Erasmus Roterodamnsus

How's Honey, I Joined a Cult? Seems to tick all the boxes. Except maybe the cutesy art style and 70s kitsch. Otherwise, everything seems to be there.

And only 21 hours after upload. I was occupied, so these are later than I like, but here you are, with positioning data. WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:01.287 Hey! 00:00:01.287 --> 00:00:04.800 This video is a bit awkward, since a little over a month ago, 00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:08.454 I made one called "The end of Stop Killing Games", 00:00:08.454 --> 00:00:12.480 and this is a wrap up to Stop Killing Games. 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:14.590 In my defense, when I made that, 00:00:14.590 --> 00:00:16.880 I really did think that was close to the end 00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:19.661 for what Stop Killing Games could influence. 00:00:19.661 --> 00:00:22.000 But since we didn't accomplish everything, 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.147 I wanted to go down swinging. 00:00:24.147 --> 00:00:26.424 Well, through dumb luck, 00:00:26.424 --> 00:00:30.044 that video swung so hard, it changed the timeline. 00:00:30.044 --> 00:00:32.866 So now I should probably do a different one. 00:00:32.866 --> 00:00:36.720 Just to let people know upfront, this video isn't that important. 00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:40.400 It's going to go over various things, but nothing earth-shattering. 00:00:40.400 --> 00:00:42.800 Yeah, in fact, let's get the important stuff out of the way. 00:00:42.800 --> 00:00:44.720 It's only a few things. 00:00:44.720 --> 00:00:46.154 If you're in the EU, 00:00:46.154 --> 00:00:47.600 line:0 you can still contact members 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:48.833 line:0 of European Parliament 00:00:48.833 --> 00:00:49.533 line:0 to support 00:00:49.533 --> 00:00:52.447 line:0 the Stop Destroying Videogames initiative. 00:00:52.447 --> 00:00:56.320 And you and people from several other European countries 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:59.440 can add a comment to the Digital Fairness Act, 00:00:59.440 --> 00:01:02.000 asking politely if they can add protections 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.967 from publishers destroying video games you've already paid for. 00:01:05.967 --> 00:01:07.974 And I guess if you're in the UK, 00:01:07.974 --> 00:01:10.480 you can still contact members of Parliament 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:14.640 to support the government petition to stop destroying games there. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:18.560 Though, I won't lie, the UK situation is a lot iffier. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.200 Finally, this one's a shot in the dark, 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:25.200 but I've been advised if anyone has connections to the EU Commission, 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:29.920 specifically mid-level admin workers, that could be very helpful. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:31.168 line:0 You can contact me, 00:01:31.168 --> 00:01:33.040 line:0 or the official spokesperson. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:33.934 line:0 His contact info 00:01:33.934 --> 00:01:35.633 line:0 is on the initiative page. 00:01:35.633 --> 00:01:36.960 Okay, that's it. 00:01:36.960 --> 00:01:39.180 Nothing else I'm going to say here really matters much, 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:41.680 so if you want to stop watching, that's fine. 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:42.760 I guess, first off, 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:46.400 thanks to everyone who's assisted with the Stop Killing Games campaign, 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:48.000 or is still helping. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:52.014 It's involved literally millions of people at this point. 00:01:52.014 --> 00:01:55.448 On one hand, I'm really glad we got the help we needed. 00:01:55.448 --> 00:02:00.320 On the other, I still can't shake the feeling of how stupid this all is. 00:02:00.320 --> 00:02:04.966 Not people helping, but that we have to fight for any of this to begin with. 00:02:04.966 --> 00:02:09.280 The issue of not destroying games that people have already paid for 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:13.200 in a business bigger than the film and music industry combined 00:02:13.200 --> 00:02:15.840 when the whole thing is entirely preventable 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.240 has always struck me as crazy. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:22.000 I still view this like fighting for the right to have plumbing in your home, 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:26.534 or to demand that bread you buy shouldn't be filled with sawdust. 00:02:26.534 --> 00:02:31.381 And no, not just a label telling you that your bread contains sawdust. 00:02:31.381 --> 00:02:35.920 There is such a thing as minimum standards for many products. 00:02:35.920 --> 00:02:40.800 So this entire movement has never been a calling for me, and still isn't. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.574 It's more like this particular practice 00:02:42.574 --> 00:02:45.280 has annoyed me way more than the average person, 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:46.720 and I just want it to go away 00:02:46.720 --> 00:02:49.854 so I can spend my time on things I'd rather be doing. 00:02:49.854 --> 00:02:52.080 However, through dumb luck, 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:55.680 I've been in a unique position to attempt to end this practice, 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:57.601 and I knew I would feel like a giant hypocrite 00:02:57.601 --> 00:02:59.920 if I didn't give it my best shot. 00:02:59.920 --> 00:03:01.520 So I guess first 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.600 why don't we go over what that shot has looked like, 00:03:03.600 --> 00:03:05.520 and how effective it's been. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:08.366 Let's pull up the old battle plans again. 00:03:08.366 --> 00:03:11.120 Okay, so here are the original plans, 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:13.760 but new options opened up along the way. 00:03:13.760 --> 00:03:15.520 So, here's the updated version. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:17.360 And rather than go over everything, 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.160 I made a key showing the state of each attempt. 00:03:20.160 --> 00:03:22.277 I'm rating this by two metrics: 00:03:22.277 --> 00:03:26.560 Did we accomplish what we set out to do, and how effective was that? 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:29.760 Well, on the first metric, we've actually done amazing. 00:03:29.760 --> 00:03:31.553 We have maximized our chances 00:03:31.553 --> 00:03:34.483 to push back against the issue of games being destroyed 00:03:34.483 --> 00:03:36.160 on almost every front. 00:03:36.160 --> 00:03:37.534 That's incredible. 00:03:37.534 --> 00:03:40.488 I wouldn't have predicted we would have gotten this far. 00:03:40.488 --> 00:03:45.040 In fact, I'd say the only place we outright failed to launch was Brazil. 00:03:45.040 --> 00:03:46.400 It was looking promising, 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:49.040 but we ran into a wall where the law firm needed more data 00:03:49.040 --> 00:03:51.680 on how many copies of <i>The Crew</i> were sold in Brazil, 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:53.541 and we just weren't able to find it. 00:03:53.541 --> 00:03:54.960 So, bummer about that, 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:58.100 but I think it wasn't the most pivotal country in this either. 00:03:58.100 --> 00:04:01.401 I think France, Germany, Australia, 00:04:01.401 --> 00:04:04.560 and the EU as a whole are the heavyweights in this. 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:08.000 As long as we get a major market prohibiting game destruction, 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:10.240 I think we'll largely win this globally. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.847 But what about the second metric: how effective this all was? 00:04:13.847 --> 00:04:16.261 Well, some were outright failures, 00:04:16.261 --> 00:04:18.533 some of which were kind of expected, 00:04:18.533 --> 00:04:21.128 but by and large, we still don't know. 00:04:21.128 --> 00:04:24.400 All the consumer agencies are still investigating this. 00:04:24.400 --> 00:04:27.440 The Digital Fairness Act is still accepting comments. 00:04:27.440 --> 00:04:30.480 Hell, even for the European Citizens' Initiative, 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.600 we still don't know if we actually got enough valid signatures. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.520 Though, I think we probably did. 00:04:35.520 --> 00:04:36.720 So, as you can see, 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:39.680 a whole lot of the campaign now involves waiting. 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:42.201 And government does not move quickly. 00:04:42.201 --> 00:04:43.040 But seriously, 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:47.422 I think we've done about as well as is humanly possible, given the landscape, 00:04:47.422 --> 00:04:50.533 especially considering that I'm just a friggin' YouTuber! 00:04:50.533 --> 00:04:53.840 I think all this stuff we've launched are our best shots. 00:04:53.840 --> 00:04:57.440 I don't see lots of new stuff on the horizon later. 00:04:57.440 --> 00:05:00.160 I think we either win on at least one of these, 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.800 or if they all fail, then it's over. 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.040 Besides the Digital Fairness Act, 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:07.840 the only big one I think I still have any influence over 00:05:07.840 --> 00:05:10.200 is the European Citizens' Initiative. 00:05:10.200 --> 00:05:12.960 However, since the signing period is over, 00:05:12.960 --> 00:05:15.520 we're entering a phase where things like counter-lobbying 00:05:15.520 --> 00:05:18.437 and political connections are most important. 00:05:18.437 --> 00:05:21.344 And frankly, that is not my department. 00:05:21.344 --> 00:05:24.217 I know <i>nothing</i> about that. 00:05:24.217 --> 00:05:26.320 Though, some political insiders do, 00:05:26.320 --> 00:05:29.360 and they're advising the official organizers. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:31.524 I'm not even aware of all their plans, 00:05:31.524 --> 00:05:35.166 but even if I was, I probably wouldn't say what they're up to. 00:05:35.166 --> 00:05:39.120 Ever since the industry took a shot at us with fabricated claims, 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:42.240 I've been acting a little bit like I've been Mirandized. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.800 So, on some parts of this, I may be very quiet, 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:48.560 since I know <i>someone</i> is trying to use that against us. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:52.320 If the insiders have requests for me, I'll probably follow them, 00:05:52.320 --> 00:05:55.840 but this is turning into a game I'm not qualified to play. 00:05:55.840 --> 00:05:59.577 I am qualified to encourage people to sign a form. 00:05:59.577 --> 00:06:01.840 That's more within my skillset. 00:06:01.840 --> 00:06:03.820 I don't have a timetable on the initiative, 00:06:03.820 --> 00:06:05.920 since some of it is out of our control, 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:09.200 but it's going to be months down the line before there's a hearing. 00:06:09.200 --> 00:06:11.328 I probably will be assisting the organizers 00:06:11.328 --> 00:06:14.994 with notes and talking points for when they go to the EU Commission. 00:06:14.994 --> 00:06:16.560 Assuming they do. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.120 I mean, we're probably safe with the signatures, 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:21.274 but if we don't have a million valid ones, 00:06:21.274 --> 00:06:23.520 none of this part matters anyway. 00:06:23.520 --> 00:06:27.766 That's why we have alternate plans of attack just in case others fail. 00:06:27.766 --> 00:06:31.440 So that's where my mind is at, but if I confuse people, here: 00:06:31.440 --> 00:06:33.434 line:10% I made a chart of Ross-vision 00:06:33.434 --> 00:06:35.514 line:10% on how I see the campaign right now. 00:06:35.514 --> 00:06:37.533 line:10% That should hopefully clear it up. 00:06:37.533 --> 00:06:38.480 Now, some have asked, 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:42.055 "Hey, since you're winding down your end of things on the campaign, 00:06:42.055 --> 00:06:45.464 can you pass the torch on this, or let the community take over?" 00:06:45.464 --> 00:06:46.960 Yeah. Sure. 00:06:46.960 --> 00:06:49.440 You don't even have to wait on me, really. 00:06:49.440 --> 00:06:51.120 I actually have someone in mind 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:54.480 who might be great to lead or help lead things in the future. 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:58.320 It's the same person who helped organize things to contact TV stations, 00:06:58.320 --> 00:07:02.560 and was talking about a possible watchdog group if the initiative did pass. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:04.500 So he's had good ideas. 00:07:04.500 --> 00:07:05.920 As for the community, 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.800 I'm afraid I don't have a solid plan for that as of yet, 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:10.960 other than it's being sorted out. 00:07:10.960 --> 00:07:13.197 A lot of people are helping with that. 00:07:13.197 --> 00:07:16.480 Yeah, in fact, I'm not even in direct control of the website, 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:18.240 so it may be outdated for a few days 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.280 while the person who does maintain it is working on it. 00:07:21.280 --> 00:07:23.667 Now, I am pessimistic on how much we can do 00:07:23.667 --> 00:07:26.240 beyond the action we've already put into play, 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.708 but I'm of course in favor of people continuing 00:07:28.708 --> 00:07:32.001 Stop Killing Games-related things if they want. 00:07:32.001 --> 00:07:33.961 Speaking of related things, 00:07:33.961 --> 00:07:36.202 I've received a lot of questions about the current 00:07:36.202 --> 00:07:39.440 Steam and Itch censorship going on right now. 00:07:39.440 --> 00:07:41.014 I am not an expert on that, 00:07:41.014 --> 00:07:43.920 but I can talk about how it relates to us. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.720 I have some good news and some bad news, 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:48.720 and I think some more good news. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:51.760 The good news is if a storefront removed your game, 00:07:51.760 --> 00:07:53.821 and gave you no ability to back it up 00:07:53.821 --> 00:07:56.560 and continue running it without further support, 00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:01.600 then that is exactly the situation Stop Killing Games is trying to address. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:03.160 We've been mostly focused on games 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:06.240 that have the online dependency built into the game, 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:09.814 but if a store gave you no notice before removing your game, 00:08:09.814 --> 00:08:12.761 then yeah, it's the same problem, just a different flavor. 00:08:12.761 --> 00:08:15.860 The game you paid for was taken from you! 00:08:15.860 --> 00:08:18.960 Now, stores could still remove access to games you paid for, 00:08:18.960 --> 00:08:21.997 but they would have to give you 30 days' notice or something, 00:08:21.997 --> 00:08:25.040 <i>and</i> the ability to back it up and keep running the game 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:27.520 before something like that would be okay. 00:08:27.520 --> 00:08:29.920 So, while we can't address this situation now, 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.997 because again, government moves really slowly, 00:08:32.997 --> 00:08:33.885 what we're doing 00:08:33.885 --> 00:08:37.533 could partially protect against situations like this in the future. 00:08:37.533 --> 00:08:39.900 Now, the bad news is Stop Killing Games 00:08:39.900 --> 00:08:44.160 would do nothing to prevent companies from delisting games. 00:08:44.160 --> 00:08:45.760 That's because to solve that, 00:08:45.760 --> 00:08:49.900 you'd have to create law mandating stores keep selling games. 00:08:49.900 --> 00:08:53.440 That seems unreasonable and unrealistic. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:54.708 We're also not addressing 00:08:54.708 --> 00:08:59.280 Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal's grip on entire world commerce, 00:08:59.280 --> 00:09:02.240 because that sounds like a way, <i>way</i> bigger scope 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.466 than anything I could ever deal with. 00:09:04.466 --> 00:09:07.680 One of the reasons Stop Killing Games has made it so far 00:09:07.680 --> 00:09:11.440 is because there are gaps in the law on the issue of game destruction. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:16.720 We're shining a flashlight on a practice that may <i>already</i> be illegal. 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:18.960 I can't even imagine where you would start 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:22.486 with trying to rein in payment processors. 00:09:22.486 --> 00:09:26.560 That said, this censorship problem has gotten a lot of attention. 00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:29.520 So hopefully smarter and more experienced people than myself 00:09:29.520 --> 00:09:31.840 know how to push back against this. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:33.360 But even if they don't, 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:36.880 I think this is a problem that will solve itself over time. 00:09:36.880 --> 00:09:39.360 That's because both players and publishers 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.640 want to buy and sell the games that are being censored. 00:09:42.640 --> 00:09:45.866 So that means there's real market pressure to find a solution. 00:09:45.866 --> 00:09:49.520 In fact, I bet there's a startup frantically trying to fill the gap 00:09:49.520 --> 00:09:52.240 that credit card companies are leaving them right now, 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:55.360 because there's so much money being left on the table for them. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.640 If you bet on companies wanting to make lots of money, 00:09:58.640 --> 00:10:00.560 you're rarely disappointed. 00:10:00.560 --> 00:10:03.401 I also think this situation points out how hollow 00:10:03.401 --> 00:10:08.514 the alternative "solutions" you sometimes see suggested are, 00:10:08.514 --> 00:10:13.214 like "clear labeling" or "voting with your wallet." 00:10:13.214 --> 00:10:18.170 In both cases, those do not save the games you want to keep. 00:10:18.170 --> 00:10:20.850 It's the same for censored games also. 00:10:20.850 --> 00:10:22.271 Voting with your wallet 00:10:22.271 --> 00:10:27.066 only helps if the game is allowed to exist in the first place. 00:10:27.066 --> 00:10:29.188 So, Stop Killing Games would only help with 00:10:29.188 --> 00:10:32.560 part of this censorship situation in the future, 00:10:32.560 --> 00:10:36.000 but it's certainly compatible with people trying to do more. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:38.400 Okay, speaking of the future, 00:10:38.400 --> 00:10:40.400 I think what we've done with Stop Killing Games 00:10:40.400 --> 00:10:42.800 has actually changed the timeline, 00:10:42.800 --> 00:10:44.800 or is attempting to. 00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:47.600 As someone who's been at ground zero on this, 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:50.240 I thought it might be fun to compare what would still be happening 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:52.640 if the movement had never happened. 00:10:52.640 --> 00:10:54.667 First, let's look at the battle plans. 00:10:54.667 --> 00:10:58.020 How many of these would still be happening without us? 00:10:58.020 --> 00:11:00.377 Oh, yeah. Nothing! 00:11:00.377 --> 00:11:02.514 None of this would be happening! 00:11:02.514 --> 00:11:06.960 Stop Killing Games is taking credit for getting <i>all</i> of this rolling. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:08.160 If you don't believe me, 00:11:08.160 --> 00:11:11.440 I encourage you to look at any news related to saving your games 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:14.160 prior to January 2024. 00:11:14.160 --> 00:11:15.977 I feel certain, without us, 00:11:15.977 --> 00:11:18.181 <i>The Crew</i> would have been just another shutdown, 00:11:18.181 --> 00:11:24.080 like <i>Darkspore</i>, <i>BattleForge</i>, <i>PlanetSide</i>, <i>Asheron's Call</i>, <i>Dust 514</i>. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.560 I mean, if any game was going to get people motivated, 00:11:26.560 --> 00:11:28.560 I would think it would be <i>Overwatch</i>. 00:11:28.560 --> 00:11:30.828 It sold over 50 million copies, 00:11:30.828 --> 00:11:32.034 was destroyed, 00:11:32.034 --> 00:11:35.600 and people just accepted it, best I can tell. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:38.960 I think it didn't have the same legal openings that <i>The Crew</i> did, 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:43.520 but there wasn't an upswell that led to any big action that I'm aware of. 00:11:43.520 --> 00:11:45.760 I think if we hadn't acted when we did, 00:11:45.760 --> 00:11:48.240 then game destruction would just continue as usual, 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:52.597 the same way it did in 2023, 2022, and so on. 00:11:52.597 --> 00:11:57.007 I really believe this movement was our only chance on this. 00:11:57.007 --> 00:11:59.200 Oh, sure, there would be other game shutdowns, 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:01.280 but then people would just accept them too, 00:12:01.280 --> 00:12:03.760 like they're some sort of law of nature. 00:12:03.760 --> 00:12:05.977 Hell, some still do. 00:12:05.977 --> 00:12:09.680 You know, I never expected a <i>Penny Arcade</i> comic on this, 00:12:09.680 --> 00:12:12.240 but I love the write-up underneath it: 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:16.160 "What we've been conditioned to believe is normal simply isn't." 00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:19.877 "The purpose of the campaign is to give you what you already own." 00:12:19.877 --> 00:12:22.160 "It's a bizarre state of affairs." 00:12:22.160 --> 00:12:24.960 The part about conditioning is so true. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:25.988 From my perspective, 00:12:25.988 --> 00:12:27.900 it's felt like <i>lots</i> of gamers 00:12:27.900 --> 00:12:30.880 have gotten brainwashed on this over the years. 00:12:30.880 --> 00:12:34.950 I really feel like we're defying the odds by getting people to wake up. 00:12:34.950 --> 00:12:38.400 So what didn't we change related to game ownership? 00:12:38.400 --> 00:12:40.100 Well, there's a few things. 00:12:40.100 --> 00:12:43.840 That bill in California doubling down and saying you own nothing, 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:45.620 but that there should be clear labels 00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:48.100 about you owning nothing would still have passed. 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:51.966 That was mostly from Sony pulling movies off its platform, not us. 00:12:51.966 --> 00:12:55.760 The court case against Ubisoft in the US might still have gone through. 00:12:55.760 --> 00:12:59.200 It depends on how motivated the plaintiffs were by the movement or not. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:01.561 I unfortunately think that case has no chance 00:13:01.561 --> 00:13:03.920 of stopping the practice of game destruction, 00:13:03.920 --> 00:13:05.600 but we weren't behind that one. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:09.267 Server emulator attempts on <i>The Crew</i> would still be happening without us, 00:13:09.267 --> 00:13:10.160 thankfully. 00:13:10.160 --> 00:13:11.688 The US copyright office 00:13:11.688 --> 00:13:14.787 would still have rejected the Video Game History Foundation's attempt 00:13:14.787 --> 00:13:18.633 to get extremely meager exemptions to the DMCA. 00:13:18.633 --> 00:13:21.120 And yeah, I think that's about it. 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:23.781 We can take credit for pretty much everything else related 00:13:23.781 --> 00:13:27.854 to pushing back against game destruction from 2024 onward, 00:13:27.854 --> 00:13:30.000 unless you think that <i>Concord</i> is the spark 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.400 that would have rallied everyone to push back. 00:13:32.400 --> 00:13:33.547 Or hey, <i>Anthem</i>. 00:13:33.547 --> 00:13:35.066 That too. 00:13:35.066 --> 00:13:38.720 So, yeah, we're on a different timeline now! 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:39.833 It feels weird! 00:13:40.833 --> 00:13:44.240 Okay, and here's the part nobody is going to like. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.933 I have been exhausted almost every day for over a month now. 00:13:47.933 --> 00:13:50.541 This is what I'm looking like almost all the time now 00:13:50.541 --> 00:13:52.233 when I'm not on camera. 00:13:52.233 --> 00:13:56.400 I know a lot of people found out about Stop Killing Games just recently, 00:13:56.400 --> 00:13:59.920 but I've been going at it hard for over a year and a half now, 00:13:59.920 --> 00:14:03.600 and I wasn't exactly well-rested prior to that. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:05.680 When I made the first end video, 00:14:05.680 --> 00:14:07.890 I thought I would get a break afterwards. 00:14:07.890 --> 00:14:08.800 Nope. 00:14:08.800 --> 00:14:10.877 It's been unending overtime, 00:14:10.877 --> 00:14:13.920 because like <i>hell</i> I was going to miss the opportunity 00:14:13.920 --> 00:14:15.853 to actually turn this around. 00:14:15.853 --> 00:14:18.560 But man, I am feeling it. 00:14:18.560 --> 00:14:20.270 There's been something that has to be done 00:14:20.270 --> 00:14:22.960 every waking moment since then. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:24.800 And I have no room to complain, either. 00:14:24.800 --> 00:14:27.131 I'm the one who brought this on myself. 00:14:27.131 --> 00:14:28.000 Well, no, 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.160 the industry brought this on all of us, 00:14:30.160 --> 00:14:32.737 but I'm the one who decided to get in front of it. 00:14:32.737 --> 00:14:33.834 But since I have, 00:14:33.834 --> 00:14:37.200 I have been getting worn the hell down. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:38.640 This may sound crazy, 00:14:38.640 --> 00:14:41.120 but I'm actually at a point where I'm becoming numb 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.280 as to whether we even win or not. 00:14:43.280 --> 00:14:45.164 If we win, great. 00:14:45.164 --> 00:14:48.080 If we lose, but I still gave it my best effort, 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:49.600 I can live with that. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:51.406 But what would drive me crazy 00:14:51.406 --> 00:14:55.760 is losing because I dropped the ball on something I could obviously fix. 00:14:55.760 --> 00:14:59.200 For example, if a regulator gets bribed by the industry, 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.266 I have no influence on that. 00:15:01.266 --> 00:15:04.160 But telling people there's a way for our issue to be a rider 00:15:04.160 --> 00:15:08.001 on the Digital Fairness Act if enough people comment on it, 00:15:08.001 --> 00:15:12.800 yeah, that is totally something I kind of had to do to maximize our chances. 00:15:12.800 --> 00:15:15.955 So I kind of either need to win or be defeated. 00:15:15.955 --> 00:15:18.560 In between just doesn't work for me. 00:15:18.560 --> 00:15:22.800 I mean, even if we lose, I want everyone involved to own it. 00:15:22.800 --> 00:15:23.914 So, if the EU says 00:15:23.914 --> 00:15:27.360 there's no problem with publishers killing games you paid for, 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:28.160 fine. 00:15:28.160 --> 00:15:30.500 I want to hear them say that terms like these 00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:33.633 are considered legal and completely fair 00:15:33.633 --> 00:15:36.400 under Directive 93/13/EEC, 00:15:36.400 --> 00:15:39.200 which is supposed to protect consumers against unfair terms 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.120 and mass-produced contracts. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:42.301 If consumer protections 00:15:42.301 --> 00:15:45.280 never really existed for video games this whole time, 00:15:45.280 --> 00:15:48.000 and the EU Commission wants to keep it that way, 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.680 then let's hear them say it so the whole world knows. 00:15:51.680 --> 00:15:54.400 They could have saved me a lot of time and effort. 00:15:54.400 --> 00:15:58.133 I think there's a serious chance we could win though, somewhere. 00:15:58.133 --> 00:16:02.000 Anyway, I've said before I've kind of hated doing all of this. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:05.160 It's just been a competing scale of knowing I would hate myself more 00:16:05.160 --> 00:16:07.401 if I quit at a critical juncture. 00:16:07.401 --> 00:16:11.280 Well, I'm just about through the most critical junctures. 00:16:11.280 --> 00:16:12.640 Oh, there's more left, 00:16:12.640 --> 00:16:15.520 but not ones I know how to influence much. 00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:16.666 My goal on all of this 00:16:16.666 --> 00:16:21.280 has always been to get in, hit as hard as I can, then get out. 00:16:21.280 --> 00:16:24.480 The "getting out" part is taking longer than I would have wanted, 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.480 but that's still the plan. 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:29.440 I want to be done with this so badly. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.800 I don't think a clean break is really possible for me yet. 00:16:32.800 --> 00:16:36.880 Even as I say this, I still have days of campaign work I'm behind on. 00:16:36.880 --> 00:16:39.440 But as soon as I start to get on top of things, 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.080 my plan is to be on a standby break, 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:45.057 where if something important happens where I need to do something, 00:16:45.057 --> 00:16:47.690 yeah, I'll drop everything and do it. 00:16:47.690 --> 00:16:52.080 Otherwise, I want out as soon as it won't cause things to implode. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:54.000 If you work past a certain point, 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.480 you kind of stop caring about everything, 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:58.233 or at least I do. 00:16:58.233 --> 00:17:02.584 Right now, I feel like I want to take a break for the next 10 years. 00:17:02.584 --> 00:17:05.760 I probably don't need to, or can't, really. 00:17:05.760 --> 00:17:07.440 Maybe I only need a couple days. 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:09.300 I have no way of telling anymore. 00:17:09.300 --> 00:17:12.543 You know that life-draining machine from <i>The Princess Bride</i>? 00:17:12.543 --> 00:17:16.100 Yeah, I feel like I might have had a round or two on that. 00:17:16.100 --> 00:17:19.360 Ironically, I haven't had time to play <i>a game</i> 00:17:19.360 --> 00:17:21.600 for close to a couple months now. 00:17:21.600 --> 00:17:26.240 I admit, part of me just wants to play games for days, and not look back. 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.801 I'm reminded of an <i>Onion</i> article 00:17:27.801 --> 00:17:29.680 talking about how you could just stop working 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.920 and play video games until you run out of money, 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:33.214 and get evicted. 00:17:33.214 --> 00:17:35.333 My mind has gone there before. 00:17:35.333 --> 00:17:38.100 So, assuming I get my life force back at some point, 00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:40.560 which I probably will, I don't know, 00:17:40.560 --> 00:17:43.360 I've noticed recently I have a lot of new viewers, 00:17:43.360 --> 00:17:46.337 so I should probably talk some about this channel. 00:17:46.337 --> 00:17:50.400 This whole thing with Stop Killing Games has been one giant detour for me. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:53.920 It's not what I want to spend my time on any more than necessary. 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:56.880 Now, things could easily change, but at this moment, 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.080 I have no plans to make more videos on Stop Killing Games, 00:18:00.080 --> 00:18:02.480 because so much is underway now. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:05.680 Now, there are all kinds of things I probably could report on, 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.760 but here's the way I look at it. 00:18:07.760 --> 00:18:10.000 I see news related to game destruction 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:12.666 as kind of falling into one of two categories. 00:18:12.666 --> 00:18:15.360 Some news raises awareness of the problem, 00:18:15.360 --> 00:18:17.334 but then nothing ever comes from it, 00:18:17.334 --> 00:18:18.800 nobody does anything, 00:18:18.800 --> 00:18:20.960 and the problem just gets worse. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.800 This is the kind I did without realizing it nine years off and on 00:18:24.800 --> 00:18:26.400 leading up to the campaign. 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:29.990 Every video I've made on this subject prior to 2024 00:18:29.990 --> 00:18:32.480 never amounted to a damn thing. 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:33.734 Now, the other category 00:18:33.734 --> 00:18:36.720 points to some sort of obvious action to be taken, 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:38.320 so people do something, 00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:40.400 and that can change the situation. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:43.041 A good chunk of the coverage I've done on Stop Killing Games 00:18:43.041 --> 00:18:44.700 has been an attempt at that. 00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:47.760 See, I don't care about reporting the news. 00:18:47.760 --> 00:18:50.080 I care about games not being destroyed. 00:18:50.080 --> 00:18:52.480 The news was just a means to an end. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:55.520 So, since I have a lot of new subscribers lately, 00:18:55.520 --> 00:18:57.501 if you came here expecting a lot more news 00:18:57.501 --> 00:18:59.727 on dead games and the campaign, 00:18:59.727 --> 00:19:03.760 eh, you're probably going to be disappointed and should unsubscribe. 00:19:03.760 --> 00:19:06.960 I'm only interested in category two now. 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:09.701 In my eyes, the important part is what we're doing, 00:19:09.701 --> 00:19:11.900 not how often I'm talking about it. 00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:13.994 And <i>this</i> is what we've been doing. 00:19:13.994 --> 00:19:16.400 <i>This</i> is the part that counts for something. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:18.034 I know this is going to upset people, 00:19:18.034 --> 00:19:19.200 but it's like I said, 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:23.107 you work past a certain point, you stop caring about everything. 00:19:23.107 --> 00:19:26.160 Maybe I'll be more open-minded once I'm less burned out, 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:29.440 but this campaign stuff is not a new direction for the channel. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.200 This is all temporary. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:34.720 So, that may leave you wondering, what the hell is this channel then? 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.120 Well, normally it's a few things. 00:19:37.120 --> 00:19:40.960 The big thing I was doing prior to this was <i>Ross's Game Dungeon</i>, 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.960 where it's sort of a game review show, 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:46.080 but kind of targeted to something you might watch late at night, 00:19:46.080 --> 00:19:48.640 when you're wondering what you're doing with your life. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.033 I think that's my target audience. 00:19:51.033 --> 00:19:53.267 The last episode, <i>Sabotain</i>, 00:19:53.267 --> 00:19:56.320 is actually pretty representative of what to expect, 00:19:56.320 --> 00:19:58.480 though some can be much shorter. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:03.120 If you like that, then yes, you probably should stay subscribed. 00:20:03.120 --> 00:20:06.080 I've also been meaning to continue <i>Freeman's Mind</i>, 00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:09.840 where I narrate the thoughts of Gordon Freeman from <i>Half-Life</i>. 00:20:09.840 --> 00:20:14.000 That one's kind of a runaway experiment that's been taking me too long to do, 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:16.000 but people still seem to want it. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:19.047 Now, what I've done in the past and would like to get back to 00:20:19.047 --> 00:20:23.166 are original comedy shorts using a game engine to animate the scenes. 00:20:23.166 --> 00:20:25.920 Most of these were a series called <i>Civil Protection</i>, 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:27.734 which is set in the <i>Half-Life 2</i> world 00:20:27.734 --> 00:20:29.900 created with its software development kit. 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:32.480 I also did one short in Source Filmmaker, 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:34.720 which is a whole different kind of pain. 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:37.533 I've had other one-off original shorts also. 00:20:37.533 --> 00:20:40.640 They're almost all comedy or comedy-adventure. 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:41.680 I like directing, 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.040 but I kind of hate animating, it's such a time sync. 00:20:45.040 --> 00:20:48.930 Though it's probably getting easier with more tools available nowadays, 00:20:48.930 --> 00:20:52.000 especially since I'm not aiming for Pixar quality. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.880 I care way more about writing and acting. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:56.320 I doubt I'll hit it, 00:20:56.320 --> 00:20:57.600 but my ideal look 00:20:57.600 --> 00:21:01.120 would be something like the in-game cutscenes from <i>StarCraft II</i>, 00:21:01.120 --> 00:21:05.280 where it's obvious it's a game engine, but the animation still looks great. 00:21:05.280 --> 00:21:08.400 Now, I should warn people, I am slow. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:10.720 You know how most movies take a couple years to make 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.280 because a lot of effort goes into making them? 00:21:13.280 --> 00:21:16.424 That workflow is a lot more compatible with my brain, 00:21:16.424 --> 00:21:19.120 but that is not how things work on YouTube, 00:21:19.120 --> 00:21:22.000 which wants new videos constantly. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.760 See, if I was smart, 00:21:23.760 --> 00:21:26.000 I would just make short commentary videos, 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:27.600 get way more views and income, 00:21:27.600 --> 00:21:30.400 and not bother with trying to make something more creative. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:34.200 But my instincts just tell me that is not what I should be doing. 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:38.400 I also do monthly streams with viewers where I just answer questions, 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:40.800 but those aren't really worth watching. 00:21:40.800 --> 00:21:42.801 They're more just a proof-of-life thing, 00:21:42.801 --> 00:21:43.920 since in the past, 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:47.280 viewers would constantly make comments about whether I was dead or not, 00:21:47.280 --> 00:21:49.760 and now they don't say that so much. 00:21:49.760 --> 00:21:52.000 Though, I think I'm going to change that a little bit, 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:54.200 and start posting those on my secondary channel, 00:21:54.200 --> 00:21:56.720 AccursedFarmsJunk instead. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:59.800 So hopefully, only videos I think have some merit to them 00:21:59.800 --> 00:22:01.766 will be on this channel in the future. 00:22:01.766 --> 00:22:04.960 So those are the plans for the channel, but before I go, 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:06.801 this part is a bit selfish of me, 00:22:06.801 --> 00:22:09.440 but it's related to game preservation. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:11.920 Part of the reason I hate seeing games destroyed 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:15.120 is because so many just have fantastic worlds. 00:22:15.120 --> 00:22:16.880 So it's a slap in the face to me 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.533 every time a great one is destroyed forever. 00:22:19.533 --> 00:22:22.000 Hey, <i>Anthem</i> is due to shut down. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.101 A bunch of people say it's not a good game, 00:22:24.101 --> 00:22:25.721 and they're probably right. 00:22:25.721 --> 00:22:27.254 But look at that world! 00:22:27.254 --> 00:22:28.500 That looks pretty cool! 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:30.560 Of course I would want to see that! 00:22:30.560 --> 00:22:33.600 Too bad EA is dumping all of this in the trash 00:22:33.600 --> 00:22:36.300 so no one can ever experience it again. 00:22:36.300 --> 00:22:38.480 This is also why I can get resentful 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.021 towards people trying to defend this practice. 00:22:41.021 --> 00:22:43.120 It's art destruction! 00:22:43.120 --> 00:22:44.521 And it's preventable. 00:22:44.521 --> 00:22:45.801 Yeah, let's add a label 00:22:45.801 --> 00:22:48.908 saying this world will be completely destroyed for everyone. 00:22:48.908 --> 00:22:50.733 That solves the problem, right? 00:22:50.733 --> 00:22:54.400 Anyway, I'm rehashing some of what I talk about in this video, 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:57.380 but even if we end up being unable to save games, 00:22:57.380 --> 00:23:00.967 man, I at least want to save the game worlds. 00:23:00.967 --> 00:23:04.621 Well, I think technology is making that more and more of a possibility, 00:23:04.621 --> 00:23:07.920 especially with using AI to extrapolate assets. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:10.200 I see there being a few levels to this. 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:13.040 The first would just be a completely static world. 00:23:13.040 --> 00:23:14.401 The second would cover things like 00:23:14.401 --> 00:23:18.240 basic looping animations, grass swaying, stuff like that. 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:20.800 Then you would have advanced or contextual animations 00:23:20.800 --> 00:23:23.040 like NPCs or traffic. 00:23:23.040 --> 00:23:26.160 And I guess the fourth layer would be mimicking the game itself. 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:29.600 Though I would still get a lot of value with even this second layer here. 00:23:29.600 --> 00:23:32.913 line:20% Some have compared what I'm asking for to the noclip website. 00:23:32.913 --> 00:23:34.400 line:0 Yeah, that's similar, 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:37.160 but there are hundreds of games I want this for, 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:39.680 especially for games on death row. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:42.320 Now, some people may bring up how there have been AI projects 00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:45.280 to generate gameplay-like footage in real time, 00:23:45.280 --> 00:23:47.680 like an AI rendition of <i>Quake II</i>, 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:49.360 or prompts by Google. 00:23:49.360 --> 00:23:52.264 In my opinion, this is barking up the wrong tree. 00:23:52.264 --> 00:23:56.025 All the footage looks soupy and has an uncanny valley feeling. 00:23:56.025 --> 00:23:57.747 Instead, they should be using the AI 00:23:57.747 --> 00:24:01.341 to take its best guess generating the models and textures, 00:24:01.341 --> 00:24:05.440 maybe even entities to be ported to an engine like Unreal or something. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:06.933 Then it could be rendered cleanly 00:24:06.933 --> 00:24:09.680 and not have this creepy soup vibe to everything, 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:11.400 or at least a lot less. 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:15.200 Really, the technology for some of this I think is here right now. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.680 But it needs to be integrated and streamlined, 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:20.720 because the people willing to go and plot out these game worlds 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:23.310 might not be the same people developing the tools. 00:24:23.310 --> 00:24:24.880 Even with the technology, 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:28.480 right now there's probably 20 steps between capturing footage from the game 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:32.133 and porting an imitation of it inside an engine you can walk around in. 00:24:32.133 --> 00:24:36.000 Anyway, I just want to encourage development in this direction. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.910 I said I'd rather be doing things besides the campaign. 00:24:38.910 --> 00:24:40.480 Well, this is one of them. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.733 Be part of a game world explorer's club. 00:24:43.733 --> 00:24:45.200 So, that's the wrap up. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:47.720 Stop Killing Games is largely underway, 00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:50.240 even though there are a few things left to do. 00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:53.133 I'm a bit of a burned out husk because of it, 00:24:53.133 --> 00:24:56.347 but I can keep burning some more if necessary. 00:24:56.347 --> 00:24:58.094 And yeah, that's it. 00:24:58.094 --> 00:24:58.794 See ya. 00:24:58.794 --> 00:25:00.737 [Subtitles by Erasmus Magnus]

I'm such a sucker. I fell for the fake Nyet III ending for like 8 years until I saw the art on Newgrounds.

Stanislav Costiuc discusses the phenomenon of video game cohesion as it pertains to enjoyability, just as you have experienced the negative end of it. It's only a conversation that's gained traction in recent years after decades of superficial reviews that fixate on singular aspects.

Part of my reupload process to Captionfy is not only converting SRT to SMI, but also re-encoding it from ANSI to UTF-8, so that all characters display correctly when uploaded.

Since it was recently brought up in the Stop Killing Games Discord server, I'd like to bring up this topic again for posterity. @BIRB's Italian subtitles for Freeman's Mind aren't correctly displayed on YouTube. This is how they're actually supposed to be appear. On YouTube, they only appear in plain text, even breaking and displaying color tags at some points. This is not how they were designed, but more importantly, all these features are available on YouTube. Why does this happen? Because YouTube is picky about its subtitle formats. They're not all equally created. SRTs do not accept color markup on YouTube, but SMI subtitles do. You need to use the right format for which features you want to include, and the syntax is different between each one. That's why I've published subtitles in formats from SRTs, SMIs, WebVTTs, and SRV3/YTTs, depending on the needs of the subtitle. BIRB has given me permission to reupload them, hence the playlist of reformatted captions, and I already did the hard part of converting/uploading each subtitle in SMI format, and making sure each file is on the correct video, which isn't always the case on the original forum posts. Only the last 15 episodes and FM2 are exempt from the playlist. It's fair to say displaying them as originally intended by the author would be preferable to arbitrarily stripping them of their features specifically designed for this series. There's a few ways to rectify this. You can: Simply click "download" on each video's subtitles on the playlist as SMI (slower since it's not a one-button press) With video owner permissions—Click "Publish to YouTube" on Captionfy for instant uploading (I've personally tested this one and it works) Have me do it myself as a hobby project, attaching the correctly reformatted SMIs back on the forums to be reuploaded one at a time/in batches, or granting me "subtitle editor" permissions to subcontract it. Go through the forum post, downloading either the SMI inside the RAR, or saving the SRT as an SMI in Subtitle Edit (which does convert it correctly, unlike the ancient Subtitle Workshop)

I thought that name sounded familiar... Mario Nelson Gonzalez is the composer of Action 52, including the Cheetamen theme.

