Archive for the ‘Off Topic’ Category
Posted by Stropp on
October 1, 2010
For some reason, over the last few weeks, I’ve been getting more and more messages through the Contact form on this site from people wanting me to use their services to improve my SEO ranking for my search terms.
Stropp’s World is a hobby blog. Sure I’ve put up some ads to help defray my costs over the years, but it’s not a serious business. And… if I do one day decide to make this site into a money maker, I won’t be using some random guy with a gmail address and no company affiliation. That’s likely to result in some bad link spamming ‘SEO’ that will just get Stropp’s World penalised by Google.
Besides, I know enough SEO to do at least as well promoting my site as you would. Why would I pay for that?
So forget it, I’m not going to use your services. Don’t waste your time.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
July 16, 2009
Okay, this is not really a game related posts, but still, it has some ramifications for gamers.
You might remember that the other day I posted about Google’s announcement that it was working on the Chrome OS and how it was positioning to be a competitor to Microsoft. The problem I had with that announcement was that Google seemed to be focussing more on “The Cloud” functionality, and less on the applications that you and I really appreciate: Games.
And, since games have been one of the major factors for the adoption of PC technology by personal users over the last 20+ years, Google will have serious problems beating the Windows stranglehold on the operating system market unless it does a lot more than just play lip-service to games and gamers.
As I was thinking about this, it occured to me that the Chrome Operating System is actually being targeted (maybe deliberately, maybe not) at the space that Apple currently dominates. The non-Windows, productivity application, boutique market.
Both OSes have similarities. They’re both based off a ‘nix. Chrome OS will be based off a version of Linux, and Apple OSX is based on a port of Darwin (a version of BSD.) Neither focus on games (despite Apple promising occassionally to support game developers) but are more focussed on productivity applications: Apple works well with the artistic types, writing, video production, and graphic design; while Google is already heading into the office productivity (Google Apps) space which is dominated by Microsoft in business.
But where Apple really dominates is in the boutique, non-Microsoft space.
Microsoft is a lot like meat and three vegies. It’s the staple diet for most computer users, both corporate and personal, and does what it does reasonable effectively (fanboism aside.)
Apple is like a night out at a four star restaurant. They provide well presented computers, a quite decent operating system, and a much smaller menu of applications to choose from. Apple also has the cost factor associated with fine dining.
Google OS will be more like a night out at AppleBees (iirc, it’s been a few years.) It will (eventually) provide a better selection than OSX and for a much better price, but it won’t be the staple diet that MS Windows offers. Not unless it supports the vast majority of users who want to do more than browse the web and download… and provides excellent support for games and supports an excellent interface for game developers to work with.
Otherwise, Google OS just becomes an alternative to Apple OSX.
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Posted by Stropp on
May 18, 2009
I must admit, this Wolfram Alpha thingy is pretty smart.
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Posted by Stropp on
March 25, 2009
It may have been the last words to flash through the mind of a bowl of petunias that had suddenly been called into existence several miles above the surface of an alien planet, but it also happened to be what I was thinking yesterday.
My video card, the eighteen month old video card at that, has gone on the blink. So I currently, once again, am computerless. (Forget about video game addiction, computer withdrawl syndrome is much worse.) This post is being written at work. Shhh. Don’t tell the boss.
So how many hardware issues have I had in the last four years? Plenty. I’ve lost or had reduced functionality on at least three power supplies, lost some RAM, and a motherboard, and possibly had other problems that I haven’t noticed. It seems that there is some sort of supply fault to my house, I either get power spikes (which should be blocked by the surge suppressor fitted to my house) or an undervolts which I’m told can be just as damaging.
So now, yet again, I have to go out an buy some replacement hardware.
What’s even more ironic, or annoying, is the only shop local to where I work that sells computer parts has recently gone out of business, and the Dick Smith store recently opened next door to it (after IT Warehouse departed) which is Australia’s biggest electronic chain doesn’t sell video cards. Sigh.
Not happy, Jan!
Update: I’ve ordered a new MSI 9800GT 512MB card to replace the defunct 8800 768MB card. It’s apparently a little better than the old one. I’m leaving work a bit earlier (the shop shuts at 5:30) and picking it up on the way home.
After talking to a couple of the hardware engineers here at work, it looks like the solution will be to buy a UPS with built in surge suppression. That should cater for both over and undervolt conditions. Now to find one that won’t break the bank.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
March 1, 2009
At least I hope it is.
This report by Gizmodo is suggesting that Hollywood is planning a remake of one of The Guvinator’s best known movies, Total Recall. At the time Total Recall generated quite a bit of controversy. It was a spectacularly violent film for the time, with lots of neck snapping and bone breaking action with a liberal dash of red sauce. In Australia, this controversy caused the movie to be released in two cuts, one was rated M — I don’t think they had MA at the time — and the other was R rated, so that it could get a bigger audience. Ironically, it’s only ever been the R rated version that has been on TV, but I digress.
