In a move that rocked the world of online gaming today, Blizzard announced that they would soon be displaying a user’s real first and last name in their forums. They hope this will cut down on the flame wars and insults that their forums have become known for.
For those of you who don’t quite get what that means, here’s a sample of what might go on:
BGB008s
Druids totally suck! They’re totally overpowered and only noobs play them!
URM0M
Hah! U suck, BGB008s.
ARtHass
Lol! Ur jast mAdd cus druids own u!
URMOM
Yah! LOL@ARtHass!
BGBOO8s
Sut up! You bth suck! F#()^*! U!
URMOM
U gona cry? ? I bet ur cryin r8t now!
ARtHass
Cryb8be!
However, if the users have to use their real names, things would change radically.
Billy Smith
Druids totally suck! They’re totally overpowered and only noobs play them!
Martha Smith
Hah! U suck, Billy Smith!
Dr. Phillip W. Jones
Lol! Ur jast mAdd cus druids own u!
Martha Smith
Yah! LOL@Dr. Phillip W. Jones!
Billy Smith
Wait, Martha Smith? Do you live on Green Street in Pittsburg?
Martha Smith
Actually, I do.
Billy Smith
Mom?
Martha Smith
Billy, is that you?
Billy Smith
Mom! What the hell?
Martha Smith
You watch your language! And no, druids don’t suck!
Billy Smith
But, you’re my mom! You’re supposed to support me!
Martha Smith
Not when you’re being a suckhole, dear.
Dr. Phillip W. Jones
Lollz!
As you can see, interactions on the Blizzard forums would be greatly changed. The user base, as you can well imagine, is not happy about this. Last I checked, there was a new post every 3 minutes on how much this would suck. Posters cite that marketing people could glean data on them, spammers and hackers could target Blizzard customers specifically, and those with odd or unusual names would be mocked relentlessly.
Honestly, I’m of two minds about it. Anonymity on the Internet can be a hassle, as some people use the lack of accountability to be jerks. A real name might very well curb a lot of that behavior.
On the one hand, I wouldn’t want my real name on a public forum like that. I mean, if people knew who I was, I could be the target of all sorts of insidious plots . . .
Oh, wait.
My name’s already all over the webcomic and our forum. You know, that might very well explain the increase in ninja attacks. Hmmm, and here I thought I was being targeted because of my rugged good looks and frighteningly advanced intellect.
I guess that’s only part of it, then.
Cheers,
-Jason
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
5 Days . . .
Well, it’s Thursday and my brain hurts.
It’s been a very, very busy week here at Chez Wayfarer’s Moon. Leigh has been bent over his drawing table, intent on the upcoming pages. I’ve been working on the second Tales story (hint: it’s about the Baron’s wife) and blogging, obviously.
The first Tales story is currently being penciled and once it’s done, we’ll update the site and announce the debut. Hopefully, it won’t be too much longer.
Other than that, we’re excited that we’re going to be updating again. The principle arc of Wayfarer’s Moon has been written for a couple years now, so there are tons of cool things waiting to happen. That’s one of the fun yet frustrating things about writing an epic arc like this. I know what’s going to happen and I’m excited to share it with you all, but it’ll be years before some of the arcs come to fruition.
NOTE: If you see me at a con and ask nicely, I might give you a hint or two (cash helps).
On Tuesday, the adventure continues.
Have a fun and safe 4th of July.
Cheers,
-Jason
It’s been a very, very busy week here at Chez Wayfarer’s Moon. Leigh has been bent over his drawing table, intent on the upcoming pages. I’ve been working on the second Tales story (hint: it’s about the Baron’s wife) and blogging, obviously.
The first Tales story is currently being penciled and once it’s done, we’ll update the site and announce the debut. Hopefully, it won’t be too much longer.
Other than that, we’re excited that we’re going to be updating again. The principle arc of Wayfarer’s Moon has been written for a couple years now, so there are tons of cool things waiting to happen. That’s one of the fun yet frustrating things about writing an epic arc like this. I know what’s going to happen and I’m excited to share it with you all, but it’ll be years before some of the arcs come to fruition.
