Content delivered via a subscription. You would have thought that with the technology, better video streaming and delivery would be what people would seem to want.
With TV, and Video, the Radio started to loose its popularity, but now with iTunes, and RSS feeding of pod casts (both video and audio), it seems that the idea of a radio show is back on the rise again.
The idea of pod casting a radio show after it has been broadcast in the normal sense, has seen a resurrection in the idea of a talk back radio show.
It can be seen plainly when looking at the top downloaded pod casts in iTunes, there usually isn’t any video based ones in the top 5 overall.
The Hamish & Andy show is a brilliant example of this, the popularity of the show has just kept growing since the decision to both broadcast it live, and offer it for pod cast shortly after this airing time. And that popularity has just kept growing. I’d even wager that their odd appearances on Rove didn’t have a great effect on the number of people listening in.
Another brilliant example is the Ricky Gervais show. That’s a pod cast that had minimal advertising, and as of the second season required payment to listen to it, and it still managed to reach the number of downloads and listens that alot of TV shows struggle to attain.
Personally, I welcome this change back to audio only broadcasting, it saves me from having to see poorly edited, shitty, videos on youtube, or people attempting to be funny for a forced 30 minutes on TV.
I just want to put this thought out there publicly.
Is the convention of building a computer inside of a computer case out of date for general home users?
Obviously for those who enjoy hording lots of Linux ISO’s, or building ultra huge fast machines (read enthusiasts), its not, and it is still a viable platform, but my main question is, why hasn’t there been a greater push for more consumers PC’s designed similar to HP’s TouchSmart, Dell’s Studio One, or Apple’s iMac?
Personal, for general home users, and even general office workers, I think the idea of having a box that houses your CPU, Hard Drives, DVD drives, motherboard, video card, sound card, etc. is a way of computer building that should have started to die quite a bit ago.
I mean, how many of you have built cheep home computers, and had a huge amount of free space left in the case can just make you feel sad looking at it.
The obvious argument against this, is “we have laptops”, but those machines don’t easily cater to people who want something with a 22″ or bigger screen (22″ seems to be in the process of becoming the current monitor “standard” for size).
I also don’t see why this type of design couldn’t be feasible to the home builder either. I mean, if Dell, HP, and Apple are fitting proper processors into these types of machines currently, and with low and mid-range graphics cards being GENERALLY good enough for most casual gamers, without putting out allot of heat (and this situation is only getting better).
Would it really be that bad, if Monitor “cases” were a standard? I mean, you would only need to replace your case… when you wanted a bigger screen (assuming you are not a normal home user who will simply throw out, and buy new, an entire new computer when one component is out of date)
Obviously, this way of computer building isn’t going to be an overnight change, and I’ve got a feeling that if or when it does come, allot of enthusiasts will fight it.
I really want to hear what everyone thinks to this, I believe its the way forward, do you?
Failing that, as an intrum step: whats your thoughts to USB hubs (already have them) and DVD/Br Burners built into Monitors?
Been a little crazy recently, and havn’t had much time where I’ve been able to just sit down, write, or do other general stuff.
Heck, take a look at the IRC stats, my lines per day for this month are way down, to non existent! So I figured I would go through a bunch of different things.
First thing I’ll talk about is another rant about drivers.
Specifically drivers of big cars. No, I’m not talking 4×4’s. I’m talking 4×4’s, Van’s, station wagons.
Now, I know some people need vehicles like that, but for the love of God, can you PLEASE learn how to drive them. So many people seem to have trouble reversing out of a car park with them.
This isn’t a case of me ranting about people in big cars without driving them myself. I drive both a Ford EB, and a Volkswagen Van (an old early ’90’s white tank thing). And I have no issues throwing them around Frankston city, or other small road places. I can also park, and get out of parks, regardless of size and position fine with both of my vehicles.
Oh and that brings me to another thing about cars. 90% of 4×4 owners shit me. Now I know that some people actual use 4×4’s for what they were designed for. Going off road. And I know some people have 6+ kids for some mental reason.
What shits me is the amount of people I see driving them, who will never take them off-road, and will never have more than 2 kids in the car.
Its stupid, a big 4×4 doesn’t make you safe, infact most 4×4’s have safety ratings lower than alot of small cars (go check www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au).
When on the train back from Bittern about 12 months ago, someone was sitting accross from me, talking to a friend about their cars (yes I was listening in, I was bored). She was talking about how, on a farm, they just drive about the in their station wagon, but when they go into the city they take the 4×4 “because its just safer”.
It took all my self control to not yell “No! Its less safe, you just clog up the streats with your big arsed car like you take up all the seat with your big arse! I hope a truck hits you so you can see how unsafe it is!”
