I’ve been a long time fan of Greg Linden, going back to the Findory launch. I don’t have a direct interest in his current projects other than they might open doors to computing for folks who hadn’t considered the potential:
Code Maven lets teens learn a little about how to program, starting with basic concepts such as loops then rapidly getting into fractals, animation, physics, and games. In every lesson, all the code is there — in some cases, a complete physics engine with gravity, frame rate, friction, and other code you can modify — and it is all live Javascript, so the impact of any change is immediate. It’s a fun way to explore what programming can do.
Code Maven is a curious blend of a game and a tutorial. Like a tutorial, it’s step-by-step, and there’s not-too-big, not-too-small challenges at each step. Like a game, it’s fun, addictive, and experimentation can yield exciting (and often very cool) results. I hope you and your friends like it. Please try Code Maven, tell your friends about it, and, if you have suggestions or feedback, please e-mail me at maven@crunchzilla.com
A diversity of hackers makes the world a better place. And who knows? Maybe My Little Guy (TM) will pick up Code Monster or Code Maven someday.
Good luck Greg!