Well Crap…

Posted by on July 28th, 2005 1 comment

I never really realized just how vital the internet is to my daily life until I was browsing around and stumbled on the last page of the Internet. It’s difficult to describe the resulting feeling of emptiness. I mean, I really expected more out there – especially considering what I pay for broadband.

I guess I just need to get over it and find something else to do now…

Edit:
It looks as though the link no longer shows what it used to, but you can still check out some of the other zany links on Google when you search for the last page of the internet.

Error 0x00FC: Too Many Passwords

Posted by on July 15th, 2005 3 comments

I’m really beginning to tire of keeping up with the 50 or so different usernames and passwords required to access the various web sites and software packages I use. It seems that every site nowadays requires a login to access even the most insignificant content. Sadly, services such as BugMeNot have provided little relief for this growing annoyance.

What complicates this problem is the advice given by the majority of online security specialists:

  • Never use the same username/password combination on more than one site.
  • Change your passwords often.
  • Make your passwords as complex as you can by adding numbers and symbols.
  • Never keep your usernames/passwords written on paper or a digital document

Yeah.

So in order for me to protect myself as fully as possible, I need to keep track of 50+ different sets of obfuscated credentials for 50+ different sites without the luxury of writing them down anywhere, and then change them at least once a month!?

No, thank you. I can just picture my brain’s reaction.

“So Kody,” you may ask, “why don’t you just use one of the many AutoFill tools freely available from various web browsers and toolbars?” My answer is simple: Lack of mobility. What happens when I am using a public terminal or a computer in a lab or at a friend’s house? By relying on AutoFill tools at home, my ability to remember my credentials while away from my computer would atrophy.

And what happens when I let someone else use my computer to look something up? I never check any of those boxes that say, “Always keep me logged in” or “Remember my password,” so why would I want AutoFill software to automatically insert my personal information into a web form regardless of the user? [See comments below for an explanation on why this was scratched. --km]

As more and more sites require verification, the deep wisdom of Microsoft’s Passport service is becoming all too clear. I’ll admit I was wary of Passport in the beginning, given all the privacy concerns of entrusting access to multiple websites to a single entity (especially when that entity is Microsoft). However, I am finding it more and more tempting to embrace such a service if it means that I don’t have to keep track of dozens of username/password combinations.

Unfortunately, even if I wanted to take advantage of Microsoft’s Passport, it’s not supported on 99% of the sites I would need it for. Even more unfortunate, no other comparable service exists. I’m starting to think that the web is in dire need of a universal credential service with the stigmas associated with Microsoft’s “we want to own everything” corporate image.

So how do intelligent people manage their login information without resorting to the practices of the overtly paranoid? Am I just missing something here? I know there are various password management services available online and for PDAs, but are they actually useful?

I don’t know. Maybe this is just another incentive to do away with usernames and passwords altogether in favor of biometric identification. All I know is that if things don’t improve soon, I may have to resort to shoving a few 1GB sticks of RAM up my nose and hope it’s compatible.

Happenings from the Fourth

Posted by on July 7th, 2005 No comments

[Editor’s note: For purposes of contextual coherence, it may be useful to know that this post originally appeared on the discontinued Myers Family Journal before being folded into this blog. -KM]

Well I know it’s kinda late, but I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Independence Day celebration. My 4th of July weekend was especially nice because it’s the first one in quite some time that I didn’t spend working in a restaurant. Every year, during the first weeks of July, Briggs & Stratton shuts down to allot time for major maintenance and repairs. As a wonderful consequence, all the employees get to enjoy a nice summer vacation. I have to admit, that place really knows how to take care of their people.

Of course, there always has to be a setback. Our septic system suffered a major backup last week due to roots growing in one of the pipes. For a time we were unable to flush the toilets more than a few times a day. This made things quite uncomfortable for me and Kristopher, and absolutely unbearable for Tabitha. Fortunately, we were able to get the system fixed and life is finally getting back to normal. There are still ditches in our backyard where we need to lay some pipe, but at least everything inside the house works properly again, which is a huge relief. At least I learned a little bit about how toilets and septic systems work.

Anyway, now that Tabitha has a website to show off her creations, she seems more determined than ever to churn them out as quickly as possible. It seems she can’t work on a project for more than a couple of days without yearning for a new one. She’s made some beautiful things and her skills continue to improve with each endeavor.

As for me, I’ve been spending a few hours outside this summer, which I’m quite proud of. There were summers in the past when I rarely saw the light of day. My pale complexion became a testament to my nocturnal lifestyle. Though I’ve went fishing a couple of times, most of my time outside has been spent mowing lawns and working on various home improvement projects. I’ve managed to get a decent tan, but sadly, I haven’t been able to reduce my weight to more optimal levels. :-( Oh well.

