All I can do is sigh when I read your garbage. It's sad that people mod you up. So everyone in your life has had problems with XP. I find that hard to believe...but let's talk about it. It sounds like all the people you know are the types of people who don't understand computers. They are the ones who open up every single attachment, download and install software from questionable sites, click on any link provided to them, and have no idea what anti-virus and firewall software is. This is not a crime or anything, but it isn't surprising that they should be have problems. These users would probably be best suited to be on a Mac. They will be a lot less likely to have problems, not because the OS is superior, but because in general, all the bad stuff out there is targeted at Windows because that has the most common used OS and application on it. These users are probably not sophisticated enough to use Linux. There may be good reasons why they stick with Windows...like if they are gamers. Instead of sitting over there and talking about how Windows sucks, why don't you teach them how to run their machines properly (that is, if you know what you are doing...from what you have said I have some doubts though). I go over to my parents house and teach my dad how to use zone alarm. I download firefox for them so they don't have to worry about pop ups and other malware. I make sure their system runs AV software...and guess what, their system runs great because they know what they are doing.
As far as rebooting goes, I never reboot my xp systems unless I just installed something and it requires it...it runs just fine. I run Linux servers at work...and guess what, from time to time they get in to bad states and I have to reboot them. Do I think XP is superior? Heck no, I think they are seperate tools for seperate jobs. For home use I like the easeof use and gaming of XP. For work, I need to be able to touch parts of the kernel so I can see what is going on. Windows XP is so easy to use and update...it blows my mind you are having problems with it....seriously...maybe you need to open a port in your firewall, maybe your network isn't configured properly...but if someone can't get windows update to work...how are they going to update their kernel? If you tell me that goes smoothly all the time, then you have no idea what you are talking about. There are plenty of good reasons to hate MS...but XP is pretty solid as an OS...we just need to help out the stupid users.
Of course they find it funny. Have you ever given a demonstration and something goes wrong...we deal with that with humor. They are trying to show off new technology, which is always a risk. Windows XP has never crashed on me, ever. But I don't do anything crazy with it...just play games and general computing use. Yet here at work, I can't even insmod a damn module for 10 Gb Ethernet in my SuSE distro. It crashes the whole system and forces me to walk to the lab and reboot it. Does Linux suck? Hell no...and neither does XP. Would people be laughing if ANY OS screwed up and fired a missile when it shouldn't? Of course not, your example is retarded and pointless. Did people die when my linux server crashed 7 times today? No. Did the people in my depeartment shake their head and laugh when I told them about my problems? Yeah, because we all know how hard it is to deal with technology and software...particularly when you are on the bleeding edge. So to you people who have no perspective and objectivity when it comes to this stuff...I say shove it. An OS is a tool, and each has advanatages over the other. If you can't admit it, you are fool with an agenda. Let go of it...it is so much easier to appreciate that we have these fantastic OSs at all and to use each one to its full benefit. Object to MS's business practices, criticize security models, but before you place your finger squarely at MS, realize that all OSs have a long way to go before they just work (like as simple as turning on your TV).
I am a casual gamer...I play maybe a few hours a week. I can get on any fps and be the #1 guy on the server in no time. Why? Because I have a lot of natural talant. In an FPS, it has very little to do with how hardcore you are. Yeah, there are hardcore versions of me out there that have the natural talant and can beat me in to the ground because they play non-stop, but they are few and far between. In a MMORPG, you may be right...the casual gamer is going to lose out...and that is true for WoW as well, I don't care how much of a fanboy you are. But you are talking about an RPG, this is a whole different genre...so it is rediculous to compare the two. Once you learn the mechanisms on how the game is played, you can beat someone with better stats and lesser skill in an FPS. FPSs are meant to be PvP because having bots suck all the fun out of it. They are either too stupid and easy to kill, or can hit with such accuracy that it is pointless. So your complaint is invalid for this type of game. And just because you don't like PvP, doesn't mean others can't love it and embrace it. Most MMORPG just have it as an option, not as a requirement...so it doesn't suck any fun up, it's just out there. And you can continue running on your quests and beating on NPCs for experience. I guess what pisses me off about your post is that you miss the whole point of this game (I only played the trial a long time ago...no fanboydem here) and that you assume that things should be removed that you think suck. Step out of your world and look at things from other people's perspective...it will make you a better, less-bitter person.
Only one of your links actually works...and all it said was that they had some objection over the military make up of the aid workers being sent to Sri Lanka from Israel. They are still accepting aid from them...so it looks like the OP was being overly dramatic.
Actually, I was just bored at work. Maybe I can simplify it for you. If you buy in to this guy's philosophy, that being good at video games translates to real world skills, then you are fool. How have I locked myself away from anything beneficial? I still play video games, just not as much as when I was young. I wasted too much time on it. I play sports, music, have a great career and good friends. I haven't locked myself away from anything.
You on the other hand, instead of actually countering anything I say, write something that amounts to "What you said is stupid". Wow, that was useful...really contributed to the discussion there. In any case, insult all you want, it will just make you look worse in the end.
