Frogboy Frogboy

I'm not your bro and I am going to taze you!

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I'm not your bro and I am going to taze you!

Frogblog: January 2008

from WinCustomize Forums
image The cliche "beauty in the eye of the beholder" is so overused but is so universal. A better phrase would be that value is in the eye of the beholder.

This past week, Apple updated the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Apple is charging existing users $19.95 to get some of the new features. Thus ensued a lot of bitching and moaning about the price. 

Maybe it's because I'm a sick, scummy, evil capitalist who eats babies when I'm not on here flaming web hippies but what is it with non-producers constantly asserting that other people are greedy for not working for them for free.  When I bought my iPod Touch (best purchase of 2007) I knew it didn't have email or map features. The Apple is letting me have these cool and extremely useful features for 20 bucks is great.   (here's my quick review of it)

So what if new users don't have to pay the $20. They had to wait longer. If the iPod Touch were a video game, it would be priced at half the price it launched at by now. You don't hear people screaming that they had to pay $50 for their favorite game a year ago and now it's available for $30 at Best Buy do you? 

That's one of my biggest peeves with the Internet. We now have an entire generation of web hippies that not only expect other people to work for them to be free but have the audacity to accuse those producing stuff of greed if they refuse to behave like proper slaves. 

In an age where there are fewer and fewer people making stuff (skins, software, you name it) it strikes me as extremely ironic that anyone who doesn't make stuff thinks they're in any position to be demanding others work for free for them. 

I can't make an email applet for my iPod. I'm glad Apple did. And I will happily trade $20 that I earned through my labor to those who produced it.  When I can't produce something for myself, I don't mind paying those who can produce a thing I want if it's of value to me. If it's not worth it, I don't purchase it.


Aero Executive

I see the same thing with skins too. Someone makes a cool skin and you inevitably have some people come out and crap on it. Last week on our tech partner site, Neowin, a user posted about Aero Executive (a new theme).  Within minutes, users came on and started crapping on it. Now, a wood-textured version of Aero may not be for you but it's a good skin from a design perspective.  But in the age of entitlement, the people who don't actually produce anything not only expect an unlimited right to insult those who do make stuff but become incredulous if called out for their criticism (i.e. they recognize their right to free speech but become amazingly intolerant of the right of others to defend themselves). It got so bad I had to close the thread.

So here's the deal: If you produce stuff then good for you.  If you don't produce stuff, then you are either reliant on the good will of others to produce things for you or you will have to pay evil capitalists to labor on your behalf to produce the product, good, or service you want.  And while you are free to criticize what others produce, so too are other people free to criticize you in return since, after all, criticism is a form of product too. :)

40,087 views 86 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"other people are greedy for not working for them for free."

You are SOOOOOOOOO right. Great commentary!!!!!
The same goes for Doctors! Why is it always "The rich Doctor in his Mercedes is bleeding me dry!" (lol...pun intended)? Well, when you all were out doing whatever, we sat in hot classromms and worked hard (all the way) for that title. So, since you need us, you pay.

Entitlement is a destructive proposition when not earned. This is not a socialist society. Hope it never becomes one.

And that's my two cents.
Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top
such a shame humanity doesn't seem to evolve
End of quote


De-evolving once seamed a rdiculous concept to me but as I get wiser it doesn't seem all so ridiculous anymore.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"again, your base your skills on 50,000 retards who lurk on the wincustomize site..lol"
bubbabytes comment on neowin.

This annoyed me,sorry

I think this skin is excellent,there have been very few woodgrain skins that look this good.

Also the higher you go Vstyler,more people will try to pull you down.In Australia its called tall poppy syndrome
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The same goes for Doctors! Why is it always "The rich Doctor in his Mercedes is bleeding me dry!" (lol...pun intended)? Well, when you all were out doing whatever, we sat in hot classromms and worked hard (all the way) for that title. So, since you need us, you pay.
End of quote


Sorry...but I think this is quite different in leaps and bounds. And if you don't think so...hang out with me while I go through my little journey of how I need a doctor. They need to change they're little credo from "First do no harm" to "First get paid"...and thats all I'll say about it. ;)
Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Also the higher you go Vstyler,more people will try to pull you down.
End of quote


Too many people take the "what goes up must come down" theory a little too literal.
Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Guess I missed the whole sordid tale ( and thread ) But, its not like I haven't seen it all before. The " I'm entitled to rip apart your work cause I paid my $20 dollars for a subscription routine " Kinda falls under the catagory of " I'll just downrate your work to 1 star just cos I can "

All of it has pretty much lost all effect on me.

Its easier to just not bother skinning at all.

I only downloaded Aero Executive yesterday. I thought it was pretty good. But even if I didn't like it, I'd just delete it and move on. I've bought premium skins that I deleted in 5 minutes. They just weren't ' my cup of Tea ' But it didn't mean they sucked...

There will always be those that just hate paying for anything...Im not about to whinge away over $4.00 for a skin I just didn't happen to like.

The same people will waste $20 eating at a fast food restaurant for food that is usually sub-standard at best, but God forbid they pay for technology or something on the Net.

Spoiled brats.


Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top

In Australia its called tall poppy syndrome
End of quote

That it is....;)

Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I just paid $20 for this software from Apple, and nothing happened. Nothing was downloaded at all. So I still have the same boring iPod. I'm so pissed at Apple. I hope they refund my credit card!
Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top
... such a shame humanity doesn't seem to evolve.....
End of quote


Evolving doesn't always mean a good thing! You can evolve in any direction. Unfortunately for mankind, we seem to be going in the wrong direction. ;)
Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I got suckered in by the title. :(

No tazing has occured here. I'm moving on.
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm a writer by trade, and worked for several years in the pen-and-paper game industry (D&D-style roleplaying, though I'm sure you all knew that). You would not believe how many people expect free stuff from gaming companies. Hardly a product can be announced without someone, somehow, making a case for a good portion of it to be released for free. These folks try to be clever. "It'll help new players," is the most common argument. They're lying, of course. These kinds of people are really just interested in one aspect of the game or supplement, and don't see why they should be "forced" to pay for the whole thing.
Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't for the most part let peoples negitive comments affect me. I've learned that people will say (more so on the internet) what they want ,good or bad, I look at the dl's. I have one comment on DA that states that he would bew ashamed to post this kind of skin, all I had to say was that I was sorry he felt that way, which ended all conversation. There's an olfd sayin "you can only please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the peole all of the time"  :( 
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The negative comments is why I quit making skins.
End of quote


I for one say you should start again.  Comments by a select few should never stop anything from doing something they enjoy.

:)


Reply #39 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Applause, applause for your stand FrogBoy. I'm going to paraphrase from Leo the Lions post #21..."I enjoy Neowin but you don't have to be a brain surgeon to see that that they have more than their fair share of.........let's be polite and not sink to their level.....'young' followers........Just look at some of the XP/Vista/Mac threads to watch 'civil war' in action.........."

We all see the commercials saying that 40 is the new 30 and 30 is the new 20. Well it must follow that 20 is the new 10. Besides, these age group shifts are just excuses why these 30 and 40 year olds are still living at home and mooching off mom and dad. Rude negative comments are just showing their level of maturity if not their age. If you don't like it don't use it, if you find problems with a work then let the author know. Otherwise shut-up and let the people who seriously want to learn use the forums to do just that. End of my rant.
Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top
it's unfortunate that Alpha Tellurian quit skinning because of negetive comments.
End of quote


I agree! I really enjoyed it. It was a great way to pass time and I got allot of satisfaction out of it. But, every time I released something it was trounced before it could even get started. It was usually the same people, usually ones that had never made an attempt at contributing. I now make Windows Mobile Home Screens (when I'm not playing slave to my employer). The community seems more appreciative.

It's sad to see people put so much time into something only to have others berate it. I've seen quite a few skinners come and go just because of this topic alone. Not to mention the untold hours spent trying to put something decent together.
Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Brad, I congratulate you on your well written comments and totally agree with you on this one! I haven't visited Neowin in ages for the very reasons mentioned here, I do not think they provide anything to the skinning community at all. Nothing but a bunch of bratty children, period! All they do is whine and complain and waste other peoples time with their nonsense. The skinning community does not need Neowin at all in my opinion, someone should just shut it down, it's a waste of bandwidth.
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK, so the original post has two different issues here. The second one, that people shouldn't just crap on people's work, is valid. Constructive criticism is good, destructive is bad, etc, etc.

But I don't see how Apple customers complaining about having to pay $20 for a software upgrade fits into that mold. The difference is that Apple had to do no work to get these apps for the iPod touch, because they were already in the iPhone which is the same device but with a cell radio.

It's not being an web hippie with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement to say "You hit copy and paste, and you seriously want me to pay $20 for that?"
Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Now that I'm caught up reading forums ...and the Neowin thread.

While I hate treads being locked, I'm surprized you didn't lock it sooner.
By page 3 I was bored to death reading the same silly comments.
Im hoping the age bracket at Neowin is under 16 - the comments sure sounded like children.

Moving right along ..
Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The difference is that Apple had to do no work to get these apps for the iPod touch, because they were already in the iPhone
End of quote


Not true. The new map feature is based a triangulation of wifi site becons using the technology of two companies, Google and Skyhook Wireless and apple writes the front end software. This was not in the iPhone previously. There is an iPhone update that adds this new feature.

With thee addition of email as well, they have also made the device a lot more than an iPod. There is a great value added here.
Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yeah....I just went and read that thread and all I can say is...Wow!...that was the most pointless thread I've ever read and I'm glad it never gets to that point here on this site...but what do I know...I guess I'm one of the 50,000 retards. :LOL:
Reply #46 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I guess I'm one of the 50,000 retards.
End of quote
I now have an excuse for my typos!!!
Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
:LOL:
Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I am a proud retard! :d
Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As they say 'the beat goes on'.......After reading the Aero thread on Neowin I saw that another thread/poll had been started (and now locked) about a free version of Windowblinds. If you are interested heres a link WWW Link. Good to see ID and Zu in there but I just got to take my hat off to Neil for his post. Well said, Neil.  :) 
Reply #50 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Did you expect no less?

With more and more of the masses being able to simply plug in a PC and blather their baloney all over the net. It was inevitable the trolling,instant gratification,gimme everything for free or we will steal it,trash talking members of society would wander in. Spouting their anti everything brain washed mentaility,as it is told to them by mass media.

Sad part is the majority follow subpop culture and believe that theft,abuse,greed makes them rebels,when actually it makes them mindless sheep. Why? For following the medias version of cool....Hollywood is playing them like suckers.. Mean while the followers go to jail,or worse, and the moguls orchestrating the whole culture go back to their Multi million $$ mansions and could gave a care less...


Just this Retards 2 cents worth..


Bravo Brad, your post was spot on.. :)