From this point forward, I will only be posting at OB World.
So I will see how I feel after a while. I intend to keep that page going with the latest community updates. Hopefully we will shortly see it being made an official World.
Feel free to reach me on AIM if you ever want to chat.
Thanks to everyone for your wonderful comments over the years. I really appreciate it.
I will now try to go back and visit all of those members who have signed my guestbook (all 540+ of you!)
Edit: I now have a replacement general blog, jMode. I'll be using it for life and article posts. Hope to see you there! ^_^
I just finished reading this editorial in The Australian (one of the more prestigious national newspapers here).
It's a pretty interesting article related to the current American presidential campaign.
In truth, I have not followed this campaign with great interest so far. That isn't because I don't care or because I'm bored with it (I actually loathe reading these excuses for people's disengagement from such an important issue). It's simply because I've found this campaign to be too frustrating to watch, especially early on.
Why? Well, for one thing, I'm tired of hearing candidates insult the intelligence of Americans. I'm also tired of hearing and reading the absolutely ridiculous political commentary that seems to permeate every corner of the media - so much of it is utter rubbish that it's no wonder many people are confused or misguided.
In terms of the Democrats, I have to admit that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are exciting for obvious reasons - one is black and one is a woman. If either became president, it would obviously be an incredibly important moment in both American and world history.
But the sheer amount of horrible reporting and misguided debates I have seen surrounding these candidates is confusing at best and downright dangerous at worst.
I have never really been a fan of Hillary Clinton. I will admit that this is largely based on both her demeanor and her handling of various situations. Admittedly these are not solid reasons to disapprove of a candidate.
Having said that, I've also never outright hated Clinton. And frankly, I don't understand much of the poisonous comment that is fired in her direction on a regular basis. So much of it seems to be based on anything but substance - a lot of it relates to how she looks or how she talks or her husband or whatever else. It honestly makes me sick and every time I read the more venomous stuff, I honestly feel like I am losing brain cells.
Barack Obama seems to have been almost universally popular, especially among young people (who are unquestionably the most politically ignorant group in America).
To tell you the truth, I would say that in terms of what I actually agree with...it's probably 50/50 for me. Barack and Hillary are quite similar, with few key distinctions.
But I get annoyed that Hillary seems to take a lot of unreasonable flack, where Barack doesn't.
I saw one of Barack's newer speeches recently and I felt like I was wading through a swamp of stereotypical political catchphrases. He brings up a vague anecdote from the campaign trail, then he talks about "working families", then he returns to "change and the future" and so on.
None of these messages are inherently bad, but I noticed that his entire speech was nothing but canned soundbytes. It was almost as though it were designed specifically for TV distribution, rather than carrying any real sense of honesty or integrity.
If I find myself aligned with both candidates 50/50, then why am I being so hard on Obama, you might ask.
Well, partly because I think Hillary Clinton has been dragged through the mud far too much (to the point where many elements of the media have outright ignored Barack's petulance and arrogance).
Secondly, Hillary Clinton may be a political player, but she's generally quite frank. As I watch more debates, I notice that Hillary utilizes a combination of rhetoric and bluntness. The bluntness is not a bad thing though; to me, the bluntness says "I'm not going to insult your intelligence, I'm just going to tell you what I think."
I am finding that as I begin to actually follow this campaign, I trust Barack Obama less and less. He exhibits all the traits of a savvy showman, without the inherent wisdom or maturity to support it.
Overall, I suppose I am tired of the same old politics - in both politics itself as well as in the media and general public discourse.
I'm tired of hearing about how politicians will get rid of "special interest groups" - what does that even mean? Has anyone demanded a specific explanation?
It sounds good, but it never happens and is probably not feasible anyway. I mean, what about legitimate groups who lobby the Government? What about charities and foundations? What about political activist groups who advocate causes for sections of society?
Aren't they all really "special interests"?
I don't know how anyone can claim, with any degree of intellectual honesty, to outright remove special interests in politics.
Yes, you can act to curb collusion and corruption, but I am tired of hearing catchphrases. Logic and reason is what's needed.
And why is being experienced in Washington a bad thing?
In Australia, we tend to deliberately look for candidates who have significant political experience - especially federally. Why? Surely the answer is obvious: federal politics is a difficult battleground to navigate. Why on Earth would you want someone who is inexperienced in this field? Why would you want someone who will be dropped in the deep end without understanding how to achieve outcomes in such an environment?
I personally don't know.
I suppose that this little rant just reflects my overall disappointment. I find it ironic that the candidate favored by many is, ironically, the one who has most cynically manipulated the media.
I find it annoying that people who have no interest in politics - who "don't care" or think "they're all the same" - are the first to offer a political opinion.
And most importantly of all, I find it frustrating that so many people get caught up in empty slogans, media spin and image. What is the point of being politically active if you have nothing of real value to contribute?
I have seen some fiery political debates, especially among young people. What scares me is that the vast majority of these young people a) don't know what they're talking about, b) have no real understanding of the political system and c) do not have the historical knowledge to draw appropriate comparisons or to form reasoned conclusions.
