The tricksters are at it again!

THE TRICKSTERS ARE AT IT AGAIN!

Blue Ridge Communications sent a letter reaffirming the switch to 100% digital, that they are able to increase internet speeds, blah blah blah...
Then they say they're sending 2-3 digital boxes for free* to make the switch! Yay, free stuff!

Wait... there was an asterisk... Let's read what it says in the fine print, why don't we?

Blah blah... free box is free... except you'll be charged 2 dollars per box every month... blah blah digital boxes are--
WAIT.

So they're going to CHARGE US  for the "FREE" boxes they're sending? And THEY'RE the ones who determine how many boxes are sent?

WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED THAT THEY'RE CHEATING US OUT OF MONEY AGAIN, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO GAIN FOR US?!

THIS COMPANY SHOULD BE KICKED OUT OF MY AREA, THIS IS GETTING OUT OF HAND.

Anyway, yeah. They're gonna charge us 2 dollars a box every month, and they're already going to increase their base prices...
Is there no end to this? 

Get this guy to call them up to define what 'FREE' means.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7q59ylSWns

this is my first time trying out this "on your mind" thing ...so hi!

ok now to mini vent

honest question. WHY do professional grade anythings use 100 dollar terms when you can easily use a ten cent term? when I Personally try to explane anything technical to my mother/friends I use terms everyone will understand
example is 3D Modeling and animation (which I know quite well)

the proper definition for Vertex is: "Vertices: The point of intersection between three or more edges is called a vertex (pl. vertices). Manipulation of vertices on the x, y, and z-axes (affectionately referred to as "pushing and pulling verts") is the most common technique for shaping a polygonal mesh into it's final shape in traditional modeling packages like Maya, 3Ds Max, etc. (Techniques are very, very different in sculpting applications like ZBrush or Mudbox.) "

I would never describe it like this to anyone so why is this terminology used?

if someone asked me off of the street what Vertex is in 3d modeling I would NOT tell them the wiki answer as that definition even confuses me even though I know what it is
I would say: "Vertex in a 3d model are little dots that help shape the model and have little flat paper thin "sheets" similar to paper connecting the "Vertex" dots together so it is technically a models skin/clothes... there are many programs for 3d Modeling
some are Maya3D/Blender/Zbrush and theres many more that you can get from the internet"

this definiton makes sence and helps show a mental picture to the person as to what it is and what it does

but unfourtunatly 3D modeling and animation arent the only ones doing this as I mostly see it in ALL scripting languages
I've done Python for about 5 months with 0 success for even the simplist "Hello world" sequence (can't do hello world in any Computer language)
I've tried C++ (broke my website account page by trying to customise it with a picture background)
I've tried Java (that was a few months of hell with way to many terms and broken accounts)
Ive done Ruby for longer then anything else (as Ive been trying to learn at least 1 of the computer languages for 2 years...namely RGSS3 and RGSS1) and the only thing Ive ever done right without the aid of 17 hour long youtube lectures and 87 hours of reading between a dictionary and the terminology shown in the RPG XP manuals is make a script thats litterally this

print ("Hello")

this made a popup box before the game that said hello
thats it
and it took me 4 frustrating headache inducing hours to do it

the constant battle I face Personally with all of the Languages (3D animation/Modeling/Scripting/Programming) is the exact same thing "TERMINOLOGY"
using a $100 word when a 10cent will do
I'm not sure whether I'm having these issues due to my autisum as I tend to catch on VERY quickly when I go hands on!
but with computer languages I cannot do that to learn and this is where I'm finding out my biggest flaw.... that flaw being
"my brain cannot remember huge terms if it cannot oversimplify it enough to remember it without causing excruciating pain" (also I cry from constant failures...shocked about that one...did not know I was an internal wimp even when I'm not sad)
this makes me feel overly Incompetant A.K.A useless (I specified that to show what I mean and to help others not reach for a dictionary)

so why is this done?
I asked my mother and her answer was "Ego"
when I asked her to explane she simply stated that "having Huge confusing and semi pointless over terminology is something people create to make themselves feel smarter and boosts their ego...while making newbies suffer"

now I usually take my Ma's (usually sarcastic) answers with a light grain of salt. But today her answer clicked in the right way...A HUGE realization
"the worlds getting confusing because of people trying to sound smarter then they are"
this can actually be proven as well

ever looked at an older Math book from 10 years back? and was able to guess or even understand what its trying to teach even if the book is 2 to 5 years ahead of your own level?
you can't do that with a new book
Ive tried
they over complicate the terminology and presentation to the point of insanity
CONSTANLY trying to force you to learn $100 terms when the simple $10 cent word will work better

this is mostly shown in scripting languages that Ive seen

"print"
"attr"
"scene"
"+="
"[ { ("

why not have "type" be also used if wanted? type ("hello") works just as well as print ("hello") and makes sence

"attr"? whats "attr" stand for again?...attributes?...attractions? why not just type the full word?

