I can certainly say that violence would increase in my school if violent video games were ever banned.
I know kids with no hope of a social life, or even the smallest amount of self-esteem, whose entire lives are centered around being good at video games.
Take away the video games, and you're pulling the pin out of a grenade.
Thanks for the advice... you may get modded down as "offtopic", but... thanks.:)
It's better than what the counselors tell us, because they're usually out of touch with college acceptance stuff anyway. Or so I've heard.
If I'm chronically depressed, that should help my chances, right?:)
Damn about the after school activities... I think listing "Magic: The Gathering club" might hinder me more than help me.;)
I'm set as far as AP classes and test scores though. I don't know what the SATII's are, but I take standardized tests very well. And i'm in 5 AP classes this year (Junior year).
It's good to know that I can make up for the occasional total-mental-lapse thing, in which I completely forget everything I know about calculus for a month or two.
I know... that's why I had to partially defend myself with a mini-rant after the first use of the word communist.:)
I still think that the connotation fits. I do believe in a lot of Communist (real communist, that is... Marxist) ideology, but I think censorship is about as bad as you can get. And it's associated, in my mind at least, with Stalinist communism.
See my sig for a good idea about my attitudes toward censorship.;)
Communist has more meaning, at least to Americans (most of the Slashdot readership).
"Communist" has been misunderstood and taken out of context so many times it has completely lost any real meaning, but it's connotation has been the same in America since the 50's.
"Communist" = "evil" to most of mainstream America. This was indoctrinated into people for about the last 50 years.
Also, censorship of ideas (video, sound, whatever) is a very Leninist/Stalinist (and to some extent Maoist) tactic for sociopolitical control as well as a basic denial of human rights associated with Communism.
Umm... yeah. You're completely right. The sky is not falling.:)
But since "I agree with so-and-so" posts are boring, I'll make a point.
As far as brain chemistry goes, both the sedentary lifestyle as well as the violent imagery are completely capable of changing brain chemistry. However, I have one thing to add to that. My guess is that it's as much a lack of real social interaction than anything else. Humans are primarily social creatures; never forget that. In my own experience, I get unexplainably depressed after periods of declined social interaction due to Diablo 2 binges. Of course... maybe it's just the sedentariness... but I'm sedentary whether i'm with my friends or not.
I think it's more a denial of a basic human need (to interact with other humans).
Wow... good thing they didn't include me in the test.
Unless I'd taken some dexedrine (concentration pills) first, I'd have fallen asleep about 10 minutes into the math. Calculus couldn't even keep me awake last year...
And the video games would've been mentally stimulating either way.
As far as playing video games go... I play until I hit my threshold of "it's boring now" which was about a half hour with Half-life... and about a month with Diablo 2...
and I don't play the games, ever again. I don't let myself get addicted, after some bad experiences with Heroes 3.:)
Either parents "regulate" their kids, or they don't.
Either way, unless they're your children, you have absolutely no say in the matter.
I can only hope that when I have children, they grow up in a world where I still have a right to choose whether my children's access to information is censored or not.
I really hate to say it, but... here it goes... "communism". Now I'm gonna get modded down.
And before you flame me for being anti-communist, check out my political bias. Just ask me about my opinions about anything... I consider myself a Socio-anarchist, so don't automatically think i'm some right wing cracker who hates things ideologically.
I don't hate communism... I should probably clarify that... I hate Stalin's iron curtain policies, blocking the flow of information (which wants to be free:))
Some older players (first-generation) cannot play double sided DVD's.
They were originally made to play only single-sided DVD's, and those who bought DVD players when they first came out can only see single-sided DVD's now.
Therefore, the industry is reluctant to make tons of double-sided DVD's, because everybody who bought the first DVD players would complain.
But I don't think they should be edited out of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. They're part of the film - it's quirkiness - and it fits right in with William Shatner in a tight Trek uniform.
Now editing Jar Jar Binks out of Star Wars Episode One... that is something that I would not mind at all.
