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Discussion on: I Am an Internet Urban Legend From the 90s, Ask Me Anything!

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andrewbrown profile image
Andrew Brown 🇨🇦

I have so many questions for you Greg:

Minecraft

I noticed on your Linked In you show how people to Mod Minecraft with Javascript. My interest is because we run our own Modded Minecraft server and use it as a way to teach our interns how to start using AWS cloud computing services in a fun way. We even made a talk about it.

I have dabbled with writing mods for minecraft but that was with Java. I would love to know more about Modding with Javascript and the limitations around it. It could be a cool way as an extension of our teaching platform maybe for front-end devs.

Retro Video Games

I have a strong interest in retro video games and trying to code games under the same hardware is something I find fun to do when I have time. So, for example, I picked up an i386 so I could attempt to code Wolfenstien and Doom using the Game Engine Black Books

http://fabiensanglard.net/gebbdoom/

Have you come across any other codebases or resources that go in-deep to any old retro video game engines?

AWS/Amazon Evangelism

I was going to ask what does an AWS/Amazon Evangelist do but you already answered it in detail in your LinkedIn. So my next question is how do we get AWS Evangelist involved here in Toronto for events? I'm part of three different meetup groups but uncertain about how to attract Evangelists for talks. I really want to run an online conference specific to AWS and would like to build a list of speakers.
Any suggestions?

90s

Before the advent of Google which was your primary search engine? Mine was HotBot.

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letmypeoplecode profile image
Greg Bulmash 🥑

Lot to unpack there. I'll try to answer in order.

Minecraft

For Minecraft modding, I used a server-side mod called ScriptCraft to introduce kids to JS in Minecraft.

Not a lot of people realize it, but since the 90s, there has been a JavaScript interpreter built into the standard Java JRE distribution. A few years back, Walter Higgins worked out how to expose the Java APIs in a Minecraft server to the JavaScript interpreter and built a huge helper library of JavaScript functions with the intent of helping kids learn JavaScript.

Sadly, as happens with many OSS projects, he hasn't had time to maintain it as of late and it's starting to age.

Retro Gaming

Aside from teaching kids how to recreate some retro games in JavaScript with Phaser, no. I haven't run across a lot of resources (or didn't remember them) since I was focused on teaching a modern library rather than going full-on retro.

AWS Evangelism

I was actually an evangelist for Login with Amazon, which is an identity API within Amazon's consumer organization. They're focused on helping our developers/customers leverage Amazon consumer identity (the account you use for shopping, Prime, music, video, Alexa, etc.). I built some content around integrating that with AWS identity services and tools like Amazon Cognito, but they're actually separate things.

I'm now in the AWS developer documentation group, not the evangelism group. And since I'm not a part of that group, I doubt I know enough about their workings to advise you well.

I would follow some of the amazing AWS evangelists on Twitter like Randall Hunt and Alejandra Quetzalli. Engage with them and they would be much more likely to be able to connect you to the right people/resources for those interests.

90s

I used Hotbot, but when I transitioned to Google, it was from Altavista. :-)