perhaps this summer I'll get enthusiastic about the idea again. There's a good business opportunity there... Potentially.

[Mediator Kam]

I personally like the idea of Python and Ruby. C/C++ is fun too, it gives you the feel you can screw anything up at any time but you still have enough stuff at your disposal to do something. Although I hated the idea of array of char for strings. Forget about it.

[Luke]

I personally like the idea of Python and Ruby. C/C++ is fun too, it gives you the feel you can screw anything up at any time but you still have enough stuff at your disposal to do something. Although I hated the idea of array of char for strings. Forget about it.

C/C++ were confusing to me, although I've got pretty good at reading the code. It just doesn't seem like a natural way to write. Python seemed like a good idea but I never really intuitively picked up on how to use it. I keep meaning to try Ruby but when I downloaded it there was some long compilation process involved and I got distracted. Perl is the one I am probably strongest with for useful purposes. I have also used TCL/TK and Bash successfully.

An array of chars is basically what a string is... but when writing applications you don't really want to be reminded of that at every turn.

[Mediator Kam]

C/C++ were confusing to me, although I've got pretty good at reading the code. It just doesn't seem like a natural way to write. Python seemed like a good idea but I never really intuitively picked up on how to use it. I keep meaning to try Ruby but when I downloaded it there was some long compilation process involved and I got distracted. Perl is the one I am probably strongest with for useful purposes. I have also used TCL/TK and Bash successfully.

An array of chars is basically what a string is... but when writing applications you don't really want to be reminded of that at every turn.

haha, i feel like telling my code story. I first did Pascal in freshman year of high school. I really liked it, but I didn't like it so much that I was going to do more. Then I found a C book for 50 cents. Pascal had strings built in, but C did not. That was why I have a bias against C. I read the whole book, and yes, strings are arrays of char, but too much work you know, plus printf/scanf is garbage, C++ is superior to C.

So yes, I am very used to reading C++ family of languages. I tried Scheme(derived from Lisp) for about a month, but I got nothing going.

[Luke]

haha, i feel like telling my code story. I first did Pascal in freshman year of high school. I really liked it, but I didn't like it so much that I was going to do more. Then I found a C book for 50 cents. Pascal had strings built in, but C did not. That was why I have a bias against C. I read the whole book, and yes, strings are arrays of char, but too much work you know, plus printf/scanf is garbage, C++ is superior to C.

So yes, I am very used to reading C++ family of languages. I tried Scheme(derived from Lisp) for about a month, but I got nothing going.

Yeah, I like the idea behind scheme but never got to where I was writing anything in it. Maybe I'll implement a scheme in forth someday. Kind of similar philosophies of minimalism and roll-your-own going on there.

Seems like there's a groove of writing in a language that can take some focus to get into, even if you can read it passably. Different languages reflect different mindsets, philosophies, perhaps even quadra values...

[Mediator Kam]

I like cute languages.

[Luke]

I like cute languages.

Yeah, cuteness is important in a language.

[JohnDo]

LIIs may have strange interests, indeed. I'm interested in things like

- Cryptozoology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- Parapsychology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- Communism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socionics

[ArchonAlarion]

and these as well:

• Constructed language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Worldbuilding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Free-market anarchism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Wargaming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Brilliand]

Worldbuilding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basilicus

Our exalted leader has returned!

I think he's Alpha NT himself... haven't decided which one yet.

Anyhow, it gave the place a boost even though he hasn't really done much yet.

[ArchonAlarion]

I should get involved in this...

[electric sheep]

programming is boring. Sad thing is that computer science is the only thing I'm remotely interested in that could make me any kind of money.

[MatthewZ]

and these as well:

• Constructed language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Worldbuilding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Free-market anarchism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Wargaming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now there's a list of 4 items I can actually agree with.

[ArchonAlarion]

Besides Socionics and self pity those are the topics most prevalent in my thoughts.

[JohnDo]

Are you even LII, Archon?!

[Luke]

Worldbuilding is easy to lose a lot of time in. Orion's Arm is a good one I've dumped lots of hours into reading. I like hard sci-fi because it makes me think they are on track for the real future. Megascale space habitats are a fascination of mine, have been since I read ringworld. Regular space colonies are also fascinating -- planets are such a waste of material when you think about it.