It also got a little prophetic. Remember that screen at the station that x-rayed pedestrians as they walked past revealing weapons? Well a version of that is being trialed now. Some scientists are even speculating that it may be possible to alter or influence memory, either chemically or electronically, to reduce guilt and the emotional effects of trauma.
Total Recall has stood the test of time film wise. Sure, the effects might not be as good as they are these days, but the movie stands up with what it has.
It was a decent action movie with a good story, and even an interesting philosophical question at the end of the story. Was what Quaid experienced real, or the result of a faulty procedure? Did it matter? After all could the memory be considered reality even if it didn’t really happen?
Regardless of all that, why are Hollywood recycling so many old movies? It wasn’t all that long ago I saw The Day The Earth Stood Still and while it wasn’t a bad movie, it wasn’t anywhere as good as the original. Do we seriously expect that the Hollywood of the 21st century can do a better version of Total Recall?
If it doesn’t have Arnie, whose presence was responsible for much of the movies greatness, who will it star? Duane “The Rock” Johnson?
But back to my main question. Why does Hollywood insist on recycling the greats?
There are tons of great stories already out there in book and comic book form that would work extremely well in translating to the big screen. And Hollywood doesn’t even need full length novels for inspiration. There are plenty of movies based on short stories, and there is no shortage of short stories — pardon the pun — that can be used.
As a movie consumer, I don’t want remakes, I want new original content much in the same way as I want it in my games. See how I brought the post back on topic?
Popularity: 4% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
February 21, 2009
The other day I received a request through the contact form here on Stropp’s World from Brian asking about setting up an RSS feed for comments made on the posts here.
It was a pretty good idea. One that I hadn’t really considered before, so I went a looking.
It also turns out it’s not that hard to implement. WordPress actually has a PHP function for it, comments_rss_link(), and all that is needed is to add it to the theme. In my case, I’m just adding it at the end of a single post. It’s a little crude since I don’t have a RSS graphic for it yet, it’s just a link after the comment form.
When I was looking I also found a WordPress plugin for subscribing to comments, and I’ve installed that too. This one however, adds a checkbox after the comment form and when checked it sends out an email notification to the email address you are asked for (optional) when you add a comment to a post.
So there you go. If you’d like to follow the conversation on any particular post, you can now do so.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
February 12, 2009
Okay. This has absolutely nothing to do with MMORPGs, or even gaming for that matter.
A post just popped up on Gizmodo that two satellites have just collided in orbit. One is a NASA satellite, the other is Russian.
Apparently NASA has been expecting this for years. There’s a ton of spacejunk up there, including old inoperative satellites, which is apparently what the condition of the Russian satellite.
NASA is also blaming the Russians for the collision, but I’m just wondering who needed to give way to who.
I hope they’re insured.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
February 7, 2009
I just received an email from my webhost. They will be performing some maintenance on the server sometime next week to upgrade the MySQL Database to version 5.
We will be upgrading all shared servers from MySQL 4 to MySQL 5 beginning Monday, February 9, 2009 and lasting until Friday, February 13, 2009. This upgrade will cause downtime for your databases, therefore; any database-driven sites will show an error during this time. The upgrade should take 15-45 minutes once the process is begun.
This upgrade is needed to bring MySQL to the current stable release, increase performance, and allow you to use a lot of new applications which require MySQL 5….
If during that time you attempt to view Stropp’s World and get an error message, don’t worry it may be undergoing the upgrade. If you have persistent problems that extend well outside that range, say the site is inaccessible for hours rather than 45 minutes, please contact me at: stropp AT stroppsworld DOT com and let me know.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
February 3, 2009
Long time readers of Stropp’s World (I can say that now that this blog is nearly 2.5 years old) are probably aware that in addition to being a OCG (Obsessive Compulsive Gamer) with a huge GADD affliction (Game Attention Deficit Disorder) I am also a big fan of Science Fiction.
It’s been an idea I’ve toyed with for a while now, but I’m leaning heavily to setting up a new blog devoted to that SciFi obsession. I’ve even got the domain for it.
The downside of this idea is that both gaming and reading are time-intensive activities. Unless you’re traveling between far flung systems in Eve-Online you can’t do both at the same time. So if I do a SF blog, it’s probably going to be an occasional posting dealie.
I’ll keep you posted.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Posted by Stropp on
February 3, 2009
Very funny Superbowl ad.
It’s funny because it’s true. Except for the punching bit.
Have you ever had days at work like this?
No joke, but at one place where I worked there was this guy who would take his shoes and socks off, and shave the calluses on his heels. In a open plan area. Fortunately I sat nowhere near him.
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