More than one thing can happen in the world at once. June 3, 2013 5:09 AM Subscribe
It bothers me that there are always comments trivializing posts about arts, culture, games, or what have you, when there are news events occurring. It seems to lack perspective on what Metafilter is, and to come from a place where the poster assumes that we should all have our attention focused on one particular newsfilter post. (Because Prague is flooding and Turkey is revolting, EVE going down is not of any interest at all!)
If you don't find anything interesting in a post, please just go to the next one. There's no need to play posting morality police. Metafilter won't run out of bits.
Fair enough. It's actually struck me a few times, lately, and the comments generally get moderated away; but it's a bit unfortunate that they have to be moderated.
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:26 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:26 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
But then how will anyone know how high my horse is? It took hours to get James Baxter here up to Cheech & Chong levels. Hours! Just look at all the carrot cake dough ice cream he's eating! If I can't show that off by crapping in a thread, I don't know what the point of the entire exercise is anymore.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:29 AM on June 3, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:29 AM on June 3, 2013 [7 favorites]
To be fair, some game going offline for a day really is very trivial. I read the post thinking there was something else to it, but no, that was it, the game was offline for a day.
posted by Greener Backyards at 5:30 AM on June 3, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by Greener Backyards at 5:30 AM on June 3, 2013 [6 favorites]
I think it's extra weird because another common criticism in-thread is that talking about a tragedy isn't really accomplishing anything, in which case dedicating our valuable comments to pop-culture ephemera seems like the right thing to do after all.
On preview: I think the most interesting thing about the EVE Online servers going down is that they didn't lose any passwords in the process. That is unusual enough to warrant comment.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 5:31 AM on June 3, 2013
On preview: I think the most interesting thing about the EVE Online servers going down is that they didn't lose any passwords in the process. That is unusual enough to warrant comment.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 5:31 AM on June 3, 2013
Perhaps that's true, Greener Backyards; but even if it is too trivial for Metafilter (which would be surprising), it's a FIAMO moment, not a "threadshit here!" moment.
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:32 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:32 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
SWEARY METATALK THREAD GAME
Each use of the below-mentioned insults gains 1 point for the commentator
"Suck-spewing Fuckle-britches"
"Pus-bathing Life-shit"
"Cockle-warty Happiness-vampire"
"Whine-mewing Bum-barnacle"
"Breath-leeching Cancer-socks-wearer"
"Anal-discharge-gargling Pleasure-throttler"
"Topiary-frottaging Slug-butterer"
"Feces-chewing Local-authority-planning-permission-humper"
"Arsehole-contemplating Nocturnal-wildlife-irritator"
"Colonoscopy-addicted Artificial-desertification-sponsorer"
"Urinary-tract-infection-enjoying Overly-complicated-flow-chart-designer"
posted by the quidnunc kid at 5:35 AM on June 3, 2013 [15 favorites]
Each use of the below-mentioned insults gains 1 point for the commentator
"Suck-spewing Fuckle-britches"
"Pus-bathing Life-shit"
"Cockle-warty Happiness-vampire"
"Whine-mewing Bum-barnacle"
"Breath-leeching Cancer-socks-wearer"
"Anal-discharge-gargling Pleasure-throttler"
"Topiary-frottaging Slug-butterer"
"Feces-chewing Local-authority-planning-permission-humper"
"Arsehole-contemplating Nocturnal-wildlife-irritator"
"Colonoscopy-addicted Artificial-desertification-sponsorer"
"Urinary-tract-infection-enjoying Overly-complicated-flow-chart-designer"
posted by the quidnunc kid at 5:35 AM on June 3, 2013 [15 favorites]
To be fair, some game going offline for a day really is very trivial. I read the post thinking there was something else to it, but no, that was it, the game was offline for a day.
There are a lot of Eve players on metafilter.
posted by empath at 5:42 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
There are a lot of Eve players on metafilter.
posted by empath at 5:42 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
There are a lot of Eve players on metafilter.
There is a much larger population of mefites who like to look on in horror at EVE's latest atrocity. Personal favorite: alliances who were giving their space stations names which were Game of Thrones spoilers.
As someone said recently, EVE is the Los Alamos of being a jerk. Top minds working night and day...
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 5:46 AM on June 3, 2013 [5 favorites]
There is a much larger population of mefites who like to look on in horror at EVE's latest atrocity. Personal favorite: alliances who were giving their space stations names which were Game of Thrones spoilers.
As someone said recently, EVE is the Los Alamos of being a jerk. Top minds working night and day...
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 5:46 AM on June 3, 2013 [5 favorites]
Comments like "Who cares?" and "Why are you making such a big deal about X when Y?" are tiresome. I flag them when I see them.
posted by rtha at 5:51 AM on June 3, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by rtha at 5:51 AM on June 3, 2013 [9 favorites]
In the grand scheme of things most of the front page is trivial on any given day.
posted by Mitheral at 5:56 AM on June 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Mitheral at 5:56 AM on June 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
I love how people are concerned about GoT spoilers: Entirety of Game of Thrones Season 2 Leaked.
Spoiling GoT is like spoiling the ending of Ender's Game. I have a hard time summoning sympathy. Pick up a book.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:58 AM on June 3, 2013 [7 favorites]
Spoiling GoT is like spoiling the ending of Ender's Game. I have a hard time summoning sympathy. Pick up a book.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:58 AM on June 3, 2013 [7 favorites]
sonic meat machine: "Perhaps that's true, Greener Backyards; but even if it is too trivial for Metafilter (which would be surprising), it's a FIAMO moment, not a "threadshit here!" moment."
I wanted to flag the post, but I had no idea what to flag it as. Does "It breaks the guidelines" cover "This is a news post about something trivial"? I don't know.
