confidenceincompetence.com

Dear Sony,
i just purchased and downloaded ‘Pain’ from the Playstation Store, and the experience has been atrocious. i’d like to go over all the pieces that are here, and see if i can sum up what type of experience i’d like to have.
8pm : i browsed some of the titles available, comparing prices and looking up reviews.
8:10pm : i remembered playing ‘Pain’ at a friend’s house and really enjoying it, so that was the one i decided to go with. It seemed like a nice escape after a tough day’s work.
8:12pm : Completed the purchase and began the 400 meg download. Got up to get a drink and clean up after dinner, thinking with my network connection it’ll be between 5 and 10 minutes.
Up to this point, it’s been an excellent experience, and i’m highly looking forward to playing.
8:20pm : Return to the sofa, ready to play. Now that it’s been downloaded, it needs to be installed. That little voice asks the first question, “Why didn’t it install automatically?” *1 Okay, go ahead an install. i’ll wander the internet for a bit.
8:27pm : Alright! Game’s installed, and i’m ready to play! The icon for the game has moved from the original location, now to be mixed in with the demo’s. *2
8:27pm : Found it, let’s go! “Before this game can begin, the software needs to be updated.” *3
8:28pm : Update download has begun. This shouldn’t take too long though, right? Wait, what’s the ‘1/4′ in the corner? Are there 4 updates that are required? Maybe i’ll make a quick snack; could be that i’m cranky because i’m hungry.
9:00pm : Snack’s done, and the second update has just begun to download. i begin writing this post.
9:18pm : 3 of the available updates have been downloaded. i’ve eaten my snack and am done writing. i’ll work on some code for my girlfriend’s app.
9:42pm : Updates have completed and installed. Signing in to the network…
9:43pm : Checking for updates. Installing updates 1 of 13. You have Got to be kidding me.
9:44pm : All 13 updates installed. That i can live with, but it’s just an unfortunate poke.
*1 - True, it may be a disk space issue, not wanting to eat up a user’s space without asking first. Maybe two options: download (400 M) / download and install (800M) would work? Something to prompt the user for all confirmation
*2 - i can’t organize these into my own folders?
*3 - Now i’m annoyed. i just downloaded the game from the Playstation servers!! What update is needed that has to be done on the client’s side? Why aren’t patches and updates applied before downloading? What a waste of bandwidth and time!
Here’s how i’d like this to have gone:
8pm : i browsed some of the titles available, comparing prices and looking up reviews.
8:10pm : i remembered playing ‘Pain’ at a friend’s house and really enjoying it, so that was the one i decided to go with. It seemed like a nice escape after a tough day’s work.
8:12pm : Completed the purchase and began the 1.6 gig download. With my network connection it’ll be around an hour.
10:00pm : Just got back from going out for a late dinner with some friends. Sit down on the sofa and begin playing.

I’m generous with everything except for my time. there’s some pseudo- intellectual mumbo-jumbo to be spouted about how it’s the only thing you can’t get back, but it’s not as well thought out as all that.
I’m honored to know some folk, whom I hold in very high regard, who have made enough with their lives to be comfortable. the thing that makes me respect them the most is how generous they are with their time.

ever wonder why dishes and toilets are made of the same material? I just did.

What is it about writing code that makes everyone want to be barefoot? i never believed it till i started writing more code, but it’s true. And even moreso on carpeted flooring. Something about the texture activates that part of the brain. Keeps me awake and focused to feel the nubbles on the soles of my feet.
Wacky.

just overheard the funniest conversation between a young boy and his mother. they were arguing over whether or not he turned one year old in 1998. the boy was saying that he was, because he was born in 1997. the mother was saying he wasn’t, because he’s eleven now, and that was ten years ago. he asked, “if not, then how old was I?” “I don’t know,” she answered. “because I was one!” “no you weren’t.”
that kid was so confused, and I’ve got a feeling it’s just beginning.
note: today happens to be dec 31 ‘08, which somehow makes it funnier about the mom’s whiff.

I was thinking about the difference in how men and women react to different stimuli… mostly of the “gross” or “distasteful” type. there’s the common idea that women in general shy away, and men have no fear. while there is certainly truth to that generalization, whether it’s societal or a fact of gender isn’t part of this thought. what does interest me is more how the perception of that reaction related to the internal reaction. it may be the people I know, but while everyone is willing to tackle any problem, their way of accepting usually falls within the “girls think it’s icky and boys think it’s cool” when getting a task. the interesting twist is that each sex seems to enjoy the task equally afterwards. is it that girls put up a front after to seem tough? or guys put up a front at the start for the same reason? or maybe, hopefully, everyone appreciates a moment independently and personally, and we just have ways of handling experiences that help us feel comfortable.