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Running a role playing game online presents a large of amount of flexibility in the way you run the game. You no longer need individual sessions where all players are present, and there are a plethora of options as to where you are going to run it - if you want to run it in any one place.
One of the number one questions I receive relates to the medium for online RPGs. There are tons of different ways of communicating online, mainly grouped into a few categories. We have instant messenger, chats, message boards, and emails. There are a few custom services out there, but I'm going to touch on the four that I've mentioned.
On RolePlayGateway, we have a set of roleplaying forums as well as a roleplaying chat. When you're running an RPG, there are a few items you should consider when deciding where you're going to keep everything.
Forums have the benefit of being static and always available - users can post to forums at any time during the day and be sure that other users (and roleplayers) can see their message. Forums are also very flexible, they allow you to embed images and other multimedia within your posts, allowing you to share any experience with your players. However, it is post based - forums are often not the quickest way to communicate, as it is not a live feed of information like a chat.
Chats, on the other hand, have the benefit of being real time. Games can be run in chat (and instant messenger) on a moment's notice, and work best when all of the players can be available at the same time. Because it is real time, short blip-based sessions such as character conversations and interactions work extraordinarily well with chats. Players can get the chance to interject into other player's actions and statements without the worry of too much time going by. It is for this reason that the longer posts, such as those that exceed a paragraph, are often too large and unwieldy for chats - players end up waiting too long for each post, and will get bored.
Longer posts do very well on forums, where writing an individual post can take half an hour or longer to refine and perfect - just enough time for the players to go look at other games and other topics before they come back and begin formulating their response.
If you're running a game with a detailed and/or complicated storyline or characters, it is always good to post something on a forum for player reference. This lets the players have a place to communicate out of character (OOC) - such as when they won't be able to make a chat session, or when they want to discuss plans for character interaction, growth, or development. Even if your game is already on a forum - it is a good idea to create a place for OOC discussion. For chat-based games - this gives a perfect opportunity for players to jump in at the middle of a game with little trouble, as they simply need to read over the history of the game on the forum, which they can do at any point in time, and less time is needed explaining the game to the player.
Instant messenger works well when dealing with one on one sessions, such as when two characters are the only ones in an interaction or a meeting needs to be private. These interactions can be summarized or written into a cinematic format and then posted to the forum, for other players to enjoy as well. Instant messenger (as well as Private Messages) does very well at asking questions of the other players, which is convenient when you have a question about how they're playing a role or a reference they made in character.
There are also emails - many games aren't run by email anymore, but email is still a very valuable tool. RolePlayGateway like many forums offers you the ability to subscribe to topics. Subscriptions will let you receive an immediate email update whenever someone replies to the thread. This is extraordinarily helpful when there's an RPG with only a few players that can only reply every once in a while, but it requires that people, y'know, actually check their email. RolePlayGateway also has the special ability to instant message you when there's an update to a subscribed thread. All you need is a Jabber account (GMail accounts work, too) and to set up the notifications. We'll send you a message as soon as there's an update.
What methods have you used to manage your online roleplaying games? Are you a fan of forum or chat? Both? What helps you determine where you're going to hold your game? Discuss!
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Jayme and I have decided to determine which one of us is the best at playing games. We're in the process of choosing the games to be played to determine the best of the best. (Or atleast between us two.) We're trying to get an equal amount of games on both the console and the PC, since he's a console gamer, and I'm a PC gamer. The winner of this will get bragging rights an' all that, but I think we'll need to write an agreement of some sort stating that the winner is final, no bitching about how the choices of games are sucky, and how lag killed you, and that when entering, you agree that it is FINAL. So yeah. Here's what we have so far, and by no means is this list final:
So that's a tally of 7 games so far, 3 console, 3 PC, and one arcade. Of course, I'd like to have two more, including a FPS for the PC, such as Unreal Tournament... and an additional game on the console to account for this. Perhaps a 3D Fighter such as Tekken 4/5, Mortal Combat: Deception/Deadly Alliance, or King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact?
We'll see.