Anyway, enough about cars.
Games time!
I’ve started playing a tonne of Fallout 3. I did try the game out a little bit ago, and I was just treating it as an on-rails shooter, and quit shortly after nuking Megaton.
Recently, after learning a bunch of cool stuff that you can do in it, I reinstalled it to give it another shot. And oh my God, I’m having so much fun (yet somehow, even after disarming the bomb in Megaton instead, I’ve still got a negative karma).
But my oh my, what an awesome game.
Now, I know I’ve ranted about Quake Live before, but that game is just pure Gold, unless you play it as much as The Muffin. Hes over it now, but if you see how many games hes been playing a day for the past 2 weeks, thats understandable. Mental. I mean, I love the game, but maybe 1 or 2 duels, and a few CA games is enough for me a day (can’t stand being in one thing for too long).
Life / Work
As you may have guessed from my last post, stupid professionals shit me.
I’ve been doing some office and network maintenance work for a local company who have just opened, and my God, working with the “communications experts” (read guys who install phone’s with multiple lines, and that’s it), is an absolute nightmare.
They have no freakin’ idea what the hell is going on with everyone else, and enjoy getting in the way of everything.
I wans’t the only one pissed at them, the new buisness owners were pissed off too.
Oh, and then there are the people who work for them. They seem to deliberatly go out of their way to break everything.
No, I’m not going to give you permision to install ANOTHER photo editing program, ONE is enough. No, I’m not going to let you change the clock to a different time zone so you know when to call your boy friend, why? BECAUSE YOU ARE AT WORK.
Oh, and PLEASE stop pulling cables out the back of the computer and leaving them out, I really hate going under that desk. Yes, you can do this, this and this, no you can’t access your bosses private files, please jump into a fire and DIE.
I’m going mental. Seirously. How bloody hard is it to install a phone?
Or three phones?
Or 3 phones and a fax?
On 2 lines?
When the lines have already been installed for you?
And everything else has been basicly set up for you?
So why in God’s good name do you have to go and pull out the ADSL cord, which is on a completly different line, and stop all the peoples from working from home?
Why cause everyone un-needed stress and fuel usage?
15% of people have a preferred OS that they will defend the honour of, to the death. To the point where they will link to millions of websites and studies to prove how “teh awesome” their OS is, compared to the competition.
Microsoft cops the brunt of “[insert OS here] is shit” type arguments because they’re the most visible targets. Apple follows Microsoft. Then Linux.
I have news for y’all:
.
That’s right, it’s a full stop. It represents that point where you all shut up and think a little clearly.
Protip: there is no such thing as a perfect OS
I’ve learned this over several years in many environments. My conclusion is that KISS applies everywhere – use what is simplest for you.
I once worked on a contract in a graphics design company – everything was Apple. Guess what… it all worked. Sure the laptops may be fashionable white dinky things but they worked great. They did the job that Windows or Linux machines couldn’t. But maybe they could now – the company made its choice.
Likewise I’ve worked with firms of Lawyers – they’re almost exclusively Windows-based because they need the security of group policy, complicated custom programs written for Windows and 100% MS Office compatibility.
I once worked at a software developer that developed java webapps – they used Solaris desktops – no joke.
And I’ve worked with Novell who used SLED desktops.
The fundamental point is this – when somebody asks you for advice, don’t give them what suits you – give them what suits them. If someone asks for an HTPC and isn’t interested in anything more than plug’n'play, tell ‘em to buy a copy of Windows Media Centre XP/Vista or download MediaPortal. If they want to tinker point them to Linux. If they already have a MacMini, tell ‘em reformatting to Yellow Dog is a pain in the arse and tell ‘em to find a suitable Apple HTPC solution.
Likewise with servers. Environments can work with integrated solutions. Right now I’m standing in front of a rack with a quasi-Linux-basede virtualization solution running AD, MS Exchange, Kerio, Dansguardian/Squid proxy authenticating via NTLM, apache webservers and BIND DNS servers.
The fundamental point I’m making is that even if you have an OS of choice it’s time to admit, once in a while that it has flaws and that other operating systems can be better at certain things than others. And the other point is that complexity is generally bad if simplicity offers a similar feature set.
All the way back in 2006, I started my journey into University. And there I met Craig. By mid-year, disapointed with how the IT@PE group were handling social things, we decided to try and organise a LAN party.
It failed. Hard. We cancled it a day before the LAN was ment to run. We had 6 people interested.