It is ironic that there are many young people who worry about the future because they ignorantly reject the existing political system - yet my fears for the future tend to come from those very young people who are so self-obsessed, spoiled and ignorant that they themselves may one day be leading nations.
That thought, more than any concern about current political leaders, is what tends to cast the most doubt in my mind about the future.
I think some of you wanted a rant, so there you go! Haha. And now, for my responses to your responses. ~_^
Sesshomarufan: Sports forum, eh? That's a pretty interesting idea.
I have little interest in discussing sports myself (I tend to prefer to watch/participate), but I can understand people wanting this.
It's definitely something to consider.
And yes, the entire southern hemisphere is currently in the middle of summer.
I don't surf, no.
master hiko: What is that first paragraph supposed to mean? I think you should just tell me. You might be surprised. ~_^
Most people on OB are very friendly and warm. It's a really fun place to be. I'd definitely recommend checking it out at some point.
Aaryanna: Yep, I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Crystia when I get time. Even so far we've come a long way!
Even though I did not participate in Silver One, it's cool that it finished. That's a rare thing for RPGs.
Hal: Wow, your comments seem to get longer and longer!
First of all, I'm glad that the name may be changing from Spaces to Worlds.
For the uninitiated, my idea with "Worlds" was not derived from Mario or anything like that.
I actually saw a preview of the Spaces concept, with a site called (and I think I can say this) "Ghost in the Shell World". There were a couple of "World" pages and I felt it was a great fit. So I encouraged Adam to go with that name for the entire service.
Besides, as has been mentioned, there's already "MSN Spaces", "mySpace", etc.
And your opinions on OB are still welcome, even if you don't frequent.
Anyway about the other stuff, one thing you said really stood out:
"but I'm not in the position to relocate on the off-chance I might find new and/or better opportunities somewhere else."
I think that's the core of your problem.
When I really felt I needed a big change, you know what I did? I applied for a job in another state.
I flew up there, not even knowing if I'd get it. A friend put me up for about a month.
Then, I got it, moved into my own place and the rest was history. A year later I moved back to my home city, promotion and all.
My point is that a gamble is better than nothing at all. Better to try and fail than not to try, you know?
Ultimately, no matter how many rejections you experience, a job will never come to you. You may even have to completely change your living situation or your way of thinking in order to become employed.
I suppose the question is whether or not you are willing to do that. If not, then I suppose you have to accept the status quo.
In any case, it may indeed be worth trying to start your own business. You may find it more rewarding, too. So good luck!
I haven’t yet seen the new Spaces feature in person, but I’ve already had a few discussions with Adam about it. There are a few really exciting developments that I think our community will really like – and I don’t just mean in terms of features. There are surprises coming that will really bowl everyone over, especially anime fans.
Also I’m having a lot of trouble working out what to vote for in the Nifty Fifty ’08. The truth is that there were just so many great threads in 2007; choosing only a few is very difficult. I wonder whether The Almagest Legacy would go in 2007 or 2008…or both? I think it’s a pretty remarkable achievement, even at this early stage. Although to be fair, there have been many wonderful RPGs in 2007.
To finish this post off, I have a question. If you could add just one new forum to OtakuBoards to cover something we don’t presently cover, what would it be?
Meggido: Thank you! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. ^_^
Minako: Cool, cool. Mostly I just love the videos. I do like the song “Overpowered” though. I also like a couple of other tracks that, as yet, have no accompanying video.
Nehszriah: Ah yes, Geisha. It is in desperate need of redevelopment. I’m kind of surprised so many people seem to like it!
Hal: Thanks, I hope your Christmas/New Year’s was good. ~_^
Version Vibrant is absolutely new and different to what we’ve had before, but I think people will warm to it. Even I have still not seen much of it (other than an early working model), so it will be a big surprise to me too.
Your supernatural experience sounds freaky, but it reminds me of something someone told me a while ago – not the same thing, but kind of similar. I’ve never had it happen to me, which is good. I don’t think I’d like it!
You’re not trying to look for jobs anymore? It seems to me that one of the problems might be location – are there very few jobs going where you live? Have you considered moving?
I know moving costs money, but what if you stayed with a family member somewhere else? I found that moving gave me many new opportunities that I’d never have had before.
snow fox: Oh wow, you’re going to University of Sydney? That is the oldest, most prestigious university in Australia. I read about it recently; their main building is gorgeous, it’s almost like an old castle. The Clock Tower is beautiful, especially. Good on you!
You will love Sydney. Do you know where you are going to stay? I can recommend suburbs for you. ~_^
If there’s anything you want to know about living here, feel free to ask! I’m more than happy to help.
And I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Korey: Ah well, if that’s what you want to do then I’d say definitely pursue it. If you enjoy your job, life is so much better!
In terms of gaming journalism, I find that it hasn’t interfered with my enjoyment of games as a recreational thing. However, I only briefly wrote reviews/previews. Now I tend to write feature/editorial type articles, so I play games purely for enjoyment – I’m not forced to play anything. I’m sure I’d feel differently if I was forced to play games in an office all day.