-- Eric Martindale IT Professional Admin of GWing.net
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Between work, my social life, and training, I play a game called EVE Online. It's the first game I've ever shelled out a monthly fee for, and it's well worth it. I came across this fan-made video for one of the in-game factions on CrazyKinux's blog.
Full screen this and play it in HD, while keeping in mind that this is made entirely of recorded gameplay video.
I'm the director of a group of players (called a "Corporation" as opposed to "Guild" in other MMORPGs), and if you're interested in playing with me, shoot me a line or message me in game as "Baeryn". You'll never find a game so perfect.
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Of Space, War, and Virtual Reality +CCP Games has always been on the right track with their most successful project, the single-server, fully persistent world of +EVE Online. Having launched +DUST 514 as an extension that exists within the same game world, CCP has raised the bar of innovation already, and continues to carve out territory with the announcement of +EVE: Valkyrie.
Valkyrie is a virtual reality game originally designed for +Oculus VR [1]. If you're not familiar with Oculus, they're the makers of the Oculus Rift. The Rift is a 3D display device that you wear like a pair of glasses, and literally move your head to look around the space. This interaction makes it feel like you are actually in the virtual space, and represents a huge step forward in immersion.
What interests me most about EVE is the fact that it's a truly alternative reality; a simulated universe, of which only one exists, and to which there will never be a sequel or a "version 2". CCP has committed to simply improve the game over time rather than ever introduce an "EVE 2", building the universe iteratively over the past 10 years. This means that the time you invest in the alternative reality has a degree of permanence and importance, rather than the transience and fragmentation of other sharded universes.
Let's hope this integrates directly into the EVE Universe, in the capacity of participating in actual fights, and not just "conquer this asteroid field to make it available to EVE players". Anything less would be a grave disappointment and moreover, a potentially critical business mistake as the two games, EVE Online and Valkyrie, operate in the same space.
Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
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Of Space, War, and Virtual Reality +CCP Games has always been on the right track with their most successful project, the single-server, fully persistent world of +EVE Online. Having launched +DUST 514 as an extension that exists within the same game world, CCP has raised the bar of innovation already, and continues to carve out territory with the announcement of +EVE: Valkyrie.
Valkyrie is a virtual reality game originally designed for +Oculus VR [1]. If you're not familiar with Oculus, they're the makers of the Oculus Rift. The Rift is a 3D display device that you wear like a pair of glasses, and literally move your head to look around the space. This interaction makes it feel like you are actually in the virtual space, and represents a huge step forward in immersion.
What interests me most about EVE is the fact that it's a truly alternative reality; a simulated universe, of which only one exists, and to which there will never be a sequel or a "version 2". CCP has committed to simply improve the game over time rather than ever introduce an "EVE 2", building the universe iteratively over the past 10 years. This means that the time you invest in the alternative reality has a degree of permanence and importance, rather than the transience and fragmentation of other sharded universes.
Let's hope this integrates directly into the EVE Universe, in the capacity of participating in actual fights, and not just "conquer this asteroid field to make it available to EVE players". Anything less would be a grave disappointment and moreover, a potentially critical business mistake as the two games, EVE Online and Valkyrie, operate in the same space.
Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
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Of Space, War, and Virtual Reality +CCP Games has always been on the right track with their most successful project, the single-server, fully persistent world of +EVE Online. Having launched +DUST 514 as an extension that exists within the same game world, CCP has raised the bar of innovation already, and continues to carve out territory with the announcement of +EVE: Valkyrie.
Valkyrie is a virtual reality game originally designed for +Oculus VR [1]. If you're not familiar with Oculus, they're the makers of the Oculus Rift. The Rift is a 3D display device that you wear like a pair of glasses, and literally move your head to look around the space. This interaction makes it feel like you are actually in the virtual space, and represents a huge step forward in immersion.
What interests me most about EVE is the fact that it's a truly alternative reality; a simulated universe, of which only one exists, and to which there will never be a sequel or a "version 2". CCP has committed to simply improve the game over time rather than ever introduce an "EVE 2", building the universe iteratively over the past 10 years. This means that the time you invest in the alternative reality has a degree of permanence and importance, rather than the transience and fragmentation of other sharded universes.
