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7526

Official Announcements / Re: I want to try an experiment on the site for March 2012

« Last post by wraith808 on February 17, 2012, 09:22 AM »

But if you are going to do experimenting, I would also encourage you to experiment with Project Wonderful, as well.

-app103 (February 17, 2012, 03:46 AM)

Whoa... looking only at their front page:
 (see attachment in previous post)
they do ugly, animated (!!) gifs with garish colors, which totally make it impossible to read the text they are sitting next to. I don't know, but that seems rather last century. As the person on the business end of an ad, I'll take adsense over this any time.

-tranglos (February 17, 2012, 07:40 AM)

As App said, you can pretty well control what shows up.  The places that I know that use it never show animated gifs.

7527

Official Announcements / Re: I want to try an experiment on the site for March 2012

« Last post by wraith808 on February 17, 2012, 07:25 AM »

But if you are going to do experimenting, I would also encourage you to experiment with Project Wonderful, as well. You will get much more control over what ads get displayed, and you might even feel good about them. And with the traffic this site gets, you will likely have rather good bids. Plus the site will make money even if nobody clicks the ads.  

-app103 (February 17, 2012, 03:46 AM)

+1

7528

General Software Discussion / Re: Help me choose an online backup service

« Last post by wraith808 on February 17, 2012, 07:23 AM »

I can see how that's a wonderful feature if you need it -- but if I only need a once-a-week upload for emergencies, these tools seem like they may be a high price to pay in terms of lost cpu cycles/bandwidth.

-mouser (February 17, 2012, 03:06 AM)

With JungleDisk, though the process is running, it doesn't back up until you tell it to- it's not a continuous backup.  I usually set mine to run on Sunday at 3AM or so.

7529

General Software Discussion / Re: Zentimo/USB Safely Remove - Are they needed anymore?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 16, 2012, 10:10 PM »

I find personally find Zentimo very useful. but less for safe removal than for managing multiple removable devices. 

-xtabber (February 12, 2012, 10:05 AM)

This.  Especially since if you rename something, names persist.  And automagically running something when the drive is inserted.

7530

General Software Discussion / Re: Help me choose an online backup service

« Last post by wraith808 on February 16, 2012, 06:16 PM »

When you tried it out, as you mentioned earlier, it might have been enlightening if you first just let it 'do its thing' to see exactly how long it took - and then logged in to check and see exactly what got backed up.

I doubt you would have seen much there you wouldn't have selected anyway.

-40hz (February 16, 2012, 05:23 PM)

Truthfully, even with those exclusion, there would be a *lot* on there that I wouldn't want backed up.  His case might be similar.

7531

General Software Discussion / Re: Help me choose an online backup service

« Last post by wraith808 on February 16, 2012, 02:13 PM »

They are giving you unlimited space for backups. Why would you want to exclude anything? The only reason I can think of to exclude anything from backup is to keep from running out of space, which isn't going to happen with Backblaze, so you might as well let it backup everything.

-app103 (February 16, 2012, 02:10 PM)

There's the overhead in transfer, and the inability to know exactly what's in the backup.  That's one reason I keep different backup archives.

7532

General Software Discussion / Re: Help me choose an online backup service

« Last post by wraith808 on February 16, 2012, 02:01 PM »

I'm using JungleDisk with S3.  That said, I'm also looking at trying SFFS with S3.  Not because I have any problems with JD- to the contrary, I'm still going to use it.  I just want some things to back up at home separately now that I have a NAS (getting a bit paranoid about having synced copies in multiple places, so I want one local too)

7533

Living Room / Re: Anyone playing Mass Effect 2 game yet?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 16, 2012, 10:15 AM »

^ I don't really have a problem with it.  I don't play BF3, but I play 2142 and SWTOR, and with both of them, I don't even run origin- I just have shortcuts elsewhere.  Not sure if BF3 is different...

What problem are you having?

7534

Living Room / Re: Anyone playing Mass Effect 2 game yet?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 15, 2012, 01:18 PM »

If you have to install it using origin, then that's not really another platform?

