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Been wondering with the graphics of World of Warcraft, its raised the bar on what people expect from an MMO to look like. The down side, WoW is missing many features of a popular MMO's, that EQ2, Dark Camelot, Ashron have. Even popular D&D elements are missing, but since its based on the Warcraft game history, some aspects might be expected.

I'm currious, now that the level of graphical detail has been met, what game will come along and give the game play thats also needed to make an MMO better.

After playing some demos and seen video clips, the new games just dont provide the graphical detail of WoW, but tend to offer more indepth gameplay. I just wish I knew what was coming next? Matrix was a real disappointment. autowars looks too metal-wars'ish.

http://www.mpog.com has some good links and videos and reviews. Guildwars is getting better reviews than WoW, which is interesting. Wondering its gotten better since beta.

Head loppers, eh? Now we know what games Miyamoto takes his inspiration from!

Get a hold of yourself, JD. Nobody's going to get the KillerQuake/Headlopper reference. ;)

While I don't really care for UF as much as I used to, it's still nice to see an online comic getting some mainstream publishing so that non-onliners can even pick it up. I think the biggest problem today with online comics that are published in bookform is that they are not mainstream, but self-published or published by small houses like Plan Nine. I'd love to be able to walk into my local Barnes&Noble and pick up a copy of Goats, PVP, PLIF, or GPF.

If The Bench is going to become a daily spot for me like Real Life, PvP, or its father, I NEED some way to sort through the.. 30-80 odd submissions a day is it?

Open Source only really works when everyone is striving at a common good, yes? The most successful open source projects (/. included) always have a central cabal or something leading the way. Right now all The Bench has is Gabe, Tycho, and their weekly pick for Sunday.

So Gabe, Tycho, if you guys are reading this (damn well better be)... you need a voting/moderation system on The Bench.

As coincidental luck would have it, this flamebait discussion has surfaced days after Kurtz is showing off his new domainname, www.sixtosix.com. This, IMO, falls into the realm of "secret documents leaked" by a corporation in the midst of a legal trial.

This is off topic but I'm ticked-off and will post this anyway.

I read the story and then took the link to Kurtz's rant. From there I saw a link that made my blood run cold.

You see, Mr. Kurtz didn't write 'Brent's Thirteen Facts of Email you Should Know' though he does take credit for doing so . Not only does he take credit for the thirteen facts he has applied his copyright to it lest someone steal it from him.

The real author is my friend Erynn. She sent the message on August 31, 1998 in an effort to save Bernard's life. Since then, the message has turned into a rather popular forward.

And, yet, folks who know they didn't write it continue to take credit for the content. How do they think they can get away with that?

The bigger question to come out of this Slashdot article is not whether or not technical support comics are funny but is Kurtz going to come clean about where he got the email facts.

InitZero

This is off topic but I'm ticked-off and will post this anyway.

I read the story and then took the link to Kurtz's rant. From there I saw a link that made my blood run cold.

You see, Mr. Kurtz didn't write 'Brent's Thirteen Facts of Email you Should Know' though he does take credit for doing so . Not only does he take credit for the thirteen facts he has applied his copyright to it lest someone steal it from him.

The real author is my friend Erynn. She sent the message on August 31, 1998 in an effort to save Bernard's life. Since then, the message has turned into a rather popular forward.

And, yet, folks who know they didn't write it continue to take credit for the content. How do they think they can get away with that?

The bigger question to come out of this Slashdot article is not whether or not technical support comics are funny but is Kurtz going to come clean about where he got the email facts.

InitZero

Read Kurtz's "13 things everyone on email should know" I'd say it's just as condescending. This stuff would make a few good user friendly's. . .

Not to totally dismiss Kurtz's complaint, but I think there's a bit of subtext to this as well.

I think part of PvP's beef here is that Iliad has, from their perspective, managed to accrue a major following and a nigh-steady income with scarcely a shred of style or talent, while they toil in relative obscurity. Seriously, looking at cartoons like Penny Arcade or PvP, these guys have obviously dedicated a lot of time to making their strips look good, clean and stylish, whereas User Friendly is hardly a notch above "Cathy" on the scale of artistic effort.

Personally, I read both PA and UF as often as they come out. I *don't* read PvP, probably mainly because the only time they ever come to my attention is when they're bitching about Iliad. Kurtz has a nifty and unique style, but the actual comics just don't grab me.

Of course, the *only* consistently brilliant, funny and well-drawn comic on the web is Bob the Angry Flower. If only he'd update more than twice a month.

--
perl -e '$_="06fde129ae54c1b4c8152374c00";
s/(.)/printf "%c",(10,32,65,67,69,72,

I read some of his other stuff... his 13 things people with e-mail should know is making fun of people who don't know better. From that page...Number 9

9. If you still absolutely MUST forward that 10th-generation message from a friend, at least have the decency to trim the eight miles of headers showing everyone else who's received it over the last 6 months. It sure wouldn't hurt to get rid of all the that begin each line. For the love of God, LEARN HOW TO COPY AND PASTE!!!!!

and number 6...

