It turns out, not all Chinese WoW players are gold farmers. Maybe they're the exception rather than the rule, I don't know the numbers, but allow me to share an experience I had just a few days ago.
I'm killing gorillas in Un'goro crater, grinding my hunter up to level 54. I've been doing this for about 30 minutes now, and I find myself in front of U'cha, a gorilla boss who lives in this cave. There's a quest to kill him, and I've done it probably a dozen times on various other characters. Right now, on this character, I don't have the quest, and no real reason to kill U'cha. Except for the fact that I love killin'. So I am gonna kill him.
Just as I place my hunter's mark on U'cha's soon-to-be-departed ass, I get a group invite from a player named "Xiojuang", or some such Chinese sounding name. Now, I normally decline unsolicited group invites without a second thought. If you don't have the courtesy to ask me if I want to join you, I don't want to help you, it's just common courtesy to ask first. Also, the very Chinese sounding name reminds me of a gold farmer. Between trade channel spamming and spawn point camping, I generally hate gold farmers. I'm reasonably sure this guy is a gold farmer who needs my help (he's a warrior, several levels below me, and there's no way he's gonna take down this big ape on his own). But at this point I'm bored, so with a grin on my face, I accept the group invite to see what he wants.
We stand there in silence for minute, he and I. Then he says, "i am chinese friend". Fuck, I knew it, gold farmer. I respond, "umm... ok". More silence. Still standing just out of combat range of U'cha, my Chinese friend finally says, "i need kill him you help me plz". Well, you know, I was gonna kill him anyway. What's the harm in helpin this guy out? None, really, and I am bored, so I respond, "ok". "go go go", he says. Damn, he's impatient, as I'd have guessed. Fine, I'll kill. I send my pet after U'cha and, after giving him a few seconds to establish aggro, I open fire. Within 20 seconds U'cha is lifeless on the ground, and Xio is looting his corpse, picking up the quest item he needed.
Are ya happy, ya goddamn chinese gold farmer? See, this is where things change. Nearly as random as his unsolicited group invite, he opens a trade window with me, and without a word, places a pair of pants into it. They're mail pants, with +agility on them, pretty nice gear for a hunter of my level. It so happens that my gear is better, but I'm not going to turn them down, so I accept them, and, wondering why he did this, I message him with a simple "?". He responds, "i give you". Hmm, that's not what I expected at all.
Now, U'cha may be eating the floor, but my Chinese friend and I are still in the back of this cave, with at least a dozen gorillas between us and daylight. We're both going the same direction, so I figure, why not fight our way out of here together? In the battles which ensued during the course of our exit from the cave, several "green" (uncommon) items are dropped by various gorillas we kill. When grouped with strangers in WoW, it's generally accepted that any green or higher items are simply greed rolled by all members of the party, and the high roller gets the item. You can generally expect farmers to always roll "need", in order to get the items, whether or not they actually need them. They're going to put them up for sale in the Auction House. But this guy didn't roll, neither need, nor greed, he PASSED on both items. The first time, I messaged him, "hey, don't you want that? just roll greed...". He responded, "no you have". Whoa.
Finally we get to the exit of the cave. He messages me, "i go now". And then, "good bye friend". Then he mounts his horse and rides off.
Now, this guy was either NOT a gold farmer, or maybe just a really crappy one. Giving me items? Passing the roll on items? No, farmers would NOT do that, certainly not good ones. I think this was just a regular Chinese guy playing WoW, just lik
it's a good thing though, if they can make a product more powerful for that amount of money than they should do so. Marking up the same hardware and because you don't have artifical barriers on it should be a crime...
Unfortunately, it's breaking these artifical barriers to make full use of hardware you paid for that a crime in our society.
A few years back there was a hack that, by setting a few registry keys, you could turn Windows 2000 Professional into Windows 2000 Server. So if I buy a computer with Windows 2000 Pro on it, do I have the right to run that hack to "make full use of hardware [I] paid for"? Should Microsoft be charged of a crime for creating "artificial barriers"?
