Growing up in this day, I expect to see advertising constantly in the real world. If a game depicts a somewhat realistic world, it's logical to have branding and ads. However, my tastes tend toward RPGs which occur in fantasy worlds, so real-world ads would make no sense at all. Thus, my fear is that a dependence on ads in games will mean the end of original and imaginative fantasy worlds. Games will have to take place in worlds that can support ads, and that is going to place a real constraint on future innovation.
I did some salsa a while back and it was pretty fun. Definitely going to get back into it once I'm done recovering from knee surgery. There is a salsa and/or swing community just about everywhere--I learned in the middle of Illinois. Some groups tend toward more men, women, or mostly couples. Still worthwhile, as with other dances.
Many thanks for all the advice, there is already so much good stuff here. Thanks also for the "dating advice on/." flames, all very well deserved.
One reason I asked for info on tweaks was something I found out about by experimenting on match.com. My mutual match results were a bit unsatisfactory. I experimented a little and found that the height range was a hard limit in their matching, so I turned my luck around by changing my height from 5'6" (my real height) to 6'0". It was like night and day, I was suddenly much more compatible with educated, professional, attractive women. Despite a full confession in my profile, I've already received "winks" from women who would otherwise not have found me. I suspect that this tweak could have similar effects on other sites. I don't question the honesty of doing this as much as whether I am working around a technical bug or a social bug.
So one goal of this ASD question was to share this and find out if anyone else has had similar experiences.
There was one more thing I wanted to share. On eharmony every page has images of happy couples and direct or indirect suggestions towards "finding a soulmate". Clearly they have quite an interest in inciting desperation, but it really made me want to puke sometimes. However, I did find that the personality tests and matching questions were very helpful, it made me think about the whole process. I was able to join and get the refund when I left, but of course it wasn't easy!
I recently decided to spring for a 42" HD quality plasma display and have been very happy. One advantage at this level of quality is that RGB or DVI input gives an excellent video connection to my computer. Add in a nice gaming controller or dualshock to USB adaptor and emulation becomes better than the original system. Only problem is deciding whether to stretch the image or not.
If you need a job then you need this book. (amazon link) A new edition comes out every year under the same title. Very general, but lots of stuff applies to techical jobs. Luckily, I found this book before I graduated and it worked for me, I got a dream job right out of college. Made all the connections myself, and now I earn more than my parents. Hey, it's not easy, but don't let anyone tell you it's not possible. Good luck!!
You know, us short people live longer, healthier lives. How many tall people do you see in retirement homes? Also, short men are better at many things. Just ask your mom, your sister or any woman I've ever dated. Once they go short, they don't go back.
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Growing up in this day, I expect to see advertising constantly in the real world. If a game depicts a somewhat realistic world, it's logical to have branding and ads. However, my tastes tend toward RPGs which occur in fantasy worlds, so real-world ads would make no sense at all. Thus, my fear is that a dependence on ads in games will mean the end of original and imaginative fantasy worlds. Games will have to take place in worlds that can support ads, and that is going to place a real constraint on future innovation.
I did some salsa a while back and it was pretty fun. Definitely going to get back into it once I'm done recovering from knee surgery. There is a salsa and/or swing community just about everywhere--I learned in the middle of Illinois. Some groups tend toward more men, women, or mostly couples. Still worthwhile, as with other dances.
Many thanks for all the advice, there is already so much good stuff here. Thanks also for the "dating advice on /." flames, all very well deserved.
One reason I asked for info on tweaks was something I found out about by experimenting on match.com. My mutual match results were a bit unsatisfactory. I experimented a little and found that the height range was a hard limit in their matching, so I turned my luck around by changing my height from 5'6" (my real height) to 6'0". It was like night and day, I was suddenly much more compatible with educated, professional, attractive women. Despite a full confession in my profile, I've already received "winks" from women who would otherwise not have found me. I suspect that this tweak could have similar effects on other sites. I don't question the honesty of doing this as much as whether I am working around a technical bug or a social bug.
So one goal of this ASD question was to share this and find out if anyone else has had similar experiences.
There was one more thing I wanted to share. On eharmony every page has images of happy couples and direct or indirect suggestions towards "finding a soulmate". Clearly they have quite an interest in inciting desperation, but it really made me want to puke sometimes. However, I did find that the personality tests and matching questions were very helpful, it made me think about the whole process. I was able to join and get the refund when I left, but of course it wasn't easy!
I recently decided to spring for a 42" HD quality plasma display and have been very happy. One advantage at this level of quality is that RGB or DVI input gives an excellent video connection to my computer. Add in a nice gaming controller or dualshock to USB adaptor and emulation becomes better than the original system. Only problem is deciding whether to stretch the image or not.
If you need a job then you need this book. (amazon link) A new edition comes out every year under the same title. Very general, but lots of stuff applies to techical jobs. Luckily, I found this book before I graduated and it worked for me, I got a dream job right out of college. Made all the connections myself, and now I earn more than my parents. Hey, it's not easy, but don't let anyone tell you it's not possible. Good luck!!
You know, us short people live longer, healthier lives. How many tall people do you see in retirement homes? Also, short men are better at many things. Just ask your mom, your sister or any woman I've ever dated. Once they go short, they don't go back.