Brian Ballsun-Stanton

44,450 reputation

587205

bio	website	denubis.wordpress.com
	location	Sydney, Australia
	age	29
visits	member for	2 years, 7 months
	seen	1 min ago
stats	profile views	1,241

Dr. Brian Ballsun-Stanton is a Philosopher, Information Technologist, and Game Theorist exploring the Philosophy of Data. He has a Ph.D in Philosophy from The University of New South Wales in addition to a MS & BS in Information Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

He has developed a new methodology (The Social Data Flow Network) to explore how individuals in the field understand the nature of data. Currently, his research is exploring the social construction of technology, focusing on the user-driven change of technological tools, in addition to his research of data warehouse ETL strategies for disparate data sets.

Beyond philosophy, Dr. Ballsun-Stanton has experience in haptic research, specifically the use of gesture control of human computer interfaces and an abiding interest in robotics as seen in his flying robotic cable-array manta-ray.

His interests include the academic study of Role-Playing games, the exploration of how science fiction literature transforms reality, and the social consequences of a technological world outpacing society's cultural assimilation of its consequences.

He is a long time gamer, having helped to design the indie game Pax Draconis. He has been running an Ars Magica game for the last 6 years and has extensive experience with indie games and both 3.5 and 4e D&D.

Papers you may be interested in:

Brian Ballsun-stanton, Samuel Russell (2012) Constrained Optimization in Dungeons and Dragons : A Theory of Requirements Generation for Effective Character Creation.
Brian Ballsun-stanton, Ernest Mueller, C Ross Eskridge (2012) Clerics , Magic Users , Fighters and Thieves : Theoretical Approaches to Rules Questions on the Role-Playing Games Stack Exchange.
Brian Ballsun-Stanton (2010) Asking about data: Experimental philosophy of Information Technology, 119-124. In 5th International Conference on Computer Sciences and Convergence Information Technology.
Brian Ballsun-Stanton, Kate Carruthers (2010) #c3t the command & control of Twitter: On a socially constructed Twitter & applications of the Philosophy of Data, 161-165. In 5th International Conference on Computer Sciences and Convergence Information Technology.

	44,450 reputation	bio	website	denubis.wordpress.com	visits	member for	2 years, 7 months
587205 badges		location	Sydney, Australia		seen	1 min ago

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Nov 20	revised	Why does shifting in D&D 4 not provoke Opportunity Attacks? OAs deserve their own tag.; edited tags
Nov 20	comment	How much is too much? Rules for looting in D&D4 Also, re: kobolds. I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry. I've endured that encounter a few times. It hurts so much.
Nov 20	answered	How much is too much? Rules for looting in D&D4
Nov 20	comment	Why does shifting in D&D 4 not provoke Opportunity Attacks? Couldn't resist the footnote. It was punny.
Nov 20	answered	Why does shifting in D&D 4 not provoke Opportunity Attacks?
Nov 19	awarded	Altruist
Nov 19	revised	What class features or items can be given to a fighter in Dungeons and Dragons 4e to allow him to parry as his mark punishment? rolled back to a previous revision
Nov 19	revised	How should treasure parcels be adjusted to account for permanent character death in Dungeons and Dragons 4e? rolled back to a previous revision
Nov 19	revised	How can I format a Dungeons and Dragons 4e character sheet such that players are more likely to remember (and use) their class features? rolled back to a previous revision
Nov 18	answered	Can a Warlock take Hexblade powers/feats/etc?
Nov 17	comment	What is a good way to get started with Tekumel gaming? What's your spending threshold? The most effective way is to buy a copy of the latest edition and try it out with your friends... I suspect the unofficial games and ports require prior knowledge that would entail purchasing some books in any event.
Nov 17	answered	How compatible are D&D 4th Edition and Essentials? Can you use Essentials encounters with 4th edition characters?
Nov 17	comment	Does 'Reactive Stealth' allow a gnome to become hidden using the partial cover of a companion? I think we're talking about different things. Asking the GM to remember that you are a stealth-seeking character doesn't seem rules-laywerly. Cover from players is tricky, a function of where everyone is placed, and subject to change on their turns.
Nov 17	comment	Does 'Reactive Stealth' allow a gnome to become hidden using the partial cover of a companion? I completely disagree, but politely so. The nature of reactive stealth means you should mention to your GM the SOP of starting in cover. Basically gnomes like to hug walls and obligatory fiddily bits. Tell your GM that your character would look to ways to start in reactive stealth in almost all combats. Furthermore, actual cover is trivial to get in almost anything but a plain 8x8 room. Combine that with the request to the DM, and it should be quite feasible.
Nov 16	answered	If you store a personal spell in a wand, can you then target other creatures with that spell?
Nov 16	answered	What are some of the differences between 2e and 3e Mutants and Masterminds?
Nov 16	answered	As a GM, how do you deal with or manage Stirges?
Nov 16	answered	Does blindsight or tremorsense count for line of sight?
Nov 16	comment	Does 'Reactive Stealth' allow a gnome to become hidden using the partial cover of a companion? That is the fundamental question here that must be posed to the DM.
Nov 16	comment	Does 'Reactive Stealth' allow a gnome to become hidden using the partial cover of a companion? Yes, that also amuses me. On the other hand, we are merely reenacting the hundreds of posts on the community forums about this topic. Yay, efficiency!