Post what's on your mind now

[Tanith]

I guess I don't really have any problems with these fantasy dating simulator MMORPG whatevers. Actually, this fake stuff seems like a better outlet than ruining a marriage, spreading STDs, keeping sex slaves, etc. (Feel free to return my serve with the obligatory "gateway to the real thing" argument.)

However, the designs of their sims are awful, and I'm not talking about how they're sexually ideal cartoon renderings of hunks and babes; I have no problem with that, either. I'm saying those things are just plain creepy. Their eyes! *runs away screaming*

I think it might be time for adblock.

[carlsojos]

(Feel free to return my serve with the obligatory "gateway to the real thing" argument.)

I'm not one to follow a suggestion. Instead, I will question the underlying metaphor. If you were to consistently choose falsehood over reality all the time, there is a possibility that you could become so dependent on your alter ego that your identity could actually wither, which would present as a lack of interest in other pursuits, and even alienate you from your legitimate relationships. Quite simply, when given a choice between a clearly perfect existence, and a less comfortable one, most people would choose the better one, but a choice that doesn't require self improvement would essentially remove the motivation to be a better person.

I'm saying those things are just plain creepy. Their eyes! *runs away screaming*

I think it might be time for adblock.

I do agree, those ads can be rather unsettling, however, those ads are what covers the expenses behind providing content free of charge. Without an alternative to gain finances, adblockers essentially injure the party providing the desired content, and as such should be considered as unethical once the entire equation is presented.

[BenoitRen]

Without an alternative to gain finances, adblockers essentially injure the party providing the desired content, and as such should be considered as unethical once the entire equation is presented.

That's a naive thing to say. Here's some reading on the subject:

• Ethics of blocking ads
• Ethics of blocking ads, part 2
• Ethics of blocking ads, part 3
• Anatomy of ads

[Wing-0]

(Feel free to return my serve with the obligatory "gateway to the real thing" argument.)

I'm not one to follow a suggestion. Instead, I will question the underlying metaphor. If you were to consistently choose falsehood over reality all the time, there is a possibility that you could become so dependent on your alter ego that your identity could actually wither, which would present as a lack of interest in other pursuits, and even alienate you from your legitimate relationships. Quite simply, when given a choice between a clearly perfect existence, and a less comfortable one, most people would choose the better one, but a choice that doesn't require self improvement would essentially remove the motivation to be a better person.

I must be terribly masochistic, then...

Real life is painful, but it's life. I can't understand people who prefer living in an imaginary world. However, if one risks screwing their marriage or something, maybe that's because that marriage was doomed or something?

One of my cousins got married, and for ten whole years he lived with a woman that didn't appreciate him. You can imagine how happy he was. In the end, both of them tore each other apart.

[carlsojos]

Real life is painful, but it's life. I can't understand people who prefer living in an imaginary world.

Exactly. That inhibition is why you aren't dependent on the interactions developed in a world that doesn't truly exist. Imagine what would happen to all the internet addicts like me if something were to disrupt access to the internet, even for a few days?

That's a naive thing to say.

Naive is a relatively nice term compared to what I've been called in the past, but to discard advertisements out of hand is similar to discarding a tool because it tends to do more damage in most cases. Just because it makes most dents bigger, doesn't mean that the auto mechanic should throw out his hammer. Adblock Plus works from a filter system to detect ads and automatically block them, but I think the user should choose to opt out when an ad does get intrusive to the content- it only takes about 3 clicks and 4 typed characters to kill an embed tag with Firebug when you don't want something to display, but the symbolism and results of personally modifying or leaving the ad-laden website, and leaving negative feedback for the webmaster is something that I think is just as important as the ad itself. To quote one of the articles you just linked:

...do what is best for your users instead. Make sure nobody wants to block your advertisements.

In the end, the webmaster and owner should be responsible for determining the appropriate methodology to finance the operation while protecting its value to users, but simply blinding yourself as a user to problems on a page won't get you to generate the feedback necessary to guide a website to improve.

I think I'm getting long winded...

[BenoitRen]

I'm not dismissing ads "out of hand". If I were, I wouldn't have linked to articles explaining the rationale.

Complaining to webmasters doesn't achieve anything. Loading ads that you don't click on doesn't achieve much either. I'm saving them bandwidth by not loading the ads.

Or, to quote someone on Slashdot: "Your business model is not my problem.".

[carlsojos]

I'm not dismissing ads "out of hand". If I were, I wouldn't have linked to articles explaining the rationale.

I think the automation of the adblock is the out of hand dismissal, but I shall rest my case on the grounds of your valid point about bandwidth. There may not be a single correct stance in this argument due to the differences in business models among websites, and I've already had 2 altercations in this forum.

[Wing-0]

Eh?

Did something happen?

[carlsojos]

No, nothing important happened unless my victims disagree, it's that I misunderstand things easily. Don't read into the long delay it took for me to respond.

In other news, I can barely wait for the weekend, since it means I get to work on a project again. It's amazing what it's like to be in a 1930's era abandoned building, even when you realize that the walls that you're supposed to draw on the floorplan are nowhere near straight. I wonder if the guy will bring me back when he renovates his 8 story hotel, too?

EDIT: Before I forget, does Fernando Raffani have a username on this forum? I'd like to analyze the stories he posted here today and give him my results, but I don't notice any activity corresponding to him creating a plug thread, and I'm unfamiliar with the name.

[Zucca]

Why I'm so tired always when it's time to go to work?

[carlsojos]

Scary moment of the day: riding shotgun in my friend's car. He's pulling about 110 MPH on an icy backroad, when he looks over and says he just lost his brakes. I look over, and sure enough the brake pedal is on the floor.

[The HuBBs]

if such a thing happened with me and my friend, I would never ride with him again.

[Wing-0]

Oh crap!?

You okay, man?

[carlsojos]

Oh crap!?

You okay, man?

A brake line just came loose for some reason, and he lost a lot of fluid, but some really fancy shifting and ignoring most stop signs meant we made it home in one piece, somehow. Needless to say, I used my own car when I served as his designated driver tonight.

[Black Sword]

Wise man.

Dear accounting,

Do your damned jobs. I don't fill out your paperwork for you to blow it off and have me bombarded with emails demanding I cough up, then you oh so cutely say you never received it. As a matter of fact, I'm walking over there right now and hand-delivering, so blow me.

Thanks,
me