Maybe one way to show how totally

insane this current strip-search policy is, would be to have some people willing to totally strip down, calmly place all of their clothes on the little conveyor belt, and just walk through the metal detector. Personally, I'm not that comfortable with public nudity, but there must be those out there who are. Of course, this may soon be the way we will be required to travel, so I shouldn't give anyone any ideas here.

nude photos, and the "pat-downs" which anywhere else would be considered illegal sexual contact.

:)

I got a great idea for a MMO format that is not really out there right now, basically been giving ideas away in postings for decades, but anyways, just because you posts an idea does not mean it is a best idea.

But on the topic of giving people ideas, I got a pretty good MMO idea. And many ideas that I know I could code into many games to help with the UI and AI, probably should get back into that industry.

Then again, the developers always grumble about the testers.

:shrug:

Hence why helps to be able to code also.

Like Everquest, DAOC, or WoW.

massively multiplayer online game



It also matches a bit the Foundation novel, where an online game caries over to it the same concepts of society, so there is an entire method of viewing society through a MMO metaphor, since the effects of all of society can be seen in simple MMOs. It really helps to distill some thoughts on society, and where many ideas of how society interacts can be seen.

For instance I learned in MMOs that the people in front of the camera are tanks and the casters in the back row are dealing out the most damage and have the least defense. Same with money players behind many groups.

That is true in society also, it is from extensive MMO thoughts, that many ideas in society can also be seen, since they are similar in construction because each has people in them, and groups with more or less control over the group, and a variety of different peer, and both goal creation for people, and attempts at goal reaching.

Even the idea of life as a journey can be seen in the way people play, how powerlevelers run out of fun fast, and those that enjoy the journey have a more funner time, even if reaching the top slower.

Many ideas in society can be learned from researching MMOs.


And Epic Armor is always better then player made, even though I always put the time in to become a master crafter. :D

mean by MMO, since it's not the initials of internet gaming.

any online game played by a large number of people together.

Massively Multiplayer Online game

They been called that for awhile.


And I don't think the world is a MMO, because there were some things that tried to get me to think that, and there is no purpose to trying to get me to think that except despair, and it was easy to break that delusion by finding a level above the level they claimed to be on, and by them not having any control over people that people themselves did not give them. So the metaphor of the world as mmo must have added protection and dignity for all people within my observations of reality. They can't make anyone do anything, especially since what you do is your intent, not your effect.


I should add something, I personally think the reason for luxury for many people in areas like entertainment and art, comedians, teachers, musicians, writers, and things like that actually makes sense and is justifiable. If you add up the total joy they add to society, or education they add, especially with technological advances of mass markets, then their consumption of things produced is far below that level compared to what they add, although there are discussions on if it is a positive or negative add, and that is part of most things.

One song or book can create joy for years for millions of people, or learning for millions. And with intent not effect being important, it changes a bit also so that unseen or unheard writers or musicians or teachers also earn that same level of reward, and from that those people have a justification to find a way to be part of the better systems. Although with intent not effect then the intent would have to be to express for better reasons and not to earn something.

Much learning in those concepts, where a historical writer has to write within rules of a system the story is set in, a SciFi writer can experiment with different rules for society or systems, and from that it creates much out of the box thinking on societal interactions and systems.

It was the foundation novel concept that led me to look at MMOs for concepts of societal interaction.

Although I also have seen it the other way, where makers of MMOs use the MMO to change how society thinks and what they do, so it is a give and take situation, where games people play also changes how they see society, as you can see society based on the structure of games.

There are some people that modify a game to maintain a cultural desire. Eve for instance pushes Capitalism hard. The last Star Trek MMO tried to change the concepts of StarTrek from better thoughts on society to war and conflict, mars was all over that game.

There was also a great exploration of cake and having to actually earn something in the Star Trek Game. People like to level fast, so the game made it easy to level, from that they gave everyone the cake they wanted without having to earn it, and people leveraged the perceived fun from other games they had played, the fun of having achieved something, into a game where it was not difficult to achieve. The game itself did not have a difficult to achieve objective of max leveled, but had the loaded macro, from other games, of that concept to make people think they were achieving it. Very interesting and how one group can take some concept built by something else and earn from it by burning it up, since once they got the battery charge from that concept, but without having any earning in it, they drained that macro in the players, the players realized they had not earned it in that game, and they thought on that concept. Really deep stuff.

