1  ...  22  23  24  25  26  27  |   Order by default

Jan 17, 2002, 12:56am

No no no no ... its a 3D Homepage!! :o)

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 11, 2002, 5:24pm

In Outlook Express make sure the "Delete news messages [x] days after being
downloaded" option isn't checked ... Tools | Options | Maintenance Tab.

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 11, 2002, 5:43pm

Just one question really...

Why SHOULD you get them for free?? They're not taking the others away from
you (except the now infamous tile5 texture *by accident*), just not handing
over more freebies.

Grims.

[View Quote]

Jan 11, 2002, 7:41pm

Well I still don't see them as good enough reasons ... but that's just my
outlook.

On a related issue, which ones are password protected? I just checked a few
couch*.zip and deck*.zip files (not going through them all) and they're not.
Not anymore at least. More unnecessary melodrama??

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 13, 2002, 4:55pm

I would see correcting the rediculously low pricing of the product as
"growing up". $20 a year is totally unrepresentative of the (unique)
services and environment AW provides. $10 a month is a bit steep, but then
don't tell me that people wouldn't have bitching about $5 a month (still a
300% rise).

Grims

[View Quote] "AWCom has to grow up sometime... The sooner the better"

Jan 13, 2002, 5:08pm

Totally agree.

There is obviously a link between the pricing structure and the acquisition,
but there is no way that the price rise can possibly be considered as a way
of funding the buy-out. The chances are its an exchange of stock anyway.

However, if there was to be a price rise, the the right time to do it was
BEFORE the annoucement. That sets out the stall for new immigrations through
this route. It makes perfect sense really as it would have looked really bad
if they raised the prices soon after buying NetBroadcaster.com.

As I said somewhere else, I see the change in pricing more as corrective
action. When people can get something for peanuts (and I think $20 a year
easily counts as peanuts these days), they expect to get peanuts. $10 is too
high IMO, but the action of raising the prices itself is, to me, the correct
thing to do.

Also, remember that all that has happened is the signing of a letter of
intent ... basically they want to get the news out there as well as show
commitment to going forward with the deal - which is fair enough and a
common practice. There is still al long way to go before its a "deal".

Grims.

[View Quote]

Jan 13, 2002, 5:54pm

"Since AW hasn't bridged the gab between application and game yet ..."

Ummm no thankyou!!!

Grims.

Jan 13, 2002, 6:38pm

Actually no. I was meaning no to the game reference. Not what I want from
AW.

Don't be childish! Heesh!

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 13, 2002, 7:39pm

That's what I meant ... childish because you assumed everyone is halfwitted
enough to pick up on people's grammar/spelling and childish because you felt
the need to retaliate in that way.

All too indicative of the level of maturity and impetuous posting in this
newsgroup. For someone who (I seem to remember) is in college majoring in a
mature subject, I would have expected more.

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 14, 2002, 1:56am

I don't understand this. What do you expect already successful people to aim
for? If everyone is to be a grunt, we'll all end up living in one of the
remaining communist states.

The bigger the company, the more they do for the world. Where the hell would
the world be if there was no ambition? Imagine the giants - where do you
think any of us would be without the "greed" of IBM, AT&T, Microsoft et al?
Its their research into and experimentation with new technologies that
enables you and me to reap the benefits through a better standard of living.
What would be the point of a company researching things like Virtual Reality
or life-saving drugs if they cannot recoup the extensive costs incurred in
doing so through appropriate pricing when it comes to market? No-one would
do it and everyone suffers. The problem is that you have to have the cash to
be able to invest in these things.

Also, I think it has to be understood that companies aren't there to provide
people with a job ... looking at it (very) simply, people are paid purely
for doing something for the company. They are not paid because they have a
right to a job or because they are entitled to a living. There is no sense
in damaging a company by retaining unwanted or inappropriately skilled
staff.

BTW ... glad to see we're back on the Microsoft subject ... I thought that
was done to death already *yawn*.

Grims.


