Ventana software support forum

Hi Jim! >Some evolutionary divergence is healthy. Having people exploring >different aspects of the field is a very good thing. Still, I think its >valuable to continue "genetic" exchanges between groups -- its a bit too >early for true speciation. Fully Agreed! >The necessary cohesion can...

Hi Jim! I am really enjoying the discussion of SD semantics. I am relatively new to SD (three years and mostly self educated, but with a good modeling background) so I could be wrong, but it is my impression that until the late 80s, SD was a relatively small, closed group. With SD growing internatio...

Hi Tony! I would agree that the term sustainability is very poorly agreed upon. The current issue of Better World Magazine at http://www.betterworld.com is totally devoted to sustainability. The issue includes an article I wrote on Sustainability and Corporations. In that article I highlight the nee...

Hi Tom! Wow! What an e-mail. I have copied it into my archives as a reference document. You refer to several games/simulations I have not heard of. Good to have info on them. I agree on IMAGE. It is my impression it would take 6 months to a year to learn how to really use it/make it sing. My main po...

>What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of interactive games vs. >flight simulators? The common wisdom is that flight simulators are better >because any difference in outcome between teams is due to how the team was >managed, since all teams face the same "competitor". What do...

I have a paper I wrote on The Outlook for Simulation and Gaming in Management Training on my home page http://neosoft.com/~pteragen. It may have some information you will find valuable. Good Luck! Jay Forrest Pteragenesis Chaos, Complexity, System Dynamics, Studies of the Future pteragen@neosoft.com...

Hi Paige! I am a thesis student in Studies of the Future at the University of Houston -- Clear Lake. I have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and have a pretty strong background in biology and environmental science. Last spring I took a course on Future Environmental Issues and, as a p...

Hi Tim! Your comments should raise a lively response! >I am currently considering which software package would best suit my needs. >I have looked at the demo versions of PowerSim, STELLA/iThink and Vensim for >PC and am left somewhat in a state of confusion ! I own all three, Stella, Vensim, and Pow...

I finally have info on EZ-IMPACT modeling software and have a demo which is encouraged to be shared. I can zip it and mail it to anyone who wants to see it. The demo is "Presentation" software based and not a dummy version of the program and IT IS SLOW! Because it is so slow I gave up whil...

>I have just read about a simulation package called EZ-IMPACT. This is I took a class this spring where we had the choice of using EZ-Impact or SD. >From an educational point-of-view unfortunately no one chose EZ-Impact. I wanted a copy but the book store didnt want to order one copy. The software i...

I am building a global carbon cycle model for an environmental class and was wondering if anyone on the listserve has a Stella or Vensim model they would be willing to share. I have tried several approaches with varying success and am interested in what others have done. Thanks in advance! Jay Forre...

At 07:13 AM 7/8/96 -0700, Jim Hines wrote: >I think the approach a client is most comfortable with depends on what the >problem is and what the level of detail is. > >If you are portraying, say, the aging of a workforce; a stock and flow >diagram will be simpler than a causal loop diagram. > >On the...

Hi Ed! In working with clients, the client MUST be involved in the generation of the CLD or SF diagram. If the client is not involved it is my experience that they will not understand it, and if they dont understand it they wont accept it. It is my experience that it is generally easier to build a C...

Hi Jim! I appreciated your comments: Your comments re: causal loop diagrams and the equations being separate was at the heart of my comment. As you indicated, SF diagrams and equations are also separate. As a chemical engineer I well understand the additional insight provided by the stock and flow c...

On Thu, 4 Jul 1996, Kim Warren <kim@farthing.stargate.co.uk> wrote: >Youre right - Ive noticed the same, but we absolutely have to crack this >one. Causal loops are completely inadequate for any serious attempt to >model real situations and test policy options. On this listserve many people refer to...

Jim Thompson wrote: "I believe you should try to stretch the clients mental models a little and not dumb down the material to the lowest common denominator... Communication theory describes what is needed quite nicely. Meaningful communications must contain both familiar and new information. Th...

During the fall semester I did a research paper on the Use of Simulation in Management Training. The road was pretty rocky and, in a sense I did not learn anything very surprising or exciting. Still, you may find it interesting if you are involved in modeling or developing simulations for management...

Ed Gallaher wrote: >Im not sure that contraction is desirable, but perhaps some >consolidation. Im finding many concepts being clarified by these >discussions. Of course Im new to this community. Im not new to DYNAMO >or STELLA, but I am new to this level of discourse. Not sure why the word consolid...

I am a graduate student at the University of Houston -- Clear Lake in Studies of the Future. As my Masters project I am in the planning stages of a system dynamics model of resource demands in a world moving toward sustainability. The model I envision will deal primarily with transportation and tran...