Get that thing off your chest... Now...

[Blane Doyle]

^It looks like he can think RenO games can be good. Just look at his reviews from last year, he had praise for quite a few of them. (But I get what you mean about a player reading it. Though not every review is going to be positive, at least these can be helpful to us.)

Slightly off this topic now I suppose. Lately I have been having trouble getting my computer to stay connected to the net at my house. It will be just fine for an hour and then... nope. Nothing for about a minute, says the problem is the router, and then I can reconnect.

I wouldn't be so annoyed if this didn't happen FIVE times in two hours Monday, and roughly 20 in thr last three days. It only happened twice yesterday but I am worried our router might finally be kicking the bucket...

[LateWhiteRabbit]

Slightly off this topic now I suppose. Lately I have been having trouble getting my computer to stay connected to the net at my house. It will be just fine for an hour and then... nope. Nothing for about a minute, says the problem is the router, and then I can reconnect.

I wouldn't be so annoyed if this didn't happen FIVE times in two hours Monday, and roughly 20 in thr last three days. It only happened twice yesterday but I am worried our router might finally be kicking the bucket...

It could be your router, or it could be that your service provider has been overselling service to your area. I had the same problem for a while, and it turned out all my neighbors did too. It was always at times when internet usage would be at peak use in the area. The service provider denied up and down they had oversold bandwidth, but the problem stopped for everyone when the company upgraded their lines to have higher capacity. (And began charging everyone more for the "enhanced" services.) No routers were replaced.

[Starwulfen]

Slightly off this topic now I suppose. Lately I have been having trouble getting my computer to stay connected to the net at my house. It will be just fine for an hour and then... nope. Nothing for about a minute, says the problem is the router, and then I can reconnect.

I wouldn't be so annoyed if this didn't happen FIVE times in two hours Monday, and roughly 20 in thr last three days. It only happened twice yesterday but I am worried our router might finally be kicking the bucket...

I was having this sort of problem when I first moved into this flat. Do you have a phone plugged into the same socket? If so and you can't get a dial tone on it it might be a problem with the cable. I had to get an engineer out to fix it.

[Faze]

Dear artist at work who I shall never know the name of thanks to the dumb streamlined process we have to deal with:

I love you for sending the original psd files for the reference image and for naming the layers after the material you used. There's a special place in heaven for people like you.

[Applegate]

Today, I was sitting in the hallways, waiting for the bus to arrive. This is not an altogether strange thing─though most choose to wait outside, I prefer to sit down. Since I've recently gotten a tablet as a gift, I like to browse the internet or read books while I wait. As I was doing so, someone came sitting beside me and animatedly talking to me about class.

My first thought was, "Huh, how'd they figure I study law?"
The second one was, "Do I know this person?"

Of course, it seemed reasonable to me to ask that second question. Turns out I gave great offence, and they sit beside me all the time during seminars (really?), and they really remembered who I am, and that they're hurt. I pointed out (reasonably, I add) that there are over a thousand students, and during seminars my attention is really, honestly, on the one giving the seminar, not the one sitting beside me! This prompted a small discussion on how I really ought to pay attention, and that they knew a few choice things about me, like what I usually bring for lunch, what my name is, what class I'm in and what my latest test results are. Then the bus arrived, and I excused myself to catch it. To this moment, I still have no clue who I talked to.

What the hell just happened here? "Wahaha, I'm being hit on!" occurred to me for a moment, but the last seminar I followed was about three months ago, and I am positive that if I at all spoke to this person, it must not have been more than ten minutes. I'm going to discount anime-like occurrences where people stalk you and fall head over heels because you talked with them and drew them a picture of Ash Ketchum.

[LateWhiteRabbit]

Today, I was sitting in the hallways, waiting for the bus to arrive. This is not an altogether strange thing─though most choose to wait outside, I prefer to sit down. Since I've recently gotten a tablet as a gift, I like to browse the internet or read books while I wait. As I was doing so, someone came sitting beside me and animatedly talking to me about class.

My first thought was, "Huh, how'd they figure I study law?"
The second one was, "Do I know this person?"

Of course, it seemed reasonable to me to ask that second question. Turns out I gave great offence, and they sit beside me all the time during seminars (really?), and they really remembered who I am, and that they're hurt. I pointed out (reasonably, I add) that there are over a thousand students, and during seminars my attention is really, honestly, on the one giving the seminar, not the one sitting beside me! This prompted a small discussion on how I really ought to pay attention, and that they knew a few choice things about me, like what I usually bring for lunch, what my name is, what class I'm in and what my latest test results are. Then the bus arrived, and I excused myself to catch it. To this moment, I still have no clue who I talked to.

