Tifany Simpson, Belizean genius - BELIZE -

***** Belizean Genius Tifany Simpson

Holy Moly, I remember when I took a C++ software programming course and afterwards, while it was useful to me, I decided being a software programmer was not what I wanted to be. The thing here is she taught herself to make video games from the internet after around 4 months all together.


Not trying to push a commercial product but this looks kind of interesting....

The Guardian:

Written by Shane D, Williams
Thursday, 10 February 2011 00:00
Tiffany Simpson and her Belize Trivia ChallengeTiffany Simpson and her Belize Trivia ChallengeParents and children now have the opportunity to test their knowledge of the jewel in a fun and interactive manner thanks to Tiffany Simpson’s “Belize Trivia Challenge”. According to Tiffany Simpson, the Belize Trivia Challenge is a computer program that tests an individual’s knowledge of Belize. One game on the program includes 10 questions with 4 answers to choose from. Each answer is worth 1000 points and a player has 25 seconds to answer. 25 points is deducted for every second that passes. There is also a hint button that gives a clue to the answer for each question. The clue is very effective in helping a player to identify the answer; however, if the hint button is used 300 points is deducted.

The game is very addictive and the side effects include a ton of knowledge relating to Belize’s history, geography, culture, political and educational system, etc. Tiffany Simpson is a game and software developer whose passion for “fueling knowledge” inspired her to create the game. She said, “Knowledge is key to the development of any society and this is my way to contribute to that development.” Simpson is in the process of taking a high school tour to familiarize students and teachers with the program. Though it is not her immediate goal for the Belize Trivia Challenge, the program could serve as an effective preparation tool for students preparing for the Primary School Examinations. Simpson is able to build software using the curriculum for PSE. It is a creative way to encourage studying and improve performance.

Simpson’s program is revolutionary to Belizean education because it taps into this technologically motivated generation. Sadly for us in the newspaper business and printing industry, it is a fact that electronic media is the new king of information. The screen lights are more attractive than paper; therefore, games such as the Belize Trivia Challenge could be the answer to the prayers of parents and educators. Those without educational motivation may still find the challenge attractive based on the fact that rewards could be gained by playing online. Players can challenge others online to win cash by visiting www.belizeanartwork.com to sign up for an account.

What is more impressive than her program is the way that Simpson learnt to build it. She had no previous experience in software development and said that one year ago she Googled software design training. It took her six weeks to understand the program and two and a half months later the Belize Trivia Challenge was born. A new CD is released every month with a database of a couple hundred questions. The price of a copy is $5 and they are available at the Image Factory in Belize City. Simpson hopes to have them available countrywide shortly but until then autographed copies can be ordered directly from her at telephone number 607-1088.

She also develops software that make puzzles, some of which will be featured weekly in future editions of the Guardian.