Messages

As nice as everyone claims gmail is, it is true that nothing beats your own server space. On an application, your own website email looks so much better than a gmail or yahoo mail.

I still give out my business email address ... but I have it forward to my gmail account.  This way, the spam gets filtered out for me.  It's amazing.  The last time I went on vacation (before I had gmail) when I got back I had about 250 spam messages cluttering up my inbox.  This last cruise I went on (a few weeks ago) ... when I got back I had ZERO!!  That's right ... a big goose egg of spam messages.

So while a yourname@yourdomain.com might look better ... nothing beats less spam. 

I have the new Yahoo! Beta mail ... it's not as full featured as Google, but on the surface I like the display/layout better.  It's far superior to Google's.  Also, the contact details for your contacts are better as well.

That being said, I still use my gmail for 99% of my emailing.  It is far superior in almost every aspect.  Labels, spam detection, threading, etc.  Yahoo! may look better ... but I'll take the functionality of gmail over a pretty interface just about any day!

I actually stopped using my twin-design (company) email address.  Just had it route through gmail instead.  Filters out all the spam.  It's glorious!

Joss Whedon- though it is rather hard to come up with the perfect activity to do with him, I'm thinking a bank job would be something to consider, especially if we could involve Amy Acker and Andy Hallett. Afterwards we would all go and spend our stolen cash at a California Pizza Kitchen and listen while Joss tells us tales from the 'Verse.

Seconded.

And I'd spend the day convincing him to tell more stories in the 'verse!!  Don't let it die Joss!!

Afflict ... for shame.

Inc - let me know when you want to update this thread and I'll unlock it for you.

Unlocked by request!  Good to know you're still working on this!

[pedagogical]

For those who don't know:

pedagogical
- of or pertaining to a pedagogue or pedagogy

pedagogy
1. the function or work of a teacher; teaching. 
2. the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.



I love the graphical style (especially considering it was rushed!).  I'll DL and try it out when I get home tonight!

I had a similar idea YEARS ago after watching the movie Twister (though mine involved quite a different "world" setting with bad guys trying to stop you and the like, so there was run'n'gun type action as well)!

I think it's a fantastic idea.  The thing about it that appeals to me most is that it's a new "style" of game.  It's not the same old same old. (which the idea I had kind of was)

I would surely play it.

Especially if it's as pretty as that Alan Wake engine.  Holy shit that was amazing looking!  If it looks that good with such a crappy vid, I can't imagine how incredible it'd look on my hdTV!

I saw this over at PJ a few weeks ago (that's Pixel Joint to the un-informed)

While it looks awesome and fun, I don't have enough time to devote to my AGS game these days ... so I will be avoiding that for some time!

Sounds like a pinched nerve to me ...

I get them sometimes just from sleeping wrong.  So getting one from cuddling isn't odd at all.

Give it a day or two.  If it's still there, get a massage.  If that doesn't fix it, time for another trip to the doc.

So ... did you intentionally wait until this was more than 90 days old to break the rules and post a bump?

I'm more inclined to think you simply didn't read the rules.  Please do so now and do not dig up any more threads.

Iceman - I'm locking this.  If you want to post an update, let me know and I'll unlock it.

Unlocked per request!

Darth, from all I've said on this thread, tell me what you want me to clarify and I'll gladly do it, then. Specific things.

My stand on the "generalization without clarification" wasn't directed at you.  While I find your posting style to be, at times, unnecessarily rude and abusive you usually back up what you're saying.

then ask them for clarifications

I did.

don't ask them why they hate america.

I didn't.


I would think that about anything, not only when it's a generalized bashing of the U.S., one would want to clarify their opinion/statement with the reason(s) why they have and/or are sharing that opinion/statement.

There are, of course, exceptions.  If somebody makes a thread about how delicious tomatoes are and somebody posts, "I don't like tomatoes" there's really no need for clarification there.

I know it's not realistic to expect everybody to clarify their statements and that "blanket" generalizations will continue to be made (hell, I'm sure I've done it a few times, we all have).

That does not, however, mean that nothing should be said/done about it when it occurs.

I was gonna guess Edward Scissorhands ...

Darth, criticism != bashing.

I agree.  However, one person's criticism does equal another's bashing!  It's a matter of interpretation.  (more on that in a bit ...)