About month later, we decided to give it another shot. Craig set us up a fancy website, with a black background, and green tables. It looked horrid, but it summed us up. We needed a name, and after much brain storming with a good friend of us both, Mr Luke “Misc” Alabaster, we came up with the name “GreentubeLAN”, this after falling over many names, all of which caused us to keep cracking up with laughter as we kept getting weirder and weirder with names. Untill we relised we kept comming back to GreentubeLAN.
I think those who were trying to study at Monash Peninsula Library were thankfull we made a decision.
So after a meeting with a cool guy, who to this day, I only remember as “Andrew”, who did leasing on the venues at Monash PE, we finally got settled to use the “Upper Deck Cafe”, and we started the signup. We relised we needed help, and grabbed Michael to help us with the admin.
The LAN came around, 20 people showed, it was fantastic. We had SBS on the plasma showing soccar, we had lounge couches all bunched up with a TV (the TV was never used for NES games, infact, it remained off and the plasma on). I ran a Quake 3 tournament, we all played some Counter Strike. Some guys played UT2k4, whilst others played Americas Army. Nick had a case made of wood.
It was so good, we ran another one, not even a month later. We again go the Upper Deck Cafe, we had a few of our future regulars make an appearance. Matt ran people over in GTA:SA, and we had people scrambling over tables to get to the late pizza. Michael waltzed.
We also screwed up. Too few people with a watchfull eye lead to a fuse blowing, a entire cafe’ fridge turning off (and food in it going bad), a automatic door stuck, and a coffee machine that wished it had never been made.
We wern’t allowed to use the Upper Deck Cafe’ anymore.
However, I remembered a good friend of mine, Daniel. He had offered me a Scout Hall once before, back in the day. A quick phone call, and wham! We had a hall.
Whilst Craig was testing some servers, he met some people who would go on to make TanLAN, down in Traralgon. They decided to come along.
We had the slowest LAN to date, seirously, it was like 256k ADSL. And do you know what? It was fantastic. We ran a UT2k4 competition, we gave awards for the “worst computer” in the looks department. We gave some guy an Action Man doll ’cause he was good at Counter Strike. It was good fun.
Then we ran into GTL4, same venu, huge heat. We had fans going, and it was still bloody boiling. So much, that by 10:30pm, we had all moved otuside to sit around a campfire site (sans fire), sipping cold drinks, and talking. One of Daniel’s friends got the first lable of “bloody hell” when he turned off the V8 Supercars server, after taking 60 minutes to set it up.
GTL5 came around. We were all calling the LAN GTL by now, I still have no idea who cameup with that acronym, even tho it makes sense. It was small, quiet, and had Painkiller. It was really a setup for what was to come.
GTL6 came around, our 1st birthday. We put Wanko in a corner (no he doens’t get a link), we had sponsors from Intel, ATI, NOS Computers, and even some stuff Craig bought at MSY.
We ran a Quake4 tournament, Luke won a gatwatch, “bloody hell” won a orange intel jacket, and Wanko won nothing.
We also had a huge arse chocolate cake. I mean REALLY big, so big it had to be brought down ’cause it wouldn’t fit into the fridge. It had green icing.
I could go on, but the list is almost exactly the same.
Why am I writing all of this?
Well, GreentubeLAN has technicly closed its doors, without actualy closing them. But for now, you can rest assured that there will be no more open to public LANs. All that is going to be left is private invite only LANs.
I would just like to thank everyone who has ever come to a GreentubeLAN. Wether you came to one, or came to all of them. We arn’t big headed enough to say “they were so good because of us”, it was because of you, those who came to the LANs that made them so much fun, and gave us and everyone else so much enjoyment.
We would also like to think everyone who has helped us in any way with the LANs, from our own parents and partners, to Andrew and all the other little guys. You made it all posible, and we are forever greatfull for everything that you did for us.
So now, with DLC, SanLAN, Respawn, and a number of others around, will you ever be able to LAN with the GTL crew again? We would like to hope so, we have plans on attending any LANs in our area that look like fun, and there might be future invite only GTL events, that we will run (hint hint to those reading).
I appreciate that you wish to generate more traffic to your site, as a crappy personal blog, I know the feeling.
However, spamming links, with bad English, links that obviously go to questionable content, and don’t line up with any beliefes of mine, those who actualy do read this site. If they wish to look at things like this, I assume they can get it all at 4chan.
Also, it is quite obvious that none of your comments are actualy making it to my website, I have a few things setup, so that only people I know are trustworthy can post. So your spam will never be seen by anyone but me.
I was going to write this a few weeks ago, since I just wanted to talk about how awesome a group of people are, but held off due to various reasons. But our discussion on IRC the other night about what LANs have become.