NOTE: If you see me at a con and ask nicely, I might give you a hint or two (cash helps).
On Tuesday, the adventure continues.
Have a fun and safe 4th of July.
Cheers,
-Jason
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
6 Days . . .
Leigh and I took another car trip the other week. It was completely uneventful, as we had my handy, dandy GPS to guide us on our way. Oh, the GPS has given up on convincing me to kill Leigh. Now it just mopes and tries to get us to drive into oncoming traffic. Luckily, we’re smarter than that. Not by much, but we are.
Anyhow, Leigh made a joke about ‘second exit on the right and straight on ‘till morning.’ This, of course, is the very famous line from Peter Pan about how to get to Never-Never Land. Oddly enough, it also works for a strip club I went to once, but I digress.
The actual line is ‘second star to the right and straight on till morning,’ which, if you think about it, are terrible directions. Leigh and I would never make it to Never-Never Land, as we’d spend at least three hours trying to figure out which star was on the right and therefore, which start was the second from right. Arguments would ensue. Blood would be spilled. Tears would be shed. Sweat would . . . drip, I suppose.
And don’t even get me started on ‘straight on till morning.’ Leigh and I once had a fifteen minute discussion about whether or not ‘veer right’ meant we were supposed to turn right, follow the road to the right, keep right, or if it actually meant that Vir Cotto was in fact, always right. So you can see how ‘straight on till morning’ would be confusing for us. Straight on could mean anything. And when’s morning? Is that when the sun comes up? 1 second after midnight? Frankly, we’re lucky if we can locate our homes at the end of the day, much less navigate to Never-Never Land.
NOTE: Vir Cotto was a character in Babylon 5. It was a stretch, I know.
Now, I realize these directions are metaphorical and not literal. They’re a doorway into the imagination of a child. However, take it from someone with not only the imagination of a child, but also the intellect: these directions would be tough even for the most nonsensical of children.
As a test, I tried giving these directions to my buddy Sean’s four-year-old son, James. “Okay, James,” I said. “If you follow the second star on the right and go straight on ‘till morning, you’ll get candy!”
James just looked at me, obviously confused, and then he hit me with a Nerf sword. So, point proven. The directions don’t work.
The lad’s got promise though. I wonder if there’s Nerf makes a flail?
Cheers,
-Jason
Anyhow, Leigh made a joke about ‘second exit on the right and straight on ‘till morning.’ This, of course, is the very famous line from Peter Pan about how to get to Never-Never Land. Oddly enough, it also works for a strip club I went to once, but I digress.
The actual line is ‘second star to the right and straight on till morning,’ which, if you think about it, are terrible directions. Leigh and I would never make it to Never-Never Land, as we’d spend at least three hours trying to figure out which star was on the right and therefore, which start was the second from right. Arguments would ensue. Blood would be spilled. Tears would be shed. Sweat would . . . drip, I suppose.
And don’t even get me started on ‘straight on till morning.’ Leigh and I once had a fifteen minute discussion about whether or not ‘veer right’ meant we were supposed to turn right, follow the road to the right, keep right, or if it actually meant that Vir Cotto was in fact, always right. So you can see how ‘straight on till morning’ would be confusing for us. Straight on could mean anything. And when’s morning? Is that when the sun comes up? 1 second after midnight? Frankly, we’re lucky if we can locate our homes at the end of the day, much less navigate to Never-Never Land.
NOTE: Vir Cotto was a character in Babylon 5. It was a stretch, I know.
Now, I realize these directions are metaphorical and not literal. They’re a doorway into the imagination of a child. However, take it from someone with not only the imagination of a child, but also the intellect: these directions would be tough even for the most nonsensical of children.
As a test, I tried giving these directions to my buddy Sean’s four-year-old son, James. “Okay, James,” I said. “If you follow the second star on the right and go straight on ‘till morning, you’ll get candy!”
James just looked at me, obviously confused, and then he hit me with a Nerf sword. So, point proven. The directions don’t work.
The lad’s got promise though. I wonder if there’s Nerf makes a flail?
Cheers,
-Jason
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
7 Days . . .
We need more square fruits and vegetables.
