User talk:Dondi
What was the make and model of the first computer that you ever bought? [[Msaeedi23 (talk) 23:18, 7 September 2015 (PDT)]]
Hello Dr. Dionisio! If there was one piece of advice you could give to someone interested in pursuing a career in computer science, what would it be? Thank you! - Nanguiano (talk) 13:22, 2 September 2015 (PDT)
I guess my main advice would be, be really sure that you enjoy the field. Not every career activity, in any discipline, will be necessarily stimulating or interesting; sometimes there is busy work, sometimes you'd rather be doing something else (in the field). What gets you by, then, is your intrinsic enjoyment of the area. This is what gets you through the tough times. Like getting through grading in my job as a teacher ;-)
But I just realized that may be too generic an answer. In terms of advice specific to computer science, it would be...never stop writing code. Some computer scientists reach a point where they think coding is beneath them, and although programming may indeed be one of the most basic skills in computer science, it never really becomes irrelevant. Computer scientists who stop writing code risk falling behind in the latest ideas in the field. Although such ideas may be theoretical, they frequently encounter reality in some kind of program. If you lose that, you lose a major aspect of being a computer scientist.
—Dondi (talk) 23:34, 8 September 2015 (PDT)
Have you found anything in nature that gives inspiration to modern interaction design concepts?
--- Jkuroda (talk) 15:36, 3 September 2015 (PDT)
Hmmm, I have to think about that...this might not be the best, but the first thing that comes to mind is the way flowers actually have patterns invisible to the human eye but visible to bees. It shows how evolution can find striking ways to let organisms interact with each other, and the fact that it is out of reach of humans is a nice bonus. That characteristic of flowers showing just what bees need exists in the better user interface designs: they send intrinsic, non-verbal messages that do not force the user to think too hard. That sensation of not thinking too hard is what leads to feelings of intuitiveness and comfort (at using something).
—Dondi (talk) 00:43, 9 September 2015 (PDT)
What current projects are you working on, or what projects would you like to do in the future? What accomplishment are you most proud of? --Eyanosch (talk) 13:55, 5 September 2015 (PDT)
Dr. Dionisio, what area of computer science do you think is changing most rapidly? Emilysimso (talk) 15:48, 6 September 2015 (PDT)
If you could jump forward in time, what technological advancement (like flying cars, or robots that think like humans, or holographic phones, etc.) would you most want to see and why (let's just say they've already invented it in the future so it doesn't matter how far in the future you travel)?
--- Troque (talk) 18:43, 6 September 2015 (PDT)
Do you see any areas or aspects of education that are likely to change and benefit from future advancements in computer science? --- Blitvak (talk) 01:29, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
Yes, in the long run I think advancements in computer science will certainly have a transformative effect on education, at all levels: tools; content; teaching techniques; perhaps even overall mindset (i.e., an increasing emphasis on computational thinking). However I say “in the long run” quite expressly, because I have also seen hurried/haphazard attempts to use computing in education that quite frankly fall flat on their faces. The issue is ultimately that folks initially oversimplify how technology and computing can be used education. As always, there is never a silver bullet. But if done thoughtfully and wholistically, which I think will eventually happen, there are good things to come.
—Dondi (talk) 09:32, 9 September 2015 (PDT)
Where did the nickname Dondi come from?
Jwoodlee (talk) 11:11, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
What is your favorite Batman gadget and why? -- Anuvarsh (talk) 12:44, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
What is your most enjoyable course to teach at LMU? --- Malverso (talk) 13:42, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
Ack no don’t make me answer that, it’s like having to pick a favorite child...! Well actually I do have one; no, of course not, I don’t. :) But I guess from a practical perspective I most enjoy the courses where I have the most personal interest. So that would be Interaction Design and Computer Graphics. (but I do enjoy teaching overall, so everything else is pretty fun, too)
—Dondi (talk) 23:19, 8 September 2015 (PDT)
If you could be any animal, what would you be? Kzebrows (talk) 17:00, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
What computer science course did you find to be the most challenging during your time as a student? Kwyllie (talk) 17:09, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
What is your favorite beverage to drink on a rainy day?--Vpachec3 (talk) 18:39, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
Do you believe that the biological imaging and automated meta-analysis techniques of the near future will be able to yield trustworthy medical diagnoses on their own? As a follow-up, to what degree do you believe that future doctors will simply be technicians?
Funny you should ask—I did work with a UCLA group that investigated precisely this prior to going to LMU :) This is their current website: http://www.mii.ucla.edu
My long-term answer is yes, I think this will eventually happen. However there are a few challenges to overcome, not all technical. A major barrier that we encountered when we were doing this was the physicians’ own distrust of the technology. Some embraced it, but others did not feel there was sufficient reliability. I would agree that it will take a while to get there. However, we did explore intermediate steps toward getting there, like using medical imaging and analysis as a very conservative “suggester” for things to examine. Again, not ready for prime time but showing potential.
As for doctors, I think there will always be human physicians. I cannot see them being replaced as overall caregivers. I do see their roles and qualifications shifting though. Yes, I think it will be hard to avoid requiring a level of technical skill going forward. Much of what technicians do today may get automated, leaving just the physician to guide the instruments. So, just as with other areas of technology (ATMs vs. human tellers, self-checkout vs. human cashiers, etc.), I think the more immediate threat is to workers closer to day-to-day operations. It is a thorny socio-economic dilemma, and one that remains to be answered. The next big challenge will be self-driving vehicles—if/when those come to pass, what will happen to workers whose primary function is to drive a vehicle?
Sorry if that was a downer. But you did ask the question :)
—Dondi (talk) 00:28, 9 September 2015 (PDT)
--- Bklein7 (talk) 19:03, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
What is your favorite memory or event in your research career thus far? Lenaolufson (talk) 20:21, 7 September 2015 (PDT)
Seeing that you enjoy legos, I am interested in knowing if you have made any lego sets. If so, how many lego sets have you made and what types/models have you made? Do you actually have a lego batmobile?