Sorry for the few hours delay. Formatted WebVTT positioning applied to jump out of the way when needed! (like for the last point on the Xbox slide). WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.400 Hey everyone, I'm surprised how often I'm saying this these days, 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:08.460 but I have big news on the Stop Killing Games campaign. 00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:11.040 This is not an exaggeration. 00:00:11.040 --> 00:00:14.080 We have a new option that could get new law introduced 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:17.310 to start protecting games you've already paid for. 00:00:17.310 --> 00:00:19.564 Though, it's only for Europeans. 00:00:19.564 --> 00:00:20.770 Again. 00:00:20.770 --> 00:00:22.361 Sorry, what can I say? 00:00:22.361 --> 00:00:25.840 Europeans seem to have all the options on consumer rights. 00:00:25.840 --> 00:00:27.520 I'll cut to the chase. 00:00:27.520 --> 00:00:32.640 The Digital Fairness Act in the EU has opened up for public commentary. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:34.094 Now, the Digital Fairness Act 00:00:34.094 --> 00:00:37.760 currently does <i>not</i> cover the problem of games being destroyed, 00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:40.640 but it covers a few issues adjacent to it. 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:42.400 I'll get to them in a minute. 00:00:42.400 --> 00:00:43.920 So, the strategy here, 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:46.490 which has been suggested by the BEUC 00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:49.280 <i>and</i> some political insiders I've talked to, 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:50.887 is to politely suggest 00:00:50.887 --> 00:00:54.880 "Hey, maybe the Digital Fairness Act could swing a little to the left, 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:58.080 and protect video games while it's at it." 00:00:58.080 --> 00:01:00.167 line:0 As of the time of me recording this, 00:01:00.167 --> 00:01:03.166 line:0 there are 17 comments on its page. 00:01:03.166 --> 00:01:07.040 So, if we had, say, a few thousand polite suggestions 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:10.364 to include protecting video games from being destroyed, 00:01:10.364 --> 00:01:12.960 that might get the EU's attention. 00:01:12.960 --> 00:01:14.350 From everything I've heard, 00:01:14.350 --> 00:01:17.440 this strategy has a real chance of working. 00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:19.920 I would not call this a long shot. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:24.200 I would say it's another one with maybe coin toss odds of being successful. 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:25.414 And best of all, 00:01:25.414 --> 00:01:27.114 this is an additional option 00:01:27.114 --> 00:01:30.240 on <i>top</i> of everything else we've been doing. 00:01:30.240 --> 00:01:34.384 So, the consumer protection agency investigations in multiple countries? 00:01:34.384 --> 00:01:35.840 Still happening. 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.017 The European Citizens' Initiative? 00:01:38.017 --> 00:01:39.600 Still happening. 00:01:39.600 --> 00:01:40.508 Though, seriously, 00:01:40.508 --> 00:01:42.720 hurry up if you haven't signed it and you're eligible. 00:01:42.720 --> 00:01:44.634 It ends in just a couple days. 00:01:44.634 --> 00:01:48.720 So, let's go overkill and open up this new option. 00:01:48.720 --> 00:01:49.521 Though, again, 00:01:49.521 --> 00:01:52.194 it's only for Europeans, sorry. 00:01:52.194 --> 00:01:54.722 But more people can participate in this 00:01:54.722 --> 00:01:56.895 than the Citizens' Initiative. 00:01:56.895 --> 00:02:00.720 For example, some European countries aren't part of the EU, 00:02:00.720 --> 00:02:02.880 but they're EU adjacent. 00:02:02.880 --> 00:02:05.200 Like, they'll share some policies with the EU, 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:07.680 or are actively trying to join it. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:09.920 So, this is for all EU citizens, 00:02:09.920 --> 00:02:13.920 but if you're a citizen of Norway, Iceland, Türkiye, 00:02:13.920 --> 00:02:16.640 or countries that are EU-ish, 00:02:16.640 --> 00:02:21.357 I've been told it's okay if you want to go and leave a comment on this also. 00:02:21.357 --> 00:02:23.434 Unfortunately, due to Brexit, 00:02:23.434 --> 00:02:25.601 that does not mean the UK. 00:02:25.601 --> 00:02:28.448 So, UK commentary isn't going to help here. 00:02:28.448 --> 00:02:29.415 Sorry. 00:02:29.415 --> 00:02:31.488 So, what should you say? 00:02:31.488 --> 00:02:33.264 Well, that's up to you. 00:02:33.264 --> 00:02:35.670 This isn't meant to be a template letter. 00:02:35.670 --> 00:02:38.240 In fact, if everybody writes the same thing, 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:40.000 that could get flagged as spam, 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.200 so you really do have to put this in your own words. 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:45.717 However, I've been given some guidelines. 00:02:45.717 --> 00:02:47.840 First, be polite. 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:52.880 The EU is under no obligation to add our issue to the Digital Fairness Act. 00:02:52.880 --> 00:02:55.040 This is us making a request. 00:02:55.040 --> 00:02:57.730 So if you grouch at them, they'll probably ignore you. 00:02:57.730 --> 00:02:59.338 Second, ask if they can add 00:02:59.338 --> 00:03:01.920 protections against video games being destroyed 00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:04.640 that have already been sold to customers. 00:03:04.640 --> 00:03:08.240 If you have a personal experience with this, that's even better. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:11.040 If there was a game you like that was destroyed, 00:03:11.040 --> 00:03:13.840 or if you're worried about a current game being destroyed, 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:16.787 due to it being online only with no end of life plan, 00:03:16.787 --> 00:03:18.080 you can tell them. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.908 Or you could bring up how hundreds of games 00:03:19.908 --> 00:03:21.840 have been destroyed already, 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:25.120 and hundreds more are at risk of being destroyed. 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:27.367 line:0 There's been a community-made index of them here 00:03:27.367 --> 00:03:28.721 line:0 if you want to take a look. 00:03:28.721 --> 00:03:32.010 line:0 And of course, feel free to mention that the Citizens' Initiative 00:03:32.010 --> 00:03:35.022 already has over a million EU citizens 00:03:35.022 --> 00:03:38.670 expressing support for protecting video games from being destroyed. 00:03:38.670 --> 00:03:40.904 That might give this a little more weight. 00:03:40.904 --> 00:03:42.701 Maybe avoid URLs though, 00:03:42.701 --> 00:03:44.960 since that might trigger spam filtering. 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:46.685 You can just leave a sentence or two, 00:03:46.685 --> 00:03:48.640 or you can write a short essay. 00:03:48.640 --> 00:03:51.366 You have up to 4,000 characters to work with. 00:03:51.366 --> 00:03:54.240 Now, you do have to register in order to give a comment, 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:56.087 but they give a few options here. 00:03:56.087 --> 00:03:59.268 Electronic ID, even Facebook and Google. 00:03:59.268 --> 00:04:00.240 Huh. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.261 Also, select "EU citizen" 00:04:02.261 --> 00:04:05.581 or "Non-EU citizen" if you're Norwegian or something. 00:04:05.581 --> 00:04:08.382 Do <i>not</i> select "consumer organisation." 00:04:08.382 --> 00:04:11.440 Stop Killing Games is not an official organization. 00:04:11.440 --> 00:04:13.233 It's just a grassroots movement. 00:04:13.233 --> 00:04:16.000 Anyway, if you leave a comment on this, 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.760 you could be opening up a whole new avenue to protect games. 00:04:19.760 --> 00:04:24.480 Let's make the topic of game destruction impossible for the EU to ignore. 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:26.567 The whole world has been ignoring this problem 00:04:26.567 --> 00:04:28.320 for 15 or so years, 00:04:28.320 --> 00:04:30.587 so we're making up for lost time here. 00:04:30.587 --> 00:04:33.267 Speaking of time, some good news. 00:04:33.267 --> 00:04:38.027 Unlike the European Citizens' Initiative, which ends in a couple days, 00:04:38.027 --> 00:04:41.120 this is open until October 9th. 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:42.741 So, if you're watching this late, 00:04:42.741 --> 00:04:45.675 you can still leave a comment and help protect games. 00:04:45.675 --> 00:04:46.375 In fact, 00:04:46.375 --> 00:04:51.040 I have no idea if the EU's website can handle a flood of people or not. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:54.540 So on the off chance it goes down, just come back later. 00:04:54.540 --> 00:04:56.240 So, that's the main news. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:58.236 You can stop watching here if you want. 00:04:58.236 --> 00:04:59.923 But some of you may be wondering, 00:04:59.923 --> 00:05:02.320 "What is the Digital Fairness Act, 00:05:02.320 --> 00:05:05.403 and why is this a good option for protecting games?" 00:05:05.403 --> 00:05:07.566 A very relevant question. 00:05:07.566 --> 00:05:09.127 Well, the Digital Fairness Act 00:05:09.127 --> 00:05:12.800 is a kind of hodgepodge of protections the EU is trying to push 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:16.400 to rein in some bad practices occurring in the digital space. 00:05:16.400 --> 00:05:17.514 The big ones they mention 00:05:17.514 --> 00:05:20.480 are "dark patterns in online interfaces," 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:24.624 which is kind of weaponizing the GUI to do things customers don't want, 00:05:24.624 --> 00:05:29.200 "addictive design of digital services that pushes users to spend more money," 00:05:29.200 --> 00:05:31.298 or, hey, look at that! 00:05:31.298 --> 00:05:34.544 "Gambling-like features in video games"! 00:05:34.544 --> 00:05:36.560 See? This is what I mean! 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:38.960 That's not the issue of Stop Killing Games, 00:05:38.960 --> 00:05:41.624 but it's totally in the same neighborhood. 00:05:41.624 --> 00:05:43.440 "Personalized targeting," 00:05:43.440 --> 00:05:46.591 like if they were to push gambling ads on someone who's a gambling addict, 00:05:46.591 --> 00:05:48.445 I imagine something like that. 00:05:48.445 --> 00:05:52.080 Making it hard to unsubscribe from digital subscriptions, 00:05:52.080 --> 00:05:56.080 and "problematic commercial practices of social media influencers." 00:05:56.080 --> 00:05:59.360 So what we're trying to do is add a number six here: 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:03.680 "Publishers permanently disabling video games they have already sold." 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:06.480 I'm sure they'll word it differently, but you get the idea. 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:09.066 We're trying to invite ourselves to the party here. 00:06:09.066 --> 00:06:10.800 Now, I know what some of you are thinking, 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:13.520 and that's, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ross." 00:06:13.520 --> 00:06:16.960 "I'm someone who thinks we shouldn't have a lot of government interference, 00:06:16.960 --> 00:06:20.000 and this looks like a lot of government interference." 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.000 "I don't want games being destroyed, 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:25.520 but I don't trust the EU not to go too far on this other stuff." 00:06:25.520 --> 00:06:27.200 "They could screw it all up." 00:06:27.200 --> 00:06:28.880 Well, guess what? 00:06:28.880 --> 00:06:30.401 You could be completely right, 00:06:30.401 --> 00:06:33.267 and I'm not trying to tell you otherwise. 00:06:33.267 --> 00:06:36.314 Stop Killing Games is single issue. 00:06:36.314 --> 00:06:38.962 We are <i>only</i> trying to stop publishers 00:06:38.962 --> 00:06:41.496 from destroying video games you paid for. 00:06:41.496 --> 00:06:42.640 That's it. 00:06:42.640 --> 00:06:45.520 If we get that, then it's mission accomplished. 00:06:45.520 --> 00:06:49.040 All of this other stuff here is outside of our scope. 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:52.000 So, if you have strong opinions on all this other stuff, 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.400 feel free to tell that to the EU also. 00:06:54.400 --> 00:06:58.400 See, the thing to realize is this stuff here is already set to happen. 00:06:58.400 --> 00:07:01.040 We had nothing to do with any of these proposals. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.440 But if there's a chance we can piggyback our issue 00:07:03.440 --> 00:07:07.457 onto legislation that's already happening with or without us, 00:07:07.457 --> 00:07:09.920 oh, yeah, we'll take it. 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:12.001 I mean, we're trying to keep Stop Killing Games 00:07:12.001 --> 00:07:14.000 contained to just the core issue, 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.240 but with the industry lobbying against us, 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:19.360 and taking a potshot at us behind the scenes, 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:22.080 we'll take almost any help we can get. 00:07:22.080 --> 00:07:23.881 Anyway, I want to end this saying 00:07:23.881 --> 00:07:27.520 concern for government overreach is a valid concern, 00:07:27.520 --> 00:07:29.721 but only up to a point. 00:07:29.721 --> 00:07:32.640 For example, the issues in the Digital Fairness Act 00:07:32.640 --> 00:07:34.744 sound like good practices to reign in, 00:07:34.744 --> 00:07:38.480 but I could also imagine scenarios where that backfires. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.200 But saying that about Stop Killing Games has always rung hollow to me, 00:07:43.200 --> 00:07:46.560 because I think the worst possible thing that can happen to gaming 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:50.881 is games you like or want to play being destroyed forever. 00:07:50.881 --> 00:07:54.800 Well, that's already happened to the tune of hundreds of titles, 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.280 and the industry is promising to put resources 00:07:57.280 --> 00:08:00.000 into killing many, many more. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.120 I mean, live service games don't <i>have</i> to be synonymous 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:05.304 with titles that are destroyed forever, 00:08:05.304 --> 00:08:09.360 but that's what the industry does the vast majority of the time. 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:12.880 Now, of course gaming could get worse than it is now. 00:08:12.880 --> 00:08:16.400 But I don't think it could be on a worse trajectory. 00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:20.000 I brought this up before, but I'll never let my audience forget it. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.800 If you want to know what the video game industry as a whole 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:24.777 wants for us in the future, 00:08:24.777 --> 00:08:29.764 look no further than the original Xbox One reveal. 00:08:29.764 --> 00:08:31.125 Some highlights of that 00:08:31.125 --> 00:08:33.125 were no game sharing, 00:08:33.125 --> 00:08:36.000 needing to connect to the publisher every 24 hours 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:38.346 or all your games would stop working, 00:08:38.346 --> 00:08:40.934 having every game you own on the platform 00:08:40.934 --> 00:08:44.160 be at risk of being completely destroyed when support ends, 00:08:44.160 --> 00:08:46.427 even if you have physical copies, 00:08:46.427 --> 00:08:48.640 line:0 and having a mandatory surveillance camera 00:08:48.640 --> 00:08:50.268 line:0 that could detect biometric data 00:08:50.268 --> 00:08:52.720 line:0 like your facial expressions or heart rate 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:54.966 line:0 and would upload that data to the publisher. 00:08:54.966 --> 00:08:59.120 Now, they ended up backing off of <i>some</i> of that due to competition, 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:01.333 line:0 but the industry tipped its hand there. 00:09:01.333 --> 00:09:04.373 line:0 <i>This</i> is the trajectory we're currently on. 00:09:04.373 --> 00:09:06.160 line:0 It's just slower now. 00:09:06.160 --> 00:09:08.200 line:0 It's the whole boiling frog metaphor. 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:12.001 Microsoft's mistake was they turned the heat up too fast. 00:09:12.001 --> 00:09:13.307 And it's not just them. 00:09:13.307 --> 00:09:16.400 Stadia had streaming-only exclusives. 00:09:16.400 --> 00:09:18.666 How do you get less ownership than that? 00:09:18.666 --> 00:09:20.794 Ubisoft has its infamous quote about 00:09:20.794 --> 00:09:24.014 players needing to get used to not owning their games. 00:09:24.014 --> 00:09:27.950 And Blizzard killed a game they sold over 50 million copies of, 00:09:27.950 --> 00:09:29.920 which made them billions of dollars, 00:09:29.920 --> 00:09:31.590 and they kept everyone's money. 00:09:31.590 --> 00:09:34.000 So, they were rewarded for that. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.074 And that's the path we're on right now, 00:09:36.074 --> 00:09:38.800 <i>without</i> regulation on this issue. 00:09:38.800 --> 00:09:40.640 So if we don't get regulation, 00:09:40.640 --> 00:09:43.824 the industry is promising to kill more of our games. 00:09:43.824 --> 00:09:46.430 But if the regulation backfires, 00:09:46.430 --> 00:09:48.560 uh-oh, what's going to happen? 00:09:48.560 --> 00:09:51.000 The industry will still kill our games? 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:54.067 So yeah, 00:09:54.067 --> 00:09:58.080 I'm not scared of the government making gaming worse than <i>this</i>. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:59.701 line:0 What the industry wants here 00:09:59.701 --> 00:10:01.466 line:0 already scares me more. 00:10:01.466 --> 00:10:03.360 All right, that's it. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.474 Last call to go sign the EU initiative 00:10:05.474 --> 00:10:09.220 and first call to go comment on the Digital Fairness Act. 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:10.220 Let's get it done! 00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:12.574 [Subtitles by Erasmus Magnus]