6. There is no "Good Times" virus. In fact, you should never, ever, ever, forward any email containing any virus warning unless you first confirm it at an actual site of an actual company that actually deals with viruses. Try: www.norton.com. And even then, don't forward it. We don't care! And you cannot get a virus from opening an email. you have to download...ya know, like, a FILE!

Not only is he incorrect about not being able to get a virus via e-mail (as users of Win95/8/nt and outlook have found out lately). But he (in number 9) doesn't explain how to copy and paste...or what headers are...he just makes fun of people who don't get rid of them by calling them morons.

What a whining stump.

Anyway, in case anyone was going form an opinion of the guy based solely on this somewhat objectionable rant, take a look at this as well.
--

Brent noted that he worked 4 years in Tech support. I hope he gave out better advice than this selection, from this web page:

And you cannot get a virus from opening an email.

I know he's just trying to be helpful. But Brent gets things wrong sometimes. (Note the above, from a veteran of tech support.) I think the concern over tech support humor shows sensitivity, but misunderstands the point of User Friendly. The "tech support" strips use pointless, unfulfilling jobs (e.g., entry tech support) as a foil for humor. We don't laugh at the customers; what's funny is the ironic juxtaposition of bright gen-X-ers whose talents are wasted on simple computer problems. Customers asking stupid questions is not very funny; the frustration of bright, capable people who face these questions is funny.


Oh yea, just so this thoughtful comment doesn't get moderated up: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cock-sucker, mother-fucker and tits.

Brent noted that he worked 4 years in Tech support. I hope he gave out better advice than this selection, from this web page:

And you cannot get a virus from opening an email.

I know he's just trying to be helpful. But Brent gets things wrong sometimes. (Note the above, from a veteran of tech support.) I think the concern over tech support humor shows sensitivity, but misunderstands the point of User Friendly. The "tech support" strips use pointless, unfulfilling jobs (e.g., entry tech support) as a foil for humor. We don't laugh at the customers; what's funny is the ironic juxtaposition of bright gen-X-ers whose talents are wasted on simple computer problems. Customers asking stupid questions is not very funny; the frustration of bright, capable people who face these questions is funny.


Oh yea, just so this thoughtful comment doesn't get moderated up: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cock-sucker, mother-fucker and tits.

I woke up am 5pm [yes night owl I am] to my radio proclamming to provide Y2K covrage.. Keep up on all the Y2K news... blah...
Called into work... directed someone to turn on my computer and radio modem.. modem dosn't want to work.. ok no biggy.. directed the person to shut down..
By the time I got to work the modem was fine and the person was online checking up on her stocks. She says there was some news on one company in the early morning hours and she wanted to put in a buy order on-line... according to the information she could get nothing is happening in the stock market.. she might be able to get a good deal...
When she was done and I got to set up for my day I switched over from her account to mine.. pulled up some Y2K music "It's all a conspericy man.. this is how the freemasons plan to take over the united states government..." kick on IRC... pull up some web sites and wait... Someone mentioned CNN and I rembered that I could watch CNN over real audio so I pulled it up over the RealPlayer G2 alpha for Linux [Looks like Realmedia dosn't plan to support Linux for very much longer... time to make our own format.. hint hint]
I occasionally mentioned that my brain wasn't Y2K complient... other Y2K jokes went around... looking for the pissed off survivalists... they seem to be staying underground...

Ok first Y2K bug.. accually this one is an oldly.... My XT at home [The Back up] is trapped in the 1980s.. I knew this allready.. but it works fine... so who cares...
Next Y2K bug.. apparently someone on IRCs lighters arn't Y2K complient... they all died... oh well...
Next a website PVP isn't pointed at the right location for the Y2K commic... still pointing at 1999 subdirection.. apparently the year is hardcoded and has to be changed manually every year...
Next bug... My security camra works fine except for the fact that there is no 13/1/99 [13th month].. I have to fix this every year.. no biggy.. did it before... Unfortunatly it uses a 2 digit year but then that clock is a convence we can live without...
Next annother website Giga-byte now for the fun part.. Mac and Linux report year 2100 but a test version of Windows gets 4000.. It's the website and I don't know why it malfunctions diffrently for Windows but I suspect being a test version is part of that... The website reports the wrong year eather way...

In short the "Y2Kbugs" are related to disposable lighters.. website defects.. new year bugs and old 198X bugs.
Power dosn't go off... my brains didn't explode all over my desk.. and where are those pissed off survivalists... I need to laff in there faces... dang it they must be in hinding...