No, and no. For the same reason, Canon is well within their right to charge extra for the camera which has more features. And you've no right to try to use those features without paying for them.
Seems like a pretty boneheaded move on Canon's part, but even if they did the software equivalent of leaving the cash register open, reaching over the counter and grabbing a handful of cash is still stealing.
The South Pole research station has a bunch or radio telescopes. Like this
Of course, the prevalent wireless standard is 802.11, and 802.11 networking (also being based on radio frequencies) isn't allowed at the station because it messes up the telescopes.
I understand they have problems with people setting up rogue access points anyway. They track 'em down with this.
Tarzan caused a minor PR backlash against Disney for forcing people to watch ads. I'm not so sure content providers will try that again. And if so, vote with your dollars and don't buy movies which force ads upon you.
Still, I really have to wonder how many people will actually pay the $99/year for the.mac service.
Me, too. I won't be paying. I never really used the e-mail or iDisk space anyway. Adding backup and virus stuff doesn't motivate me any, either. I hear they're planning on adding more services later. Maybe at some point it'll be worth it...
To be honest, though, with all the new features in the new version of the OS, I really can't blame them for charging for it. Not sure I'll pay, but still...
The OS is another deal entirely. I'll pay the $129 for the upgrade, gladly. Listen, I use this damned machine 10-12 hours per day. Any improvement is worth the cost, IMO.
And why didn't NEO-GEO make it into the chart? That was by far the best console during that time...too bad it was $100 a game (or some ungodly price like that) and some ridiculous amount for the console.
That's why, exactly: the system was $600 and the games were $100. The number of Neo Geo systems sold might as well have been zero, compared to the other systems. I happened to work at a video game store during that era. During the two years I worked there, I don't know how many Super Nintendos and Genesis systems I sold: easily in the thousands. Neo Geo systems? I personally sold 2.
You're right, it was the best system at the time, but just not worth the price. People simply won't pay $600 for a game system. If you don't believe me, just ask Trip Hawkins.
Damn! All this time, going to movies, I thought I was watching documentaries. Turns out, they're not even true! Wow, it's like the people on the screen are, I dunno, acting or something! The horror!
Lighten up. Movies are a form of entertainment. We know all about reality. Don't ruin the fantasy with technicalities. Jackasses.
You don't just jump into Joe SixPack's house over night. The VCR took a long time to reach the mass market. The DVD player took a while, too. It'll get there.
Aside from that, I think TiVo is marketing itself all wrong. I don't think most people really get it. Everyone I explain Tivo to is amazed, and wants one. The commercials just don't convey the sheer coolness of it.
Nope, that person was there, too. Quoted right from the article:
A series of public forums were launched, in which technophiles argued in favor of the service, and the anti-wireless folks -- including a woman who appeared at one meeting wearing dark sunglasses and protective headgear to ward off stray signals -- insisted that the plan was dangerous.
This happened before: when Apple started shipping the 2nd rev iBook (the SE model), it had specs matching the then-high-end PowerBook. This did destroy PowerBook sales, until they started shipping the Titanium PowerBook G4 a few months later.
So I'd say it's very likely we'll be seeing updated PowerMacs in the next month or two. Now, the next major trade show is Seybold, in late February. Seybold is the show for media professionals, so what better place to announce hot new Pro model computers?
Jobs was anti-PDA only 6 weeks ago
on
Apple PDA?
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· Score: 1
This article, from only 6 weeks ago, quotes Jobs saying some pretty Anti-PDA stuff.
I think that's reason enough to dismiss this as a hoax.
AppleTurns is the voice of reason, once again
on
Apple PDA?
·
· Score: 1
As the Apple Turns has some pretty compelling arguments on why this is probably a hoax (albeit a very well done one).
Slashdot Mirror
It turns out, not all Chinese WoW players are gold farmers. Maybe they're the exception rather than the rule, I don't know the numbers, but allow me to share an experience I had just a few days ago.