(I also have this quandary about incorrect answers on AskMe. As I understand it, one isn't supposed to comment to purely say "Answer X is wrong.")
posted by hoyland at 5:59 AM on June 3, 2013
I wanted to flag the post, but I had no idea what to flag it as. Does "It breaks the guidelines" cover "This is a news post about something trivial"? I don't know.
(I also have this quandary about incorrect answers on AskMe. As I understand it, one isn't supposed to comment to purely say "Answer X is wrong.")
posted by hoyland at 5:59 AM on June 3, 2013
Spoiling GoT is like spoiling the ending of Ender's Game. I have a hard time summoning sympathy. Pick up a book.
I started watching the series before I read the book. I enjoy not knowing what is happening and the sense of camaraderie with other viewers "gathering at the water cooler" to talk about last nights episode. I also meet up on Sunday with friends and we cook together and speculate about what will happen on the show as we eat dinner. I read each season's book in the off season. Just cause someone enjoys following a television program in real time with friends unspoilt doesn't mean they're some kind of philistine.
posted by nathancaswell at 6:06 AM on June 3, 2013 [12 favorites]
I started watching the series before I read the book. I enjoy not knowing what is happening and the sense of camaraderie with other viewers "gathering at the water cooler" to talk about last nights episode. I also meet up on Sunday with friends and we cook together and speculate about what will happen on the show as we eat dinner. I read each season's book in the off season. Just cause someone enjoys following a television program in real time with friends unspoilt doesn't mean they're some kind of philistine.
posted by nathancaswell at 6:06 AM on June 3, 2013 [12 favorites]
hoyland, you can flag as "other" if you don't think another flag reason fits, and you can also contact us to elaborate if you feel like explaining more.
As far as Ask Me is concerned, anyone can counter advice they think isn't good by offering the OP their own opposing advice. Don't argue with the person you disagree with, just give the OP your own recommendations, and explain why you wouldn't do/buy/etc. the other thing.
posted by taz (staff) at 6:10 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
As far as Ask Me is concerned, anyone can counter advice they think isn't good by offering the OP their own opposing advice. Don't argue with the person you disagree with, just give the OP your own recommendations, and explain why you wouldn't do/buy/etc. the other thing.
posted by taz (staff) at 6:10 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
To be fair, some game going offline for a day really is very trivial.
Not that I spend my time tracking global uptimes, but I don't remember the last time something in this magnitude stayed down for an entire day. Combined with their idiosyncratic gameplay it might not be earth-shattering but it's not trivial either.
posted by Dr Dracator at 6:11 AM on June 3, 2013
Not that I spend my time tracking global uptimes, but I don't remember the last time something in this magnitude stayed down for an entire day. Combined with their idiosyncratic gameplay it might not be earth-shattering but it's not trivial either.
posted by Dr Dracator at 6:11 AM on June 3, 2013
robocop is bleeding: But then how will anyone know how high my horse is? It took hours to get James Baxter here up to Cheech & Chong levels
Jaaaaaaaaaaaames Baaaaxtah!
hoyland: As I understand it, one isn't supposed to comment to purely say "Answer X is wrong."
I think it is OK to say "Answer X is wrong for reasons Y and Z." Also, if you know enough about the question to state that an answer is wrong, you should probably add something like "A is a better answer, for reason B." even if Answer A has already been given in the thread. Sometimes having multiple correct answers is important to outweigh incorrect answers.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:25 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Jaaaaaaaaaaaames Baaaaxtah!
hoyland: As I understand it, one isn't supposed to comment to purely say "Answer X is wrong."
I think it is OK to say "Answer X is wrong for reasons Y and Z." Also, if you know enough about the question to state that an answer is wrong, you should probably add something like "A is a better answer, for reason B." even if Answer A has already been given in the thread. Sometimes having multiple correct answers is important to outweigh incorrect answers.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:25 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
EVE is the unofficial spectator sport of Mefi. It's like 1950s baseball; we follow it in the papers. This is like the power going out on Monday Night Football a couple of years ago.
posted by nathancaswell at 6:27 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by nathancaswell at 6:27 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
Spoiling GoT is like spoiling the ending of Ender's Game. I have a hard time summoning sympathy. Pick up a book.
See, here's the thing: I picked up a book. I didn't really care for GoT as a book, but I like the show a lot. So yeah, the story is out there and already exists and I get that, but the fact that the books exist doesn't mean I'm somehow obligated to know what happens next on the show, or that I can't want to remain unspoiled about it until I've seen it.
For my part, this also means staying away from sites that discuss the books, and if someone wants to spoil the events of the books for laughs, it's not like I have a lot of recourse, so whatever, but I don't think it's ridiculous to want to watch the show unspoiled.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 6:34 AM on June 3, 2013 [15 favorites]
See, here's the thing: I picked up a book. I didn't really care for GoT as a book, but I like the show a lot. So yeah, the story is out there and already exists and I get that, but the fact that the books exist doesn't mean I'm somehow obligated to know what happens next on the show, or that I can't want to remain unspoiled about it until I've seen it.
For my part, this also means staying away from sites that discuss the books, and if someone wants to spoil the events of the books for laughs, it's not like I have a lot of recourse, so whatever, but I don't think it's ridiculous to want to watch the show unspoiled.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 6:34 AM on June 3, 2013 [15 favorites]
Just cause someone enjoys following a television program in real time with friends unspoilt doesn't mean they're some kind of philistine.
Nope. My point is that when the books have been out there for years and there's a culture surrounding them, comics/cartoons, comedy skits, space stations named after plot points, ect. It's a bit disingenuous to get upset about having the show spoiled. This requires some shared reality where everyone ignores the books exist. I'm not going to live in that reality.
Yes, if all you are doing is setting out to ruin someone's enjoyment of something, that makes you an ass, but if you comment about a book, in context or out, and someone gets hurt by the fact something is revealed, then I have a hard time with the sympathy.