Colorized and formatted SMI. Uploading verbatim will colorize Olive and Matt. <SAMI> <HEAD> <TITLE>SKG-dev</TITLE> <SAMIParam> Metrics {time:ms;} Spec {MSFT:1.0;} </SAMIParam> <STYLE TYPE="text/css"> <!-- P { font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; color: white; background-color: black; text-align: center; } .ENUSCC { name: English; lang: en-US ; SAMIType: CC ; } --> </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <-- Open play menu, choose Captions and Subtitles, On if available --> <-- Open tools menu, Security, Show local captions when present --> <SYNC Start=320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">Hey, this is a video<br>I was hoping to help make</font> <SYNC Start=3120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">that ended up mutating<br>into its own thing.</font> <SYNC Start=6080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">On the Stop Killing Games campaign,</font> <SYNC Start=7901><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">I think most supporters<br>just need to hear</font> <SYNC Start=9680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">that we're trying to stop<br>games from being destroyed,</font> <SYNC Start=12441><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">it's not impossible to do this,</font> <SYNC Start=14480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">and it won't ruin the<br>industry by doing so.</font> <SYNC Start=17360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">Now, I try to dive into the details<br>when people want me to,</font> <SYNC Start=20400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">but my answers don't<br>always satisfy developers.</font> <SYNC Start=23600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">I take more of a<br>bird's-eye view approach,</font> <SYNC Start=26080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">where I think if end-of-life plans<br>for games became a requirement,</font> <SYNC Start=30000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">I think developers might be amazed<br>at how many solutions would emerge.</font> <SYNC Start=34480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">But that's not good enough for some.</font> <SYNC Start=36640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">Some people, developers especially,<br>really want more technical details.</font> <SYNC Start=41600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">So, what I originally wanted to do<br>was interview a couple developers</font> <SYNC Start=45120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">who could speak on this topic<br>much better than I ever could.</font> <SYNC Start=48640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">But what ended up happening<br>was we had some scope creep,</font> <SYNC Start=51840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">and now we have a<br>full-fledged presentation</font> <SYNC Start=55040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">from two experienced developers,</font> <SYNC Start=57360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">Olive Badger,</font> <SYNC Start=58480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">and Matthew Cassells<br>from Alderon Games.</font> <SYNC Start=61840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">I think my introductions of them<br>won't even do them justice,</font> <SYNC Start=65040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">but between the two of them,</font> <SYNC Start=66560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">I think they have a lot of<br>perspective and practical information</font> <SYNC Start=70000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">on how games in the future<br>and even some in the present</font> <SYNC Start=73120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">can start having end-of-life plans.</font> <SYNC Start=75440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">So this is by and large<br>a presentation they put together,</font> <SYNC Start=78880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">covering how end-of-life<br>plans could work,</font> <SYNC Start=81040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">and covering some common<br>questions developers have.</font> <SYNC Start=84400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">It's going to get technical,</font> <SYNC Start=86080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">so if you're here for some of<br>my goofier videos, this one isn't for you.</font> <SYNC Start=90160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">I'm just hosting it to get<br>more information out there.</font> <SYNC Start=92880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">But if you're a programmer</font> <SYNC Start=93920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">who's been wanting more details<br>about <i>how</i> we will save games,</font> <SYNC Start=97440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">then this one's for you.</font> <SYNC Start=99360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffffff">All right, I'll let<br>them take it away.</font> <SYNC Start=102560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Hi, I'm Olive Badger,</font> <SYNC Start=104880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and I have been asked to help<br>with the Stop Killing Games initiative</font> <SYNC Start=109600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and talk a little bit about<br>some of the common questions</font> <SYNC Start=113440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that we're seeing from developers.</font> <SYNC Start=115627><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Little bit of background on me:</font> <SYNC Start=118400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, upfront, I'm not<br>a game developer.</font> <SYNC Start=121520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I have five years of IT experience</font> <SYNC Start=124800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">working in various different<br>parts of the industry</font> <SYNC Start=127600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">doing data center to internal IT<br>and IT management.</font> <SYNC Start=132160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">After that, I transitioned<br>over to software development</font> <SYNC Start=136160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where I've done a decent amount of<br>embedded software development for drones</font> <SYNC Start=140840><P Class=ENUSCC>&nbsp; <SYNC Start=140841><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and then moved into<br>fullstack development.</font> <SYNC Start=144160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I've even done a little bit of DevOps</font> <SYNC Start=147200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and project management<br>for a small startup.</font> <SYNC Start=150880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Um, I do have a YouTube<br>channel that just kind of, uh,</font> <SYNC Start=154960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">popped off with this whole thing.</font> <SYNC Start=156320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It's just "OliveBadger".</font> <SYNC Start=157680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Now, that said, this presentation<br>was put together not just by me,</font> <SYNC Start=162320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but also Matthew from Alderon Games,<br>who is a game developer.</font> <SYNC Start=166880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I'll let him introduce himself.</font> <SYNC Start=168720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Hey everybody, how's it going?</font> <SYNC Start=170160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">My name is Matthew Cassells.</font> <SYNC Start=171520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">I'm the founder of Alderon Games.</font> <SYNC Start=172960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">I've been making and modding<br>games for the last 15 years.</font> <SYNC Start=176320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">In 2016, I made my own game studio,<br>which is completely independent.</font> <SYNC Start=179680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">We also made our own<br>platform replacement to Steam.</font> <SYNC Start=182240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">And in 2019, we launched a dinosaur<br>survival game called <i>Path of Titans</i>.</font> <SYNC Start=185761><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, I'm going to use<br>this game as an example</font> <SYNC Start=187600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">on how we're going to<br>do an end-of-life plan</font> <SYNC Start=189366><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and some issues we'll need to fix<br>when end-of-life-ing the game.</font> <SYNC Start=192080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">I'll talk more about<br>that towards the end.</font> <SYNC Start=194160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Thank you, Matt.</font> <SYNC Start=195120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, let's get into this<br>PowerPoint presentation</font> <SYNC Start=198000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where we'll talk about<br>the different ways</font> <SYNC Start=200160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you can stop killing games<br>as a game developer.</font> <SYNC Start=203920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This will start off talking<br>about the broad concepts,</font> <SYNC Start=207680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">then get more into<br>specifics as we move on.</font> <SYNC Start=211200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">First up, what are some possible<br>methods for end-of-life-ing your game?</font> <SYNC Start=216320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Before we dive into<br>the technical details,</font> <SYNC Start=218960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">let's establish the<br>three primary approaches</font> <SYNC Start=222080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for ending the life of<br>your game responsibly.</font> <SYNC Start=225600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The method you choose will depend heavily<br>on your game's architecture,</font> <SYNC Start=229680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">technical constraints,<br>and business considerations.</font> <SYNC Start=233120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, first up, we have option one,</font> <SYNC Start=236320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is to release private server files<br>or support peer-to-peer sessions.</font> <SYNC Start=241680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is often considered to be the<br>gold standard for game preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=246480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When you release<br>private server files,</font> <SYNC Start=248960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you're essentially giving the<br>community the tools they need</font> <SYNC Start=252320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to host their own<br>multiplayer servers.</font> <SYNC Start=256240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key here is that you can strip<br>out code that's no longer needed.</font> <SYNC Start=261280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Things like payment processing,<br>analytics, and proprietary algorithms,</font> <SYNC Start=266720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">all while keeping the core<br>gameplay functionality intact.</font> <SYNC Start=271120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Make sure your game includes<br>a direct IP connect option,</font> <SYNC Start=275040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">as this would become crucial</font> <SYNC Start=276800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when centralized matchmaking<br>is no longer available.</font> <SYNC Start=280320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, next up at option two<br>would be to release the source code.</font> <SYNC Start=284720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Uh, this approach provides maximum<br>flexibility for the community,</font> <SYNC Start=288800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but does require careful consideration<br>of what you're releasing.</font> <SYNC Start=293120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can release both game and server<br>source code under a limited license</font> <SYNC Start=298080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where players can only use the code<br>to keep the game functional</font> <SYNC Start=302480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and not for commercial use purposes.</font> <SYNC Start=305520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows the community to fix bugs</font> <SYNC Start=308240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and maintain missing<br>features after end of life.</font> <SYNC Start=311840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">However, other options<br>are generally preferred</font> <SYNC Start=315760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">because they keep the game functional</font> <SYNC Start=318000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">without requiring additional<br>work from players.</font> <SYNC Start=321440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And for option three,</font> <SYNC Start=323680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you can release feature-complete<br>games with save transfers.</font> <SYNC Start=328480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach works particularly well</font> <SYNC Start=330960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for games with significant<br>online components</font> <SYNC Start=333680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that can be converted<br>to offline experiences.</font> <SYNC Start=337680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example,</font> <SYNC Start=338560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you release a standalone version that's<br>free for owners of the original game.</font> <SYNC Start=343920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And importantly,</font> <SYNC Start=345280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you would allow save transfers from the<br>online version to the standalone version.</font> <SYNC Start=350480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This would ensure that players<br>don't lose their progress</font> <SYNC Start=353600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when the transition happens.</font> <SYNC Start=355760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And so, let's take a look at a real-world<br>example of how option one worked.</font> <SYNC Start=362800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00"><i>Spellbreak</i>, developed by Proletariat,<br>was a multiplayer battle royale game</font> <SYNC Start=368080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">available on PC, PS4,<br>Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.</font> <SYNC Start=373360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When they ended support<br>in January of 2023,</font> <SYNC Start=377120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">they took the responsible approach<br>of releasing a private server version</font> <SYNC Start=380960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for PC (Windows) users<br>available for free.</font> <SYNC Start=384800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is exactly what we mean by<br>"preserving the core gameplay experience."</font> <SYNC Start=390000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Even though the official<br>servers went dark,</font> <SYNC Start=392640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">players could continue to enjoy the game<br>that they had purchased,</font> <SYNC Start=396560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">the private server maintained<br>the essential multiplayer functionality</font> <SYNC Start=401120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while removing the infrastructure<br>burden from the developers.</font> <SYNC Start=405520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so here's an<br>example of option two:</font> <SYNC Start=408560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00"><i>Duelyst</i>, which was published<br>by Warner Bros. Games,</font> <SYNC Start=411360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and available on PC,<br>iOS, and Android,</font> <SYNC Start=415280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which ended support on<br>February 27th of 2020.</font> <SYNC Start=419360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The developers made<br>the remarkable decision</font> <SYNC Start=422000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to release the source code to<br>GitHub under a CC0 license,</font> <SYNC Start=426480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is essentially public domain.</font> <SYNC Start=428640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach gave the community<br>complete freedom to maintain, modify,</font> <SYNC Start=433120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and improve the game.</font> <SYNC Start=434640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">While it requires more technical<br>knowledge from the community,</font> <SYNC Start=438000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">it does ensure the longest<br>possible lifespan for the game</font> <SYNC Start=441920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">since dedicated fans can<br>fix issues, add features,</font> <SYNC Start=445600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and port the game to<br>new platforms as needed.</font> <SYNC Start=449040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And here's another strong<br>example of open-sourcing.</font> <SYNC Start=452560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It's called <i>Caller's Bane</i>,<br>formerly known as <i>Scrolls</i>,</font> <SYNC Start=455920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">developed by Mojang.</font> <SYNC Start=457440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Available on PC, Mac OS, and Android,<br>it ended support on February 13th, 2018,</font> <SYNC Start=463920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but was officially resurrected as<br><i>Caller's Bane</i> and made open-source.</font> <SYNC Start=468640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">What makes this case<br>particularly interesting</font> <SYNC Start=471520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">is that they released both the game client<br>and server files for download.</font> <SYNC Start=476400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The free client can join community servers<br>and anybody can host a server.</font> <SYNC Start=481440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This creates a distributed ecosystem</font> <SYNC Start=484240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where the game's survival<br>doesn't depend on any single entity.</font> <SYNC Start=488720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">If one server goes down, for example,<br>others can continue serving the community.</font> <SYNC Start=493600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Pretty cool, right?</font> <SYNC Start=494880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Nintendo's <i>Animal<br>Crossing: Pocket Camp</i></font> <SYNC Start=497440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">provides an excellent<br>example of option three.</font> <SYNC Start=500800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This mobile game ended support<br>on November 28th, 2024,</font> <SYNC Start=504800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but Nintendo released <i>Animal Crossing:<br>Pocket Camp Complete</i> as a replacement.</font> <SYNC Start=510800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is a masterclass in<br>player-friendly transitions.</font> <SYNC Start=514320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">They replace the free-to-play<br>microtransaction-heavy online version</font> <SYNC Start=518720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with a paid offline version that<br>removes microtransactions entirely.</font> <SYNC Start=523200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For a flat $20 purchase,</font> <SYNC Start=524960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">players get access to all content<br>that was previously behind the paywalls.</font> <SYNC Start=530400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Most importantly, they allowed<br>users to transfer their save data,</font> <SYNC Start=533920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">ensuring that years<br>of progress weren't lost.</font> <SYNC Start=537200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach respects both<br>players' time investment</font> <SYNC Start=541600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and their financial<br>investment in the game.</font> <SYNC Start=544480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, now that we've seen<br>some successful examples,</font> <SYNC Start=547760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">let's step back and<br>look at the broader context</font> <SYNC Start=550880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">of what we're trying to achieve here.</font> <SYNC Start=553440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Game preservation isn't just about<br>keeping old games running.</font> <SYNC Start=557520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It's about respecting the culture</font> <SYNC Start=559760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and artistic value of<br>interactive entertainment,</font> <SYNC Start=563040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">honoring player's investments<br>of time and money,</font> <SYNC Start=566080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and ensuring that future generations</font> <SYNC Start=568240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can experience and learn<br>from the games we create today.</font> <SYNC Start=571840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Creating an effective<br>end-of-life plan</font> <SYNC Start=573920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">requires thorough documentation<br>and clear communication.</font> <SYNC Start=577440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Let me walk you through<br>the essential components here.</font> <SYNC Start=580160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, first, communicate to players<br>that the game has an end-of-life plan.</font> <SYNC Start=584320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This should be done early and often.</font> <SYNC Start=586800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Ideally, players should know<br>from the time of purchase</font> <SYNC Start=589520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that you've thought<br>about preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=591840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Contact players and let them know<br>how long the end-of-life patch</font> <SYNC Start=595280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">will be available for download.</font> <SYNC Start=597120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Give them a realistic timeline.</font> <SYNC Start=599040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example, will it be<br>available for 6 months, 2 years?</font> <SYNC Start=602160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I mean, players need time to prepare.</font> <SYNC Start=604880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And then list out supported features<br>that would continue working,</font> <SYNC Start=608400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as singleplayer modes,<br>direct connect options, and LAN play.</font> <SYNC Start=613200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Be very specific about<br>what will still function.</font> <SYNC Start=617280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">List out features<br>that would be removed,</font> <SYNC Start=619840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as matchmaking,<br>leaderboards, or cloud services.</font> <SYNC Start=623840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Transparency here<br>prevents player frustration.</font> <SYNC Start=627760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Include documentation on installing,<br>running, or playing the game,</font> <SYNC Start=631920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">especially if setup becomes more<br>complex once official support ends.</font> <SYNC Start=637360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Consider that players may be<br>setting this up years later</font> <SYNC Start=640880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">on completely different hardware.</font> <SYNC Start=643040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Do your best to document any<br>known bugs or workarounds</font> <SYNC Start=646320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that the community<br>should be aware of.</font> <SYNC Start=648560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This saves everyone<br>time and frustration.</font> <SYNC Start=652000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And if you own the IP,</font> <SYNC Start=653600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">provide a clear written statement<br>allowing for non-commercial use</font> <SYNC Start=657520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as community servers or mods.</font> <SYNC Start=660320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This legal clarity is crucial for<br>community preservation efforts.</font> <SYNC Start=665040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">If a game can be modded,</font> <SYNC Start=666800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">consider releasing tools or documentation<br>for modders to extend its life.</font> <SYNC Start=671280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The modding community is often<br>your best ally in long-term preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=676160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And finally, communicate what<br>hardware or OS might be needed</font> <SYNC Start=680720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for the end-of-life version.</font> <SYNC Start=682720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">If your server software runs on<br>a different platform than the client,</font> <SYNC Start=686720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">make this as clear as possible.</font> <SYNC Start=689200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, what suggestions would<br>we be able to give for existing games</font> <SYNC Start=694400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to move over to support their<br>game at end of life? Hm.</font> <SYNC Start=698480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Now, please keep in mind<br>these are just suggestions</font> <SYNC Start=701520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and won't be possible for all existing<br>games due to existing constraints.</font> <SYNC Start=706880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Stop Killing Games is mostly<br>focused on future game designs.</font> <SYNC Start=711680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, for games that are already released<br>but haven't planned for end of life,</font> <SYNC Start=716960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">here are the most<br>effective strategies.</font> <SYNC Start=720000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Release server software or tools that<br>allow players to host their own servers.</font> <SYNC Start=725520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Again, this is the gold standard<br>for game preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=728960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can provide server binaries</font> <SYNC Start=730720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that allow dedicated community<br>members to host their own servers.</font> <SYNC Start=734400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And this requires careful preparation</font> <SYNC Start=736880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to remove all the<br>proprietary code and secrets</font> <SYNC Start=739760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while maintaining core functionality.</font> <SYNC Start=742400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Focus on creating packages<br>that work "out of the box"</font> <SYNC Start=746080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with minimal technical<br>knowledge required.</font> <SYNC Start=748720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Open-source key components</font> <SYNC Start=750240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so the community can maintain<br>the game independently,</font> <SYNC Start=753280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and consider open-sourcing non-proprietary<br>game logic, networking, code, and tools.</font> <SYNC Start=759520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows the community to maintain<br>and improve the game independently.</font> <SYNC Start=764320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So start with less sensitive components<br>like UI systems, utility libraries,</font> <SYNC Start=770000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or game balance configurations.</font> <SYNC Start=772800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Try to avoid releasing anything<br>containing trade secrets,</font> <SYNC Start=776880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">licensed third-party code,<br>or proprietary algorithms.</font> <SYNC Start=780400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Do your best to provide<br>documentation and assets</font> <SYNC Start=783520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to help fan projects<br>continue the experience.</font> <SYNC Start=786560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can also create<br>comprehensive guides</font> <SYNC Start=788560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for server setup, configuration,<br>and troubleshooting.</font> <SYNC Start=791680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Include game assets that players might<br>need for custom content creation—</font> <SYNC Start=795840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">textures, models,<br>sound effects, and level editors.</font> <SYNC Start=798880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This documentation becomes invaluable<br>when your official support ends,</font> <SYNC Start=802880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and helps ensure knowledge transfer<br>to community maintainers.</font> <SYNC Start=806720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Create official mod support<br>or expansion tools before shutdown.</font> <SYNC Start=810960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Implement robust modding tools and APIs<br>before shutdown announcement.</font> <SYNC Start=815440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This gives the community tools<br>to extend the game's lifespan</font> <SYNC Start=818560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">through custom content<br>and modifications.</font> <SYNC Start=821440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Simple scripting APIs, level editors,</font> <SYNC Start=823760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and asset replacement tools</font> <SYNC Start=825440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can dramatically extend<br>a game's community lifespan.</font> <SYNC Start=829360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Release a singleplayer or offline version<br>that can preserve core gameplay.</font> <SYNC Start=834320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Create offline versions that<br>preserve core gameplay mechanics</font> <SYNC Start=837760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">without requiring<br>server connectivity.</font> <SYNC Start=840000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can strip out<br>multiplayer dependencies</font> <SYNC Start=842400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and convert online features<br>to local alternatives where possible.</font> <SYNC Start=846880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Note that this only really applies</font> <SYNC Start=848720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to games that were already<br>singleplayer to start with.</font> <SYNC Start=852240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">If your game has multiplayer support,</font> <SYNC Start=854880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you should do your best to keep<br>this functionality working at end of life.</font> <SYNC Start=858960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">We're not asking to convert multiplayer<br>into a singleplayer experience.</font> <SYNC Start=863840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key to successful game<br>preservation is planning ahead.</font> <SYNC Start=867440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When you design preservation<br>into your game from the beginning,</font> <SYNC Start=870480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than trying<br>to retrofit it later,</font> <SYNC Start=872560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you save significant time,<br>money, and technical complexity.</font> <SYNC Start=876640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, let's discuss how to build<br>these systems from the ground up.</font> <SYNC Start=880720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, how do developers<br>reduce costs for an end-of-life plan?</font> <SYNC Start=886334><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">That's a…<br>That's a great question.</font> <SYNC Start=888480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, cost reduction starts with<br>smart decisions during development.</font> <SYNC Start=892960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be to avoid<br>bad licensing agreements.</font> <SYNC Start=897280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Prefer agreements<br>which don't have restrictions</font> <SYNC Start=899760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">on giving binary versions<br>of code out to players</font> <SYNC Start=902480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and don't have time limits.</font> <SYNC Start=904720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When you're negotiating<br>middleware licenses,</font> <SYNC Start=907280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">think about the end-of-life scenario.</font> <SYNC Start=909760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Some licenses explicitly<br>prohibit redistribution</font> <SYNC Start=913440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or have clauses that make<br>preservation expensive or impossible.</font> <SYNC Start=917920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be to use<br>open standards and open-source solutions</font> <SYNC Start=922000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that don't have these<br>types of restrictions.</font> <SYNC Start=924000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Instead of using Amazon<br>Aurora Serverless database,</font> <SYNC Start=927520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you may prefer more<br>open options like MySQL</font> <SYNC Start=931280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or create a transition plan where MySQL<br>can be used for community servers</font> <SYNC Start=936640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while Aurora is used at scale<br>during active development.</font> <SYNC Start=941280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This gives you flexibility to<br>scale during active development</font> <SYNC Start=944880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while ensuring community servers<br>can run on accessible technology.</font> <SYNC Start=949520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option three would be to code the game<br>assuming services can fail or be removed.</font> <SYNC Start=955680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Make sure the game can handle<br>service failures gracefully</font> <SYNC Start=958800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">instead of crashing or showing<br>cryptic error messages.</font> <SYNC Start=962240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This defensive programming approach<br>not only helps with preservation</font> <SYNC Start=966560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but also makes your game more<br>robust during active development.</font> <SYNC Start=970880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so what is the<br>minimum viable build or setup</font> <SYNC Start=974160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that should be preserved?</font> <SYNC Start=975840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The minimum viable build is going<br>to depend on your specific game,</font> <SYNC Start=980000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but there are some general<br>principles to follow.</font> <SYNC Start=983520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All core features and functionality<br>should still be present</font> <SYNC Start=987120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if these features were being used.</font> <SYNC Start=989440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This includes singleplayer modes,<br>multiplayer functionality,</font> <SYNC Start=992880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and local play or co-op features.</font> <SYNC Start=995520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key word here is "core".</font> <SYNC Start=998160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">If a feature was central<br>to the game experience,</font> <SYNC Start=1000960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">it needs to work in<br>the preserved version.</font> <SYNC Start=1003920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Some extra features and functionality<br>can be removed depending on the game,</font> <SYNC Start=1008960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">particularly those not needed<br>for that core gameplay.</font> <SYNC Start=1012960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Examples include leaderboards,<br>online ranking systems,</font> <SYNC Start=1016480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and other microservices not needed<br>for the core gameplay loop,</font> <SYNC Start=1020160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">like payments, account moderation,<br>or anti-cheat systems.</font> <SYNC Start=1023600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">These are nice-to-have features<br>that enhance the experience,</font> <SYNC Start=1026880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but aren't essential<br>for the game to function.</font> <SYNC Start=1030000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The goal is to preserve the essence<br>of what made your game enjoyable</font> <SYNC Start=1034080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while removing the<br>infrastructure burden</font> <SYNC Start=1036480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that makes long-term<br>support unsustainable.</font> <SYNC Start=1039080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, what does it take</font> <SYNC Start=1041840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to replicate your server environment<br>locally for preservation?</font> <SYNC Start=1046480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">That's a great question.</font> <SYNC Start=1048080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Replicating your server environment<br>locally involves three main steps.</font> <SYNC Start=1052647><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Step one would be<br>environment standardization.</font> <SYNC Start=1056320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This includes containerization strategy,<br>dependency documentation,</font> <SYNC Start=1060160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">configurement management,<br>and resource requirements.</font> <SYNC Start=1063120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You need to document exactly<br>what your server needs to run,</font> <SYNC Start=1066320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">including operating system requirements,<br>memory usage, CPU requirements,</font> <SYNC Start=1070480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and any special dependencies.</font> <SYNC Start=1072880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Step two is technical<br>infrastructure replication.</font> <SYNC Start=1076720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This covers database setup<br>and migration, service coordination,</font> <SYNC Start=1081280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">network configuration,<br>and monitoring and logging.</font> <SYNC Start=1084400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The goal is to take your complex<br>distributed production environment</font> <SYNC Start=1089280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and create a simplified version<br>that can run on community hardware.</font> <SYNC Start=1094720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Step three would be<br>community support tools.</font> <SYNC Start=1097600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This includes automated<br>setup scripts,</font> <SYNC Start=1100080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">development and testing tools,</font> <SYNC Start=1102320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">backup and recovery procedures,<br>and performance optimization guidance.</font> <SYNC Start=1106480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Now remember, community members may not<br>have your level of technical expertise,</font> <SYNC Start=1111440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so the easier you make this process,</font> <SYNC Start=1113520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">the more likely your game<br>is to survive long term.</font> <SYNC Start=1117360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so,</font> <SYNC Start=1118800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">next up we're going to talk about<br>virtual machines and Docker.</font> <SYNC Start=1122080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So what are virtual<br>machines and Docker,</font> <SYNC Start=1124400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and how do they help developers<br>end their games easier?</font> <SYNC Start=1128880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Virtualization and containerization<br>technologies significantly simplify</font> <SYNC Start=1133680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">game server distribution and<br>management for community hosting.</font> <SYNC Start=1137840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Virtual machines provide<br>complete isolated environments</font> <SYNC Start=1141360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that include everything<br>needed to run game servers.</font> <SYNC Start=1145040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can package the operating system,<br>game server software, database,</font> <SYNC Start=1149680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and configurations into a single<br>VM image that works identically</font> <SYNC Start=1154880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">regardless of the host hardware.</font> <SYNC Start=1157360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This solves the "it works<br>on my machine" problem</font> <SYNC Start=1160880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">by giving the community an exact replica<br>of your development environment.</font> <SYNC Start=1166000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Docker containers<br>solve the same problem,</font> <SYNC Start=1168160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but with less overhead.</font> <SYNC Start=1170320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Docker containers include<br>all necessary libraries,</font> <SYNC Start=1173360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">configurations, and dependencies.</font> <SYNC Start=1175360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">A containerized game<br>server will run identically</font> <SYNC Start=1178240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">on any system that supports Docker,</font> <SYNC Start=1180560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">eliminating compatibility issues.</font> <SYNC Start=1182800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Docker is generally more efficient<br>than full virtual machines</font> <SYNC Start=1185920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and easy for communities to manage.</font> <SYNC Start=1189120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so,</font> <SYNC Start=1190160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">are there reusable patterns<br>like modular designs,</font> <SYNC Start=1193840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">toggleable off or offline<br>fallbacks that could be integrated</font> <SYNC Start=1198240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">now or in the future?</font> <SYNC Start=1200080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, yes, I'm glad you asked.</font> <SYNC Start=1201840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">There are several<br>architectural patterns</font> <SYNC Start=1204640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that make end-of-life<br>transitions much smoother.</font> <SYNC Start=1208387><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example, server abstraction<br>pattern would create interface layers</font> <SYNC Start=1212160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for swapping cloud services<br>with local implementations.</font> <SYNC Start=1215440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This would allow you to use sophisticated<br>cloud services during active development,</font> <SYNC Start=1220240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but switch to simpler local<br>alternatives for preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=1224000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could use feature<br>toggle architecture</font> <SYNC Start=1226240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to implement a comprehensive flagging<br>system for all cloud dependencies.</font> <SYNC Start=1230880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This would let you selectively<br>disable features that can't be preserved</font> <SYNC Start=1234640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while keeping core<br>functionality intact.</font> <SYNC Start=1237520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Another option available to you<br>would be dependency injection</font> <SYNC Start=1240320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">using automatic service swapping<br>based on environment.</font> <SYNC Start=1243440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So your game can automatically detect</font> <SYNC Start=1245280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">whether it's running in<br>production or preservation mode</font> <SYNC Start=1248000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and then adjust accordingly.</font> <SYNC Start=1250000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use plugin-based architecture</font> <SYNC Start=1252640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and design your game<br>with modular components</font> <SYNC Start=1255520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where complex features<br>can be completely removed</font> <SYNC Start=1258640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">without breaking core functionality.</font> <SYNC Start=1260960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">There's also offline-first data flow</font> <SYNC Start=1263840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to always save locally first<br>and sync to the cloud as an enhancement.</font> <SYNC Start=1268400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This ensures the game continues to work,<br>even when cloud services are unavailable.</font> <SYNC Start=1273840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could use<br>progressive enhancement,</font> <SYNC Start=1275840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is a design<br>feature to work offline,</font> <SYNC Start=1278560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but enhance when online.</font> <SYNC Start=1280720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Think of online features as bonuses<br>rather than requirements.</font> <SYNC Start=1284480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Queues online actions<br>for when connectivity returns.</font> <SYNC Start=1287440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows the game</font> <SYNC Start=1288720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to continue functioning<br>during network outages</font> <SYNC Start=1291280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and makes the transition to<br>offline mode pretty seamless.</font> <SYNC Start=1295360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So what should we do<br>when the game fails?</font> <SYNC Start=1297040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Should it fail gracefully?</font> <SYNC Start=1298880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I mean, absolutely, yes.</font> <SYNC Start=1300400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Your game should never crash<br>and show stuck loading screens</font> <SYNC Start=1303600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or display cryptic error messages<br>when servers go down.</font> <SYNC Start=1307360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is just fundamental<br>to good user experience</font> <SYNC Start=1310240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and essential for<br>game preservation as well.</font> <SYNC Start=1313200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The game needs its end-of-life build<br>tested to ensure graceful error handling.</font> <SYNC Start=1318160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, this means implementing<br>proper time-out mechanisms,</font> <SYNC Start=1320880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">clear error messages<br>that explain what's happening,</font> <SYNC Start=1323840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and fallback modes that let<br>players continue enjoying the game</font> <SYNC Start=1327440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even when online services<br>aren't available.</font> <SYNC Start=1330400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Think of server unavailability<br>not as a failure state,</font> <SYNC Start=1334400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but as an expected<br>operating condition</font> <SYNC Start=1336720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that your game should<br>handle professionally.</font> <SYNC Start=1339520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so let's look<br>at some of the best practices</font> <SYNC Start=1342320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for removing credentials, API keys,<br>telemetry code, etc., etc.,</font> <SYNC Start=1347280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">from your end-of-life builds.</font> <SYNC Start=1349680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Security is crucial when<br>releasing community builds.</font> <SYNC Start=1353840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And here are three approaches.</font> <SYNC Start=1356240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be<br>automated detection and removal.</font> <SYNC Start=1359120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use tools like GitGuardian,<br>TruffleHog, or SecretScanner</font> <SYNC Start=1362800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to identify credentials<br>in your codebase.</font> <SYNC Start=1365680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Add build processes</font> <SYNC Start=1367040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that automatically remove or<br>replace secrets during compilation.</font> <SYNC Start=1373200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Create build processes</font> <SYNC Start=1375040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that automatically generate configuration<br>templates with placeholder values</font> <SYNC Start=1379360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">instead of real credentials.</font> <SYNC Start=1380960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">But be aware that some libraries include<br>default API keys or demo credentials</font> <SYNC Start=1386560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that should be removed and replaced.</font> <SYNC Start=1389600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be manual review.</font> <SYNC Start=1391440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Implement code review processes<br>focused on credential identification.</font> <SYNC Start=1395760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Tools like strings or<br>hexdump can identify text</font> <SYNC Start=1398720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that shouldn't be present<br>in community builds.</font> <SYNC Start=1401600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Test community builds<br>in isolated environments</font> <SYNC Start=1404240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to verify they don't use<br>production credentials.</font> <SYNC Start=1407200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Review all documentation and comments<br>for references to sensitive information</font> <SYNC Start=1411920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that should ultimately be removed.</font> <SYNC Start=1413840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option three would be<br>replacement and abstraction.</font> <SYNC Start=1417120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So you can convert hard-coded<br>credentials to environment variables.</font> <SYNC Start=1420640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Abstract credential usage<br>behind configuration interfaces</font> <SYNC Start=1423920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and replace services<br>that require credentials</font> <SYNC Start=1426880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with mock implementations.</font> <SYNC Start=1429040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Assure that your default credentials</font> <SYNC Start=1430960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">are documented as insecure<br>examples that must be changed.</font> <SYNC Start=1435040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The goal is to ensure that<br>your community release</font> <SYNC Start=1437840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can't accidentally connect<br>to production services</font> <SYNC Start=1441120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or expose sensitive information.</font> <SYNC Start=1443760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And so, how can<br>conditional compilation</font> <SYNC Start=1446800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or environment specific code<br>such as #ifdefs or build flags</font> <SYNC Start=1451440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">help prepare for shutdown?</font> <SYNC Start=1453360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, conditional compilation</font> <SYNC Start=1455440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">is one of your most powerful<br>tools for preservation planning.</font> <SYNC Start=1459280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, option one would be<br>graceful degradation planning</font> <SYNC Start=1463600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">using conditional compilation<br>to prepare fallback modes</font> <SYNC Start=1467440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that can be activated<br>when services shut down.</font> <SYNC Start=1470320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You might have #ifdef OFFLINE_MODE<br>blocks that enable local leaderboards,</font> <SYNC Start=1474640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">bot opponents, or singleplayer<br>alternatives to multiplayer functions.</font> <SYNC Start=1478640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows the game to continue<br>functioning even after servers go offline.</font> <SYNC Start=1483440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be with a<br>DRM and authentication bypass.</font> <SYNC Start=1487520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When preparing for preservation,</font> <SYNC Start=1489600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you can use conditional compilation</font> <SYNC Start=1492080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to create builds with authentication<br>checks disabled or DRM removed.</font> <SYNC Start=1497200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Flags like #ifdef PRESERVATION_BUILD<br>can activate code paths</font> <SYNC Start=1501200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that bypass server<br>dependent authentication</font> <SYNC Start=1503920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while maintaining the<br>original gameplay experience.</font> <SYNC Start=1506640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And the beauty of this approach</font> <SYNC Start=1508080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">is that you can develop and<br>test these preservation modes</font> <SYNC Start=1511600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">throughout your development cycle,</font> <SYNC Start=1513520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">ensuring that they work correctly<br>when the time comes to use them.</font> <SYNC Start=1517520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">How do you document<br>your game's server stack</font> <SYNC Start=1520400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so players can replicate it later?</font> <SYNC Start=1523280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">We all hate documentation,<br>but it's a necessary evil,</font> <SYNC Start=1527120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even in game preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=1529040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Comprehensive documentation is essential<br>for successful community preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=1534400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, what are some things<br>that we'd recommend that you do?</font> <SYNC Start=1537360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, you can create simple architecture<br>diagrams with clear arrows and labels</font> <SYNC Start=1541840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that show how different components<br>connect and communicate.</font> <SYNC Start=1545440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can provide a one-page<br>setup, a flowchart,</font> <SYNC Start=1548800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">showing the design flow<br>from initial installation</font> <SYNC Start=1551760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to a running server.</font> <SYNC Start=1553440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Include folder structure visuals<br>that are easy to display</font> <SYNC Start=1556640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so community members understand<br>how to organize these files.</font> <SYNC Start=1560720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Write step-by-step numbered processes</font> <SYNC Start=1563280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for installation, configuration,<br>and troubleshooting common issues.</font> <SYNC Start=1567280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Document your API<br>endpoints and their usage</font> <SYNC Start=1570080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if your game uses internal APIs<br>for communication between components.</font> <SYNC Start=1574560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can also provide<br>Docker setup instructions</font> <SYNC Start=1576880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if you're using containerization<br>for distribution.</font> <SYNC Start=1580080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You're also going to want to list<br>system and hardware specifications,</font> <SYNC Start=1583520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">including minimum requirements,<br>recommended specifications,</font> <SYNC Start=1586800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and any special<br>hardware considerations.</font> <SYNC Start=1589280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Remember the people setting<br>up these servers in the future</font> <SYNC Start=1592800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">may not be professional developers.</font> <SYNC Start=1595120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So clarity and completeness</font> <SYNC Start=1597280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">are much more important than<br>technical sophistication.</font> <SYNC Start=1600720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so now, let's move into<br>the practical implementation details.</font> <SYNC Start=1605520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">We've covered the<br>theory and planning.</font> <SYNC Start=1608000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So now let's talk about how to<br>actually build these systems</font> <SYNC Start=1611120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and handle the technical challenges<br>that you might encounter.</font> <SYNC Start=1614607><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Really common question is<br>how would players host servers</font> <SYNC Start=1617840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when your code and setup<br>is really complicated?</font> <SYNC Start=1621360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, when your server<br>architecture is complex,</font> <SYNC Start=1624800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you have two main options<br>for simplifying community hosting.</font> <SYNC Start=1628560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be virtual machines.</font> <SYNC Start=1630720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Virtual machines can be set up in software<br>like VirtualBox, Parallels or Hyper-V.</font> <SYNC Start=1636800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This can remove complexity<br>around server environments</font> <SYNC Start=1639920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">by providing a complete<br>ready-to-run environment.</font> <SYNC Start=1643200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be Docker.</font> <SYNC Start=1645760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">A Dockerfile can be used by Docker</font> <SYNC Start=1648560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to easily set up services<br>on almost any PC.</font> <SYNC Start=1652240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Docker containers are generally<br>more efficient than full virtual machines</font> <SYNC Start=1656320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and easier for communities to manage.</font> <SYNC Start=1658800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can define your entire server<br>stack in a Docker Compose file</font> <SYNC Start=1662800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that automatically sets up all the<br>necessary services with a single command.</font> <SYNC Start=1667760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Both approaches hide the complexity<br>of your server architecture</font> <SYNC Start=1671360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">behind a simple interface</font> <SYNC Start=1672800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that community members can use<br>without a deep technical knowledge.</font> <SYNC Start=1677040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so what happens if your game<br>is tied to a platform ecosystem</font> <SYNC Start=1681920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">like Steam or PSN or Xbox Live?</font> <SYNC Start=1685600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, platform integration doesn't<br>have to be a barrier to preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=1691280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example, you could retain existing<br>Steam, PSN, Xbox Live services,</font> <SYNC Start=1696720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which, most of these services</font> <SYNC Start=1698080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">will still require multiplayer<br>games to use their features.</font> <SYNC Start=1701680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And since those will remain online,<br>you could still use them.</font> <SYNC Start=1705520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Just remove any dependencies on<br>publisher-owned or required services</font> <SYNC Start=1709840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that won't be available<br>after end of life.</font> <SYNC Start=1712720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be direct connect options<br>and providing options in-game</font> <SYNC Start=1717360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as using a direct connect IP option<br>or LAN server functionality.</font> <SYNC Start=1721520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This gives players an alternative</font> <SYNC Start=1723200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when platform-specific matchmaking<br>isn't available or becomes unreliable.</font> <SYNC Start=1728080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option three, you could handle<br>legacy platform cases.</font> <SYNC Start=1731360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example, with Xbox 360 games,</font> <SYNC Start=1733600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where Xbox Live no longer<br>exists in its original form,</font> <SYNC Start=1737120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">LAN and system link<br>options work great.</font> <SYNC Start=1739760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Players can use VPNs to<br>still play over the internet</font> <SYNC Start=1742640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even though the original Xbox Live<br>infrastructure is no longer available.</font> <SYNC Start=1746800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key here is providing<br>multiple connection methods</font> <SYNC Start=1750400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so that your game isn't<br>dependent on any single service.</font> <SYNC Start=1754160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, locked time events.</font> <SYNC Start=1756960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">What if your core gameplay<br>depends on locked time events?</font> <SYNC Start=1760960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Time locked events<br>present special challenges,</font> <SYNC Start=1763760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but there are practical solutions.</font> <SYNC Start=1766080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be using local time.</font> <SYNC Start=1768320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use a driver coding pattern</font> <SYNC Start=1770400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and have a fallback path where<br>events could be simulated locally</font> <SYNC Start=1775120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or run on a rotation at specific times<br>based on the user's system clock.</font> <SYNC Start=1779600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows events to continue happening<br>even without server coordination.</font> <SYNC Start=1784320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Next up would be<br>community server setting.</font> <SYNC Start=1786720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Server settings could be<br>provided for community servers</font> <SYNC Start=1789680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to define events, their<br>timing, and duration.</font> <SYNC Start=1792800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This gives community server administrators<br>control over the event schedule</font> <SYNC Start=1797200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and allows them to adapt<br>it to their playerbase.</font> <SYNC Start=1801040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The goal is to preserve the gameplay<br>experience that events provide</font> <SYNC Start=1805760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even if the exact timing and coordination<br>mechanisms need to change a little bit.</font> <SYNC Start=1810800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, I hear you, I hear you.</font> <SYNC Start=1812720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Can matchmaking be replaced<br>with LAN or peer-to-peer solutions?</font> <SYNC Start=1818334><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Yes.</font> <SYNC Start=1819114><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">But you have two approaches that are going<br>to be dependent on technical constraints.</font> <SYNC Start=1824960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be to<br>continue to support matchmaking</font> <SYNC Start=1828400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">by giving out a server binary<br>which lets players host a master server</font> <SYNC Start=1832960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that holds a list of<br>IPs for matchmaking</font> <SYNC Start=1835520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or spins up local server processes<br>with something like Docker.</font> <SYNC Start=1839360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This maintains the familiar<br>matchmaking experience</font> <SYNC Start=1842160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while removing<br>infrastructure dependency.</font> <SYNC Start=1845040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be remove<br>matchmaking entirely.</font> <SYNC Start=1848400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can support direct IP<br>or LAN connects instead.</font> <SYNC Start=1852320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">While this requires more<br>technical knowledge from players,</font> <SYNC Start=1855280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">it's simpler to<br>implement and maintain.</font> <SYNC Start=1858240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Many classic games worked this<br>way successfully for years.</font> <SYNC Start=1861680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So consider your player's base—</font> <SYNC Start=1864160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Consider your playerbase's<br>technical sophistication</font> <SYNC Start=1866800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when choosing between<br>these approaches.</font> <SYNC Start=1868800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so what if game—</font> <SYNC Start=1870720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">What if the game server requires<br>authoritative logic for fairness?</font> <SYNC Start=1876000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">That's a good question.</font> <SYNC Start=1877360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Authoritative servers are important<br>for competitive integrity,</font> <SYNC Start=1881200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and guess what?</font> <SYNC Start=1882480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can maintain<br>this in preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=1885520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be community server<br>with authoritative logic.</font> <SYNC Start=1889840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So you could release a server binary<br>where community servers can be instanced</font> <SYNC Start=1893920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and be authoritative for<br>their instance or realm.</font> <SYNC Start=1897120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could let players<br>direct connect via IP or LAN</font> <SYNC Start=1900320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and each community server would maintain<br>fair play within its own ecosystem.</font> <SYNC Start=1905440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The other option would be<br>peer-to-peer authority.</font> <SYNC Start=1908320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Have a player picked to be the host<br>to access the authoritative server</font> <SYNC Start=1912160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and can spectate the game while it's<br>playing to avoid host advantage bias.</font> <SYNC Start=1917040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach works well for<br>smaller-scale multiplayer games</font> <SYNC Start=1921360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where community servers<br>might be overkill.</font> <SYNC Start=1923840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key here is maintaining<br>competitive integrity</font> <SYNC Start=1926560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">within whatever hosting<br>model you choose,</font> <SYNC Start=1928880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even if the scale is smaller<br>than your original centralized approach.</font> <SYNC Start=1932800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, can you automate<br>having an end-of-life build</font> <SYNC Start=1937120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and have a normal build while<br>developing your game with CI/CD?</font> <SYNC Start=1941280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, absolutely.</font> <SYNC Start=1942720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And this is highly recommended.</font> <SYNC Start=1945200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Build flags are your friend here.</font> <SYNC Start=1948000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">As mentioned in previous slides,</font> <SYNC Start=1950320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">build flags such as<br>-SunsetPatch can be used</font> <SYNC Start=1954480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which strip out sections of code.</font> <SYNC Start=1957600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This will let you ship a sunset<br>version of your server executable</font> <SYNC Start=1961600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to QA for local testing<br>and running test plans.</font> <SYNC Start=1965440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">By integrating this into<br>your CI/CD pipeline,</font> <SYNC Start=1968560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you can automatically test<br>both your production build</font> <SYNC Start=1972080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and your preservation build<br>with every code change.</font> <SYNC Start=1975440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This ensures that when the time comes<br>to release the preservation build,</font> <SYNC Start=1979040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you know it works correctly,</font> <SYNC Start=1980640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">because it's been tested<br>throughout the development process.</font> <SYNC Start=1984160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach also lets your QA team</font> <SYNC Start=1986640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">test preservation scenarios<br>during development,</font> <SYNC Start=1989360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">catching issues early when they're<br>easier and much cheaper to fix.</font> <SYNC Start=1993840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And what tooling can you<br>provide to the community</font> <SYNC Start=1996960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to set up servers like scripts,<br>Dockerfiles, and config generators?</font> <SYNC Start=2001440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The more tooling you provide,</font> <SYNC Start=2003760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">the more likely your game<br>is to survive in the community.</font> <SYNC Start=2008320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, one option would be to release<br>a self-contained server package</font> <SYNC Start=2012800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where you could include simplified<br>versions of your services:</font> <SYNC Start=2016400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">a lightweight database like SQLite,</font> <SYNC Start=2020160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">simple web server<br>for admin interfaces,</font> <SYNC Start=2023040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and all game logic in<br>one downloadable package.</font> <SYNC Start=2026800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Aim for "download, extract,<br>and run" type of simplicity.</font> <SYNC Start=2031120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Another option would be to<br>provide Kubernetes manifests</font> <SYNC Start=2034080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or Docker Compose files<br>for easier deployment.</font> <SYNC Start=2037120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For technically sophisticated<br>community members,</font> <SYNC Start=2040000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you could provide orchestration files<br>that automate complex deployments.</font> <SYNC Start=2043680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Docker Compose files can<br>define multi-container setups</font> <SYNC Start=2047600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that replicate your<br>architecture at a smaller scale.</font> <SYNC Start=2050720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Another option would be to<br>create installation scripts.</font> <SYNC Start=2054000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could provide automated<br>installation scripts</font> <SYNC Start=2056480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that handle service setup,<br>database initialization,</font> <SYNC Start=2059840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and configuration file generation<br>with dependency installation.</font> <SYNC Start=2064000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could make these scripts<br>work on common platforms</font> <SYNC Start=2066560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">like Ubuntu, Windows Server,<br>Mac OS, etc., etc.</font> <SYNC Start=2071040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could also offer<br>a cloud agnostic version.</font> <SYNC Start=2074320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could design community versions<br>to work on any hosting platform,</font> <SYNC Start=2077440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">from Raspberry Pi servers<br>in someone's home,</font> <SYNC Start=2080160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to small VPS instances<br>on any cloud provider.</font> <SYNC Start=2083680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to avoid dependencies<br>on specific cloud features though,</font> <SYNC Start=2087200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which will kind of lead<br>us into this next slide,</font> <SYNC Start=2091360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is what are the major differences<br>between hosting a game server on Amazon</font> <SYNC Start=2096320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">compared to locally at home?</font> <SYNC Start=2098720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, understanding these differences</font> <SYNC Start=2100640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">helps you design the servers<br>that work in both environments.</font> <SYNC Start=2104640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, we're going to go<br>ahead and look into that.</font> <SYNC Start=2107280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">First off is distance<br>and infrastructure.</font> <SYNC Start=2109760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, cloud servers are<br>hosted in data centers</font> <SYNC Start=2112400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with uninterruptible<br>power supplies, backups,</font> <SYNC Start=2115200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and staff on standby to provide remote<br>hands support if something goes wrong.</font> <SYNC Start=2119840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Home servers deal with<br>residential internet, power outages,</font> <SYNC Start=2123280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and limited technical support.</font> <SYNC Start=2125200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Next up would be bandwidth.</font> <SYNC Start=2126480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Enterprise servers have<br>much more bandwidth,</font> <SYNC Start=2128960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as 10 gigabit connections,<br>which won't be needed at end of life.