Week 9: 7/30 - 8/4
Well, I didn't get to start testing this week, so I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't be able to complete my project, which really sucks. No word on whether to play all the running and jumping movies mixed together or separately, but Jessica wanted me to rewrite the scripts for playing them via the projector. There's less artifacts (weird scanline-like stuff, although I had the proper settings in Adobe Premiere) when played on the big screen, so that should improve results. I was considering employing some sort of rsh-based solution, but then I realized that ssh would be better for obvious reasons. However, I'm not accustomed to dealing with either, and everything would probably become too complicated for me to understand and fix in a week, so I went with my Intuitive Solution™: just have the proctor run a 'play' script and instruct subjects when to answer the questions displayed by a 'survey' script. I had to write two 'play' scripts, of course, to accomodate both possible experimental designs. I'm really anal about naming conventions, but after a 2-hour internal debate about how to name each 'play' script (play_action_random_set? play_randomized? play_set? huh?), I opted for 'play1' and 'play2.' Totally nondescriptive, so I'll need to change them later. :| At least I don't have to worry about the survey script, though, since either design would use the same script. Also, I'm outputting the order of the movies to a file located in a 'SEKRIT' folder that's set up with the right permissions to hopefully (I hate having to misuse that word) keep test subjects out.
I don't know what I should do about the final report, and, to top it all off, it's just embarrassing not to have enough to write a real paper. I did participate in several other studies this week, though. I made over $100 by doing a four-hour study on user interfaces, and I was also a subject for Kelli Bacon's project (she's another DMP intern!). I wish I could've found out about this stuff sooner--I'd have much more money for groceries! Speaking of cash, I'm really strapped right now, mainly because of SIGGRAPH. My third stipend check hasn't come in yet, and I really hope it'll get in before I have to check out of the hotel and lay down another $300. I gave Raye a deposit slip and envelope just in case it comes while I'm gone.
Not only am I sad about not being able to finish my project, but I've become accustomed to living in Pittsburgh. I'll really miss this place. Yes, after much deliberation and consulting an old high school teacher, I've decided to take a year off. A lot of it had to do with the idea of interning at a Philadelphia-based music magazine... god, that'd be an awesome way to spend time away from school.
April left early on Saturday. I got up to see her off, and I really felt like crying. I'm going to miss her so much, and it doesn't help that Raye will leave just a few days after I come back, so we won't get to spend too much time together before having to say goodbye. To make matters worse, I'll be left in the house with an a**hat (pardon my language). The entire household did manage to have a civil night out at Dave & Buster's (my first time!!) earlier in the week, though. Everyone, even Jesse and Andrew, was really nice and gave me their tickets, so I nabbed a really cute cyan Care Bears doll named Heartsong (awww, it has two tied, heart-shaped, rainbow-colored eighth notes on its belly!) and some other goodies--kazoos and yo-yos--for everyone else. Despite his remarks on how stupid the yo-yos were, Jesse ended up playing with his. :) So, in the end, it was a nice hail-and-farewell for April and Jae.