What the hell just happened here? "Wahaha, I'm being hit on!" occurred to me for a moment, but the last seminar I followed was about three months ago, and I am positive that if I at all spoke to this person, it must not have been more than ten minutes.

I sympathize, Applegate. Some people feel like they have to be friends with everyone around them. As someone who very firmly divides people in friends, acquaintances, and co-workers, I really get annoyed when someone tries to "adopt" me as a "friend". Nope, sorry. Just because we work together, or are in the same horrible circumstances, or share 5 minutes of small talk a day does not make us friends. Friends are people you'd invite to your wedding, visit in the hospital, have overnight at your house, and you would both drop everything and rush to one another in the middle of the night if asked with no questions required. Everyone else is an acquaintance, or if you work with them, a co-worker. So you see, when someone is trying to make me a friend against my will, I feel they are trying to indebt me against my will.

And I laughed at your "Wahaha, I'm being hit on!" thought, because I hate realizing hours later that I've been hit on, and it unfortunately happens WAY too often. Like 75% of the time. Leave it to my poor upbringing as a nerd - I never expect to be hit on, so I'm never looking for it. Afterwards I'll just be eating dinner or drawing, thinking "Man, that girl was pushy, she just - oh, my God. Dammit." And there is never a NOT awkward way to bring that back up to a girl who thinks you rebuffed her advances. (That's IF you'll ever have a chance of seeing her again.) "So, I just realized you were flirting with me the other day, and possibly spent the last two days being hurt/angry/not caring/moving on from my seemingly cold and callous disregard of you. What to get coffee?"

[Endorphin]

Donmai

Seriously, I would like to know why. Is it because it is a solo work? Is it because it is a solo work done in twenty days? Or is it because he believes a NanO entry can never be decent?

Hun, if you're really that interested then just ask him, really.
Something in the lines with "hello, I' the creator of the game x and I've read your review concerning it. I really appreciate the time you took to write this and [enter whatever questions or statements here]."
It's also nice if the reviewer gets some feedback on his feedback, believe me or not--and he can answer this questions you have a lot better than we can.

Applegate
Gosh, I understand how you feel. D:
But really, it sounds slightly (/cough) creepy--and it really does have an anime-ish feeling. :'D

- En.

[SundownKid]

My main concern with the rest of his review is that he never declares he was reviewing a WIP. I clearly wrote on the WIP thread that I was only releasing a version for testers, and that a final version would only be released after the text passed through some proofreading and editing (yes, I am not a native English speaker). He dedicated half the review to talk about the poor quality of the text and about some inconsistencies that would be (as they really were) detected by the proofreaders.

Usually, the course of action in this case would be to do a closed beta and invite people in your thread rather than make it free to download. If you release it to the public, expect people to review it - simple as that. Remember that you are releasing it to the public and not just other forum members.

[Applegate]

I sympathize, Applegate. Some people feel like they have to be friends with everyone around them. As someone who very firmly divides people in friends, acquaintances, and co-workers, I really get annoyed when someone tries to "adopt" me as a "friend". Nope, sorry. Just because we work together, or are in the same horrible circumstances, or share 5 minutes of small talk a day does not make us friends. Friends are people you'd invite to your wedding, visit in the hospital, have overnight at your house, and you would both drop everything and rush to one another in the middle of the night if asked with no questions required. Everyone else is an acquaintance, or if you work with them, a co-worker.

We're kindred spirits in this, then. I've always found it weird that someone becomes a "friend" once you've spent some time together. I'm sorry, but I also often sit beside old ladies in the bus, but I'm not about ready to call them friends; What makes you think that, because we're close to the same age, me talking to you makes us friends? It devalues the entire concept of being a "friend" if it's as easy to get as a piece of loaf from the supermarket. Sometimes even "best friend" status is woefully platonic, and when you need them most they're too busy or simply not there. Of course, if anyone asks, sure, I have tonnes of friends... But only because it invariably leads to a lot of anger for people who easily consider someone a friend, when they're rebutted by someone.

And I laughed at your "Wahaha, I'm being hit on!" thought, because I hate realizing hours later that I've been hit on, and it unfortunately happens WAY too often. Like 75% of the time.