This revelation came about because a co-worker was describing in detail how he prepares a pineapple, complete with vigorous chopping motions. He also attempted to describe how to get the good bits off a mango, but was unable to adequately convey what must be done.
I presume I will never know and thus will die a horrible, slow death when I’m trapped in a pit full of mangos with a knife and no clue how to prepare them.
“A tragic waste,” one of the men who find me will say.
“If only he’d known,” another will say.
“Yes. If he’d just pulled on the door instead of pushing, he’d have easily gotten out.”
“Dibs on his shoes.”
Anyhow, the whole ‘square fruit and vegetable’ idea occurred to me because, as my coworker put it ‘round things are a bitch to chop up.’ At which point, I suggested that we make a square pineapple, which would make it much easier to skin and core.
Now, I realize this idea is not new. The Japanese have been growing square watermelons for years. I’m not exactly sure why. Presumably, they intend to build houses out of them.
NOTE: It would be so cool if they made watermelons in other configurations, such as an ‘L’ shape, an ‘I’ shape, and an ‘S’ shape. Then you could play watermelon Tetris.
Square fruits and vegetables would have so many advantages over the traditional shapes. They would be easier to stack, easier to peel, and they wouldn’t roll away in comedic fashion when they fell out of your grocery bag and you tried to pick them up. Man, if I had a dime for all the times that’s happened to me.
Actually, that’s never happened to me, so yeah. The stacking and peeling thing still stands though.
Cheers,
-Jason
This revelation came about because a co-worker was describing in detail how he prepares a pineapple, complete with vigorous chopping motions. He also attempted to describe how to get the good bits off a mango, but was unable to adequately convey what must be done.
I presume I will never know and thus will die a horrible, slow death when I’m trapped in a pit full of mangos with a knife and no clue how to prepare them.
“A tragic waste,” one of the men who find me will say.
“If only he’d known,” another will say.
“Yes. If he’d just pulled on the door instead of pushing, he’d have easily gotten out.”
“Dibs on his shoes.”
Anyhow, the whole ‘square fruit and vegetable’ idea occurred to me because, as my coworker put it ‘round things are a bitch to chop up.’ At which point, I suggested that we make a square pineapple, which would make it much easier to skin and core.
Now, I realize this idea is not new. The Japanese have been growing square watermelons for years. I’m not exactly sure why. Presumably, they intend to build houses out of them.
NOTE: It would be so cool if they made watermelons in other configurations, such as an ‘L’ shape, an ‘I’ shape, and an ‘S’ shape. Then you could play watermelon Tetris.
Square fruits and vegetables would have so many advantages over the traditional shapes. They would be easier to stack, easier to peel, and they wouldn’t roll away in comedic fashion when they fell out of your grocery bag and you tried to pick them up. Man, if I had a dime for all the times that’s happened to me.
Actually, that’s never happened to me, so yeah. The stacking and peeling thing still stands though.
Cheers,
-Jason
Monday, June 28, 2010
8 Days . . .
Until we start updating!
I can feel the excitement in the air, though I did have a burrito for dinner. Well, it’s either that or the power lines that run next to my window, which explains why I have a tan on one side of my body.
Regardless, to celebrate our imminent updating, I will be blogging every day this week and maybe even on the weekend, so keep coming back!
And so, to start things off . . .
I’m a little worried. Things happened this weekend. Good things.
My DSL troubles have finally ended, now that I have a new modem. The connection light on the front of my old modem was lying, as it said I was connected when I really wasn’t. This was only figured out after a series of calls to tech support, during which I’m sure I irritated at least four separate tech people with my inability to follow simple directions.
That was good thing #1.
Good thing #2 was that the display on my stationary bike suddenly started working again. It’s been fading in and out for the last couple months and all of a sudden, it was clear and strong, just like when I bought it.
Good thing #3 was that I got my garbage disposal working again and can now adequately threaten captured ninjas with it. It’s embarrassing when you threaten to shove someone down the disposal and it doesn’t work. The ninjas were always polite about it, but I could tell they were smirking under their masks.
Good thing #4 was when the mechanical head I keep under my bed started telling me stories in the middle of the night. The stories are rather pleasant, involving small children having marvelous adventures in a land of make-believe with their animated toy friends. Oddly enough, they all end with the mechanical head finding its body and wreaking untold havoc, but there you go.