Slashdot Mirror
Academic Decathlon is good? Excellent!
:)
My (more-ambitious) friends talked me into doing that this year.
I can certainly say that violence would increase in my school if violent video games were ever banned.
I know kids with no hope of a social life, or even the smallest amount of self-esteem, whose entire lives are centered around being good at video games.
Take away the video games, and you're pulling the pin out of a grenade.
Whoa!! I was wary of the "Anonymous Coward" replying to me, but... whoa!
:)
Thanks for the information. It seems I've been misinformed for years... which I find is often the case with things like quotes.
Cool stuff.
This was modded down?
;)
Clearly the moderator has never used GCC 2.96...
You guys forced to use RedHat know what i'm talking about.
Especially if you've tried to compile large MMX-optimised projects.
Thanks for the advice... you may get modded down as "offtopic", but... thanks. :)
:)
;)
It's better than what the counselors tell us, because they're usually out of touch with college acceptance stuff anyway. Or so I've heard.
If I'm chronically depressed, that should help my chances, right?
Damn about the after school activities... I think listing "Magic: The Gathering club" might hinder me more than help me.
I'm set as far as AP classes and test scores though. I don't know what the SATII's are, but I take standardized tests very well. And i'm in 5 AP classes this year (Junior year).
It's good to know that I can make up for the occasional total-mental-lapse thing, in which I completely forget everything I know about calculus for a month or two.
I know... that's why I had to partially defend myself with a mini-rant after the first use of the word communist. :)
;)
I still think that the connotation fits. I do believe in a lot of Communist (real communist, that is... Marxist) ideology, but I think censorship is about as bad as you can get. And it's associated, in my mind at least, with Stalinist communism.
See my sig for a good idea about my attitudes toward censorship.
Well, I was a counselor at a kid's computer summer camp a year ago...
:P
I have to say, 8 year olds are extremely violent. However, I did find a way to calm them down.
It seemed that while playing Quake III Arena, they were more focused on the game, and less focused on beating each other up...
Interesting to speculate on... could computer games actually be helping otherwise-borderline-psychotic violent 8 year olds?
Group sex parties? Damn, I wish I could get in on that...
:P
;)
In all of 17 years, i've never even been on a date! (blame slashdot)
I think the problems of "computer gaming" and "promiscuous sex" are, by definition, affecting completely different groups of people.
Communist has more meaning, at least to Americans (most of the Slashdot readership).
"Communist" has been misunderstood and taken out of context so many times it has completely lost any real meaning, but it's connotation has been the same in America since the 50's.
"Communist" = "evil" to most of mainstream America. This was indoctrinated into people for about the last 50 years.
Also, censorship of ideas (video, sound, whatever) is a very Leninist/Stalinist (and to some extent Maoist) tactic for sociopolitical control as well as a basic denial of human rights associated with Communism.
Umm... yeah. You're completely right. The sky is not falling. :)
But since "I agree with so-and-so" posts are boring, I'll make a point.
As far as brain chemistry goes, both the sedentary lifestyle as well as the violent imagery are completely capable of changing brain chemistry. However, I have one thing to add to that. My guess is that it's as much a lack of real social interaction than anything else. Humans are primarily social creatures; never forget that. In my own experience, I get unexplainably depressed after periods of declined social interaction due to Diablo 2 binges. Of course... maybe it's just the sedentariness... but I'm sedentary whether i'm with my friends or not.
I think it's more a denial of a basic human need (to interact with other humans).
Wow... good thing they didn't include me in the test.
:)
Unless I'd taken some dexedrine (concentration pills) first, I'd have fallen asleep about 10 minutes into the math. Calculus couldn't even keep me awake last year...
And the video games would've been mentally stimulating either way.
As far as playing video games go... I play until I hit my threshold of "it's boring now" which was about a half hour with Half-life... and about a month with Diablo 2...
and I don't play the games, ever again. I don't let myself get addicted, after some bad experiences with Heroes 3.
