Where does survive the inventive user ?

[James Little]

I too am not a professional programmer and did not come from a Hypercard background.  As a physician and clinical researcher, I found RunRev 5 years ago because I wanted to test a theory that syringomyelia (a pathologic cyst in the spinal cord) would affect motor control, which might prove useful for diagnosis or clinical monitoring. Within 6 months of purchasing Runtime Revolution (now LiveCode) I had a desktop app that could test rapid alternating finger movements. It's a shame that the theory did not hold up, but after that experience, I became hooked as a RunRev hobbyist.  Over the last 5 years, I tried other development environments, but I always came back to LiveCode; for me as  primarily a content person and not a programmer, it was the learning curve that I could manage.  

Within the last year, I retired as a full-time physician and I'm able to devote more time to LiveCode.  I've also begun to collaborate with my son on some LiveCode projects; at 24, he's picked it up much faster than I did.  I still have much to learn (LiveCode Server, HTML & CSS integration with LiveCode, iOS & Android development).  I am grateful to RunRev for its remarkable ongoing success at providing cross-platform tools that allow non-programmers to do some programming.  I'm also grateful to the generosity of seasoned RunRev developers that contribute to this developer's list and to the forum.  Those contributions are especially valuable to non-programmers, like myself.

I concur with what Peter Brigham wrote, "I have no idea how you market to people like me."  RunRev has continued to make available new tools that are valuable for non-programmers (e.g. Lessons, Summer Academy).  RunRev has a strong website and annual conferences (live & streaming) that draw in potential users.  There are wonderful 3rd party sites that assist non-programmers (LivecodeJournal.com, revolution.byu.edu, hyperactivesw.com ...).  A possible suggestion for marketing, is that a mechanism / an exchange be established to assist a newer programmer in obtaining paid assistance from an experienced programmer.  For example, I might have interest in contracting with an experienced LC programmer to beta test an app.  Also, as  a retired professor in my department at the University, I've thought about volunteering to assist faculty members undertake some LiveCode projects.  Before I committed myself to such projects, I would like to know that there is available, at a reasonable cost, some advanced assistance.  From the RunRev website (runrev dot com/support/consultants/), from this developer's list and from the forum, I certainly have many names of advanced LC programmers but  1) I don't know who might have interest in such short-term involvement, 2) I don't know who has experience in iOS or Android development, and 3) I don't know the ballpark the costs.  Further elaborating a mechanism to link moderately-experienced to advanced LiveCode programmers may help promote LiveCode.    

Best,

Jim L.           



On Jul 27, 2011, at 7:24 PM, Peter Brigham MD wrote:

> ...  I'm not a programmer, just picked it up on the side. I have no idea how you market to people like me, but I suspect there are lots of us scattered around.
> 
> -- Peter
> 
> On Jul 27, 2011, at 9:25 PM, Timothy Miller wrote:
>> 
>> ... It's gradually dawning on me that "programmers" like me have become rather rare. Fewer and fewer non-professionals on this list, as far as I can tell. I don't understand why, seems like a shame.
>> 
>> Many people have use for the kind of functionality an amateur and dabbler can get out of LiveCode, and it isn't that hard to do.
>> 
>> Admittedly, HyperCard was easier, simply because it was less complex. I've wondered if LiveCode might be more approachable if it had some kind of "dumb mode," sort of like the old userLevel system in HyperCard. Probably won't happen though.
>> 
>> FWIW...
>> 
>> Tim
>>