Utility Fog is another one of the really interesting ideas that I've spent a lot of time thinking about. Essentially it is a set of nanobots which lock arms, but can let go at intervals and thus be programmed to act as any substance -- breathable air, concrete, water, etc. It could be used to simulate gravity convincingly, or give you flight in a gravitational environment. The tiny arms would let them act as generators, capable of gathering energy from the tiniest currents of air.

I guess I am fascinated by potential practical applications. The fact that esperanto is easier to learn yet arguably just as beautiful and useful as natural languages makes me consider it an incredibly good idea. While I get the idea of lojban as a way to explore the saphir-worf hypothesis, that doesn't really do much for me. And I don't really feel learning klingon or elvish is going to do me any good in life...

[ArchonAlarion]

Are you even LII, Archon?!

Nope, N ILE. Pretty close though

[ArchonAlarion]

Utility Fog is another one of the really interesting ideas that I've spent a lot of time thinking about. Essentially it is a set of nanobots which lock arms, but can let go at intervals and thus be programmed to act as any substance -- breathable air, concrete, water, etc. It could be used to simulate gravity convincingly, or give you flight in a gravitational environment. The tiny arms would let them act as generators, capable of gathering energy from the tiniest currents of air.

For Basilicus, I'm considering making a civ around this sort of technology. I'm going to weave socionics material (not by name, that would be corny) into it, so that the elements represent root processes in shaping the utility matter. There will be a philosophy/spirituality based around the use of the elements, so that the feel of the race is sort of elfish/eldarish (not sure what the species will specifically be evolved from, but their contemporary state will be formless and arcane).

So, the use of "external field statics" for example would be for reformatting multiple systems (ships, architecture, minds, etc) to operate on the same root mechanisms, thus making communication and adjustment easier between them.

Maybe I'll have the civ separated into 4 nations as well for the quadras, with a 5th administrative caste.

Not totally realistic, but w/e

[MatthewZ]

Besides Socionics and self pity those are the topics most prevalent in my thoughts.

No one can be that celibate.

[Brilliand]

No one can be that celibate.

I think that's filed under "self pity."

[MatthewZ]

I think that's filed under "self pity."

It would explain the socionics interest.

[electric sheep]

I'm a D-LII

D, for dominant

None of these things interest me because I'm so busy dominating everyone and everything

edit:

[electric sheep]

Actually, some of my interests:

Cognition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Learning Theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_theory

[ArchonAlarion]

Another LII interest I've found:

http://www.wikipedia.org/

[Brilliand]

Another LII interest I've found:

Wikipedia

Ah yes... I've seen that listed under , but it applies to us too.

[MatthewZ]

Another LII interest I've found:

Wikipedia

My mind can't be that easy to read...

[ArchonAlarion]

external links of citation.

[Creepy-Pied Piper]

Removed at User Request

[electric sheep]

Actually I just got this internship doing some really cool stuff, so I'm going to see how that pans out. It's related to programming, but it's cooler than that. I'm also having a blast learning Ruby on my own. It's so much more fun than C++.

[Creepy-Pied Piper]

Removed at User Request

[electric sheep]

I like java more than C++ and ruby more than java. Having a lot of things predefined takes out some of the more laborious aspects of programming, and it makes the code easier to read in general. It's less like reading code and more like reading english. I took an assembly class (using the LC-3 simulator) and that was ridiculously easy because of how simple the instructions were. I always try to write code so it's easy to understand and I create lots of functions because I get overwhelmed easily. Ruby seems to match my way of thinking.

[1121]

Worldbuilding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've been doing this since age 10, and was not aware of it's existence as an interest for others outside of use in terms of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

Also, my main interest at the moment outside of socionics is Dungeons & Dragons

[Creepy-Pied Piper]

Removed at User Request

[Krig the Viking]

I've been doing this since age 10, and was not aware of it's existence as an interest for others outside of use in terms of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

Also, my main interest at the moment outside of socionics is Dungeons & Dragons

Likewise, I started in Grade 7 or 8, before my family had the Internet and well before I'd ever heard of the term "worldbuilding". I didn't care much for the DnD system, though -- my friends and I tried a number of different ones, but mostly I created my own rules systems. Nowadays all my geek friends have moved away, so I don't get to actually play RPGs anymore, but I still love worldbuilding.