The Scrolls

Archive for the ‘Internet’ Category

I like some things.. simple

I’ve had a lot of conversations lately about Facebook. When I first joined, I liked it a lot because you were only adding people you actually knew and sometimes catching up with old friends. It was at a time when everyone was becoming disenchanted with MySpace which had become flooded with fake profiles and spam. Profiles were cluttered with apps when they first came out on MySpace but they were never as easy or fun to use as Facebook. People were adding friends simply to up their numbers and while I liked the idea of friending bands or other non-personal pages, I have simply given up on checking my requests.

At one point, I made my profile private which actually increased the invitations from people, bands and groups in which I had absolutely no interest. I guess because they couldn’t see my information, they couldn’t see how there was absolutely no logical reason for us to be “friends.”

Now, Myspace has new profile layouts which I don’t feel one way or another about. They confuse me because I do not spend enough time on Myspace to be used to them and there’s still so much crap from sparkly banners to trivia and online casino apps and it’s literally not worth combing through the clutter to find the people or things which might interest me.

Anyway, it seems like Facebook, which started out as the anti-MySpace in many ways has simply become the same thing and lost its appeal. I have been using it more since the design change but it’s just as frustrating and useless now.

Um, What?

If you’ve been on the internet lately, you’ve probably seen people posting their FormSpring links. If not, here’s all you need to know: Formspring is free to sign up and users can allow other registered users or even anonymous folks to ask them questions. Their can reply to them and both questions and answers will show up on the user’s page. It’s like a modern version of the “Ask me Anything” button. And it’s fucking annoying because my Twitter updates are filled with formspring links and I don’t give a shit but that is another rant.

My rant is about a user whose FormSpring I stumbled across. This young woman apparently does “recreational” cocaine when she drinks. She is also amazed that admitting so, in a public place, has motivated people to ask about it because, like, everyone she knows does it when they go out to drink and, like, it helps with her fatigue because of her thyroid problems. Not her exact words but it’s what I got from it. Apparently, every bar in her neighbourhood has a dealer and she’s never seen someone decline the offer to do a line. So it’s all the rage where she lives.

Ooookay. Let’s stop there.

I have never met anyone who openly admitted to having done coke ever in their life. I probably know someone who has but it’s not something that just pops up in conversation. I don’t know who I would ask if I wanted to do cocaine and I have never been offered a line. And I have never lived anyplace where cocaine was available in every bar, at least to my knowledge. If I did, I’d move the fuck out of Dodge for fear of someone “busting a cap in my ass” or something equally scary.

Granted, my hometown was very much blue collar. Maybe everyone just stuck to less expensive drugs like weed. Granted, my hometown isn’t young and hip and weight obsessed so maybe this woman knows a lot of folks with money and calories to burn. Granted, I don’t go out all the time so maybe I am just not in the right place to experience this phenomenon.

But, really? Come on. If you think it’s no big thing to talk about doing a line of cocaine, then maybe you are too involved and ought to take a step back. If you really think it’s strange that people would inquire, maybe you need a mental health check. Or to get the fuck off the crack. Whatever.

LOL Spam

Before I empty my spam on Wordpress, I thought I’d highlight some of the more entertaining entries.

The author of 7and1.net has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: All light beers are awful Thanks for the info.

I wasn’t arguing anything but thanks! Also, beer in general is awful. ;)

Since making his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 14, the San Diego-based fighter has alternated between wins and losses in four octagon appearances.

Octagon, yea!

I linke this post!!!!

I linke you, too?!?!

Holy smokes, good read, Man. I just happened to be on your site after a recommendation from Adam . Looks like I was here just in time to grab hold of this great post. That?s a lot of powerful stuff you?re sharing here.

I?ve read $47

Must be powerful if Adam is spreading the word. Maybe Eve isn’t quite so fond of my blog? Also, reading money sounds like a hobby I could really enjoy!

Hi, i’m still looking for Same Day Flower Delivery. Could anybody help me?

LOL, no. Last time I got flowers.. Well, it didn’t work out so well.

piano chords…

Thanks heaps for this!… if anyone else has anything, it would be much appreciated. Great website HOT Pianoforte Links http://www.en.Grand-Pianos.org Enjoy!…

Pianos really turn me on, too!

Blogging and Photography, Not Mutually Inclusive

I am reading random blogs, linked on EntreCard (also debating still being a member as I get few drops and rarely find any blogs worth reading. The widget is just taking up room on Reviews by Cole), when I stumbled across a post which said this:

Every good blogger carries a camera with them at all times

It wasn’t the point of the post, even. The blogger had broken her camera while in her purse and was looking for some advice but that’s what my mind honed in because all I could think was: Huh? Because you have to be ready to snap a picture when something happens in a moment’s notice? Wait, isn’t that what a photographer does? So now all bloggers have to be photogs, too?

I don’t buy it. Remember how blogging, a form of journaling, started out on manually coded webpage which didn’t look too snazzy? Me, too! And you know what blogging was all about? Text, like the very stuff I am writing now (or, that you are reading right now. Hurry up, by the way, you’re slowing my typing speed ;)).