Let's hope this integrates directly into the EVE Universe, in the capacity of participating in actual fights, and not just "conquer this asteroid field to make it available to EVE players". Anything less would be a grave disappointment and moreover, a potentially critical business mistake as the two games, EVE Online and Valkyrie, operate in the same space.
Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
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Of Space, War, and Virtual Reality +CCP Games has always been on the right track with their most successful project, the single-server, fully persistent world of +EVE Online. Having launched +DUST 514 as an extension that exists within the same game world, CCP has raised the bar of innovation already, and continues to carve out territory with the announcement of +EVE: Valkyrie.
Valkyrie is a virtual reality game originally designed for +Oculus VR [1]. If you're not familiar with Oculus, they're the makers of the Oculus Rift. The Rift is a 3D display device that you wear like a pair of glasses, and literally move your head to look around the space. This interaction makes it feel like you are actually in the virtual space, and represents a huge step forward in immersion.
What interests me most about EVE is the fact that it's a truly alternative reality; a simulated universe, of which only one exists, and to which there will never be a sequel or a "version 2". CCP has committed to simply improve the game over time rather than ever introduce an "EVE 2", building the universe iteratively over the past 10 years. This means that the time you invest in the alternative reality has a degree of permanence and importance, rather than the transience and fragmentation of other sharded universes.
Let's hope this integrates directly into the EVE Universe, in the capacity of participating in actual fights, and not just "conquer this asteroid field to make it available to EVE players". Anything less would be a grave disappointment and moreover, a potentially critical business mistake as the two games, EVE Online and Valkyrie, operate in the same space.
Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
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Who says gaming is a waste of time?? I'm not sure that the author of the story knows much about gaming though - he probably should have said WoW instead of D&D...
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Who says gaming is a waste of time?? I'm not sure that the author of the story knows much about gaming though - he probably should have said WoW instead of D&D...
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Who says gaming is a waste of time?? I'm not sure that the author of the story knows much about gaming though - he probably should have said WoW instead of D&D...
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Who says gaming is a waste of time?? I'm not sure that the author of the story knows much about gaming though - he probably should have said WoW instead of D&D...
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Warning: Strong nerdery follows. Please be cautious of your fragile mind.
Since late 1997, in all of my pre-teen glory, I have been involved with something my friends and I simply called roleplay in our own little vernacular. Of course I've since learned that roleplay doesn't only refer to the peer-driven world of online roleplay, it refers to all sorts of real-world tabletop games, live acting, and various amounts of storytelling, but this particular post is written with the word roleplay referring to the freeform online roleplaying that I have always been so close to.
Freeform roleplay, or the idea that there is no GM (game master) or storyteller (as in Vampire: The Masquerade), and is instead driven solely by the players, with no concrete rules for battle, statistics, or progression of the story. Rules and guidelines were driven by common expectation, which developed as a sort of social justice system that remains effective, even today.
The very roots of this sort of roleplay stem from early chat systems, where one could adopt a simple moniker and create a personality around the idea of an "avatar", which in most cases consisted only of this name. Players, without defining themselves as such, would interact in an imaginative world that coalesced out of their collaborative imagination. Each would react to the other characters' actions and dialogue in a fashion that suited their own character's theoretical personality, and this would create a constantly evolving story arc.
As the web (and the young teen's perception of the web) evolved and grew, so did the concept of roleplay. Online forums became an entirely new beast, allowing users to write more and more into their in character posts, instead of being limited to the single lines that chat provided (of course, some chats had enough space for people to post a full paragraph, or even two - but this was limited at the time), they were able to expound upon their writing and even proofread their copy before sending it across the web for the other players to view.
Freeform roleplay had also grown to be very competitive at this point, with groups of players forming groups known as clans, guilds, or otherwise, and expanded their IC competitions from chat to the forums and message boards now provided by a few enterprising organizations (or individuals). It was this competitive banter and challenge that defined what many now call the golden age of roleplay, which is what really drove the forefront of this gaming medium.