While there are positive things about video games, I think that your philosophy takes it way too far. Playing video games in moderation is good, but over-doing it cause you to lack in concentrating on your education and social skills. Online games do not help with social skills...join a CS server. Everyone is really happy, because they sure use the word gay a lot. Even if you love video games...quite frankly, making them really sucks. It is hard, demanding work...that has its rewards...but there are plenty of other jobs out there that pay better and allow you to work less. I enjoy playing video games...creating them not so much. Just because you are good at a video game, it won't make you a good programmer. It might spark the interest in programming, but if you are too busy trying to beat Ninja Gaiden, you are probably going to slack off in learning how to program. There are exceptions to every rule, but in general, the people I have met who are the most amazing, intelligent, and hard working...don't play video games. Striving to be better in everything you do is a good goal. If your only goal is to get better at a video game...that's pointless. I am a good video game player...I can get on any FPS...even one I never played...and dominate instantly. So can my brother...maybe it is genetic that we have good reflexes. Also, I am quite good at RTS...but those are all imperfect, there is always some cheap technique that everyone uses...once you learn them, it all just becomes a race to how fast you can implement X strategy...rather than being able to adapt depending on your opponent (at a high level anyways, when you are new and someone else is new, it's actually more interesting and exciting). I am not trying to brag...I am saying this to make my next point. If anything, if I didn't have video games, I would probably be in fantastic shape and a lot better in my field. Why? Because the skills in games really don't translate to real world skills. They are a good pass time that has some positive benefits...but you aren't going to become an astronaut or a star athlete by playing them. I think it is very dangerous for anyone to buy in to your philosophy, because it is false. It contains enough truth that some young kids would read it and say "yeah, I am going to play more video games and become a genious". It isn't going to happen. You want to do well in life? Balance yourself out. Play video games..but also play sports, pick up a musical instrument, work hard in school, and pursue an interest that you can turn in to a career. If you are playing video games a lot...take a step back and see at what you are missing out on. Video games are dangerous because they are fun and rewarding in the short term. You feel a sense of accomplishment beating a game, you have a good time doing it too. It's easy to take that too far. You will be far more happy though if you get yourself in good shape, find a good job, meet friends, and explore the real world. I may have misunderstood you...but I just can't sit by and watch someone say that video games are going to make you successful in real life if you are good at them. That may be the case for some, but more often it is going to consume more of your life rather than make it easier.
I like how you got modded up and I got modded down! It's funny how people are...I don't dislike Macs at all. My mom uses one and it is perfect for her. My dad uses one at work and he is very happy with it. People take Macs too personally. I am just arguing for moderators to be sane with their points. Oh well, if I lose karma saying what is right, and not what is popular, then I will proudly post at -1.
White it wasn't a fantastic article, you write worst lists so that people don't make the mistake of buying a product. Like the worst list for toys that have objects that you stick in your mouth that have lead in them, you probably want to avoid those. Actually, they justify it in the beginning if you weren't so lazy and made that extra click (I know I know, it's slashdot). He said the worst list was made because usually when you go to the store, the "best" list stuff are sold out. These are things to avoid. Is that so tough a concept to grasp?
It's fine if you like OS X over XP...but seriously...come on. XP never crashes on me and I use it daily at work and home. You are going to have to come up with a better reason. It's not like Macs don't crash too...I worked in a Mac computer lab in college and those things went down left and right. I am sure they have gotten better as well.
You have got to be kidding me. This board is known to have more fierce Mac fanboys then even Linux sometimes. I mean, look at the mods, is even one negative Mac post modded up? I read this thread just because I knew people were going to freak out because of them saying a Mac was bad. I'll admit, his analysis was kind of dumb...I mean, 40 GB for some is more than enough, DVD burners don't have to be standard, and if you are wanting to play the latest games (or most games in general), you would be getting a windows box. Overall, it's silly. A computer and its OS is a tool. When I want to play games, I have a high end windows PC, when I want to do work and muck around in the TCP stack, I use Linux. My dad uses a Mac to make videos from his electron microscope because of its programs and video capabilities. Go through the Mac posts again...watch legitimate opinions about Macs be modded down..while people say something as worthless as "I heard my friend got great performance on WoW with an eMac" get modded +5 insightful (real example from this thread even).
I see we are now modding up people who experience good Mac performance second hand. I knew someone who once knew someone who played Doom 3 on their eMac and said the performance was incredible. Mod points please?
If you can't afford ~$15 a month, then just don't get in to MMORPG. Having some sort of system where you pay for the amount of time you use is overly complex...so they charge 50 cents an hour or something, there are going to be people complaining they only played X hours and they over charged...really, $15 isn't much money and it gives you unlimited play time...I'd much rather it be that way than an hourly fee. So say they do that rate up to $15, that isn't so bad, but still a pain in the butt to keep track of and bill differently. But ultimately, if you are playing that little of the MMORPG, then you aren't going to get much out of it. I know that is a sad thing to say...but it's true, and because I can't (or don't feel like putting that much time into it) I am cancelling my subscription this month to FFXI. It was fun, but once you get to a certain point, the curve is too steep to climb to get to more of the story. Also, there is no incentive for them to switch to your model, they make more money on people who aren't playing at all (like me) but are not sure if they want to come back some time.
Ok, when you haven't finished a game...please don't write a review...your opinion, at this point, is really not worth readaing. Maybe after the first 6 hours it gets fantastic, or maybe it totally goes downhill and become the worst gaming experience ever. You don't know that, because you haven't even come close to finishing the game. Never write a review on something you haven't finished, it is a waste of time for you and the people who read it.