[View Quote]

Jan 14, 2002, 4:11am

Just some quickies ... (below)

[View Quote] No problem with communism as such ... except it doesn't work because people
are people. Communist states turn into dictatorships because its necessary
for someone to have power - which is invariably abused for those people's
benefit.

provide
> OK. Then, the society tells people they must have a job to live. The
companies aren't there to provide people with jobs. Who's going to do it?
The government? mmh, that's communist. No one? welcome to capitalism.

I don't believe its anyone's responsibility to supply anyone with a living -
all that does is encourage those who cannot be bothered to work, to stay at
home. Here's a question for you ... would you pay someone to clean your
carpets, regardless of whether they could actually clean carpets or even
turned up? Maybe you would be prepared to train them how to clean your
carpet before they start the job? No? Thought not! The person might be a
top-rate electrician, but you wouldn't pay him to clean your carpets!! So he
can go and find a job that needs an electrician! Maybe a carpet cleaner has
his job, and doing it as poorly as the electrician clean carpets?

Grims.

Jan 15, 2002, 1:00pm

Oh man! Mauz puts up a stack of information to help people understand what
NetBroadcaster.com is all about (thanks Mauz!), and what do we start to talk
about?? ... some potential negatives. With NetBroadcaster.com under the AW
banner, we are talking about a DEFINITE (in my view) implementation of rich
media (audio/video) into the AW environment. Streamed audio and/or video in
your build? Does this not excite anyone?

This going to have a huge effect on where AW stands against boring
statically built or scripted virtual world environments (and push it a bit
further away from pooey games too). No more dull Midi/MP3 DJ bots to bring
some life into your world ... no more huge downloads for quality sound ...
combine AW with something like your own internet radio station and you have
an environment where everyone is hearing the same thing (pretty much) at the
same time (a drawback of AW currently on this front), live speach direct
into your world ... plus all those creative ideas that will come out of it
from the builders.

AW will have probably been in partnership with NetBroadcaster.com before
this announcement (you don't just pick a company to buy off the shelf after
a bit of browsing around the shop), so this is more than likely well
underway for v3.3. If this is the type of thing that is going to be included
in the next release of AW, the I say "BRING IT ON!".

Why can't people get EXCITED about something for a change. I just put up an
internet radio station and I am playing with it at the moment ... This is
going to be FUN!

Grims

Jan 20, 2002, 5:21am

[View Quote] [View Quote] No, not really. You can already do some streaming. AW doesn't say it in
the documentation, but you can stream .pls files (MP3 playlist) into any
build you like using the activate URL command and having winamp on your
machine. I don't have a shoutcast station set up, but I think it would be
possible to do streaming with that into AW as well. I haven't tried video,
but I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has experimented with
it in AW.

**
Anything that you can do through the web, you can pretty much trigger in
some way from AW ... any URL command will work ... its not even AW that's
handling it, it just passes it off to explorer and that deals with it. The
problem is that you get a conflict on the resources between the processes.
If they're in AW itself, then, to a certain extent, the browser can manage
the resources to, for example, ensure that an audio stream is maintained
without the property scan hammering it when you move around in AW.
**

>
> This going to have a huge effect on where AW stands against boring
> statically built or scripted virtual world environments (and push it a bit
> further away from pooey games too). No more dull Midi/MP3 DJ bots to bring
> some life into your world ... no more huge downloads for quality sound ...
> combine AW with something like your own internet radio station and you
have
> an environment where everyone is hearing the same thing (pretty much) at
the
> same time (a drawback of AW currently on this front), live speach direct
> into your world ... plus all those creative ideas that will come out of it
> from the builders.

Like I said, I think it's already possible through Shoutcast.

**
Like I said, better.
**

>
> AW will have probably been in partnership with NetBroadcaster.com before
> this announcement (you don't just pick a company to buy off the shelf
after
> a bit of browsing around the shop), so this is more than likely well
> underway for v3.3. If this is the type of thing that is going to be
included
> in the next release of AW, the I say "BRING IT ON!".

I'm not into watching porno videos in the worlds, nor am I into receiving a
ton of spam from registering at netbroadcaster. This is why some people are
not happy about this acquisition, as they've stated again and again.

**
Oh dear ... eminent pessimism at work here. Firstly, if you see a TV showing
porn in R/L, do you feel the need to stand there and watch it? No ... so
guess what? The same would apply to videos as applies to pictures in AW on
that front too.

