A Real Life Analogy + Rant

Nice post Narfi :)

 

Nice post indeed Narfi ... I love the analogy ... and I can even agree that there are those who are hateful complainers, but then there are those (like you) who give a bit of critical thinking to situations and circumstances within our universe and express opinions in hopes of getting more constructive contributions from the community in an effort to do a bit of brainstorming perhaps.

That's what I love about healthy (constructive) discussion ... people get to post their differing perspectives, and perhaps if it's good enough, and makes sense, it might even persuade others to change their minds a bit ... or a lot.

There's no denying that EU is costly, and I can absolutely appreciate the sentiments of some who feel they are being pushed out of the game as a result of ever-increasing costs to play. The bang for your buck is a helluva lot less than it used to be for sure, and I think we all know that. So ... every time something is introduced that adds yet more depletion of our ped cards, we're going to hear some (valid) moaning and groaning.

I can respect the fact that things evolve, and changes are a fact of life (virtual or otherwise), but I feel at times that the way our universe is delivered to us is not the most effective, efficient, or beneficial it could be with a bit more thinking in place, and this is where I think the community shines with representation of their own personal experiences. ;)

 

Very nice post narfi. +reps

 

You can always tell that neighbor that he can always join Sam McGee... ;)


AG

 

Nice post narfi and it sounds like you live in a fabulous area.

Thing is, while progress and change seem inevitable, it isn't always a good thing.

 

Great post and very nice comparison

Always nice to see things from a more accurate perspective...

 

It's a nice analogy, but there is a significant difference between your neighbour and people complaining in EU.

For the summary, see the end of the post (In conclusion).

EU is not in danger because of the new developments. In real life, our Earth is.

People will become skeptical about the real damage of human activity on the planet, but the smart thing to do would be to act as if it was harmful, to prevent the catastrophes scientists are predicting and have been predicting for over a century (and often the changes are more radical than predicted). Being skeptical about it is a way to protect the human mind from seeing the dark truth about its own mortality and that of the planet.

Personally I think having a decent internet connection in most areas of the world will be more of a benefit than a hindrance to us because communication is vital for humanity. It's one of the few technological advances that, in my opinion, outweighs the environmental impact it causes. I also think that other areas in which we damage the environment can be improved to have less of an impact (e.g. more and smaller eco-houses) and these can help to balance out the damage caused by the internet connections instead of adding more destruction.

This seems like a similar situation to indigenous populations taking on the typical western way of life. When you don't have all the stuff available to you but know that others do, it seems extremely tempting. However, it is clear that those populations who take on the western way always become less healthy, less active, less happy and die sooner due to stress. Now, I am aware that you are firmly rooted in the western way, but you have something very very few (less and less) people do: Peace. It sounds like a place I'd like to visit actually.

What I think your neighbour really objects to is perhaps not exactly these lines being dragged over your beautiful landscape to grant you access to faster internet, but the implications of this action. It shows that the "developmental eyes" are looking in your direction, and that is a very scary notion. What I think he is scared of is ending up in the middle of a town instead of in the middle of the woods.

I think your view on the real life part is only based on the actual lines being put in. If you have the same attitude towards even more development being carried out in your area, then I think you're a bit apathetic or passive about your standard of living, or life in general.

Your comparison between your neighbour and complainers in EU falls short in a few places I think. EU is firstly a virtual environment, created by a company (people) which takes no damage from our cars. VTOLs, boats, hovercraft or even new planets suddenly popping up. Or EVEN the dreaded Tyhon crashing into it! (Other than Hades being totally annihilated and the landscape totally changing *cough*). Real life is a slightly different story. We didn't make the earth so we don't have any say in exactly how much our actions affect it and even the knowledge of how much we really affect it is something quite obscure. We may think we have an idea about what our impact is, but really we don't have anything like a full picture. To disregard the impact of such massive scale development and pass it off as necessary or imminent is, in my mind, equal to surrender.

Feeling so powerless that you can't change anything is something like a disease. It batters the mind into submission until people become zombies, just going about their daily routine with no consideration for the world around them. That's like a state of mental paralysis. Exactly the state of paralysis that big industry loves because then their marketing and product pushing really works and that is how we got into the position we are in today.

On the other hand, Mindark (along with the Planet Partners) own the Entropia Universe and have total control over it. It is their property and we can't change the overall direction. We can change minor details such as getting more Friend List space (woohoo!) and as long as we take a constructive approach I believe they will heed our suggestions. What you disagree with is the real complainers, and here I'm totally with you. Some people are complaining about the dumbest things in EU. I think the main reason people complain about basic changes is because they're too short-sighted to see beyond their own person economy and the current moment. Also people tend to forget that Entropia was created by a company (which by definition exists to profit). Some people, because this is the internet, just feel like spreading their hate everywhere. Why? Don't ask me, I also don't understand it.

One major reason for people being more hateful and destructive is actually the very reason your neighbour is "PISSED". It's lifestyle. Urban landscapes as opposed to natural landscapes are destructive to the health, both physical and mental, of humans. There have been studies on this and it makes sense (for example "Biophilia" by Edward O. Wilson). I am studying outdoor life here in Norway and am learning about this phenomenon.

In conclusion

EU and RL are different in terms of development. Your neighbour's concerns are legitimate, but I agree that internet is a positive development. I agree about disliking the hateful comments, and maybe that's due to peoples' lifestyles/culture today?

Anyway, just my two pecs. Sorry if this was a bit long, but that's typical me.

Nice food for thought there Narfi, thanks, and I'd love to see the area you live in :)

 

Narfi, we have a common hero. :) ...and Rutan (and you) are right. There *can* be snake oil in anything.

Personally, I think AlGore the Green is peddling potions, but that's outside the scope of this conversation and I'll STFU on that now.

Frontiers are indeed always being pushed back. Humans are by nature, expansionists. However, sometimes expansionists try to expand to a place where other humans expanded first. Hence, turf wars ensue. I don't think that'll ever change, either in the real or virtual worlds.

...and your neighbor can still always go join Sam McGee. :)

PS: went to the Udvar-Hazy annex of the North American Air & Space Museum. Saw a VariEze, a Quickie, and various pieces of other Rutan designs on display. I'll have to hit the main museum soon since they now have SpaceShip One hanging by Yeager's X-1. :)

 

Meh, tell your neighbour the tower will look like this :





... then watch his head explode ;)

 

want to trade places with me once you get your fiber?

 

I have to admit I am very sceptical towards the new planets, including the latest Planet Michael. But this is not because of the change or changes in general.

I personally feel that in order for this new platform of planets to be succesfull it needs to bring something new to the table. Otherwise it's just going to be more of the same. Eventually it's up to the community to decide if these new planets can sustain themselves.

Let's face it, it's all about money. The planets partners have to put in a good deal of money and resources to get things going. And as things are now I do not see a new community picking up the tab. Ofcourse I could be way off here, maybe there are tens of thousand of ppl eager to get themselves involved in a RCE game with a theme to their liking, but honestly I doubt it.

 

Complaining is also inevitable. We all do it; some do it more in writing, others are more verbal. Then there are those who hold it all in and snap at some point, and those who aren't bothered as much by things which greatly bother others. Welcome to the human race.

 

Awesome post!! I like the analogy and think, ya there is too much complaining, but in order for change to happen, we must make some noise other wise the powers that be will think everything is status quo. :)

Change is inevitable but until we see what the results are we will never fully understand its impact. In a sense we are all just test pilots on a journey through time and space in RL and virtual!! LOL