</font> <SYNC Start=2133600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Community servers typically run<br>on residential internet connections</font> <SYNC Start=2137280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with much lower upload speeds.</font> <SYNC Start=2139440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You also have 99% uptime and scaling.</font> <SYNC Start=2142400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Cloud deployments use extra services<br>for failover, load balancing,</font> <SYNC Start=2146560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and complex scaling to<br>handle millions of users.</font> <SYNC Start=2149840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Community servers are designed<br>for smaller local communities,</font> <SYNC Start=2153120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and they really<br>don't need this complexity.</font> <SYNC Start=2156160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, design your community servers to<br>work well within these constraints</font> <SYNC Start=2160160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than trying to replicate<br>your production environment exactly.</font> <SYNC Start=2164640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">But let's say your game uses<br>a lot of complicated services,</font> <SYNC Start=2168800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as AWS, Google Cloud,<br>and other microservices.</font> <SYNC Start=2172640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">What do you do then?</font> <SYNC Start=2174080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, these complex<br>service infrastructures</font> <SYNC Start=2176560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can be simplified for<br>community hosting.</font> <SYNC Start=2179360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, first you could remove the<br>microservices that are not needed.</font> <SYNC Start=2183120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This will help reduce the<br>surface area of work needed</font> <SYNC Start=2186400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for the game to be functional.</font> <SYNC Start=2188560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Most microservices are really<br>not needed at end of life.</font> <SYNC Start=2191840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Things, again, like payment processing,<br>analytics, and account management</font> <SYNC Start=2195760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">really become unnecessary.</font> <SYNC Start=2198320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could also use best practices<br>such as infrastructure as code.</font> <SYNC Start=2203360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use a descriptive model of what<br>services need to be deployed</font> <SYNC Start=2207280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so they are easily recreated at<br>end of life by the community.</font> <SYNC Start=2211440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Tools like Terraform or Kubernetes<br>manifest can help with this.</font> <SYNC Start=2215840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Again, to bring it back to Docker,<br>you can use that technology like Docker.</font> <SYNC Start=2220080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Docker can easily spin up a bunch of<br>containers to host services for players.</font> <SYNC Start=2225200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It also removes dependencies<br>on the operating system</font> <SYNC Start=2228320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and environmental complexity.</font> <SYNC Start=2230560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And finally, you could provide<br>players documentation and files,</font> <SYNC Start=2234480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">allowing them to set up their<br>own cloud account like AWS</font> <SYNC Start=2237920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and set up servers that way.</font> <SYNC Start=2239920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Some community members may prefer to<br>run servers on cloud infrastructure</font> <SYNC Start=2244080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than home hardware.</font> <SYNC Start=2246240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so here's a<br>practical list of services</font> <SYNC Start=2250960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you can typically remove<br>for end-of-life builds.</font> <SYNC Start=2254240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I'm not going to read this whole thing,<br>so go ahead and pause the screen.</font> <SYNC Start=2258160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I encourage you to take a look through<br>all of these, because this is a lot.</font> <SYNC Start=2262480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is a lot that can be removed</font> <SYNC Start=2265360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">out of your current system and<br>your current code and current setup</font> <SYNC Start=2269440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to make an end-of-life build work.</font> <SYNC Start=2272160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, what if you use<br>PlayFab or GameSparks?</font> <SYNC Start=2276400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">How do you end-of-life your game if you<br>are using these types of managed backends?</font> <SYNC Start=2280880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, managed backends require special<br>consideration for end-of-life planning.</font> <SYNC Start=2286800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, here are some<br>key strategies to consider.</font> <SYNC Start=2289920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could use feature<br>mapping and prioritization.</font> <SYNC Start=2292960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to document every<br>BaaS feature your game uses</font> <SYNC Start=2297040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and categorize them by importance.</font> <SYNC Start=2299200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Essential features like player<br>authentication and game saves</font> <SYNC Start=2302640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">will need a replacement,</font> <SYNC Start=2303840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while nice-to-have features like detailed<br>analytics can be removed entirely.</font> <SYNC Start=2308480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You want to create a comprehensive list<br>mapping each BaaS feature</font> <SYNC Start=2311920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to either a local replacement<br>or a removal plan.</font> <SYNC Start=2316240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Data export and migration.</font> <SYNC Start=2317920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, you can export all critical data<br>before service termination.</font> <SYNC Start=2321920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This includes player profiles,<br>game progress, leaderboards,</font> <SYNC Start=2325440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">user-generated content,<br>and configuration data.</font> <SYNC Start=2328800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Most BaaS providers<br>offer data export tools,</font> <SYNC Start=2331760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but you may need custom scripts</font> <SYNC Start=2333600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to extract everything in usable<br>formats for community servers.</font> <SYNC Start=2338240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Could also use<br>progressive decoupling.</font> <SYNC Start=2340800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Start by reducing BaaS dependencies in<br>updates leading up to the shutdown.</font> <SYNC Start=2346000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll replace complex BaaS features<br>with simpler local alternatives,</font> <SYNC Start=2349920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">gradually allowing you to test each<br>change and get community feedback</font> <SYNC Start=2353840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">before final shutdown.</font> <SYNC Start=2355840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You want to also try to<br>utilize local API development.</font> <SYNC Start=2359440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Create local APIs that replicate<br>essential BaaS functions</font> <SYNC Start=2362960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with simplified implementations.</font> <SYNC Start=2365280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">A local player data API might use<br>SQLite instead of cloud databases</font> <SYNC Start=2371120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and local leaderboards might be<br>server-specific rather than global.</font> <SYNC Start=2375520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so can dependency injection<br>or other modular architecture</font> <SYNC Start=2380160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">help isolate what needs to be<br>removed or replaced at end of life?</font> <SYNC Start=2384640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Yes, absolutely.</font> <SYNC Start=2386480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Good architectural patterns make<br>end-of-life transitions so much smoother.</font> <SYNC Start=2392640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Service abstraction and swapping,</font> <SYNC Start=2395120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">as an example,</font> <SYNC Start=2396240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">would mean dependency injection allows<br>you to abstract external services</font> <SYNC Start=2400800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">behind interfaces that can be easily<br>swapped during end-of-life preparation.</font> <SYNC Start=2405680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Authentication services,<br>analytics—analytics platforms,</font> <SYNC Start=2410480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and cloud storage can be replaced<br>with local implementations</font> <SYNC Start=2414400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">without changing core game logic.</font> <SYNC Start=2417040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Configuration-driven component selection,<br>with proper dependency injection,</font> <SYNC Start=2421600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you can easily select<br>implementations to use</font> <SYNC Start=2424640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">based on configuration<br>files or build settings.</font> <SYNC Start=2428000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Production builds might<br>use cloud services</font> <SYNC Start=2430800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while community builds<br>could use local alternatives.</font> <SYNC Start=2434000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Testing and isolation.</font> <SYNC Start=2435440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So dependency injection makes it<br>easier to test community builds</font> <SYNC Start=2439280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">by allowing you to inject<br>mock implementations</font> <SYNC Start=2442480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">during development<br>and testing phases.</font> <SYNC Start=2444640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This helps identify issues<br>before final release.</font> <SYNC Start=2448080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Cleaner code organization.</font> <SYNC Start=2450000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well-designed dependency injection<br>leads to cleaner separation of concerns,</font> <SYNC Start=2453600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">making it easier to identify what<br>components are safe to remove</font> <SYNC Start=2457120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and what dependencies<br>each feature requires.</font> <SYNC Start=2460320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, how do you test the final<br>state of your game in a post-server world</font> <SYNC Start=2465600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to confirm that it<br>behaves as expected?</font> <SYNC Start=2468960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, testing your end-of-life build<br>is crucial for a smooth transition.</font> <SYNC Start=2474400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use feature flags<br>to test community builds</font> <SYNC Start=2477920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while production services<br>are still available.</font> <SYNC Start=2480640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can gradually enable<br>community compatible features</font> <SYNC Start=2484240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and disable problematic ones<br>during transition periods.</font> <SYNC Start=2487920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows you to test preservation mode<br>while your game is still live.</font> <SYNC Start=2492080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Build defines can be used</font> <SYNC Start=2493360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to build a special version<br>of your game for end of life</font> <SYNC Start=2496560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that has authentication checks disabled<br>and cloud dependency removed.</font> <SYNC Start=2500960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This gives you a clean<br>testing environment</font> <SYNC Start=2503200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that matches what the<br>community will actually use.</font> <SYNC Start=2506320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">With test plans, your<br>quality assurance team</font> <SYNC Start=2508880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can run through an<br>end-of-life test plan</font> <SYNC Start=2511280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to make sure your game functions<br>throughout the development process.</font> <SYNC Start=2515520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Create specific test cases<br>for server failure scenarios,</font> <SYNC Start=2518880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">offline-mode functionality,<br>and community server connections.</font> <SYNC Start=2523120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Regular testing ensures that when the time<br>comes to release your preservation build,</font> <SYNC Start=2528000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you know it works correctly because it's<br>been validated throughout development.</font> <SYNC Start=2532880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And so, can you create a<br>community server binary</font> <SYNC Start=2537200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with stripped down version<br>for player hosting at end of life?</font> <SYNC Start=2542240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, absolutely.</font> <SYNC Start=2543840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And this is often the most<br>practical approach for preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=2548160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Feature reduction and optimization</font> <SYNC Start=2550720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">strip out features that aren't<br>essential for core gameplay</font> <SYNC Start=2553840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or that require proprietary services.</font> <SYNC Start=2556160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to remove analytic systems,<br>complex monetization features,</font> <SYNC Start=2560000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">advanced anti-cheat integration,</font> <SYNC Start=2561760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and features that depend on<br>unavailable third-party services.</font> <SYNC Start=2565520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Dependency building:</font> <SYNC Start=2566720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to include all necessary<br>libraries, runtime dependencies,</font> <SYNC Start=2570560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and configuration files to<br>minimize external requirements.</font> <SYNC Start=2574640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use static linking where possible</font> <SYNC Start=2576480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to reduce dependency conflicts<br>and simplify deployment.</font> <SYNC Start=2580480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Configuration externalization:</font> <SYNC Start=2582320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to move all customizable<br>settings to external configuration files</font> <SYNC Start=2587120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than hard-coded values.</font> <SYNC Start=2589280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This would allow administrators<br>to customize servers</font> <SYNC Start=2591920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">without needing source code<br>access or recompilation.</font> <SYNC Start=2595520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Resource optimization:</font> <SYNC Start=2597280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to optimize binaries for<br>typical community hosting scenarios</font> <SYNC Start=2600960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which often have limited resources.</font> <SYNC Start=2603680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use efficient algorithms,<br>reduce memory usage,</font> <SYNC Start=2606480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and optimize for single server rather<br>than distributed deployment scenarios.</font> <SYNC Start=2611440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">How do you remove login or DRM from games<br>that prevent you from running offline?</font> <SYNC Start=2618000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, removing<br>authentication barriers</font> <SYNC Start=2620560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">is obviously pretty<br>essential for preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=2624720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, you'll want to replace authentication<br>with always-success functions.</font> <SYNC Start=2629280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Modify login systems to automatically<br>succeed without server verification,</font> <SYNC Start=2634480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">remove DRM license checks,</font> <SYNC Start=2636560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and strip out periodic<br>license verification</font> <SYNC Start=2639040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and online validation requirements.</font> <SYNC Start=2641920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll also want to eliminate<br>periodic online verification</font> <SYNC Start=2645680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">by removing any systems</font> <SYNC Start=2647200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that require regular check-ins<br>with authentication servers.</font> <SYNC Start=2650720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can enable local user management</font> <SYNC Start=2652960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and store profiles in local files or<br>use a local storage implementation</font> <SYNC Start=2658720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with simple username-only<br>login systems</font> <SYNC Start=2661040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that don't require<br>server verification.</font> <SYNC Start=2663840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll also want to use build flags<br>for clean separation.</font> <SYNC Start=2667040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Implement conditional compilation</font> <SYNC Start=2669120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so you can cleanly separate<br>authentication code from core game logic.</font> <SYNC Start=2673520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll also want to test<br>offline functionality</font> <SYNC Start=2676240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to ensure the game starts without<br>internet, shows no license errors,</font> <SYNC Start=2680560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and local saves work properly.</font> <SYNC Start=2683440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Then you'll want to<br>communicate changes clearly.</font> <SYNC Start=2686000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Label builds as something like<br>"Community Edition - No account required,"</font> <SYNC Start=2689920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or "all DRM removed for preservation,"<br>and update license agreements accordingly.</font> <SYNC Start=2695440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so now let's address one of the<br>most complex aspects of game preservation,</font> <SYNC Start=2700720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is handling player data<br>and security considerations</font> <SYNC Start=2703840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when transitioning to<br>community-hosted infrastructure.</font> <SYNC Start=2707440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">One question we see fairly often</font> <SYNC Start=2709360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">is how do you handle<br>removing anti-cheat</font> <SYNC Start=2711840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and other services like<br>BattlEye for end of life?</font> <SYNC Start=2715120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, anti-cheat services<br>require special consideration,</font> <SYNC Start=2718560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">because they often have licensing<br>and technical dependencies.</font> <SYNC Start=2722960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example, BattlEye.</font> <SYNC Start=2724560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">BattlEye has options to<br>run the game without it</font> <SYNC Start=2727920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">by using the game<br>executable directly.</font> <SYNC Start=2730160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So you can patch out BattlEye<br>code in your game executable</font> <SYNC Start=2733600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with a define such as<br>#if WITH_BATTLEYE_CLIENT.</font> <SYNC Start=2738640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can also provide a command line<br>argument players can use</font> <SYNC Start=2741920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as -nobe to disable it entirely.</font> <SYNC Start=2746080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">There are some cost considerations.</font> <SYNC Start=2747920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">BattlEye charges a monthly fee<br>per user playing the game.</font> <SYNC Start=2751840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Since it's removed in the preservation<br>build, there will be no ongoing cost,</font> <SYNC Start=2756000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is important for<br>community sustainability.</font> <SYNC Start=2759120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Community anti-cheat alternatives<br>like community servers</font> <SYNC Start=2762560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can take cheating into their own<br>hands by using IP whitelists,</font> <SYNC Start=2767120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">firewall rules, and<br>community moderation.</font> <SYNC Start=2769920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">While not as sophisticated<br>as commercial anti-cheat,</font> <SYNC Start=2772800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">these methods can be very effective<br>for small community servers.</font> <SYNC Start=2777040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key is ensuring the game<br>remains playable and enjoyable,</font> <SYNC Start=2781680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even without enterprise-level<br>anti-cheat protection.</font> <SYNC Start=2784520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so how do you handle data at<br>end of life, and protect user privacy,</font> <SYNC Start=2790400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">since, you know, you<br>can't give out players</font> <SYNC Start=2792480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">copies of databases or<br>private information?</font> <SYNC Start=2796320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, player data privacy is crucial,</font> <SYNC Start=2799520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and there are two main approaches<br>that you could use here.</font> <SYNC Start=2803280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The first option would be to alter<br>the game to pull from local databases.</font> <SYNC Start=2807440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could convert player<br>and account saved data</font> <SYNC Start=2809840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to be stored locally on<br>each player's machine.</font> <SYNC Start=2812960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Set up in-game purchases to<br>always return as "owned,"</font> <SYNC Start=2816720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">eliminating the need<br>for server verification.</font> <SYNC Start=2819280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach gives players<br>control over their own data</font> <SYNC Start=2822160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while protecting everyone's privacy.</font> <SYNC Start=2824400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The other option you could try</font> <SYNC Start=2825600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">is to allow users to<br>change database endpoints.</font> <SYNC Start=2829120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Expose configuration options to allow for<br>a community to manage a shared database.</font> <SYNC Start=2833840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This maintains the social aspects of<br>shared progression and leaderboards</font> <SYNC Start=2838160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while keeping the infrastructure<br>community-controlled.</font> <SYNC Start=2840960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Both approaches<br>respect player privacy</font> <SYNC Start=2843520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while ensuring the game<br>remains functional.</font> <SYNC Start=2846000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The choice between them depends<br>on whether your game benefits more</font> <SYNC Start=2850000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">from individual data ownership<br>or shared community progression.</font> <SYNC Start=2854560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">That's all great, but how do we<br>patch out authentication servers</font> <SYNC Start=2857760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or have players still connect, even if<br>the game is designed to be online only?</font> <SYNC Start=2863040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, converting online-only<br>games to work offline</font> <SYNC Start=2866080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">does require very careful planning.</font> <SYNC Start=2868800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">There are a couple of options though.</font> <SYNC Start=2870480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, option one would be<br>to utilize a local save file.</font> <SYNC Start=2874160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use locally-generated<br>unique identifiers and names</font> <SYNC Start=2878240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which can be used in a LAN context<br>or VPN context for identifying players</font> <SYNC Start=2883040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while removing the need for accounts.</font> <SYNC Start=2885200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This works well for games where player<br>identity is primarily about game state</font> <SYNC Start=2890080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than social interaction.</font> <SYNC Start=2892880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be account database.</font> <SYNC Start=2896160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Provide an empty schema<br>file for your database</font> <SYNC Start=2899040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so it can be hosted by the<br>community or on community servers.</font> <SYNC Start=2902960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could provide a setting in the game<br>which controls which IP it connects to,</font> <SYNC Start=2906960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as in a config file.</font> <SYNC Start=2909760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This maintains the social<br>aspects of the game</font> <SYNC Start=2912240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while making the infrastructure<br>community-controlled.</font> <SYNC Start=2915200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Ultimately, the goal is to<br>preserve the gameplay experience</font> <SYNC Start=2918800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while removing dependencies<br>on your proprietary infrastructure.</font> <SYNC Start=2922880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, what if you're using<br>a programming language for your game</font> <SYNC Start=2927760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that doesn't compile into a binary<br>like JavaScript or Python?</font> <SYNC Start=2932720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Interpreted languages do<br>present special challenges,</font> <SYNC Start=2935760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but they do have several solutions.</font> <SYNC Start=2938640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The first option would<br>be code obfuscation.</font> <SYNC Start=2941520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use obfuscation tools<br>to make source code difficult to read</font> <SYNC Start=2945040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while maintaining functionality.</font> <SYNC Start=2947040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Tools like UglifyJS for<br>JavaScript or PyArmor for Python</font> <SYNC Start=2951840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">can scramble variable names,<br>remove comments,</font> <SYNC Start=2954560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and restructure code<br>to make it less readable.</font> <SYNC Start=2957840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Another option would be<br>selective code release.</font> <SYNC Start=2960640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Release only the minimum necessary<br>code for server functionality.</font> <SYNC Start=2964400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Keep complex game logic,<br>proprietary algorithms, and business logic</font> <SYNC Start=2968160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">in separate modules that aren't<br>included in community releases.</font> <SYNC Start=2972000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You want to focus on releasing networking,<br>basic game state management,</font> <SYNC Start=2975760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and configuration handling.</font> <SYNC Start=2977600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option three would be<br>binary compilation options.</font> <SYNC Start=2981200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use tools that compile interpreted<br>languages to binary executables</font> <SYNC Start=2985120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">like PyInstaller for Python, pkg<br>for Node.js, or Electron for JavaScript</font> <SYNC Start=2990080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to create distributable binaries</font> <SYNC Start=2992480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that hide source code<br>and maintain functionality.</font> <SYNC Start=2995840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Last up would be licensing<br>and legal protection.</font> <SYNC Start=2998240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could release source code</font> <SYNC Start=2999520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">under restrictive licenses<br>that allow community use,</font> <SYNC Start=3002560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but prevent commercial exploitation.</font> <SYNC Start=3004880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Creative Common licenses or custom<br>licenses can provide legal protection</font> <SYNC Start=3009360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even when source code is visible.</font> <SYNC Start=3011280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So what are some alternative<br>distribution methods that you could use</font> <SYNC Start=3016400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if you don't want to give out your<br>source code or your server files?</font> <SYNC Start=3020800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So if you need to<br>protect your source code,</font> <SYNC Start=3023200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">there are several<br>different approaches.</font> <SYNC Start=3025760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option one would be<br>container-based distribution.</font> <SYNC Start=3029200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">We've talked about Docker a lot,</font> <SYNC Start=3030720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but you can distribute complete Docker<br>containers that include the source code,</font> <SYNC Start=3034480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but make extraction more difficult.</font> <SYNC Start=3036720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">While technically<br>possible to extract,</font> <SYNC Start=3038960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">it requires additional<br>technical knowledge and effort.</font> <SYNC Start=3042560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option two would be using<br>modular architecture.</font> <SYNC Start=3045440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Design your server architecture<br>with clear separation</font> <SYNC Start=3048240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">between core game logic<br>and infrastructure code.</font> <SYNC Start=3051200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can open source<br>infrastructure components</font> <SYNC Start=3053600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while keeping game logic proprietary.</font> <SYNC Start=3055680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option three would be<br>configuration-driven logic.</font> <SYNC Start=3058320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So you'll move as much game logic<br>as possible into configuration files</font> <SYNC Start=3062160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than source code.</font> <SYNC Start=3063600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This allows community customization<br>without exposing implementation details.</font> <SYNC Start=3069040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could also use option four,<br>which is API-based architecture.</font> <SYNC Start=3072800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'd create an<br>API-based architecture</font> <SYNC Start=3075040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where game logic runs in<br>separate protected services</font> <SYNC Start=3078480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while community-hosted<br>components handle networking</font> <SYNC Start=3081120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and basic server management.</font> <SYNC Start=3083040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Option five would be<br>documentation and support.</font> <SYNC Start=3086160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Provide excellent<br>documentation and support</font> <SYNC Start=3088400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to encourage proper use of your<br>code rather than modification.</font> <SYNC Start=3092454><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well-documented, easy-to-use code</font> <SYNC Start=3095040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">reduces the incentive for communities<br>to modify or reverse engineer it.</font> <SYNC Start=3099840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so what if I have secrets<br>or private keys in my server binaries</font> <SYNC Start=3105600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when releasing them?</font> <SYNC Start=3106507><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Like, how would you handle this?</font> <SYNC Start=3108320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So you could use<br>compiler flags or build flags.</font> <SYNC Start=3111007><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This would be your primary tool here.</font> <SYNC Start=3113267><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can use these tools to remove<br>features or secrets from your code base.</font> <SYNC Start=3118240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You might provide an argument</font> <SYNC Start=3120080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">like -SunsetPatch which will<br>define SUNSET_PATCH variable</font> <SYNC Start=3124080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which you can then use via #ifdefs</font> <SYNC Start=3126560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to run a section of code or<br>otherwise back to the standard code.</font> <SYNC Start=3130800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach lets you<br>maintain one codebase</font> <SYNC Start=3133600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with different build configurations<br>for production and community releases.</font> <SYNC Start=3137520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The community build can use<br>placeholder credentials,</font> <SYNC Start=3140560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">disable features<br>that require secrets,</font> <SYNC Start=3142640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or use entirely different code paths<br>that don't need sensitive information.</font> <SYNC Start=3147040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The key here is planning this<br>architecture from the beginning</font> <SYNC Start=3150080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rather than trying to strip secrets</font> <SYNC Start=3152080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">out of an existing codebase<br>at the end of development.</font> <SYNC Start=3155480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so what would be the<br>safest way to release server binaries</font> <SYNC Start=3161280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if you can't share<br>the whole source code?</font> <SYNC Start=3163520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This will be in a<br>couple different parts.</font> <SYNC Start=3166001><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, first part would be<br>security preparation.</font> <SYNC Start=3169120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want comprehensive<br>security auditing.</font> <SYNC Start=3171680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use static analysis tools to<br>identify potential vulnerabilities,</font> <SYNC Start=3175360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">dependency scanners to check<br>for known security issues,</font> <SYNC Start=3178480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and penetration testing to<br>validate security measures.</font> <SYNC Start=3182000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Dependency security management:</font> <SYNC Start=3184240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to use tools like<br>OWASP Dependency Check, Snyk,</font> <SYNC Start=3188400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or similar security scanning platforms<br>to identify and address security issues.</font> <SYNC Start=3194560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll also want to use<br>attack service minimization.</font> <SYNC Start=3197600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to reduce attack surface<br>by removing unnecessary features,</font> <SYNC Start=3201440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">disabling unused services,</font> <SYNC Start=3203040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">implementing input<br>validation and sanitization,</font> <SYNC Start=3206000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and using minimal privilege<br>principles for all operations.</font> <SYNC Start=3210080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll also want a<br>secure build environment.</font> <SYNC Start=3212720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Ensure binaries are built in<br>secure, controlled environments</font> <SYNC Start=3215840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">using verified source code,<br>signed build tools,</font> <SYNC Start=3218880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and isolated build systems that<br>prevent tampering during compilation.</font> <SYNC Start=3223600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">What's the safest way to<br>release server binaries</font> <SYNC Start=3226720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if you can't share the whole source?</font> <SYNC Start=3229200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Part two.</font> <SYNC Start=3230080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so you'll want to keep in mind<br>the legal and compliance framework.</font> <SYNC Start=3235120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You want to conduct comprehensive<br>audits of all included components</font> <SYNC Start=3238160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to verify license compatibility<br>with community distribution.</font> <SYNC Start=3241840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Remove any components<br>with restrictive licenses</font> <SYNC Start=3244400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that prohibit redistribution<br>or require ongoing payments.</font> <SYNC Start=3248880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to do an<br>intellectual property review</font> <SYNC Start=3251280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to review binaries for proprietary<br>algorithms, trade secrets,</font> <SYNC Start=3254800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and confidential information<br>that shouldn't be distributed.</font> <SYNC Start=3258400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">With liability management,</font> <SYNC Start=3259920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you'll want to consider the terms</font> <SYNC Start=3261760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that limit your responsibility<br>for community-hosted servers</font> <SYNC Start=3265120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while protecting your<br>intellectual property.</font> <SYNC Start=3267600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to use export<br>control compliance.</font> <SYNC Start=3269840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Consider export control regulations<br>if redistributing internationally,</font> <SYNC Start=3274000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">especially for games with encryption<br>or other controlled technologies.</font> <SYNC Start=3277760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so part three would<br>be distribution and security.</font> <SYNC Start=3283280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So digital signing<br>and authentication:</font> <SYNC Start=3285760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Sign all binaries with valid<br>code signing certificates</font> <SYNC Start=3288960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to ensure authenticity<br>and prevent tampering.</font> <SYNC Start=3292960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use secure reputable distribution channels<br>with proper access controls.</font> <SYNC Start=3297200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Consider multiple distribution<br>methods to ensure availability</font> <SYNC Start=3300880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while maintaining security.</font> <SYNC Start=3302640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Version control and tracking:</font> <SYNC Start=3304240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Maintain clear version control</font> <SYNC Start=3305760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with detailed changelogs<br>and security advisories.</font> <SYNC Start=3308640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Implement mechanisms<br>to revoke or update binaries</font> <SYNC Start=3311440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if security issues are discovered.</font> <SYNC Start=3313520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And community communication:</font> <SYNC Start=3315280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Establish clear communication<br>channels for security issues</font> <SYNC Start=3318480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and provide procedures for<br>reporting and addressing</font> <SYNC Start=3321520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">security vulnerabilities<br>discovered by community members.</font> <SYNC Start=3324880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, now let's discuss<br>the practical aspects</font> <SYNC Start=3327440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">of actually executing<br>your end-of-life plan.</font> <SYNC Start=3330560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is where all your<br>preparation pays off,</font> <SYNC Start=3333360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but there are still important<br>considerations for the transition period.</font> <SYNC Start=3338080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, how do you communicate<br>to your players</font> <SYNC Start=3340480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that the final build is unsupported<br>or community-maintained?</font> <SYNC Start=3344640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Well, first off, clear communication is<br>essential for a successful transition.</font> <SYNC Start=3350720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">In-game messaging:</font> <SYNC Start=3352000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can add prominent but non-intrusive<br>notifications within the game itself.</font> <SYNC Start=3356320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">A banner or popup on<br>the main menu stating,</font> <SYNC Start=3359360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">"This is the final official release -<br>future updates will be community-driven"</font> <SYNC Start=3364080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">ensures players<br>understand the transition.</font> <SYNC Start=3366880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Could use version<br>naming and branding.</font> <SYNC Start=3369200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Use clear version identifiers<br>that signal the transition.</font> <SYNC Start=3372560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The final official build might<br>be labeled something like</font> <SYNC Start=3375600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">"Final Edition" or "Legacy Version,"</font> <SYNC Start=3378000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while community builds<br>could use naming like</font> <SYNC Start=3380240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">"Community Edition" or<br>"Preservation Build."</font> <SYNC Start=3383360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Documentation and README files:</font> <SYNC Start=3385680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Include comprehensive<br>documentation with the final build</font> <SYNC Start=3388960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">explaining the game's status,</font> <SYNC Start=3390640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">what features may no longer work,</font> <SYNC Start=3392240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and where players can<br>find community support.</font> <SYNC Start=3395040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Community handoff messaging:</font> <SYNC Start=3396720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Frame the transition positively<br>rather than as an abandonment.</font> <SYNC Start=3401280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Emphasize how this ensures<br>the game's long-term survival.</font> <SYNC Start=3405120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Technical disclaimers:</font> <SYNC Start=3406400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Be upfront about limitations:</font> <SYNC Start=3408640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">"Online features may<br>stop working at any time,"</font> <SYNC Start=3411600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or "No official technical<br>support is available,"</font> <SYNC Start=3414240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or even "Compatibility with future<br>operating systems is not guaranteed."</font> <SYNC Start=3419280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Resource signposting:</font> <SYNC Start=3420640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Provide clear directions<br>to community resources—</font> <SYNC Start=3423520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">forums, Discord servers,<br>fan sites, or GitHub repositories</font> <SYNC Start=3427120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where players can find help,<br>mods, or continue development.</font> <SYNC Start=3431280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Make these resources easily<br>discoverable within the game itself.</font> <SYNC Start=3435440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Farewell content:</font> <SYNC Start=3436640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Consider adding special content that<br>acknowledges the game's journey—</font> <SYNC Start=3440400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">perhaps as a credit sequence<br>thanking the community,</font> <SYNC Start=3443360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or a message from<br>the development team.</font> <SYNC Start=3446080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This creates a sense of closure while<br>celebrating your game's legacy.</font> <SYNC Start=3452320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And legal clarity:</font> <SYNC Start=3454080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Include clear statements about<br>what players can and cannot do</font> <SYNC Start=3458080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with the final build.</font> <SYNC Start=3460080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is important.</font> <SYNC Start=3461600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, can you<br>delist your game from a store</font> <SYNC Start=3466000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but still let owners redownload it?</font> <SYNC Start=3468060><P Class=ENUSCC>&nbsp; <SYNC Start=3469060><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Yes.</font> <SYNC Start=3469760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Most platforms support this approach.</font> <SYNC Start=3472400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, with Steam, for example,</font> <SYNC Start=3474480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Steam will let you still have existing<br>offline files that players can back up</font> <SYNC Start=3479040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if you opt out of DRM.</font> <SYNC Start=3481120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Players who already own the game<br>can continue to download and play it,</font> <SYNC Start=3484960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even if it's no longer<br>available for purchase.</font> <SYNC Start=3487760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">With consoles,</font> <SYNC Start=3488800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">most consoles will still let you<br>re-download an existing game you own,</font> <SYNC Start=3493120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">even if the store<br>page is unavailable,</font> <SYNC Start=3495120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and the game is not being<br>sold to new customers.</font> <SYNC Start=3497760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This approach protects<br>existing players</font> <SYNC Start=3500080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">while preventing new sales that<br>might create support obligations</font> <SYNC Start=3503760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that you can't fulfill.</font> <SYNC Start=3505240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, how do you handle games<br>that are part of a larger ecosystem,</font> <SYNC Start=3510480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">such as shared accounts<br>across multiple games?</font> <SYNC Start=3514240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Shared ecosystems require<br>some special consideration.</font> <SYNC Start=3518800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Data export and import tools<br>for one-time migration:</font> <SYNC Start=3523040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">For example, if you're<br>using a MySQL database,</font> <SYNC Start=3526480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">you may export the tables and schema,</font> <SYNC Start=3528800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but not provide any of the<br>user data that's private,</font> <SYNC Start=3531760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so it can be used on<br>community servers.</font> <SYNC Start=3534400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Converting shared currencies<br>to local alternatives:</font> <SYNC Start=3537360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You can take a copy of the data</font> <SYNC Start=3538960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and convert it to work<br>with one game at shutdown.</font> <SYNC Start=3542160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Other games still in support can keep<br>using the shared account structure.</font> <SYNC Start=3546480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">"Legacy bundles" that give everyone<br>previously cross-game content:</font> <SYNC Start=3550560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This would remove all the need to<br>do ownership checks with a server,</font> <SYNC Start=3554960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">simplifying the preservation<br>build significantly.</font> <SYNC Start=3558240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And optional community-run<br>federation models:</font> <SYNC Start=3561760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Let the community host their own<br>database server with accounts</font> <SYNC Start=3565280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">so the game is still playable<br>with social features intact.</font> <SYNC Start=3568640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so, how long should<br>the final end-of-life game patch</font> <SYNC Start=3573120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">be available to download?</font> <SYNC Start=3575440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Distribution availability does<br>require long-term planning.</font> <SYNC Start=3579680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Some practical solutions would be multiple<br>distribution channels from day one,</font> <SYNC Start=3584800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">official checksums and digital<br>signatures for authenticity,</font> <SYNC Start=3589280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">clear licensing that<br>allows community mirroring,</font> <SYNC Start=3592720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and specific platform recommendations,<br>like GitHub, Archive.org, etc.,</font> <SYNC Start=3598400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with protection for legacy players<br>who haven't updated yet.</font> <SYNC Start=3602480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to keep in mind<br>a timeline approach.</font> <SYNC Start=3605600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Six months for official<br>plus community mirrors,</font> <SYNC Start=3608640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">two years for transition<br>to community-only,</font> <SYNC Start=3611600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and five plus years for<br>archive services as primary.</font> <SYNC Start=3615520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The goal is ensuring the<br>preservation build remains available</font> <SYNC Start=3618960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">after you stop<br>actively supporting it.</font> <SYNC Start=3621600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Now, how do you provide<br>a fallback experience</font> <SYNC Start=3623920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">for players who still launch<br>the game post-shutdown?</font> <SYNC Start=3627680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Graceful connection failure<br>handling can replace error messages</font> <SYNC Start=3631760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">with helpful guidance about how<br>to connect to community servers</font> <SYNC Start=3635280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or access offline modes.</font> <SYNC Start=3637360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You could use an offline<br>mode implementation</font> <SYNC Start=3639920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and provide alternative<br>gameplay options</font> <SYNC Start=3642320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that work without any<br>server connectivity.</font> <SYNC Start=3645440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You have community integration</font> <SYNC Start=3647040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where you can connect players<br>to community resources</font> <SYNC Start=3650000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">where they can find active servers,<br>get help, and continue enjoying the game.</font> <SYNC Start=3654640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The worst experience is a player<br>launching a game they paid for,</font> <SYNC Start=3657920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and getting a cryptic error message.</font> <SYNC Start=3660320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Instead, guide them towards ways<br>that they can continue playing.</font> <SYNC Start=3664240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right, so we are going to talk</font> <SYNC Start=3665600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">a little bit about tips<br>for existing games,</font> <SYNC Start=3668720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">'cause we've seen those questions,</font> <SYNC Start=3670320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">but it is important to note</font> <SYNC Start=3671920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that the initiative states it would only<br>require new games to be built this way,</font> <SYNC Start=3676960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and does not apply to older games.</font> <SYNC Start=3679600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">However, this may be<br>helpful for game developers</font> <SYNC Start=3682400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">who are taking their<br>existing codebase</font> <SYNC Start=3684640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and are aiming on shipping it again<br>in a new game in the future.</font> <SYNC Start=3690160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When making a new game,</font> <SYNC Start=3691680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">the right decisions can<br>be made from the start,</font> <SYNC Start=3694080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is much more cost-effective than<br>trying to retrofit preservation support</font> <SYNC Start=3698960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">into an existing game.</font> <SYNC Start=3702160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">But the initiative does not<br>intend to be retroactive.</font> <SYNC Start=3705920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">With that out of the way,<br>let's move forward.</font> <SYNC Start=3708640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">How would you decouple<br>online and offline features</font> <SYNC Start=3712000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">if the game was not built that way?</font> <SYNC Start=3714880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Retrofitting preservation support<br>is very challenging, but possible.</font> <SYNC Start=3720720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll want to document<br>existing systems:</font> <SYNC Start=3723440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Create a detailed inventory<br>of all game features</font> <SYNC Start=3726400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and categorize them as online-essential<br>if it requires server connectivity,</font> <SYNC Start=3731520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or online-enhanced (better with<br>servers but can work offline).</font> <SYNC Start=3735600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Offline-capable works independently.</font> <SYNC Start=3738400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So identify the absolute<br>core gameplay loop</font> <SYNC Start=3741360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">that must be preserved<br>in offline mode.</font> <SYNC Start=3744640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Architectural<br>modification strategies:</font> <SYNC Start=3747040><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So create abstraction layers between<br>game logic and online services.</font> <SYNC Start=3751280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">These abstractions can switch<br>between online implementation</font> <SYNC Start=3754320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">when servers are available,</font> <SYNC Start=3755840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and offline implementations<br>when they're not,</font> <SYNC Start=3758400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">without changing core game mode.</font> <SYNC Start=3760560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">You'll separate online state,</font> <SYNC Start=3762160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">like global leaderboard,<br>social features, and cloud saves</font> <SYNC Start=3765520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">from offline state like local progress<br>settings and singleplayer content</font> <SYNC Start=3769840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">in your data models<br>and storage systems.</font> <SYNC Start=3772880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is significantly more work</font> <SYNC Start=3774640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">than building preservation<br>support from the beginning,</font> <SYNC Start=3777360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">which is why the initiative<br>focuses on new games.</font> <SYNC Start=3780960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Which brings us to<br>a very important question.</font> <SYNC Start=3784320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">How do you design your next game<br>to make end of life easier from the start?</font> <SYNC Start=3789840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Prevention is better than a cure<br>when it comes to preservation.</font> <SYNC Start=3793920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Avoid unnecessary online DRM.</font> <SYNC Start=3796640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Don't require online connectivity</font> <SYNC Start=3798560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">unless it's essential for<br>the core gameplay experience.</font> <SYNC Start=3801840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">When multiplayer is essential,<br>include things like LAN, direct IP,</font> <SYNC Start=3806800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or peer-to-peer options as fallbacks.</font> <SYNC Start=3809600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Always provide multiple ways for<br>players to connect to each other.</font> <SYNC Start=3813760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Plan for server shutdown ahead<br>of time with an end-of-life plan.</font> <SYNC Start=3818320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Document your preservation<br>strategy before you need it.</font> <SYNC Start=3822320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">And separate game logic from online<br>components as much as possible.</font> <SYNC Start=3827440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Design your architecture so the game<br>can run independently of cloud servers</font> <SYNC Start=3831600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and make sure you have a build<br>flag for an end-of-life build.</font> <SYNC Start=3835360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Test your preservation mode throughout<br>development, not just at the end.</font> <SYNC Start=3839840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Make sure your code and design<br>patterns use a driver pattern.</font> <SYNC Start=3843520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Build flexibility into your service<br>connections from the beginning.</font> <SYNC Start=3847600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Having this planned from the start<br>will reduce cost significantly</font> <SYNC Start=3852400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">compared to retrofitting<br>preservation support.</font> <SYNC Start=3855120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Now, how much could it cost to convert<br>my game to one that can be preserved?</font> <SYNC Start=3860720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">That's a question that<br>we've heard a lot.</font> <SYNC Start=3863760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The cost varies dramatically<br>based on your planning.</font> <SYNC Start=3867200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Doing it from the start for a game<br>that has well-planned out architecture</font> <SYNC Start=3871680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">could be a few weeks to patch in<br>direct connect IP options,</font> <SYNC Start=3875360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">fallout LAN servers, etc.,</font> <SYNC Start=3877360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and can be implemented<br>as features are developed</font> <SYNC Start=3879840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to massively cut down<br>on cost and time.</font> <SYNC Start=3882240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It's much easier to flip the<br>switch later to patch out DRM,</font> <SYNC Start=3886320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">release dedicated server build, etc.</font> <SYNC Start=3888960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I mean, estimated cost could<br>be 5 to 20 (thousand) euro.</font> <SYNC Start=3893200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Feasibility is considered easy.</font> <SYNC Start=3895840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">Two to six months may be needed for<br>a game that is not well documented,</font> <SYNC Start=3899280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">poorly planned with poor decisions<br>made during the development process.</font> <SYNC Start=3903600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It could require digging<br>through legacy code,</font> <SYNC Start=3906000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">rebuilding client/server architecture,<br>legal reviews, documentation, and testing.</font> <SYNC Start=3910560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">It may need to pay to<br>re-license middleware</font> <SYNC Start=3913600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">or rewrite parts that<br>can't be reused easily.</font> <SYNC Start=3916800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The estimated cost on the smaller scale<br>could be 50 to 200 thousand euro.</font> <SYNC Start=3921440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">The feasibility is really risky.</font> <SYNC Start=3923920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">This is why again the initiative<br>is only focused on new games.</font> <SYNC Start=3928080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">One of the big reasons is the<br>cost difference is enormous.</font> <SYNC Start=3931947><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">All right.</font> <SYNC Start=3932647><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">So, from my end,<br>that's all I've got for you.</font> <SYNC Start=3936640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">I'm going to go ahead<br>and pass this over</font> <SYNC Start=3939840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">to Matt of Alderon Games,</font> <SYNC Start=3942400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">and he's going to talk about a case<br>study for his game, <i>Path of Titans</i>.</font> <SYNC Start=3948560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Okay, as mentioned earlier,</font> <SYNC Start=3949920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">I'll be examining <i>Path of Titans</i> to<br>show how an end-of-life plan could work.</font> <SYNC Start=3954000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You can see here,<br>here's our game here.</font> <SYNC Start=3956000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, for this slide, we've<br>got a lot of microservices.</font> <SYNC Start=3959840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, over the years—over the past<br>five or six years making this game,</font> <SYNC Start=3963920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">we've had to add a lot of services.</font> <SYNC Start=3966080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Most of these, however,<br>are not needed for end of life.</font> <SYNC Start=3969200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, we just need the, kind of,<br>the core gameplay functionality to work.</font> <SYNC Start=3972320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So you can see, like<br>anti-cheat, and stuff like that,</font> <SYNC Start=3974880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">as per the previous<br>slides are not needed.</font> <SYNC Start=3976720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">We have our own game launcher,</font> <SYNC Start=3978240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and this also has a<br>lot of microservices.</font> <SYNC Start=3980480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">The entire launcher though<br>probably could be removed,</font> <SYNC Start=3982880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and people could launch the<br>game executable directly,</font> <SYNC Start=3986000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">but this will likely be supported in the<br>future, 'cause we'll ship more games.</font> <SYNC Start=3989200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You can see here is a login screen.</font> <SYNC Start=3991520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So what we could do is we could patch<br>the login screen out potentially,</font> <SYNC Start=3995200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">or have some kind of work around</font> <SYNC Start=3996880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">where community servers<br>could host their own database.</font> <SYNC Start=3999680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You kind of log into that.</font> <SYNC Start=4000800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So here's our main menu for our game.</font> <SYNC Start=4003280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You can see we have a lot<br>of options here for example.</font> <SYNC Start=4005713><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So we have a multiplayer,<br>a singleplayer,</font> <SYNC Start=4008280><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">community servers, and a store,<br>and stuff like that.</font> <SYNC Start=4010367><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So here is a slide of kind of<br>the microservices we've removed.</font> <SYNC Start=4014800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, you'd just be, uh, have<br>singleplayer and community servers.</font> <SYNC Start=4018160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You can see here we<br>also have the server list.</font> <SYNC Start=4022560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So you can see down<br>here on the bottom left,</font> <SYNC Start=4024640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">we added a direct connect option.</font> <SYNC Start=4028000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, when the server list<br>goes down for example,</font> <SYNC Start=4030880><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">players will still be able to<br>direct connect to other servers.</font> <SYNC Start=4034960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">We have some skins in our game that<br>you can buy for a small payment.</font> <SYNC Start=4038560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">If the player purchases our skins,<br>however difficult to manage,</font> <SYNC Start=4042320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">the game could be patched to simply<br>allow all purchased content to be usable.</font> <SYNC Start=4046480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">That way you could preserve<br>players' transactions</font> <SYNC Start=4048400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and purchase what they pay for,</font> <SYNC Start=4049840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">but also while making the content<br>available for the community.</font> <SYNC Start=4053200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So in this case,</font> <SYNC Start=4053920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">we could patch the game to make all<br>the ownership checks return true.</font> <SYNC Start=4056960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You can see here is an example<br>showing the in-game character editor</font> <SYNC Start=4059680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">where the premium skin is<br>unlocked for all players.</font> <SYNC Start=4061920><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Meanwhile, the other skins<br>are still unavailable in-game.</font> <SYNC Start=4064480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So here's an example of the<br>game not gracefully handling</font> <SYNC Start=4068560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">a transaction from the store.</font> <SYNC Start=4070960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, these are the things that<br>are kind of likely to break</font> <SYNC Start=4073520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">when you patch out the<br>services for your game.</font> <SYNC Start=4076080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Um, if the check is<br>too hard to remove,</font> <SYNC Start=4078480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">we could easily add<br>a error message like this,</font> <SYNC Start=4081094><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">indicating to the player<br>that it's not working.</font> <SYNC Start=4082960><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, here's the friends list and<br>kind of how it works in-game.</font> <SYNC Start=4085680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You can see here after our<br>service has been shut down,</font> <SYNC Start=4089167><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">um, you can see there's,<br>uh, retry warnings</font> <SYNC Start=4091760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">where it can't connect<br>to our friends list.</font> <SYNC Start=4093440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, we want to make sure<br>here that the game times out</font> <SYNC Start=4095760><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and throws an error<br>message to the player,</font> <SYNC Start=4097840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">saying it can't connect<br>to the friends list.</font> <SYNC Start=4100000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Uh, the bug here is the game<br>gets stuck loading forever,</font> <SYNC Start=4102800><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">so that might be a<br>bad sign to players.</font> <SYNC Start=4105120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">This is kind of another example where we<br>have kind of this family tree structure,</font> <SYNC Start=4108560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">where we have some character data.</font> <SYNC Start=4110160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So this would be something<br>that we could kind of migrate</font> <SYNC Start=4112400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">to, um, a local database or something<br>that could be run by community servers.</font> <SYNC Start=4116640><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So here's an example of<br>the servers we would have.</font> <SYNC Start=4119440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So the servers we host for<br>our official servers currently</font> <SYNC Start=4122320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">are based on this Supermicro 1U.</font> <SYNC Start=4125600><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Um, here's an example of six I have<br>in my basement at the moment,</font> <SYNC Start=4128720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">just for testing purposes.</font> <SYNC Start=4130240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">This server is a<br>really decent server,</font> <SYNC Start=4132400><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and you can see that's very similar</font> <SYNC Start=4134000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">to the kind of hardware you'd<br>have currently on your PC.</font> <SYNC Start=4138240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">And with this server,</font> <SYNC Start=4139120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">we can host four to six instances<br>of about 100 to 200 players.</font> <SYNC Start=4143840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">So, a single one of these boxes</font> <SYNC Start=4146160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">that only costs around three grand</font> <SYNC Start=4148720><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">can get you 1,200 players per server.</font> <SYNC Start=4151200><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">For hosting 1,200 players,</font> <SYNC Start=4153120><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">this is insanely affordable,</font> <SYNC Start=4155360><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and more than enough to meet<br>the server requirements.</font> <SYNC Start=4158080><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Especially because players can<br>host these servers on their own PC.</font> <SYNC Start=4162000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">But yeah, that's all from me,<br>and thanks for watching,</font> <SYNC Start=4164240><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and hopefully this video<br>helps you preserve your game</font> <SYNC Start=4166320><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and keep it working after shutdown.</font> <SYNC Start=4168000><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">I know there might be a lot of<br>additional questions we didn't get to.</font> <SYNC Start=4171440><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">You might be able to leave a comment<br>and we'll get back to you on those,</font> <SYNC Start=4174560><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">but we could potentially do<br>another video in the future.</font> <SYNC Start=4177680><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">But hopefully for some<br>developers there in the audience</font> <SYNC Start=4180160><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">that are looking for answers<br>on how to preserve their game,</font> <SYNC Start=4183520><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">and how to keep things working,<br>"How is it even possible?"</font> <SYNC Start=4186480><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Hopefully we've tried to<br>answer most of those questions.</font> <SYNC Start=4189840><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">Thanks everybody. Bye.</font> <SYNC Start=4191347><P Class=ENUSCC>[Subtitles by <font color="#ffff00">Erasmus Magnus</font>] <SYNC Start=4192084><P Class=ENUSCC>&nbsp; </BODY> </SAMI>