There were plenty of players who had entered their late teens (and some even were adults at this point, gasp!) who moved away from chat, and who moved away from the conflict-driven world of this type of roleplay. They went on to create storyline-oriented games, with a small and select number of players in more of a collaborative fiction setting. These players often went on to become writers and editors, being driven more by the literary aspect of relaying a fiction onto the internet, and often have their own private niche where they can continue to do this with their long-standing playergroup.
And... that's where we are today. The freeform roleplay community is growing and changing, barely 15 years old at this point. We have the chance to nurture it, just as we have the chance to neglect it. Those of us who've been involved since the beginning have the greatest opportunity to influence the course of growth, and that's exactly what I'm hoping to do.
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While marketing RolePlayGateway, one of the things we considered was the "virality" of our approach. Viral marketing is any marketing technique that induces Web sites or users to pass on a marketing message to other sites or users, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message's visibility and effect. We're going to guide you on the road to a truly viral campaign.
A successful viral push can be launched simply by following three simple rules.
Don't spend everything you have on a single campaign.
Don't rely entirely on one vehicle of viral marketing.
Be different from everyone else; stand out.
While we're not nearly viral enough, part of our success so far has been the evangelism of our passionate users. And there you have it, one of the most important keys to successful viral marketing:
Passion:
Users who are passionate about your service, your community, or your site. They will propagate, they will evangelize, and ultimately will generate more passionate users who will do the same thing for you. Dawn Anfusocalls these members Boomers - and it is important to not ignore them.
Make it easy for your users to share. Make it hard for them NOT to share. Add a feature on your site that encourages them to send an email to their friends about the service. Add blocks where they can copy and paste code straight to their social profiles on sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo. Jeanne Jennings wrote an amazing article on Optimizing the "E-mail This" Marketing Opportunity, and I'd recommend you read it and implement the things you learn from it.
Widgetize:
On that note, we arrive on one of our most powerful vehicles for viral marketing: Widgets. The list of sites that you can infect with widgets are endless. From iGoogle to individual sites, widgets encourage users to put your tool on their page. Be sure to incorporate other techniques here: Include encouragement to share it. Make it easy to post elsewhere and share.
One of the items that RolePlay Gateway could utilize to great success is the concept of game trailers. Many of the games on RPGateway are text-based, and have no real graphics. However, most of these games have amazing storylines, storylines which could be utilized to hitch audiences, or at least entertain them. Flash-based videos, or trailers, with pivotal content, captivating video and audio, and viral marketing elements such as "Email this!" or "Share This", would be an amazing leap forward. Take a look at how YouTube's video player works. Such trailers could even be uploaded to social networking sites, like YouTube and Google Video, and shared to millions of users with a touch of viral marketing magic.
Juice It Up:
Include your URL everywhere you go. Facebook, MySpace. Everywhere. This generates user authority, even if the site you are on has nothing at all to do with your target market. Cross sections are a beautiful thing, and even if you don't get a drop of link juice in comments, market saturation is a very important, yet delicate, part of viral marketing.
Maintain a presence on every social networking site you can sustain. Extend your campaign to all of them. Create social groups for each of these sites, and publicize them. The more targets you hit, just like investing, the less committed you are to that particular market. Your assets are distributed, and while the workload may be unfathomably difficult (keeping up with so many social networking sites sucks... that's why we have ProfileLinker), the potential for success is incredible.
Reward:
Another option is to provide tangible rewards for marketing. This can be in the form of prizes, such as in a contest, or to individual users. Incentives are very powerful, and drive many users to promote where they'd be otherwise apathetic. Things can be very simple, such as giving them tokens or credits, to very expensive, such as providing real cash per referral. This is probably the most effective, albeit expensive, method of encouraging users to infect others.
Don't Stop.
Don't set these actions in motion and then hope they work. Get involved. Comment on profiles. Reply to messages. Enhance your viral effect. Make it tangible. If users can see that there is a real person there, they will be a lot more enthusiastic and encouraged to participate, and your viral marketing campaign will be more successful.