I don't think you have any clue why people hate Sony. They hate it because it is a huge company? That's not a reason to hate something. Their may be some things that they do as a huge company...like anti-comeptition things...but that isn't because of their size, it is because of their business practices. And point B...what the hell? I mean, comparing game quality is one thing, but comparing the average of all the games is absolutely daft. Both have good games...PS2 has more games, so even if you argue the average game of PS2 is worse than that of Nintnendo, there are so many more games, that could mean there are more good games for the PS2 than Nintendo. I am not going to claim that since I have not played every game on both consoles and I doubt you have either. Any one who hates Sony or hates Nintendo are fools. Someone got it right earlier when they said the people who post nasty things about the other console are people who don't own the other console and want to discourage others from getting it. It is just ignorance. If you get a slimy feeling based on a pun in the TITLE of a game, well, then just don't buy it. I mean, of all the dumb things to complain about. If you object to the content of some game, say GTA, then don't buy that either. There are no good reasons to hate either...I own all the consoles and enjoy them all. If you can't afford to do that, that's fine, but there is no need to bash the others..just enjoy the good games you do have access to, because they all have good games.
While I really don't mind you putting down that one guy and probably agree with some of your points...what's the deal with the whole HDTV thing? Just because I like having a fantastic picture you think I put stickers on my car? How are they even slightly related? HDTV is cool technology, it is the future of television. Putting stickers on your car to make it look cooler or faster...that's idiotic and has nothing to do with technology. I don't know if you are bitter because you can't afford the technology or if you just are more interested in playing video games than technology in generel...whatever the case may be, don't try to lump people in some group and insult them because they own or enjoy a certain piece of technology. You come off as ignorant as the post you were countering.
I was thinking about how Slashdot would respond to the video game awards last night, and this is exactly what I expected. The one thing that this award show had that every other award show has...is that it was really bad. The scripting was awful and the acting was worse. I do like the fact that games are getting more exposure and becoming more main stream. It's nice to see really good looking women saying that they like to kill zombies...because it is fun, and others shouldn't look down on it as a form of entertainment. So do I want to be lumped in with a bunch of pasty nerds or a bunch of hardcore rappers and VS models. Neither, because I don't fall in to either of the groups. It seems, though, that mainstream gamers don't like what I like. I don't see how, if you objectively sit down and play both halo 2 and half life 2, you could say halo 2 is better. It just isn't. If it is just "the people" voting, then I can understand how they picked it...because a lot of people are console gamers and never really played hl2...you aren't going to vote for something you don't play. It would be nice if an intelligent panel of people selected who won....people who have actually played all of the games and played them through to the end. (ok, so both ending were a little bit of a disappointment, but I would say more so of halo2 because it just leaves you on a cliff hanger).
I have to admit...some of it was funny. The hot chick reading cheat codes cracked me up. And having Christopher Watkins (sp?) say "Welcome to your Everquest" almost killed me....if they could cut out all the idiot stars and inject more humor like that in there, the show would be great. You could do so much fun stuff with the video game characters and parody. I still say, as bad as some of the stuff was last night, that it was a good thing to show how far gaming has come. I don't remember commercial for Final Fantasy when I was a kid, now they are on every major network.
I wish the review talked a little more on what games actually won. (GTA:SA won game of the year, halo2 won best fps, etc) That to me shows a certain bias...maybe that was really the worst part, is that it was clear the more pouplar 'main stream' game won in every category, not the best game. Does that make sense? It was like the game that more people played won, rather than the one that was technically better. It would be like giving the award to best movie to the one that had the best box office turn out.
Small and portable isn't cool anymore? What are you talking about? Has everyone been ditching their cell phones and PDAs when I wasn't looking? Do kids refuse to pick up their gameboys because the screens are too small? It seems you like to belittle stuff other people find useful. Fine, this stuff isn't for you, but taht doesn't make it "stupid". Your criticism of a product is the name of the company? Your name is a rip off of a cartoon network show...should we judge your opinions based of of that?
I don't mind that you don't find these things useful...it's just your piss poor attitude about it. You don't want something so you have to insult it...it's just childish. I don't understand a lot of the people on Slashdot these days...(well, mayby I do if you are still in high school). Putting down something or someone does not make you cool or superior...it just makes you look bitter and insecure.
True, it is more tricky than some programs to remove, but if you are able to figure out how to set up Linux, you are certainly smart enough to go google on how to remove it from start up. I don't really understand your concept of a firewall. Make it so tight that you can't even get on Internet? What kind of piss poor firewall are you using. Most firewalls allow you to block based on application. The notice pops up that messenger is trying to access the net, you say deny, tell it to remember that setting, you are done. Amazing, I still have Internet access.
As far as never knowing because Windows is proprietary...that's a load of bullshit too. Stick a sniffer in between your box and the net. An old PC with Linux and ethereal installed will do. Watch the traffic. There is no way that they can hide anything proprietary or open source. So when was the last time you read through the whole kernel to make sure it was doing what you expected it to do?
Uhh, you are aware Linux comes with a firewall too, right? There are plenty of things you can bash on Windows legitimately, but if you aren't running a firewall on any of your systems, regardless of OS, then you are a damn fool.