As far as spam is concerned, that's totally under your control. What do you
think most people use hotmail accounts for ... spam collectors! AW could
probably share your e-mail address with them anyway. Besides, its the
Netbroadcaster.com TECHNOLOGY that is important here ... not the portal.
They're buying know-how ... not just a going concern. If people are "not
happy about this acquisition" for those reasons, then they're just looking
for reasons to complain (for a change!).
**

>
> Why can't people get EXCITED about something for a change. I just put up
an
> internet radio station and I am playing with it at the moment ... This is
> going to be FUN!
>
> Grims

I have a station set up through mp3.com. I'd like to try the shoutcast
station thing, but I'm on dialup modem, and so that's impractical as the
quality of stream would not be very good.

**
The ability to play an MP3 stream is generally dictated by the encoding rate
.... if you keep it down at 32kps then that's fine with a 56K modem. If you
rip a CD at CD quality (128kps), no bugger's gonna be able to listen to it -
at home anyway. If you're uploading the stream content yourself, prepare it
appropriately for the intended audience (i.e. encode it at a suitable rate).
If your not, there's usually options for streams at different rates.
**

Grims

Jan 20, 2002, 5:29am

Yep, although I am aware of the technical pain-in-the-buttness here ...
Basically, its gonna be pretty consuming maintaining the picture unless its
totally uncompressed (which just ain't gonna happen), since each frame is
built on top of the frame before it which is built on top of the frame
before it which is ... etc. etc. etc. If you're getting 3fps at a location
in AW and the video is streaming at 12fps (for easy maths here), the browser
would have to deal with compiling 4 video frames for each AW frame before
mapping it onto each poly... which will push the AW fps doen a little
further ... a nightmare really. You can guarantee that some joker would try
to put six different video streams on each side of a cube and spin the
bugger!

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 13, 2002, 5:14pm

*sigh* 4 generations later with all the changes in the world and all you can
come up with is crowbarring a some lame analogy into the thread? Besides,
the difference here is that you have a choice - you can stop paying the
"taxes".

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 13, 2002, 5:37pm

And the point is??

[View Quote]

Jan 13, 2002, 5:51pm

I just don't understand why someone can't see that the ability to charge
your customers IS THE POINT. :o\

[View Quote]

Jan 15, 2002, 1:34pm

Hmmm .... below.

[View Quote] That's just silly. What about the self-righteous flags that all these
protesters are flying in the faces of people who can appreciate that this is
a time when AW should be SUPPORTED in the short-term. Impetuous and
self-important protests are only reducing further the respect that AWC can
have for the "community". All this place does is slag it off ... Hell I
would ignore it too when its behaving like a spoilt child.

> The rest of us in the real world... will move on... because we know
> exploitation when we see it. They don't need our money... but they would
> love to have it and use us to acquire new interests.

"Exploitation"?? Give me a break! You have a choice ya know!

Also, this point has nothing to do with this latest (*sigh*) petition since
this is focussed on the tourist/CC issue ... not the price rise.

> and ya know what? When it is all over, you will discover.. AW doesn't and
> won't care about all of you that waved their corporate flag either...

Oh dear ... pure paranoia!

> and you say it doesn't work... have you never heard of Martin L. King?
>
> It does work.

MLK's protests were based on raising awareness of the issues and trying to
change people's opinions on racism. There's no-one to influence here ... all
that's happening is that other AW citizens are being barred from joining
what will become cliquey little sub-communities.

> Oh.. and one more thing... perhaps a select group that post here work
for
> AW? I have heard rumors to that effect... don't know if it is true.. but
> true or no... you aren't making any brownie points for your nasty
attitudes
> to the rest of us that post here. You know who you are... and you should
> be ashamed of yourselves for the disrespectful way you have repeatedly
> addressed people here.

More paranoia! Why would anyone be looking for brownie points? Just because
other people don't see things the way you do, they're the enemy? I've lost
count of the number of posts about these darned protests and petitions that
I've put together and then not posted.