Of course, many bloggers post photos, they are helpful or just pretty sometimes. The photos are more important for some than others; there are even things such as photoblogs which focus only on photography. I have often thought I should post more but if I don’t, my blog isn’t losing anything. My voice shines through quite well with just text, thank you very much.

Photography is really the new web design. Everyone and there dog has a camera, which probably explains all the dog pictures. d= People are studying photography and making money from it the way they used to study HTML and graphic making. The general standard for photography has risen, just the way the standard for web design rose over the past decade. What was considered acceptable in previous years is now laughable, in both fields.

As standards have risen, tools which help us to meet or exceed them have popped up as well. Even uncustomized Wordpress themes are heads and shoulders above the sites I used to see in 1999 and even my several-year-old digital camera produces pictures far superior to any of those I can recall in the family photo album. And I’m neither as educated or motivated about photography as some. DSLR cameras are no longer only in the hands of the pros which is sort of a double edged sword but my point remains the same: photography is everywhere. And it’s totally cool if it’s not my thing and dabbling in more than one art has its advantages, too.

But just because it’s everywhere doesn’t mean someone should expect it. Just because we all could run out and buy fancy cameras with fancy lenses and do fancy bokeh shots, doesn’t mean we have to. And just because we blog, doesn’t mean we have to include photos. All we “have” to do is type and the result is a blog.

So what do I say in response to this (besides everything I’ve already said?)

Every good blogger carries a good head on their shoulders at all times

And you can quote me on that!

This is the Internet

Lately, I’ve gotten the impression that a lot of people expect the internet to be a certain way. That assume it will be, well, nice. And honest. And welcoming. Understanding. Comfortable. I’ve got news for you: it’s not. It hasn’t been. It never will be.

It’s not that I don’t want it to be. I am compassionate enough that I want a place like that, at least some of the time. But the reality is that this is the internet and it offers a sense of anonymity which means many people throw morals, compassion or even just common sense out the window. Even if I put my name behind something, there’s no real ramifications for my behaviour (unless it’s illegal and, even then, internet crimes seem to be prosecuted far less than “real” ones). Who is Cole to you? And what can be done if I’m mean? Quite frankly, I like having a place where I sometimes can be mean.

But even if anonymity weren’t an issue, the internet is just not one place. It is many, many places with many different visitors and purposes and, perhaps most importantly, many different rules. In fact, I go many places online where they are no rules about bad behaviour. GASP! But even places with rules all have different rules and you have to seek them out, really. It’s pretty much a given that you can’t spend all your time in those places. I’m sorry. You will, almost certainly, wind up on some website where it’s okay to be a dick. Which means that either you can whine about it or suck it up because at the end of the day, people will be rude whether online or in your face and you can just turn off the damned computer anyway. No one is making you stay, participate in the drama or be a “victim.” You know how it goes: if you can’t take the heat, get the fuck off the internet.

But, like I said, even I enjoy having places with rules to visit. I like being able to go someplace and know what to expect (and that isn’t drama or harassment). Sometimes I don’t really want to deal with hostility and sometimes I want a place to rant or rave and to feel that people care. There is a time and place for that and I commend the people and groups who provide those safe havens in an otherwise unsafe internet world. It sometimes adds a level of comfort that cannot be found on anonymous, no holds barred websites. As much as you can say whatever the hell you want, it adds a safety net.

But it’s not impervious, either. Even if you make rules, they cannot be enforced unless someone breaks them. Sometimes? That’s already too late. The damage is done. Even if you try to stick to those safe places, shit will happen. People will break the rules because, honestly, how serious is banning as a consequence when there are a million other sites online? And how much shit can one person stir before a moderator has the chance to step in, especially if there is only one or two?

This is the internet. Sure, there are lots of LOLcats but there’s also many negatives about it because, at the end of the day, it’s made up of people and even good ones have bad days and make poor judgment calls. If that’s too much for handle you, I suspect your monthly internet fund would be better spent getting professional help.

Welcome to the Internet

I know it’s a big and scary place so I’ve created this primer to help you along the way. There’s some slight edits from its original form and there may be some broken external links which I will probably not check in a timely manner. Also, expect a post with a similar name but not quite related theme in the near future!

Imagine This

So, I sign onto Maplestory, excited to see all the changes. There was a massive update last night that lasted over 9 hours which ended all the November/Turkey Day quests and brought in a bunch of new events. All of the related items for the old quests expired, as is expected. Included in this was a belt my character was wearing which raised her stats enough to be able to wear her armour and weapon. Those items became deactivated. At first, I just noticed the armour and figured, no big deal. I could run around naked for a bit until I leveled. A little nudity never hurt anyone, right?

But then I realize that my weapon is no longer active and I have one on another character but because I’ve just started a quest which requires me to stay logged in for at least an hour, I cannot fetch it. So, now I am naked and weaponless waiting for the quest to finish so I can remedy at least one of those problems. Boo.