Listen, if you are really interested in gaming, you get a Windows PC. If you have things that are more important than gaming for your home computer, then choose based off that. Just know that YOU ARE GOING TO BE SCREWED WHEN IT COMES TO GAMES. If you don't understand this going in, well, that is your fault. I have no doubt that the market for gaming on Macs is growing...if it were shrinking, it would be non-existant. Ok, that's not really a fair statement to make, I remember the bitter feeling as a kid that I couldn't play the games my friends could on a PC. The market for gaming on Macs is much much much smaller than on PC....on Linux, it is even less. If a company chooses to not support other OS's than Windows, that is their choice. You may not like it, but as I mentioned earlier, it shouldn't come as a surprise. There aren't a bunch of PC users conspiring to keep Mac gamers down, as you would like to think. It is a simple business decision. If the effort and cost do something is > than the profit you get back, you don't do it. If Mac gaming was a cash cow, then you would see people scrambling to port to the Mac. This is not the reality. It is great that more companies are supporting Macs, if you are crying now, it was much much worse 10 years ago. The only thing that will make people take Macs and Linux more seriously (in gaming) are when they gain more of the marketshare from Windows. Until then though, if the main reason you have your PC is for games...then don't get a Mac. There is no conspiracy, only business.
First off, starting a discussion with the words "I just don't understand you americans" is probably the stupidest way to get your point across. You are just causing people to automatically want to disagree with you. There are plenty of Americans who dislike and argue against electronic voting, so stop thinking that you are somehow more insightful than a whole country of people. I really don't see how having a few degrees makes you an expert in anything...I have my Masters in CS, and I would not consider myself an expert programmer, I am just more familiar than a lay person...but anyways, I digress...
If you acutally believe that a bunch of people writing in to the government would change the way things happen, you are extremely naieve...because lot of people did write in. Experts did tell them that there could be fraud. Guess what, there are other expterts that say the exact opposite. That electronic voting is more secure and more accurate. They both have points! Like everything in life, things are not so black and white. So what would a paper print out give you. If the software is corrupt (purposefully or not) it will just print out a false vote. Ok, so let the user check the paper to make sure his vote went correctly. That means you have to make the print out easy to read even for some people who can get easily confused, which means text. Text is really really hard to recount, that's why they used those chad things...which makes it hard for the easily confused to read, but easier to count. Ok, so screw the whole electronic thing, let's go back to all paper. Guess what, security is not guaranteed! People who count the votes can lie. And where do you think these votes are stored? Some guy with a piece of paper adds up the numbers for each county when they call him? No, it's done in computers! 100,000's of votes can be changed as easily as 1 vote. So we are back where we are started anyways.
Ok, so now voting is inherently unsafe...might as well just give up. Bah, give me a break. If you can trust a bank, which stores the amount of money that belongs to billions of people, to keep track of every cent that belongs to you, then why can't you trust it in a voting machine. When money is involved, all of a sudden people care a lot. The banking software is tested so rigorously, that most of the world has their money stored in a computer. Are mistakes made? Of course, but the software is written so that it leaves a trail and you can see what happens. Why, if you have money in a bank, can you not see that voting can be done electronically as well? Why not have a way of verifying your vote online that you can only access using your SS# and a PIN? We can pay our taxes that way, no reason why vote verifcation can't be that way either.
The way that you make this work is that you open source the code and you make the electronic voting booths EXACTLY THE SAME. That way any software expert can examine the software and see that there is nothing fishy in the code. The voting booths need to be made with security in mind, so obviously no network connection, no interfaces where someone can upload something. If you are really paranoid, make it print out a paper copy of the vote, I still don't see how that will make much of an impact other than on the tree population. It is still going to be put in a computer at some point to be calculated. Can there be problems? Yes. Can there be fraud? Yes. But that is no different than it is with out electronic voting booths.
If you think there won't be bots in WoW, then you are an idiot. Everyone knew there were bots in FFXI, and they did punish those who were using bots. Did they do it as fast as people wanted? No, they did not. But trying to make WoW out as better...give me a break. There were no hacks like this at all in FFXI while I played. Bots are going to be in every MMORPG...period.
Umm, no offense...but why are these two points of interest. A level cap at 60? So? FFXI has a cap at 50, then later raised it up to 75. Caps are pretty arbitrary...it's all relative to what level the area you are in.
I think most MMORPG have a lot of high end content that requires team and strategy. FFXI end game requires 18 person alliances that required a lot of strategy in order to defeat the mobs. That whole game requires teamwork (which some consider a drawback). Also, if a MMORPG isn't adding content on a regular baiss, something is seriously wrong...so unimplemented things early on should not be a surprise.
I haven't played much other MMORPG, so I apologize for lack of more examples. But really, your two points don't show WoW as anything different or special. I will never play another of these types of games though. They take way too much time...if you really want to get far in the game, you need to spend a ridiculous amount of time...time I would rather spend at the gym or playing single player games.
I think one of the biggest problem with reviews (if we ignore the corruption) is that we all enjoy different types of games. If a reviewer is a big RTS fan, he may not understand what's new and speical about a game like HL2. I think the best thing a person can do if they want to read reviews is to find a reviewer that has a similar taste in games. That way you stand a better chance of enjoying a game based on the review. Personally, I don't read reviews (unless you can count Penny Arcade). I will wait for a game to be released awhile, watch public reaction, and if it seems like a game I would be interested in, get if the opinion isn't too negative. You can usually tell the bad ones. No matter how good a game is though, there will always be some l33t game connoisseur who will trash the game for some reason, so take that with a grain of salt. Also, some game companies just make good games. If you like something that they made before, it doesn't hurt to try out some of their other titles.