I did have a very Aussie Christmas, by the way! I spent all my time on some of the Central Coast’s most beautiful beaches! (The CC is just north of Sydney). It was wonderful. My arms have gone brown as a result, heheh.
Panda-chan: Ah yes, I’m a pretty strict parent but Amira often gets major points for her cuteness. ~_^
Oh and happy birthday! I know it’s late, but I am not sure if I made a comment on your page. I haven’t checked on many pages here for a while; I really need to sit down and do that soon. I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas/New Year’s as well!
Liam: Thanks, I’m glad you like Indigo. It feels good to freshen up the site a little.
And yes, we would love to have you back at OB! At some point I will launch a new RPG of my own, which the lovely Crystia is assisting me with (and doing a brilliant job, I might add – evil minds clearly think alike!). Perhaps you should join that. ~_^
Crystia: I get hay fever (and Amira doesn’t help), but it’s not too bad. It just motivates me to actually take the medication for it, haha.
Thanks again for all your help on the RPG. I think it’s going to be awesome. Your mind is even more evil than I first thought! ~_^
Aaryanna: I feel like I missed the boat on Silver One. That looks like it would have been fun to join.
And yes, Amira always seems to bring new tricks out of her bag of secrets. It’s a bit of a worry sometimes, haha. She has one new habit a week, I think. O_O
Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
SunfallE: Thanks, I hope your Christmas was excellent! I will definitely post more puppy pictures soon. And I still have to post some images from Melbourne. Unfortunately I only have a camera phone, so I might post some of those images plus some others.
Once again, I haven't been around for quite a while. A lot has happened lately!
Big RPGs, major announcements and everything in between. Phew.
First of all, if you haven't seen the video preview for Version Vibrant I encourage you to check it out. This new version is looking great. I'm very pleased to know that the design has been put in very capable hands - everything is looking wonderful and I can't wait for the site to launch.
Secondly, OB has seen a number of changes too. I guess the most obvious is the new standard design (Indigo), which is probably the first all-new skin we've had since...well, the launch of Version 7 (it's scary to say that).
For several reasons, this will not be our last new skin. In fact, I have plans to introduce a few more in '08. That, along with some other changes, should keep things looking great and working well in the coming year.
Also I will finally be able to do something that I've wanted to do for a while:
She may look innocent, but her muddy paws are evidence of her naughty deeds.
I will try to update a bit more regularly in the near future. I have been making time for a number of new things lately, which has been working out very well.
Also, before I go, I just wanted to put this up:
I'm quite a fan of Moloko but I'm an even bigger fan of Roisin Murphy (the singer of Moloko, which has now broken up).
Apart from the fact that she has a unique and very cool voice, I absolutely love her music videos.
There's a quirky charm about Overpowered. On the one hand it's sort of sad and lonely (or at least, it's showing these elements after a show). On the other hand, it's pretty humorous and charming as well. I think you'll see what I mean.
There's also this clip, which I think is pretty hilarious:
There's something very Roisin about walking into a cafe and dancing around like a nut. This latter track doesn't interest me as much musically, but the video is cool.
Oh, and of course, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Hal: To keep things nice and digestible (and to give me something to post about), I might keep the Melbourne stuff until next post. That way I can talk about the pictures a little bit.
Roisin Murphy's music isn't for everyone, but I think even the most jaded music critic can enjoy her quirky style. So hopefully you enjoy the videos.
I can now say that the weirdest thing I've eaten is raw beef (which I tried at my company Christmas party). It was...odd. It tasted fine, but the texture was very off-putting.
I've heard about the Fugu Fish; I don't think I'd give that one a go, personally. Not with my luck, haha.
I think paranormal stuff is interesting, to say the least. Whether or not I believe in it is hard to say, being that I've never had a paranormal experience.
As for stuff to talk about, well, all I really do is work. And discussing that is very boring. So I'm trying to get more involved in community stuff at the moment - there's quite a lot happening around this network right now.
Korey: Traveling for work can be tiring, but it's not too bad. I think you get used to it.
Luckily in terms of covering video games...most of the big publishers are in Melbourne (in Australia). So I never have to go far! And writing primarily about Nintendo is good for me, because Nintendo Australia's HQ is about five minutes from where I live. So that helps.
I would love to know more about web programming. But my brain just isn't wired for it.
Minako: Wish granted! Or at least, half of it (the cuter half, haha). ~_^
Joshboo: I am looking forward to seeing how Justin goes. He has a lot of pressure on him, because he has to impress me! And I think he knows that.
But I'm confident that he will do well. And he'll no doubt be seeking your help with various things, so that'll be great. Things can only go up from here.
SunfallE: Hope you enjoy the puppy pics! Hope you have a good week (and get some cool presents).
Darren: Salt Lake City definitely has some gorgeous scenery (which some members have shown me recently). Beautiful stuff. I would love to visit one day, for sure.
Actually speaking of orchestras I would love to be able to play an instrument. I'm not sure which one, though; there are a couple I'd like to learn. But I can add that to the list of the many things I want to learn, I guess. Haha
Rather than put together a full post this time, I thought I’d use your questions as my guide. Soon I will put some pretty Melbourne pictures up for you guys (as well as a puppy picture or two).
Korey: I have the same problem with usernames in some ways. Often I’d like to change mine, but I guess most people now know me by my real name anyway. *shrug*
As for journalism, I don’t really think I’ve been a force in this area. And I don’t say that to be humble; I have not been nearly as prolific as many of my colleagues who do such a brilliant job.
Still I have had some good experiences with smaller sites like N-Sider, to larger networks like IGN. And there has been a bit of magazine work in there too.
I think the main thing – especially if you want to write about games or entertainment – is to a) be fairly expert in your field and b) to really love what you’re doing. Even if you’re an expert, you will always need to do research and work with others who provide research support.
But the main reason I talk about loving the work is because there are a million journalists (including specialist journalists) out there and very few full-time positions. If you don’t want to spend much of your time working freelance, you will really have to consider some sort of back-up job.
Having said that, it’s a rewarding field and you will have some amazing experiences. Being involved with the media is always interesting, but it’s great to be able to interview notable people and have constant contact with major publishers and such.
In recent times I’ve been thinking of making a push to change jobs and go back to journalism full time, but I wouldn’t want to work freelance anymore. I’d really need to have an ongoing role at a publisher to stay in the industry.
Meggido: Yeah, I enjoy visiting Sydney but I don’t know if I’d want to live there (unless I could afford to live on the North Shore, but even the top executives in my company can’t afford that! Haha)
My uncle used to be fairly senior in the Department of Human Services and one of his friends only recently retired from a senior role at the Department of Justice. So I’ve had quite a bit of exposure to government departments (my current job involves working with federal government departments and agencies, actually). It’s pretty interesting.
Minako: True, being in China makes you closer than being in the United States. It wouldn’t be a terribly long flight from somewhere like Hong Kong I wouldn’t think.
Australia’s capital cities are all beautiful, although I personally think that Melbourne and Sydney are the most impressive. Still, Brisbane is gorgeous (I love South Bank and the Brisbane River) and I’ve heard that Perth is absolutely incredible (I’ve never been there though, bah!) Then there’s Adelaide (some amazing old sandstone buildings and miles of clean, golden beaches), Hobart, etc.
I still haven’t been very far in my own country, I’ve really only been up and down the east coast (and even then, I haven’t been up toward Cape York in Queensland).
master hiko: Ahh, a list of questions. Let’s see.
1) I have never met Adam. But if I ever travel to New York (or if he travels to Melbourne), I’m sure we will have lunch or something. I’ve worked with him for many years now and I can’t imagine not working with him on some level.
2) That’s a really long story. It’s probably better left to Otakupedia actually. But in short, I began writing for a site called Absolute Sega which was taken over by theOtaku.com in the year 2000. From there I worked on multiple sites, became Site Director of OB and had various roles within the network. So I’ve had a varied and fun experience here.
3) Presently I work for a major healthcare company. I am specifically involved in finance (which is ironic because I can’t stand math and accounting!) Still it’s a good company to work for and I’m happy with the input I’ve been able to have over the last couple of years.
4) As a career? No. But it’s a job and it pays well, so I’m happy with that. And working with an executive team on such a close level is a very unique and rare opportunity (especially for a company of this size).
5) Last I saw it was something like 88 words per minute. I’m not sure what it would be today. Probably faster than that, if anything. But I’m really not sure. ~_^
Joshboo: Hm, some very interesting questions.
What area of OB do you feel is most in need of some love, attention and maybe even a revamp?
Without doubt the area that needs most attention is the layout and design. This is something I’m dying to do, but I just don’t have some of the technical skills necessary. If Justin were back on board full-time, you’d be amazed at what I have in store.
Do you normally eat Breakfast? It's the most important meal of the day!
I have to admit that I don’t eat breakfast nearly as much as I should. I fit it in at times, but often I miss out.
Do you believe in any conspiracy theories, or are they a purely American... thing?
I don’t really believe in any conspiracy theories, but believe me, there are plenty of people around who believe in ‘em. I can think of a couple of people who have some really crazy theories.
My grandparents were an example. They are seventh day adventists, but of a particularly cult-like persuasion. And as such they have all sorts of terrifying theories about how government is watching us all the time, how space flight is actually a myth and the government is lying about it…etc etc.
Luckily this way of thinking did not rub off on anyone else in my family. ~_^
What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?
Hm…that’s hard to answer. I think I have pretty bland tastes. The only food that I like that others sometimes have trouble with is spicy food – but I’m not a hardcore spicy food fan. There are plenty of people who could eat things that would probably burn my head off, haha.
In some restaurants in Australia you can buy kangaroo and crocodile meat. I’ve never wanted to try either and I don’t think they are terribly popular, although kangaroo is considered a delicacy (and in some places kangaroos are pests to farmers, so eating them seems a good solution at times).
