Tubivores

Neologisms, get your neologisms here

Me:  I guess those videos I uploaded for our site are pretty popular, because a lot of people are subscribing to our YouTube channel now.  We should upload more for them to see.

S (My company’s webmaster):  81 subscribers!  And we didn’t ask them to subscribe, or tell them how.

Me:  They must just be people who are into YouTube.  Tubivores?

S:  Did you just make that up?  I’m using that.

I did, and Google reveals that two other people have used the word.  One of them is the title of a deviantART image that features tubes, and the other is a username.  There is also, apparently, a robot named “The Tubavore”.

So, I hereby claim “Tubivore” meaning a person who is a power user on YouTube:  one who views videos, maybe uploads them, and knows how to search and subscribe to videos and channels of interest.

This one has got to have more legs than “Racoomba“.

Carousel Begins

Run, runner!

Lastday: Leo 14s, Year of the City 1978.

Braid

You go back, Jack, do it again

If you pay attention to “gaming news” at all, you probably already know about Braid.[1]  And, if you’ve heard about Braid, you’ve also heard this:

Braid is a very important game, and everyone should be playing it.

I’m not sure what that means[2], but here’s what I do know.  I started playing Braid with my wife - I handled the gameplay, and we brainstormed over the puzzles - and it was really cool.  I even had a dream that featured one of the more mind-bending time effects.  Then, as family and friends converged onto our couch for a weekend celebration, I showed it off to them, and instead of dismissing it as a shiny toy, most of them jumped in and joined the brainstorm.

So, I guess it’s a party game for brainiacs?  As long as you have one platform-enabled thumbster among you?  Could be.  $15 isn’t much to spend to entertain a room full of people.  ($20, if you add in the cost of a bottle of Advil for the ones that get a migraine.)

If you care for an overview of what makes Braid work so well, I’ve described some of what I noticed after the break.  Spoiler danger: low.

Continue reading ‘Braid’

  1. I won’t get into a lot of detail about it for that very reason, but you can check out Giant Bomb’s video review (WARNING: The “S” word is used) if you need some background. []
  2. Especially since it’s only out on XBLA right now!  PC to come later, though. []

Endless Ocean

Now showing on the main screen in the Pikaplex:  my wife scuba dives on the Wii, and makes friends with all the fish. No, really.  She pets them, and they start following her around.  There are also sharks around, but this being a family-friendly game, it seems like the extent of the danger is that they don’t want you to pet them.

If you have a Wii (and a wife?) you might consider giving this a try.

Meanwhile, I’m reading the manual for Monster Hunter Freedom 2 on the PSP, and wondering where a handheld game gets off being so complicated.

:3 emoticon

IT Admin Locks up San Francisco’s Network

A friend shared this in Google Reader today: PC World - Business Center: IT Admin Locks up San Francisco’s Network.  She commented: “I’m a bit surprised that this isn’t more common. Who wouldn’t want to arrest the BOFH?”

Wow… I hope I’m not in the minority here, but I’m surprised it happened at all.  IT workers are professionals, and from where I’m standing, professionals take our jobs seriously.[1]

Sure, I laugh at the stereotypes, too, but the BOFH is just a fantasy villain!  If you can’t trust a professional, something is wrong.  Your IT guy may know a lot of things that not everyone knows, and may have access to a lot of things that not everyone does - but so do your auto mechanic, your architect, your building’s electrician, and your doctor.[2]

(And no, friend, I don’t take offense at your comment.  I just wanted to give a counterpoint.)

  1. That goes for individuals and groups as well.  Where was his manager in all this?  Why didn’t someone in his department intervene?  What is their contingency plan? []
  2. Your IT guy may also act a little weird, but you probably think that about your mechanic, too. []