I'm killing gorillas in Un'goro crater, grinding my hunter up to level 54. I've been doing this for about 30 minutes now, and I find myself in front of U'cha, a gorilla boss who lives in this cave. There's a quest to kill him, and I've done it probably a dozen times on various other characters. Right now, on this character, I don't have the quest, and no real reason to kill U'cha. Except for the fact that I love killin'. So I am gonna kill him.
Just as I place my hunter's mark on U'cha's soon-to-be-departed ass, I get a group invite from a player named "Xiojuang", or some such Chinese sounding name. Now, I normally decline unsolicited group invites without a second thought. If you don't have the courtesy to ask me if I want to join you, I don't want to help you, it's just common courtesy to ask first. Also, the very Chinese sounding name reminds me of a gold farmer. Between trade channel spamming and spawn point camping, I generally hate gold farmers. I'm reasonably sure this guy is a gold farmer who needs my help (he's a warrior, several levels below me, and there's no way he's gonna take down this big ape on his own). But at this point I'm bored, so with a grin on my face, I accept the group invite to see what he wants.
We stand there in silence for minute, he and I. Then he says, "i am chinese friend". Fuck, I knew it, gold farmer. I respond, "umm... ok". More silence. Still standing just out of combat range of U'cha, my Chinese friend finally says, "i need kill him you help me plz". Well, you know, I was gonna kill him anyway. What's the harm in helpin this guy out? None, really, and I am bored, so I respond, "ok". "go go go", he says. Damn, he's impatient, as I'd have guessed. Fine, I'll kill. I send my pet after U'cha and, after giving him a few seconds to establish aggro, I open fire. Within 20 seconds U'cha is lifeless on the ground, and Xio is looting his corpse, picking up the quest item he needed.
Are ya happy, ya goddamn chinese gold farmer? See, this is where things change. Nearly as random as his unsolicited group invite, he opens a trade window with me, and without a word, places a pair of pants into it. They're mail pants, with +agility on them, pretty nice gear for a hunter of my level. It so happens that my gear is better, but I'm not going to turn them down, so I accept them, and, wondering why he did this, I message him with a simple "?". He responds, "i give you". Hmm, that's not what I expected at all.
Now, U'cha may be eating the floor, but my Chinese friend and I are still in the back of this cave, with at least a dozen gorillas between us and daylight. We're both going the same direction, so I figure, why not fight our way out of here together? In the battles which ensued during the course of our exit from the cave, several "green" (uncommon) items are dropped by various gorillas we kill. When grouped with strangers in WoW, it's generally accepted that any green or higher items are simply greed rolled by all members of the party, and the high roller gets the item. You can generally expect farmers to always roll "need", in order to get the items, whether or not they actually need them. They're going to put them up for sale in the Auction House. But this guy didn't roll, neither need, nor greed, he PASSED on both items. The first time, I messaged him, "hey, don't you want that? just roll greed...". He responded, "no you have". Whoa.
Finally we get to the exit of the cave. He messages me, "i go now". And then, "good bye friend". Then he mounts his horse and rides off.
Now, this guy was either NOT a gold farmer, or maybe just a really crappy one. Giving me items? Passing the roll on items? No, farmers would NOT do that, certainly not good ones. I think this was just a regular Chinese guy playing WoW, just lik
it's a good thing though, if they can make a product more powerful for that amount of money than they should do so. Marking up the same hardware and because you don't have artifical barriers on it should be a crime...
Unfortunately, it's breaking these artifical barriers to make full use of hardware you paid for that a crime in our society.
A few years back there was a hack that, by setting a few registry keys, you could turn Windows 2000 Professional into Windows 2000 Server. So if I buy a computer with Windows 2000 Pro on it, do I have the right to run that hack to "make full use of hardware [I] paid for"? Should Microsoft be charged of a crime for creating "artificial barriers"?
No, and no. For the same reason, Canon is well within their right to charge extra for the camera which has more features. And you've no right to try to use those features without paying for them.
Seems like a pretty boneheaded move on Canon's part, but even if they did the software equivalent of leaving the cash register open, reaching over the counter and grabbing a handful of cash is still stealing.