Several companies do the same thing with Steam- you buy at GamersGate, GreenManGaming, etc, and activate on steam.  Direct2Drive used to do it- not sure if they will now since they've been bought by GameFly.  I'm pretty sure it won't be available on Impulse either.  Those are the platforms- GameFly, Steam, Origin, and Impulse.  The rest are really just storefronts.

(Though I see it's on Impulse... I wonder how *that's* going to work, especially as it still says Impulse is required in the requirements)

7535

Living Room / Re: Anyone playing Mass Effect 2 game yet?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 15, 2012, 04:39 AM »

I really loved ME 2, so I would probably be playing it too, if it wasn't for EA not putting it on Steam .

-Jibz (February 15, 2012, 03:11 AM)

With EA having their own distribution platform now, I wouldn't count on ever seeing their stuff on another platform. /shrug

7536

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by wraith808 on February 14, 2012, 02:36 PM »

7537

Screenshot Captor / Re: Adding SSC 3.0 to Explorer context or "Open With"

« Last post by wraith808 on February 14, 2012, 12:33 AM »

It is probably possible to manually add it to the Open With list, by copying / pasting a shortcut to that Vista folder (forgot exactly where it's located).

-cathie28 (February 13, 2012, 02:40 PM)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q...sta+senden+an+ordner

-ralfs (February 13, 2012, 11:35 PM)

That's probably a bit harsher than you might have intended it?

7538

General Software Discussion / Re: Earning the 'daemon' inside DaemonTools...

« Last post by wraith808 on February 13, 2012, 10:45 AM »

I use FarStone's VirtualDrive.  Friends used to say that I was crazy to pay for something that DaemonTools gave for free.  I guess not.

7539

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 13, 2012, 10:09 AM »

They bought the talent, but they did not make use of it. They bought the developers, shut down their studios, and kicked all of the 'talent' to the proverbial curb.

-Innuendo (February 13, 2012, 09:31 AM)

Not... exactly true.  They made mistakes (and have acknowledged it) in these acquisitions.  But most of those mistakes were those of one-size-fits-all management.  They didn't cut the talent- the talent fled because of bad management of acquisitions.  That's why the current EA has each of these as separate studios that have their own management and culture, i.e. BioWare, DICE.  Hopefully they've learned something, and can balance the needs of making money with those that they serve.

7540

Living Room / Re: ROSA - SciFi Short Film

« Last post by wraith808 on February 13, 2012, 09:55 AM »

I thought I had posted it before...

Fox has optioned the rights on it for a live film.

And a more complete link (including information on the author and such)

http://vimeo.com/31894179

7541

DC Gamer Club / Valve's Steam hit by power outage

« Last post by wraith808 on February 13, 2012, 09:53 AM »

http://www.expertrev...-hit-by-power-outage

I've been pretty exclusively playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, so I didn't even notice.  Though I was up about the time that they mention, and I didn't notice anything obvious with the service, other than a hiccup when it started in regards to the store page loading.

Was anyone affected by this?  Perhaps this will bring light to the fact that even int he best of cases, DRM needs to be a little less draconian.

Thoughts?

7542

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 13, 2012, 07:08 AM »

Take a look on GoG.com.  They might not have developed a lot of them, but they've been opening the vaults and a lot of them have found a new home.

-wraith808 (February 12, 2012, 10:26 PM)

Feasting off their dead corpses in a money grab doesn't win any points with me, though.

They *are* 'remaking' Syndicate, I guess, but I don't have a lot of optimism for the final results.

-Innuendo (February 12, 2012, 11:38 PM)

Well then... I don't get the problem.  The bought the talent and made use of it- just because they haven't remade or made sequels (which are very often a let-down - look at the later C&C's)?

7543

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2012, 10:26 PM »

What gamers among us have not shed a tear for Bullfrog, Origin, Westwood, and countless others who were bought by EA only to have their companies dismantled & their intellectual property to be locked away in EA's vaults never to see the light of day again.

-Innuendo (February 12, 2012, 06:50 PM)

Take a look on GoG.com.  They might not have developed a lot of them, but they've been opening the vaults and a lot of them have found a new home.

7544

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2012, 04:10 PM »

Corel managed to ruin everything they bought so far.

-Tuxman (February 12, 2012, 01:48 PM)

I mean when I say the following in every conceivable way possible....

Corel is the productivity software counterpart to Electronic Arts.

-Innuendo (February 12, 2012, 03:03 PM)

Electronic Arts isn't *that* bad.  They've made some bad choices (as has Activision), but EA can be localized to a few people, not endemic to the whole company.

7545

DC Gamer Club / Re: Indie Royale: Valentine's Bundle (Zeno Clash, Hoard, Lume, Soulcaster 2)

« Last post by wraith808 on February 10, 2012, 08:47 PM »

Hoard is a decent arcade-like game where you try to get the highest score within the time limit. The two Hoard DLC packs are also included with the bundle.

-Deozaan (February 10, 2012, 04:20 PM)

Not exactly true.  Hoard has that mode, but you also have a couple of other modes including Princess Rush (be the first to ransom 15 princesses), Hoard (survival), and Co-Op Treasure mode (all dragons share a hoard and work together).

It also has strategy unlike typical shooters, i.e. the towns that you are destroying have economies, and your interrelation with those economies can affect your score.  If you're too efficient, there won't be anything for you to destroy/hoard, and if you aren't efficient enough, the town (and more importantly the knights) can become too powerful to deal with.

Great game and very much recommended.

But I suppose I can give those games away and keep Lume and the Soulcasters to myself.

-Deozaan (February 10, 2012, 04:20 PM)

Can you give them away independently?  I know you can't with some others...

7546

Living Room / Re: The plot thickens - iPhone and iPad sales banned in Europe ...

« Last post by wraith808 on February 09, 2012, 10:47 AM »

From a couple of the comments...

the road to hell is paved with patent lawyers….

Don’t be evil…..fail.

QFT.

7547

Living Room / Re: Main hard drive in my PC died today suddenly

« Last post by wraith808 on February 09, 2012, 08:10 AM »

Sorry about your issues with Acronis- I know they can be really terrible when it happens when you need it.  But I've *never* had it fail me in 8 years or so of using it- just figured I'd offer a contrasting opinion...

(I also use a tiered backup system... I have a copy on a NAS and online in addition to the acronis backups.  A bit paranoid... maybe... )

7548

Living Room / Re: It's Official - Anonymous are Terrorists

« Last post by wraith808 on February 08, 2012, 04:55 PM »

I spotted this at the bottom of the page:

This Web site is funded through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this Web site (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies and any services or tools provided).

Just because something is funded, and puts up a logo, doesn't mean it's in any way 'official'.  Not defending... just sourcing.

7549

Living Room / Re: Just like the MPAA didn't learn from the RIAA, the games industry is next

« Last post by wraith808 on February 08, 2012, 11:13 AM »

But if people want and expect better than that, they're going to need to give something back to the creatives before they have to quit - and leave nothing behind but commercial hacks and amateurs to fill the void.

ACTA/SOPA/PIPA isn't the answer to this problem. But neither is the "Why should I have to pay at all?" mindset many people now have.

<snip />

At least it's worth a try. Because what people and their governments are doing right now isn't working. And never will.

-40hz (February 08, 2012, 11:01 AM)

QFT!  Truthfully, I wouldn't mind if people pirated my work- it's when people steal it that I have problems with it.  To me, though the powers that be want to equate the two, they are totally different.  To pirate, copy, etc means that you enjoy the work and want to consume it.  Paying would help to support- but doing this doesn't do anything to the bottom line, as those that value it pay for it (at least in my optimistic view of things).  Stealing on the other hand is borderline plagiarizing the work (or not so borderline).  It's the excuse that Zynga uses to justify its games- I put a shiny coat on it, so I don't need to pay for the right to create it, even though all of my mechanics are the same as yours.  And what's being done in laws doesn't protect these people... so when is it that the corporate interests go to the well, and find it dry?  As 40 alludes to, if people can't survive off of their work, then the work will start to disappear- at least the professional level.  And that's not a world that I like to think about...

7550

Living Room / Re: Hard drive shortage

« Last post by wraith808 on February 08, 2012, 11:02 AM »

HDD Pricewatch: Three Months Into the Thai Floods

-PhilB66 (February 08, 2012, 10:43 AM)

Nice article...thanks for sharing!