I think there's common curtsey when it comes to such things, but to me this is mitigated by time. If someone tells me the ending to LOST or Battlestar Galactica at this point I don't think the expectation is unreasonable that if I cared I would have already seen them. To expect someone to maintain my ignorance for me is unreasonable. GoT is an interesting gray area since the shows aren't tracking the books exactly, and the books have been out there for a while. I have the same quandary with Walking Dead and Justified.
As data points though I am not one that ever cares about spoilers. I watch shows multiple times. I read books multiple times. I also haven't read Got, nor seen last night's episode.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:39 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
Nope. My point is that when the books have been out there for years and there's a culture surrounding them, comics/cartoons, comedy skits, space stations named after plot points, ect. It's a bit disingenuous to get upset about having the show spoiled. This requires some shared reality where everyone ignores the books exist. I'm not going to live in that reality.
Yes, if all you are doing is setting out to ruin someone's enjoyment of something, that makes you an ass, but if you comment about a book, in context or out, and someone gets hurt by the fact something is revealed, then I have a hard time with the sympathy.
I think there's common curtsey when it comes to such things, but to me this is mitigated by time. If someone tells me the ending to LOST or Battlestar Galactica at this point I don't think the expectation is unreasonable that if I cared I would have already seen them. To expect someone to maintain my ignorance for me is unreasonable. GoT is an interesting gray area since the shows aren't tracking the books exactly, and the books have been out there for a while. I have the same quandary with Walking Dead and Justified.
As data points though I am not one that ever cares about spoilers. I watch shows multiple times. I read books multiple times. I also haven't read Got, nor seen last night's episode.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:39 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
Yeah I don't ever care about spoilers but I'm glad I missed this latest GOT spoiler cuz I got to go WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPEN with about 9 million other people on twitter. I'd rather be that than the snide dork going "UGH I"M SO FAR AHEAD I KNEW THIS HAPPEN I READ SWORD BOOK IDC". So that's just me maybe.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:41 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:41 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
If we need another discussion about spoilers on the site, maybe open a separate Metatalk for that? If you just want to chat about GoT and/or spoilers, there's the GoT thread, and chat.
posted by taz (staff) at 6:44 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by taz (staff) at 6:44 AM on June 3, 2013
About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters; how well, they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
--W.H. Auden, Musée de Beaux Arts
posted by Miko at 6:47 AM on June 3, 2013 [9 favorites]
The Old Masters; how well, they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
--W.H. Auden, Musée de Beaux Arts
posted by Miko at 6:47 AM on June 3, 2013 [9 favorites]
Can we assume the mods would pick up on repeat 'this is so trivial' offendors and would consider a talking to and an eventual banning? Even the BBC's HYS looks down on this sort of behaviour and they are practically sub-human in there.
Pick up a book.
GoT TV show = good telly. GoT book = yawnz. Even my SO who bolted down the first 4 after rescuing 1 from the lav pile eventually had enough.
posted by biffa at 6:57 AM on June 3, 2013
Pick up a book.
GoT TV show = good telly. GoT book = yawnz. Even my SO who bolted down the first 4 after rescuing 1 from the lav pile eventually had enough.
posted by biffa at 6:57 AM on June 3, 2013
To be fair, some game going offline for a day really is very trivial.
Well, now that we've ruled out trivial, I better stop posting....
I'm off to facebook where they CARE about what I had for lunch.....
posted by HuronBob at 6:58 AM on June 3, 2013 [5 favorites]
Well, now that we've ruled out trivial, I better stop posting....
I'm off to facebook where they CARE about what I had for lunch.....
posted by HuronBob at 6:58 AM on June 3, 2013 [5 favorites]
Can we assume the mods would pick up on repeat 'this is so trivial' offendors and would consider a talking to and an eventual banning?
People who do it all the time, maybe, but unlikely. It's just sort of boorish behavior and while that sort of thing is annoying (to me as well) it doesn't usually hit the level of "You need to not be here anymore" We don't ban a lot of people here--a position that I know people don't all agree with--and if someone was repeatedly threadshitting in one thread after we'd asked them to knock it off we might give them the night off, but banning is usually not on the table.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:06 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
People who do it all the time, maybe, but unlikely. It's just sort of boorish behavior and while that sort of thing is annoying (to me as well) it doesn't usually hit the level of "You need to not be here anymore" We don't ban a lot of people here--a position that I know people don't all agree with--and if someone was repeatedly threadshitting in one thread after we'd asked them to knock it off we might give them the night off, but banning is usually not on the table.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:06 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I can remember a couple occasions where a user was having a grumpy day/week and did it a few times and I wrote 'em a note to say knock it off, but nothing jumps out at me as an example of someone doing it a bunch and consistently over the long haul so it's never really even gotten in that neighborhood.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:21 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:21 AM on June 3, 2013
Snark is pretty much on point WRT EVE—it is an entire fake universe made up of 98% snarkons, after all— it's the dismissiveness that people object to. Yes, it's a computer game; but computer games are important social and anti-social outlets for people. So it's important!
It's art we should be disparaging; the last time I shot at a Rothko, it didn't shoot back. Plus it has a lousy UI. Boo art!
posted by Mister_A at 7:28 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's art we should be disparaging; the last time I shot at a Rothko, it didn't shoot back. Plus it has a lousy UI. Boo art!
posted by Mister_A at 7:28 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Here's the thing. Something bad is *always* happening in the world.
I believe the complaint that significant news items are being ignored in preference to trivial things (like the EVE story) is actually a misplaced annoyance at how US-Centric metafilter is. I think this deserves a tiny bit of consideration.
With emphasis on the word *tiny*.
posted by zoo at 8:06 AM on June 3, 2013
I believe the complaint that significant news items are being ignored in preference to trivial things (like the EVE story) is actually a misplaced annoyance at how US-Centric metafilter is. I think this deserves a tiny bit of consideration.