LateWhiteRabbit is a real girl magnet, huh. I actually considered that thought after the conversation, when I thought it was kind of queer for 'em to know what I bring for lunch, considering I'm the kind of student who strictly adheres to the rules of not eating during class, even when everyone else does... So the only times I bring out my lunch is during breaks. Which means they must've been watching me during breaks.

But I'm not too convinced someone'll fall for you despite never talking for a few months. This isn't some anime-like reality where people pine for "the one" because they're nice or what have you, and you watch your hero from afar, never gathering the courage to ask them out. In the real world, we fall in love after going on a few dates and figuring, "This person doesn't annoy the hell out of me; Suppose I won't mind relying on them!"

"So, I just realized you were flirting with me the other day, and possibly spent the last two days being hurt/angry/not caring/moving on from my seemingly cold and callous disregard of you. What to get coffee?"

Yeah, I have this hunch if they were at all hitting on me, then I've dashed my chances the moment I was clueless to it. I also honestly never expect people to fall head over heels for me, because as far as I figure I'm kind of plain, and I never really make much of an effort to get close to people─I consider that last part especially important in trying to find someone you like, since for me to like you, I need to know your measure and whether you're, well, not obnoxiously dull or boring.

But really, it sounds slightly (/cough) creepy--and it really does have an anime-ish feeling. :'D

If someday giant robots drop from the sky, or a nice boat passes by, or I start having daydreams of time-breaking gods, I'll be sure to report further.

[Donmai]

Thank you for your advice, wiser people.

[LateWhiteRabbit]

And I laughed at your "Wahaha, I'm being hit on!" thought, because I hate realizing hours later that I've been hit on, and it unfortunately happens WAY too often. Like 75% of the time.

LateWhiteRabbit is a real girl magnet, huh.

Haha. Not really. It's just when it DOES happen, I'm clueless to it 75% of the time until I realize what happened later and kick myself. When I was younger I once had a job where I thought one of the managers was always mean to me. One of my co-workers finally had to take me aside and tell me that the manager was actually trying to flirt with me every day, I'd seemingly ignore it, and the manager would give me crappy jobs in retaliation.

"But she's always critiquing my performance and telling me I need to improve."
"Haven't you ever noticed she is always touching you and steering you by the hips while she gives her critiques? And repeats herself?"
"Oh."

That's how clueless younger me was - a woman could steer me around a room with her arms wrapped around my waist whispering double-entendres about "performance" and I wouldn't pick up the flirting vibes. I kick myself now. She was quite attractive, and actually got written up by other management for "correcting" me. If I had it to do over again I'd definitely go out with her. Ah, well, we live and learn.

[Blane Doyle]

I have a problem. It's not a real problem, per say, but it's an annoying one and it involves my laptop.

More specifically: I panic every single time I do anything new on it. Not a full on panic attack, I know what those are like, but my head fills with thoughts of dread and I can't do anything and I start crying. Why?

Download a game? IT'S GOING TO CRASH IT. Install bluetooth headset drivers? BLUESCREEN OF DEATH IMMINENT. Turn it on? IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK THIS TIME I KNOW IT IT DIED WHILE IT WAS TURNED OFF.

I never used to think like this, honestly. My last computer, a desktop, got run through the grinder... and that's exactly why I think like this now. I got it with Windows Vista (which sucked of course). It blue screened after two weeks. So my brother installed Windows XP on it. Ran fine for a while, blue screened, got reinstalled and it ran fine for well over a year. I move to my roommate's place and no trouble at all except that the wireless internet adapter seemed to no longer work at all. Cue a month and a half before I move, approximately two years after my last reinstall and three to four years after buying the computer:

Every time I turn it on it blue screens. Like even before I get to the DESKTOP. This happens for a week and I manage to get it to turn on without bluscreening through a convoluted method that takes three tries and re-installing the OS the last time. Guess what?

It didn't work for more than a week. I move into my grandma's place, I manage to get it to turn on after four tries and it stays on, no turning it off NEVER turn it off it will blue screen and might not work at all anymore... power goes out.

Two months later or so I buy myself a laptop, no problems, never have problems... but I still worry that it will crap out on me at the drop of a hat for no real reason other than it's a computer and my last one did it. Even though I've hardly done anything to it and I have only had it for seven months.

... this is stupid.