Other Resources!!!Web Marketing Today has an amazing list of resource articles that are sure to help you build your campaign.
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“You want to be in the tech game, because in time it will be the only game in town.” — +Justin Kan
This is a spectacular article written from the perspective of recognizing the fundamental paradigm shift that the Internet has introduced to humanity.
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“You want to be in the tech game, because in time it will be the only game in town.” — +Justin Kan
This is a spectacular article written from the perspective of recognizing the fundamental paradigm shift that the Internet has introduced to humanity.
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“You want to be in the tech game, because in time it will be the only game in town.” — +Justin Kan
This is a spectacular article written from the perspective of recognizing the fundamental paradigm shift that the Internet has introduced to humanity.
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“You want to be in the tech game, because in time it will be the only game in town.” — +Justin Kan
This is a spectacular article written from the perspective of recognizing the fundamental paradigm shift that the Internet has introduced to humanity.
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I think I'm sick or getting sick from the weekend, which was awesome all in itself. Rode over to Ian's on Saturday, enjoyed a good night with some new friends, playing Unreal Tournament (the original, what else?) until somewhere around 3AM. Ah, good times. I woke up the next day in time to give Amber a call before she left for work. We got to gaming shortly after lunch, and for once, our ship didn't esplode! (partly because we left it behind for the majority of the game...)
Sunday we relaxed and watched football, both American and World. Poor poor Chelsea! I ended up rolling in at about 4PM, and proceeded to put together some home cooking for when Amber got off work. Unfortunately, my plans were foiled by her work schedule, and she got off at six instead of the planned five, denying us the opportunity of going to the park to eat while the sun set. We enjoyed ourselves nonetheless, and had a good cuddly evening.
Work today was a pain, though. Internet was out, and Bellsouth took until 5PM to bring us a mediocre solution. One of our major clients was having email problems, which I couldn't troubleshoot until the internet was up. Pity.
And, now I come home, GWing is having some people problems, and the GT League is bumbling along as usual. Now, about that roleplaying social reform...
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I've always loved Eve Online. It's a space MMO, with ridiculous levels of immersion. They tout that it's the world's largest game universe, and let me tell you - it's absolutely huge.
Character journaling is a great way to extend the world of a game and add more depth to both the character and the plot. Be careful that you don't fall victim to the inactivity that often plagues real journaling! Stick to it, and you'll reap the benefits of fleshing out your character and having a solid history of the thought processes involved.
P.S.: Google Reader is an amazing tool that lets you follow your favorite sites and their content without ever checking the page. You can check out my shared items list to see what sort of things I follow, but check out the official Google Reader page for more information.
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Congratulations to my homestate team, NC State University, for making it into the #bitcoin Bowl! The BitPay team has put in a lot of effort to make this one of the most memorable Bowl Games of all time.
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I'm actually not worried too much about direct Eve integration. Sure, it'd be fun, but the physics engines aren't at all compatible at this point in time, and EVR is a great game in its own right. I'm hoping for Valkyrie to be separate for several years until the technical hurdles can be overcome such that we can fly all of our Eve vessels this way.
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Interesting, certainly a relevant application for tourists and museum visitors. I look forward to a slightly more immersive experience, where for instance ruins are overlaid with an image of what they used to look like. Also, I want to wear google glasses while I bike/run/walk and play a video game at the same time, so I'm exercising outside and experiencing a "new world" at the same time. When is that coming?? ;)
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The assumption that a technical infrastructure like this is directly connected to the internet for control, and is vulnerable to cyber attacks is not quite robust. Totally isolated local networks and control systems can not be hacked by cyber warfare. I find it difficult to believe critical systems will be controlled through the net.
Distributed wars fought on very large number of fronts weaken the defences of a stronger player and give an advantage to a weaker attacker. Col Blotto's game!
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There's an amazing feeling you get when you know there is a robot in your kitchen sweeping the floor for you.
