Reasons to reinvigorate qfwfq from a FoAM perspective.

As an approach to connecting diverse fields (biology, architecture, physics, media art) with some specific common problems:

• The increase of data volume and complexity and the requirement for designing processes (programming) to deal with it all. Alex says: This is close to the core aims of the OAK group in Sheffield too I think
• The rise of computational solutions to problems in general has left some areas behind - eg. not all areas of biology have easy access to bioinformatics departments.
• Not having enough of an understanding of the processes carried out on a data set can lead to problematic interpretations.

Currently the approach to a solution is a myriad of domain specific tools, languages and environments - is there a way to design tools and practices that can cross these domains? The project needs at least two distant fields or application areas involved to prove this.

One approach is applying lessons learned in education, graphics and games design with visual programming and applying them in a more general way.

• Kodu: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/kodu/
• Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/
• VirTools: http://www.3ds.com/products/3dvia/3dvia-virtools/
• Pixar's SLIM: https://renderman.pixar.com/products/tools/rms-slim.html

“the code literate of our society are mostly white men” … “code written today is not representative of our society” http://rarlindseysmash.com/index.php?n=1309736919

With the introduction of algorithms into every part of our lives, diversification of programming is an important goal in itself (in which this could be seen as a case study):

• Is the lack of diversity in programmers a self perpetuating situation?
• Is the specialisation of information technology into separate fields problematic?
• What is it about programming languages or its culture that is problematic for some?

Alex says: I think we need to find more data on this, will have a look around. Looking at this news item hints at a general problem of non-engagement rather than of lack of diversity. Interest in computing subjects in the UK has plummetted: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11011564 – If you look at the gender disparity though you see that computing actually has above average gender equality, which surprised me. In bioinformatics I think programmers are mostly female, right? Perhaps the problem isn't so much diversity of programmers but of lack of programmers and lack of interest in computation in general. That said there is clearly lack of diversity in those who write programming languages, having strong lineage to brusque white men on military funds. So is it a problem for our project if we're all white men?

Our aims are to design a tool/language/environment that crosses disciplines by:

• Covering multiple levels of abstraction
• Embodying multiple forms of representation
• …

And will prove it with the evaluation of 2 (or more) use cases in diverse fields.

Alex says: I have a feeling that the aim of covering multiple levels of abstraction could be at odds with the aim of non-domain specificity. Are lower levels of abstraction necessarily domain specific?

Measurement of success by the use of workshops with individuals from the target fields. They could be given problems (perhaps outside of their field) to solve, initially studying ways in which their approaches differ - later applying the developed software/tool/process and studying the results.

Good bits:

• Scalability/differing levels of abstraction (still?) original
• Use of real application
• Mixed reality needs sound development methods
• Broad range of partners (CS, HCI, M/AR)

Missing bits:

• Why such performance is not currently achieved
• ST approach vague
• Measurable goals and targets needed
• Concrete info on technical approach (proof of concept demonstrator)
• Generalisation of results needed
• Detail existing approaches, advantages/limitations
• Underestimated human resources
• Impact to application needs justification
• Scientific impact need justification

Why are we better placed to tackle this than CS or bioinformatics or architecture departments? Some way to present diversity as strength?

http://www.ppig.org

Bioinformatics

• KDE Bioscience: http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~vc100/papers/KDE_Bioscience.pdf
• BioBike: http://biobike.csbc.vcu.edu/
• Commercial: http://www.inforsense.com/
• ViPEr http://bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/15/2021.full.pdf
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20376925
• http://www.infovis-wiki.net/index.php/Focus-plus-Context