If someone came along and started going "Yeah, the Dutch are all stoned, abortion-committing, gay marrying, clog-wearing tulip eaters", I'd get pissed and defensive too. But if someone came along and made good points, I'd try to argue with them based on facts - and I'd never resort to calling them bashers, as that's just not going to do the argument any good.

I would agree that the examples I pointed out in this thread weren't particularly "harsh".  But as I stated above, my point was simply that these "blanket" statements were made that weren't clarified.  Again, I have no problem with people who have/take issue with the U.S. (in a lot of cases we deserve it).  I just don't like it when opinions aren't backed up with any kind of explanation.  If somebody has an opinion (even if they just have an insult) I'm happy to hear and consider it.  So long as it's backed up with their reasons for saying it.

However, if I disagree with it, I'm not going to keep quiet about it for fear of being called a "super defensive" American.  I'm going to respond to it, defend it, whatever.  Just as others are allowed to express their feelings/opinions/etc. so am I.

But whatever, man. If you feel we're bashing, believe that. I think we know better what we intended with what we wrote than you, and we've explained many times over that we're not posting to bash (and definitely not with the intent of bashing), but if that doesn't mean anything, I guess that's that.

Yes, you would know what you meant better than I would.  However, when one is expressing one's opinion it's important to take into consideration how those reading it will interpret it.  In fact, I think it's more important that others get what I'm trying to say more-so than me.  That is, after all, the point of expressing an opinion right?

This is exactly why debating anything over the internet is doomed to fail. People lose nuance, because there's no body language and subtle details like tone of voice and such. It's a shame, but I guess it's something inherent to the medium.

I totally agree on that one.  It's one of the reasons why I never talk with women I'm dating over IM

I know that [most of] the people I 'bump heads' with, on these forums, are the kind of people I wouldn't mind having a drink with in the real-world.  I'm not a gun-toting, money crazed capitilist pig of the west.  I understand (and in most cases don't blame) that some people get that impression of Americans due to the actions of our governement and our pop-culture.  And yes, while I do know some Americans that fall right into that classification we aren't ALL like that (not by a long shot).  Just as I'm sure all Greeks aren't like the rude restaraunt owners I mentioned in my last post.

I know the U.S. is the super-power of the globe and, as such, a target for much scrutiny and criticism.  As the main super-power of the world should be!  But again [beating a dead horse here] a person should clarify what they're saying.

As you said, these internet debates never end well and sort of just taper off after awhile and to be honest, as much as I've enjoyed it, I'm probably gonna mosey on out of this one.

Believe it or not, I like you all.

Even you Helm.

I think my point is being overlooked here.

I don't mind the bashing if it's backed up with the reasoning behind the bashing.  I'm happy to "discuss" and "debate" most issues.  There are things about America that I wouldn't mind bashing myself.  However, were I to do so, I wouldn't make a generalized blanket statement and just leave it at that.

But, as with the examples I provided from this thread, statements were made without any explanation as to why they were made.

Whether opinion, attack, warranted or unwarranted, hate or no-hate, it's bashing.  Maybe it's semantics or just differrent opinions as to the definition of "bashing" that's causing the confusion here.

It's very easy to just say things like:

You're just super defensive, even for an american.

Which is very cleverly (if a tad on the childish side) written.  Because if I respond to it in any fashion other than this I'm just being a "super defensive" american.  However, it's worth noting that it's a rather generalized blanket statement by itself.

Now ... I can't speak for other countries (Greece, Spain, France, UK ...) as to their "history of heavy cultural declaration or political dialogue" but I haven't been able to walk the streets of the U.S. in years without hearing and/or seeing some kind of political dialogue.  Have you spent a lot of time walking these same streets in the U.S. to know this for fact?

I'm not going to comment on anything about Greece.  I've never been there to experience it for myself.  The only experience I've had with Greeks are the people that owned a restaraunt in my home town.  I found them all (the ones I dealt with) to be very rude and loud and not very polite to their customers.  And I wasn't the only one because most people felt the same way, stopped going to the restaraunt, and they went out of business beause nobody liked their rude service.  Now ... should I assume that all Greeks are this way?