So, I get in from gaming at about 3AM this morning, and on my table is this box that my roommate brought in, because it had been delivered. I knew immediately that it was my Roomba Discovery. I have charged it up for a bit, tested it out, watched it, and now I trust it not to get stuck or break anything. Problem is, I'm way too excited to get to sleep. Hello, 5:07 - I'm going to sleep now.
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I just came across an artist's work of a futuristic fantasy Tokyo that is overgrown with vegetation, and is amid reclamation by nature. Immediately, I thought that these images demanded a roleplaying game to go along with them, perhaps of the walk-through nature.
They came from a blog called Tokyo Genso (Tokyo Fantasy) - which has some altogether amazing works of art, so go check them out. :)
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It's nothing new to realize that tech companies have tried to mimic Steve Jobs' presentation style. Some fail miserably (I'm looking at you +Mark Zuckerberg .) Others do a pretty good job, like Jeff Bezos when he presented the new Kindle lineup from Amazon. The trend has me wondering two things, though:
1) How much strategy goes into timing these announcements, particularly when rumors of other announcements are floating around? For example, is there a reason Amazon went just a week before Apple? If so, what was it? Just how much research goes into target dates and announcement dates when considering competitors' release schedules (or rumored release schedules?) It seems like an super-intense game of chess (or Starcraft.)
and 2) What style will Tim Cook adopt next week? Now that Steve Jobs has handed over the reins to the new CEO, will he ape Jobs' style, or will he innovate a bit? How much of Apple really is Steve Jobs, and how much can Cook make his own? Are we about to head into a new era of tech presentations? Straying from a successful formula could be dangerous, but is it necessary so that Cook can show the world that although he is not Steve Jobs, he is still the right man to carry the torch?
I'm excited to see what's in store for tech in the years to come. So many great announcements have come out this Summer/Fall. What do you expect to see from the evolution of these tech presentations?
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It's nothing new to realize that tech companies have tried to mimic Steve Jobs' presentation style. Some fail miserably (I'm looking at you +Mark Zuckerberg .) Others do a pretty good job, like Jeff Bezos when he presented the new Kindle lineup from Amazon. The trend has me wondering two things, though:
1) How much strategy goes into timing these announcements, particularly when rumors of other announcements are floating around? For example, is there a reason Amazon went just a week before Apple? If so, what was it? Just how much research goes into target dates and announcement dates when considering competitors' release schedules (or rumored release schedules?) It seems like an super-intense game of chess (or Starcraft.)
and 2) What style will Tim Cook adopt next week? Now that Steve Jobs has handed over the reins to the new CEO, will he ape Jobs' style, or will he innovate a bit? How much of Apple really is Steve Jobs, and how much can Cook make his own? Are we about to head into a new era of tech presentations? Straying from a successful formula could be dangerous, but is it necessary so that Cook can show the world that although he is not Steve Jobs, he is still the right man to carry the torch?
I'm excited to see what's in store for tech in the years to come. So many great announcements have come out this Summer/Fall. What do you expect to see from the evolution of these tech presentations?
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It's nothing new to realize that tech companies have tried to mimic Steve Jobs' presentation style. Some fail miserably (I'm looking at you +Mark Zuckerberg .) Others do a pretty good job, like Jeff Bezos when he presented the new Kindle lineup from Amazon. The trend has me wondering two things, though:
1) How much strategy goes into timing these announcements, particularly when rumors of other announcements are floating around? For example, is there a reason Amazon went just a week before Apple? If so, what was it? Just how much research goes into target dates and announcement dates when considering competitors' release schedules (or rumored release schedules?) It seems like an super-intense game of chess (or Starcraft.)
and 2) What style will Tim Cook adopt next week? Now that Steve Jobs has handed over the reins to the new CEO, will he ape Jobs' style, or will he innovate a bit? How much of Apple really is Steve Jobs, and how much can Cook make his own? Are we about to head into a new era of tech presentations? Straying from a successful formula could be dangerous, but is it necessary so that Cook can show the world that although he is not Steve Jobs, he is still the right man to carry the torch?