From what I’ve heard, kangaroo is a dark meat and has a similar texture and taste to rabbit (another meat I have not tried).
Sorry to disappoint with that question, heh.
Would it be in poor taste to apply for the Event Master position?
Well, I did say that anyone could apply. But there wouldn’t be much point, I mean…you’ve had that position for a while and I got the impression that you sort of moved on from it. I didn’t actually think you’d be interested anymore, especially because of the commitment it requires (and I thought you had very little time these days).
Still, you can apply if you want. At the very least I’d like to use that thread to gain more ideas for future events. It’s already proving useful in that sense.
Darren: Yes, you should definitely post some pictures of the city. I’d be interested to learn about it.
I think it’s pretty incredible that you are part of an orchestral group; I love seeing orchestral performances live. Mind you, I’ve only seen the one so far, but I loved it. And I definitely want to see more in future.
As for my music interests, that’s so hard to answer. The truth is that I’m all over the place – I don’t have a favourite group or a favourite genre!
If I had to spit out some groups/artists that I like, the ones that first come to mind are: Marilyn Manson, Massive Attack, Goldfrapp, Moloko, Incubus, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Juno Reactor, Leftfield, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Audioslave, Adam Bartas, etc etc…
There are just way too many to name, honestly. Haha
It took me a while to get used to some Marilyn Manson tracks (like some of those on the Antichrist Superstar album) because of their harshness. However, my sister’s boyfriend listens to a lot of heavy stuff…and even Manson’s heaviest stuff is quite a lot more rhythmic and melodic than what’s out there.
So I actually still think I’m a lightweight in the heavier type of music. And some of it is definitely an acquired taste.
As per indifference’s comment on my last post, I thought I’d open my blog up to questions. Ask anything, don’t be shy! I think it’d be interesting to see what people ask.
This is, of course, because I have little to talk about these days. There are two things that come to mind this time though.
This last weekend I had a training session to attend in the city (for a second job I do currently, which involves a major cultural centre in Melbourne – that’s about as specific as I’ll get ~_^). Since I was going into the city anyway, I offered to take my sister in to visit a few places. She is pretty interested in local history and architecture and she doesn’t have much experience in the city (at least in anything other than a nightclub).
So we went to a few places: Melbourne Central, the State Library of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Old Treasury.
It reminded me again how much I love Melbourne. It was due to my love of the city that I began working in a second job within the arts community and I’ve been enjoying it greatly. I think my love of Melbourne is further amplified by the fact that I lived in Brisbane for a year; when I returned home, I realised how much I had taken for granted. I was living in “the world’s most liveable city” and I took much of it for granted.
These days I’ve taken it upon myself to really learn a lot more about my home city, especially its history. And it really is a fascinating history, especially for a relatively young Australian capital.
It’s also interesting how, despite being one of the younger capital cities here (having been founded in the 1830’s I think), it is the centre of so much of Australia’s culture. And of any major Australian city I’ve seen, Melbourne seems to most effectively walk the balance between historical and cutting-edge, especially when it comes to architecture.
If you aren’t familiar with Melbourne at all, there’s really only one city I could compare it to – architecturally (at least in terms of historical buildings), I’d say that Melbourne is most like Paris. In fact, one of the major streets contains an area known as “the Paris end of Collins Street”.
Melbourne differs from Paris primarily in the sense that it has far more “new” buildings. And it no longer carries building height restrictions (which limited the construction of large towers and such during the early 20th century). These days Melbourne’s skyline is punctuated with elegant skyscrapers.
This love of Melbourne – as well as the work I am now doing – has led me to one conclusion: I would like to work for the city in a broader capacity. I was thinking about this over the weekend.
It made me realise that a job I’d really love – a career goal I’d actually be interested to work towards – is some sort of job working directly for the City of Melbourne. I think one day I’d like to run for Lord Mayor.
It seems a little crazy in the sense that it’d be totally different from what I’m doing now, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised how incredible that job would be. I think it would be the most significant position you could have if you love the city as much as I do.
Of course, such a thing would be some way off – there are a whole host of reasons why it just wouldn’t make sense to run for anything like that now. For one thing I’d probably have to become a Counsellor first (and to do that I’d have to live within inner metropolitan Melbourne, which I currently don’t). Still, it’s a nice thought and it somehow feels like a good goal, as unexpected as it may be at the moment.
Next time I may post some pictures of Melbourne, with the hope of expressing some of the reasons why I’m such a fan. In the meantime, I shall answer some questions (and again I encourage you to ask me something to answer in my next post!)
snow fox: I think you have been a pretty major part of the community, actually. You did create our mascot after all. And that mascot will play a central role in the new version of the site. At least, that’s my plan for it; I can not guarantee that this plan will not change at some point.
I don’t mind public speaking; I got used to it when I was studying graphic design and having to constantly present projects to multiple classes. These days I am used to speaking in front of groups of managers, although in many cases it’s via a teleconference and not in person.