With emphasis on the word *tiny*.
posted by zoo at 8:06 AM on June 3, 2013
In the grand scheme of things most of the front page is trivial on any given day made up of the wonderfully odd and interesting tidbits that make life on such a wretched, wrecked planet worth living.
posted by mediareport at 8:12 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by mediareport at 8:12 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
zoo: I believe the complaint that significant news items are being ignored in preference to trivial things (like the EVE story) is actually a misplaced annoyance at how US-Centric metafilter is. I think this deserves a tiny bit of consideration.
I mean, EVE Online is operated by a company in Iceland, so while I appreciate that being too US-specific is an issue, this specific example seems like a weird thing to tie it to.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:18 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
I mean, EVE Online is operated by a company in Iceland, so while I appreciate that being too US-specific is an issue, this specific example seems like a weird thing to tie it to.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:18 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
I mean, EVE Online is operated by a company in Iceland
The people who play EVE are probably predominantly North American. And, as with all things, this is more about how something looks than how it is.
"Never mind the riots in Turkey; John Boy Ammobelt in Nebraska can't log on to that special game he plays."
That's the feeling. It's probably not 100% accurate, but it is easy to feel that with Metafilter, as with everything else, the good old USA is decadent and spoiled to the detriment of others.
posted by zoo at 8:29 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
The people who play EVE are probably predominantly North American. And, as with all things, this is more about how something looks than how it is.
"Never mind the riots in Turkey; John Boy Ammobelt in Nebraska can't log on to that special game he plays."
That's the feeling. It's probably not 100% accurate, but it is easy to feel that with Metafilter, as with everything else, the good old USA is decadent and spoiled to the detriment of others.
posted by zoo at 8:29 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
On preview: I think the most interesting thing about the EVE Online servers going down is that they didn't lose any passwords in the process. That is unusual enough to warrant comment.
Unless something seriously wrong is going on, DOS attacks shouldn't result in passwords being leaked. It's not unknown for heavy load to be the first part of a series of exploits, but it would be notable if it were.
posted by wayland at 8:45 AM on June 3, 2013
Unless something seriously wrong is going on, DOS attacks shouldn't result in passwords being leaked. It's not unknown for heavy load to be the first part of a series of exploits, but it would be notable if it were.
posted by wayland at 8:45 AM on June 3, 2013
Often though companies will claim a DOS when they've actually had to take their servers down to stop a password vulnerability.
posted by Mitheral at 8:48 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 8:48 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I didn't really care for GoT as a book, but I like the show a lot.
Quoted for emphasis. I am an avid fan of fantasy epics, and my tastes in long-ass fantasy series have become very specific over the years. A Game of Thrones, the first hundred pages of it at least, did next to nothing for me; the writing style bothered the shit out of me and the plot was soooo long in developing that by the time I left off it felt like nothing had happened.
A good fantasy TV series, on the other hand, is rare, and the conversation process gets rid of much of what I didn't like about the books. So it would be nice to be able to appreciate that without spoilers, even though the original books are indeed quite old.
(By the way, to anybody looking for a few thousand pages of engrossing fantasy reading I recommend David Coe's "Winds of the Forelands" series, which begins with Rules of Ascension. Heavy on court intrigue, emphasizing a conspiracy that develops over several nations that each have a unique approach to national politics, wonderful balance of bloody combat and subtle machinations, and a very neat set of fantasy mechanics backing it all up.)
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:51 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
Quoted for emphasis. I am an avid fan of fantasy epics, and my tastes in long-ass fantasy series have become very specific over the years. A Game of Thrones, the first hundred pages of it at least, did next to nothing for me; the writing style bothered the shit out of me and the plot was soooo long in developing that by the time I left off it felt like nothing had happened.
A good fantasy TV series, on the other hand, is rare, and the conversation process gets rid of much of what I didn't like about the books. So it would be nice to be able to appreciate that without spoilers, even though the original books are indeed quite old.
(By the way, to anybody looking for a few thousand pages of engrossing fantasy reading I recommend David Coe's "Winds of the Forelands" series, which begins with Rules of Ascension. Heavy on court intrigue, emphasizing a conspiracy that develops over several nations that each have a unique approach to national politics, wonderful balance of bloody combat and subtle machinations, and a very neat set of fantasy mechanics backing it all up.)
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:51 AM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
That's the feeling. It's probably not 100% accurate, but it is easy to feel that with Metafilter, as with everything else, the good old USA is decadent and spoiled to the detriment of others.
There is not a set number of posts that can exist per day.
It is perfectly possible for people to make posts about things - things that are not the subject of current posts! The existence of one post does not preclude the existence of another post, as long as they are not on the same topic.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:59 AM on June 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
There is not a set number of posts that can exist per day.
It is perfectly possible for people to make posts about things - things that are not the subject of current posts! The existence of one post does not preclude the existence of another post, as long as they are not on the same topic.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:59 AM on June 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
This is like the power going out on Monday Night Football a couple of years ago.
Would that make an interesting post? It’s funny, the counter example I was thinking of was how no one would think it was interesting to make a post about how some TV station went off the air for a while. But anything involving the internet is inherently more interesting.
I’m going to prepare my post about how the cable was down for a while here last week.
posted by bongo_x at 9:15 AM on June 3, 2013
Would that make an interesting post? It’s funny, the counter example I was thinking of was how no one would think it was interesting to make a post about how some TV station went off the air for a while. But anything involving the internet is inherently more interesting.