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All I can do is sigh when I read your garbage. It's sad that people mod you up. So everyone in your life has had problems with XP. I find that hard to believe...but let's talk about it. It sounds like all the people you know are the types of people who don't understand computers. They are the ones who open up every single attachment, download and install software from questionable sites, click on any link provided to them, and have no idea what anti-virus and firewall software is. This is not a crime or anything, but it isn't surprising that they should be have problems. These users would probably be best suited to be on a Mac. They will be a lot less likely to have problems, not because the OS is superior, but because in general, all the bad stuff out there is targeted at Windows because that has the most common used OS and application on it. These users are probably not sophisticated enough to use Linux. There may be good reasons why they stick with Windows...like if they are gamers. Instead of sitting over there and talking about how Windows sucks, why don't you teach them how to run their machines properly (that is, if you know what you are doing...from what you have said I have some doubts though). I go over to my parents house and teach my dad how to use zone alarm. I download firefox for them so they don't have to worry about pop ups and other malware. I make sure their system runs AV software...and guess what, their system runs great because they know what they are doing.
As far as rebooting goes, I never reboot my xp systems unless I just installed something and it requires it...it runs just fine. I run Linux servers at work...and guess what, from time to time they get in to bad states and I have to reboot them. Do I think XP is superior? Heck no, I think they are seperate tools for seperate jobs. For home use I like the easeof use and gaming of XP. For work, I need to be able to touch parts of the kernel so I can see what is going on. Windows XP is so easy to use and update...it blows my mind you are having problems with it....seriously...maybe you need to open a port in your firewall, maybe your network isn't configured properly...but if someone can't get windows update to work...how are they going to update their kernel? If you tell me that goes smoothly all the time, then you have no idea what you are talking about. There are plenty of good reasons to hate MS...but XP is pretty solid as an OS...we just need to help out the stupid users.
Of course they find it funny. Have you ever given a demonstration and something goes wrong...we deal with that with humor. They are trying to show off new technology, which is always a risk. Windows XP has never crashed on me, ever. But I don't do anything crazy with it...just play games and general computing use. Yet here at work, I can't even insmod a damn module for 10 Gb Ethernet in my SuSE distro. It crashes the whole system and forces me to walk to the lab and reboot it. Does Linux suck? Hell no...and neither does XP. Would people be laughing if ANY OS screwed up and fired a missile when it shouldn't? Of course not, your example is retarded and pointless. Did people die when my linux server crashed 7 times today? No. Did the people in my depeartment shake their head and laugh when I told them about my problems? Yeah, because we all know how hard it is to deal with technology and software...particularly when you are on the bleeding edge. So to you people who have no perspective and objectivity when it comes to this stuff...I say shove it. An OS is a tool, and each has advanatages over the other. If you can't admit it, you are fool with an agenda. Let go of it...it is so much easier to appreciate that we have these fantastic OSs at all and to use each one to its full benefit. Object to MS's business practices, criticize security models, but before you place your finger squarely at MS, realize that all OSs have a long way to go before they just work (like as simple as turning on your TV).
I am a casual gamer...I play maybe a few hours a week. I can get on any fps and be the #1 guy on the server in no time. Why? Because I have a lot of natural talant. In an FPS, it has very little to do with how hardcore you are. Yeah, there are hardcore versions of me out there that have the natural talant and can beat me in to the ground because they play non-stop, but they are few and far between. In a MMORPG, you may be right...the casual gamer is going to lose out...and that is true for WoW as well, I don't care how much of a fanboy you are. But you are talking about an RPG, this is a whole different genre...so it is rediculous to compare the two. Once you learn the mechanisms on how the game is played, you can beat someone with better stats and lesser skill in an FPS. FPSs are meant to be PvP because having bots suck all the fun out of it. They are either too stupid and easy to kill, or can hit with such accuracy that it is pointless. So your complaint is invalid for this type of game. And just because you don't like PvP, doesn't mean others can't love it and embrace it. Most MMORPG just have it as an option, not as a requirement...so it doesn't suck any fun up, it's just out there. And you can continue running on your quests and beating on NPCs for experience. I guess what pisses me off about your post is that you miss the whole point of this game (I only played the trial a long time ago...no fanboydem here) and that you assume that things should be removed that you think suck. Step out of your world and look at things from other people's perspective...it will make you a better, less-bitter person.
Only one of your links actually works...and all it said was that they had some objection over the military make up of the aid workers being sent to Sri Lanka from Israel. They are still accepting aid from them...so it looks like the OP was being overly dramatic.
Actually, I was just bored at work. Maybe I can simplify it for you. If you buy in to this guy's philosophy, that being good at video games translates to real world skills, then you are fool. How have I locked myself away from anything beneficial? I still play video games, just not as much as when I was young. I wasted too much time on it. I play sports, music, have a great career and good friends. I haven't locked myself away from anything.
You on the other hand, instead of actually countering anything I say, write something that amounts to "What you said is stupid". Wow, that was useful...really contributed to the discussion there. In any case, insult all you want, it will just make you look worse in the end.
