Looking back to my start as "tinythinker"

I've used tinythinker as my internet handle for a loooong time. Not all accounts using tinythinker are me anymore, but that's not a problem as you can kind of sort the ones that fit with academic themes, societal issues, sci-fi fantasy, and video games from the rest.

Originally I used a handle from a chatroom called Moe's Tavern that was taken from a book, and sometimes a character I made on a social MMO, but when I ventured into message boards I wanted something else.

The first message board I decided to try was (and still is as of this writing) called CARM. Someone there had gone with the name "Pinky" and used an image of a cartoon character of the same name for the account. I thought about using "The Brain", but I knew I might not always control my image/avatar so people might get the wrong idea. After considering it and pondering some other diminutive genius characters, I just went with tinythinker.

I knew some people would use it to mock me by interpreting it as suggesting I am stupid, but I figured, let them. Being underestimated on message boards, chats, etc. where people debate and discuss sensitive topics can be an advantage, and helping rude people self-identify is a bonus.

 

Oh hey, I still have a blog

Yup, I surely do. 

 It's funny. I started a different blog in 2005 and had no trouble writing regularly. Even got some people reading on a regular basis. It was fun. It has a theme and topic group I had fun exploring. It started slowing down and then fizzled out by 2014. Two posts there since then. So I made a couple more blogs, but I guess I just never figured out what they were about. And the writing was hit or miss. Should I hide some posts to try to make a clearer theme? Do I need a theme? 

The thing is, I like writing. I love reading and writing. I was so excited to learn more about it when I started school. There are few things I was as excited about as going to school for the first time. Though, I was disappointed that I wasn't able to learn a foreign language in elementary school. It was a big let down to find out that "language arts" was just more English.

The last four and a half years I've worked at a job that is a lot of business writing, among other thing. The few years before that was lots of part-time academic work string together. And before that was some full time academic work. So part of it is that my schedule has changed and also my mental and social environment. It's easy to skip more writing because I have waaaay less free and unscheduled time than I used to, and it's hard to decide to what to write about.

I could write about how my life is going. Or what I am reading or watching. Or video games I am playing. Or a million other things. But there was just no focus. So the flow is bad. It's all hesitation and second guessing. But I've concluded that not writing is bad for me. I've been doing a private journal, but that's not the same. It's just some hit or miss life annotations mixed with reflection and venting that isn't really meant for other people. It's to help me track and see things about myself.

There is something I wrote roughly a year ago right after seeing The Rise of Skywalker that I forgot to finish and post. I mean, that's pretty typical for me these days. So I just wrote the final few paragraphs and pushed it out.

And that's what I think I will need to do. Just blog at least one day per week and push it out.

 

The Final Skywalker Trilogy. A Few Thoughts on Star Wars as a Whole the Day After Seeing "The Rise of Skywalker"

Note: Before I even begin to write this (or you begin to read this), please note: I'm not interested in petty arguments over Star Wars. Different opinions on the quality or enjoyment of movies are bound to happen. That's normal and cool. This particular blog is rarely used and probably gets next to zero traffic (which is fine), but if this post happened to pop up in your search and you clicked here, just an FYI. Thanks.

Yesterday morning I watched the 10:30 a.m. showing of The Rise of Skywalker. Before getting into it, I offer my background with Star Wars. Not as a gatekeeper, or to prove I'm a "real fan", or any of that b.s. By all means, please skip it. It's just some context that might help explain my perspective on the final film of the Skywalker Saga.

Overview of my experience with Star Wars (Utterly Skippable)

I've enjoyed the Star Wars saga since the original trilogy of Episodes IV, V, and VI. There were critics of these films, and flaws they saw, but I see them still as flowing perfectly together as part of a coherent story. That's my particular point of view. No need to try to force that view on anyone, it's just what I see when I watch those movies. There are others who see them this way or something close to it who go a step further and idolize them. That leads to trouble.

I also enjoyed some of the initial books in the large collection of extra-movie materials that are now dubbed Legends. But those books eventually jumped a parsec of sharks on a land-speeder by trying to "be Star Wars", only MOAR. As if to keep asking, "How can we keep topping ourselves with bigger reveals, shocks, and surprises while also keeping to a very narrow idea of what make Star Wars... well, Star Wars?" What did many of these writers see as Star Wars? A tale of some evil galactic authoritarian regime with a weapon that can blow up really big things versus a plucky heroes with good aim and better luck who somehow find a way to stop the bad guys. It's as if those were the things that lead to lightning in a bottle for the original trilogy of films, so why not try to recast the same spell by duplicating what went before? Or perhaps for some it was trying to make it familiar to fans. Or maybe lack of originality? Fear of tampering too much with the recognizeable components?