I suppose I should mention that Kristopher suffered a terrible allergic reaction on the night of June 27th. We still haven’t determined the cause, but it scared us so much that we ended running him straight to the emergency room. His chest, back, and neckline were covered with itchy red blotches, he felt hot to the touch, and his breath came in wheezes. Some Benadryl cleared it right up, and it has yet to return, so we’re thinking that it was just a strange reaction to something he’ll hopefully never come in contact with again.

Anyway, he’s fine and continues to get more excited about the arrival of his new baby sister, whom we still have yet to choose a name for. That would be mostly my fault, since Tabitha primarily chose Kristopher’s name, it has been left to me to choose a name for this one (pending approval, of course). I was thinking of continuing with the K name theme, but after examining all the girl names that begin with K, I’m not so sure I want to take that route. Choosing names has always been a difficult process for me. I have a hard enough time naming my computers and role-playing characters, much less an actual child who has to live with the resulting consequences.

And I thought my summer away from classes was going to be nice and relaxed…

Lavatory Repository

Posted by on July 6th, 2005 No comments

Apparently following the example of the crate review system, someone has collected various game screenshots of… toilets? I’m not sure whether to laugh or be repulsed.

There are gamers out there who claim that you can judge how interactive a game is based on it’s restrooms. It’s an interesting theory. Level designers can, after all, put in as much or as little thought and effort as they want to design a game restroom. After asking a few questions, it’s easy to see how restrooms could be used to measure the interactivity and realism of a game.

For example: Are there urinals in the men’s rooms (not found in every establishment, but most)? Can you flush the toilets and urinals? Can you open and close the stalls? Are there toilet paper dispensers? Can you run the faucets in the sinks? Is there a soap dispenser? Is there a hand dryer or paper towel dispenser you can use? Can you see yourself in the mirrors? Are there waste receptacles? Can you actually USE the toilet or urinal?

All of these things (with the exception of urinals) are required by law in most publicly accessible establishments, and people expect them to be there. And these are only the basics. What about condom machines and baby-changing tables? What about the “For a great time…” messages in the stalls? It just seems to me that game designers often overlook how seemingly trivial details can be so effective at maintaining the “suspension of disbelief” required for player immersion.

We all know it’s not uncommon to see “ultra-realistic” or something to that effect on the back of a game box. Isn’t it time we expected more from the games that make these kinds of claims?

I suppose this brings up an interesting question: How real is too real? We don’t, after all, want a susceptible gamer to lose a grip on his (or her! We are living in a new age of gaming!) own reality because the games he or she plays may very well be TOO realistic. I’ll save that digression for another post.

Unfortunately, though there are no limits on imagination, there are limits on resources. Who has the time and budget to model and texture all those little objects when it’s difficult enough to ship the game without them? This collection of toilets illustrates an important fact: In almost every game, someone is paid to design a toilet. How many object modelers spend valuable project time creating mundane objects like pay phones, desks, toilets, and other such things when their time could be better spend creating art for the proprietary elements of the game, such as the character models.

Is it too ambitious to think some talented modelers out there could create libraries of common object models that could be purchased for a nominal fee by game developers? Or perhaps I am just misinformed and it’s already been done. But if not, I think a decent modeler could make a good chunk of money by doing the grunt work of modeling common objects so that game artists can focus their creative talents on something more productive. It seems pointless to reinvent the wheel – or in this case, toilet.

___
*BTW, I would strongly advise you not to watch the lol.swf video in the parent directory. It’s quite offensive. Perhaps it serves as proof positive that the owner of this collection is not as eccentric as I first suspected, but simply disturbed. You have been warned.

Losing the Name Game

Posted by on July 4th, 2005 3 comments

It’s hard to believe that I’m such a geek that I’m actually agonizing over the names of my computers. I don’t know why, but it seems like naming a computer is almost as important to me as naming a child. I just can’t seem to settle on a theme. Here’s what I’ve considered so far:

  • Japanese names
  • Character and mythology names from Final Fantasy
  • Famous wizards
  • Famous dragons
  • Famous mathematicians
  • Famous computer scientists
  • Constellations, moons, and other such galactic entities
  • Non-themed (as in, whatever pops in my head)

This really shouldn’t be driving me as crazy as it is. Something must be wrong with me. I’ve even gone as far as searching for articles on naming themes that others have chosen or considered, but nothing I’ve seen seems to stick out.

/sigh