Still, it does make me nervous at the best of times. I try not to think about those things too much beforehand, otherwise I risk getting that sickly/anxious feeling. >_>;
Minako: Well, Minako, I’m happy to be your OB friend. Are you interested in RPGs? I think you’d make a great contribution to creative writing on OB, if that’s your thing.
I did take your advice for this post (as well as indifference’s). I don’t know how interesting it is; in truth I’m not much of a journal/diary keeper. In the past I would write primarily about network issues but these days my involvement outside OB is very limited. So I have to reinvent myself!
Shin: All the recent talk of sickness/cramps/aches/etc does make me feel old… although I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. The other day my sister and I were telling my youngest sister how dumb most of the girls in her generation are, lol.
She was saying something about being pregnant versus having an STD…and I forget how it went, but it was ridiculous. So we basically told her that her whole generation is a disappointment. At that moment we looked at each other and realised that this conversation sparked the beginning of a long and awkward downturn that continues well after retirement.
Hal: Yes, this is why I love comments. People’s ideas and opinions often make me think of different things and sometimes that gives me some inspiration. I am lucky to have people who still visit month after month and comment! I think it is pretty amazing, especially when I rarely say anything interesting, lol.
Korey: I thought I’d use your real name this time, since you sign your comments with it. Is that okay? ^_^”
I agree with you that OB needs a major overhaul. The biggest barrier we have with that is, surprisingly, not related to my own time constraints. The biggest issue is the lack of a dedicated programmer to build what we need, especially someone who has a very strong knowledge of Virtual Bulletin.
I do not possess the necessary knowledge myself. Programming is like math; it’s just one thing I’m no good at. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with the complexity of OtakuBoards as a piece of software.
All I can really do is continue to improve/change the things that are in my control (forum related stuff and content) and continue to do some visual updates on the existing templates.
I do have a design for the new site ready and in fact, we have a half-completed version of OB Evolution’s main page. Right now it is sitting there doing nothing. It desperately needs a good programmer to work with it for a few weeks.
I am happy to pay a programmer, but even with that said, it’s been very hard to find people. So if you know anyone who might be interested, please spread the word!
There are some aspects of Nintendojo that I quite like and it would do very well under new ownership.
Maybe you’re right. Adam’s posts are often interesting, which is more than I can say for my own. One difference, however, is that I make a point to respond to each comment as often as possible. I tend to prefer this than focusing too much on the main post.
Hope you have a good week! I have a day off tomorrow due to the Melbourne Cup. Woo! ~_^
molletta: Hm, you know, very few things would make me irrationally angry. There are things that bother or annoy me though. Do you think I should rant more often? I haven’t done a post like that in ages.
I’m not as in tune with American politics as I once was – at least in the specific current candidates – but I am very interested in the system and I have an interest in politics in general (especially Australian politics).
Hm, well, watch this space. ~_^
SunfallE: I’m glad you appreciate my responding to comments – I hope it makes commenting more worthwhile!
I must check out your myOtaku page and see what your current topic is about. I should try to take some time to comment on other people’s pages, especially since everyone has always been so diligent to comment on mine!
I think that there are always a million things we can do with OtakuBoards that don’t involve a massive site upgrade (and that’s coming from someone who really wants a massive site upgrade). At its heart the site will always be about the members and the content they make, so no matter how the design is or how the features are…that’ll always be the bottom line.
Speaking of which, it’s coming close to Christmas again. I should start thinking about running another Christmas-related competition on OB.
Mimmi-chan: Ahh yes, puppy photos! I should definitely post more of those.
And yes, I should talk about anime (in my extremely limited experience, heheh). It might be a good idea to take recommendations from people, hm…
Darren: The one you’ll be part of? Hm, now this may seem very rude of me, but I don’t remember reading that you were in a band or anything. I’m assuming I’ve either forgotten this detail or I’ve somehow skipped it – sorry about that.
What type of group are you in? I’m always interested to talk to people who are involved in bands and music groups. A few friends of mine from high school created a band in their senior year and afterwards they were touring around a few states. That was the last I heard of them unfortunately. I wonder what became of their band.
Aaryanna: Yeah I will definitely have to take more. I have a really funny one that was taken at night recently.
Amira was having a nap on my bed and I walked into the room and saw her lying on her back – her paws were sort of propped up in the air above her…it looked so funny. I think she was dreaming about chasing an especially annoying magpie (one of many local birds that seems to have become one of her mortal enemies).
I’ve also got a photo of her sleeping in a large pot outside. For some reason she likes jumping onto this empty pot (it’s only got soil in it, no plant). She curls up in the pot and falls asleep, or she just lays there and watches the world go by. Either that or she’s pretending to be a plant in the hopes that the magie will come a little too close.
I don’t pretend to understand her weird logic; sometimes she does very unexplainable things.
indifference: Two years is still a long time to spend in an online community I think.
As you can see I took your suggestion to take questions for my next post. I did that once before ages ago and I got some very dodgy questions, haha. So we’ll see what happens. ~_^
So theOtaku.com recently celebrated its seventh anniversary. Pretty big stuff, huh?
