Tag Archive: Thoughts

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Digital Hoarder

February 4, 2015 0 Comments

So I’m subscribed to a lot of RSS feeds. When Google stopped their support to it… that was a sad day. But when Feedly picked that up… it was a good day. Currently using the Newsify app in my iPhone to read through all my RSS feeds.

When I analyse my habit using Newsify. Most of the time I just skim through an article to see if it’s interesting or not. When it seems so I read it, but when its a long one. I just use the quick share option and sent it to Pocket (formerly Read It Later). I’ve been doing this for years now. Also have the Pocket app of course. And when I have more time I use that to read those articles of interest. Nothing wrong with this habit. Or this way of gathering news and information. Seems faster then manually visiting all those websites one by one.

So when I got the new MacBook, one of the first app I installed was Pocket for OSX. Smooth download and install. But what shocked me was when I launched the app…so many unread articles…(in the thousands…) At that point I realised I was being a digital article hoarder! I’ve really gathered a lot of articles in these years that I wanted to read and never had the time to really read them.

So the last couple of days… no weeks… I’ve read a lot. Article after article. It feels good. To finally do the things I wanted to do. But at some point I also realise that most of the old articles where out of date and at no more interest. But still read them, so wasting time and energy right? Anyways there where also some articles, where I had real doubt on why I like them in the first place? Because when I read them… I really didn’t like them at all and putting them in the trash can was the right thing to do.

I ask myself now is: why did I chose to Pocket those articles at the first place? Was it my skimming habit of reading the headline and the first few sentences? Or is it something else? That’s the me at that thought it was interesting. And the me now…doesn’t see it at interesting at all. So did I changed that much? I guess so. Perspective changes in time. With habits, preferences and way of thinking all being malleable and not a solid unworkable metal thing.

So looking to my future self and asking what will happen or will I be doing next year? Or the year after it? Hello nice to meet you future me. This is the current me. What advice would you give me? Not that I would take it, because the me I know is kinda stubborn. Hmm topic went to a weird place. But to be honest would you take advice from your future self? Don’t do thing “A” because it will lead to thing “B”. But what about thing “C” the experience that you get from that decision? The thing called life, feelings and memories. So in this line of thinking, would you go back in time to change certain decisions that you made when you were younger? What impact would it have on the current you? I don’t know to be honest. I have some regrets on certain things. But then again those regrets led to some other things and decisions which where good. As it turns out. Anyways my advice to the current and future me: don’t skim through to much articles and auto Pocket them. Try to read them now, when they are current and relevant. I saves time and energy in the long way…

So what now? The current me is going to read some more “pocketed” articles. My aim is to finish them all. One way or another.

 

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Free to play video games

January 23, 2015 0 Comments

Is free to play really free to play? That’s a good question. Some are and some are certainly not. When I open the AppStore app on my iPhone I always look at the “Top Charts” and browse through the top “Paid”, “Free” and “Grossing” chart. It’s interesting and it also gives you a picture of what’s in and what’s out.

And some people may know that the top grossing app is marketed as a free to play app (actually the top three). How can a free app make so much money? The key word: In-App purchases. Depending on the game you can literally buy anything from gold as game currency, booster weapons & armour, continues or extra power ups.

The question is why would anyone buy those items? Or more to the point: exchange real money for digital bites & bytes. That’s what they are. Nothing more and nothing less. Just some line of code that gives your game character extra power and options. I read somewhere once that most free to play games makes their money from just 3% of their player base. Those are the hardcore game addicts (who also have the money to pay for it, or kids with access to their parents credit cards).

So how do they get addicted to those games? The first step: get them to download it. Advertisement, marketing, mouth to mouth, paid reviews etc.

The second step: give them an accomplished feeling when ever they achieve an objective in the game. Item and gold rewards. This gives them the ability to complete the game objectives faster and better. Plus when they get a faster time, give them start & medals. Who doesn’t like to feel like a winner?

The third step: introduce an online competition. This can be a leaderboard system showing high game scores. Or a battle arena where they can fight other people with their game character to see who is the stronger one. There can only be one at the top, right? Even when it’s a fictional one.

The fourth step: is give daily bonus rewards. This motivates them to play the game each day.

During step 2 and 3, give them hints and pushes for some premium options in the game that they can only get now with in-app purchases and…. gotcha (the 3%).

But I do wonder if those 3% will ever stop and think why they play the game in the first place? That’s play the game as a form of enjoyment. Something to pass the time with. You know the limited 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. The years you have to live. I guess those 3% lost track of this and only see the game objective to be on the top, get a better score or a faster time.

Anyways this is what I ask myself whenever I feel that I’ve been playing a certain game to much. You know: I like everyone else have an expiration date, that’s… when you die. Wouldn’t you rather spend your time doing something else that’s more fulfilling and accomplished then… playing a video game. Which you can delete in seconds with a tap of your finger. And then what do you have…?

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Being slow…

January 15, 2015 0 Comments

So the last couple of days I’ve been kinda slow. Or more the feeling of low in energy. I think it’s the weather. Nothing but rain, cold and wind. Which will make anyone feel…ehm I want to say depressed. But then again the word “depressed” has so many other meanings from a light meaning of feeling down to a heavy meaning of depression itself. So I’ll say slow then. Like an amphibian, getting slow and inactive when it’s cold (active when it’s warm). Btw not saying I’m cold-blooded.

Anyways the effect on me is doing all kind on my iMac workstation, which can be labelled as PROCRASTINATION. You know surfing the web and playing games. On of the game (or actually only game I play on the iMac) is Hearthstone. Yeah played Magic the Gathering, when I was young / in high school, so got hooked on Hearthstone pretty quick. Note I’m in the free to play category. Which means I can’t ever play “wallet warrior” or other big and expensive decks. But recently I did got to craft a good GvG card: Dr Boom.

Dr Boom

And so far he’s doing wonders. My main deck is Hunter of course. Currently as mid-hunter card he’s the best, next to the two savannah highmanes. I still need other cards like Sylvannas and Ragnaros to make a real control hunter. Or go the way of the control player. Anyways….this is Hearthstone. If you don’t know the game. The above post will sound like blabla….

But the point is that every time I start the game I get greeted by the welcoming text of

“It’s cold outside.”

“It’s sure warm in here, come and play a game at the fireside.”

This is funny and feels true somehow. The correct situation and it feels like that the game knows that you’ll gladly accept the invitation 🙂

The other game I play is Injustice on the iOS. So just two games for me. I could do more of course. But’s that would me more distractions and a time consuming habit that I can’t afford.

My other procrastination habit is watching tv episodes of…. not naming them … but I guess you can guess what they are.

And with these habits time really flies. You wake up in the morning. Do some stuff. Play a game of Hearthstone. Do some more stuff. Lunch time. Do some other stuff. Surf the web when distracted (this part depends on situation, but lately new GvG deck builds for Hearthstone). Back to doing some stuff. And it’s evening (dark at 17:30 now). So time to stop doing stuff. Time to watch some shows and play more Hearthstone. And then to bed, tomorrow the same routine again.

The question I ask myself now is: is that really my average day? I guess so. “Some stuff” is ideally programming or code research. But lately that’s not really true. So I guess it’s time to evaluate my life and see where I need to make some changes. As Steve would say: “Look in the mirror and ask yourself if today was the last day of your life, would you still do the things that you are going to do?”. Hmm yes or no?

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