"scene" ok this somewhat makes sence so I'm not going to complain this time

"+=" what the H3LL is this?! "+="? is that how we ADD? why not just use a + or say "add" this is crazy!

[{( why do we use all 3? why can't we use the normal (?..I do know that Math uses { in algebra but its used in highschool and easily taught to everyone...Noone uses [ unless its an really fancy Emoji like this: [▓▓] <== I think its a blanket?

just my thoughts on Terminology and Scripting Languages
sorry if I'm a tad crude and blunt..Ive had a long bad day and my head has been hurting for 3 days trying to comprehend why I have to use a dictionary to translate the words that RPGmakerXP's RGSS scripting area in the manual uses to try and explane the fancy RGSS terms
heres the entire manual to elaborate my point and hopefully it helps other wannabe scripters learn the terms (if they have a very good dictionary on hand)

http://www.rpg-maker.fr/dl/monos/aide/xp...index.html

have a great day everyone

Siletrea Wrote:why not have "type" be also used if wanted? type ("hello") works just as well as print ("hello") and makes sence

History, Sil, it's because of historical reasons. First the people had to write documents then the first print appeared. So using print as the proper term for displaying anything on screen isn't that hard to understand once you keep its origins in mind.

Edit about Ruby...

a += 1 is the same as a = a + 1

[] is used in Arrays and Hashes and Tables. It could also be used in regular expressions or regexp.

(05-19-2016, 04:57 AM)kyonides Wrote:

Siletrea Wrote:why not have "type" be also used if wanted? type ("hello") works just as well as print ("hello") and makes sence

a += 1 is the same as a = a + 1

[] is used in Arrays and Hashes and Tables. It could also be used in regular expressions or regexp.

I'm afraid I still don't fully understand but the info about why "Print" is used is really useful thank you
(2 years recearching and trying to comprihend coding and I have no idea what arrays hashes tables or regexp is )

no tutorial has managed to explane the terminology without me needing a dictionary for each huge word ...so I can find out how to relate the word into the paragraph's phrasing

and every tutorial Ive read to date also needs a simplication with a thesaurus and dictionary

Well, I would define Array as a ruler and Hash as a dictionary and regexp as patterns. In an array you find its values, what you leave inside a slot, by their index or position. In hashes you find those values or just stuff by its key or keyword or term if compared to a dictionary, the definition would be the value.

(05-19-2016, 06:00 AM)kyonides Wrote: Well, I would define Array as a ruler and Hash as a dictionary and regexp as patterns. In an array you find its values, what you leave inside a slot, by their index or position. In hashes you find those values or just stuff by its key or keyword or term if compared to a dictionary, the definition would be the value.

thank you! I actually understood that for once!
I think thats one of the only times someones explaned a scripting thing in a way I can understand
perhaps I should try translating the manual in this manner?

Have you heard about bleep blips? You never have? Don't worry then, they seemed to be just another Canadian sweet unavailable anywhere unless somebody tells us otherwise.

Some roleplaying non sense you can only find online...

kyonides Wrote:So that's what you prefer...

Some unknown roleplayer Wrote:Yes, indeed

kyonides Wrote:Alright and how would you prefer that both characters meet for the first time?

Some unknown roleplayer Wrote:Yes.

kyonides Wrote:Eh it was an open question meaning it requires a more elaborated reply...

A day later I haven't received any reply from this unknown roleplayer and I'm not sure I really want to get any from that person ever again.

That's crazy, kyo! Hope that person realizes they're a dummy now!   

Anyway... today, I got the digital boxes from Blue Ridge Communications, and was notified about some "Changes".
Let's see what the changes are!

1 - Due to "Customer Feedback", the boxes they send to customers will NO LONGER be charged a rental fee after 2 years of use. However, if an additional box is needed by the customer, that new box WILL charge a rental fee after 2 years of usage.
^This is good. Very good. A nice thing for them to do after they earned their 1-star rating every day of the year, and felt the heat from many customers.

2 - The maximum data usage caps will be increased by 50GB. No internet speed increases yet.
^ They used the word "Yet" with the speed increases. Hopeful that they do come around to helping us out...
Also, the data usage cap increase is nice. I've come dangerously close to going over it a few times while uploading to Youtube, so the increase should help a lot!

3 - The quality of all channels will be increased, due to the switch to 100% digital. Just install the box, and it'll make things look better.
^This is actually true. VERY true. I installed the boxes, and I had 720p on every channel! I have no 1080p-capable TVs, so that's the best it can get!
Zero static on any channel, even the TV guide channel on channel 97, which was always the worst!

4 - Free Universal controller provided with every box. Just set it up, and pair the TV to your digital box with the remote, so it doesn't affect anything else.
^Also true. And the controller came with batteries!   

5 - Activation can also be done online instantly, as well as on the phone!
^I activated both boxes with literally one click. They turned on in 5 seconds, and I was actually surprised at how quick it really was!   


Congratulations, Blue Ridge Communications. You've earned yourself some good press today. 
Increase the base internet speeds a bit, and you might get a 2-star rating!
I'm happy with them today, guys. Very happy.