It made me reflect on my role with the site over that time. I only really became active in the community in late 2000/early 2001 (early 2001 was when I became a staff member). I won’t go into my whole history here because I’ve gone over that a million times…but what I meant was that I was reflecting on my overall impact here.
It’s ironic that years ago, Adam was always busy with his job and he had little time for the network. I was working freelance from home (mostly), so I had quite a lot more time to work on things. That’s where OB v7 and various other things came from. These days it’s very much the reverse; Adam is able to work full-time on the network and I’m now so committed elsewhere that it’s very hard to find any time at all for online stuff.
The future of the network is uncertain but I think progress is generally good; I expect theOtaku to move from strength to strength. Michael is doing a good job on the new design and he really has the time and enthusiasm to commit himself to the heavy-duty work involved with a site like this. I think he will bring a fresh perspective to the place and I am looking forward to seeing that.
As for me? Well, I am going to keep trying to be a champion for OB – for greater OB presence in the network and for further enhancements and improvements to the site itself. As some of you know I have been spending my own money on various developments there, but this is far from over. I often think OB deserves even more, but at the same time, there is really nobody else who has the experience with the OB community/site and I think such experience is necessary. I still view it as my baby, so I care very much about what happens to it.
Once again I should ask you all a question though…can you think of any subjects I should talk about on here? I like answering your comments, because they are often pretty interesting to me, but it can be hard to know what to talk about on here in general. Some suggestions would be good! ^_^
Solo: Yeah I forgot about the whole membership issue with Enter the Net…I suppose you really would need to know who is who for that. Then again, it just means you could visit us again. ~_^
I am looking forward to seeing your novel preview. When you put it together, I will make sure to announce it on OtakuBoards; it’s not every day one of our long time members writes a novel, after all!
Sesshomarufan: I think design goes some way to the idea of credibility as well. I look at some sites that have existed for years and years – and have been quite famous – but are still very amateur in design.
Of course in some ways I still think even sites like OB need massive remodelling, so I don’t wish to suggest that my own stuff is ideal. In truth I’d be doing complete redesigns much more often if it were feasible.
Funnily enough one site I’d love to get my teeth into is Nintendojo. They have been around for many years and have produced some relatively famous gaming journalists. But their design just looks so old and tired…and their editorial content is now lacking. It would be nice to jump in and change all that.
master hiko: Yep, there’s a new Mario coming out. It looks awesome too. We’ll see how I go…there are quite a few barriers when you are not a web programmer!
And there is nothing wrong with liking opera, I just think most people are unwilling to give certain styles of music a try. If it gives you pleasure, then that’s a good thing. ^_^
Kei: Thanks for your suggestion, Kei-chan! And no worries about not commenting; I never have the time to comment on people’s pages so I don’t expect them back. I am just very honoured when I [i]do[/i] get them. ^_^
Hal: I am feeling much better now thankfully. Thanks again for your support. I still am not sure where I got the sickness but in any case, I’m just so relieved to be over it!
Stress also makes me feel physically sick at times, actually. I have a very sensitive stomach. If I am feeling very stressed or anxious, it can give me a stomach ache. It is a really uncomfortable feeling, but I do find that my mental state has a big relationship with how I feel physically. It really sucks.
Joshboo: CosmicPlumber.com is great! But MushLove? I don’t get that one.
Darren: Desbreko’s YouTube clips are great. And really…so few walkthroughs bother to use that approach. I think it would work incredibly well.
And yes, being sick is bad in general but it’s a lot worse when you have to go to a concert or something exciting. I’m just so glad I was feeling well for Manson!
Crystia: Yeah there are some troublesome members out there, but it does help to remember their age and that it’s usually pretty normal stuff.
I had a pretty good weekend, although it went too fast! I caught up on much-needed sleep, which was good. I hope you’re doing well and I hope you are having a good week!
First of all, I’ve got to say one thing: I think we have the most awesome community in the world. I can’t tell you how nice it is to come online and see all the well wishes. It really blows me away. So a big thanks to everyone who dropped by; I want you to know that I appreciate the time you take to comment very much.
Lately I’ve been thinking about sites again, but not specifically OB (although I have been thinking about that too recently). I was actually thinking about the long-dead ShineGet.com.
When I look back at the design and think about the content we actually had, even early on, it was pretty impressive. The fact that the site didn’t launch is one of my biggest regrets.
Looking at other Mario-centric sites on the web, it becomes apparent that there really aren’t many great ones. The most prominent is probably TMK (The Mushroom Kingdom), which is like a big encyclopaedia of Mario information. The site literally covers just about every game in the franchise.
I suppose that in some ways though, TMK is kind of unsatisfying. I mean, it doesn’t have some of the articles that I’d really like to see and even in terms of artwork and media, it’s kind of light in some respects. It is a good “general knowledge” Mario site, but in some ways I think it lacks polish or uniqueness.
The next most popular site that I can think of is Super Mario Central (or something to that effect – at one point I think it was named Super Mario 128 Central but I don’t remember the current name). Again, it’s a site that strives to offer a lot of content but the design is awful – it comes across as very amateur. Something must have happened there, because I remember that its older design was far more professional.