So why am I worried, you may wonder? Simple, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. All of these mechanical and electronic fixes mean that something else is going to go drastically wrong. Maybe my electric toothbrush will gain sentience and try to lead the rest of my appliances in revolt. Maybe my TV will get stuck on the Congressional Channel (the one where they show nothing but what’s going on in the Senate). Or my answering machine will start mocking me because no one ever calls.
Whatever may come, I will be ready though. I’m sleeping with all my swords tonight. Yes, I do normally sleep with one under the pillow. And then there’s the one on the nightstand. And the one on the wall. And the one under the bed. Okay, fine, nothing will really change, but I’ll feel better.
Cheers,
-Jason
I can feel the excitement in the air, though I did have a burrito for dinner. Well, it’s either that or the power lines that run next to my window, which explains why I have a tan on one side of my body.
Regardless, to celebrate our imminent updating, I will be blogging every day this week and maybe even on the weekend, so keep coming back!
And so, to start things off . . .
I’m a little worried. Things happened this weekend. Good things.
My DSL troubles have finally ended, now that I have a new modem. The connection light on the front of my old modem was lying, as it said I was connected when I really wasn’t. This was only figured out after a series of calls to tech support, during which I’m sure I irritated at least four separate tech people with my inability to follow simple directions.
That was good thing #1.
Good thing #2 was that the display on my stationary bike suddenly started working again. It’s been fading in and out for the last couple months and all of a sudden, it was clear and strong, just like when I bought it.
Good thing #3 was that I got my garbage disposal working again and can now adequately threaten captured ninjas with it. It’s embarrassing when you threaten to shove someone down the disposal and it doesn’t work. The ninjas were always polite about it, but I could tell they were smirking under their masks.
Good thing #4 was when the mechanical head I keep under my bed started telling me stories in the middle of the night. The stories are rather pleasant, involving small children having marvelous adventures in a land of make-believe with their animated toy friends. Oddly enough, they all end with the mechanical head finding its body and wreaking untold havoc, but there you go.
So why am I worried, you may wonder? Simple, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. All of these mechanical and electronic fixes mean that something else is going to go drastically wrong. Maybe my electric toothbrush will gain sentience and try to lead the rest of my appliances in revolt. Maybe my TV will get stuck on the Congressional Channel (the one where they show nothing but what’s going on in the Senate). Or my answering machine will start mocking me because no one ever calls.
Whatever may come, I will be ready though. I’m sleeping with all my swords tonight. Yes, I do normally sleep with one under the pillow. And then there’s the one on the nightstand. And the one on the wall. And the one under the bed. Okay, fine, nothing will really change, but I’ll feel better.
Cheers,
-Jason
Thursday, June 24, 2010
12 Days
In just 12 days, we'll begin updating Wayfarer's Moon once again.
To those of you who've been patiently waiting, we thank you.
To those of you who've been impatiently waiting, we thank you too, though we ask that you stop egging our homes.
To those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, disregard the previous sentences.
Regardless, we're excited to finally be updating again and I'm happy to say that a veritable smorgasborg of monsters, magic and violence await. Hint: The Baron loses a battle, but gains a victory nonetheless.
In other news, the first Tales story is being worked on and we'll be announcing when that series will be starting once we have a firm date.
In other, other news, I cannot ride a unicycle. Startling, I know.
Anyway, have a good weekend look for the usual blogs next week.
Cheers,
-Jason
To those of you who've been patiently waiting, we thank you.
To those of you who've been impatiently waiting, we thank you too, though we ask that you stop egging our homes.
To those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, disregard the previous sentences.
Regardless, we're excited to finally be updating again and I'm happy to say that a veritable smorgasborg of monsters, magic and violence await. Hint: The Baron loses a battle, but gains a victory nonetheless.
In other news, the first Tales story is being worked on and we'll be announcing when that series will be starting once we have a firm date.
In other, other news, I cannot ride a unicycle. Startling, I know.
Anyway, have a good weekend look for the usual blogs next week.