I’m going to prepare my post about how the cable was down for a while here last week.
posted by bongo_x at 9:15 AM on June 3, 2013
A Storm of Swords alone is longer than the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy and isn't even as well written. If I want to pick up a long book, it'll be Proust's, not Martin's. Let the viewers have their fun.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:27 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:27 AM on June 3, 2013
A sandwich shop closing once garnered 222 comments.
posted by Mitheral at 9:30 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 9:30 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
A Storm of Swords alone is longer than the whole Lord of the Rings trilogyThat does not appear to be true, although it certainly is in shouting range.
posted by dfan at 9:31 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Thanks for the correction, dfan. Some 50,000 words less, or about 1/3 of the Two Towers.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:33 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:33 AM on June 3, 2013
Priorities! Don't bother me with riots and insurrections when a game is threatened.
posted by Cranberry at 10:07 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by Cranberry at 10:07 AM on June 3, 2013
longer than the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy and isn't even as well written
True (the second part), but what's your point? Almost nothing is as well-written as LotR, because Tolkien is one of the greatest writers of all time.
I'm as big a literature snob as anyone, and I find most acclaimed fantasy books to be well-written only when compared to the low standards of the genre. But Martin is a good writer, period. Not great, but good. The second book in particular is excellent.
posted by drjimmy11 at 10:08 AM on June 3, 2013
True (the second part), but what's your point? Almost nothing is as well-written as LotR, because Tolkien is one of the greatest writers of all time.
I'm as big a literature snob as anyone, and I find most acclaimed fantasy books to be well-written only when compared to the low standards of the genre. But Martin is a good writer, period. Not great, but good. The second book in particular is excellent.
posted by drjimmy11 at 10:08 AM on June 3, 2013
Tolkien is overrated. There, I said it. Not as a world-builder but as a stylist.
posted by Justinian at 10:13 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 10:13 AM on June 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
Cranberry: "Priorities! Don't bother me with riots and insurrections when a game is threatened."
Huh, did I miss the part where EVE players told people discussing Turkey they should stop talking about Turkey because EVE went down? Because it looks more like it's actually the other way around, where some people talking about Turkey find it so offensive that other people might be thinking about or discussing something they deem trivial that they're telling EVE players to stop talking.
posted by Lexica at 10:15 AM on June 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
Huh, did I miss the part where EVE players told people discussing Turkey they should stop talking about Turkey because EVE went down? Because it looks more like it's actually the other way around, where some people talking about Turkey find it so offensive that other people might be thinking about or discussing something they deem trivial that they're telling EVE players to stop talking.
posted by Lexica at 10:15 AM on June 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
Why am I not surprised this metatalk exists. Goodness people, let's just rename the place Seriousfilter and have done with it.
....that reminds me I need to login and start some more blueprint research jobs since mine are probably done.
I hope that doesn't trivialize the *insert identifier for tornado/famine/civil war/genocide/austerity/bike-helmet/cat-declawing/political corruption/public indecency by a public official* crowd too much. I mean I know their efforts are all for naught if I don't create a post about it or comment on an existing post or, at the very least, lurk on said post to educate myself on the issue at hand lest I be labeled a boor and/or uncaring. So, I guess I best get busy!
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:29 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
....that reminds me I need to login and start some more blueprint research jobs since mine are probably done.
I hope that doesn't trivialize the *insert identifier for tornado/famine/civil war/genocide/austerity/bike-helmet/cat-declawing/political corruption/public indecency by a public official* crowd too much. I mean I know their efforts are all for naught if I don't create a post about it or comment on an existing post or, at the very least, lurk on said post to educate myself on the issue at hand lest I be labeled a boor and/or uncaring. So, I guess I best get busy!
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:29 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Or on lack-of-preview, what Lexica said.
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:31 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:31 AM on June 3, 2013
True (the second part), but what's your point? Almost nothing is as well-written as LotR, because Tolkien is one of the greatest writers of all time.
If your prose is going to test my patience, it had better not do so for long. If it must go for long, your prose had better be excellent.
The TV show is much better than Martin's automatic lists of clothing and food. His faux-archaic dialogue sounds better coming from actors' mouths. His poor descriptions are even paler next to the show's actual castles and countrysides. Don't tell the people who like the TV show not to be surprised just because they're not willing to suffer through the novels.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 11:01 AM on June 3, 2013
If your prose is going to test my patience, it had better not do so for long. If it must go for long, your prose had better be excellent.
The TV show is much better than Martin's automatic lists of clothing and food. His faux-archaic dialogue sounds better coming from actors' mouths. His poor descriptions are even paler next to the show's actual castles and countrysides. Don't tell the people who like the TV show not to be surprised just because they're not willing to suffer through the novels.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 11:01 AM on June 3, 2013
True (the second part), but what's your point? Almost nothing is as well-written as LotR, because Tolkien is one of the greatest writers of all time.
I love LOTR but I don't think I've ever heard anyone claim Tolkien is one of the all-time great writers. Is this a widely held belief?
posted by Hoopo at 11:15 AM on June 3, 2013
I love LOTR but I don't think I've ever heard anyone claim Tolkien is one of the all-time great writers. Is this a widely held belief?
posted by Hoopo at 11:15 AM on June 3, 2013
I enjoy the descriptions of the food in ASOIAF, although I think the drool might be bad for my Kindle.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:17 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Jacqueline at 11:17 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Jacqueline: I enjoy the descriptions of the food in ASOIAF, although I think the drool might be bad for my Kindle.
Yeah, I've always laughed at The Sopranos Cookbook or Cooking with The Avengers or whatever pop culture tie-in cookbooks are out there, but A Recipe of Ice and Fire I could get into.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:32 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I've always laughed at The Sopranos Cookbook or Cooking with The Avengers or whatever pop culture tie-in cookbooks are out there, but A Recipe of Ice and Fire I could get into.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:32 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I just want Wyman Manderly's recipe for meat pies. ;)
posted by Jacqueline at 11:39 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Jacqueline at 11:39 AM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was just kidding about a Game of Thrones cookbook, but there's actually an official one.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:45 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by Rock Steady at 11:45 AM on June 3, 2013
They are rioting in Africa
They're starving in Spain
There are hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering
with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans
The Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate the Yugoslavs
South Afrikaans hate the Dutch.
