Mon Sep 4 05:43:01 UTC 2017
I have bought and have setup an Epson ES-200 for receipt scanning purposes.
This page convinced me of the value of this particular scanner.
I have test scanned one receipt. The PDF result looks good, though the text-detecting capabilities of the Epson's bundled software isn't great.
I put the PDF result into an online OCR and have had the following results (minus some idenitfying digitry):
"""
STARBUCKS Store #14393 462 Powell Street San Francisco, CA (415) 956-2321
CHK 709784 08/27/2017 11:55 AM 2264490 Drawer: 2 Reg: 1
Reload Card Visa XXXXXXXXXXXX1234 [numbers edited out]
20.00
20.00
Subtotal $20.00 Total $20.00 Change Due $0 . 00
Check Closed-
08/27/2017 11:55 AM
SBUX Card x1234 [also edited] New Balance: 22.88 Registration: Unavailable Join our loyalty program Starbucks Rewards Sign up for promotional emails Visit Starbucks.com/rewards Or download our app At participating stores Some restrictions apply
"""
It's pretty perfect.
So, next I'll find some OCR I like and read the receipts proper. Most receipts should be from the same places, so I should be able to remove the tedious work of digitizing my spending without having to pay some random app $5 a month for the priviledge.
Mon Sep 4 05:50:27 UTC 2017
I'm hopeful that today is the beginning of diarying everyday for a long, long time.
We'll see.
Mon Sep 4 23:07:36 UTC 2017
IGDA talk with Livio.
IGDA is basically the IEEE or ACM of video game development. Except not as driven by academia (yet). Most-recent paper Livio can think of is a paper against crunch. Also do a bunch of lobbying to countries around world (against censorship and such). Philantropic arm, as well, IGDA foundation(?). Grants and stuff for projects and such.
IGDA community divided into chapters. Difference between local professional chapters and school chapters. School ones need to be recognized by department and have faculty members. Local chapters are main way to interact with IGDA. Many game chapters have no incentive to be a part of the IGDA. Often don't want to change brand and names to become part of IGDA.
SIGs are "special interest groups". Games education SIG (very popular). Teachers using games to teach stuff, and also teaching how to make games. Unity Users SIG, taken over by Unity's own efforts (not an IGDA thing much anymore).
Analog gaming SIG. Game accessibility. Game editing (what's game editing?). Game preservation. User research. Game writing. Indy SIG. Jewish community SIG. Women in games. LGBTQ.
Many of the SIGs are dead in IGDA. Groups and stuff just die off, can be frustrating.
Livio's been treating the student SIG as focusing on student chapters.
IGDA is really spread out and not using same tools to communicate.
Executive director of IGDA was Kate Edwards. She was great. Stepped down recently (good time to step down). New director is Jen MacLean. She's in the collecting information and advice from users stage.
Academic affliate program. If you are a school or teacher or faculty member, you can have that department become officially a part of the IGDA. In practice, it's more of a discount. Studio affiliates are the corporate version of it.
Membership is an issue. "How will joining IGDA help me?" (I need to join IGDA.) Compare to ACLU, where becoming a member is marketted as donating. Maybe should represent it that way? IGDA may have legal reasons for not doing that.
IGDA is all volunteers.
Student SIG needs to be a student SIG (represent their needs). Just focusing on chapter leaders isn't properly representative.
Right now we're in the yearly renewal phase of student SIG stuff. Later we have mid-semester renewal stuff. Renewal form was attached to a survey.
Constantly rethink: what is the Student SIG doing? what should it be doing? what do students need?
IGDA has a "mentorship cafe". In-person only. One quick event and hopefully they keep in touch after that. Livio wants to figure out a longer-term, Internet-driven approach.
Feel free to help people with technical expertise.