Latest brain imaging techniques...
;)
Isn't that what they used in the movie "The Sixth Day" to clone people?
I think we're again merging two frequent topics on slashdot...
Sorry about my use of the term "right wing cracker". I'm just resentful of "Dubya".
:P
What I should have said was "backwards-thinking reactionist bigoted [expletive deleted]".
Up to the government??
:))
I'm sorry, but this is a simple issue.
Either parents "regulate" their kids, or they don't.
Either way, unless they're your children, you have absolutely no say in the matter.
I can only hope that when I have children, they grow up in a world where I still have a right to choose whether my children's access to information is censored or not.
I really hate to say it, but... here it goes... "communism". Now I'm gonna get modded down.
And before you flame me for being anti-communist, check out my political bias. Just ask me about my opinions about anything... I consider myself a Socio-anarchist, so don't automatically think i'm some right wing cracker who hates things ideologically.
I don't hate communism... I should probably clarify that... I hate Stalin's iron curtain policies, blocking the flow of information (which wants to be free
That's enough of a rant for now.
Very true. I got really lazy last year, and ended up with a C, two B's, and three A's.
:)
;)
That doesn't quite match up with my PSAT score of 1470.
Of course, if I could just convince California schools to look at SAT scores and not grades, I'd be going to Berkeley...
Actually...
:)
Many modern psychiatric theorists explain the chemical-physical relationship as two sided.
It is commonly accepted that changing the chemicals of the brain (through medication or drugs of some kind) correlates directly to behavioral changes.
However, some theorize that it works both ways; you can also change your brain chemistry through repetetive behavioral changes.
So yes... a repeated, habitual (addictive?) activity can probably change the chemistry of your brain, to some extent.
Or at least it's possible.
Only here, will you find two completely contradicting stories within a week of each other...
:)
Which one do we believe?
Me? I'll believe whichever one I heard most recently. I'm gullible.
Umm... why was I just moderated as "flamebait"??
:)
Usually I don't question moderation publically...
but, this is just wrong.
If I was going to be moderated down, I was thinking maybe "offtopic"...
I wasn't flaming anyone... and I don't see who could possibly flame me over this...
I was just trying to be funny.
But my suggestion still stands...
Oh well, I guess it went way above the moderator's head.
eh, sonny?
back in the day, Slackware 4.0 was a gateway drug.
We all saw the brand-spankin' new shiny color install. We all used the spankin'-convenient "menu system".
Yet somehow, it still trashed every "Gateway 2000" machine that we put it on...
that's why it's called a gateway drug now.
Of course them young whippersnappers like Mandrake think they can pull in new users with them shiny Gooeys and what they've them got now...
[trails off mumbling to self...]
Yeah... you're right. I guess it really depends what your server is doing.
:)
I automatically assumed "everything"... which includes functioning as an X desktop for thin clients.
I personally wouldn't install X if I didn't actually use it.
Oh, is that what double sided means? I've actually never seen one like that...
:)
Wow. written on both sides... amazing.
I should probably get some newer DVD's.
I have an idea... we all hate the MPAA, right?
:)
But we all like Star Trek, right?
Why don't we just buy a single "community copy" of the new Star Trek DVD, and share it!
The MPAA will hate it, and we'll all see the movie.
Some older players (first-generation) cannot play double sided DVD's.
:)
They were originally made to play only single-sided DVD's, and those who bought DVD players when they first came out can only see single-sided DVD's now.
Therefore, the industry is reluctant to make tons of double-sided DVD's, because everybody who bought the first DVD players would complain.
That's my random guess anyway.
Oh... yes. Yes they do. :)
But I don't think they should be edited out of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. They're part of the film - it's quirkiness - and it fits right in with William Shatner in a tight Trek uniform.
Now editing Jar Jar Binks out of Star Wars Episode One... that is something that I would not mind at all.
umm... why would it?