And I don't like anybody very much.
.........some folksong.
Zelda rocks.
posted by mule98J at 12:11 PM on June 3, 2013
They're starving in Spain
There are hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering
with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans
The Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate the Yugoslavs
South Afrikaans hate the Dutch.
And I don't like anybody very much.
.........some folksong.
Zelda rocks.
posted by mule98J at 12:11 PM on June 3, 2013
Tolkien is overrated. There, I said it. Not as a world-builder but as a stylist.
Tolkien is a strange writer because you can notice his style getting worse as the series progresses. The Hobbit is pretty nicely written, I think, with a light touch and a sense of humor throughout. Pretty much every time somebody quotes Tolkien, it's from The Hobbit. And then, throughout The Lord Of The Rings, his style gets more and more ponderous until by the time of Return Of The King it's a solid mass of portentous tics.
I guess this does happen to other writers, too, now that I think about it, but it's usually over a rather longer span of work and not so much within one narrative.
posted by furiousthought at 12:52 PM on June 3, 2013
Tolkien is a strange writer because you can notice his style getting worse as the series progresses. The Hobbit is pretty nicely written, I think, with a light touch and a sense of humor throughout. Pretty much every time somebody quotes Tolkien, it's from The Hobbit. And then, throughout The Lord Of The Rings, his style gets more and more ponderous until by the time of Return Of The King it's a solid mass of portentous tics.
I guess this does happen to other writers, too, now that I think about it, but it's usually over a rather longer span of work and not so much within one narrative.
posted by furiousthought at 12:52 PM on June 3, 2013
Tolkien is overrated. There, I said it. Not as a world-builder but as a stylist.
As a moderately strong Tolkien fan (having read the LOTR, Hobbit, Silmarillion, some of his letters, and a few other things here and there) I can jive with this actually. World building: he's up there with the best of them. Stylistically: he's good but not as good as some others.
That said, some passages in the Silmarillion are just.... stellar. But that's back on the world building side of things really since pretty much all of that schema falls under the category of 'lore' or back-story when you get right down to it.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:02 PM on June 3, 2013
As a moderately strong Tolkien fan (having read the LOTR, Hobbit, Silmarillion, some of his letters, and a few other things here and there) I can jive with this actually. World building: he's up there with the best of them. Stylistically: he's good but not as good as some others.
That said, some passages in the Silmarillion are just.... stellar. But that's back on the world building side of things really since pretty much all of that schema falls under the category of 'lore' or back-story when you get right down to it.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:02 PM on June 3, 2013
A Recipe of Ice and Fire I could get into
Pretty sure that's a sex manual.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:15 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pretty sure that's a sex manual.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:15 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Tolkien is overrated. There, I said it. Not as a world-builder but as a stylist.
He's not only overrated, he's destructive. He took fantasy away from the fun Dunsany style fantasias and Leiber adventures into dull history and world-buildying.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:35 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
He's not only overrated, he's destructive. He took fantasy away from the fun Dunsany style fantasias and Leiber adventures into dull history and world-buildying.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:35 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Tolkien wasn't even English. There, I said it. His whole backstory was just PR made up for the book jackets. He was a grocer from Ohio.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:38 PM on June 3, 2013
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:38 PM on June 3, 2013
not everything posted on this site has to interest me - or you
that not only includes eve, but the latest omgtheworldishorriblefilter
also, tolkien was south african - and james branch cabell is the real neglected pre-tolkien fantasy writer
posted by pyramid termite at 5:30 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
that not only includes eve, but the latest omgtheworldishorriblefilter
also, tolkien was south african - and james branch cabell is the real neglected pre-tolkien fantasy writer
posted by pyramid termite at 5:30 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I love LOTR but I don't think I've ever heard anyone claim Tolkien is one of the all-time great writers. Is this a widely held belief?
Not among people who have read widely in English literature. I mean, it's OK to like Tolkien and all, but if you compiled a list of the greatest English language stylists of the 20th C, you would not see his name on that list.
A list of "English-language Writers with the Greatest Impact," on the other hand, might have a place for him. Lord knows that LotR was "the book that launched a thousand trilogies."
If we are talking about the craft of writing, though, I don't think Tolkien has a place in the "Top 100 Fantasy Authors." Peter Beagle, John Crowley, Jack Vance, and Ursula LeGuin (off the top of my head) blow him out of the water, and I expect half an hour's thought would easily come up with another 96. Even as a World-Builder, he has been eclipsed by other talents -- China Mieville and Sarah Monette both create much more believable and textured worlds than Tolkien, and they do with with more grace and less labor, too. As CiS points out above, that laborious world building model has not been a boon to fantasy literature.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:58 PM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
Not among people who have read widely in English literature. I mean, it's OK to like Tolkien and all, but if you compiled a list of the greatest English language stylists of the 20th C, you would not see his name on that list.
A list of "English-language Writers with the Greatest Impact," on the other hand, might have a place for him. Lord knows that LotR was "the book that launched a thousand trilogies."
If we are talking about the craft of writing, though, I don't think Tolkien has a place in the "Top 100 Fantasy Authors." Peter Beagle, John Crowley, Jack Vance, and Ursula LeGuin (off the top of my head) blow him out of the water, and I expect half an hour's thought would easily come up with another 96. Even as a World-Builder, he has been eclipsed by other talents -- China Mieville and Sarah Monette both create much more believable and textured worlds than Tolkien, and they do with with more grace and less labor, too. As CiS points out above, that laborious world building model has not been a boon to fantasy literature.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:58 PM on June 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
By the way, there's a very active er, clan or guild or corp or whatever the correct terminology is for Eve (I don't play it, myself) over at MefightClub, so if you're a Mefite Eve-player and want in, come on over get on into it!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:26 PM on June 3, 2013
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:26 PM on June 3, 2013
He's not only overrated, he's destructive. He took fantasy away from the fun Dunsany style fantasias and Leiber adventures into dull history and world-buildying.