They provided this alternate title: La industria ha presentado cargos falsos contra "Stop Killing Games" I see a corrected version has been published on the video. Sorry for attaching a subtitle filled with errors—I’m no longer actively going through reviewing and polishing volunteer translations like I used to, due to time constraints., so I’ll be taking a backseat from submitting community translations.

I'll contact the sub editor and get back

You know what, I haven’t mentioned this on the forum before because I felt it wouldn’t be appropriate, but this video really hits home for me. Between all the truthful things Ross said about volunteering that really sting, the accusation that nobody would work this much for free, and recently watching Louis Rossmann words on the topic, I’ll cut the humble act and put it out there: I accept donations.

On behalf of translator Reonu. Title: La industria ha presentado cargos falsos contra la iniciativa "Alto a la destrucción de los videojuegos" Description: ¡Han llegado denuncias de que tanto la iniciativa Stop Killing Games como yo mismo estamos violando las normas de la UE! Estas denuncias serían serias, de no ser porque son falsas, y utilizan pruebas inventadas. Copia de los cargos presentados contra la iniciativa: https://mega.nz/file/W3YTHCqQ#i-D2f_fgILqBILJiavLwX-eh3pUPGnYeaQfdadiFH20 Enlace a la iniciativa ciudadana europea: https://eci.ec.europa.eu/045/public/#/screen/home?lg=es Enlace para contactar con miembros del Comité de Mercado Interno y Protección al Consumidor del Parlamento Europeo: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/es/imco/home/members 0:00 Intro 1:00 Cargos contra la iniciativa 8:22 Especulación acerca de qué significa esto 13:59 Ubisoft responde a SKG 15:26 Especulando acerca del futuro 17:35 Novedades respecto a miembros del Parlamento Europeo que apoyan la iniciativa #StopKillingGames https://stopkillinggames.com 1 00:00:00,293 --> 00:00:01,200 ¡Hey! 2 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:02,054 ¿Sabéis el dicho que dice: 3 00:00:02,054 --> 00:00:06,166 "no es paranoia si de verdad te persiguen"? 4 00:00:06,166 --> 00:00:08,967 Bueno, pues este es otro vídeo que no quería hacer, 5 00:00:08,967 --> 00:00:11,097 pero creo que debo hacerlo. 6 00:00:11,097 --> 00:00:15,120 Y es una novedad importante, sobre todo para mí. 7 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:19,233 Tengo novedades de lo que está pasando tras las cámaras en Stop Killing Games 8 00:00:19,233 --> 00:00:22,800 Vale, repaso rápido, porque sé que esto es confuso: 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,040 Yo fundé el movimiento "Stop Killing Games" 10 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:29,313 para desafiar la legalidad de los editores destruyendo juegos por los que has pagado. 11 00:00:29,313 --> 00:00:32,800 Esto ha involucrado muchas cosas que he enseñado en diapositivas antes, 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,800 e incluye asistir con la iniciativa ciudadana europea, 13 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,547 que es la parte más importante del movimiento ahora mismo. 14 00:00:39,547 --> 00:00:43,966 Pero yo no soy el fundador de la iniciativa ciudadana europea. 15 00:00:43,966 --> 00:00:47,520 Son un grupo de voluntarios con los que estoy en contacto. 16 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,214 No tengo derecho para tener un rol oficial en la iniciativa. 17 00:00:50,214 --> 00:00:52,488 Simplemente la promuevo mucho. 18 00:00:52,488 --> 00:00:54,400 Siempre han sido cosas separadas. 19 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,054 Eso es parte del motivo por el que se llama "Stop Destroying Videogames" 20 00:00:58,054 --> 00:01:00,800 en lugar de "Stop Killing Games", como el movimiento. 21 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,108 Así que con esto en mente, 22 00:01:02,108 --> 00:01:03,609 hace poco me comunicaron que 23 00:01:03,609 --> 00:01:06,653 alguien ha hecho una acusación muy 24 00:01:06,653 --> 00:01:11,473 seria dirigida a la iniciativa "Stop Destroying Videogames". 25 00:01:11,473 --> 00:01:13,967 La Comisión Europea nos ha reenviado una queja citando 26 00:01:13,967 --> 00:01:16,330 que ha roto dos normas. 27 00:01:16,330 --> 00:01:17,600 ¡Hostias! 28 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,247 Una declaración falsa de que no tiene financiación, 29 00:01:20,247 --> 00:01:24,314 y "ocultación sistemática de contribuciones notables". 30 00:01:24,314 --> 00:01:27,280 "Esta declaración parece ser fundamentalmente errónea 31 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,360 basándonos en pruebas disponibles públicamente 32 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:33,666 de contribuciones profesionales notables para la campaña" 33 00:01:33,666 --> 00:01:36,374 Bueno, pues me acabo de enterar 34 00:01:36,374 --> 00:01:39,680 pero bueno, no es como si supiera todo lo que ocurre en la iniciativa. 35 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,066 ¿De qué va esto? 36 00:01:41,066 --> 00:01:43,120 ¡Ah, que esto va de mí! 37 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:44,920 ¡YO soy la prueba, gente! 38 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,800 ¿Qué tenemos aquí? 39 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:50,960 Una cita, "Han habido varias semanas en la campaña en 40 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,233 las que he trabajado de 12 a 14 horas a la semana 41 00:01:53,233 --> 00:01:55,600 para mantener el ritmo y conseguir firmas" 42 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,001 Joder, ¡y tanto que sí! 43 00:01:57,001 --> 00:01:58,374 Eso es verdad. 44 00:01:58,374 --> 00:02:02,233 "He estado tirando de un carro llevando a la gente al destino." 45 00:02:02,233 --> 00:02:04,348 Eh... sí. 46 00:02:04,348 --> 00:02:06,880 Es verdad que dije esas palabras. 47 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,580 No me queda claro si la persona acusadora 48 00:02:08,580 --> 00:02:12,400 piensa que he estado ofreciendo un servicio en el que literalmente tiro de un carro. 49 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:13,360 ¿Y sabéis qué? 50 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:14,880 No se lo voy a decir. 51 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,040 Esta persona puede adivinarlo por su cuenta. 52 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,961 Y bueno, adivinar es algo que ha hecho mucho. 53 00:02:18,961 --> 00:02:20,000 Ya veréis. 54 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,654 "Entrevistas con los medios describiéndome como la persona que 55 00:02:22,654 --> 00:02:26,480 "lleva el día a día la campaña Stop Killing Games" 56 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,440 y que me "describen como la persona principal que toma decisiones 57 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,197 y actúa de representante para la campaña."" 58 00:02:32,197 --> 00:02:34,398 Vale, esto es rebuscado. 59 00:02:34,398 --> 00:02:37,680 Ya que al parecer tengo que decirlo explícitamente, 60 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,934 cuando digo que la iniciativa "va a hacer esto" o "va a hacer aquello", 61 00:02:41,934 --> 00:02:46,160 eso soy yo dando por hecho que los miembros de la iniciativa están de acuerdo conmigo 62 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,560 y haciendo lo que puedo para predecir lo que va a pasar. 63 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,800 Incluso he dicho antes en mis vídeos 64 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,840 que los miembros de la iniciativa no son una mente colmena. 65 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,033 Pueden no estar de acuerdo entre ellos, o conmigo. 66 00:02:57,033 --> 00:03:00,000 Claro que escuchan mi opinión, 67 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:05,280 pero ellos toman literalmente todas las decisiones relacionadas con la iniciativa. 68 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:10,080 Si a mí no me gusta algo, pero a ellos sí, no me queda otra que aguantarme. 69 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,757 No tengo autoridad. 70 00:03:12,757 --> 00:03:16,320 No puedo darle órdenes a nadie en la iniciativa. 71 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,071 Pero preparaos, porque ahora se viene el contable payaso. 72 00:03:19,071 --> 00:03:23,120 "Entre quince y veinte semanas trabajando de 12 a 14 horas al día." 73 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,570 Es curioso que definan esto como "tirando por lo bajo", porque 74 00:03:26,570 --> 00:03:28,724 se están inventando estos números. 75 00:03:28,724 --> 00:03:31,324 Esto es básicamente lo mismo que leer hojas de té. 76 00:03:31,324 --> 00:03:35,697 Es cierto que creo que he trabajado esa cantidad de horas... 77 00:03:35,697 --> 00:03:37,840 ...ALGUNAS semanas. 78 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,920 ¿Pero de 15 a 20? 79 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:41,633 ¡Me moriría! 80 00:03:41,633 --> 00:03:43,264 Algunas semanas sí, 81 00:03:43,264 --> 00:03:46,880 pero otras semanas era algo como de 0 a 4 horas. 82 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:48,101 No sé. 83 00:03:48,101 --> 00:03:49,920 ¿Sabéis por qué no lo sé? 84 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:51,600 ¡Porque no cuento mis horas! 85 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:52,960 ¿Por qué iba a hacerlo? 86 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,040 Nadie me ha contratado para esto. 87 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,120 Esto es todo voluntariado. 88 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,520 Si digo que he trabajado "de 12 a 14 horas" es porque han habido días 89 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,704 en los que me despertaba, trabajaba el día entero, y me iba a dormir, 90 00:04:05,704 --> 00:04:09,040 quitando comer, hacer ejercicio, y tareas vitales. 91 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:10,658 Y esos días me volvían loco. 92 00:04:10,658 --> 00:04:12,966 Odio trabajar tanto. 93 00:04:12,966 --> 00:04:17,233 Pero me impresiona que se piensen que saben las horas que trabajo mejor que yo. 94 00:04:17,233 --> 00:04:19,114 Ah, pero esta es la mejor parte: 95 00:04:19,114 --> 00:04:23,704 "Tarifa profesional: De 50 a 75 euros la hora" 96 00:04:23,704 --> 00:04:25,280 Ya, tal vez eso significaría algo si 97 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:28,687 fuera un profesional con una tarifa para algo. 98 00:04:28,687 --> 00:04:34,988 "Valor mínimo estimado: de 63.000 a 147.000 euros." 99 00:04:34,988 --> 00:04:36,633 ¡Sí, claro! 100 00:04:36,633 --> 00:04:39,214 Vale, esto me molesta un poco, porque 101 00:04:39,214 --> 00:04:43,374 su estimación mínima es 63.000€, 102 00:04:43,374 --> 00:04:48,480 y eso es más dinero que lo que he ganado en un año en toda mi vida. 103 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:49,277 Pero, oye, 104 00:04:49,277 --> 00:04:51,760 seguro que hay mucha gente que tiene mucho más dinero 105 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,120 si empiezan a inventarse cuánto deberían cobrar basándose en 106 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,266 fuentes imaginarias. 107 00:04:57,266 --> 00:05:00,167 Pero dicen que eso es lo que vale mi trabajo de voluntariado, por lo que 108 00:05:00,167 --> 00:05:04,720 al no reportarlo están violando el artículo 17, blabla. 109 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,560 La prueba que presentan son los medios tratándome como si fuera el líder, 110 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,987 y yo diciendo que he trabajado un montón en esto. 111 00:05:10,987 --> 00:05:13,760 Bueno, es verdad que he trabajado muchísimo en esto. 112 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:15,120 Pero debo haber dicho que no tengo 113 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,974 derecho a unirme a la iniciativa al menos 50 veces. 114 00:05:18,974 --> 00:05:21,281 Y tal vez esto le sorprenda a la persona de la queja, 115 00:05:21,281 --> 00:05:26,182 pero a veces los periodistas se equivocan y dicen cosas que no son. 116 00:05:26,182 --> 00:05:29,280 "Un compromiso de 12 a 14 horas durante "muchas semanas" 117 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:32,729 supera de lejos cualquier rango razonable de voluntariado" 118 00:05:32,729 --> 00:05:34,240 ¡Sí, es verdad! 119 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:35,520 Tienen razón en eso. 120 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,187 No es razonable para nada. 121 00:05:37,187 --> 00:05:41,520 He odiado hacer todo esto y no puedo esperar a trabajar menos en la campaña. 122 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,334 Si me he esforzado tantísimo es porque creo que esta es mi única 123 00:05:44,334 --> 00:05:47,600 oportunidad de solucionar el problema de que se destruyan los videojuegos. 124 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,595 Pero, gente, estoy en mi límite. 125 00:05:49,595 --> 00:05:51,001 "La inversión de tiempo profesional 126 00:05:51,001 --> 00:05:53,756 equivale a una contribución cuantificable 127 00:05:53,756 --> 00:05:56,066 bajo las leyes de transparencia" 128 00:05:56,066 --> 00:05:58,666 Bueno, ¡pues menos mal que no soy un profesional entonces! 129 00:05:58,666 --> 00:06:02,320 Pues bueno, esto parece una acusación muy seria, 130 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,387 y suena a que debería haber contado mis horas 131 00:06:04,387 --> 00:06:07,566 y haberme inventado tarifas horarias como hizo la persona que me acusa, ¿no? 132 00:06:07,566 --> 00:06:10,000 Pero, espera, tengo una idea: 133 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,636 ¿Por qué no miramos qué dicen realmente las normas de la Unión Europea? 134 00:06:14,636 --> 00:06:17,087 ¿Quién se considera como un patrocinador? 135 00:06:17,087 --> 00:06:19,334 "Los patrocinadores son personas u organizaciones que 136 00:06:19,334 --> 00:06:22,641 proveen apoyo financiero por encima de 500 euros." 137 00:06:22,641 --> 00:06:25,719 Vale, pues bueno, yo he gastado cero euros en la iniciativa, 138 00:06:25,719 --> 00:06:28,785 solo he gastado una burrada de tiempo, así que eso no me representa. 139 00:06:28,785 --> 00:06:30,953 "Las personas legales u organizaciones que proporcionen 140 00:06:30,953 --> 00:06:34,960 otras donaciones o equivalentes cuantificables o 141 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,320 apoyo no cuantificable económicamente a una iniciativa 142 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,597 también se consideran patrocionadores." 143 00:06:40,597 --> 00:06:43,671 Bueno, me han dicho que no soy una "persona legal". 144 00:06:43,671 --> 00:06:45,451 Soy una "persona natural". 145 00:06:45,451 --> 00:06:47,232 Eso me cuadra. 146 00:06:47,232 --> 00:06:51,120 Y desde luego que no estoy representando a una organización oficial. 147 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,040 O sea, ni siquiera he rellenado un solo formulario que diga "Stop Killing Games", 148 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,197 ni que sea para la iniciativa. 149 00:06:57,197 --> 00:07:01,533 "Los individuos que proporcionen apoyo no monetario, como los voluntarios 150 00:07:01,533 --> 00:07:05,440 no se consideran patrocionadores bajo las regulaciones de las ICE, 151 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,500 por lo que no hace falta comunicarlo." 152 00:07:08,500 --> 00:07:10,640 Anda, ¿y esto? 153 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,133 ¿Esta descripción, que encaja a la perfección con lo que he estado haciendo? 154 00:07:14,133 --> 00:07:19,233 ¿O sea que la UE dice que la iniciativa ha seguido las normas en tood momento? 155 00:07:19,233 --> 00:07:23,533 ¿Pero y qué pasa con este acusador anónimo que dice que la UE no se sabe sus normas? 156 00:07:23,533 --> 00:07:26,080 ¿Hay una cláusula oculta aquí? 157 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:27,474 En plan, ¿no eres un patrocinador 158 00:07:27,474 --> 00:07:29,440 a no ser que te esfuerces mucho? 159 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,000 Bueno, repasemos: 160 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,994 Tenemos una queja anónima diciendo que la iniciativa está violando la ley europea. 161 00:07:35,994 --> 00:07:38,335 Aparentemente estoy a cargo de la iniciativa, 162 00:07:38,335 --> 00:07:41,233 a pesar de que ni siquiera tengo derecho a participar, 163 00:07:41,233 --> 00:07:44,000 motivo por el cual mi nombre no está en la misma. 164 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,280 El acusador se ha inventado cuántas horas he trabajado en ella, 165 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,534 y se está inventando cuánto dinero 166 00:07:49,534 --> 00:07:52,080 supuestamente he donado en especie 167 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,966 y sus alegaciones contradicen directamente las normas de la UE al respecto. 168 00:07:55,966 --> 00:07:57,966 Y hey, giro de guión: 169 00:07:57,966 --> 00:08:00,240 Hay una cosa que no os he contado. 170 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:04,400 Los organizadores de la iniciativa literalmente le preguntaron a representantes 171 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,854 de la UE si no pasaba nada porque yo ayudase de esta manera 172 00:08:07,854 --> 00:08:10,687 en primavera de 2024, 173 00:08:10,687 --> 00:08:13,267 solo para asegurarnos de que todo estaba bien 174 00:08:13,267 --> 00:08:16,800 por si había un problema o teníamos que informar de algo. 175 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,600 Dijeron que lo que he estado haciendo está bien. 176 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,100 Hemos estado haciendo todo siguiendo la ley al pie de la letra. 177 00:08:22,100 --> 00:08:24,500 Entonces, ¿de dónde sale esta queja? 178 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:27,200 Bueno, nunca lo sabremos, es anónima. 179 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:28,487 Pero déjame preguntaros algo: 180 00:08:28,487 --> 00:08:31,667 ¿de verdad alguien cree que esto es un ciudadano preocupado 181 00:08:31,667 --> 00:08:33,840 actuando de manera independiente? 182 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,880 O sea, vamos a fingir por un momento que todas estas acusaciones son ciertas 183 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,114 ¿Sería el fin de la iniciativa? 184 00:08:39,114 --> 00:08:39,881 Tal vez. 185 00:08:39,881 --> 00:08:41,307 No lo sé. 186 00:08:41,307 --> 00:08:45,233 Alguien nos tiene en el punto de mira, esto es un disparo de advertencia. 187 00:08:45,233 --> 00:08:46,134 De nuevo, 188 00:08:46,134 --> 00:08:50,240 esta queja es anónima, así que no estoy acusando a nadie. 189 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,000 No sé quién lo escribió, pero 190 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,160 he de decir que es una gran coincidencia 191 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,840 que esto ocurra justo después de que un grupo de lobbying europeo 192 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,120 haya hecho unas declaraciones muy malas respecto al movimiento. 193 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,866 En algunos casos, hasta mintiendo sobre ella, en mi opinión. 194 00:09:04,866 --> 00:09:07,066 Pero no sé si fueron ellos. 195 00:09:07,066 --> 00:09:09,420 Igual era un grupo de lobbying distinto, 196 00:09:09,420 --> 00:09:13,780 o igual es un verdugo político contratado por la industria. 197 00:09:13,780 --> 00:09:16,921 Pero alguien estaba intentando cargarse la iniciativa. 198 00:09:16,921 --> 00:09:19,522 Enviar documentación a la Unión Europea 199 00:09:19,522 --> 00:09:23,543 acusando a la iniciativa y a mí de violar las normas, 200 00:09:23,543 --> 00:09:26,957 tal vez incluso de cometer un crimen, no estoy seguro; 201 00:09:26,957 --> 00:09:29,040 no es ninguna tontería. 202 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,840 Esto es la industria jugando sucio. 203 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:33,866 Me recuerda al juego "Hundir la flota". 204 00:09:33,866 --> 00:09:35,461 Pegaron un tiro, 205 00:09:35,461 --> 00:09:37,600 con la esperanza de que mi buque estuviera aquí, 206 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,627 pero en realidad estaba aquí. 207 00:09:39,627 --> 00:09:43,266 Así que fallaron, pero desde luego que sentí el impacto. 208 00:09:43,266 --> 00:09:45,720 ¿Y por qué os estoy contando esto? 209 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,320 Bueno, esto me tiene preocupado. 210 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,400 O sea, esta queja no me asusta. 211 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,960 Hemos seguido las normas, y se han inventado los cargos. 212 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:57,200 De hecho, si no hubieran puesto "aparentemente fundamentalmente incorrecto" 213 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,800 podría llegar a ser defamación contra mí. 214 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,574 Pero el hecho de que primero tengamos a la industria haciendo lobbying contra 215 00:10:03,574 --> 00:10:07,488 nosotros y luego intenten cargarse la iniciativa a puerta cerrada 216 00:10:07,488 --> 00:10:10,466 hace que me preocupe qué será lo siguiente. 217 00:10:10,466 --> 00:10:13,280 O sea, no he hecho nada raro que yo sepa, 218 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,360 pero tal vez eso da igual. 219 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:19,694 Si no pueden encontrar nada que echarnos a la cara, tal vez seguirán inventando. 220 00:10:19,694 --> 00:10:21,840 Tal vez se inventarán cosas serias. 221 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,600 A este ritmo, me espero que la siguiente novedad sea un 222 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,320 photoshop de mí en un garaje haciendo 223 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,900 un intercambio con un maletín lleno de dinero. 224 00:10:30,900 --> 00:10:35,040 Lo que he escuchado es que si no pueden cargarse la iniciativa, 225 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,087 el siguiente paso es tirarnos tantas acusaciones que los 226 00:10:38,087 --> 00:10:41,534 miembros del Parlamento tengan miedo de apoyarnos. 227 00:10:41,534 --> 00:10:44,800 Así que puede que este sea solo el segundo disparo, pero 228 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,933 eso no quita que vengan otros 20 disparos detrás. 229 00:10:47,933 --> 00:10:51,840 Y no puedo evitar pensar en lo estúpido que es esto 230 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,480 cuando tienes en cuenta, en comparación, lo barato que sería un plan de fin de soporte. 231 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,760 Estoy seguro de que lo que están gastando las empresas en este lobbying 232 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,537 es más de lo que costaría implementar un plan de fin de soporte en los juegos, 233 00:11:03,537 --> 00:11:05,971 especialmente en el futuro. 234 00:11:05,971 --> 00:11:08,400 De hecho, creo que dichos planes de fin de vida 235 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:12,300 costarían menos que esos euros imaginarios que nadie me está pagando. 236 00:11:12,300 --> 00:11:14,194 Pero no sé qué va a venir después de esto, 237 00:11:14,194 --> 00:11:16,220 y podría volverse mucho más feo. 238 00:11:16,220 --> 00:11:17,600 ¿Quién sabe? 239 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,720 Estoy completamente fuera de mi terreno. 240 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,080 Nunca había sido un objetivo político antes, 241 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,200 así que todo esto es terreno desconocido para mí. 242 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,000 ¿Alguna vez has jugado a un juego que se va volviendo más difícil, 243 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,640 y todavía eres capaz de seguir el ritmo de momento, 244 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:35,120 pero empiezas a pensar que si sigue así 245 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,320 no estás seguro de si podrás seguir el ritmo en un nivel o dos? 246 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,200 Esa es la sensación que tengo ahora mismo. 247 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,680 Y para los que penséis que esto siendo paranóico, 248 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:46,000 ¿habéis oído hablar de ese youtuber de videojuegos retro 249 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,544 a quien arrestaron por hacer reseñas de consolas portátiles retro? 250 00:11:49,544 --> 00:11:53,600 Ah, sí, ¡para nada se siente similar! 251 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,985 O sea, no tengo ninguna consola portátil, así que supongo que estoy a salvo. 252 00:11:56,985 --> 00:11:58,900 ¿Pero y qué pasa con el abandonanware? 253 00:11:58,900 --> 00:12:02,400 Si juego a un juego de Commodore 64 con un emulador, 254 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,474 ¿el quinto paso va a ser enviar a la policía a mi casa? 255 00:12:06,474 --> 00:12:08,764 ¡Hay que querer a la industria del videojuego! 256 00:12:08,764 --> 00:12:12,521 Ahora mismo, todavía me siento libre de expresar lo que siento, 257 00:12:12,521 --> 00:12:15,280 así que más me vale aprovechar. 258 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:16,480 Pero el rollo es: 259 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,222 La industria de los videojuegos vale miles de millones. 260 00:12:19,222 --> 00:12:22,289 Si de verdad quieren mancillar mi nombre o el de la iniciativa, 261 00:12:22,289 --> 00:12:24,276 van a encontrar la manera de hacerlo. 262 00:12:24,276 --> 00:12:27,933 Tenemos suerte de que sus intentos hasta ahora hayan sido tan incompetentes. 263 00:12:27,933 --> 00:12:31,360 O sea, os acabo de enseñar que sus declaraciones son falsas, 264 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,366 ya que están mintiendo acerca de cómo la ley define mis acciones. 265 00:12:34,366 --> 00:12:37,920 Video Games Europe casi seguro estaba mintiendo respecto a esta afirmación, 266 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,760 y además era irrelevante. ("Cuando cerramos el soporte a un videojuego, la industria se asegura de que los jugadores se enteren con el tiempo de antelación requerido por las leyes locales de protección al consumidor") 267 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,040 Casi seguro mintieron acerca de que tendrían responsabilidad aquí. ("Las empresas serían responsables del contenido en servidores de la comunidad") 268 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,859 O son tan obtusos que son incapaces de entender lo que estamos pidiendo, 269 00:12:46,859 --> 00:12:48,700 incluso cuando se les explica detenidamente, 270 00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:51,127 o mienten al decir que no lo entiende. 271 00:12:51,127 --> 00:12:52,400 Elegid. 272 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:53,834 Ah, y esta afirmación. ("Estas propuestas reducirían la libertad del desarrollador al hacer que los videojuegos sean prohibitivamente caros de desarrollar") 273 00:12:53,834 --> 00:12:57,200 Esta tiene su truco, porque no se puede desmentir. 274 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:58,987 Podrías decir esto acerca de cualquier cosa. 275 00:12:58,987 --> 00:12:59,746 En plan, podría decir: 276 00:12:59,746 --> 00:13:03,360 "Es prohibitivamente caro para mí hacer un avíón de papel" 277 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:04,080 Y podrás decir, 278 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:08,080 "¿De qué estás hablando? Un folio vale, qué, ¿dos céntimos?" 279 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:08,800 Y yo podría decirte, 280 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,034 "Sí, pero estarías limitando mis libertades, porque 281 00:13:12,034 --> 00:13:14,320 yo quiero hacer mis aviones de papel utilizando 282 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,541 la Carta Magna, y eso tiene un valor incalculable. 283 00:13:17,541 --> 00:13:22,127 Por tanto, es prohibitivamente caro para mí hacer un avión de papel." 284 00:13:22,127 --> 00:13:25,120 Os garantizo que esa es la clase de lógica que están usando aquí 285 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,600 si nos pusiéramos a analizar los detalles. 286 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,200 Oh, y hagamos que todo el mundo sepa que 287 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,890 este grupo de lobbying ni siquiera está respresentando a sus miembros muy bien. 288 00:13:32,890 --> 00:13:37,040 BeamNG dice que Video Games Europe no les consultó, 289 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,820 y que no están de acuerdo con sus declaraciones ni comportamiento. 290 00:13:39,820 --> 00:13:42,000 Incluso Epic Games, 291 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,367 sí, esa pequeña compañía, probablemente nunca hayáis escuchado hablar de ellos, 292 00:13:45,367 --> 00:13:48,960 ha salido a decir que ahora mismo no tiene opinión en el tema. 293 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:53,266 ¡Así que Video Games Europe tampoco les representaba a ellos! 294 00:13:53,266 --> 00:13:56,320 Así que si ni siquiera están consultando a sus miembros, 295 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,866 ¿a quién demonios están representando exactamente? 296 00:13:58,866 --> 00:14:01,714 Vale, tengo una novedad que he visto mientras estaba editando: 297 00:14:01,714 --> 00:14:04,862 Ubisoft ha respondido a Stop Killing Games. 298 00:14:04,862 --> 00:14:06,890 Esa no me la esperaba. 299 00:14:06,890 --> 00:14:10,518 Están intentando confundir a la gente. Voy a hacer esto rápido. 300 00:14:10,518 --> 00:14:12,339 Vale, esto es irrelevante. ("Respecto a la petición, operamos en un mercado. Y cuando sacamos un juego, proveemos un montón de soporte para dicho juego. También proveemos un montón de servicios para asegurarnos de que el juego es accessible y se puede jugar 24/7.") 301 00:14:12,339 --> 00:14:14,126 Somos conscientes de vuestros términos, 302 00:14:14,126 --> 00:14:16,673 todavía no se sabe si son legales. ("Guillemot dice que la compañía provee "información respecto al juego y durante cuánto tiempo puede jugarse".") 303 00:14:16,673 --> 00:14:18,640 Esto también es irrelevante. ("Proponemos a los compradores del juego una cuota de un euro para comprar la siguiente versión del juego. No es mucho dinero para seguir jugando al juego.") 304 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:19,914 Esta parte es verdad. ("Este tipo de problema no es exclusivo de Ubisoft") 305 00:14:19,914 --> 00:14:22,560 Esto es un problema extendido en la industria. 306 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,080 Lo único especial de Ubisoft es que 307 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,327 pretenden hacer esto y salirse con la suya siendo una empresa francesa. 308 00:14:27,327 --> 00:14:29,948 Vale, ni siquiera la comisión europea quería comprometerse a decir 309 00:14:29,948 --> 00:14:33,440 si este tipo de juegos son servicios o no cuando preguntamos. ("Provees un servicio, pero nada está escrito en piedra y puede que en algún momento el servicio termine.") 310 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,433 Así que es libre de afirmar que estos juegos son servicios, pero igual no lo son. 311 00:14:37,433 --> 00:14:40,000 Los servicios te dicen cuándo acaban. 312 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,213 Y el argumento de proveer soporte para siempre... ("El soporte del los juegos no puede durar para siempre.") 313 00:14:42,213 --> 00:14:43,760 Vale, no me decido. 314 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,267 Si un desarrollador con experiencia dijera esto, 315 00:14:46,267 --> 00:14:48,787 estaría 100% seguro de que están intentando engañar a la gente. 316 00:14:48,787 --> 00:14:49,634 O sea, hey, 317 00:14:49,634 --> 00:14:51,794 se parece muchísimo a ese comentario 318 00:14:51,794 --> 00:14:54,560 de Video Games Europe acerca del soporte eterno. 319 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:56,720 Puede que esta sea la nueva estrategia de la industria. 320 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:01,461 Si pueden seguir fingiendo eternamente que no entienden lo que pedimos, 321 00:15:01,461 --> 00:15:03,833 igual esperan que así puedan cambiar la narrativa. 322 00:15:03,833 --> 00:15:07,440 Pero quien lo dice es un CEO, 323 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,844 así que a lo mejor de verdad no sabe cómo funcionan sus juegos. 324 00:15:10,844 --> 00:15:12,201 Oye, si es así 325 00:15:12,201 --> 00:15:13,840 no sería el primer CEO 326 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,560 que no entiende cómo funcionan sus productos. 327 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,360 Así que no me queda claro si quiere hacerle luz de gas a todo el mundo, 328 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,920 o si simplemente no sabe cómo se hacen estos juegos, 329 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,266 así que piensa que necesitarían soporte eterno. 330 00:15:24,266 --> 00:15:26,733 Casi que espero que de verdad no sepa de qué habla. 331 00:15:26,733 --> 00:15:28,433 Pero bueno, la cuestión es que 332 00:15:28,433 --> 00:15:31,900 la industria de los videojuegos está mintiendo un montón y jugando sucio 333 00:15:31,900 --> 00:15:33,760 en contra de Stop Killing Games. 334 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,400 Y supongo que en contra de mí también. 335 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,067 Así que si la industria sigue con estos intentos de tumbar la iniciativa, 336 00:15:40,067 --> 00:15:41,920 tal vez da por hecho que la industria, 337 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,350 que sabemos que no para de mentir, 338 00:15:44,350 --> 00:15:46,320 está mintiendo otra vez. 339 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,560 Y la razón de sus acusaciones es que quieren hacerte olvidar el problema real, 340 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,600 es decir, la industria robándole a los consumidores. 341 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,400 Hay matices, pero básicamente el mensaje 342 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,907 es que si compras una copia de un juego, 343 00:15:58,907 --> 00:16:00,720 deberías poder quedártela, 344 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:05,497 y los distribuidores no deberían poder destruir algo por lo que has pagado. 345 00:16:05,497 --> 00:16:07,736 Este concepto es tan básico, 346 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,520 que es gracioso que tengamos siquiera que luchar por ello. 347 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,560 Así que no dejes que la industria te distraiga, 348 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,230 especialmente en el futuro. 349 00:16:16,230 --> 00:16:20,233 Si algo huele mal, discútelo, plántale cara. 350 00:16:20,233 --> 00:16:23,280 Lo digo porque es posible que la cosa se ponga tan fea 351 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:24,527 que tal vez en el futuro 352 00:16:24,527 --> 00:16:29,440 no tenga la libertad de comentar o de defenderme como hago ahora. 353 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,320 He podido ponerme en contacto con gente que tiene contactos en política, 354 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,520 quienes saben más acerca de estos ataques que yo. 355 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,233 Pienso seguir sus consejos. 356 00:16:38,233 --> 00:16:41,360 Ahora mismo mis planes no han cambiado nada. 357 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,880 Pero si en el futuro de repente no hablo de ciertos temas, 358 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,200 os estoy explicando el porqué ahora mismo. 359 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,000 Será porque estoy recibiendo ataques tan serios 360 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,760 que el hecho de que yo diga algo podría suponer una carga. 361 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:54,733 O sea, recordad: 362 00:16:54,733 --> 00:16:57,120 Esto fue en privado. 363 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,600 La industria no ha publicado esto. 364 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,400 Así que quién sabe qué es lo siguiente que planean. 365 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,859 Y a ver, con suerte estoy sobrereaccionando 366 00:17:04,859 --> 00:17:07,520 y la industria no siga escalando. 367 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,240 Esto ha sido ellos lanzando un par de dardos al voleo, 368 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,120 pero estoy intentando prepararme para muchas posibilidades. 369 00:17:13,120 --> 00:17:16,000 O sea, yo ya sabía que era posilbe que pasara algo así 370 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,640 cuando empecé la campaña el año pasado. 371 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:23,027 Es uno de los muchos motivos por los que no quería hacer esto. 372 00:17:23,027 --> 00:17:26,704 Al menos lo único que estoy haciendo es implementar un mínimo de sentido común 373 00:17:26,704 --> 00:17:29,760 en la regulación de la industria de los videojuegos, 374 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,711 y no algo como denunciar a la industria de defensa. 375 00:17:33,711 --> 00:17:35,833 Eso sí que sería malo. 376 00:17:35,833 --> 00:17:38,440 Vale, para terminar con algo más positivo, 377 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,080 a pesar de todo este desastre, 378 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,366 estamos teniendo cada vez más apoyo por parte de miembros del Parlamento Europeo. 379 00:17:44,366 --> 00:17:46,560 Aquí van algunos de los que me han informado, 380 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,200 aunque de algunos me he enterado bastante tarde. 381 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,233 De hecho, Markéta Gregorová es del año pasado 382 00:17:52,233 --> 00:17:54,666 y tenía un arte promocional muy chulo y todo. 383 00:17:54,666 --> 00:17:56,880 Eso es... qué, ¿color de 4 bits? 384 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,734 Pero el grande es Nicolae Ștefănuță, 385 00:17:59,734 --> 00:18:02,800 un vicepresidente del Parlamento Europeo, 386 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,130 poniendo su peso tras la iniciativa y firmándola él mismo. 387 00:18:07,130 --> 00:18:11,040 Vale, soy la persona equivocada para juzgar la eficacia de las redes sociales, 388 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,480 pero 85 mil "me gusta" en Twitter me me sonaría bastante bien 389 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,080 si fuera un político. 390 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,766 Gente, a esto me refiero con las "victorias fáciles" para los políticos. 391 00:18:19,766 --> 00:18:21,034 Pero en serio, 392 00:18:21,034 --> 00:18:24,720 A la mayoría de la gente los videojuegos ni les van ni les vienen, 393 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,520 así que esto tiene bastante poco riesgo político. 394 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,184 Pero para la gente a la que sí le importan, 395 00:18:29,184 --> 00:18:33,280 Stop Killing Games está luchando por una posición bastante popular 396 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,320 que se ajusta a leyes de protección al consumidor existentes, 397 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,480 y se centra en una sola cuestión, 398 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,300 así que no es que vaya a hacer daño a la industria de los videojuegos. 399 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:42,880 La industria está luchando contra esto 400 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:46,494 porque lucharían contra cualquier cosa que les obligue a hacer algo. 401 00:18:46,494 --> 00:18:51,760 Stop Killing Games es de las cosas menos arriesgadas y más populares en política. 402 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:52,880 Y como extra, 403 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,960 es algo que atrae a la gente que normalmente no se mete en política. 404 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,033 Es difícil llegar a esa población. 405 00:18:59,033 --> 00:19:00,800 Y ahora es buen momento para volver a mencionar 406 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,360 que contactar con miembros del Parlamento Europeo 407 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:06,160 en el comité de Mercado Interno y Protección al Consumidor 408 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,120 es probablemente lo mejor que podemos hacer para luchar. 409 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:12,560 Aunque he recibido información contradictoria de a qué partidos contactar 410 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,880 y qué asuntos usar en los correos. 411 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:16,000 Si quieres ayudar, 412 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:20,000 haz lo que puedas y contacta con un representante de tu país. 413 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,866 Preferiblemente alguien a quien le importen los derechos del consumidor. 414 00:19:22,866 --> 00:19:24,841 Vale, ¡eso es todo! 415 00:19:24,841 --> 00:19:28,160 No tengo ni idea de qué va a pasar a partir de ahora, 416 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:29,360 pero toda esta resistencia 417 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:32,627 significa que estamos demostrando tener poder para cambiar las cosas. 418 00:19:32,627 --> 00:19:34,033 Así que, ¡sigamos! 419 00:19:34,033 --> 00:19:35,069 [Subtítulos por Reonu]

