Bemused. Geek. NZ.

bombsfall

A quick editorial cartoon about the intersection of self-pity, entitlement, rape, territoriality, misogyny and fear of women. You see it all over the place online in the form of Men’s Rights Activists (of whom there are a few reasonable non-misogynists), Men Going Their Own Way, Pick Up Artists, and dudes touting the “Red Pill”, because The Matrix is a good movie. Look any of these up if you have the stomach for it. These are extreme examples, but watered-down forms of these ideas are everywhere.

In lurking their blogs and youtube channels for a while, I’ve noticed that beyond the standard patriarchal chauvinism there is this deep fear of women - what they will do to me, how they will reject me, how they will use me, how they are changing society in a way that does not favor me, how they are making men into something I don’t like, how they are making themselves into something I don’t like, that they won’t give me what I want, and that they won’t give me what I think is rightfully mine. This goes beyond fear of feminism- this is fear of women at its purest. And that, to quote a puppet, leads to anger and hate. It’s sad.

I am a feminist. I think there’s enough ice cream to go around, but it does mean those of us with 3 scoops might have to give one or two up. Also, The Matrix is a fun movie but probably not anything you should be basing a philosophy on.

EDIT: I WROTE A LENGTHY POST ABOUT THIS HERE.

EDIT: DUE TO AN ALARMING NUMBER OF REQUESTS, TSHIRT PREORDERS ARE FORTHCOMING. 25% GOES TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD.

I Hate Video Walkthroughs

I would like to say a few words on video walkthroughs for Flash Games.

Censored, then: Stupid Idea.

I am well aware that the majority of the witless horde out there are too cretinous and illiterate to actually read let alone have the capacity to think without soiling themselves from the strain. They want someone to show them how to complete the puzzle, or better still walk them through the entire thing so they can preen about their diminished achievement.

So much for the supporters of video walkthroughs. Why the vitriol?

Streaming video is too slow

There is nothing worse than clicking “walkthrough” and having to wait for some wunderkind’sprecious video to first load the player, then precache the first three seconds, then fetch the next one second, and the next, and the next… assuming the server doesn’t cack itself. In short: That five minute vidcap takes far longer to run than you think.

I just want to know about this, I’ve already done all that

This then is my beef. At one point close to the end in a point-and-click adventure game, I was stymied, and found myself irritably sitting through almost the entirety of a video before it actually got to the place I was stuck.

With a set of static images, helpful Javascript and some text, I could just jump straight to the problem point and back.

I’m a freak. I read instructions, and understand them.

Which reminds me:

Video walkthroughs destroy the sense of discovery

If you watch one part of the walkthrough, what’s to stop someone watching the whole thing? Part of the fun in a game is the discovering of new things, making the connection. But that’s too haaaard for the modern moron; just do what that guy in the video does. Yay. You’ve won the game… by aping someone else.

When I’m stuck, I want immediate help, not a whirling throbber and grainy YouTube footage. Screw modern technology. Let’s have… what are those things… oh yeah. Web pages.

Leave online video for the cam whores and cute kittens falling off Roombas.

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

I Hate Video Walkthroughs