[SundownKid]

The typical lifespan of a store-bought computer with no repairs in between is about 4 years. After that, you may have problems with overheating leading to blue screens, or a worn-out hard drive. Of course, computers can last for longer, but after 4 years it's normal to have a problem like that, so there's no reason to be paranoid. It just needs regular maintenance.

[Sunlit-Dreamer]

Ahem ahem. Hate to change back to a former subject but felt I should say vnsnow is reviewing the nanos. Not the kind you would expect from anon, since from what I've read so far the reviews are a bit more thorough. Of course I'm no expert on critics like some of you who criticize critics. XD

Now, to resume the off your chest business.

*censors name*, why did you have to disappear all week from work!? You should have called to let us know you were at the hospital for your grandma! I KNOW HOSPITALS LET YOU USE THE PHONE DANG IT! Your phone being broken is NO excuse.

And now I've lost one of my precious off days to make up for the lack of employees. Monday is my only free day to regain energy and rest. My feet are killing me. And if I get sick I can't call in since there's no one else who can be called in to replace me. Q_Q

I hope the next person who's hired won't suddenly quit or disappear on us. I can't work 6 days a week 7-8 (sometimes 9) hours each day forever!

[LateWhiteRabbit]

I have a problem. It's not a real problem, per say, but it's an annoying one and it involves my laptop.

More specifically: I panic every single time I do anything new on it. Not a full on panic attack, I know what those are like, but my head fills with thoughts of dread and I can't do anything and I start crying. Why?

Download a game? IT'S GOING TO CRASH IT. Install bluetooth headset drivers? BLUESCREEN OF DEATH IMMINENT. Turn it on? IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK THIS TIME I KNOW IT IT DIED WHILE IT WAS TURNED OFF.

It's not so weird to feel that way. I actually got that way after a similar string of problems like yours - I built a new system, and it worked fine for a month, then it died in the middle of the night, no explanation. I'd worked on and built computers for years, so, while worried, I was confident I could fix it. I replaced the power supply. Nothing. I replaced the CPU. Nothing. I replaced the RAM and motherboard. Nothing. I replaced the harddrive. NOTHING. I replaced the video card, and still nothing. I literally replaced every component in that machine - it should have been a new machine, but it still wouldn't turn on.

So I finally just ordered an entirely new computer. But afterwards, I did have the little panic attacks like you talk about - terrified my new system would die in the middle of the night. I stopped letting the screen go to energy saver mode, because a black screen raised my heart rate. Like you, I tried to avoid turning my new system off at all, and held my breath every time I turned it back on. My confidence in being able to fix anything that went wrong had been shattered by the last computer.

But really, that feeling you have can be mitigated by certain things - it is caused by fear of being helpless, of being at the mercy of chance or bad luck. Part of it may even be that you have no money to replace your computer should it fail - when I was a student that was a big part of my fear. Another part of it is fear that you will lose your data and files. All these things can be planned for, to greatly lessen the panic you feel.

1.) Begin a savings fund for a new computer. Figure out what a new computer would cost and how soon you might need one. 3-4 years is a very conservative estimate. Set aside so much a month. Often you can reuse things like monitors and keyboards, so you don't need to factor those in. If you are buying a $600 computer (which will buy you more and more these days), all you need to do is set aside $12.50 a month, and you'll be ready to replace your computer should disaster strike.
2.) Back up all your files constantly, and have backups of the backups. I use 2 external drives - I back up my main hard drive to one, and then mirror the data on the other. If you do this once a week, you can breath easier knowing that any computer failure will only lose you a week's worth of data at most.
3.) Get a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). It my favorite thing in the world, and I never use a computer without one now. Seriously, this thing is like a mini-generator for your computer. You'll never have to fear power failures again. Make sure all your computer and network devices are plugged into it, and depending on the UPS you buy and the power requirements of your computer, you will have anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to safely shutdown your computer in a power outage. You can even program the UPS to safely shutdown your computer if you aren't home when this happens. And since most power interruptions are very brief - a few seconds to a few minutes - most of the time, a UPS will keep you from having to shut down your system at all. Also, like a surge protector, a UPS protects against power surges and electrical strikes. Unlike power strips or surge protectors, they also have lights or an LCD panel that let you know exactly what is going on. No more wondering if your surge protector is still protecting you, or if a surge has already blown out its safeties.

Do all three of those things, and you'll be able to breath easier around your PC and avoid panic attacks.