Oh, the irony of being a volunteer subtitle writer. Am I also entitled to €63,000? I don't think I've attracted enough heat from the industry to go after me. Yet. Enjoy Ross's Rickshaw Rides. High-tech VTT subtitles featuring markup for positioning to get out of the way when needed! Just copy and paste the text in a txt and upload verbatim like usual. WEBVTT 00:00:00.293 --> 00:00:01.200 Hey! 00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:02.054 You know that saying, 00:00:02.054 --> 00:00:06.166 "It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you"? 00:00:06.166 --> 00:00:08.967 Well, I have another video I do not want to make, 00:00:08.967 --> 00:00:11.097 but I probably should. 00:00:11.097 --> 00:00:15.120 And this one is newsworthy, especially for me. 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:19.233 I have behind-the-scenes news on the Stop Killing Games campaign. 00:00:19.233 --> 00:00:22.800 Okay, a quick refresher, because I know this gets confusing: 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:25.040 I founded the Stop Killing Games <i>movement</i> 00:00:25.040 --> 00:00:29.313 to challenge the legality of publishers destroying games which you've paid for. 00:00:29.313 --> 00:00:32.800 This has involved a lot of things which I've shown in slides before, 00:00:32.800 --> 00:00:36.800 line:75% and that <i>includes</i> assisting with the European Citizens' Initiative, 00:00:36.800 --> 00:00:39.547 which is the biggest thing going on with it right now. 00:00:39.547 --> 00:00:43.966 However, I am actually <i>not</i> the founder of the European Citizens' Initiative. 00:00:43.966 --> 00:00:47.520 position:100% line-right align:right size:50% line:50% That would be a group of volunteers whom I'm in touch with. 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.214 position:100% line-right align:right size:50% line:50% I'm ineligible to have an official role in the initiative. 00:00:50.214 --> 00:00:52.488 position:100% line-right align:right size:50% line:50% I'm just a major promoter of it. 00:00:52.488 --> 00:00:54.400 It's always been something separate. 00:00:54.400 --> 00:00:58.054 That's part of why it's called the "Stop Destroying Videogames" initiative 00:00:58.054 --> 00:01:00.800 instead of the "Stop Killing Games" movement. 00:01:00.800 --> 00:01:02.108 So, with that in mind, 00:01:02.108 --> 00:01:03.609 it was recently shared with me 00:01:03.609 --> 00:01:06.653 that the Stop Destroying Videogames initiative 00:01:06.653 --> 00:01:11.473 has received a serious accusation from an anonymous source. 00:01:11.473 --> 00:01:13.967 The EU Commission relayed a complaint of it 00:01:13.967 --> 00:01:16.330 committing two violations. 00:01:16.330 --> 00:01:17.600 Yikes! 00:01:17.600 --> 00:01:20.247 A "false 'no funding' declaration", 00:01:20.247 --> 00:01:24.314 and "systematic concealment of major contributions". 00:01:24.314 --> 00:01:27.280 "This declaration appears fundamentally incorrect 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.360 based on publicly documented evidence 00:01:29.360 --> 00:01:33.666 of substantial undisclosed professional contributions to the campaign." 00:01:33.666 --> 00:01:36.374 Well, this is all news to me, 00:01:36.374 --> 00:01:39.680 but I don't know everything that's going on with the initiative. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:41.066 What's this about? 00:01:41.066 --> 00:01:43.120 Oh, it's about me! 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:44.920 I'm the evidence, everyone! 00:01:46.600 --> 00:01:48.800 What do we have here? 00:01:48.800 --> 00:01:50.960 A quote, "There have been many weeks on the campaign 00:01:50.960 --> 00:01:53.233 where I've been working 12 to 14 hours a day 00:01:53.233 --> 00:01:55.600 to keep things moving to get signatures." 00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:57.001 Damn straight I have! 00:01:57.001 --> 00:01:58.374 That is true. 00:01:58.374 --> 00:02:02.233 "I've been running a rickshaw carrying people to the destination." 00:02:02.233 --> 00:02:04.348 Um… yes. 00:02:04.348 --> 00:02:06.880 I did say those words. 00:02:06.880 --> 00:02:08.580 It's unclear to me if the accuser 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:12.400 thinks I've literally been running a rickshaw service or not. 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:13.360 And you know what? 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:14.880 I'm not gonna tell them. 00:02:14.880 --> 00:02:17.040 They can guess that for themselves. 00:02:17.040 --> 00:02:18.961 They're doing a lot of guessing in this. 00:02:18.961 --> 00:02:20.000 You'll see. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.654 Media interviews identifying me as handling 00:02:22.654 --> 00:02:26.480 "the standard day-to-day work of running the Stop Killing Games initiative" 00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:29.440 and "described as the primary strategic decision-maker 00:02:29.440 --> 00:02:32.197 and public spokesperson throughout the campaign." 00:02:32.197 --> 00:02:34.398 Okay, this is reaching. 00:02:34.398 --> 00:02:37.680 Since I apparently need to spell it out, 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:41.934 when I say the initiative "will do this" or "will do that," 00:02:41.934 --> 00:02:46.160 that's me assuming the initiative members are on board with what I'm saying, 00:02:46.160 --> 00:02:48.560 and me taking my best guess. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:50.800 I've even said before on video, 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:53.840 the initiative members are not a hive mind. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.033 They can disagree with each other, including me. 00:02:57.033 --> 00:03:00.000 They certainly <i>listen</i> to my input, 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.280 but the decision on literally everything about the initiative is theirs. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:10.080 If I don't like something, but they do, then I just have to deal with it. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.757 I have no actual authority. 00:03:12.757 --> 00:03:16.320 Nobody in the initiative takes orders from me. 00:03:16.320 --> 00:03:19.071 But get ready, because here comes the clown accounting. 00:03:19.071 --> 00:03:23.120 "Fifteen to twenty weeks of twelve to fourteen hour days." 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:26.570 That's interesting that they call this a <i>conservative</i> estimate, 00:03:26.570 --> 00:03:28.724 because they're making these numbers up. 00:03:28.724 --> 00:03:31.324 They may as well be reading tea leaves. 00:03:31.324 --> 00:03:35.697 It's true I think I've spent that many hours a day working on this campaign 00:03:35.697 --> 00:03:37.840 for <i>some</i> weeks. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:39.920 But 15 to 20? 00:03:39.920 --> 00:03:41.633 That would have killed me! 00:03:41.633 --> 00:03:43.264 Some weeks were this high, 00:03:43.264 --> 00:03:46.880 others it was anywhere from zero to four hours a day. 00:03:46.880 --> 00:03:48.101 I don't know. 00:03:48.101 --> 00:03:49.920 You know why I don't know? 00:03:49.920 --> 00:03:51.600 Because I never track my hours! 00:03:51.600 --> 00:03:52.960 Why would I? 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.040 Nobody was hiring me for this. 00:03:55.040 --> 00:03:57.120 It's all volunteer time. 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:01.520 The only reason I said "12 to 14" is because there were plenty of days 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:05.704 where I would wake up, work the whole time, then go to bed, 00:04:05.704 --> 00:04:09.040 minus eating, exercise, and essential chores. 00:04:09.040 --> 00:04:10.658 And those days make me batty. 00:04:10.658 --> 00:04:12.966 I hate working that much. 00:04:12.966 --> 00:04:17.233 But I am impressed that they think they know my hours better than I do. 00:04:17.233 --> 00:04:19.114 Oh, but here's the good part: 00:04:19.114 --> 00:04:23.704 "Professional rate: 50 to 75 euros an hour." 00:04:23.704 --> 00:04:25.280 Yeah, maybe that would mean something 00:04:25.280 --> 00:04:28.687 if I was a professional who had a rate for <i>anything</i>. 00:04:28.687 --> 00:04:34.988 "Minimum estimated value: 63 to 147,000 euros." 00:04:34.988 --> 00:04:36.633 Oh, yeah(!) 00:04:36.633 --> 00:04:39.214 Okay, this one annoys me a bit 00:04:39.214 --> 00:04:43.374 because their low end, €63,000, 00:04:43.374 --> 00:04:48.480 is more money I've made in any year in my entire life. 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:49.277 Though, hey, 00:04:49.277 --> 00:04:51.760 I'm sure all kinds of people are worth more 00:04:51.760 --> 00:04:55.120 if they make up numbers about how much they should be getting paid 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.266 from imaginary sources. 00:04:57.266 --> 00:05:00.167 But they're saying my volunteer work is worth that much, 00:05:00.167 --> 00:05:04.720 so, by not reporting it, it's violating Article 17, yada yada. 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:08.560 Their supporting evidence is media treating me as though I'm the leader, 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:10.987 and me saying I've worked a lot on this. 00:05:10.987 --> 00:05:13.760 Well, it's true I have worked a lot on this. 00:05:13.760 --> 00:05:15.120 But I must have said publicly 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:18.974 that I'm ineligible to join the initiative at least 50 times. 00:05:18.974 --> 00:05:21.281 And this may surprise the accuser, 00:05:21.281 --> 00:05:26.182 but sometimes game journalists get details wrong when reporting on something. 00:05:26.182 --> 00:05:29.280 "Twelve to fourteen hour day commitment during 'many weeks' 00:05:29.280 --> 00:05:32.729 far exceeds any reasonable volunteer threshold." 00:05:32.729 --> 00:05:34.240 Yes, true! 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:35.520 They're right about that. 00:05:35.520 --> 00:05:37.187 That isn't reasonable at all. 00:05:37.187 --> 00:05:41.520 I've hated this crap and I can't wait to work less on the campaign! 00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:44.334 It's only my perception that this is my one chance 00:05:44.334 --> 00:05:47.600 to fix the problem of destroying games that's pushed me this hard. 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:49.595 But I have my limits, guys. 00:05:49.595 --> 00:05:51.001 "Professional time investment 00:05:51.001 --> 00:05:53.756 constitutes quantifiable in-kind contribution 00:05:53.756 --> 00:05:56.066 under transparency regulations." 00:05:56.066 --> 00:05:58.666 I guess good thing I'm not a professional then! 00:05:58.666 --> 00:06:02.320 Well, this is a very serious accusation, 00:06:02.320 --> 00:06:04.387 and it sounds like I should have logged my hours 00:06:04.387 --> 00:06:07.566 and made up hourly rates like my accuser did, huh? 00:06:07.566 --> 00:06:10.000 But wait, here's a thought: 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:14.636 Why don't we check what the European Union's rules actually are? 00:06:14.636 --> 00:06:17.087 "Who is considered a sponsor?" 00:06:17.087 --> 00:06:19.334 "Sponsors are people or organisations 00:06:19.334 --> 00:06:22.641 providing financial support over 500 euros." 00:06:22.641 --> 00:06:25.719 Okay, well, I've spent zero euros on the initiative, 00:06:25.719 --> 00:06:28.785 just a crapload of time, so, that's not me. 00:06:28.785 --> 00:06:30.953 "Legal persons or organisations 00:06:30.953 --> 00:06:34.960 providing other economically quantifiable (in-kind donations) 00:06:34.960 --> 00:06:38.320 or non-economically quantifiable support to an initiative 00:06:38.320 --> 00:06:40.597 are also considered sponsors." 00:06:40.597 --> 00:06:43.671 Well, I've been advised I'm not a "legal person," 00:06:43.671 --> 00:06:45.451 I'm a "natural person." 00:06:45.451 --> 00:06:47.232 That sounds right. 00:06:47.232 --> 00:06:51.120 And I certainly wasn't representing an official organization. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:55.040 I mean, I haven't signed one form with "Stop Killing Games" on it, 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.197 or for the initiative, for that matter. 00:06:57.197 --> 00:07:01.533 "Individuals providing non-financial support, such as volunteering, 00:07:01.533 --> 00:07:05.440 are not considered sponsors under the ECI Regulation 00:07:05.440 --> 00:07:08.500 and do not need to be reported." 00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:10.640 Oh, what's that? 00:07:10.640 --> 00:07:14.133 That description, which is exactly what I've been doing? 00:07:14.133 --> 00:07:19.233 So the EU says the initiative has been following the rules this entire time? 00:07:19.233 --> 00:07:23.533 But what about this anonymous accuser saying the EU doesn't know its own rules? 00:07:23.533 --> 00:07:26.080 Is there a hidden clause here? 00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:27.474 Like, you're not a sponsor 00:07:27.474 --> 00:07:29.440 unless you work really hard? 00:07:29.440 --> 00:07:31.000 So, let's get this straight: 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.994 We've got an anonymous complaint saying the initiative is violating EU law, 00:07:35.994 --> 00:07:38.335 I'm apparently in charge of the initiative, 00:07:38.335 --> 00:07:41.233 despite being ineligible to even join it, 00:07:41.233 --> 00:07:44.000 hence why my name is not on here. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.280 The accuser is making up how many hours I've worked on this 00:07:47.280 --> 00:07:49.534 and are making up imaginary money amounts 00:07:49.534 --> 00:07:52.080 I've supposedly donated in kind, 00:07:52.080 --> 00:07:55.966 and their claims directly contradict the EU's own laws on this. 00:07:55.966 --> 00:07:57.966 And hey, plot twist: 00:07:57.966 --> 00:08:00.240 There's something I didn't tell you. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:04.400 The official organizers literally asked EU representatives 00:08:04.400 --> 00:08:07.854 if it was okay for me to assist them in the capacity I have been 00:08:07.854 --> 00:08:10.687 back in spring of 2024, 00:08:10.687 --> 00:08:13.267 just to make sure everything was above board, 00:08:13.267 --> 00:08:16.800 in case there was a problem, or we needed to report anything. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.600 They said what I've been doing is <i>fine</i>. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.100 We've been doing this by the book, guys. 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.500 So where did this complaint come from? 00:08:24.500 --> 00:08:27.200 Well, we'll never know, it's anonymous. 00:08:27.200 --> 00:08:28.487 But let me ask you, 00:08:28.487 --> 00:08:31.667 does anyone think this is just some <i>concerned citizen</i> 00:08:31.667 --> 00:08:33.840 acting independently here? 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.880 I mean, pretend all of these accusations were true. 00:08:36.880 --> 00:08:39.114 Would that end the initiative? 00:08:39.114 --> 00:08:39.881 Maybe. 00:08:39.881 --> 00:08:41.307 I don't know. 00:08:41.307 --> 00:08:45.233 Someone was gunning for us, this is a shot across the bow. 00:08:45.233 --> 00:08:46.134 Now, again, 00:08:46.134 --> 00:08:50.240 this complaint is anonymous, so I'm not accusing anyone. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:52.000 I don't know who wrote it. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.160 But I'll just say the timing of this 00:08:54.160 --> 00:08:57.840 is awfully hot on the heels of an industry lobby group 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:01.120 giving some very bad statements about the movement. 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.866 In some cases, I think outright lying about it. 00:09:04.866 --> 00:09:07.066 But I don't know if it was them. 00:09:07.066 --> 00:09:09.420 Maybe it was a different lobbying group, 00:09:09.420 --> 00:09:13.780 or maybe it was just some political hatchet man hired by the industry. 00:09:13.780 --> 00:09:16.921 But someone was trying to kill the initiative. 00:09:16.921 --> 00:09:19.522 Filing paperwork to the European Union, 00:09:19.522 --> 00:09:23.543 accusing the initiative and myself of violating the rules, 00:09:23.543 --> 00:09:26.957 maybe even committing a crime, I'm not sure; 00:09:26.957 --> 00:09:29.040 that's no small thing. 00:09:29.040 --> 00:09:31.840 This is the industry playing dirty now. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:33.866 It reminds me of <i>Battleship</i>. 00:09:33.866 --> 00:09:35.461 They took a shot, 00:09:35.461 --> 00:09:37.600 hoping my battleship was here, 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.627 when it was actually here. 00:09:39.627 --> 00:09:43.266 So, they missed, but I sure felt the splash. 00:09:43.266 --> 00:09:45.720 So why am I telling you all this? 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:48.320 Well, this has me a little worried. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.400 I mean, this complaint doesn't scare me. 00:09:50.400 --> 00:09:52.960 We followed the rules and they made up the charges. 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:57.200 I mean, hell, if they hadn't put "<i>appears</i> fundamentally incorrect," 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:59.800 this might have been borderline libel against me. 00:09:59.800 --> 00:10:03.574 But the fact that first we have the industry lobbying against us, 00:10:03.574 --> 00:10:07.488 then we're getting this attempted shot at us behind closed doors 00:10:07.488 --> 00:10:10.466 makes me concerned about what's coming next. 00:10:10.466 --> 00:10:13.280 I mean, I haven't done anything shady that I'm aware of, 00:10:13.280 --> 00:10:15.360 but maybe that doesn't matter. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:19.694 If they can't find a real angle on us, maybe they'll make more things up. 00:10:19.694 --> 00:10:21.840 Maybe serious things. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.600 At the rate we're going, I'm expecting the next news 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.320 to be a Photoshop of me in a parking garage 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:30.900 doing a handoff with a briefcase full of money. 00:10:30.900 --> 00:10:35.040 Now, what I've been told is if the industry can't kill the initiative, 00:10:35.040 --> 00:10:38.087 the next step is to throw so much dirt on us, 00:10:38.087 --> 00:10:41.534 members of parliament start getting scared to support it. 00:10:41.534 --> 00:10:44.800 So just because this is only the second shot at us, 00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:47.933 that doesn't mean there aren't 20 more shots coming behind it. 00:10:47.933 --> 00:10:51.840 And I'm again reminded of how stupid this whole thing is 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:56.480 when you consider what a comparatively low cost an end-of-life plan is. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:59.760 I bet whatever companies are spending on lobbying against us 00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:03.537 is more than it would cost them to have end-of-life plans for their games, 00:11:03.537 --> 00:11:05.971 especially in the future. 00:11:05.971 --> 00:11:08.400 Hell, I think a lot of end-of-life plans for games 00:11:08.400 --> 00:11:12.300 would be less than those imaginary euros I'm not being paid. 00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:14.194 But I don't know what's coming next, 00:11:14.194 --> 00:11:16.220 and it could get a lot worse than this. 00:11:16.220 --> 00:11:17.600 Who knows? 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:20.720 I am so out of my league on this. 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.080 I have never been a political target before, 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:27.200 so this is all uncharted territory for me. 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.000 Have you ever played a game that's getting harder and harder, 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.640 and you can still keep up with it in the moment, 00:11:32.640 --> 00:11:35.120 but you're starting to think at the rate it's going, 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.320 you're not sure if you can handle it in a level or two? 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.200 That's kind of the vibe I have right now. 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:43.680 And for those of you who think I'm being paranoid, 00:11:43.680 --> 00:11:46.000 did you hear about that retro gaming YouTuber 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.544 who was arrested for reviewing modded handheld consoles? 00:11:49.544 --> 00:11:53.600 Oh, yeah, that doesn't hit close to home for me at all(!) 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.985 I mean, I don't have any handhelds, so I guess I'm safe there. 00:11:56.985 --> 00:11:58.900 But what about abandonware? 00:11:58.900 --> 00:12:02.400 If I play an emulated Commodore 64 game, 00:12:02.400 --> 00:12:06.474 are they going to send the cops to my place as step five? 00:12:06.474 --> 00:12:08.764 Gotta love the games industry! 00:12:08.764 --> 00:12:12.521 But as of this moment, I still feel free to speak my mind, 00:12:12.521 --> 00:12:15.280 so, I better make use of it. 00:12:15.280 --> 00:12:16.480 Here's the thing: 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:19.222 The video games industry is worth billions. 00:12:19.222 --> 00:12:22.289 If they really want to smear me or the initiative, 00:12:22.289 --> 00:12:24.276 they'll find a way to do it. 00:12:24.276 --> 00:12:27.933 We're lucky their attempts have been so bumbling so far. 00:12:27.933 --> 00:12:31.360 I mean, I just showed you how these claims are false, 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.366 because they're lying about how the law defines my actions. 00:12:34.366 --> 00:12:37.920 Video Games Europe was almost certainly lying about this claim, 00:12:37.920 --> 00:12:39.760 and it was irrelevant. 00:12:39.760 --> 00:12:43.040 Almost certainly lying about their liability here. 00:12:43.040 --> 00:12:46.859 They were either so obtuse they couldn't understand what we're asking for 00:12:46.859 --> 00:12:48.700 when it's spelled out for them, 00:12:48.700 --> 00:12:51.127 or they're lying about not understanding it. 00:12:51.127 --> 00:12:52.400 Take your pick. 00:12:52.400 --> 00:12:53.834 Oh, and this claim. 00:12:53.834 --> 00:12:57.200 This one is a bit clever because it can't be disproven. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:58.987 You could say this about anything. 00:12:58.987 --> 00:12:59.746 Like I could say, 00:12:59.746 --> 00:13:03.360 "It's prohibitively expensive for me to make a paper airplane." 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:04.080 And you might say, 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:08.080 "What are you talking about? A piece of paper costs what, 2 cents?" 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:08.800 And I could say, 00:13:08.800 --> 00:13:12.034 "Yeah, but that would curtail my choice, 00:13:12.034 --> 00:13:14.320 because I want to make my paper airplane 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.541 out of the Magna Carta, and that's priceless. 00:13:17.541 --> 00:13:22.127 Thus, it's prohibitively expensive for me to make a paper airplane." 00:13:22.127 --> 00:13:25.120 I guarantee you that's the kind of logic they're using here 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:27.600 if you were to really dig into the details. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:29.200 Oh, and let's let everyone know, 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.890 this lobby group isn't even representing its members that well. 00:13:32.890 --> 00:13:37.040 <i>BeamNG</i> says they weren't consulted by Video Games Europe, 00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:39.820 and disagree with their statement and behavior. 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:42.000 Even Epic Games, 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.367 yeah, that small company, you probably haven't heard of them, 00:13:45.367 --> 00:13:48.960 has come out saying that they're currently non-committal on this. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:53.266 So, Video Games Europe wasn't representing <i>them</i> in their statement either! 00:13:53.266 --> 00:13:56.320 So, if they're not even consulting their members, 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.866 who the hell are they representing, exactly? 00:13:58.866 --> 00:14:01.714 Okay, some news as I'm editing: 00:14:01.714 --> 00:14:04.862 Ubisoft has responded to Stop Killing Games. 00:14:04.862 --> 00:14:06.890 I was not expecting that. 00:14:06.890 --> 00:14:10.518 It's a lot of misdirection, I'll try and speedrun this. 00:14:10.518 --> 00:14:12.339 Okay, this is irrelevant. 00:14:12.339 --> 00:14:14.126 We're aware of your terms, 00:14:14.126 --> 00:14:16.673 it's not yet determined if they're legal or not. 00:14:16.673 --> 00:14:18.640 line:50% This is also irrelevant. 00:14:18.640 --> 00:14:19.914 This part is true, 00:14:19.914 --> 00:14:22.560 this is a widespread problem in the industry. 00:14:22.560 --> 00:14:24.080 The only thing unique to Ubisoft 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:27.327 is they're trying to get away with this crap as a French company. 00:14:27.327 --> 00:14:29.948 Okay, even the EU Commission wouldn't commit 00:14:29.948 --> 00:14:33.440 as to whether these types of games are services or not when asked. 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.433 So, he can call these games services, but legally, they might not be. 00:14:37.433 --> 00:14:40.000 Services tell you when they end. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.213 And the endless support argument. 00:14:42.213 --> 00:14:43.760 Okay, I'm undecided. 00:14:43.760 --> 00:14:46.267 If this was a senior developer saying this, 00:14:46.267 --> 00:14:48.787 I would 100% call this misdirection. 00:14:48.787 --> 00:14:49.634 I mean, hey, 00:14:49.634 --> 00:14:51.794 this looks awfully similar to that comment 00:14:51.794 --> 00:14:54.560 from Video Games Europe about endless support. 00:14:54.560 --> 00:14:56.720 This could be the industry's new playbook. 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:01.461 If they can pretend to not understand what we're asking for over and over again, 00:15:01.461 --> 00:15:03.833 maybe they're hoping that will change the narrative. 00:15:03.833 --> 00:15:07.440 However, this is a CEO saying this, 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:10.844 so maybe he really doesn't know how these games work. 00:15:10.844 --> 00:15:12.201 Hey, if so, 00:15:12.201 --> 00:15:13.840 he wouldn't be the first CEO 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.560 line:50% to not understand how his company's products work. 00:15:16.560 --> 00:15:19.360 line:50% So, I can't tell if he's just trying to gaslight everyone, 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:21.920 line:50% or if he just doesn't know how these games are made, 00:15:21.920 --> 00:15:24.266 line:50% so he thinks they would need endless support. 00:15:24.266 --> 00:15:26.733 line:50% I kind of hope he actually doesn't know. 00:15:26.733 --> 00:15:28.433 Anyway, the point here is 00:15:28.433 --> 00:15:31.900 there's a lot of lying and shady stuff going on from the games industry 00:15:31.900 --> 00:15:33.760 against Stop Killing Games. 00:15:33.760 --> 00:15:36.400 And I guess now, me too. 00:15:36.400 --> 00:15:40.067 So, if these attempts to shoot down the initiative keep happening, 00:15:40.067 --> 00:15:41.920 maybe assume the industry, 00:15:41.920 --> 00:15:44.350 which has been shown to be lying repeatedly, 00:15:44.350 --> 00:15:46.320 is lying again. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:50.560 And the whole point of their accusations is to make you forget the real issue, 00:15:50.560 --> 00:15:53.600 which is consumers are getting robbed by the industry. 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:56.400 There are nuances to it, but the basic message 00:15:56.400 --> 00:15:58.907 is when you buy a copy of a game, 00:15:58.907 --> 00:16:00.720 you should get to keep it, 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:05.497 and publishers shouldn't be able to destroy what you already paid for. 00:16:05.497 --> 00:16:07.760 This concept is so basic, 00:16:07.760 --> 00:16:11.520 it's still a joke we even have to fight for this. 00:16:11.520 --> 00:16:14.560 So don't let the industry throw you off the scent, 00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:16.230 especially in the future. 00:16:16.230 --> 00:16:20.233 If something doesn't pass the smell test, push back. 00:16:20.233 --> 00:16:23.280 I say this because things could heat up so much 00:16:23.280 --> 00:16:24.527 that maybe in the future, 00:16:24.527 --> 00:16:29.440 I'm <i>not</i> at liberty to give commentary or defend myself like this. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.320 I've managed to get in touch with a few political insiders 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:35.520 that know more about how these attacks work than I do. 00:16:35.520 --> 00:16:38.233 I intend to follow their advice. 00:16:38.233 --> 00:16:41.360 Right now, my plans haven't changed at all. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.880 But if I just go really quiet on some topics in the future, 00:16:44.880 --> 00:16:47.200 then I'm telling you why right now. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:50.000 It will be because the attacks are getting so serious 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.760 that me saying anything might be a liability somehow. 00:16:53.760 --> 00:16:54.733 I mean, remember: 00:16:54.733 --> 00:16:57.120 This was behind the scenes. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.600 The industry didn't make this one public. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:02.400 So, who knows what the next thing they're planning is. 00:17:02.400 --> 00:17:04.859 Now, hopefully I'm overreacting, 00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:07.520 and the industry won't keep escalating this. 00:17:07.520 --> 00:17:10.240 This was just them taking a couple pot shots at us, 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.120 but I'm trying to prepare for a lot of scenarios. 00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:16.000 I mean, I knew there was a chance of something like this happening 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.640 back when I launched the campaign last year. 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:23.027 That's one of the many reasons I never wanted to do this. 00:17:23.027 --> 00:17:26.704 At least this is just me trying to get the most bare minimum 00:17:26.704 --> 00:17:29.760 common sense regulation in the games industry, 00:17:29.760 --> 00:17:33.711 and not trying to be a whistleblower on the defense industry. 00:17:33.711 --> 00:17:35.833 That would be bad. 00:17:35.833 --> 00:17:38.440 Okay, to end this on a lighter note, 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:40.080 despite all this mess, 00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:44.366 we've been getting more and more support from European members of Parliament. 00:17:44.366 --> 00:17:46.560 Here are some I've been informed of, 00:17:46.560 --> 00:17:49.200 though some of these I'm pretty late finding out. 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.233 Markéta Gregorová's was from last year, actually, 00:17:52.233 --> 00:17:54.666 and had cool promotional art and everything. 00:17:54.666 --> 00:17:56.880 That's what, 4-bit color? 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.734 But the big one is Nicolae Ștefănuță, 00:17:59.734 --> 00:18:02.800 a Vice President of European Parliament, 00:18:02.800 --> 00:18:07.130 throwing his weight behind the initiative and saying he signed it himself. 00:18:07.130 --> 00:18:11.040 Okay, I'm the wrong person to judge social media effectiveness, 00:18:11.040 --> 00:18:14.480 line:60% but 85,000 likes on Twitter would sound like a good day to me 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:16.080 line:60% if I was a politician. 00:18:16.080 --> 00:18:19.766 line:60% This is what I mean about easy wins for politicians, guys. 00:18:19.766 --> 00:18:21.034 Keeping it real, 00:18:21.034 --> 00:18:24.720 most people don't care about video games either way, 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.520 so this is pretty safe politically. 00:18:27.520 --> 00:18:29.184 But for the people who do, 00:18:29.184 --> 00:18:33.280 Stop Killing Games is advocating for a very popular position 00:18:33.280 --> 00:18:36.320 that's in line with existing consumer protection laws, 00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:38.480 and is narrowly focused, 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.300 so this isn't going to cripple the industry either. 00:18:41.300 --> 00:18:42.880 The industry is fighting this 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:46.494 because they'll fight <i>anything</i> that requires them to do something. 00:18:46.494 --> 00:18:51.760 Stop Killing Games is about as safe and popular as it gets in politics. 00:18:51.760 --> 00:18:52.880 And as a bonus, 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.960 it's appealing to people who might not normally be involved in politics. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.033 That's an elusive demographic. 00:18:59.033 --> 00:19:00.800 And now's a good time to mention again 00:19:00.800 --> 00:19:03.360 that contacting members of European Parliament 00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:06.160 on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:09.120 is probably the best thing we can do to push back. 00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:12.560 line:0 Though, I've received conflicting information on which parties to contact 00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:14.880 line:0 and what subject lines to use. 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:16.000 line:0 If you want to help, 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.000 line:0 just try your best with contacting a representative of your country. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.866 line:0 Preferably someone who cares about consumer rights. 00:19:22.866 --> 00:19:24.841 Okay, that's it! 00:19:24.841 --> 00:19:28.160 I have no idea what's coming down the pipeline now, 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:29.360 but all this resistance 00:19:29.360 --> 00:19:32.627 means we are throwing around some real power to fix things. 00:19:32.627 --> 00:19:34.033 So, let's keep at it! 00:19:34.033 --> 00:19:35.069 [Subtitles by Erasmus Magnus]

Here is the corrected version. In the future, please contact me if you wish to correct a specialty formatted subtitle. You can read more about this in the readme.txt of the original .zip file: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><timedtext format="3"><head><wp id="0" ap="7" ah="0" av="0" /><wp id="1" ap="7" ah="50" av="100" /><wp id="2" ap="7" ah="50" av="92" /><wp id="3" ap="7" ah="50" av="95" /><wp id="4" ap="7" ah="50" av="96" /><wp id="5" ap="7" ah="50" av="94" /><wp id="6" ap="7" ah="53" av="93" /><wp id="7" ap="7" ah="50" av="97" /><wp id="8" ap="6" ah="50" av="94" /><wp id="9" ap="7" ah="50" av="89" /><wp id="10" ap="7" ah="50" av="81" /><wp id="11" ap="7" ah="50" av="76" /><wp id="12" ap="7" ah="50" av="82" /><wp id="13" ap="7" ah="50" av="86" /><wp id="14" ap="6" ah="39" av="93" /><wp id="15" ap="6" ah="48" av="93" /><wp id="16" ap="7" ah="50" av="84" /><wp id="17" ap="8" ah="80" av="86" /><wp id="18" ap="1" ah="50" av="0" /><wp id="19" ap="1" ah="50" av="13" /><wp id="20" ap="7" ah="50" av="24" /><wp id="21" ap="8" ah="47" av="85" /><wp id="22" ap="8" ah="48" av="97" /><wp id="23" ap="8" 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fc="#FFFF00" fo="254" /><pen id="5" fc="#00FF00" fo="254" /><pen id="6" fc="#00FFFF" fo="254" /><pen id="7" fc="#000000" fo="0" bo="0" /><pen id="8" i="1" fc="#FEFEFE" fo="1" bo="0" /></head><body><p t="651" d="1168" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hi. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1819" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> One of the things I like about </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the internet is the long tail, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="5089" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which means everybody </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> has specific interests </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="7358" d="1801" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that won't appeal to most people, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="9159" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but for the people who </s><s p="3">are </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> interested, it really delivers. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="13063" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So on that note, this was </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> originally going to be a quick video </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="16700" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> showing my desktop at this point in time, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="19036" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since it’s a little exotic and not </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> what most people are used to. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="22506" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But this started rapidly escalating, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="24575" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and is now a minor </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> existential crisis for me instead. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="28479" d="4170" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So, now I’m upset, and maybe </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I can make you upset too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="32649" d="3371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think this video’s going </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to be for two basic camps: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="36020" d="2936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First, if you have any interest in the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="38956" d="2702" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you know, the graphic user interface, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="41658" d="1535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> stick around. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="43193" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I have loads for you in this video, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and I’ll be impressed if anyone out there </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="47364" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is familiar with everything </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I’m gonna show you. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="49767" d="5238" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, I’d say there’s a possibility </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> this will lead us to GUI enlightenment. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="55005" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Probably not though, I’m only giving that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about a 5% chance of happening, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="59309" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that's good enough </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for me to make the video. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="61645" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And the other camp is just stalkers, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="63814" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I’m gonna show a bunch </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of my desktop, my files, and so on. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="67584" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You’ll see what a mess everything is. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="69653" d="2936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, this video is probably </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> gonna be a mess too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="72589" d="3237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I have a dozen thoughts </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> coming at me all at once on this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="75826" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so I may jump around all over the place, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="78162" d="3069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I think it'll all </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> make sense by the end. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="81231" d="1669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And just to make things worse, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="82900" d="3803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I am not an expert on pretty </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> much anything in this video. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="86703" d="1802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But that's exactly the issue! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="88505" d="1936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> As a non-expert, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="90441" d="5271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm seeing way, </s><s p="3">way</s><s p="2"> too many problems that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I wouldn't be if everything was going well. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="95712" d="4338" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Now, I'm no botanist, but I do know that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> if you put water on plants, they grow. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="100050" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, that's about where </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'm coming from here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="102719" d="1502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So let's kick this thing off. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="104221" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Here is my desktop: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="106390" d="1234" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Ta-da! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="107624" d="2470" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, I'm on Windows 7 right now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="110094" d="1401" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Isn't it obvious? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="111495" d="3670" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, I have my taskbar, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> system tray hidden here, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="115165" d="5873" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> my sort of Start menu, a Run bar, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some shortcuts to programs I use a lot… </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="121038" d="2736" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I said I'm not an </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> expert, and I mean it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="123774" d="4204" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is not the perfect desktop </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that I've polished up for the video. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="127978" d="2369" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No, I'm just showing this as is, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="130347" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and it's more like Frankenstein's monster </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that's been beaten repeatedly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="134384" d="5773" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've been using a custom GUI like this </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> since maybe 2002, sometime around then? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="140157" d="4438" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, thanks to dumb luck, I took </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> screenshots at various points in time, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="144595" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so you can see what my desktop </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> used to look like in the past. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="147798" d="1768" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This first batch is the only time </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="149566" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I attempted to go all out to make </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some sort of coherent theme. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="153203" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So I was actually trying </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to showcase this one. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="156073" d="3236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, for this part, I can hit a hotkey </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and make all open windows </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="159309" d="2570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> line up vertically or horizontally. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="161879" d="1334" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I can still do that now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="163213" d="701" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> [pop] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="163914" d="2102" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And this was in 2002! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="166016" d="1468" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and before I get too far, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="167484" d="4038" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> what you're seeing right now </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> isn't actually how my desktop looks. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="171522" d="1701" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm recording this at 1080, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="173223" d="3837" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'm normally running it at </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> 1440 resolution these days, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="177060" d="3537" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so if everything looks </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a little oversized, that's why. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="180597" d="4738" wp="4" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> This</s><s p="2"> is what it looks like proportionally, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> even though this isn't great. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="185335" d="6207" wp="4" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, on Windows 7, if you scale the images </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> much past 125%, they'll start blurring. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="191542" d="5572" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> My current GUI was </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> originally </s><s p="3">designed</s><s p="2"> for 1152×864. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="197114" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, been a while since </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I ran at that resolution. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="200250" d="4805" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And what's happened is I've just slowly </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> modified it since, and have gotten lazier. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="205055" d="1435" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But back to the past. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="206490" d="3570" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In the past, I just wanted my </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> desktop to look as cool as possible </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="210060" d="1435" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and still be functional. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="211495" d="1468" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, you can see for a while </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="212963" d="3604" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I was just copying </s><s p="3">System Shock 2</s><s p="2">'s </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> interface to an extent. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="216567" d="3503" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> After that, my taste shifted and I just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> wanted something a little more toned-down </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="220070" d="3237" wp="3" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that I wouldn't mind </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> staring at, day in, day out. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="223307" d="2535" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Even then, none of these </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> themes were my true vision, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="225842" d="2303" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since the software would often fight me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="228145" d="3203" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, see, look at that. </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> You can see it in the screenshot. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="231348" d="4338" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, with the GUI, I've never </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> known 100% what I've wanted. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="235686" d="1635" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, I still don't. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="237321" d="4004" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What I'll hope you'll see here is that I </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> was </s><s p="3">trying</s><s p="2"> to make something better. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="241325" d="3737" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm still not an expert, but out of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> years of meddling with things, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="245062" d="3436" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think I've at least </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> discovered some GUI truths. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="248498" d="1268" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So here's the first one: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="249766" d="3871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Your GUI should look nice enough </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so that you never really get sick of it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="253637" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> A lot of you have seen </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> Groundhog Day</s><s p="2">, right? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="256039" d="2937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Where the protagonist </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> relives the same day forever? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="258976" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> When we think of the GUI, we should be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> thinking of what Phil is gonna use here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="263347" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Whatever we pick, he is stuck with, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so it better be good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="267651" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, that said, that's going to be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> different for every person, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="270520" d="1869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which brings me to another truth: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="272389" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's no perfect GUI for everyone. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="275092" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Everyone has different </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> tastes and requirements </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="277361" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> for what they use a computer for. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="279196" d="3570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> However, there </s><s p="3">are</s><s p="2"> lots of things </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you can do with the GUI </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="282766" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that are </s><s p="3">ideal</s><s p="2"> for the majority of people. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="286570" d="2269" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There are many things </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you can experiment with </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="288839" d="3870" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and measure statistically from </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> users when it comes to the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="292709" d="1302" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> More on that later. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="294011" d="3403" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But yeah, if you're someone who </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> works on the computer for your job, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="297414" d="2903" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or just simply spends </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a lot of time on one, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="300317" d="5105" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> the GUI is what you're going to be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> staring at for a large portion of your life, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="305422" d="3203" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so shouldn't that be the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> nicest experience possible? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="308625" d="2636" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Smooth and just easy on the eyes, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="311261" d="2970" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to make your time just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that much more pleasant? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="314231" d="934" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="315165" d="2302" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No, no, no, no, no. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="317467" d="1669" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Not if you're on Windows! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="319136" d="2969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You can roll around in the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> trash like everybody else! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="322105" d="5339" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Compared to what we could be doing, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows is such garbage! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="327444" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And yes, I'm mostly going </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to focus on Windows here, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="330280" d="3337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because it has the lion's share </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the desktop market. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="333617" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But if you're on another OS, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> don't worry, I'm coming for you too! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="338121" d="2937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The entire industry is guilty! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="341058" d="2602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> None are without sin! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="343660" d="1969" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But yeah, Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="345629" d="1568" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Let's get straight to it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="347197" d="1335" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows is ugly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="348532" d="2335" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Pick any version of it, I don't care. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="350867" d="3370" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, to be fair, it's not </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> god-awful hideous, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="354237" d="3037" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that's not the same </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> thing as "good," is it? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="357274" d="5172" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think Windows is in solid </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> four out of ten territory for its GUIs. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="362446" d="4638" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They get the job done, but they're </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> not pleasant to use or look at. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="367084" d="4604" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now this part is subjective—in other </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> words, I personally think it's ugly, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="371688" d="4304" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but maybe you're a freak and think </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the Windows OS is a work of beauty. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="375992" d="2036" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Not a problem! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="378028" d="3136" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It still sucks, and I'll </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> prove it in other ways. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="381164" d="2169" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But Windows, let's have a quick tour: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="383333" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Everything before Windows 95 </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'm skipping over, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="386203" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because that's not really </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the model being used now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="389206" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But Windows 95: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="390941" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, not beautiful, but it was the '90s, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I guess this worked for the time. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="395445" d="3337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 98: mostly more of the same. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="398782" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows ME and 2000: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="401118" d="3803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Those two are very different </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> under the hood, but visually, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="404921" d="4672" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I kind of want to say these are the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> best GUIs Microsoft has come up with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="409593" d="2502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Again, I'm not calling them good, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="412095" d="3671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I don't find myself </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> immediately hating how they look. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="415766" d="1468" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That takes longer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="417234" d="4704" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows XP: also known </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> as the Fisher-Price interface. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="421938" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is just ugly in my eyes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="424474" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yes, you can tweak it to look </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> more like Classic Windows, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="427444" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but this was the default </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> theme everybody saw. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="430180" d="5706" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Microsoft was worth around 250 billion </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> in 2001 and this is what they came up with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="435886" d="2068" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Fine, let's keep going. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="437954" d="1168" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Vista: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="439122" d="3837" wp="4" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Eh, this glass and transparency </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> stuff isn't my thing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="442959" d="4305" wp="4" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think it's visually distracting, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and the red button clashes visually. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="447264" d="4204" wp="6" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's not as loud as XP, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but I still think it's ugly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="451468" d="1601" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 7: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="453069" d="4872" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, everything I just said </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about Vista still applies, so... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="457941" d="1401" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 8: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="459342" d="1102" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Uh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="460444" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, we're thinking outside the box now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="463847" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But assuming you turn that crap off, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="466116" d="4104" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> eh, better I guess, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> still not impressing me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="470220" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And Windows 10: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="472289" d="1701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> still not digging it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="473990" d="3771" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Too much white, and still feels </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like an identity crisis to me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="477761" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And if we turn on the dark theme, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> then too much black. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="481398" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, and now Microsoft </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is worth one </s><s p="3">trillion</s><s p="2"> dollars. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="485569" d="1167" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Jesus. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="486736" d="4839" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And this is their best of the best </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> GUI on their flagship product, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="491575" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> with 25 years of experience </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> since Windows 95. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="495579" d="1268" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="496847" d="3069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And that's my review </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the Windows GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="499916" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Just a giant blah. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="501985" d="1201" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Blah! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="503186" d="3871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now of course, you don't have to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> stick with the default Windows look. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="507057" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It also allows the bare </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> minimum of visual customization. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="511361" d="1235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> Wow. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="512596" d="1234" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> [claps] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="513830" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We can change the colors, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="516166" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> put the taskbar on </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> different sides of the screen, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="519636" d="2502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> maybe a few other things? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="522138" d="1502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's </s><s p="3">pathetic</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="523640" d="3871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The level of customization </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on Windows is </s><s p="3">pathetic</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="527511" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now that's not the end of the story, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="529246" d="4137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because there are a lot of third-party </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> programs to work with, but ah... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="533383" d="1268" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'll get to the those. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="534651" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, this is probably </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> going to be a long video. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="537020" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> A long video for the long tail. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="539356" d="3870" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, let's go back to my custom GUI, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'll give you a quick tour here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="543226" d="2336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I guess, first, let's talk </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about the desktop. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="545562" d="2736" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, notice how </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> there are no icons on it? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="548298" d="1835" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, that's because that's ugly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="550133" d="1902" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, if you have a great wallpaper, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="552035" d="2469" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> why would you want to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> clutter it up with shortcuts </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="554504" d="3637" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you're not using 99% of the time? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="558141" d="4171" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, you run them, then you're done. </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> They don't need to stay there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="562312" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This wasn't a big deal in 95, because </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> everything was clunky back then. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="566683" d="2703" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, in 2020? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="569386" d="4337" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is an eyesore and an </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> embarrassment this still exists! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="573723" d="2903" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There are dozens </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of better ways to do this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="576626" d="2569" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, that brings up another truth: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="579195" d="4071" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The GUI should get out of the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> way when you don't need it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="583266" d="5205" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You want your attention focused on what's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> important, which is usually your programs. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="588471" d="5005" wp="7" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, that's the point of an </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> operating system: to run your programs. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="593476" d="3304" wp="7" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It should be like a butler </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that's ready at a moment's notice, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="596780" d="2536" wp="7" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and disappears when you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> don't need them anymore. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="601451" d="1768" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, like that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="603219" d="1202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Perfect. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="604421" d="2269" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But I do need desktop shortcuts, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="606690" d="3169" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I probably have a couple </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hundred programs total. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="609859" d="2970" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So here's how I handle it, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which may not be the best way, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="612829" d="2169" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it's better than the default. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="614998" d="4738" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I right click anywhere on the desktop, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> boom, boom, boom, anywhere, and bam: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="619736" d="2202" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There are all the desktop shortcuts. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="621938" d="3671" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Again, I want to emphasize I'm </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> not putting really well organized. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="625609" d="3570" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is just random junk I have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> installed on here at the moment. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="629179" d="2736" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's really a trend </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for me on my computer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="631915" d="3170" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It feels like I'm constantly </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> battling the forces of chaos, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="635085" d="3537" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I don't think I'm </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> winning, but I'm trying. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="638622" d="2435" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That might be why I can </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> relate to </s><s p="3">Warhammer</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="641057" d="1502" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="5"> Waugh! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="642559" d="3336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, this is also my </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> equivalent of the Start menu. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="645895" d="1936" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I can throw whatever I want here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="647831" d="3670" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Besides the desktop, I also have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> folders "Surface" and "Core," </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="651501" d="2836" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since I was imagining my </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> computer like a planet. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="654337" d="2836" wp="8" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> "Surface" is where any </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> new programs are installed, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="657173" d="3337" wp="8" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but "Core" is a bunch of programs </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I knew I wanted installed </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="660510" d="4738" wp="8" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> at the time I set this up, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which was a few years ago. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="665248" d="2569" wp="8" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Some still hold up, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some are outdated, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="667817" d="3404" wp="8" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but this just helps me from </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> being even more overwhelmed. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="671221" d="3437" wp="8" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Otherwise, the crap I'd have to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> sift through would be twice as big. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="674658" d="3370" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now I know some of you are going to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> tell me to use something like Launchy </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="678028" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or Cortana, and just type </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the name of my program. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="681164" d="1101" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Much faster! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="682265" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, I'll expand on that later, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="684100" d="3404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but what if I don't know the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> name of the program I want? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="687504" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I do a lot of different </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> things with my computer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="689806" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Sometimes I have a specific function </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'm looking for software to, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="692942" d="3671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I have to test multiple shareware </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> programs until I find what I need. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="696613" d="1802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or maybe it's just something I want, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="698415" d="3236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I haven't used in a long time </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and I forgot the name of it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="701651" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've forgotten the name of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> MotionPerfect multiple times before, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="704854" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> even though that's becoming obsolete, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="706856" d="3170" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I should probably switch </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> over to Butterflow instead, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="710026" d="2336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> even though I started </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> having errors with that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="712362" d="3170" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> even though I didn't used to, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but that's probably on my end. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="715532" d="2135" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Forces of chaos, guys. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="717667" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or "PrimeSense," what the hell is that? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="720370" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, that's related to capture </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> drivers for the Kinect. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="724240" d="4205" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, I don't keep all this stuff in </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> my head, I need it listed like this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="728445" d="1401" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, before I move on, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="729846" d="3904" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I guess I should explain how I was able </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to just tear out the Start menu, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="733750" d="3603" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> the system tray, the taskbar, and so on. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="737353" d="2970" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, okay, I have the system tray </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> in about the same place, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="740323" d="1735" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I could put it anywhere! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="742058" d="1168" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anywhere! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="743226" d="1201" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, it's hidden. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="744427" d="3003" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It never comes up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> unless I click on this spot. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="747430" d="2636" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, it's multiple </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> programs doing all this </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="750066" d="3604" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but the glue holding it together </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is a program called LiteStep. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="753670" d="2769" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is a shell replacement for Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="756439" d="4338" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What that means is all the inner workings </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the operating system are still the same— </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="760777" d="1768" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> it's all Windows code; </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="762545" d="5206" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> the shell is a program on top of that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that displays </s><s p="3">part</s><s p="2"> of your GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="767751" d="1868" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Normally, that's Explorer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="769619" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, you know, the Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> File Explorer you use to browse files? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="773656" d="2336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, that's your shell also. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="775992" d="4705" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So LiteStep was created as a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> replacement to Explorer for the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="780697" d="4137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It was inspired by AfterStep, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which was inspired by NextStep, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="784834" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which was inspired by step steps. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="787470" d="4538" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, LiteStep does not replace the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> way regular Windows look or function, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="792008" d="4805" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it does replace the taskbar, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> system tray, Start menu, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="796813" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and other miscellaneous things. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="798882" d="4437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's also crazy customizable </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and supports hundreds of modules </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="803319" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that can handle different aspects </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the desktop in different ways. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="807123" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's also had hundreds, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> if not thousands of themes for it </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="810627" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that can get really imaginative. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="812796" d="2802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And it's also really user-hostile, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="815598" d="4972" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and uses giant configuration files whose </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> complexity borders on programming. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="820570" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Also, things go wrong, and sometimes </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> there's nothing you can do about it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="825074" d="4205" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Changing from XP to Windows 7 </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> was a minor nightmare for me, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="829279" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and honestly, I've never fully recovered. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="831648" d="2335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's because that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> broke so many plugins, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="833983" d="3304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and there wasn't always </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a fix or alternatives. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="837287" d="2502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't know what to say about LiteStep. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="839789" d="3303" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It lets you do so much more </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> than default Windows, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="843092" d="3571" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but at the same time, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> it's really abusive to the user! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="846663" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Though, that's kind of not its fault, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="848965" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since Windows is the one </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> actually breaking things. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="852268" d="801" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Ahhh—! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="853069" d="1535" wp="10" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The taskbar! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="854604" d="3737" wp="10" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, here's an example of an </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> objective shortcoming of Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="858341" d="4471" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm using the program Nexus Dock here, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> though ObjectDock behaves similarly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="862812" d="4338" wp="11" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Although with Nexus, I can close programs </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> by middle-clicking; that's handy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="867150" d="2836" wp="11" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In both, you can customize the icons. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="869986" d="4071" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, I have the web browser set up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to look like Netscape, because why not? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="874057" d="2602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I kind of miss that starfield animation. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="876659" d="1202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That was good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="877861" d="4604" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Also, I'm using what I think is the GNOME </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> icon to represent the File Explorer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="882465" d="4171" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I just got sick of the same icons, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and a giant foot seemed appropriate. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="886636" d="2703" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, onto objective shortcomings. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="889339" d="3537" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Say you have a bunch of programs open </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and you want to pick one out immediately, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="892876" d="2068" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but you're not sure which is which. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="894944" d="4104" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, on the Classic taskbar, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that looks ugly, and it's a problem. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="899048" d="3938" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And here's something Windows can't do, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and even LiteStep can't do. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="902986" d="2002" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you hover over the task, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="904988" d="4404" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> eventually</s><s p="2"> the text comes up that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> identifies which program is which, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="909392" d="1835" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then you can scroll the rest. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="911227" d="3737" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, that is </s><s p="3">too damn slow</s><s p="2"> for me! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="914964" d="2202" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But on the Dock program, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="917166" d="3437" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> boom, boom, boom, boom, boom; </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> rapid-fire identification. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="920603" d="2303" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Say I have five text files open. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="922906" d="2902" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I can identify which </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is which immediately, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="925808" d="2970" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and the rest of the time </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I have nice looking icons instead, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="928778" d="2769" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I don't have to see the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> text cluttering up everything. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="931547" d="2470" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I hate the default grouping </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows does now, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="934017" d="4537" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so I have to click an additional menu </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> before I can select my program. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="938554" d="1635" wp="12" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's another slowdown! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="940189" d="3838" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is faster than normal Windows, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and makes me more efficient. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="944027" d="3003" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's half the damn point of a GUI! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="947030" d="1635" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Boom, another truth: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="948665" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The GUI should be as efficient as </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> possible if you know what you're doing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="953136" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you know exactly what you want to do, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but the GUI is making you wait, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="957640" d="4071" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or jump through a series of hoops, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> then that's a bad design. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="961711" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Although, even Nexus Dock isn't great. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="964314" d="3336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, you want a taste of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> GUI hell? Here you go. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="967650" d="2136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Ideally, I wouldn't have any icons at all, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="969786" d="3570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and it would just be fullscreen </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> browsing to maximize my space. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="973356" d="3270" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, it does support auto-hiding, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but that's another problem. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="976626" d="3670" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Let's say I'm browsing fullscreen, but </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> now I want to switch to another window. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="980296" d="1769" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, bring up the dock. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="982065" d="700" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Uh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="982765" d="2203" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Bring up the dock! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="984968" d="1301" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Bring it up! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="986269" d="2102" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It won't work, I can't do it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="988371" d="2869" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But what if I was in a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> fullscreen game or a video? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="991240" d="3604" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or I'm just scrolling towards the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> bottom of the screen for something else? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="994844" d="2903" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well then, I wouldn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> want the dock to show up. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="997747" d="1168" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I can't win. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="998915" d="1768" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So that brings up another truth: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1000683" d="5306" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The GUI should activate when you want it, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and </s><s p="3">not</s><s p="2"> activate when you don't. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1005989" d="5338" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, that's a lot easier said than done, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but that's what the perfect GUI would do. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1011327" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now the way I solve this problem </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is I told the dock to always show up, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1015498" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I used a script in AutoHotkey </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to map a toggle function </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1018601" d="1869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to one of my mouse buttons. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1020470" d="2135" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So I can turn it on and off at will. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1022605" d="3604" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I hate to burn a whole </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> mouse button on </s><s p="3">just</s><s p="2"> this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1026209" d="2102" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I couldn't find any other way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1028311" d="3370" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is all super hacky </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and I'm not proud of it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1031681" d="4237" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that's the price I pay for being </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> able to read my titles immediately. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1035918" d="2336" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Fighting Windows is hell. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1038254" d="3570" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, I should start wrapping up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the tour, but a few more things quick. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1041824" d="3404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Besides all this, I've replaced </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows Explorer too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1045228" d="4404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The default with Windows is okay, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but it could be a lot better. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1049632" d="2503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm using a years old version </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of Directory Opus, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1052135" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I'm too cheap </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to buy an updated copy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1054904" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It has a </s><s p="3">lot</s><s p="2"> of options. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1057306" d="4238" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> My theme here used to look better, but the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> forces of chaos had another victory here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1061544" d="1368" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, I used to have buttons </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1062912" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to switch back and forth </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> between details and thumbnail view, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1066015" d="1769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since that's all I ever use, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1067784" d="2802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but now I have to click </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> an extra button first. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1070586" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, that's another example </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of an inefficiency I should fix! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1074390" d="2403" wp="14" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I </s><s p="3">used</s><s p="2"> to have that fix, but... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1076793" d="934" wp="15" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Gah! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1077727" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, I'm sure this could be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> even better with the right theme, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1080530" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I don't know what I'm doing, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and this still beats Explorer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1084167" d="3803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Like, hey, I can have queued </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> file transfers, that's handy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1087970" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's a lot of file explorers out there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1090239" d="1468" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't know what's best, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1091707" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but they're pretty much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all better than Explorer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1094710" d="1369" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Uh, what else? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1096079" d="2235" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You may have noticed </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the number indicators. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1098314" d="3203" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This shows how much free space </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I have on each of my drives. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1101517" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I </s><s p="3">do</s><s p="2"> want that on the desktop, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1103786" d="4638" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since discovering you've gone to zero </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> while you're working is not fun. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1108424" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Uh, I have a wallpaper changer </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I can change to a random one </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1111727" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> by pressing Control and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> clicking on the desktop. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1114497" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I like being able to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> do that on command. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1116766" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and while I'm on wallpapers, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I want to veer off course a second. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1120236" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm a fan of the art from </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> Magic: The Gathering</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1122872" d="3437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They have lots of gorgeous art, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> especially the lands. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1126309" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I was thinking these would </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> be perfect as wallpapers. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1129345" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, sometimes the artists make </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the high-resolution copies available, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1133382" d="2036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but a lot of times, they don't. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1135418" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Since we don't have access </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to what I imagine is a giant vault </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1138821" d="4204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> with super high-res copies of all </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> their artwork at Wizards of the Coast, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1143025" d="2837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I had the idea of maybe </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> using some of this AI learning </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1145862" d="3336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to scale these card </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> scans to wallpaper size, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1149198" d="2236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and still have them look pretty good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1151434" d="3570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, I've seen miracles performed </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on that with old game textures, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1155004" d="2436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> this seems like more of the same thing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1157440" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If anything, this might be easier, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> it just has to look like an oil painting. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1161244" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, you could probably </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> train the AI really well </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1164147" d="3269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> by using high-resolution </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> originals that we do have, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1167416" d="3471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> against the cards scans </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> themselves for it to learn from. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1170887" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We could have thousands </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of potential wallpapers. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1173623" d="2936" wp="16" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, if the artist has the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> high-res stuff for sale, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1176559" d="1902" wp="16" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> yeah, we don't want to rip them off, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1178461" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but a lot of this art has no other </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> version available to the public </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1181998" d="2102" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> other than these tiny cards. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1184100" d="1968" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm kind of an art raider. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1186068" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, I totally don't have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> time to be spending on that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1189205" d="3770" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I wanted to encourage someone </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> who does to take a crack at it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1192975" d="2203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'll have contact info at the end. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1195178" d="2902" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, so that's the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> quick tour of my desktop. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1198080" d="2169" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But I said there's a crisis emerging. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1200249" d="1502" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What's that all about? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1201751" d="4538" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, I'm on Windows 7, and I'm not </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> going to be able to stay on it forever. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1206289" d="2702" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I know a few of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you out there might try, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1208991" d="1769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I want to be able to do VR </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1210760" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and have better DPI scaling </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> than that blurriness on 7, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1214564" d="1768" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so that limits things for me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1216332" d="1468" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So what's the big deal? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1217800" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, when it comes to GUI customization, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1220836" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 10 is like the end times. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1224340" d="4771" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I barely got LiteStep working </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> with the functionality I needed on 7, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1229111" d="3170" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and even now it acts like </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> it's been shot in the leg. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1232281" d="2903" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm thinking there's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> no hope at all for 10. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1235184" d="4238" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The state of GUI customization </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> was pretty healthy back in XP times. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1239422" d="1434" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There were lots of options. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1240856" d="1936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, look at all those green boxes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1242792" d="1635" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> These weren't all of them either. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1244427" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I remember GeoShell, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Aston Desktop, SharpE... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1248331" d="1568" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm sure there were more. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1249899" d="1568" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now look at things. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1251467" d="4671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's been a trail of bodies when </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> it comes to GUI customization. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1256138" d="3204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> People either gave up, or </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows suffocated them. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1259342" d="2035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, the software </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> dying was bad enough, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1261377" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but Windows has been </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> moving in for the kill, too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1264680" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, first, Windows doesn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like you're doing </s><s p="3">any</s><s p="2"> of this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1268484" d="4638" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It tends to treat any sort of replacement </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to the desktop shell like it's a virus. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1273122" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It'll even set off some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> virus or malware scanners, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1276025" d="3237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I have to use a special </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> utility to set it back again. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1279262" d="4070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And hey, Windows 10 </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> likes to update, right? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1283332" d="5005" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Assuming my LiteStep theme will work </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> properly, which it won't, there's no way, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1288337" d="4505" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 10 is going to scrub it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> pretty much any time it feels like it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1292842" d="5338" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Customizing the GUI is outside </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the range of acceptable thought. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1298948" d="1034" wp="17" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> No, sick! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1299982" d="1535" wp="17" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Sick and wrong! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1301517" d="2503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, I get the message loud and clear. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1304020" d="2135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I should use Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the way it's intended, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1306155" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I'm a degenerate for </s><s p="3">actually </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> trying to customize my desktop. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1310626" d="4271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and speaking of updates, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> let's head back to Windows 7 a second. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1314897" d="5406" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've had to skip </s><s p="3">multiple</s><s p="2"> security updates, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> because they screw up LiteStep! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1320303" d="1501" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No joke, look at this: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1321804" d="2102" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'll install one temporarily. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1323906" d="4772" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, look: now the Z-order on my </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> windows is screwed; my theme's broken. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1328678" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I literally cannot fix this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1331080" d="4671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> My computer's half-unusable </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> unless I do things the Windows way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1335751" d="3337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now on 7, I can choose </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to </s><s p="3">skip</s><s p="2"> those updates, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1339088" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which I guess makes my system </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> less secure; that's nice, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1342958" d="3304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but on 10, they got </s><s p="3">rid</s><s p="2"> of that option! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1346262" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You either update, or you go to hell! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1348731" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's no "skipping" </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> problematic ones they never fix! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1352835" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, what a wonderful </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> choice I'm being given! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1356439" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Choosing between </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a more secure system, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1359442" d="3436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> or</s><s p="2"> being able to use </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> my GUI the way I want to! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1362878" d="1001" wp="17" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> No, sick! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1363879" d="1502" wp="17" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Sick and wrong! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1365381" d="1001" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, I get it! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1366382" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm a freak, and I'm the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> only person who's doing this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1369485" d="1335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but riddle me this: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1370820" d="5906" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why do </s><s p="3">security</s><s p="2"> updates need to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> screw with the </s><s p="3">graphics</s><s p="2"> like this? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1376726" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> A friend of mine has a theory that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they're doing this to push notices on you, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1380763" d="1868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and he could be right. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1382631" d="1068" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'll say this: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1383699" d="3070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I received updates for </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> years</s><s p="2"> without incident, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1386769" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and this all started right around the time </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1388704" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Microsoft was aggressively telling </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> people to move to Windows 10. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1392308" d="1368" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They're assholes! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1393676" d="5605" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And why the hell does the GUI have to be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so damn deep in the code to begin with?! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1399281" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not trying to hack my damn system, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1401684" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I </s><s p="3">just</s><s p="2"> want to change the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> graphics and the interface! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1406155" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You'd think I'm trying </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to delete the kernel! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1408724" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The Windows way of doing things </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is so damn hostile to this! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1413028" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hey, do you know where </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the icons are located </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1415197" d="3437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> for things like folders, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> message prompts, and so on? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1418634" d="3871" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, most of them are </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> buried inside shell32.dll, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1422505" d="2102" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which is a protected system file </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1424607" d="3170" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that you have to jump through </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all kinds of hoops to modify, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1427777" d="4037" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and again, Windows will never </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> let it go that it's been modified! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1431814" d="2970" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And what's worse is </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that sort of makes sense, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1434784" d="3837" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because why the hell should I </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> have to modify a system DLL file </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1438621" d="2569" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> just to change the damn icons?! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1441190" d="2936" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Because I'm a dirty </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> virus creator, apparently! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1444126" d="701" wp="17" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Sick! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1444827" d="1368" wp="17" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Sick and wrong! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1446195" d="4738" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, remember kids: </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Non-Windows graphics equals virus! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1450933" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's the Microsoft way! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1452868" d="3804" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, there </s><s p="3">are</s><s p="2"> workarounds, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but everything's a compromise. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1456672" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Take the program IconPackager by Stardock: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1459675" d="4872" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It advertises itself as being able to change </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the Windows icons to whatever you want! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1464547" d="1368" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Great, right? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1465915" d="700" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1466615" d="1268" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Not great! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1467883" d="4638" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you're using a custom </s><s p="3">shell</s><s p="2">, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like say, a LiteStep user, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1472521" d="2336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then it </s><s p="3">doesn't work! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1474857" d="4738" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It only works if you're using </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> Explorer</s><s p="2"> as your shell, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1479595" d="3103" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> as God—I mean, Microsoft intended! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1482698" d="2402" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So even trying to break free, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1485100" d="4472" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you're being funneled back into the way </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows wants you to do things again! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1489572" d="1635" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I hate this crap! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1491207" d="3236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 10 is bringing me to an impasse. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1494443" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I feel like I'm being </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> dragged back to the past, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1497546" d="4305" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and having what limited progress </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I've made over the past decades erased! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1501851" d="1501" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> For me, this is the equivalent </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1503352" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> of the industry discovering I'm </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> writing papers using a word processor, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1507656" d="3404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so they want to come smash it up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so they can sell me a typewriter. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1511060" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They're trying to make me go back, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and I don't want to go back to that! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1515097" d="1268" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, that's just it: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1516365" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm faster on my flawed, limping interface </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1519969" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> in almost any situation </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> than I am on Windows default. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1523873" d="3069" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The thought of going </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> back to </s><s p="3">regular</s><s p="2"> Windows </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1526942" d="3070" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is going to be such a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> slap in the face for me! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1530012" d="2736" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, here I'm really gonna </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> start sounding like a heretic, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1532748" d="4071" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but if you're still here watching this, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> maybe you can handle a little heresy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1536819" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This entire experience </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> has gotten me to realize </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1539288" d="4605" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> just how woefully underdeveloped </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the GUI as a whole is. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1543893" d="2969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yes, there have been minor </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> improvements over time, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1546862" d="5406" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but the GUI on Windows isn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> that</s><s p="2"> different than it was 25 years ago. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1552268" d="4838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So, what, we got it almost perfect </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> back then, only small things to improve? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1557106" d="767" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1557873" d="1235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> God, no! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1559108" d="5505" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, for starters, much of the GUI </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> depends on precise movements and actions. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1564613" d="4038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If I want to open up a shortcut, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I have to click on this area. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1568651" d="3536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If I want to resize the window, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I have to click here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1572187" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The sloppier you are, the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> longer everything takes you. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1576358" d="3637" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And while I'm on it, I kind of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> don't like double-clicking? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1579995" d="3504" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is a minor thing, but I've </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> never really liked how it feels. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1583499" d="2569" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I like things to happen when I click once. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1586068" d="1735" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, it's a little awkward. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1587803" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Sometimes I open a folder </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> or launch a program, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1590706" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but sometimes I accidentally </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> tell it to rename the file. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1593842" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or sometimes nothing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> seems to happen. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1595844" d="2136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then there's this pause </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> when you're not sure </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1597980" d="3337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> if the computer is just taking </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> its time to start the program, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1601317" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or if it just didn't register your </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> double-click for some reason, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1604520" d="1701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and you're waiting on nothing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1606221" d="3771" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If I only have to click </s><s p="3">once</s><s p="2">, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I know I pressed the button. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1609992" d="4438" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The GUI as it is right now </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> wants me to be precise. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1614430" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Humans are not precise. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1616899" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, they can be relatively precise, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1619568" d="4705" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that takes additional concentration </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and energy, and usually time. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1624273" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, there's a famous story </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about how Pope Benedict XI </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1627743" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> sent a letter to Giotto di Bondone </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1630512" d="4338" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> asking him to prove his skill as an artist </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> before he offered a commission. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1634850" d="5339" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So he drew a perfect circle freestyle </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> without any assistance on the spot. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1640189" d="4404" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That blew the pope away, and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that story has survived even now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1644593" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's how big a deal </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> human precision is. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1647429" d="1068" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Nyah! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1648497" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, the GUI gives you </s><s p="3">some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> wiggle room, but not a lot. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1652868" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The less precise you need to be, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the faster you are. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1656805" d="2503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm surprised this analogy works, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1659308" d="3737" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but everybody knows why airports </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> take up so much space, right? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1663045" d="2936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Because planes can't just land on a dime. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1665981" d="4038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They have a lot of momentum </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and need lots of room to do it right. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1670019" d="5271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Whereas helicopters can land in </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> pretty tight areas, but they're slower. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1675290" d="6207" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The fastest helicopter in the world isn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> as fast as an ordinary passenger plane. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1681497" d="2035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's also why that scene in </s><s p="3">Deus Ex </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1683532" d="4505" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where you fly from New York to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Hong Kong by helicopter is a little silly, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1688037" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I guess that's a future helicopter. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1690406" d="4938" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think the GUI needs a lot </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> more planes and less helicopters. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1695344" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Here, let me show you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> what I'm talking about: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1697513" d="4237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 7 added a Show Desktop </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> button in the corner of the screen. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1701750" d="3304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I thought this was such a good </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> idea to come from Microsoft, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1705054" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that maybe they stole it from elsewhere. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1706989" d="867" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't know. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1707856" d="1135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But that's great. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1708991" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If everything's cluttered and you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> just need to get a bearing on things, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1712294" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> bam, there you go. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1713962" d="3471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, I liked that so much I copied it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for my own desktop in LiteStep, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1717433" d="1801" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so I can do the same thing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1719234" d="2102" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But I thought, "Why stop there?" </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1721336" d="2703" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Two programs I run </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all the time on my computer </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1724039" d="2636" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> are a web browser and a file manager, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1726675" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so I made the left mouse button </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> in this area show the desktop, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1729978" d="4772" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but the right one or middle one </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> launch a web browser or Directory Opus. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1734750" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, I use those a lot </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the time I use a computer, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1737519" d="2503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so why not make that stupid easy? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1740022" d="1368" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But let me prove this: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1741390" d="3904" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm going to clock myself launching </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a web browser as fast as I can, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1745294" d="4204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> using the default Windows methods </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of using a shortcut on the desktop, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1749498" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> using the Quick Launch bar, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1751333" d="2669" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and then using my way on LiteStep. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1754002" d="2336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We're not gonna wait </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on my computer to load it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1756338" d="2703" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> timing ends as soon as </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I complete the action. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1759041" d="4938" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I looked over the footage and took </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the average times on multiple attempts. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1763979" d="2136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I wasn't Bruce Lee speed, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1766115" d="4771" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it looks like my way is about half a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> second faster than using the Quick Bar. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1770886" d="2236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, sure, that doesn't sound like much, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1773122" d="3970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but how many times do you use a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> web browser or need to move files around? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1777092" d="1635" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That crap adds up. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1778727" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, my method is more reliable. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1781463" d="3737" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you asked me to launch stuff from </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the Quick Launch bar as fast as I can </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1785200" d="1302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> over and over, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1786502" d="2969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm probably going to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> screw up at some point. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1789471" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> "Oh, no, I hit the wrong button!" </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1792174" d="3370" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Whereas I'll get it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> every time using my way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1795544" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I could literally do this blindfolded. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1798247" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So it's faster, </s><s p="3">and</s><s p="2"> more reliable. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1801250" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And that's an </s><s p="3">objective</s><s p="2"> difference. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1803652" d="6006" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We can measure it, repeat it in trials, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> get hard data, and quantify the bastard. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1809658" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It </s><s p="3">is</s><s p="2"> possible to figure out </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> what is best for the GUI </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1813829" d="2235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> based on what you're trying to do. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1816064" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And I feel like this example </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is just a microcosm </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1818700" d="3070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> of what we </s><s p="3">could</s><s p="2"> be doing with the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1821770" d="4972" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, now listen up, because I'm going </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to say something positive about Steve Jobs. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1826742" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You're not going to hear me do that often. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1828811" d="2102" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, I might be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> playing with fire here, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1830913" d="2535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since there's some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Steve Jobs worship out there, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1833448" d="1402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but from what I know of him, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1834850" d="3570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think he was a predatory asshole </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> who was good at marketing, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1838420" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and had a cult leader personality type. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1840756" d="1535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Sure, he did stuff, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1842291" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but a lot of it probably still would've </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> happened one way or another, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1845327" d="1335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> even without him. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1846662" d="1434" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You know how multiple people </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1848096" d="3938" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> invented the telephone </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> independently around the same time? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1852034" d="2803" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> A lot of stuff in computers </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I think was like that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1854837" d="2369" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> especially when you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> don't have a monopoly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1857206" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I have ten times more </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> respect for Steve Wozniak, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1861210" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> also known as the guy who actually </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> invented the Apple Computer? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1865714" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> He didn't let success go to his head, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1868283" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> has kept dabbling in </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> engineering projects, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1870752" d="3304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and just has a better </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> attitude about life in general. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1875090" d="1368" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Where am I? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1876458" d="934" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, that's right... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1877392" d="3471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> One thing Steve Jobs said </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that I agree with 100% </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1880863" d="2135" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is when he was working on the Macintosh, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1882998" d="3136" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> he was hellbent on </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> getting it to boot faster, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1886134" d="2903" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because if millions of people </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> were going to be using it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1889037" d="4171" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that collectively adds up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to people's lives being saved. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1893208" d="3570" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, now obviously the math </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> doesn't work out that cleanly, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1896778" d="3737" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and to be honest, boot time </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> isn't the end of the world. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1900515" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You can do other things </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> while you wait for it to boot up. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1903652" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But the GUI? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1905487" d="4805" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> A bad one is </s><s p="3">constantly</s><s p="2"> going to weigh </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you down the more you're on a computer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1910292" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Shaving seconds down anywhere you can </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1913161" d="4305" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is </s><s p="3">exactly</s><s p="2"> the attitude major </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> companies should take towards it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1917466" d="4571" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now if you're making a game or a program </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that makes dog noises or something, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1922037" d="1768" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you can forget all this crap. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1923805" d="5072" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But a major operating system </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that's going to be used by millions? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1928877" d="3971" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh no, excuse me, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a </s><s p="3">billion</s><s p="2"> people, I guess? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1932848" d="3236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That has such far reaching consequences </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1936084" d="5272" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that </s><s p="3">any</s><s p="2"> inefficiencies mean </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you are wasting people's lives! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1941356" d="3671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's practically holding </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> human progress back a bit, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1945027" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Because instead of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> getting more things done, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1947396" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> we're wasting bits of time everywhere </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1949398" d="3737" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> on navigating Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> in a semi-irritating way! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1953135" d="4337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, I realize Microsoft doesn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> seem to understand the human race. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1957472" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you have any doubts about that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1959207" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I encourage you to watch their </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows 7 launch party video. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1963111" d="4138" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It feels like a documentary </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about humans made by aliens. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1967249" d="4771" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But Jesus, the level of stagnation </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on the GUI just drives me crazy, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1972020" d="3070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I have to deal </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> with it almost every day! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1975090" d="4905" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Again, if you work on the computer, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the GUI is most of what you're seeing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1979995" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Computers have changed the world, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1982564" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so why are we still in four </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> out of ten territory on this? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1986501" d="2036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, I know part of the answer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1988537" d="2436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Again, I'm mostly </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> singling out Microsoft here, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1990973" d="1968" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that's because they're a monopoly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1992941" d="3704" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, sure, somebody's going to say, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> "No they're not, there are other options!" </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1996645" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yes, technically, that's correct. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="1999314" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So they're a de facto monopoly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2001683" d="3337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, actually, they are down </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> globally for desktop share. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2005020" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> Only</s><s p="2"> 77% of the market. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2008056" d="1969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's lower than I thought. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2010025" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Down from 91% a few years ago. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2013061" d="734" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Huh. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2013795" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, what if you're a PC gamer? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2015864" d="2102" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What percent of the market are they then? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2017966" d="4304" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, on Steam, they're </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> only 96.8% of the market. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2022270" d="2903" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh yeah, that's not a monopoly at all. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2025173" d="3204" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And yes, competition technically exists. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2028377" d="4404" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And people were making fun of that concept </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> over a hundred years ago, by the way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2032781" d="1301" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, in 2001, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2034082" d="3804" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Microsoft was so big they attracted </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> attention from the Justice Department </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2037886" d="2402" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> for violating antitrust laws. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2040288" d="1335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Microsoft won, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2041623" d="4671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> though I can't help but think if computing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> would be better off now if they hadn't. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2046294" d="4371" wp="11" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, their net worth now is </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> four times bigger than it was back then. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2050665" d="4839" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, the point to all this is in many </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> areas, Microsoft doesn't need to compete, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2055504" d="1201" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so they don't. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2056705" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, here's what I would do if I was </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> running the GUI department at Microsoft, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2060642" d="1602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> assuming they have one. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2062244" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First, I'd hire some people that just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> invent GUI methods and test them out. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2066715" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That'd be their whole job: </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> just to brainstorm all day. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2069618" d="2969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then, they can implement ideas </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> in test builds or programs </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2072587" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that the public could try alphas of. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2074656" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You know how Microsoft has </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the Insider builds of Windows? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2078160" d="3703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'd have that as a perpetual </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> program for the GUI also. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2081863" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There would be a new one for </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> people to test out all the time. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2084766" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then, collect data on everyone </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> who does opt into that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2087869" d="3237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See which designs the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> public navigates the fastest. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2091106" d="6039" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Over time, I could accumulate lots of data </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on maybe not the perfect GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2097145" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but something pretty close, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2099314" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because you would have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the numbers to back it up. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2101917" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And I'm getting ahead of myself here, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2103585" d="4571" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I would also detach the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> GUI from core system files, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2108156" d="4271" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and make a developer kit, so artists and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> designers could do whatever they wanted. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2112427" d="3203" wp="19" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So they would </s><s p="3">ship</s><s p="2"> Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> with the Microsoft standard, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2115630" d="2870" wp="20" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which would be brilliant </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> instead of what we have now, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2118500" d="3236" wp="20" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because it would be derived from </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> constant research and development, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2121736" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but if people didn't like it, fine! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2124072" d="2636" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They could make their computer </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> look like whatever they wanted, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2126708" d="2569" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because they'd have the tools to do so! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2129277" d="3370" wp="21" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So it could look like a giant </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> extension of </s><s p="3">World of Warcraft</s><s p="2">, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2132647" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> those panels from </s><s p="3">Star Trek</s><s p="2">, whatever! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2135517" d="3837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Some people will spend hundreds </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> if not thousands of hours </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2139354" d="5072" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> working on mods for </s><s p="3">Skyrim</s><s p="2">, with others </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> picking out exactly what they want. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2144426" d="2602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Can you imagine what </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the computer would look like </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2147028" d="3404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> if even a fraction of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that talent was unlocked, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2150432" d="4738" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and given full access to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the GUI itself in an easy way? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2155170" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Right now, it's hurdle after hurdle. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2157873" d="1401" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, when most people talk about </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2159274" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> how they prefer an </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> operating system over another, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2162544" d="5472" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> half the time, they're not really talking </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about the underlying code, but the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2168016" d="1602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because that's all they see. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2169618" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So by opening that up, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows could be the king </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2172154" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because people genuinely prefer </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> using</s><s p="2"> it over alternatives, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2176625" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and not just because of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> business strong-arming tactics. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2179494" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You know, when I first </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> heard about how Microsoft </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2181830" d="2936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> was going to be changing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the GUI for Windows 8, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2184766" d="1235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I got excited. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2186001" d="1468" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I thought, "This is it! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2187469" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is their chance to just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> scrap all the outdated holdovers, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2190872" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and come up with something really good! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2193141" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Sure, people will have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to learn something new, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2195544" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but then they'll be able </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to use Windows faster, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2197846" d="2602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and hate the thought of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> going back to the old way!" </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2200448" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, that didn't happen. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2203051" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Instead, it was a half-baked </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> touchscreen interface </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2206021" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that not only wasn't thought through, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2208290" d="3370" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it couldn't even perform </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all Windows functions, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2211660" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so it truly was "one size fits no one." </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2215430" d="4505" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or hey, remember how I said </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the look of a GUI is subjective? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2219935" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Turns out that's not entirely true. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2222237" d="1335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I saw an article recently </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2223572" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> about how apparently flat-looking </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> themes lower productivity. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2227676" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They did exactly what </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I was talking about: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2230045" d="1868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Gave users tasks to perform, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2231913" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and clocked time spent </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> lingering on the UI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2234649" d="1936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and tracked their eye movements. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2236585" d="4771" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So objectively, Microsoft's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> flat theme is slower. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2241356" d="4271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, if we want to be super generous, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which I don't think we should be, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2245627" d="5238" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> we could speculate that maybe it's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> slower initially, but then faster later. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2250865" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> For example, I've heard that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> typing on a Dvorak keyboard </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2254369" d="2135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is faster than a regular one. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2256504" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But if you clock somebody </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> one week into learning it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2259374" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> yeah, they're going to be slower. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2261376" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But six months later, no, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they'll probably be faster. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2265146" d="2136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And if you're wondering </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> why I don't use one, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2267282" d="4438" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> it's because I may be a lost cause, since </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I don't type the right way to begin with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2271720" d="2168" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't have a home row. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2273888" d="1969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm keyboard homeless. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2275857" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, Windows 8 exists, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so I think it's safe to assume </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2280028" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> GUI efficiency wasn't part </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of Microsoft's master plan. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2284499" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And here's data stating what </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they're doing is objectively worse. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2288803" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So to me, this says one of two things: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2291606" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Either Microsoft is barely doing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> any research at all on the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2295977" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and their design process is like </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> somebody taking a test who hasn't studied, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2300081" d="3304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or Microsoft </s><s p="3">did</s><s p="2"> do the research, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2303385" d="3069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but some higher-ups at the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> company completely ignored it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2306454" d="3871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and it's the ego of someone who's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> not a designer steering the ship. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2310325" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Either way, it's incompetence, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and they're rewarded for it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2313962" d="2102" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because they're a monopoly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2316064" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not a fan of Microsoft, by the way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2318833" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, now if you're still here, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> because let's face it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2321703" d="2035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> most normal people left by now, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2323738" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm sure some of you are </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> jumping out of your seat </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2326141" d="5305" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to tell me about hotkeys and shortcuts, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and all the innovations on that front. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2331446" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now on Windows 10, you can </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hold down the Windows key, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2334582" d="1736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and make a window dock, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2336318" d="3169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or access a specific </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> program on the taskbar, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2339487" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or minimize, maximize... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2341556" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's a keyboard </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> shortcut for everything! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2344125" d="3637" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or hey, use the program </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> AutoHotkey to create your own, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2347762" d="3070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which I do actually, but uh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2350832" d="1502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I'll start off easy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2352334" d="3370" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First, yes, these are improvements. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2355704" d="934" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2356638" d="1034" wp="22" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> [sighs] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2357672" d="2503" wp="23" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> it's like we're getting </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> there, and we're not. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2360175" d="1501" wp="24" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, to kick things off, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2361676" d="4271" wp="24" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> all the Windows key shortcuts are </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> almost useless if you're a gamer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2365947" d="4638" wp="24" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anybody who's gamed on the PC </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> long enough has hit that key by accident, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2370585" d="2169" wp="25" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and that can sometimes </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> end your game, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2372754" d="2836" wp="25" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because it tells Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to pull up the Start menu, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2375590" d="2970" wp="26" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which a lot of games </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> are not cool with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2378560" d="3670" wp="27" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hey, I made a video on the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> game </s><s p="3">Messiah</s><s p="2"> not long ago. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2382230" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Let's see what happens when I </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> press the Windows key while in that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2386167" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Uh-oh, didn't want that! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2388536" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But that's okay, I'll just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> switch back to the game. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2391072" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, impressively, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the game did not crash, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2394876" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it's just not quite the same anymore. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2398279" d="3237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's a </s><s p="3">lot</s><s p="2"> of games this happens with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2401516" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's such a liability, I had the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> key disabled on my system, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2405553" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so I'm missing out on </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all these hotkeys anyway. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2408690" d="3670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And wouldn't you know it, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that brings me to another GUI truth: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2412360" d="5672" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It shouldn't be really easy to do </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> something you don't want to by accident. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2418032" d="3838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now that truth is in a constant </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> tug of war with the efficiency one, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2421870" d="4538" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because often the fastest path </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is also easy to trigger accidentally. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2426408" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But there are ways around that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2428610" d="4004" wp="28" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Bottom line is if pressing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> one button wrecks everything, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2432614" d="3670" wp="28" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and it's right next to other </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> buttons you press frequently, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2436284" d="2136" wp="29" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that's not a good design. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2438420" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But let's say I wasn't a gamer, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2440355" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I never had to worry about </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> getting ripped out of a fullscreen game. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2444459" d="2235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This still isn't efficient. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2446694" d="2369" wp="7" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First, let's look at the ergonomics. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2449063" d="3704" wp="7" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Let's say I wanted to bring up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the fifth program using that hotkey. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2452767" d="2436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, that's Windows key and 5. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2457038" d="1001" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Eh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2458973" d="1502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Ergh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2460475" d="1435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, that sucks. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2461910" d="3603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's a solution the keyboard was </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> never designed for to begin with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2465513" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But surely it's a lot easier </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to just do this, right? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2469317" d="1268" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But uh-oh, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2470585" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> now my hand's off the mouse. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2473288" d="4271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So I had to bring my hand all the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> way from over here to press this key. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2477559" d="2802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Modern computing is full of this crap. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2480361" d="1769" wp="7" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you use hot keys, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2482130" d="4171" wp="23" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> unless they're really well </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> thought-out, which most aren't, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2486301" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you're constantly going back and forth. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2488837" d="2135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is crap design. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2490972" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You have to stop whatever you were </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> doing with this hand on the mouse, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2494509" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> bring it all the way over here, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that takes time, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2498046" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and now because your </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hand was on the mouse, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2500215" d="1868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and you don't have a frame of reference, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2502083" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you may not be able to locate </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the exact key you want by touch, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2506087" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so you have to take your </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> eyes away from the screen, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2508790" d="2602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> look down to find the key you wanted, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2511392" d="4605" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because no one ever gets "N" and "M" </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> mixed up when they don't look down, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2515997" d="1435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then press it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2517432" d="5505" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> then</s><s p="2"> move your hand back to the mouse, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and resume looking at the screen. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2522937" d="1602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is garbage! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2524539" d="4438" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now most of us probably don't think of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> it that way, because we're so used to it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2528977" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I told you I was going </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to sound like a heretic! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2531980" d="2435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I feel like Michael Palin in </s><s p="3">Jabberwocky</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2540188" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> I couldn't help noticing that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> you could increase your efficiency </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2543324" d="1569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> if you moved your box to here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2545894" d="1968" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="6"> [screams] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2550565" d="1001" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="5"> Oof! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2551566" d="6173" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="5"> [all scream] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2557739" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, that's what I should expect, huh? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2560408" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Unless you're actually typing a sentence, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2563144" d="4271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I don't see a way around that, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> with the mouse and keyboard anyway, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2567415" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> ideally your hands should </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> never come off the mouse. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2570919" d="4204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You should be able to do as </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> much as possible with just one hand, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2575123" d="3837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and then really bring out the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> higher functions if you use two, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2578960" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> not essentially require </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> three hands the way it is now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2583331" d="3704" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> This</s><s p="2"> is why even if you know </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the name of your programs, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2587035" d="4738" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> using something like Launchy </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> still</s><s p="2"> isn't an optimal solution, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2591773" d="2569" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because it involves leaving the mouse. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2594342" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, I feel another truth coming on: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2597045" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you're not actually typing, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2599314" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> the number of times you have to switch </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> your hand between the mouse and keyboard </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2603818" d="2436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> should be kept to an absolute minimum. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2606254" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The computer could </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> almost be like a throne, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2608957" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where your hands are on </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> each side doing everything. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2612093" d="1435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Look at the Riddler there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2613528" d="1902" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> He doesn't have to lift his hands! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2615430" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Look at how much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> information he's processing! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2618733" d="3871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Really, I almost see Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> pushing Cortana as the go-to standard </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2622604" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> for launching programs </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> as an admission of defeat. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2625707" d="1201" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's like they're saying </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2626908" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> they can't come up with a graceful way </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to navigate your computer visually, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2630712" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so here, just type in what </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you want and leave us alone. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2633615" d="3636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That will free up more of the Start menu </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for us to add </s><s p="3">Candy Crush</s><s p="2"> to it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2637251" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, not all hotkeys are bad. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2639587" d="3470" wp="30" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I use Control-C a lot, since </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that's a common function, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2643057" d="3470" wp="30" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and that sort of passes </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the ergonomics test. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2646527" d="3370" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Too bad it only works when it wants to! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2649897" d="4605" wp="31" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I'm off course again, but there have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> been times I've highlighted a bit of text, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2654502" d="3470" wp="31" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> pressed Control-C </s><s p="3">three</s><s p="2"> times, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2657972" d="3904" wp="31" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then went over here and pressed </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Control-V, and then, nothing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2661876" d="2903" wp="31" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's like it never happened. </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Erased from history. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2664779" d="3170" wp="31" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> However, this is not the hotkey's fault, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2667949" d="1868" wp="32" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I've seen it happen before, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2669817" d="5039" wp="33" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> right-clicking, pressing copy, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and then still, nothing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2674856" d="4137" wp="34" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now this only happens </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> maybe 5–10% of the time, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2678993" d="2302" wp="34" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that's still way too high. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2681295" d="3170" wp="34" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I have zero idea what's causing this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2684465" d="4705" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and if we're to rely on my blurry </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> memory, which maybe we shouldn't, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2689170" d="6373" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I want to say it didn't used to be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> this bad on XP and Windows 98. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2695543" d="5172" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I seem to remember copy and paste </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> not being a game of chance. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2700715" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Anyway, hotkeys could be better </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> if you had a dedicated keypad, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2704719" d="3503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and </s><s p="3">all</s><s p="2"> the functions </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> were optimized for that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2708222" d="2670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But right now, they're </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> just all over the place. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2710892" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, there's a lot of them. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2712560" d="4872" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Do you really want to memorize all these </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hotkeys for different Windows functions? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2717432" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Pop quiz: What's the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hotkey for Device Manager? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2720268" d="1401" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> For System Restore? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2721669" d="1368" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The Display panel? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2723037" d="1435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Learn those hotkeys! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2724472" d="1535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hup hup hup hup hup hup hup! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2726007" d="4638" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I want to be as lazy </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> as possible when using the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2730645" d="1802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I get more done that way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2732447" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I should get the maximum </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> amount done for the minimum effort. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2736484" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And I'm sure some of you are making fun of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> me for complaining about the "extra effort" </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2740588" d="4605" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> it takes to click on tiny icons, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> move my hand off the mouse, and so on. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2745193" d="3169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, go ahead, but it's not </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like you're building character </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2748362" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> by putting up with inefficiencies. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2750531" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You're just getting aggravated. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2752266" d="3704" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Everyone should want to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> be lazier using the computer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2755970" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You should save the effort </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for your actual work, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2759107" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> or just whatever you were using </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the computer for in the first place, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2762744" d="1868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> not the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2764612" d="2536" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If you don't want your arms to be lazy, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2767148" d="2936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then get off the computer </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and go lift some weights! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2770084" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What, are you getting </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> pumped from using the mouse? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2773588" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The GUI is full of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> inefficiencies like this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2776858" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why do we have to switch </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> off the mouse so often? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2779694" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why go down to the bottom corner when </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you could just launch the menu anywhere? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2783564" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, I bet people using </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> super-wide monitors love that one. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2787368" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why do we have tiny icons </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and buttons to click on </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2790171" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> instead of just hiding big ones </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> until we need them? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2793141" d="1701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why do we double-click? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2794842" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why does middle-clicking often do nothing? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2797845" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And this is just the stuff I'm noticing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2800414" d="3003" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't even know half </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the problems we have. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2803417" d="2169" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But every time I use a computer, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2805586" d="4104" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> my intuition is screaming </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> at me that it could be better. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2809690" d="2236" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I'm going to go full heretic: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2811926" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not even convinced one of the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> most sacred aspects of GUI design, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2816397" d="5806" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> having tiny buttons in the corner </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to close, maximize, and resize your window </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2822203" d="2235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is a good way of doing things. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2824438" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, if you look at </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Windows, Mac, Linux... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2827575" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They all follow that formula. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2829577" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> These are tiny targets. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2831946" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It takes concentration to hit them. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2834615" d="2670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's easy to hit the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> wrong one by accident. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2837285" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They take up space that can </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> be devoted to the program itself. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2841155" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, this wasn't a bad </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> system 35 years ago, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2845092" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it's barely evolved since then! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2848362" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hey here's a thought experiment for you: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2850898" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Pretend you got rid of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all modern eye candy, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2853434" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and judge the Windows GUI </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> solely by how functional it is. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2857905" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Does this look like decades </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> worth of advancement </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2860474" d="2937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> in a cutting edge technology field? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2863411" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If this was yours, would you be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> proud to show this off to the world </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2867582" d="4804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> if this was all the progress </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you've made since 95? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2872386" d="1335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I wouldn't! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2873721" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> When you type a sentence, it has flow. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2876424" d="1234" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You roll along with the keys, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2877658" d="3437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and things feel like they're moving </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> about as fast as they could be. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2881095" d="1969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It generally feels good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2883064" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The Windows GUI has no flow. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2885700" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's all a bunch of starting and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> stopping and precision clicking. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2889470" d="5038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It feels more like driving downtown in </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a city with constant stops and checks. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2894508" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, when I think of what the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> optimal Windows user would look like, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2898512" d="4238" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I keep thinking back to a </s><s p="3">Star Trek</s><s p="2"> episode </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> where the engines have been sabotaged, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2902750" d="3971" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> they need to get them working again </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> in time before the ship is destroyed, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2906721" d="2035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> except the only way to start the engines </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2908756" d="4838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is by inserting these cards into </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the computer in the exact right way, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2913594" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and no one can humanly do it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> fast enough to save them in time, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2917098" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> except Data. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2918833" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> This</s><s p="2"> is what the ideal </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> GUI user looks like. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2922870" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We've created an interface </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for androids, not humans! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2926874" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now I have some ideas on how </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to fix this, because I've seen better. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2931178" d="5005" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This may sound stupid, but plenty of movies </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> have shown slick-looking interfaces. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2936183" d="1669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Zip, zip, zip. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2937852" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> That</s><s p="2"> is what I'm talking about. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2940521" d="4838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now don't worry, I'm not saying we have to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> use motion controls and augmented reality, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2945359" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> at least, not for most people, uh... yet. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2949263" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But I can't help but think </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> there's potential here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2951966" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, motion controls are less </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> lazy than the mouse and keyboard, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2955736" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but this looks so much more efficient, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which is what I actually want. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2960107" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, forget the layered </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> transparency crap, I don't like that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2964111" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but do you know how much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> faster I could edit this video </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2966914" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> if I could use my hands like this, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> instead of the mouse and keyboard? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2971218" d="2570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And these all look like they have flow. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2973788" d="1168" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Look at that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2974956" d="4204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I have no idea what he's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> doing, but it looks efficient. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2979160" d="3837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and hey, this one takes place in 2021! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2982997" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's still time for this, guys! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2985766" d="4572" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, back in the 2D mouse and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> keyboard world, we still have options. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2990338" d="5739" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think the future of GUI efficiency </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> lies at least partially in mouse gestures. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2996077" d="1501" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Here, take a look: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="2997578" d="3170" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> So I was sitting here doing nothing, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> just playing my music, and I thought, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3000748" d="4204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> you know, I'd better stop and mute this, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> and go ahead and upload a video to YouTube, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3004952" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> and I thought, "What can I talk about? </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> Maybe I could talk about the mouse," </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3007755" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> you know, scrolling </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> in the background, maybe. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3009423" d="3671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> This is something Windows doesn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> do by default, it's pretty cool to have. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3013094" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> And I thought, you know, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> "Nah, people don't want to watch that." </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3015496" d="868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> But then maybe they do. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3016364" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Some people go on YouTube just to find </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> new content. They want to see anything. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3020234" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> They're happy to refresh the page </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> just to find new videos to watch. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3024038" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> So I could do that, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> or I could search on Google. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3026374" d="4871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> I mean, at the end of the day, there's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> always something to be found on Google. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3031245" d="701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Then again, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3031946" d="3737" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> I don't really want to be that person </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> that just takes content and copies it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3035683" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> and then you end up seeing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> exactly the same thing again later on. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3038886" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> That's not what I'm about, you know. </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> My channel isn't going backwards, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3041589" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> it's going forwards, so, I don't know. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3043791" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Maybe I should go on Twitter </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> to find new content, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3046060" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> or maybe I should just, uh, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> think about something closer to home. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3049263" d="1568" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Ooh, my mind went blank. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3050831" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> Tell you what, let's talk </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="4"> about mouse gestures. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3053434" d="5772" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, see, now </s><s p="3">that</s><s p="2"> looks like an </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> actual advancement to the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3059206" d="2203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Instead of aiming for precise targets, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3061409" d="3503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> we just wave the mouse around </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like a wand and things happen. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3064912" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Tell me that doesn't look </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> faster and more intuitive </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3067748" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> than almost every </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> GUI computers use today! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3070718" d="1301" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I dare you! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3072019" d="5873" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why the hell is this an obscure third-party </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> program instead of an industry standard? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3077892" d="4304" wp="35" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Maybe because Microsoft wasn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> broken up and maintained their monopoly, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3082196" d="2502" wp="35" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so it calcified </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> every designer's thinking </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3084698" d="2470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> into doing things the way </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they've always been done! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3087168" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It stunted people's brains! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3089637" d="3670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hell, now I'm mad at myself </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that I haven't been using this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3093307" d="2503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not saying this is </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the answer to everything, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3095810" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but in the same way my intuition </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> has been screaming at me </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3098913" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that the GUI could be better, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3100915" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> this is screaming to me </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that it has massive potential. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3104785" d="3337" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But I do think there are a few </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> principles you would want here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3108122" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First, you would want very </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> quick and simple gestures. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3111659" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm thinking three strokes maximum. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3113861" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Second, you don't want to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> trigger these by accident. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3116897" d="4471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I'm not super knowledgeable </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on </s><s p="3">Star Wars</s><s p="2">, but from what I can tell, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3121368" d="2470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> there's some sort of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> mechanism in the lightsabers, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3123838" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where they turn off </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> if you're not gripping them. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3126507" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> At least, that's what it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> looks like in the movies. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3128909" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> For example, we know </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> this video isn't canon, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3131712" d="3370" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because when they knock the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> lightsaber out of the farmer's hand, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3135082" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> it should turn off, but it doesn't. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3137818" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So you would want </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> something similar with gestures. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3140588" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Maybe assign a button from your mouse </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to hold it down when you make a gesture, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3144525" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then let it go the rest of the time? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3146360" d="1902" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Actually, there are so many functions, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3148262" d="3837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you might need a few buttons, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> or need a mouse that looks like this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3152099" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and that's not an endorsement </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of Razer, by the way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3155369" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, I've been trying to boycott them </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3157438" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> ever since they started </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> adding DRM to their mice. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3160541" d="3503" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But maybe this many buttons isn't needed, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and right-click and thumb-click </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3164044" d="2269" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> could take care of everything </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they traditionally did, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3166313" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> except now with gestures too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3168649" d="1101" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't know. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3169750" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You'd probably need </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> more than one button though, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3172153" d="3169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so a swipe left would mean </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> one thing with button one, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3175322" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and another with button two. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3177324" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You could unlock dozens </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of functions that way. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3180194" d="2436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, I think that's another truth: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3182630" d="3904" wp="36" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You need multiple mouse </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> buttons for maximum efficiency. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3186534" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, I told you I wasn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a fan of Steve Jobs! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3189637" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, another problem is </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like the Windows key, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3192406" d="3670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you don't want gestures </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> triggering by accident in a game. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3196076" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, maybe there's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> third-party software like this </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3198445" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> already on Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that I don't know about, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3201048" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I've actually seen a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> possible solution to that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3204084" d="2303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> When I had a SteelSeries mouse, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3206387" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I could assign different </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> functions to the mouse key </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3209023" d="2602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> depending on what program was active. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3211625" d="4872" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So if I was inside a video editor, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> my buttons would trigger editing functions, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3216497" d="4838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but if I switched over to a web browser, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they would seamlessly do something else. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3221335" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and that's not an endorsement </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of SteelSeries mice either. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3224605" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> My scroll wheel button </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> broke on my last one. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3227575" d="4070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The scroll wheel button broke on </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> my SteelSeries mouse before that, too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3231645" d="3304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Actually, my scroll wheel button </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is broken on my current mouse, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3234949" d="4404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I was able to remap it to the DPI </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> button, so it's still hanging in there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3239353" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But that's my problem; </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'm a mutant when it comes to mice. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3242756" d="3370" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You can watch my birthday video </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> if you want to know more about that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3246126" d="3971" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> The point to all this is we really </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> need software like that standardized, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3250097" d="3737" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so that mouse buttons can do a lot </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> more depending on what you're running. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3253834" d="4738" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not sure if all this is </s><s p="3">the</s><s p="2"> answer, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but it seems like it could be. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3258572" d="3504" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Mouse gestures combined </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> with smart application detection </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3262076" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> could get things done very quickly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3264478" d="3737" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, maybe there's a good reason </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the industry isn't really using them, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3268215" d="1001" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't know. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3269216" d="2503" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Gestures have been around a long time. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3271719" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I remember the Opera browser </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> had them from way back, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3274822" d="4137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> although I don't use Opera anymore because </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> they switched to a Chromium foundation, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3278959" d="1802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which is a problem for me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3280761" d="5172" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I currently use Firefox, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> because once again of the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3285933" d="2769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, Firefox is one of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the last browsers standing </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3288702" d="2903" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to let me disable the tab close button. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3291605" d="2836" wp="2" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I haven't used those in maybe decades. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3294441" d="4905" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, they're not on those early </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> screenshots from 2002 or whenever that was. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3299346" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Say I want to open up a bunch </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of tabs, like some screenshots. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3303150" d="1602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Fine, I middle-click. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3304752" d="1401" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Open, open, open. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3306153" d="2636" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now I want to browse some, and—oh, darn! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3308789" d="3270" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I closed one by accident </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> because I hit that stupid button, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3312059" d="2636" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I'm an imprecise human being! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3314695" d="3370" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Gee, if only I didn't need </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that damn button at all, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3318065" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because I can just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> middle-click to close the tab, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3320868" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and left-click to select it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3323037" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> thus ensuring I never </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> close one by accident, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3326173" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> and</s><s p="2"> freeing up more </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> space to read the titles! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3329276" d="4371" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, the space to click on a tab </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> instead of a close button is wider, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3333647" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so there's more margin for error. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3335582" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This is just a more efficient system. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3338352" d="2970" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not the only person </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> who thinks this, either. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3341322" d="4237" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've seen threads asking Chrome </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to add this, to which they've replied, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3345559" d="3070" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> "This is a will-not-fix kind of issue." </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3348629" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And now Opera is doing this too! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3350898" d="1802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now this is much more minor, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3352700" d="5305" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but again, it feels like the industry </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is trying to drag me backwards to the past </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3358005" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> when it comes to the GUI! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3359940" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Thank god Firefox </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hasn't done this to me! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3363143" d="935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> ...yet! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3364078" d="2068" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Though, it's given me other problems. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3366146" d="3837" wp="30" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> One of the updates completely </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> broke file associations for me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3369983" d="4205" wp="30" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then they updated again, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and made it less broken, but not fixed. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3374188" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It remained busted </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> from its original state. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3376724" d="2802" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then, update after update, no fix. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3379526" d="5372" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, to be fair, it did get fixed </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> just recently, which honestly shocked me, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3384898" d="2837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it was still bugged </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for about six months. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3387735" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Stuff like that makes me </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> afraid to click on updates. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3391205" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Though problems like this are </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hardly unique to Firefox. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3395309" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hey, did you know that now Microsoft </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> has stopped supporting Windows 7? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3398846" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They released one </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> final patch of fixes for it? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3401849" d="4571" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Except that fix added a new bug </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which turned people's wallpapers black. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3406420" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So they released a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> fix for their final fix. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3409390" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Except that fix added another new bug, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3412493" d="2502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so people couldn't shut </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> down Windows anymore. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3414995" d="1001" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I haven't kept up </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3415996" d="3971" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to see whether they've released </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> a fix for the fix for the final fix. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3419967" d="1334" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> With Windows 10, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3421301" d="4905" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Microsoft has made perpetual betas </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the new standard for computing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3426206" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There are no stable versions </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for the user now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3428942" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's always a fix for the fix for the fix. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3431645" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That might have something to do with them </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> firing their quality assurance department, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3435749" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and replacing them with AI testing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3438085" d="5205" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It blows my mind the industry </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and just users in general tolerate this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3443290" d="2636" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but all right, I'm getting </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> way off track now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3445926" d="1568" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Actually, wait, no. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3447494" d="1168" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> As I'm editing this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3448662" d="5172" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> there's news that Microsoft is replacing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> its news contractors at MSN with AI also. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3453834" d="1101" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh boy(!) </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3454935" d="2135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's a brave new world, guys. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3457070" d="1836" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Back to the GUI! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3458906" d="1034" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Uh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3459940" d="2603" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, I'm winding this up, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but before I do that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3462543" d="3336" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've been focusing so much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> on how the GUI functions. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3465879" d="2002" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What about how it looks? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3467881" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Again, Windows is pathetic! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3470217" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We have different colors, and... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3472586" d="3170" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> yeah, that's pretty much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all you get out of default Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3475756" d="3503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now in the past, there have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> been programs like StyleXP, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3479259" d="1902" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think that's dead now... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3481161" d="4004" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I use this BricoPack thing I've found </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to make the buttons less ugly, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3485165" d="2803" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and that probably won't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> work on Windows 10, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3487968" d="4771" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but one of the holdouts that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> still works, I think, is WindowBlinds. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3492739" d="1669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, in the past, at least, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3494408" d="3970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> WindowBlinds and a lot of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Stardock programs could change a lot, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3498378" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I have found some promising themes, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3500914" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I don't know how many of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> those got updated for Windows 10. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3504818" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, there's so much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> mediocrity out there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3508455" d="701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Eh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3509423" d="767" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Eh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3510491" d="1067" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Eh... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3511558" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Like vanilla Windows itself, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3513927" d="4972" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so much that's out there looks like </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> four or five out of ten material to me. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3518899" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, yeah, these took time to make, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3521535" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but can you honestly say </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> these themes look almost perfect, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3525339" d="4638" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and what you would want your computer </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to look like for the next ten years? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3529977" d="3336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Look at this contrast; </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that's not easy on the eyes! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3533313" d="2670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And why do so many </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> themes have low contrast </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3535983" d="2402" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> between the text and the background? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3538385" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's how you get eye strain! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3540220" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hey, Bach was a great composer, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3542155" d="4038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but he went blind because he </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> used crappy WindowsBlinds themes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3546193" d="3070" wp="37" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Here, I'm adding those to the truth list. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3549263" d="2902" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, again, I don't know </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> exactly what I want, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3552165" d="3404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I have seen some themes in </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the past I like more than these, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3555569" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so the potential is there with </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> WindowsBlinds to make something nicer, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3559039" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but good luck finding the right themes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3561742" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, let's talk about </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> other OSs for a minute. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3564745" d="2068" wp="38" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I'm not much of a Mac user. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3566813" d="3237" wp="38" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They've always cost more, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> have locked-down hardware, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3570050" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and don't have as many games, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3571885" d="4838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but if they had a look I really liked, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'd say that's worth copying. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3576723" d="1936" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, it's not terrible. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3578659" d="3803" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'd say the default look is definitely </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> more cohesive than Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3582462" d="3871" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I like some of the icons, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like that two-faced smiley guy, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3586333" d="4605" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I can't say I like it so much </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I want to model the GUI after this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3590938" d="4170" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Though obviously I like the look of the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> dock better than the Windows taskbar. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3595108" d="4738" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now I haven't used a Mac in a few years, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so my knowledge may be a little outdated— </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3599846" d="2103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Macs have a different way of doing things, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3601949" d="4871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'd say they have a lot of the same </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> pitfalls as Windows regarding the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3606820" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They weren't thinking </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that outside the box. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3609656" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> However, I have heard of the Magic Mouse, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3612526" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which seems to be embracing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> gesture-based navigation. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3616163" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't know how successful that's been. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3618465" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I would think that if they </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> did a really good job on that, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3621868" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> the tech media would </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> be talking about it more, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3624471" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'm operating from ignorance here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3626807" d="3904" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If any Mac users want to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> weigh in on how nice or not nice </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3630711" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> the current state of the GUI </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is on the Mac, let us know. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3634348" d="4738" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I still can't see myself switching </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for all the same reasons I've had for... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3639086" d="1801" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> my whole life pretty much, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3640887" d="2937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that doesn't mean they </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> couldn't be doing some things right, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3643824" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and are worth copying if they are. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3646460" d="1701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now what about Linux? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3648161" d="3671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I had to rewrite everything </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I was going to say about Linux. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3651832" d="3003" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First off, there's no one Linux look. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3654835" d="3103" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There are lots of different </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> flavors and distributions. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3657938" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In the </s><s p="3">past</s><s p="2">, I felt like some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of these default themes </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3661208" d="2068" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> were some of the nicest around; </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3663276" d="2937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> better than what Windows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> or Mac was coming up with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3666213" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There was definitely </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> room for improvement, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3668482" d="2435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I liked a lot of what I was seeing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3670917" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I don't know </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> what the hell is going on. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3673687" d="3570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I was hoping to show just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> how great Linux can look, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3677257" d="2236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but everything I've found </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> had a problem with it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3679493" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> For starters, I'm not a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> fan of super dark themes, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3682629" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because if you're browsing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the internet or something, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3685032" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you'll inevitably come </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> across something bright, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3687668" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which can hurt your non-adjusted eyes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3690671" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, there's a lot of super dark themes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3693540" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's also that flat-looking </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> "too much white" stuff. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3697044" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Are we copying Windows 10 here? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3699680" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But most of all, a million themes </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> today seem to have this ugly contrast, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3703717" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where we have a decent theme going on, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3705919" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but then they slap these </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> black bars on the top or bottom, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3709389" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> which increases eye strain </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and hurts readability. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3712359" d="1868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Why are they doing this? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3714227" d="4305" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And of course, there's also some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of the super low contrast stuff. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3718532" d="1001" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Eugh. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3719533" d="1535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Look, I tried. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3721068" d="4437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Odds are, there </s><s p="3">are</s><s p="2"> really nice </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> looking Linux themes out there, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3725505" d="1135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but they're in hiding, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3726640" d="2969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and the mainstream stuff </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> doesn't seem to know what it's doing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3729609" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, that's one thing that </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> is</s><s p="2"> great about Linux: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3732746" d="4771" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> These are all desktop environments </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that sit on top of the OS itself. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3737517" d="2203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So if you want to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> change all the graphics, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3739720" d="3703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that's totally cool and it isn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> treated like a virus attack. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3743423" d="5773" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So if you wanted to create the perfect GUI, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Linux might be the place to do it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3749196" d="1601" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And to add some more positive, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3750797" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> for basic things like web </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> browsing or light multimedia, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3754901" d="5406" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Linux is actually super easy to use now, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> even easier than Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3760307" d="4871" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh yeah, some people might expect me </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to add "easy to understand" to the truths? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3765178" d="2069" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No, that's not one of my truths. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3767247" d="400" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> [pop] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3767647" d="1669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't care at all about that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3769316" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I want whatever makes me a GUI wizard. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3771985" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Though, old people might want that one. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3773920" d="701" wp="39" ws="3"><s p="1"></s><s p="6"> Uh! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3774621" d="4872" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Regardless, for basic things, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Linux has that going for it: it's easy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3779493" d="5205" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But once you get into intermediate stuff, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> or specialty functions and programs, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3784698" d="2335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I want to say it's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> inevitable at some point </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3787033" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that you're going to </s><s p="3">have </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to use the command-line interface. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3790837" d="3704" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This isn't really the case </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for Windows or Mac. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3794541" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've heard some people say the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> command-line is faster than the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3798345" d="2169" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't really think that's true. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3800514" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I used the command-line </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> back in the DOS days. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3802983" d="1701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't miss it at all. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3804684" d="5339" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I still play DOS games, but man, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I use a front end for that crap now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3810023" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Say I want to change a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> profile for a game I'm running, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3812893" d="3603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then change my CPU speed, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> maybe try a different scaler, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3816496" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> turn fullscreen on or off, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> change the directory... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3819766" d="1702" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Boom, boom, boom, I'm done. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3821468" d="1635" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's just faster. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3823103" d="3170" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or say I want to select </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some specific files from a list, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3826273" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then move them to a different directory. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3828475" d="3203" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I can't see a command-line </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> being faster for that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3831678" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There are tons of things like this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3833613" d="2603" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now there might be some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> scenarios I'm not thinking of </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3836216" d="2536" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where a command-line could beat the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3838752" d="5138" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> though I'm not sure what that would be </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> if you had a properly optimized front end. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3843890" d="2569" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And hey, don't forget the travel time! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3846459" d="4138" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But, assuming the command </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> line is faster at some things, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3850597" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I still don't think that means </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the command-line is better. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3853500" d="3503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It means the current GUI is </s><s p="3">worse</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3857003" d="4772" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's inefficient and unoptimized, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> which is the whole point of this video! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3861775" d="2002" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It needs to be better! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3863777" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, I may upset </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some people, but whatever. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3866646" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't want to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> stereotype all Linux users, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3869382" d="5039" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I think people will agree there's a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> significant portion of the Linux community </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3874421" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that see the GUI as the enemy, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3876790" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and the command-line as </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the end-all answer to </s><s p="3">everything</s><s p="2">. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3880560" d="3971" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You can pry the command-line </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> away from their cold dead hands, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3884531" d="3437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and Linux development </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> can reflect that sometimes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3887968" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> In fact, while making this video, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3890704" d="3370" wp="27" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I ran into this comic </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> completely by coincidence, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3894074" d="3370" wp="27" ws="2"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and it kind of sums up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> what I'm talking about. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3897444" d="3603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So with this obsession </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> by </s><s p="3">some</s><s p="2"> Linux users, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3901047" d="4305" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not sure we're going to see </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the perfect GUI emerge on Linux. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3905352" d="1334" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Though, we could. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3906686" d="1535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No matter how you slice it, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3908221" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Linux is </s><s p="3">not</s><s p="2"> stopping the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> march of progress of the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3912525" d="2103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and Microsoft </s><s p="3">is</s><s p="2">, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3914628" d="1901" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so the potential's there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3916529" d="3237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But just to illustrate what I'm </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> talking about, let me give an example: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3919766" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Normally, the GUI requires you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to go through all these sub-menus, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3923703" d="5372" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> press the right tab, double-click, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> press checkboxes in the right locations... </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3929075" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> For sure, all that can bog you down. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3931478" d="1401" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It can get so bad, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3932879" d="3237" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I completely understand why </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some people say, "hell with it," </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3936116" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and just type out what they want. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3938051" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, what if instead of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> all that, I just hit a button, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3940887" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then options came up </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> where my mouse cursor was, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3943556" d="2670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and one of them was a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> broader category I wanted. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3946226" d="4504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then, as soon as I move to that direction, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I can move to another sub-menu wheel, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3950730" d="1769" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> until I got to where I wanted. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3952499" d="3336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> If I needed more options, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I can maybe have multiple layers. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3955835" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or maybe different buttons </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> would bring up different wheel options. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3959372" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That could give us hundreds </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> of options right there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3962208" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Then, if I knew what I was doing, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3964611" d="3236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I could just bring up the menu </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> then go zoop, zoop, zoop, done. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3967847" d="3437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I could be as fast as Zorro carving a "Z". </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3971284" d="2836" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's how you become </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> faster than the command-line: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3974120" d="3771" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> by being able to launch hundreds of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> different options in under a second. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3977891" d="5038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We don't really have this or something </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> even better in standard GUIs today. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3982929" d="1969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> At least, not how I'm envisioning it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3984898" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And remember, I am not an expert— </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3987801" d="5238" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> this is just an idea I had off the cuff </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that I could imagine flowing very rapidly. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3993039" d="2870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There's probably even </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> better ideas out there! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3995909" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I think people who swear </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> by the command-line </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="3998445" d="4905" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> may have trouble imagining an interface </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="3"> much</s><s p="2"> better than what we have now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4003350" d="2602" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Okay, I spoke too soon. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4005952" d="2036" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I found this out at the last minute. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4007988" d="1968" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Apparently, MakuluLinux has something </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4009956" d="2870" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> extremely similar to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> what I was thinking of, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4012826" d="3837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it looks like it wasn't </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> optimized for speed and functionality. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4016663" d="3003" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, look, that's </s><s p="3">way</s><s p="2"> too </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> many options per wheel. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4019666" d="3470" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> When there's that many, you can't just </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> flick your mouse in the general direction </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4023136" d="1635" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you want to make things happen. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4024771" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You have to slow down and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> carefully select what you want. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4028375" d="3903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That means we're back to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> helicopters and not planes again, guys. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4032278" d="2570" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You lose all your speed when that happens. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4034848" d="3770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This wobble effect makes it even </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> harder to click on your target, too. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4038618" d="1068" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's no good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4039686" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Plus, look at how huge a gap there is </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> between the menu in the icons. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4043690" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That travel time is too high. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4045892" d="1235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This needs work. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4047127" d="4104" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> However, I feel like I'm unfairly </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> trashing a prototype here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4051231" d="4571" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Big props to MakuluLinux for at </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> least attempting something better. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4055802" d="4204" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We need a </s><s p="3">lot</s><s p="2"> more experimentation </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like this to get something good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4060006" d="1001" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I feel dumb. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4061007" d="3237" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I had no idea this </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> even existed until now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4064244" d="4504" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, this is what happens when a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> non-expert realizes there's a problem, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4068748" d="2770" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and most of the industry </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is asleep at the wheel. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4071518" d="1835" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> All right, time to wrap things up. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4073353" d="4938" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, believe it or not, I did not </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> make this video to trash Microsoft. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4078291" d="1702" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That's just unavoidable. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4079993" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> No, I made this as a cry for help. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4082662" d="5539" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows 10 is looming on the horizon, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and it's coming to chop my hands off. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4088201" d="4071" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It wants to undo all the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> progress I've had with the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4092272" d="2035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I don't know what I'm gonna do. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4094307" d="1602" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="4"> What am I gonna do?! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4095909" d="1468" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, I don't know! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4097377" d="2269" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm really not taking this well. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4099646" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But I can't be the first person </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to be thinking like this. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4103683" d="3804" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> There has to be some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> unsung GUI genius out there </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4107487" d="4438" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> who's even more frustrated than I am, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and has more of the answers. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4111925" d="3503" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You know how in role-playing games </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> where you customize your character? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4115428" d="3837" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Some people are </s><s p="3">really </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> good at optimizing them? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4119265" d="1902" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They'll figure out some bizarre combo </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4121167" d="3437" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that amounts to five times the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> damage you would normally get? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4124604" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I feel like GUI design </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> is a lot of the same thing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4128208" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Instead of balancing </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> your offense and defense, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4130877" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> you're balancing efficiency and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> not triggering things by accident. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4134814" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So this video is a search </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for the GUI masters. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4138351" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now that you've watched it, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you know where I'm coming from. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4141054" d="1501" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I could have made it shorter, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4142555" d="2102" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but if I had done that, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> then people would have said, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4144657" d="3471" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> "Oh, just use Classic shell. </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Problem solved!" </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4148128" d="1701" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and not seen the bigger picture. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4149829" d="1835" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That would be depressing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4151664" d="4171" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Out of the spectrum of magnificent </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> possibilities for the GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4155835" d="5639" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Microsoft has shifted the range of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> acceptable thought to this tiny sliver. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4161474" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's like watching a dream die. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4164244" d="4537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So, I'm seeking out the GUI masters, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> because I think they're out there, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4168781" d="2737" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and maybe their knowledge </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> can benefit us all. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4171518" d="2202" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm looking for three things: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4173720" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First, show me your </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> vision of the perfect GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4177590" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Pretend Windows doesn't exist, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and you can do anything. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4181127" d="4838" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I at least want to know what GUI utopia </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> looks like, and what to aim for. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4185965" d="3170" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This could be a mock-up, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some sketches, anything. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4189135" d="2669" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> How are we launching </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> programs, hiding them, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4191804" d="3971" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> resizing, closing, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> organizing files, whatever. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4195775" d="1168" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Let's see it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4196943" d="4638" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Show us your brilliance, and how </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the industry, especially Microsoft, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4201581" d="4438" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> should be ashamed of itself </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that it's so far behind! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4206019" d="1568" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Shame! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4207587" d="5038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Second, what's the closest </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> we can get to an ideal GUI today? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4212625" d="3871" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Windows is not going to let us </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> achieve the GUI dream. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4216496" d="1568" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That much is clear. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4218064" d="3670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But we can chip away at it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> and get a little closer, at least. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4221734" d="3637" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I do know about some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> programs as a starting point here. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4225371" d="4538" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> First off, Stardock has partially </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> cornered the market on this sort of thing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4229909" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mentioned some of their stuff already, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4231978" d="4137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but they also have Fences, which, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I don't know if that's going to be ideal, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4236115" d="2736" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'm going to want </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> those icons off the desktop, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4238851" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so this may be my only route for that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4241387" d="4505" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I've heard of Rainmeter, which I never </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> bothered learning since I had LiteStep, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4245892" d="3603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but it should be good for adding </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> my little drive space labels back. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4249495" d="1502" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Circle Dock: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4250997" d="3036" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm almost certainly </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> going to start using this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4254033" d="2369" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> even though I don't know how, yet. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4256402" d="5139" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I feel like this one in particular is </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> getting us closer to GUI evolution. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4261541" d="1435" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> You just press a button, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4262976" d="3903" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and shortcuts come up wherever </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you are to whatever you want, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4266879" d="2870" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and they're relatively </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> big and easy to click. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4269749" d="2836" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> This could maybe replace </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> my primary shortcuts, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4272585" d="1902" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> though it would be more chaotic. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4274487" d="3270" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'd like multiple wheels like </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> this for different categories. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4277757" d="2870" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, even Circle Dock </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> may not be enough for me! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4280627" d="2202" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I need Circle Dock steroids! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4282829" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Also, I'm not sure </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> how to get this working, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4285298" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="3"> and</s><s p="2"> turn it off when I'm running games. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4288167" d="3504" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Again, we're going to need some </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> equivalent of that SteelSeries software, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4291671" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where if program "X" is the active window, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4294374" d="3236" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> then disable "Y" function, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that sort of thing. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4297610" d="901" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But yeah, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4298511" d="5405" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> my stumbling intuition tells me more </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> software like StrokesPlus and Circle Dock </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4303916" d="2136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> is the path to the future. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4306052" d="3070" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We have the potential to be so slick! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4309122" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I know it's out there! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4311057" d="2336" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now there are a lot of </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> Start menu replacements, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4313393" d="3136" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'm not sure any of them let you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> bring up the menu anywhere, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4316529" d="1769" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> like LiteStep does now. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4318298" d="2035" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So I may just have to deal with it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4320333" d="1501" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So thanks, Windows. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4321834" d="1035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Thanks. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4322869" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, knowing what software </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to use is only half the battle. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4326139" d="5071" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What the best themes or configurations for </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> them are can take forever to figure out. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4331210" d="1535" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't want just options, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4332745" d="3704" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I want to know what are some of the </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> best methods for navigating the computer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4336449" d="1969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Hey, I mentioned mouse gestures. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4338418" d="1968" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What are the best combos for that? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4340386" d="4104" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, that's tricky, because anybody </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> can come up with </s><s p="3">a</s><s p="2"> system, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4344490" d="2369" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but a well thought-out </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> one that's efficient, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4346859" d="3471" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> where the most common functions </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> are the easiest and feel natural, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4350330" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and you're less inclined </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to trigger the wrong ones? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4352632" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Ugh, that's hard. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4354367" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I don't even want to think about that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4356302" d="2536" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's almost like we're </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> literally having to come up </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4358838" d="2803" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> with a martial art style for the computer. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4361641" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'll do it if I have to, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4363309" d="4004" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'd really prefer not to have to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> figure out my own half-assed style, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4367313" d="4271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and instead just learn karate </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> from some GUI Mr. Miyagi out there, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4371584" d="5973" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that would require GUI karate </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to exist, which it may or may not. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4377557" d="1434" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's the wrong year! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4378991" d="1435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We're too early! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4380426" d="3404" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, there are programs </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> like Winstep and Cairo Shell, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4383830" d="2636" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but they don't strike me </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> as GUI masterpieces, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4386466" d="1935" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so I'll probably pass on those. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4388401" d="2936" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm sure there's more stuff </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> out there I'm not familiar with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4391337" d="3437" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> It's a long, dark road </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> trying to figure all this out. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4394774" d="6139" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And hey, I'm focused on Windows, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> because, surprise, I'm part of that 96.8%, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4400913" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but if you're on Linux and </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> think you have all the answers, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4403683" d="2869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and they're not the command-line, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> then let's hear them! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4406552" d="1869" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Yeah, there's a challenge for you! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4408421" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Make Windows look bad, literally. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4411524" d="2603" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So that's what I want </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> from the GUI masters. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4414127" d="1968" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But there's one last thing I want to see </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4416095" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that you don't need to be a </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> master to help out with. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4419365" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Maybe you don't know where </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to start when designing a GUI, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4422502" d="3303" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but you do know what </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you think looks good. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4425805" d="1335" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So let's see it! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4427140" d="4170" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Let's see screenshots of your </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> favorite GUIs, they can be from anywhere. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4431310" d="3137" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Stuff that has nice color usage, patterns… </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4434447" d="4304" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, what a concept: </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> an interface that's pleasant to look at! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4438751" d="3103" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Or hey, what are the nicest </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> looking icons out there? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4441854" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> What fonts look the best? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4443923" d="4671" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> That stuff has a surprisingly </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> large impact and how a GUI feels. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4448594" d="2436" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Just what should we be imitating? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4451030" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now this is highly subjective, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4452698" d="2703" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> because different people are </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> going to like different things, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4455401" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but whatever people come up with </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4457069" d="4038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm betting will far and away </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> look better than default Windows, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4461107" d="2035" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> so you almost can't lose. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4463142" d="2469" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So, where do you submit this stuff? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4465611" d="3204" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Well, you can always email </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> me about anything in this video, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4468815" d="2602" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but I'm not looking to </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> hoard the knowledge here, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4471417" d="3270" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and I think a lot of people might </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> benefit from this being public. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4474687" d="3303" wp="40" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So I've set up a thread in my forums </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> where you can post information, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4477990" d="3904" wp="40" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and it can serve as a resource for </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> anyone else frustrated with the GUI. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4481894" d="4204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I can't be the only person who's </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> sick of Windows, that's impossible! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4486098" d="3037" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Now, I don't care if you </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> sign up for my forums or not, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4489135" d="3603" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> it's just that then I can guarantee </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> the information will stay up there. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4492738" d="3804" wp="13" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> But if you don't want to do that, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> there's also an Accursed Farms Reddit, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4496542" d="2403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> though I'm not actually in charge of that. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4498945" d="3870" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I mean, you </s><s p="3">can</s><s p="2"> try to post something </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> important in the YouTube comments </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4502815" d="1235" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> if you really want to, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4504050" d="2903" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but that's a little like </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> putting a note in a bottle at sea, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4506953" d="2435" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> and hoping it reaches the right person. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4509388" d="3204" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Oh, and before I finish, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I mentioned my email address— </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4512592" d="3003" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> what's the nicest looking email interface? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4515595" d="3303" wp="9" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> See, I can't stop, the GUI </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> pervades everything! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4518898" d="2970" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I use Gmail, which allows </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> some minimal customization </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4521868" d="2302" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> if you're not using the official themes. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4524170" d="2135" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> They have this pretty nice pixel art theme </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4526305" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> that makes me think of a bright, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> sunny day in some 8-bit racer, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4529909" d="1668" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but then it would switch to night on me </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4531577" d="2703" wp="5" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> when I didn't want it to, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> so I stopped using it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4534280" d="3937" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I love the idea of a GUI making me </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> think I'm in a nice-looking game. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4538217" d="2670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Stuff like that can make </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> you more productive. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4540887" d="4604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Is there a third-party email client </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that has really nice themes like that? </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4545491" d="3604" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> A lot of people use email, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> I'm sure plenty of them would be happy </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4549095" d="3403" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> to feel like they're in their </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> favorite game when they go through it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4552498" d="2770" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We need a good GUI for everything! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4555268" d="1668" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Everything! </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4556936" d="1201" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And that's it. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4558137" d="2069" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I hope we find answers. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4560206" d="734" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> To be honest, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4560940" d="3537" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I'm not sure we're ever gonna make it </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> to the promised land with the GUI </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4564477" d="5005" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> as long as Microsoft and Google exist, </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> but we can still try. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4569482" d="1868" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> And to end things, while making this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4571350" d="3037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I stumbled onto a quote </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> that's just too perfect: </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4574387" d="4237" p="7" wp="1" ws="1">"Man must shape his tools lest they shape him."</p><p t="4578624" d="2670" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Wow, if that isn't what this is all about. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4581294" d="2702" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> We've all been shaped a little too much. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4583996" d="1969" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> I felt kind of crazy making this, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4585965" d="4271" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> since I went on a long time about </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> something almost nobody talks about, </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4590236" d="4037" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> but there's just too many observations </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> for me to be completely crazy. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4594273" d="4038" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> So I'm only half-crazy </s><s p="1"> </s><s p="2"> at worst on this, guys. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4598311" d="1401" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> Half. </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4599712" d="1735" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> [Subtitles by Erasmus Magnus] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4601447" d="21588" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> ♪♪ </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4624036" d="13614" wp="18" ws="1"><s p="1"></s><s p="2"> [ominous music] </s><s p="1"></s></p><p t="4989" d="100" p="8" wp="41" ws="3"></p></body></timedtext>