Frustration Friday: Local Distractions, Global Issues

by

You may have noticed recently I got curious about the future of China and the Geekonomy. Well, more appropriately I became more curious about China – if you follow the global economy, China is something you follow.

So here we are with so many world changes that affect all of us.  Greece melting down (and Portugal to follow apparently).  China's big search company allying with Microsoft.  Japan's potential entry into the rare earth market.  Massive media scandals in the UK.

So much news.  So many geeky things to keep track of.  So many usual economic things to keep track of.

You know I'd LIKE to be able to pay more attention to it.

See the problem is watching economic stupidity here in the US. 

The whole debt ceiling mess was, to say the least, a distraction, and a stupid one.  There's never been any real debate about the debt ceiling in its history, the political posturing was dumb, and the whole mess was potentially destructive.

None of it had to happen of course.  But it did.

So what did we miss during this time?  What could we have focused on if Washington had been behaving like adults?  What could I have been focusing on?  What could our shiny-thing-chasing media have been focusing on?

I'm not entirely sure because, of course, I was trying to find out if my government was going to melt down the economy and take the world with it.

Really people, we have other things to do.  All other political immaturity aside, we got other stuff happening.  We don't need you to make more.

– Steven Savage

Late Breaking Geekery: Netflix Rage

by

Thanks to our regular Rob, for the news about People Being Unhappy at Netflix over their prices.

I'm still figuring Netflix' strategy, and from what I can figure:

  • They want to focus on streaming.
  • They will probably phase out DVDs in the next five years (which is expensive)
  • They are making some radical change now at the top of their game as opposed to when it can hurt them more.
  • People won't quit as much as the threaten.

So your takes?

– Steven Savage

Games And Tradition in The Video Game Age

by

There are games out there that are traditional.  Dungeons and Dragons in all its incarnations.  Settlers of Cataan.  Cosmic Encounter.  Risk.  Axis and Allies.  There are pen and paper games, board games that are older than many people, games people have played from childhood to adulthood.  There are games that, for many, are traditions.

By traditions I mean games that people play for a considerable time, may identify with, and that act as cultural touchstones.  How many of us (older geeks at least) remember Monopoly or D&D from Days Gone By, and played them for years and decades?  How many times did we use certain games as references or ways to sync up with others?

So I began to wonder about computer games.

Read more