Basically there are two sides to the coin. There are those like me, who believe LANs are about gaming. And that multiplayer gaming is more social that file sharing. And there are those who believe that LANs should be file sharing, with games on the side. They claim that its just as social, because while they are doing this, they getup and go talk to people.
I disagree with that, you would be too busy getting the latest… I dunno, what do kids download? Buffy? eppisode to get up and chat.
Quite a few LANs (and ones outside GTL), which have been 90% games, I have found to be a great social experience, excepcily when I was younger. I guess I would like that feeling back. LANs just feel… well theres effort to get people into the same games now. It didn’t used to be like that.
I remember the first big LAN i went to, a game was loaded, and 15 minutes later, almost everyone in the hall was in, and those who couldn’t run it were doing “swaps” with someone (when you die, hop-up and let someone else on). Sure, back then it was 700mb verses 4gb for an install, but our network, optical media, and hard drivers are that little bit quicker, so it shouldn’t be that much more.
I guess you could argue that its “not a game I like”, but hell, you don’t have to like a game to have fun (yes, I know this sounds backwards, but let me try and explain). Lets use an example from GTL here. Counter Strike.
Only a few people like it, yet we used to be able to get a full game going, even of CS haters. I’m not the biggest CS fan, infact, I only play it at LANs if its being played. But you know what? Its fun to play at a LAN, even if its a game I dislike. Why? I can yell out in suprise, and hear the giggles come back. People can get excited at something special happening, and as both a player, and spectator (when you’ve died), its exciting, its funny, its FUN.
I’ve seen a room go CRAZY over a lucky last SECOND difusal, or a stupidly well placed rocket, or THAT perfect sniper shot. Or heck, even someone hiding behind a box with a shotgun, and waiting down the timer. Theres cheering, laughter, whoops, compliments, and ofcourse, explicitives. And they are all going everywhere.
And once the game is done, and the next one is being prepared, or the pizza is being served, everyone is talking about that moment, what the next games going to be like, who to look out for, who worked well together.
Random team-ups have resulted in life-long friendships at LANs I’ve been to in the past (from people who didn’t know each other before the LAN).
People come to the next LAN, and are clapping THAT guy/team on the back, getting ready to re-live the fun all over again, but maybe this time in a new game.
And note what I’ve described could happen in almost ANY LAN game? Not just Counter Strike, or Quake, but RTS games, racing games, sports games, smash-the-hell-outa-them games. It doens’t matter what game it was.
THIS is why those who go to a LAN to file-share will NEVER get the full experience. Noone is going to be chearing you downloading that latest movie. Noones going to remember that epic song you got when that 16TB server went up. No-one is going to talk about anything that happens with file-share, except who has the biggest HDD RAID.
Maybe if your a more social person, you MIGHT get the “meeting people” aspect, but you havn’t EXPERIENCED anything with them, besides bad breath, poor hygine, and a lack of sleep (yes us gamers get that too). Its the experiences that makes a LAN special.
————————–
So whats this got to do with Quake Live?
Well, a Saturday or two back, I joined a server with The_Muffin, he was playing some Clan Arena. Lower skilled players, who don’t take the game seirous (just as I LOVE it), so i joined. After some team shuffles, and “pros” quiting (citing server was unbalanced and gay), and extreme nubs leaving ’cause they wern’t getting headshots, we ended up with some of the greatest guys I’ve ever had the plesure of meeting online.
Long story short, we had fun.
Some got drunk, some of us had music, some of us had wireless internet.
And it was amazing, I have no idea who’s team won what rounds, who got the most kills or anything, we just had fun, and lived the experience. Just the 8 of us, from 9:30pm all the way to 2:30am the next day.
Yes we lost track of time, there was much cited “oh shit! gotta get to sleep”, and even I got in trouble!
It was brilliant, and after the LAN discussion on IRC, I couldn’t help but think “if this Quake Live game happened on LAN, those file-share guys, who would shun a game ’cause its not ne of the 3 they play, would be missing everything a LAN is about”.
Today, we had to work with a new system, there was a big fancy presentation, and we all got to see how it works etc, just a few concepts and new acronyms to wrap our heads around… and apparently the system was fully tested and working for what we have to do.
So it came time to actualy do this new work, and its plaged with issues. First of all we could get into half the stuff because we didn’t have permisions. Then we couldn’t access certian off-site parts, because of some code clashing with our user type, etc. This stuff went on and on.
Apparently the group testing it, only tested with completly unrestricted accouts, forgetting those that will use it actualy don’t have all that freedom. So in 6 hours, only about 2 hours of it, maybe 2.5 was spent working.
Morral of the story: test in a way that your users will be using the system.
Content delivered via a subscription. You would have thought that with the technology, better video streaming and delivery would be what people would seem to want.