I've ran into this mainly with americans (see this isn't a bash, this is an empyrical observation) on the internet who are seemingly insulted by that I have opinions, and that I voice them in their presense constitutes an attack. They treat opinion as antagonism whereas I voice opinion for discussion.

I have no problem what-so-ever with folk expressing their opinions if they back it up with some explanation.  This is common sense and to imply that I don't tolerate other's opinions (empyrical observation or not) is just ignorant.  It's not because I'm an American.  It's not because I'm "super defensive".  It's because, like everybody else involved in this debate, I'm putting my point across.  Which is kind of the point in a debate.

As I commented above about my experience with Greeks ... I don't say anything about you based off the country you come from (though I have had empyrical observations of Greeks in the past - and not just on the internet).

Seems to me, at this point, you're just arguing for the sake of arguing.  My point was that statements (bashes) were made with no explanation given.  Plain and simple.  Now it's turned into another rant on Americans.

Shocking.

I suppose I should thank you, as you proved my point rather nicely.

It's obvious there's some interference then, because I don't see any of these quotes as HATEFUL BASHING of america.

No kidding?

I'm not going to make the effort (not worth it) to re-read all the posts in this thread ... but I don't think I ever called the bashing "HATEFUL".

However... hateful or not, interference or not, it's still bashing without explanation.  Which is what the point is.

Until then ... ** click **

Well this thread doesn't belong in here (or anywhere really) ...

Gamemaker - STOP posting in here without reading the rules!

This is good news, but it's old news as R4L said. I never really liked Sierra's adventure game era. The games were bland compared to LucasArts, and the titles were even worse- I mean: Police Quest, King's Quest, Space Quest- Really generic.

The LucasArts games tended to be different, but that certainly doesn't make the Sierra games bland.  Some of the best videogame memories I have are of Sierra games, not Lucas Arts (though I played both).  I still remember the incredible visuals (yes, incredible) the first time I played Space Quest I and how part III blew my mind.  I remember how immersed I got into Kings Quest ... walking around such a rich and lush computer generated environment.

And as for Titles??

King's Quest I - Quest for the Crown
King's Quest II - Romancing the Throne
King's Quest III - To Heir is Human
King's Quest IV - The Perils of Rosella
King's Quest V - Absence Makes the Heart go Yonder
King's Quest VI - Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

Space Quest I - The Sarien Encounter
Space Quest II - Vohaul's Revenge
Space Quest III - The Pirates of Pestulon
Space Quest IV - Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers
Space Quest V - Roger Wilco in the Next Mutation
Space Quest 6 - Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier

Police Quest 1 - In Pursuit of the Death Angel
Police Quest 2 - The Vengeance
Police Quest 3 - The Kindred
Police Quest 4 - Open Season

I don't find anything bland or generic about those titles ... In fact I think they're very creative.

I don't know ... maybe it's that I was actually alive during the era?

Any example threads off the top of your head that you could point me to?

Damn you for makin' me take the time ...

Should guns be outlawed, not because of what they are, but because American society breeds people crazy enough to use them?

While I feel for the victims of the university, I can't help but feel America's created this problem all by itself.

Also, with my previous statement that while I felt for the VT victims, I couldn't help but think America brought this onto itself, I meant exactly that.

Still, afaik, it's not even up to a tenth of what's in America...

I don't mind when somebody says something negative about my country.  There are, as I've stated several times, some very negative aspects of the U.S. (just as there are about every country/nation).

What I mind is when it's a baseless insult for the sake of insulting.

There are countless examples of this in the GenGen (several in this thread alone).  If you want to make a statement/insult about something that the U.S. is and/or does (whether it warrants an insult or not) then you need to back it up with some kind of reasoning and/or explanation.  Don't just throw out, "Just another [typical] American" or "Only the U.S. would be that stupid ..."  It makes you sound childish and ill-informed.

Reminds me of some of these college kids who get out into the real world for 2 months and suddenly think they know it all and they start spouting off the last bit of verbal-garbage they heard some professor prattle off.

Everybody just ignores (or worse, goes along with or even worse, deny it's happening) the America bashing ... yet if I were to make a generalized blanket statement about another country there'd be two pages of arguments/flaming towards me for being an ignorant American which would then turn into several more pages of American bashing.

Ohhhhh the hypocritical irony of it all.