If you could impact the world a lot, but not get a mate

[GoodNewsJim]

Would you?

I'm going to write a math program to end all math programs. Basically anyone of any math level below Differential Equations could jump on and do work at their level. The computer would then judge their performance and decide if they're good enough to go on to the next stage of learning. Numbers are pretty much globally the same unlike language so the software could go global. My plan is to charge people $10 per copy, but if they can't afford the $10 to buy it then the software is free of charge.

Of course, I won't be done with this software for several years. During this time, I'll have to stay at home and be hard at work without getting any pay. I'll only get paid after I finish.

The cool thing I see with this software is some 5 year old getting addicted to it, and by the time he is 10 having already mastered Calculus. When I was young, I always wished there was some sort of advanced teaching program that would challenge kids to excel instead of just putting them all through the classes at about the same pace. With the traditional classroom it isn't feasible because a 9 year old around a bunch of 14 year olds could get picked on especially if the 9 year old acts like a smarty pants answering every question in class.

Software finally allows kids to break out of the mold. If this math program works out well, I'll break into other educational fields. I just figured I should stick with something that I am good at: Computers+Math+ETC

It has been something I've wanted to code for a good 10 years now, but I never got around to it because I've been busy doing other stuff such as programming a video game. I didn't finish my video game because I feel the level of violence was getting rather high in that I was glorifying brutality even though the blood wasn't gruesome. So as a Christian, I want to be known for increasing the education of the world instead of getting kids rilled up on violent video games.

Now that I think of it, I may be able to get out from time to time, but for the majority of days, I'll be home just behind my computer.

 

[JPPT1974]

Kids need to be exposed to
So much education and spend
Less time on video games
But it is easier said than done my friend
But you are on the right track.
It is hard for kids to get interested and
Learn that education can be fun indeed.

 

[elephunky]

If I could change the world in which we live in, but not end up with a mate, I would

 

[Blackguard_]

When I was young, I always wished there was some sort of advanced teaching program that would challenge kids to excel instead of just putting them all through the classes at about the same pace.

Hence the home schooling movement. Those people would love your program.

Otherwise, you just have a fancy version of the math games I was forced to play in elementary school, and it would probably have similar results.

I think this sounds like an excellent teaching tool, but I think you're being too optimistic unless you can make it fun. Most people do not find math tests fun and all the math education games I've seen are just thinly disguised tests. The only game I've enjoyed learning math (well, relearning some trig) in was Silent Hunter 3 where math was a tool and not the focus of the gameplay.

 

[Trashionista]

Yes. I'd do it.

 

[Blackguard_]

As to the title question, I'm not sure.

I mean, how would I change the world? It's not necessarily worth it.

 

[Apollo Celestio]

Yep.

 

[Peacemonger]

I don't think they're mutually exclusive. I want to have my mate and eat it too.

 

[PrincessFromOz]

I don't think they're mutually exclusive. I want to have my mate and eat it too.

Lol! Absolutely. I hope to have a mate who was such a person that we could impact the world.. together

 

[Mark2010]

I don't think they're mutually exclusive. I want to have my mate and eat it too.

Eat it? Like a cannible?

 

[Peacemonger]

Eat it? Like a cannible?

Yeah. But a nice cannibal.

 

[Balugon]

depends on what God wanted. If he wanted me without a mate but impacting the world greatly, then i could survive, i would just change my view a little bit to find more hobbies to fill the time. If he wanted me to have a spouse but possibly affect the world in a different but lesser way, not a lot of problems there.

 

[puddleoffaith]

They are not mutually exclusive. Especially not in your case. You have the type of job where if you decided to get married, you could stay home with the kids. They could even give you ideas for this program.

However, I think you are being too optimistic. Are you certain that spending the next five years on a math game is really worth the impact it might have? There are already math games out there and more to come with larger companies and paid employees creating them. Not to offend, but how are you going to support yourself for five years? Five years is also a long time to keep the focus on one project that you are not getting paid for and have no set time to develop. Make sure you think this through...you don't want to quit after a year with nothing to show.

 

[kingoffools13]

Depends on what the change is, everyone changes it to some extent, it would have to be worthwhile to me to do so ... and honest answer ... I'd prefer that if things went down that way that I at least didn't die a virgin ... some things I just don't want to miss out on.

K
O
f

 

[IDDQD]

I'm already living what the OP said, minus the calculus thing. I don't want a mate/partner/wife/whatever-it's-called-these-days and I've devoted my time to my college studies so I can get my PhD in Sociology, maybe double major in Psychology and/or Computer Science to go along with it. I want to counsel and help people, not just here in the U.S. but all over the world. I wanna bring to light tolerance and encourage diversity for ways of life that are foreign to us. That doesn't mean converting to their ways. It simply means learning about their culture and coming to an understanding. With a better understanding of other cultures, ways of life, and so on, maybe we can finally get along with one another (somewhat) better than we do now.

 

[mina]

A lot of people who have impacted our world positively have been married. So I don't think it matters, unless you know you wouldn't be able to focus on your thing if you were married.

 

[GoodNewsJim]

A lot of people who have impacted our world positively have been married. So I don't think it matters, unless you know you wouldn't be able to focus on your thing if you were married.

Mina,

What I mean is that I'm going to be home so much that I'll hardly ever see new people. There is the wild possibility that some how a woman I never knew would end up at my door, as is the case with one of my past best friends(He just showed up at my door with no explaination). Also when God is involved, anything is possible. That is the cool thing, even when I die, things only get better. I'd regret doing good things for the world. I'd regret losing love. But not finding love of a woman... There are a lot of people that have nothing wrong with them, but can't find love of a mate.

 

[mina]

well maybe you can set aside one day a week to go and meet people

 

[AlexeiKaramazov]

There's no reason you'd have to stay at home while working on such a program. You could write it in your spare time while maintaining a day job doing programming or something else. That way you'd be interacting with your coworkers and not stuck home by yourself all the time. Also, church and other social events should provide plenty of exposure to the opposite sex, and you can do those things even if you're working at home all the time.

In my opinion as a professional programmer, the program you're talking about wouldn't take longer than a year of nonstop fulltime work anyway. What's more problematic is the fact that software for teaching mathematics already exists, and there's absolutely no guarantee that you wouldn't finish your program and find that nobody wants to buy it. You might want to do some research on that before starting work.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I find it interesting that you say you'll have to stay at home and work on this without pay for about 5 years. I think last year was it, that you were working on a book? And before that it was a political website? Is it just that you really don't want a real job that pays you? Who supports you? I would love to take 5 years off, but that's just never gonna happen, I have to work for a living as most do.