Maybe my decision to support AW at this time makes me an "AW Flunky" ... or
perhaps I am one of the people that works for AW ... geesh! Either way it
doesn't matter. If you want to exclude yourself from the "community" (hell,
I hate that word) in a protest like this, then fine, red-spot your world and
look for alternatives. To me its just throwing your toys in the corner and
walking out in a tantrum.

Maybe if you could put together some alternatives for AW to stop people
free-loading on a subscription service, without requiring a credit card
number to sign up, then your "protest" would bear more credence.

Grims.

Jan 15, 2002, 9:57pm

Doesn't anyone do anything unless they are forced to anymore? AW DO want the
support of the users ... WANT being the operative word here. Who the hell
wouldn't? ... but what sort of support have they EVER got from this frikkin
place??

So many people seem totally unprepared to look beyond their own perceived
loss to actually realise that just maybe they LIKE ActiveWorlds and WANT it
to continue ... maybe not in the guise as they know it today but there never
the less ... and support its moves forward.

You say "AWC doesn't give a shit" ... I say "Clearly, too many people do not
value AW enough to give a shit back".

Grims.

[View Quote]

Jan 15, 2002, 10:06pm

[View Quote]

Jan 15, 2002, 10:23pm

Apologies for the previous (empty) post ... slip of the Ctrl+Enter keys.

Below ...

[View Quote] Firstly, are there any people out there that can say whether the credit card
information is still required if you pay by other means? I am guessing not,
since otherwise some people would still not have any information to put in
there. If that is the case, I think we can safely say that the credit card
number isn't there just for this match-up, but for ... ummm ... payments??
The database will be held on a secure platform, just like everyone else who
runs credit-card based subscription services. Why would anyone think any
different? Why not ask AWC for some reassurance regarding what environment
their details are being held under?

> us
> also
> longer
> citizens
words.

I'll have to guess what post you're talking about since there's nothing in
this branch (I had nothing to add here until you explicitly brought me into
it ya see!), but I'll assume you're talking about the comment below ...

"Impetuous and self-important protests are only reducing further the respect
that AWC can have for the "community". All this place does is slag it off
.... Hell I would ignore it too when its behaving like a spoilt child."

If so, I think that explains exactly how much I respect I imagine they have
AND WHY! Hardly EARNED any respect really!

Grims

Jan 15, 2002, 10:28pm

Me too ... but deleted it without reading it. Another kill file to add him
to.

Oh, and BTW ... Like the newsflash!

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 16, 2002, 12:25am

Well if that's true (how did you find out btw?), then fair enough ... screw
that.

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 16, 2002, 4:42am

Well all I can say is that, sometime before August (renewal time) I'll be
checking up with them, but then I probably would anyway since its done
through the application itself.

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 17, 2002, 12:58am

Pretty much ... but I was sticking to the terminology from the previous
thread :o).

Besides, its such a versatile word!

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 17, 2002, 1:00am

Makes me mad ... and sometimes it shows. Nevermind eh?

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 15, 2002, 9:58pm

Such as???

[View Quote]

Jan 17, 2002, 1:17am

I, for one, would like to think that the key people in the decision process
(as you say, Rick and JP) would listen to the people who ARE respected
within the community. There may be several layers of abstraction between the
citizens and the top brass, but there is still a connection and one that, no
doubt is built on mutual respect as in any functional company.

Essentially, I don't think Rick and JP are making blind decisions on this.
Citizens have the ear of people who have the ear of people who have the ear
of ... etc. etc. ... of people who have the ear of Rick and JP.

I'm not for one moment suggesting that you're saying that they ARE making
these decisions without any knowledge of what goes on down here in the
depths of hobbyism and intrigue - just popping in my little joist to prop up
your (welcomingly realistic) comments. :o).

Grims

[View Quote]

Jan 18, 2002, 6:47am

Do you have any idea how tedious this is getting??

I don't even know what you're trying to say with this post, I really don't.

Bye.

[View Quote]

Jan 18, 2002, 10:36am

Hmmm "Turn of the century" still has that "silly bicycles with rediculously
odd sized wheels" sound to it ... wonder if that will ever go away?

A touch off topic, but then again, not sure what the topic was anymore

Grims


[View Quote]

1  ...  22  23  24  25  26  27  |   Order by default