User talk:Dondi

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What was the make and model of the first computer that you ever bought? [[Msaeedi23 (talk) 23:18, 7 September 2015 (PDT)]]

In terms of buying something with my own money, that would be a PowerBook 170 circa 1991. It was one of the very first laptops with an integrated pointing device (a trackball, back then) + palm rest—we take those features for granted now, but laptops before the 1990s did not actually have those. My doctoral advisor’s laptop had a trackball that you had to hook to the side of the keyboard. And the machine had a crisp black and white active matrix screen. Good times :)

Dondi (talk) 22:50, 10 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)

Describing all of them would take too long, but by name, I am currently participating in XMLPipeDB, GRNsight, Map My Identity, and GRNmap. All of those are collaborations, and that is a good thing. I am proud of all of them…just not enough time to move everything at the same rate though.

At the moment I am probably proudest of this article. I co-wrote it during my sabbatical and it got accepted in a very high-profile computer science journal. To an academic, that is like getting a juicy role in a movie :)

Dondi (talk) 22:57, 10 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)

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I’ll have to say…almost everything. This speed comes from a few factors: first, computer science is an area where contributions are being made not only in the academe, but also commercially. Second, possible applications of the field are everywhere, in every walk of life, so there are many many catalysts at play.

That said, I am primarily referring to technology above. This is what most folks associate with “computer science.” But as you saw from the Denning reading, the core of the discipline is not about technology. From that perspective, some areas of computer science are actually quite stable: theory, central concepts, fundamental algorithms. It is their manifestation and application that changes rapidly, in the form of technology: devices, programming languages, media. This is the secret to keeping up with the technology: if you remain solid on concepts and theory, it is easier to pick up new technology because one recognizes that simply as new renditions of the same core ideas.

Dondi (talk) 22:49, 11 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)

I think I am partial to time travel. Possibly a pipe dream, but that’s the advance that appeals to me the most. In the realm of what is more likely to happen, I am actually quite looking forward to self-driving cars. Amazingly those seem closer than ever. Although I enjoy driving, it bothers me when I could be doing something else, or when traffic conditions are not ideal. Self-driving vehicles well let me spend travel time doing other things...or just sleeping. I would truly enjoy sleeping :)

Dondi (talk) 00:26, 10 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)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dondi

That was my parents’ idea :-P

Dondi (talk) 00:47, 10 September 2015 (PDT)


What is your favorite Batman gadget and why? -- Anuvarsh (talk) 12:44, 7 September 2015 (PDT)

This is probably totally predictable, but I’d have to say it is the Bat Computer :) If you think about it, it is precisely the Bat Computer that allows Batman to “extend” himself beyond just his human space. He can access information, scan remote locations, etc., from that device. It modeled the Internet before the Internet was even born! Truly a fine device to have. :)

Dondi (talk) 23:00, 11 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)

That took some thought, and in the end I can actually think of a few. But in the end, I would say the top choice would be a dolphin. I would want to retain as much human-like intelligence as possible, and the dolphin by all accounts is pretty close to (or beyond) that. Second, I like the idea of flying under my own power, and so swimming the open ocean is a decent substitute (for that reason I strongly considered some birds and bats as well, but the intelligence bonus on the dolphin along with the acceptably flight-like sensation of swimming let it in out).

Dondi (talk) 15:36, 12 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)

I will cheat a little bit here because the most challenging computer science course that I’ve ever taken was a graduate-level class, but I will also try to answer that with something at the undergraduate level.

In graduate school, the most challenging computer science course I’ve taken is one on advanced computer architecture. Computer architecture involves the study of how the actual computing device is constructed—its parts, subsystems, functions, etc. It is very much like a functional anatomy course. I found it challenging because ultimately, when you study computers “down to the wire,” they are actually quite complex (much like life forms). Instead of hiding complexity, which is what most users experience with computers, this course was about exposing that complexity, and we had to understand this at multiple levels. But in the end I learned a lot, and to this day, insights from that course continue to inform what I do.

In undergrad, I would say the most challenging course is compiler construction (CMSI 488, in case you’re wondering, since I got my BS here). It is challenging for a similar reason as the architecture course: it takes software that simplifies a major programmer task, which is the conversion of human-readable code into code that the computer can understand directly, and exposes all of its intricate steps. When a programmer issues what is frequently a one-line command to prepare his or her code for execution by a computer, a multistep sequence of operations takes place that are by and large taken for granted...unless you yourself are tasked with actually writing this converter (or compiler, which is where the course gets its name). The central dogma of molecular biology is nicely analogous to this: at the simplest level, it is about how DNA is used to produce proteins. In reality, many many steps are involved, involving lots of pieces. So it goes with programming language compilers.

Dondi (talk) 15:46, 12 September 2015 (PDT)


What is your favorite beverage to drink on a rainy day?--Vpachec3 (talk) 18:39, 7 September 2015 (PDT)

Ah, that is a fun, outside-of-the-box question :) I am partial to a few…putting myself in a rainy day makes me think of a hot sake or a good glass of robust red wine. With tannins. I like those tannins :)

Dondi (talk) 00:06, 10 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?

--- Bklein7 (talk) 19:03, 7 September 2015 (PDT)

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)


What is your favorite memory or event in your research career thus far? Lenaolufson (talk) 20:21, 7 September 2015 (PDT)

Hmmm, that is a little tough…I’ve never really associated my research work with milestone memories the way one might do with one’s personal life. I guess if anything stands out it would be getting the acceptance letter for one of my published articles. It was a paper for which my colleagues and I were “shooting for the moon” because the journal is a very high-profile one (one of the most widely distributed in the field of computer science) and we really were just submitting this paper expecting to get a rejection, with the intent of using the rejection feedback to improve the paper then submit it somewhere else. Imagine my pleasant surprise when the email that arrived a few weeks later instead turned out to be an immediate acceptance for publication! That felt pretty good.

Dondi (talk) 15:59, 9 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?

---Rlegaspi (talk) 02:38, 8 September 2015 (PDT)

I’m not completely sure what you mean when you ask if I’ve “made” any Lego sets. If you mean building a set from the store, then yes, I have made many :) On the other extreme, if you’re asking whether I’ve designed a set that Lego then sold, then the answer is no :( In between, if you’re asking if I’ve taken Lego bricks, then put pieces together to create something of my own, then the answer to that is also yes. So, my answer can vary on that first one…now, with regard to what types/models I’ve built, then it goes all over the place. Everything from vehicles to buildings to technical working models. They’re all fun! Now for the last question, the answer is yes; I have this model: http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/7784_The_Batmobile_Ultimate_Collectors'_Edition

Dondi (talk) 15:54, 12 September 2015 (PDT)