While there are positive things about video games, I think that your philosophy takes it way too far. Playing video games in moderation is good, but over-doing it cause you to lack in concentrating on your education and social skills. Online games do not help with social skills...join a CS server. Everyone is really happy, because they sure use the word gay a lot. Even if you love video games...quite frankly, making them really sucks. It is hard, demanding work...that has its rewards...but there are plenty of other jobs out there that pay better and allow you to work less. I enjoy playing video games...creating them not so much. Just because you are good at a video game, it won't make you a good programmer. It might spark the interest in programming, but if you are too busy trying to beat Ninja Gaiden, you are probably going to slack off in learning how to program. There are exceptions to every rule, but in general, the people I have met who are the most amazing, intelligent, and hard working...don't play video games. Striving to be better in everything you do is a good goal. If your only goal is to get better at a video game...that's pointless. I am a good video game player...I can get on any FPS...even one I never played...and dominate instantly. So can my brother...maybe it is genetic that we have good reflexes. Also, I am quite good at RTS...but those are all imperfect, there is always some cheap technique that everyone uses...once you learn them, it all just becomes a race to how fast you can implement X strategy...rather than being able to adapt depending on your opponent (at a high level anyways, when you are new and someone else is new, it's actually more interesting and exciting). I am not trying to brag...I am saying this to make my next point. If anything, if I didn't have video games, I would probably be in fantastic shape and a lot better in my field. Why? Because the skills in games really don't translate to real world skills. They are a good pass time that has some positive benefits...but you aren't going to become an astronaut or a star athlete by playing them. I think it is very dangerous for anyone to buy in to your philosophy, because it is false. It contains enough truth that some young kids would read it and say "yeah, I am going to play more video games and become a genious". It isn't going to happen. You want to do well in life? Balance yourself out. Play video games..but also play sports, pick up a musical instrument, work hard in school, and pursue an interest that you can turn in to a career. If you are playing video games a lot...take a step back and see at what you are missing out on. Video games are dangerous because they are fun and rewarding in the short term. You feel a sense of accomplishment beating a game, you have a good time doing it too. It's easy to take that too far. You will be far more happy though if you get yourself in good shape, find a good job, meet friends, and explore the real world. I may have misunderstood you...but I just can't sit by and watch someone say that video games are going to make you successful in real life if you are good at them. That may be the case for some, but more often it is going to consume more of your life rather than make it easier.
I like how you got modded up and I got modded down! It's funny how people are...I don't dislike Macs at all. My mom uses one and it is perfect for her. My dad uses one at work and he is very happy with it. People take Macs too personally. I am just arguing for moderators to be sane with their points. Oh well, if I lose karma saying what is right, and not what is popular, then I will proudly post at -1.
White it wasn't a fantastic article, you write worst lists so that people don't make the mistake of buying a product. Like the worst list for toys that have objects that you stick in your mouth that have lead in them, you probably want to avoid those. Actually, they justify it in the beginning if you weren't so lazy and made that extra click (I know I know, it's slashdot). He said the worst list was made because usually when you go to the store, the "best" list stuff are sold out. These are things to avoid. Is that so tough a concept to grasp?
It's fine if you like OS X over XP...but seriously...come on. XP never crashes on me and I use it daily at work and home. You are going to have to come up with a better reason. It's not like Macs don't crash too...I worked in a Mac computer lab in college and those things went down left and right. I am sure they have gotten better as well.
You have got to be kidding me. This board is known to have more fierce Mac fanboys then even Linux sometimes. I mean, look at the mods, is even one negative Mac post modded up? I read this thread just because I knew people were going to freak out because of them saying a Mac was bad. I'll admit, his analysis was kind of dumb...I mean, 40 GB for some is more than enough, DVD burners don't have to be standard, and if you are wanting to play the latest games (or most games in general), you would be getting a windows box. Overall, it's silly. A computer and its OS is a tool. When I want to play games, I have a high end windows PC, when I want to do work and muck around in the TCP stack, I use Linux. My dad uses a Mac to make videos from his electron microscope because of its programs and video capabilities. Go through the Mac posts again...watch legitimate opinions about Macs be modded down..while people say something as worthless as "I heard my friend got great performance on WoW with an eMac" get modded +5 insightful (real example from this thread even).
I see we are now modding up people who experience good Mac performance second hand. I knew someone who once knew someone who played Doom 3 on their eMac and said the performance was incredible. Mod points please?
If you can't afford ~$15 a month, then just don't get in to MMORPG. Having some sort of system where you pay for the amount of time you use is overly complex...so they charge 50 cents an hour or something, there are going to be people complaining they only played X hours and they over charged...really, $15 isn't much money and it gives you unlimited play time...I'd much rather it be that way than an hourly fee. So say they do that rate up to $15, that isn't so bad, but still a pain in the butt to keep track of and bill differently. But ultimately, if you are playing that little of the MMORPG, then you aren't going to get much out of it. I know that is a sad thing to say...but it's true, and because I can't (or don't feel like putting that much time into it) I am cancelling my subscription this month to FFXI. It was fun, but once you get to a certain point, the curve is too steep to climb to get to more of the story. Also, there is no incentive for them to switch to your model, they make more money on people who aren't playing at all (like me) but are not sure if they want to come back some time.
Ok, when you haven't finished a game...please don't write a review...your opinion, at this point, is really not worth readaing. Maybe after the first 6 hours it gets fantastic, or maybe it totally goes downhill and become the worst gaming experience ever. You don't know that, because you haven't even come close to finishing the game. Never write a review on something you haven't finished, it is a waste of time for you and the people who read it.