This maybe reflects more on me then you, but every few nights now, I have typed out a quick one liner to one of your comments, I have then deleted it, as it was sort of mean and unhelpful, or whatever.
(and then I typed out like 8 paragraphs of sort of passive aggressive whatever. Then deleted it)
So as a quick summery.
1. You seem like a super fun guy. You can quickly sum up what is great about a band or film I love so much better then I could, you are smart and funny and have great tastes.
2. Every time you jump into a thread and do the thing you do* it really, legitimately makes my night a little bit worse. It makes Metafilter a worse place to spend my time, in a real completely non hypothetical way.
3. If you would consider not doing that thing anymore, you would immediately make my life a little better, and that would be nice.
4. Your posts are great, pretty much every night what you post is one the first few things I read. You have a ton of good pop culture analysis, I have looked up quite a few videogames and albums based on your comments.
*The thing that you do...
I think you probably know what it is way better then i can summarize, but if not.
a. Being the most interesting guy in the room by insulting the opinions of a guy with less interesting opinions.
b. Framing those opinions in such a way that no one can really disagree with you without sounding like a super square establishment tool, with no good soul of yelling art like you have.
c. Just not quite being Bill Hicks or whoever. (Bill hicks would probably ruin my night too if he was on metafilter.)
Not that I really have any rebuttal, about the Tolkien thing, but you did not really make any point about Tolkien, you just said an interesting opinion about who was better then who. that is fun at a party, but since we all have the time to sit and read your opinins here, at least take the time to actually say them.
posted by St. Sorryass at 1:46 AM on June 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
This maybe reflects more on me then you, but every few nights now, I have typed out a quick one liner to one of your comments, I have then deleted it, as it was sort of mean and unhelpful, or whatever.
(and then I typed out like 8 paragraphs of sort of passive aggressive whatever. Then deleted it)
So as a quick summery.
1. You seem like a super fun guy. You can quickly sum up what is great about a band or film I love so much better then I could, you are smart and funny and have great tastes.
2. Every time you jump into a thread and do the thing you do* it really, legitimately makes my night a little bit worse. It makes Metafilter a worse place to spend my time, in a real completely non hypothetical way.
3. If you would consider not doing that thing anymore, you would immediately make my life a little better, and that would be nice.
4. Your posts are great, pretty much every night what you post is one the first few things I read. You have a ton of good pop culture analysis, I have looked up quite a few videogames and albums based on your comments.
*The thing that you do...
I think you probably know what it is way better then i can summarize, but if not.
a. Being the most interesting guy in the room by insulting the opinions of a guy with less interesting opinions.
b. Framing those opinions in such a way that no one can really disagree with you without sounding like a super square establishment tool, with no good soul of yelling art like you have.
c. Just not quite being Bill Hicks or whoever. (Bill hicks would probably ruin my night too if he was on metafilter.)
Not that I really have any rebuttal, about the Tolkien thing, but you did not really make any point about Tolkien, you just said an interesting opinion about who was better then who. that is fun at a party, but since we all have the time to sit and read your opinins here, at least take the time to actually say them.
posted by St. Sorryass at 1:46 AM on June 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
look I managed to type something mean and unhelpful after all.
posted by St. Sorryass at 1:47 AM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Sorryass at 1:47 AM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm so culturally elevated I don't even know what EVE is. Unless we're talking about that Bioshock stuff, of course.
posted by Decani at 2:22 AM on June 4, 2013
posted by Decani at 2:22 AM on June 4, 2013
So, EVE is some kind of game that is "98% snarkdom" that is very important to many mefites. Okay, yes, they should have their fpp and it should not be shat upon by anyone. Simple mefi protocol.
But then ... any posters who LIVE for snark (i.e.. love to emulate reality TV reparte) should not spread vapid, cynical sneers all over Metafilter. There ARE 'Seriousfilter' threads (i.e., on tornado/famine/civil war/genocide/austerity/bike-helmet/cat-declawing/political corruption/public indecency ... etc.) ... they are not jokes.
Just give the respect you want - keep the fighty sparing with the folks who play that way. Wipe your feet before you enter the other threads.
------
On preview ... what St. Sorryass said.
posted by Surfurrus at 3:29 AM on June 4, 2013
But then ... any posters who LIVE for snark (i.e.. love to emulate reality TV reparte) should not spread vapid, cynical sneers all over Metafilter. There ARE 'Seriousfilter' threads (i.e., on tornado/famine/civil war/genocide/austerity/bike-helmet/cat-declawing/political corruption/public indecency ... etc.) ... they are not jokes.
Just give the respect you want - keep the fighty sparing with the folks who play that way. Wipe your feet before you enter the other threads.
------
On preview ... what St. Sorryass said.
posted by Surfurrus at 3:29 AM on June 4, 2013
Not that I really have any rebuttal, about the Tolkien thing, but you did not really make any point about Tolkien, you just said an interesting opinion about who was better then who. that is fun at a party, but since we all have the time to sit and read your opinins here, at least take the time to actually say them.
No, he'd probably be an unbelievable boor at a party.
I mean how many times do people on metafilter have to say in nice or not-so-nice ways that he acts like an asshole before maybe he thinks about maybe not acting like such an asshole?
posted by empath at 3:35 AM on June 4, 2013
No, he'd probably be an unbelievable boor at a party.