The South Pole research station has a bunch or radio telescopes. Like this
Of course, the prevalent wireless standard is 802.11, and 802.11 networking (also being based on radio frequencies) isn't allowed at the station because it messes up the telescopes.
I understand they have problems with people setting up rogue access points anyway. They track 'em down with this.
Tarzan caused a minor PR backlash against Disney for forcing people to watch ads. I'm not so sure content providers will try that again. And if so, vote with your dollars and don't buy movies which force ads upon you.
That's what I do, anyway...
Still, I really have to wonder how many people will actually pay the $99/year for the .mac service.
Me, too. I won't be paying. I never really used the e-mail or iDisk space anyway. Adding backup and virus stuff doesn't motivate me any, either. I hear they're planning on adding more services later. Maybe at some point it'll be worth it...
To be honest, though, with all the new features in the new version of the OS, I really can't blame them for charging for it. Not sure I'll pay, but still...
The OS is another deal entirely. I'll pay the $129 for the upgrade, gladly. Listen, I use this damned machine 10-12 hours per day. Any improvement is worth the cost, IMO.
Maybe, but it sure beats losing money, or cutting staff. Which is what most of the rest of the PC makers are doing.
Wow, it turns out that, all this time, Apple's really just been interested in making money. The bastards.
And why didn't NEO-GEO make it into the chart? That was by far the best console during that time...too bad it was $100 a game (or some ungodly price like that) and some ridiculous amount for the console.
That's why, exactly: the system was $600 and the games were $100. The number of Neo Geo systems sold might as well have been zero, compared to the other systems. I happened to work at a video game store during that era. During the two years I worked there, I don't know how many Super Nintendos and Genesis systems I sold: easily in the thousands. Neo Geo systems? I personally sold 2.
You're right, it was the best system at the time, but just not worth the price. People simply won't pay $600 for a game system. If you don't believe me, just ask Trip Hawkins.
Damn! All this time, going to movies, I thought I was watching documentaries. Turns out, they're not even true! Wow, it's like the people on the screen are, I dunno, acting or something! The horror!
Lighten up. Movies are a form of entertainment. We know all about reality. Don't ruin the fantasy with technicalities. Jackasses.
Computers that write most of their own software: 2005
Uh-oh, time to start looking for a different job. At least, it would be time if that prediction wasn't completely ludricous.
You don't just jump into Joe SixPack's house over night. The VCR took a long time to reach the mass market. The DVD player took a while, too. It'll get there.
Aside from that, I think TiVo is marketing itself all wrong. I don't think most people really get it. Everyone I explain Tivo to is amazed, and wants one. The commercials just don't convey the sheer coolness of it.
Nope, that person was there, too. Quoted right from the article:
A series of public forums were launched, in which technophiles argued in favor of the service, and the anti-wireless folks -- including a woman who appeared at one meeting wearing dark sunglasses and protective headgear to ward off stray signals -- insisted that the plan was dangerous.
Wow.
This happened before: when Apple started shipping the 2nd rev iBook (the SE model), it had specs matching the then-high-end PowerBook. This did destroy PowerBook sales, until they started shipping the Titanium PowerBook G4 a few months later.
So I'd say it's very likely we'll be seeing updated PowerMacs in the next month or two. Now, the next major trade show is Seybold, in late February. Seybold is the show for media professionals, so what better place to announce hot new Pro model computers?
This article, from only 6 weeks ago, quotes Jobs saying some pretty Anti-PDA stuff.
I think that's reason enough to dismiss this as a hoax.
As the Apple Turns has some pretty compelling arguments on why this is probably a hoax (albeit a very well done one).
8 bit: NES, SMS
16-bit: Genesis, SNES (TG-16 failed)
32-bit: PlayStation, Nintendo 64 (Saturn failed)
64-bit: PlayStation 2, ??? (DreamCast failed)
So there's really only room for one more: XBox or GameCube. Given:
I think that Nintendo is going to eat Microsoft's lunch.
--Bradley