I don't think you have any clue why people hate Sony. They hate it because it is a huge company? That's not a reason to hate something. Their may be some things that they do as a huge company...like anti-comeptition things...but that isn't because of their size, it is because of their business practices. And point B...what the hell? I mean, comparing game quality is one thing, but comparing the average of all the games is absolutely daft. Both have good games...PS2 has more games, so even if you argue the average game of PS2 is worse than that of Nintnendo, there are so many more games, that could mean there are more good games for the PS2 than Nintendo. I am not going to claim that since I have not played every game on both consoles and I doubt you have either. Any one who hates Sony or hates Nintendo are fools. Someone got it right earlier when they said the people who post nasty things about the other console are people who don't own the other console and want to discourage others from getting it. It is just ignorance. If you get a slimy feeling based on a pun in the TITLE of a game, well, then just don't buy it. I mean, of all the dumb things to complain about. If you object to the content of some game, say GTA, then don't buy that either. There are no good reasons to hate either...I own all the consoles and enjoy them all. If you can't afford to do that, that's fine, but there is no need to bash the others..just enjoy the good games you do have access to, because they all have good games.
While I really don't mind you putting down that one guy and probably agree with some of your points...what's the deal with the whole HDTV thing? Just because I like having a fantastic picture you think I put stickers on my car? How are they even slightly related? HDTV is cool technology, it is the future of television. Putting stickers on your car to make it look cooler or faster...that's idiotic and has nothing to do with technology. I don't know if you are bitter because you can't afford the technology or if you just are more interested in playing video games than technology in generel...whatever the case may be, don't try to lump people in some group and insult them because they own or enjoy a certain piece of technology. You come off as ignorant as the post you were countering.
I was thinking about how Slashdot would respond to the video game awards last night, and this is exactly what I expected. The one thing that this award show had that every other award show has...is that it was really bad. The scripting was awful and the acting was worse. I do like the fact that games are getting more exposure and becoming more main stream. It's nice to see really good looking women saying that they like to kill zombies...because it is fun, and others shouldn't look down on it as a form of entertainment. So do I want to be lumped in with a bunch of pasty nerds or a bunch of hardcore rappers and VS models. Neither, because I don't fall in to either of the groups. It seems, though, that mainstream gamers don't like what I like. I don't see how, if you objectively sit down and play both halo 2 and half life 2, you could say halo 2 is better. It just isn't. If it is just "the people" voting, then I can understand how they picked it...because a lot of people are console gamers and never really played hl2...you aren't going to vote for something you don't play. It would be nice if an intelligent panel of people selected who won....people who have actually played all of the games and played them through to the end. (ok, so both ending were a little bit of a disappointment, but I would say more so of halo2 because it just leaves you on a cliff hanger).
I have to admit...some of it was funny. The hot chick reading cheat codes cracked me up. And having Christopher Watkins (sp?) say "Welcome to your Everquest" almost killed me....if they could cut out all the idiot stars and inject more humor like that in there, the show would be great. You could do so much fun stuff with the video game characters and parody. I still say, as bad as some of the stuff was last night, that it was a good thing to show how far gaming has come. I don't remember commercial for Final Fantasy when I was a kid, now they are on every major network.
I wish the review talked a little more on what games actually won. (GTA:SA won game of the year, halo2 won best fps, etc) That to me shows a certain bias...maybe that was really the worst part, is that it was clear the more pouplar 'main stream' game won in every category, not the best game. Does that make sense? It was like the game that more people played won, rather than the one that was technically better. It would be like giving the award to best movie to the one that had the best box office turn out.
Small and portable isn't cool anymore? What are you talking about? Has everyone been ditching their cell phones and PDAs when I wasn't looking? Do kids refuse to pick up their gameboys because the screens are too small? It seems you like to belittle stuff other people find useful. Fine, this stuff isn't for you, but taht doesn't make it "stupid". Your criticism of a product is the name of the company? Your name is a rip off of a cartoon network show...should we judge your opinions based of of that?
I don't mind that you don't find these things useful...it's just your piss poor attitude about it. You don't want something so you have to insult it...it's just childish. I don't understand a lot of the people on Slashdot these days...(well, mayby I do if you are still in high school). Putting down something or someone does not make you cool or superior...it just makes you look bitter and insecure.
Actually, it's covered over "Thou shalt not steal".
(kidding kidding, it's just fun to see all the people who get riled up when you call "copyright infringement" stealing)
True, it is more tricky than some programs to remove, but if you are able to figure out how to set up Linux, you are certainly smart enough to go google on how to remove it from start up. I don't really understand your concept of a firewall. Make it so tight that you can't even get on Internet? What kind of piss poor firewall are you using. Most firewalls allow you to block based on application. The notice pops up that messenger is trying to access the net, you say deny, tell it to remember that setting, you are done. Amazing, I still have Internet access.
As far as never knowing because Windows is proprietary...that's a load of bullshit too. Stick a sniffer in between your box and the net. An old PC with Linux and ethereal installed will do. Watch the traffic. There is no way that they can hide anything proprietary or open source. So when was the last time you read through the whole kernel to make sure it was doing what you expected it to do?
Uhh, you are aware Linux comes with a firewall too, right? There are plenty of things you can bash on Windows legitimately, but if you aren't running a firewall on any of your systems, regardless of OS, then you are a damn fool.
