[shantanubala]

I honestly love seeing stuff like this -- it's really cool.

But part of me always wonders, "I wonder what this kid could've built if he had a more meaningful project in mind?"

I understand that you need to have a certain amount of "fun" before you can do "serious" things, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that he didn't "dream bigger."

It's not really a criticism. This kid is probably really smart, but I wish it was easy to create environments for such people to really flourish to their full potential.

[jacquesm]

What do you mean by 'more meaningful'? I think it is fantastic that he managed to be so creative that he managed to turn a game into a calculator, something it clearly wasn't intended to be.

That shows a lot of skill and resourcefulness, it also shows quite a bit of dedication and stamina. All of those are great traits and I'm sure the experience improved on these.

This impresses me very much.

Can you give an example of what you would consider to be a more meaningful project? Something that you would consider to be approaching full potential?

[shantanubala]

I only now realized that my comment was a bit unnecessarily patronizing! I meant it as a wish that programming could be as fun as Minecraft, but also remain as efficient as something like Python.

Imagine what that kid could build if a tool existed that was as interesting as Minecraft, but tailored toward making iPhone apps (or another very specific type of application). In the same amount of time, he could've probably made something even more impressive.

I was trying to express a slight disappointment that the tools were a limiting factor to the ability of people (like this kid) to build amazing things.

Instead of building a calculator, would he be able to do more in the same amount of time?

In that case, could he build a game? An app? Really, it doesn't matter what the end product (or the project) is. I was only trying to express a little disappointment that there wasn't a more efficient way to channel his energy into a final product that would allow him to accomplish an even more ambitious goal.

[ugh]

You are thinking about products and projects, the kid is thinking about having fun in a game. Totally different perspective.

It’s totally fun to just have fun without necessarily learning any important skills or developing a product that helps you make money.

[shantanubala]

I understand that, but are there opportunities to improve upon the "fun" of Minecraft that lead to an actually useful product? I'm sure the main motivation for building a calculator was the complexity of the problem -- not the usefulness of a Minecraft calculator. Imagine if the tools were tailored to keep the same level of fun while also empowering him to create something he could use!

That's what I meant by "think bigger" or "serious" -- the Minecraft calculator was fun and challenging, but is there something equally fun, equally challenging, but more useful? Can we make tools that empower kids to have more fun solving complex problems that lead to a useful result?

[DanBC]

I sort of agree.

Many softwares have confusing interfaces. They are aimed at professionals who work with them all day and who will be trained to use them. Either they should have a "New to this program? Click this and we'll hide everything but the essential tools while you work through some tutorials" feature; and perhaps that could be a free version of the software.

What ideas do you have for tools to empower people?

[wtallis]

Don't look down on a project just because it is done with low-level tools. Building a scientific calculator from logic gates may not put you on the track for a career in web programming, but it's still an impressive display of what can be made into a very useful set of skills.

[cookiecaper]

As I said elsewhere, I think Minecraft provides a great environment for prototyping for someone who doesn't have a background in electronics. I don't see anything wrong with this at all. I reckon the builder probably does "dream bigger", and uses Minecraft as an exercise and/or sandbox. Is there a reason he shouldn't do that?

I am curious why so many people interpret this as a sign of an addiction and wasted time instead of a purely awesome accomplishment in self-education. Few people keep "build something cool in Minecraft" as their only aspiration in life.

[angdis]

He is sixteen. "Meaningful" has a different definition for someone that age. I am in awe of the achievement not only because of the stupendous scope and complexity, but the sheer willpower and colossal amount of time it must have taken.

I hope the kid gets a lot of mileage out of it and goes onto great things. At the very least, he has earned his geek union card for life.

[shantanubala]

My mistake -- my wording was a little poor. Minecraft is an environment that allows people to be very creative, but it isn't efficient in that process. When I say "meaningful" I meant it more as a comment that I wish a development environment would exist that was as engaging as Minecraft (like a game!) but as efficient as a programming language like Python.

Because Minecraft is purely a game, it limits what a kid can accomplish from the start. A kid can only interact with their creations through the game itself, which is fine, but could it be better?

[jebblue]

It limits nothing just because it's a game. In World War II a guy was held in solitary confinement (a small wooden box) for 2 years. In that time to keep himself sane he designed and built 100% in his mind ... a complete working clock despite never having built anything like a clock or watch.

After the war, he built that clock and it worked.

[geden]

How would one decide what their full potential was? Or perhaps, deeper, who would decide what their full potential was?

Seems like a massive achievement to me, and that such effort and focus will translate well into the real world and if it doesn't for him personally, it could well spur others on.

[shantanubala]

I mean it this way (and the way I worded my comment was really poor, and the miscommunication is completely my fault!): Minecraft allows for very creative outcomes, but it isn't a very efficient tool for developing something complicated. Is it possible to create a more efficient tool that is equally engaging?

[ugh]

If it would be simpler you would get something much more complex than this calculator and once again ask the same question.

[shantanubala]

But wouldn't it allow the kid to be more imaginative? Instead of building a calculator inside of a game, perhaps he could make his own game? Instead of building something that's already defined, wouldn't he have more opportunities to be creative?

[Tsagadai]

Almost 500,000 people have watched a video of his creation. What is not meaningful about attracting the sort of crowd many artists dream of attracting? Technical aspects aside, what is not meaningful about entertaining 500,000 people?