Cheers,
-Jason
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Heart of America
I believe I’ve found the heart of America. This magnificent place represents all that is good and bad, harmonious and chaotic, virile and limp, ketchup and mayonnaise-y about our mighty nation. It is the zenith, the pinnacle, and several other words that mean ‘top’ that I can’t think of right now, of our progress as a people.
I’m speaking of course, of the DMV.
I had to go in last Friday to renew my License to Ki- errr . . . Driver’s License. Yes, my Driver’s License. That thing you need to y’know, drive.
NOTE: I am definitely not a secret agent of any stripe. I do not and never will have fantastic adventures while romancing gorgeous women, all the while maintaining the façade of a humble game designer. And my watch does not contain a miniature nuclear reactor. The fact that I have no hair on my left arm is simply a coincidence.
“What?” you may be saying. “How is the DMV the heart of America?”
Simple. DMV’s are big, you can’t find parking, they’re crowded, they smell slightly off, the seats are uncomfortable, the workers are often surly, and there’s a line for everything. However, at the end of the day, stuff gets done. It may not be pretty or efficient, but it mostly works.
And besides that, DMVs are a grand melting pot. I had an elderly gentleman dozing off on one side of me, a young mom with three kids behind me, a nicely dressed woman with a Gucci purse two seats ahead, two teenagers making out three rows over and a guy in an Elvis suit on the other side of the room. Everyone, young or old, male or female, rich or poor, pompadored or . . . er . . . not, has to go in and wait their turn just like everyone else.
Now, I may be suffering PTSD from my 3-hour wait (or maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome), but I felt a connection with my fellow citizens. We were all tired, frustrated, bored, and in the case of the guy four seats in front of me, stoned out of our minds. I could empathize with the kids taking their driving tests, with the guy on his cell, and with the woman doing her nails.
Well, not because she was doing her nails. I practice the ancient art of ‘bite them off when they get too long,’ so no. I empathized with her because she too was stuck in a dank building on the first really nice day in about a month, along with all the other poor bastards who had to be there as well.
We all suffered together. As Americans.
Actually, I just realized that I won’t have to go back to the DMV for another five years or so. Sweet! Microcosm of America or not, it’s a sucky place to spend an afternoon.
Cheers,
-Jason
I’m speaking of course, of the DMV.
I had to go in last Friday to renew my License to Ki- errr . . . Driver’s License. Yes, my Driver’s License. That thing you need to y’know, drive.
NOTE: I am definitely not a secret agent of any stripe. I do not and never will have fantastic adventures while romancing gorgeous women, all the while maintaining the façade of a humble game designer. And my watch does not contain a miniature nuclear reactor. The fact that I have no hair on my left arm is simply a coincidence.
“What?” you may be saying. “How is the DMV the heart of America?”
Simple. DMV’s are big, you can’t find parking, they’re crowded, they smell slightly off, the seats are uncomfortable, the workers are often surly, and there’s a line for everything. However, at the end of the day, stuff gets done. It may not be pretty or efficient, but it mostly works.
And besides that, DMVs are a grand melting pot. I had an elderly gentleman dozing off on one side of me, a young mom with three kids behind me, a nicely dressed woman with a Gucci purse two seats ahead, two teenagers making out three rows over and a guy in an Elvis suit on the other side of the room. Everyone, young or old, male or female, rich or poor, pompadored or . . . er . . . not, has to go in and wait their turn just like everyone else.
Now, I may be suffering PTSD from my 3-hour wait (or maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome), but I felt a connection with my fellow citizens. We were all tired, frustrated, bored, and in the case of the guy four seats in front of me, stoned out of our minds. I could empathize with the kids taking their driving tests, with the guy on his cell, and with the woman doing her nails.
Well, not because she was doing her nails. I practice the ancient art of ‘bite them off when they get too long,’ so no. I empathized with her because she too was stuck in a dank building on the first really nice day in about a month, along with all the other poor bastards who had to be there as well.
We all suffered together. As Americans.
Actually, I just realized that I won’t have to go back to the DMV for another five years or so. Sweet! Microcosm of America or not, it’s a sucky place to spend an afternoon.
Cheers,
-Jason
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