samspeer

It doesn't take a computer hacker with special apps to steal music. Anyone who runs Windows can steal music, even if you are streaming, encoding, using special file types, whatever. I know that many individuals use special flash programs to stream music, but it still isn't safe, and here's why: Many improfessional streaming programs acutally download the song to 'stream' it. Many of you are web-savvies, but for those of you who are not, there is a directory in Windows called "Temporary Internet Files." Now, the best streaming programs don't use that folder, but some so-called streamers actually download the file to the listener's Temp folder before playing it. Anyone who knows this can copy the file out of the Temp folder and keep it forever. Okay, so I still don't have the real programmers fooled. If you get a good streaming program, then there's no trouble, right? Wrong. Did you know that anything played through the speakers can be recorded and saved by basic Window's utilities? That's right. Even with 'professional' streaming programs, anyone with Windows Volume Control and Windows Sound Recorder can record from their sound card. I'm not going through the motions here, but I'm sure if you Google it, you can find all the tutorials you need. The listener can then save a lossless .wav file and convert it to .mp3, .aif, .wma, or WHATEVER file type they wish. Your audio files are NOT safe online. No matter what. Anyone who takes the time to learn can steal your music. So be smart with your music.

The thing to remember about Psychology is that it is an inexact science that attempts to define the truth about humanity. Now, don't get me wrong, I respect the opinions of many veritable psychologists, and many individuals actually know what they're talking about. