Thread "2016 Rant/Share/General Discussion Thread" in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 2:02PM, Feb. 26, 2016

Ironscarf wrote:
Wow, taking a break from Facebook has been marvellous! It can become a terrible procrastination tool and crutch. I'm strictly limiting myself to one visit a day for about an hour at most (hopefully much less)- I have to get all necessary business, contacts, and catchups completed in that time and then quit it for another 24 hours.
Let's see how long I can keep this up!

Great plan! I might try it - then I'll have time to use the DevArt account I just remembered, then join twitter. Maybe there'll even be time to make an instagram too. Anyone here instagraming their layouts and preparatory sketches every day?

I know you're probably joking, but Hyena Hell has a really cool instagram (@hyenahell).

I never find Facebook all that distracting unless I start chatting with people (which, granted, happens on a daily basis). That can definitely use up a lot of time. I enjoy that too much to limit it much, though, unless I have something urgent that I'm meant to be working on. A lot of what I have to do is reading/researching, which can be done pretty easily with a facebook chat going on at the same time.

—

I'm feeling more focused and somewhat more myself, so that's good.

Posted at 5:02PM, Feb. 26, 2016

I wasn't actually joking. This is the curse of being British - you always sound like you're joking unless you're really joking, when you sound like you're being deadly serious! I will check out Hyena's instagram, glad you're feeling more like your regular self.

Posted at 7:02AM, Feb. 27, 2016

Finally updated Pinky TA, with cameos!
https://next.theduckwebcomics.com/Pinky_TA/5505935/
Now to colour the latest pages of Bottomless Waitress…

My Facebook break is going ok, but I had to visit twice today- once because I clicked on it by mistake and had a lot of notifications to go through, and the second time to promote that latest Pinky TA. :)

Posted at 12:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

I remember reading that Facebook was addictive… but to force a limit on your visits? Not sure what to think… Then again, I'm not the most social of people so Facebook is something I don't look at too often. Then again, I do look at the forums a lot… even if it's just lurking…

Posted at 2:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

Lonnehart wrote:
I remember reading that Facebook was addictive… but to force a limit on your visits? Not sure what to think… Then again, I'm not the most social of people so Facebook is something I don't look at too often. Then again, I do look at the forums a lot… even if it's just lurking…

Anything can be addictive. Make a list of what is important and what is just a waste then allocate your time accordingly. Like I have no time to work on comics because I'm here typing instead. Or no time to fix the banister because I'm playing video games. The best way to deal with things that suck up time is limiting your exposure and setting aside a specific time to do certain things. And Facebook can be a colossal addictive waste with all the minutia of other people's lives. Things that at the moment are so momentous but mean nothing when looked back. I mean how many Candy Crush or Panda pop lives can you have? How many vacuous political memes can you tolerate? Half my Facebook pals are liberal and the other half are right of Attila the Hun so I get both ends of it.

So i waste my time lurking here.

Posted at 2:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

ozoneocean wrote:
Finally updated Pinky TA, with cameos!
https://next.theduckwebcomics.com/Pinky_TA/5505935/

I love that red jacket that Pinky wears so much. It wasn't inspired by a real jacket, was it? Because I would give my left arm for something that stylish.

Posted at 5:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

Facebook is a drain for me. It's so useful but so wasteful. - "Oh, I have to check to see if if anyone liked that or responded… New posts…"
But now I've limited my time with it, when I DO go back none of it seems as interesting or important anymore.

—–

@Hippie-
It's not based on a real coat but there IS a real one off one that was made:
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/23481465@N04/5967663264
It's not precisely correct, but it's close enough.
Unfortunately you can't buy one off the rack…

You could modify a shaped coat- cut lines in the skirt to add pleats, replace the collar with a straight line "shoal" style collar and sailor style cape, and add cuffs.
Then there's something like this that gives sort of the same feel:
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=182032955993&alt=web

Posted at 6:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

The way I see things… you're only wasting time if you're not enjoying what you're doing with it or making good use of it. Now if you're using that time to enjoy something else than what you're supposed to be doing, then I'd call that time mismanagement. So in that sense you're not wasting time. You're just procrastinating. :)

…

Well… time to take my meds. All SIX of them… Metformin, Glyburide, Amlodipine, Fenofibrate, Atorvastatin, and Allopurinol… And it's times like these where I wish I was a jellyfish. Y'know… because they can reverse their aging process…

Posted at 7:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

It was your first definition Lonne- time wasting. Being compelled to look for updates. Very sad and useless.

—–

SO, I'm working on the latest Quackcast, which is the first part of the trilogy DUCK radio. This will feature ALL of Gunwallace's music over the course of 3 shows with commentary from fake radio persona also written by him, but acted mainly by Banes and I.
And I have to put it all together. This will be tough.

Posted at 7:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

@Hippie-
It's not based on a real coat but there IS a real one off one that was made:
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/23481465@N04/5967663264
It's not precisely correct, but it's close enough.
Unfortunately you can't buy one off the rack…

You could modify a shaped coat- cut lines in the skirt to add pleats, replace the collar with a straight line "shoal" style collar and sailor style cape, and add cuffs.
Then there's something like this that gives sort of the same feel:
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=182032955993&alt=web

I mean realistically I have like 8000 military-style coats and dresses already. But I don't have a red one! If I was going to make it I think I'd do it in a slightly deeper red, with faux-fur cuffs and braided gold trim. It'll probably never happen because I haven't touched my sewing machine in ages and don't really have the skills anyway, but it would be super cool.

—

I am super productive today, and it feels great. I finally settled on a topic for my major historiography paper and am 3/4 of the way through my proposal already. I'm feeling really inspired, which is great because I usually far prefer research essays to historiography essays. Provided that my prof okays it, I'm going to look at how historians have evaluated the role of voluntary associations in creating/reinforcing notions of 'UnAmericanness.' (Have I put you all to sleep yet?)

Posted at 10:02PM, Feb. 27, 2016

Yeah Facebook is definitely a waste from time. I should follow ozones example. I honestly have no idea why Instagram is? And twitter always seemed next to useless. I'd delete Facebook but it is useful for keeping tabs on the people who aren't close but are in your life for some reason or another and you want to keep them that way.

Posted at 6:02AM, Feb. 28, 2016

Genejoke wrote:
useful for keeping tabs on the people who aren't close but are in your life for some reason or another and you want to keep them that way.

Anyone who can summarize the entire worth of facebook in a single sentence like that was born for twitter!

I might sign up myself because from what I can see, it's also good for people who can make short pithy posts but have nothing much of any substance to say.

Posted at 11:02AM, Feb. 28, 2016

My tweets vary from mundane to mundane. I'm on Twitter to read those who are good at it. Like skoolmunkee.

Posted at 8:02PM, Feb. 28, 2016

Skoolmunkee eh? I've given up emailing her, she never replies. Maybe her email is dead? I dunno. I haven't spoken to her for a couple of years now.

I gave up Twitter a few years ago, it's too scatterbrained to follow. Information there seems split between extremely mundane day to day stuff, reactions to current events, and celebrities.
I have a small tolerance for mundanity, Twitter exceeds it fast. I have zero interest in anything a celebrity does or thinks. And I want DETAILED info on current events, not reactions or snippets.
- The reblogging aspect killed it hardest for me.

Speaking of reblogging: Tumblr. Awful, awful site.
I crave information, but all you get there is the initial post and a list of idiots who liked and shared it- none add any meaningful input of their own. All those people and they just function as a mouthpiece for someone else. Which is the worst thing you can become online, worse than a troll because you surrender your individuality and at least a troll has some of that.

Facebook was hit hard by the re-sharers and re-bloggers. I almost quit it after that but chose to block the worst re-share producing sources (like bored panda and buzz), and unfollowed people in my friends list who were the worst offenders.
-It's ok to re-share things occasionally, but try and add a reason for it or your own reaction to the content at least.

The main reason for the explosion of re-sharing on Facebook are three things:
1. Commercial pages set up to promote businesses, mainly radio stations, who produce content designed for sharing in order to get some promotion.
2. Commercial pages set up to make money from advertising, who make up content from other people's stuff and package it into viral shit in order to make people share it and visit their sites so they'll get advertising money.
3. Pages that are set up in order to sell their popularity. They build up a list of "likes" by putting out viral content about veterans, or puppies or whatever shit people automatically like, then when they get enough followers they sell their feed to advertisers, or sell the details of their followers to advertisers.

It's all pretty sad unfortunately, scummy internet businesses have taken over everything. But but Youtube is way worse.

Posted at 1:02AM, Feb. 29, 2016

But if you follow the latest releases in a particular industry it can be great. Or there are lots of special interest groups that I have gotten exposure to that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Like all the reenactment units I follow from around the world so I get to see all kinds of 18th century and Napoleonic uniform. And then there's USABOT, the United States Army Brotherhood of Tankers.

Posted at 12:03AM, Mar. 1, 2016

Well everyone should be following the official DD Facebook page :D
Quackcast 260 is live:
https://next.theduckwebcomics.com/quackcast/episode-260-duck-radio1/

The Gunwallace radio show. Gunwallace scripted it so it IS an actual radio show with radio personalities. Listen, you'll love it!

Posted at 11:03AM, Mar. 1, 2016

Aye, it was funny.

Posted at 10:03PM, Mar. 1, 2016

We've reached our funding goal finally, with a total of $1,764 USD!

$880 of that was already spent on the first round of fixes and about 10% will be lost in taxes and fees, which leaves us just over $700 for the next round of fixes.
- The next round was always a "hope for" thing, not really certain, so that's why I didn't set the goal too high… But even if the next round of fixes actually costs over $880 like the first one did I can make up the shortfall myself and ad revenue may eventually pay that off.

Anyway, YAY!
We'll soon start a vote on the priority of the next bunch of fixes, and features :D

Posted at 1:03AM, Mar. 2, 2016

The parade of idiots I see daily really got to me yesterday. Melancholy is such a great word, evoking this vast pall descends over the mood. Biologically based major depression just hits like a tidal wave. So I went home, crawled under the covers and slept. A few hours later came the racing thoughts and tossing and turning.

How do you drive a car 20 plus miles and not notice the hood is unlatched? How do you deliver a vehicle and when told the inspection tag is expired not offer to do anything even though an inspection station is only a couple of miles away? You're supposed to be a supervisor and set an example, not conclusively prove you're as dumb as dirt. It was only a trigger. The feelings are there all the time. The triggers come and go, the melancholy is eternal.

Posted at 10:03PM, Mar. 2, 2016

ozoneocean wrote:
We've reached our funding goal finally, with a total of $1,764 USD!

$880 of that was already spent on the first round of fixes and about 10% will be lost in taxes and fees, which leaves us just over $700 for the next round of fixes.
- The next round was always a "hope for" thing, not really certain, so that's why I didn't set the goal too high… But even if the next round of fixes actually costs over $880 like the first one did I can make up the shortfall myself and ad revenue may eventually pay that off.

Anyway, YAY!
We'll soon start a vote on the priority of the next bunch of fixes, and features :D

I'm not really sure how business works, but I always thought Platinum took care of those costs. O_O

Been playing a lot of Warframe lately (because it's free). And thanks to the game I'm really impressed by how far our internet has come. Long ago I would have had a hard time playing any kind of shooting game on the internet due to a 56k connection. Good thing costs came down so I can easily afford a minimum amount of broadband. So far I have one of the starting frames, but I'm sorely tempted to spend $$$ on THIS warframe if only because I favor guns over so called "abilities"…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29nFicujxn4

But I think I'll just grind for it instead of spending currency which I'm always in short supply of…

Posted at 12:03AM, Mar. 3, 2016

Freemium - It's a trap!

Posted at 1:03AM, Mar. 3, 2016

Genejoke wrote:
Freemium - It's a trap!

Yep. That's very true. But only if you're impatient. If you're really patient, you can eventually get everything you want without paying a cent. :)

My guess is the model caters to the so called "whales". Players with a ton of disposable income who are very impatient and don't want to go through the grind… which is how a LOT of MMOs support themselves…

This looks tempting too…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22RpqR-nCCA

Posted at 7:03AM, Mar. 3, 2016

Lonnehart wrote:
I'm not really sure how business works, but I always thought Platinum took care of those costs. O_O

Maybe like 7 years ago man… And even then they stopped paying for stuff so the site went down hill, then Wowio came along and started paying again, then the GFC hit and they stopped…

I handle all costs now and have been for 2 years now.

Posted at 6:03AM, Mar. 4, 2016

$4100 upfront for a campsite for the year. $550 to move my camper. ??? to turn on the electricity (company said a deposit was needed; I don't know how much yet).

I'm going seriously in debt just trying to get to the place to work. And I won't have a paycheck until May. -_-

EDIT: The loan came through. Breathing a little easier now. Now I have a week to get everything together for the move. No word from the power company yet. They have a week. Otherwise, I'll be camping for real.

Posted at 10:03PM, Mar. 4, 2016

Yikes, UB! That sounds expensive! Good thing that loan pulled through. And let's hope the power company does what it's supposed to do for you soon.

Yep. The game Warframe has taught me one thing… I'd make for a poor space ninja (which is what you are in the game). Flipping, running on walls… I'm very terrible with that. I prefer to stay on the ground, sneaking towards my intended target, then cutting him from behind while he's talking to his friend who ends up joining him a second later…

Or I'm just bad at action games where reflexes wins over tactical thinking and skill… Of course, I could just hide and survey the battlefield before going in but I end up dead when everyone's alerted to me and I'm surrounded…