Listen, if you are really interested in gaming, you get a Windows PC. If you have things that are more important than gaming for your home computer, then choose based off that. Just know that YOU ARE GOING TO BE SCREWED WHEN IT COMES TO GAMES. If you don't understand this going in, well, that is your fault. I have no doubt that the market for gaming on Macs is growing...if it were shrinking, it would be non-existant. Ok, that's not really a fair statement to make, I remember the bitter feeling as a kid that I couldn't play the games my friends could on a PC. The market for gaming on Macs is much much much smaller than on PC....on Linux, it is even less. If a company chooses to not support other OS's than Windows, that is their choice. You may not like it, but as I mentioned earlier, it shouldn't come as a surprise. There aren't a bunch of PC users conspiring to keep Mac gamers down, as you would like to think. It is a simple business decision. If the effort and cost do something is > than the profit you get back, you don't do it. If Mac gaming was a cash cow, then you would see people scrambling to port to the Mac. This is not the reality. It is great that more companies are supporting Macs, if you are crying now, it was much much worse 10 years ago. The only thing that will make people take Macs and Linux more seriously (in gaming) are when they gain more of the marketshare from Windows. Until then though, if the main reason you have your PC is for games...then don't get a Mac. There is no conspiracy, only business.
First off, starting a discussion with the words "I just don't understand you americans" is probably the stupidest way to get your point across. You are just causing people to automatically want to disagree with you. There are plenty of Americans who dislike and argue against electronic voting, so stop thinking that you are somehow more insightful than a whole country of people. I really don't see how having a few degrees makes you an expert in anything...I have my Masters in CS, and I would not consider myself an expert programmer, I am just more familiar than a lay person...but anyways, I digress...
If you acutally believe that a bunch of people writing in to the government would change the way things happen, you are extremely naieve...because lot of people did write in. Experts did tell them that there could be fraud. Guess what, there are other expterts that say the exact opposite. That electronic voting is more secure and more accurate. They both have points! Like everything in life, things are not so black and white. So what would a paper print out give you. If the software is corrupt (purposefully or not) it will just print out a false vote. Ok, so let the user check the paper to make sure his vote went correctly. That means you have to make the print out easy to read even for some people who can get easily confused, which means text. Text is really really hard to recount, that's why they used those chad things...which makes it hard for the easily confused to read, but easier to count. Ok, so screw the whole electronic thing, let's go back to all paper. Guess what, security is not guaranteed! People who count the votes can lie. And where do you think these votes are stored? Some guy with a piece of paper adds up the numbers for each county when they call him? No, it's done in computers! 100,000's of votes can be changed as easily as 1 vote. So we are back where we are started anyways.
Ok, so now voting is inherently unsafe...might as well just give up. Bah, give me a break. If you can trust a bank, which stores the amount of money that belongs to billions of people, to keep track of every cent that belongs to you, then why can't you trust it in a voting machine. When money is involved, all of a sudden people care a lot. The banking software is tested so rigorously, that most of the world has their money stored in a computer. Are mistakes made? Of course, but the software is written so that it leaves a trail and you can see what happens. Why, if you have money in a bank, can you not see that voting can be done electronically as well? Why not have a way of verifying your vote online that you can only access using your SS# and a PIN? We can pay our taxes that way, no reason why vote verifcation can't be that way either.
The way that you make this work is that you open source the code and you make the electronic voting booths EXACTLY THE SAME. That way any software expert can examine the software and see that there is nothing fishy in the code. The voting booths need to be made with security in mind, so obviously no network connection, no interfaces where someone can upload something. If you are really paranoid, make it print out a paper copy of the vote, I still don't see how that will make much of an impact other than on the tree population. It is still going to be put in a computer at some point to be calculated. Can there be problems? Yes. Can there be fraud? Yes. But that is no different than it is with out electronic voting booths.
If you think there won't be bots in WoW, then you are an idiot. Everyone knew there were bots in FFXI, and they did punish those who were using bots. Did they do it as fast as people wanted? No, they did not. But trying to make WoW out as better...give me a break. There were no hacks like this at all in FFXI while I played. Bots are going to be in every MMORPG...period.
Umm, no offense...but why are these two points of interest. A level cap at 60? So? FFXI has a cap at 50, then later raised it up to 75. Caps are pretty arbitrary...it's all relative to what level the area you are in.
I think most MMORPG have a lot of high end content that requires team and strategy. FFXI end game requires 18 person alliances that required a lot of strategy in order to defeat the mobs. That whole game requires teamwork (which some consider a drawback). Also, if a MMORPG isn't adding content on a regular baiss, something is seriously wrong...so unimplemented things early on should not be a surprise.
I haven't played much other MMORPG, so I apologize for lack of more examples. But really, your two points don't show WoW as anything different or special. I will never play another of these types of games though. They take way too much time...if you really want to get far in the game, you need to spend a ridiculous amount of time...time I would rather spend at the gym or playing single player games.
I think one of the biggest problem with reviews (if we ignore the corruption) is that we all enjoy different types of games. If a reviewer is a big RTS fan, he may not understand what's new and speical about a game like HL2. I think the best thing a person can do if they want to read reviews is to find a reviewer that has a similar taste in games. That way you stand a better chance of enjoying a game based on the review. Personally, I don't read reviews (unless you can count Penny Arcade). I will wait for a game to be released awhile, watch public reaction, and if it seems like a game I would be interested in, get if the opinion isn't too negative. You can usually tell the bad ones. No matter how good a game is though, there will always be some l33t game connoisseur who will trash the game for some reason, so take that with a grain of salt. Also, some game companies just make good games. If you like something that they made before, it doesn't hurt to try out some of their other titles.