Re: Stock Market Sim

[Micah Yoder <LYoder@cyberis.net>]

> Anyone working on this project probably ought to look at the Stock Market
> Game home page (www.smg2000.com).  I don't want to discourage anyone from

Thanks for that pointer.  I didn't know it existed!

> working on projects that interest them, but I do think it's important to
> make sure you're building a better mousetrap if your going to reinvent the
> wheel (Mixed metaphors: they're not just for breakfast anymore).

> Pro SMG2000: Already exists, designed and run by people who know the stock
> market, many schools already familiar with it.
> 
> Con SMG2000: Cost a couple bucks per student to play.  You can't vary the
> rules to suit your students.

An open source alternative is always nice.  And it looks like with SMG
you need a constant connection to the Net.  With our program, it will
only get updates once a day (possibly using PPP) and everything will
then be run on a local ethernet.

> Pro Local: No per student cost to schools.  Potentially very customizable.
> 
> Con Local: Need someone who can run a server.  Currently nonexistant.
> Programmers probably need input from educators and stock market people to
> get it right.

I know a few things about the stock market.  I think I can make it
fairly realistic and get the terminology right.

Administraters will be required, but it shouldn't be difficult.  I've
already made a script to set up the required database.  Another one will
put the HTML/PHP files in the right place.  That's about all there is to
it, though there may be a configuration file.

Also, SMG looks pretty specific to the U.S.  In other countries, it may
be possible to find feeds from local stock exchanges and the students
could trade on their own market.