I'm excited to see what's in store for tech in the years to come. So many great announcements have come out this Summer/Fall. What do you expect to see from the evolution of these tech presentations?
Replies are automatically detected from social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. To add a comment, include a direct link to this post in your message and it'll show up here within a few minutes.
It's nothing new to realize that tech companies have tried to mimic Steve Jobs' presentation style. Some fail miserably (I'm looking at you +Mark Zuckerberg .) Others do a pretty good job, like Jeff Bezos when he presented the new Kindle lineup from Amazon. The trend has me wondering two things, though:
1) How much strategy goes into timing these announcements, particularly when rumors of other announcements are floating around? For example, is there a reason Amazon went just a week before Apple? If so, what was it? Just how much research goes into target dates and announcement dates when considering competitors' release schedules (or rumored release schedules?) It seems like an super-intense game of chess (or Starcraft.)
and 2) What style will Tim Cook adopt next week? Now that Steve Jobs has handed over the reins to the new CEO, will he ape Jobs' style, or will he innovate a bit? How much of Apple really is Steve Jobs, and how much can Cook make his own? Are we about to head into a new era of tech presentations? Straying from a successful formula could be dangerous, but is it necessary so that Cook can show the world that although he is not Steve Jobs, he is still the right man to carry the torch?
I'm excited to see what's in store for tech in the years to come. So many great announcements have come out this Summer/Fall. What do you expect to see from the evolution of these tech presentations?
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The idea that we're somehow disadvantaged should the entire system crash, compared to our parents or grandparents, is silly and myopic. Living off the land flat out wouldn't/couldn't happen. There's simply to many people for everyone to hunt. If everyone started hunting/fishing to get food a) we'd run out of space in the forest/river shores and be killing one another for a spot b) even if we remained civilized we'd kill off everything so fast it wouldn't matter. Do you seriously think we get all those burgers by people taking care of cows... we don't... we have a whole technological industry built up around shoving as many into a small area and keeping them alive long enough that we can eat them. Chickens? Ya same thing. If it REALLY got so bad that "the grid" collapsed you're no better off than anyone else.
I have no idea how this turned into an end of the world/I can survive without a computer thread. This article isn't stating that everyonehas to be in tech; only that going into tech/training/educating yourself for a world that is fully tech enabled is something you should do. He states in the second paragraph, "....and all the college kids wondering if a CS or engineering degree will pay off. To those readers: we might be in a bubble, but for you it doesn’t matter." Then in the fourth paragraph, "The truth is that the technology sector as a whole over any length of time is a positive-sum game even if the economy doesn’t grow at all..." In short, if you're looking to go into tech field you should still do it. Thanks for sharing this +Eric Martindale, good stuff!
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I've been in the market for my dream phone for almost a year now. Products have been released left and right, but none of them seem to have the functionality that I am desiring. Okay, I admit - "phone" is a bit misleading. What I'm really looking for is a smartphone... no, not a smartphone, a digital companion.
Things I'm looking for:
Phone
Camera
Media Player
Freedom
Phone I want a mobile phone with what has become industry standards, including the dual-mode functionality of GSM and WiFi connections. I should be able to take this phone to any service provider, and get service using this device, keeping both my number and my contacts.
Camera I want a decent camera that gets decent lighting. While a 2 megapixel camera is about the range I'm looking for, most important is the quality of the resulting pictures. The functionality of a modern-day camera should be available, including light temperature and balance. I should be able to record video using this, as well.
Media Player I should be able to play any format of media on this device as I can play using my home Linux box. OGG, MP3, MPEG, AVI...
Freedom I wish to be able to install software freely, from wherever I may choose. If I choose to install emulators and play me some NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis games, I should be able to do this freely, and have the necessary hardware resources to do this. I want to be able to make changes to my device's software at any point in time. I should be able to sync my calendar, to do list, and contacts with my choice of repositories.
I'll grow and review this as necessary. Until then, the Apple iPhone looks bitterly disgusting, while the Motorola Q's use of Windows continues to push me away.
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