Job's Notation (Ben Job)

[footjam_heger]

Hi everyone,

Was just wondering whether Benjamin Job is still alive and kicking?! Anybody know him? This Email is dated 1995. it's more than 10 years ago.. around the time where Kenny got his worldchamps titles I guess.

found this on footbag.org
From: BJ <job> (now invalid)
Subject: By the Way, Not the Name
To: footbag at footbag.org
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 02:16:38 -0700 (MST)

Here's some food for thought... Feedback is welcome, particularly in regard to
the names in the list. Try the "complete" list...

Benjamin Job


A List By the Way

This paper presents a notation for describing footbag tricks and
representing the relationships that exist between them. Additionally, it
presents the means for generating a comprehensive list of possible
variations.
Break a trick down. You get a series of movements preceeded by a set and
followed by a catch (or kick). The set and catch options are few and easily
listable. The series of movements, though allowing of more variation, are
similarly listable. Represented as a formula, this information provides us
with the means to logically generate trick variations. As the precision of
the formula increases, that is, as more of the finite number of basic movements
are incorperated into the formula, we approach the specification of every trick
possible. Consider the following:

(toe | clip) >
[(same | op)(in | out)dexterity]* >
(same | op)(toe | clip)

The notation is as follows: "Same" and "op" are always relative to the leg
previously refered to. "In" and "out" mean "inside" and "outside", respec-
tively. "|" is equiv. to "choice" ("or"). "[ ]" means "enclosed dex is
optional". ">" is equiv. to "followed by". "*" means the preceding term can
occur/re-occur 0 or more times.
From this simple formula, most non-modified leg dexterities can be derived.
Because of the structure of the formula, a "truth table" of moves can be gen-
erated, leaving no move undiscovered (ex., see list).

Some examples:

clip > op clip Clipper to Clipper
toe > op in dex > op toe Mirage
clip > same in dex > op out dex > same toe Paradox Dbl Legover
clip > op in dex > same in dex > op out dex > same toe Flurry

How far can we go? Only slight modifications are needed to account for
other modifiers and their associated possibilities. For example, Pogo,
Symposium, Spinning, ang Gyro moves can be formed by adding "(no plant while)"
and "(forward | backward)spin". The formula,

(toe | clip) >
[(no plant while)]
[(same | op)(in | out)dexterity | (for | back)spin]* >
(same | op)(toe | clip)

describes variations such as:

clip > (no plant while) op in dex > op in dex >
(no plant while) op in dex > op toe Pogo Paradox Symposium Blur

The set and catch options can be filled in with all the choices: inside,
outside, knee, the unsual surfaces. What elements that may comprise a trick
have yet to be accounted for? Just a few: stomping ["(both legs plant)"],
blind, hop-over, carry (Wrap), duck, dive, jumping/flying, Swirl/Twirl cross-
body dex, swing (Pendulum, Rake). Not many other types of primitive movements
exist. Since the acceptable tricks are just combinations of these primitives;
and since each primitive may be easily implemented within the formula; the
the possibility of a master formula for all tricks becomes complete.

Note: "same", "op" and "no plant" are relative to the leg previously refered
to.

Examples:
clip > op in dex > op out dex > op clip Ripwalk
toe > same out dex > same out dex > op clip Double Over Down
toe > op out dex > op out dex > same toe Eggbeater
toe > (no plant while) > op in dex > op toe Symposium Mirage
toe > (no plant while) > op in dex > op clip Symposium Whirl
clip > same in dex > op in dex > op toe Pdx Blur
clip > same out dex > same out dex > op clip Barfly
clip > op in dex > same in dex > same toe Double Pickup
clip > op in dex > (no plant while) op out dex > op clip Dada Curve
clip > (back)spin > same in dex > op out dex > op clip Gyro Ripwal

[Rieferman]

I haven't read that in so long. Definitely worth reading for the first time (if you haven't) and re-reading again (if you have read it already) just to realize what a brilliant concept he had.

But that's not what you asked.. For your question I have no answer, sorry

[Outsider]

Was just wondering whether Benjamin Job is still alive and kicking?! Anybody know him?

Ben Jobs only played footbag for about one year. He came and went pretty quick. Talented guy... I'd been dutifully skooling my way up through the 1, 2, and 3 ADD moves for a year or two in Colorado, under the tutelage of Daryl Genz, Jane Jones, and occasionally Rippin' Rick Reese, when Daryl met Ben and "recruited" him into the local footbag scene. Ben very quickly cruised passed myself and most other local kickers in skill. If I recall correctly, Daryl was already in BAP at that time, and yet Ben, having only started playing a few months before, learned Blurry Whirl before Daryl did (I guess that trick was very new back then, and everything about it seemed really cool to me, especially the name... it just rolled of the tongue and sounded cool). He had been a serious skateboarder prior to learning footbag, but the skating had hurt his knees. Daryl said he was really good, and had seen some vids of Ben ollie-ing over garbage cans and stuff. I don't know much about skating, but that sounds pretty cool to me. Anyway, he came out to play with us pretty regularly for a little while, began to get real good, developed his famous notation system as part of an assignment for a college class he was taking (I think he was studying electrical engineering, or something like that... can't really remember...) and then stopped playing and, as far as I know, mostly just disappeared. I never knew him that well. He seemed to be a really cool guy (he was just an ordinary dude, but struck me as having a certain charm or charisma or something) and now he's long gone, but in his short time in the game he managed to leave a lasting impression on the game, though it wasn't clear that that was happening at the time. I remember reading that e-mail with his notation system (there wasn't really that much footbag e-mail back then - only a small fraction of what people post on this forum, so I eagerly read every little post) and I didn't really think much of it at that time. I never would have guessed at that time... though I think I recall that the system seemed to catch on fairly quickly, but I don't really remember exactly. I just didn't really pay any attention to the notation system until people starting using it enough that I couldn't ignore it any more. I can't really remember much more about him.
Daryl could probably offer up a little more detail about the guy, but I don't think that there is any real news of him after, like, 1996.

[RawSko]

wow. cool story! something about it seems kind of epic...

I'd love to bump into him and be like "hey, did you know --"