After a week or so a few players had leveled, they then announced the trained concept they learned from years of work in other games that max level was an achievement, and that reward of effort in other games as having achieved something they felt for a little while. And since 'max level' meant things in other games, they used that macro for peer reward, even though it was not earned in that game. When it was seen not earned, the macro had to be thought on, and the players wondered why it was not fun for them. Those that achieved what they were told by something else was a goal, that was about some other situation, realized they really didn't achieve anything, since they did not have the experience and the memories of the action needed to reach that goal. Really interesting stuff.

The entire 'reward' system in society and what people think of as better or purpose can be distilled by many of the goals MMOs set for people, or are set by peer ideas of accomplishment. Also why medals of respect matter in most systems, and why many people honor some groups, to further the concepts those groups followed.

The entire concept of social control mechanism can also be seen in MMOs if you replace the 'rule setters' of a game with those that set cultural norms, and replace game announcements with media or propaganda. Then outside of that you can see the formation of community, the real draw to games and same with society, a sense of belonging and being part of something. Also ideas of justice and fairness can be seen to be better for society, as so many fight for those concept, and negative effects on those that do not, if exposed for it, which shows why so many have secrecy.

In Eve 'community' was replaced by Gang thought, the money first pushed goal by the game created that effect, and that fits its motif, where clans and groups formed till they were powerful, got arrogant, and then many left or went after them. Same thing in many teachings, and some of the flaws America has had in the past.


BioShock games have a heavy influence of thought and consequence in them from preliminary observation of development. Look forward to seeing their latest game.

And you can also learn alot about unbalanced societies and there end by what happens when a game is around for awhile and some factions get uber status, and it makes it to difficult for entry players, and how many game manufactures handle that. The difference is when there is no other force but the players, hence why unbalanced societies also want to suppress the supernatural, since it tries to balance society, from most teachings.



Side note, no cake, is not a comment on not having social safety net, many people work really hard on purposes besides money, like compassion with family, or other activities, and holding back money from them when they are in a tougher situation by money measures, to help them 'earn' something, is seeing the world through money first eyes.

This is a worthwhile endeavor. Would definately make it's way into the 'mainstream' media. They love streakers.

do it unless I was in shape.

And anyway, it was just a joke.

It shouldn't be some youthful looking stunt that can be confused with a cola war commercial. Let's get some nudist grandparents to pose as business people and grandmas flying to see their grandkids; average looking folks. It'll have more impact.

out to Seatac airport and have us all strip and stand in the position with arms up as if in the full body scanners and hold signs with various appropriate, enraged, signage. I couldn't get any interest on this board then and I also got a lecture about getting arrested.

I was planning on doing something exactly like that. I have no problem with public nudity and I know that with the right people notified ahead of time (thanks Wellstone Action), it would be splashy. The problem is, I'm a mother and the main breadwinner in the household, so I had to let it go. I'm going to have to leave it for someone less encumbered.

When these machines first started rolling out, I made a fuss here and it seemed like a non-issue to most. Now, suddenly, it's become the biggest issue ever!

I don't think they can bust you for indecent exposure unless you're naked. Then I'll gyrate around and ask who wants to touch my junk.

Being a big fat guy also helps.

I still think the best way to point out how wrong all this is would be to have SNL and the Wayans Brothers and several other comedians to spoof it. It needs to be lampooned until the paranoia becomes passe...not just a couple times here and there, but repeatedly for a year or more if that is what it takes...anything to snap the pro-people out of their paranoid stupor.

Things they could highlight:
1. TSA agents searching, then re-searching, then trying to come up with other ways to search a person.
2. Highlight a person who is super paranoid and A-ok with all the searching, up to and including repeated methods to searching, even helping the TSA agent come up with more ways to search them. Have them offer up their chewing gum because a bubble popped when they were chewing it. Sill shit, but it would really show how fucking stupid this paranoia is.
3. Highlight just how paranoid members of our government are about their financial interests. It's not about our safety. We all know that. It is about their financial interests...always. Nothing else matters to them. Really make total fools of them...which wouldn't be much of a stretch from reality. The only difference would be depicting them saying what we really hear when they stand in front of a camera and bullshit, like they usually do.
4. The best skit would be a TSA search that started with a younger person being searched, re-searched, then searched again and again until it shows the younger person aging until they are 90 years old and still being searched. Shit, they've long since missed the flight by 40 freaking years.

We really need that if for no other reason than to highlight the absurdity of it all and possibly make this paranoia go away forever. It certainly couldn't hurt anything. Things are only going to get worse until we find a way to fight back. I don't care how many emails or letters or phone calls we make, our government is NOT listening. They will never listen to us. We should ridicule them endlessly, give one last hurrah for the first amendment before they take that away too. You know it's bound to happen. They are whittling all the other rights away. That one is sure to be up on the chopping block in the near future at this rate.

We are fucked if we don't snap their asses out of it.