Perhaps the designer was treated badly and left. Just goes to show – be good to your graphics people!
In any case, the site looks to be largely a shell of its former self. It doesn’t seem to really excel in any particular area.
One of the differences with ShineGet – which could be positive or negative depending on your perspective – is that the entire site was to be based around one title, at least initially: Super Mario Sunshine. The visual theme was based on this game.
Even early on we had quite a bit of content prepared; the walkthrough was coming along beautifully, there was lots of high resolution non-watermarked artwork and more.
Lately I have been thinking about doing something similar for Super Mario Galaxy. I still have a good relationship with Nintendo and I have access to a lot of material that would be really useful (and that many sites either don’t present, or don’t present well).
The only problem? The game comes out in the US pretty soon.
I suppose that doesn’t really matter in a way, because I’d want any SMG site to focus on walkthroughs and detailed information about the game for game owners. And now, with the advent of YouTube, it’s even easier to produce videos to accompany walkthroughs. I think it could be very interesting.
I have already started working on a design, just in case. Only thing is, I’m stuck on a name. Any ideas? I’d love a really cool and unique name, but I can’t come up with anything particularly interesting.
Molletta: Thanks much; I hope you are doing well! Haven’t heard from you in a while. I’m happy to see that you’re still around. ^_^
Joshboo: Haha, really? I would like to be around more. I probably should make more effort to be around on weekends especially. I do check in on OB regularly but I don’t post as much as I’d like.
Darren: Yeah, I do like being around – but even with work, I hate feeling unproductive. I feel that way a lot with online stuff but if you saw what I did in my actual job, your head would spin. I am very dedicated and anything that interferes with that (especially sickness) really annoys me.
Unfortunately real-world work has to come before online hobbies, but I wish there were more hours in the day so I could dedicate the same time to both!
And thanks much for your well wishes; I appreciate the thought.
Meggido: Wow, your sister worked at the bar? I went down to get merchandise from around there (since the EFTPOS machine in my area was broken), but the security wouldn’t let me do it! So I left empty-handed. That was the only thing that really sucked.
I really should have taken cash I guess.
Solo: OMG, Solo, you are still around! So good to see you. What are you doing these days? And when are we going to see more Enter the Net? ~_^ Heheh.
Mimmi-kun: I was very lucky there; I was doted on muchly. Phew. Haven’t really had that before, so it was a nice change of pace, heheh.
Good to see you too. It’s nice to see some familiar faces around again.
Minako: Oh yes, a similar thing happened with me. I was due to go interstate on a business trip. It was quite a lot of responsibility. And on the eve of the trip I became terribly ill…you can imagine how bad I felt! I had to ring the CEO on Sunday night at her home to let her know what was going on.
I really pride myself on a high standard at work, so you can imagine how bad I felt. Luckily our CEO is very reasonable and she just said she’d reschedule the trip for me. So it wasn’t a total loss. I’m lucky it all worked out.
Sesshomarufan: Well, I didn’t eat anything at the concert. But gastro has been going around quite a bit down here recently – although nobody I’ve known directly has had it (that I know of). I reckon I’ve somehow picked it up from work, since our offices are pretty large and there are a lot of people moving around here.
But yes, thank god I wasn’t sick for the concert! I would have died if I’d gotten that sick on the Friday night.
Crystia: I am still feeling a bit funny in the stomach now and then but I’m mostly okay. In some ways work has been good; it’s distracted me from the discomfort.
Having said that, I do think I need further tests. I have the sneaking suspicion that I might have developed a stomach ulcer…
Jon: I don’t vomit very much at all, even when I’m sick. This was like…out of nowhere, haha. I have never vomited that much in my life, I don’t think. So I was a bit worried at the time because it’s pretty uncharacteristic of me. I just couldn’t stop – it was weird.
Thank god that worst part was over after a couple of days though.
Aaryanna: Thanks so much! I hope you are doing well. ^_^
Master Hiko: Haha don’t worry, music is very much a personal thing. It’s all good. Thanks for the well wishes, I appreciate them. ^_^
Hal: Yeah, at first food poisoning occurred to me but then I realised that it wasn’t really possible based on what I’d eaten. I didn’t eat at the concert, but even if I had…I must say, that wouldn’t automatically worry me. Food safety standards are ridiculously strict in Australia.
Luckily I’m feeling mostly better now. I feel very relieved!
Nehszriah: Ah yeah, Manson was well worth it. Festival Hall is a good venue, it’s very intimate. He was very close to the audience, which was really good fun. When he came to my side of the stage and stood on the edge, I could see him clearly enough to see all the details on his face and everything – he was very close. It was awesome; he really engages the audience.
Best of all, the tickets weren’t terribly expensive.
Everyone seems to be getting sick lately. It sucks.
SunfallE: Thanks, it’s nice to know that someone misses me! It really does feel like a close community here. And thanks again for all your support over the last week, I very much appreciate it. I hope you have a good week. ^_^