The prequel films got off to a rocky start because they could never be the original trilogy, even with George Lucas at the helm. Sure, some people didn't like Jar-Jar, but Star Wars has had silly characters before. Some find a bigger accepting audience, some a smaller one. Early elementary Anakin and then teenager Anakin annoyed some fans because they didn't act mature. What a surprise. You could also blame the introduction of the concept of midichlorians. I wasn't a fan of that myself, but it's really not much in terms of an explanation. It doesn't really telling us anything new about the force, but it seems like an attempt to try to reduce the force to biology, which for some fans takes away some of its mystery. And spaces in which audiences can use there imagination and wonder are best left unknown. Yet, honestly, midichlorians are a non-answer answer, and the force is still all mysterious and weird.

Yet despite what some fans didn't like about them, the prequel films managed to make it feel like there was a group of heroes who worked together to go on their own adventures and make their own legends. And the plots were solid as were the fight scenes, etc. Sure, the core members of the group got separated at times, but the first film really put them together as a band of friends and that stuck. Moreover, despite being constrained by what we know must happen before Episode IV, it really is their story. Their time. There is no evil Empire or First Order, just a series mysteries that grow into a threat to the Republic. No Death Star. Second Death Star. Starkiller Base. Etc. And maybe that's another thing some people didn't like about them (and in this I would feel the opposite): they weren't locked into that typical pattern from the original trilogy summarized above.

Spring (2019) MMO Archair Dev Session: Elder Scrolls Online

(a.k.a. Recommendations for Elder Scrolls Online II)

Hey, it's ESO's turn. Again. Back to the land of dark anchors and skyshards, but this time also with dragons and playable necromancers. So in the middle of the five-year anniversary celebration for the launch of the game, here are a couple of potential destinations on the road ahead.

 I could just re-post this last set of suggestions, but a link will suffice. A couple of examples are moot with some changes made since then but still a nice list overall. And the last item on that list is *still* a big thing for me as it can help new players and keep the story clear/consistent. The newish zone guides are a good step to helping overwhelmed new and returning players. A good first step. On to the new(?) stuff...

Winter MMO Archair Dev Session: Final Fantasy 14

Welp, I don't think I'm in a position to give a sweeping review.

First, I still only have the crafting jobs to 16, the dps jobs to 50 (RDM is a little higher because I used it for an extended FATE event), and the two original tanking classes to 15. Only the current three healing jobs are to 70, and I'm most comfortable with WHM. I'm on and off with this game a lot, but recently became confident enough to add the roulette for expert dungeons to my repertoire. Still no extreme primals or current 8-player raids, though.

Second, I'm not at a place of having been in the game continuously so long as to see the big picture limits or downsides clearly.

Two things that do stand out to me:

   1) concerns over WHM having its identity leeched and its value overshadowed by other healer jobs

   2) old zone feeling empty and pointless

So here's the gist of what I've posted about these issues on the official forums...

On the identity/role of WHM

Current player concerns (skip down to see suggested action)

WHM is much easier to get into/more accessible. No managing cards or aetherflow or pets. That's "what it is". Unadorned and straightforward.

That's also why the lily gauge feels so tacked on by appearing so far into leveling. There *is no* WHM minigame to manage that relies on some special resource (aetherflow, pets, cards). SE seems to acknowledge that this is "what white mage is" by making lilies nice but optional and ignorable, especially for non-raiders. That keeps the "plain, simple, powerful" theme intact. Confession stacks don't even get a gauge, and outside of less forgiving content they are also nice but easily ignorable.

In adding those late extras to WHM they appear to want to avoid introducing much complexity while adding a little something extra for prog players/optimizers. People who only do non-prog content and/or play infrequently/casually can use WHM as easy-to-get-(back)-into job for healing, while the other healing jobs offer more complexity and management of resources.

I have dropped in and out of the game a lot over the past 2 1/2 year, and can say that WHM being so basic and easy to use has really helped me jump back in and given me a cushion for making mistakes and some confidence trying new content because it's easy to remember/relearn/use all the way up to the current expert roulette.