I mean how many times do people on metafilter have to say in nice or not-so-nice ways that he acts like an asshole before maybe he thinks about maybe not acting like such an asshole?
posted by empath at 3:35 AM on June 4, 2013
(although I do agree that he actually makes decent posts when talking about things that he likes, rather than shitting on things that other people like)
posted by empath at 3:37 AM on June 4, 2013
posted by empath at 3:37 AM on June 4, 2013
Eve? It's one the easiest planets to land on, through launching from it is quite hard.
Now Moho? That SOB laughs at your maneuver nodes.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:23 AM on June 4, 2013
Now Moho? That SOB laughs at your maneuver nodes.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:23 AM on June 4, 2013
zoo: "Never mind the riots in Turkey; John Boy Ammobelt in Nebraska can't log on to that special game he plays."
That's the feeling. It's probably not 100% accurate
Yes, because it's probably 0% accurate. Did you laugh today? Engage in small talk? Read anything other than news? Play with your kid? Walk the dog? Have a drink? Daydream? Hum to yourself? Listen to music?
How could you do any of these things on a day like today? Unless, you know, the entire premise makes no damn sense.
posted by spaltavian at 6:25 AM on June 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
That's the feeling. It's probably not 100% accurate
Yes, because it's probably 0% accurate. Did you laugh today? Engage in small talk? Read anything other than news? Play with your kid? Walk the dog? Have a drink? Daydream? Hum to yourself? Listen to music?
How could you do any of these things on a day like today? Unless, you know, the entire premise makes no damn sense.
posted by spaltavian at 6:25 AM on June 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you
No other will do
I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of
Believe me
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
-The Ink Spots
posted by clavdivs at 6:46 AM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you
No other will do
I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of
Believe me
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
-The Ink Spots
posted by clavdivs at 6:46 AM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
spaltavian: I probably expressed myself badly, but I agree with you, and I was trying to say the same thing as you just said.
I think everyone realises that it's ok to talk about trivial things when there's more important things happening in the world. I was trying to express why I think people make the "don't you know there's {x} happening in place {y}" callout.
posted by zoo at 6:58 AM on June 4, 2013
I think everyone realises that it's ok to talk about trivial things when there's more important things happening in the world. I was trying to express why I think people make the "don't you know there's {x} happening in place {y}" callout.
posted by zoo at 6:58 AM on June 4, 2013
Nice work zoo and respondents. I need to stalk CiS or something, as I see the snark sure, but think the response it brings on is disproportionately wahhhhhmbulance-y except when I disagree, like on the animal stuff. Huh. Wonder why
posted by lordaych at 5:09 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by lordaych at 5:09 PM on June 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you
No other will do
I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of
Believe me
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
-The Ink Spots
i feel like you're saying something about one of my favorite game series, and I can't figure out what it is. has something happened to Fallout? please tell me nothing's happened to Fallout
anyway there was a decent meme going around that was something like 'Characters die in Game of Thrones: Everyone freaks out/Riots in Turkey: nobody cares'. which sorta makes sense... i mean i'm cool with threads on different things, and i'm way more interested in Eve Online than riots and disasters, but my FB feed was filled with wailing and gnashing of teeth over whatever happened in GoT (i don't watch it) but not much about the riots
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:13 PM on June 4, 2013
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you
No other will do
I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of
Believe me
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
-The Ink Spots
i feel like you're saying something about one of my favorite game series, and I can't figure out what it is. has something happened to Fallout? please tell me nothing's happened to Fallout
anyway there was a decent meme going around that was something like 'Characters die in Game of Thrones: Everyone freaks out/Riots in Turkey: nobody cares'. which sorta makes sense... i mean i'm cool with threads on different things, and i'm way more interested in Eve Online than riots and disasters, but my FB feed was filled with wailing and gnashing of teeth over whatever happened in GoT (i don't watch it) but not much about the riots
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:13 PM on June 4, 2013
and count me in as yet another person who views EVE as a spectator sport
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:14 PM on June 4, 2013
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:14 PM on June 4, 2013
The people who play EVE are probably predominantly North American
Are you sure about this? That's not my experience; at the hours I play there are sometimes as many people speaking Russian as English in the Rookie Help channel (despite the channel's English-only policy and the existance of separate Russian help channels). German speakers are also very frequent. I bought ammunition in one solar system where the local chat was in Korean. I've answered help questions in French. And my first duel was with Mefi's own vanar sena who logs on from India.
As far as I can tell, EVE is popular throughout the affluent, net-connected world. Some old data from 2008 showed most EVE players were outside North America, and that was before the game had even launched in Japan or China.
posted by mbrubeck at 6:57 PM on June 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
Are you sure about this? That's not my experience; at the hours I play there are sometimes as many people speaking Russian as English in the Rookie Help channel (despite the channel's English-only policy and the existance of separate Russian help channels). German speakers are also very frequent. I bought ammunition in one solar system where the local chat was in Korean. I've answered help questions in French. And my first duel was with Mefi's own vanar sena who logs on from India.
As far as I can tell, EVE is popular throughout the affluent, net-connected world. Some old data from 2008 showed most EVE players were outside North America, and that was before the game had even launched in Japan or China.
posted by mbrubeck at 6:57 PM on June 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah the way the game works, there's a tremendous incentive for players to recruit other players in time zones around the world into their alliances.
posted by empath at 7:14 PM on June 5, 2013
posted by empath at 7:14 PM on June 5, 2013
Charlemagne In Sweatpants:
What is creepy is almost all thier songs start with
dun-da-de-Dun-De-Da...
well, no fallout fallout, I'm still playing oblivion and HALO 2.
(bows)
posted by clavdivs at 9:31 AM on June 6, 2013
What is creepy is almost all thier songs start with
dun-da-de-Dun-De-Da...
well, no fallout fallout, I'm still playing oblivion and HALO 2.
(bows)
posted by clavdivs at 9:31 AM on June 6, 2013
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posted by taz (staff) at 5:18 AM on June 3, 2013