Erasing Transgender People - A Perspective from Deviance and Social Control

Note: I'm not going to be citing various sources as per some academic paper. It's been a while since I read/discussed material in that area and don't recall all the references that may have influenced my thinking. Feel free to comment if you recognize such influences. I know Stigma by Goffman and a generic reader or two with classic excerpts/articles and cross-cultural examples were involved including a piece on social landscapes. So that is the fertilizer for the mind soil in which my own perspective has developed. This isn't meant to be revolutionary or amazingly insightful, just an introduction for those not familiar with the issues discussed.

Societal Ideal and Distance from Center

This is a pretty standard idea, I think? Not sure what's "in" at that moment. But as I use it "societal control" and "distance from center", consider if society imagined an ideal person. Now it wouldn't be totally consistent or stable, but it would still be a constellation of features that hung together. This echoes some of Erving Goffman's thinking. And it need not be all of society that imagines it, but those with the most power and influence. It then spreads out to others by representation in public spaces and platforms. In the United States, this has generally been a young white somewhat wealthy Christian male who is athletic, confident, and handsome. Plus cis-gendered and heterosexual.

Now if everyone is evaluated on some level by this, even if only subconsciously, then assume for a moment that the closer you are to this ideal the more you are seen as a proper, respectable, decent person worthy of consideration and deference. If you make a mistake you are more likely to be treated kindly and given the benefit of the doubt.

The further you are from this, the more suspect you are. The harder you have to work to be seen as and maintain an appearance of being acceptable, respectable, safe, and reliable. You are more likely to be judged quickly and harshly or have your actions viewed with suspicion or disdain. The harder it is to get or restore a good reputation.

This framework makes societal privilege easier to understand. A poor, average-looking white guy with little education is not at the center of the target ideal. So he can generally expect to not be treated as well as the rich, pretty white guy with a Harvard degree. Yet a somewhat handsome black man with a degree from a state university may in some ways be considered further from the center of the ideal. Hence in some situations he may get less consideration that the poor white guy while still enjoying some advantages the poor white guy lacks.

So we don't need to pit them against each other. We can simply acknowledge that some criteria are more important for being closer to or further from the ideal, and that your cumulative distance is a decent predictor of how society will treat you. But of course it's never that simple in how people picture the situation. The black man may be painted as "having been given everything" based on the color of his skin. The poor white man may be made to resent the black man. After all why not? It's a great form of social control. People must be reminded of their place.

The Nook that could have been

Or could yet be if Barnes & Noble doesn't keep shrinking its investment in the e-reader. I like Nook. I prefer to Kindle. Any Kindle. I like that it has some limited value in an actual brick-and-mortar store. I like the layout of its digital UI, especially how books look on the screen. And yet B&N stores now hide or remove the Nook kiosk and third parties provide content services to minimize costs. The Nook could be extinct within a year or two.

What a shame.

One word sums up what I had hoped would happen with Nook -- integration.

Picturing Nook and the B&N Website/Store PoS

I've activated preference tracking for my B&N account. I have a registered Nook device and an active Nook app.

I use my account with my B&N membership to buy a product from the store's website. I add a few things to my wishlist. I walk into a store far from home and get an alert that something I've shopped for or that is on my wishlist is available in store. Or maybe it's on sale right now. Or I qualify to use my Nook device to activate a special discount.

I buy something at the store. Since I've authorized tracking on my B&N account (optional), neither my Nook device nor app tries to sell me the exact same item (unless it is consumable/something you can use up). But maybe I am offered a discount on the e-book version of a physical book I've just purchased. Especially if I've spent so much through various Barnes & Noble outlets to qualify for that perk.

Oh look, my Nook just notified me of events happening at what I've designated as "My Store". I head over a few days later for a book signing and for being a loyal member who spent money on ebooks on my Nook a notification pops up saying I qualify for a free drink in the cafe.

Just a few examples, but, right now the best you get is to sample a book for free for one our each day if you bring in your Nook. That's it. Sure you can switch books to get another hour of free reading. BUT THAT'S IT.

I mean, if you have a device, a physical store, and a website, there is soooooo much you could so to weave those together into a satisfying experience that other retailers can't touch.

Or, you know, you could just try to copy whatever passing fad is happening with handheld devices and come in at second or third place in a highly competitive market.

*shrug*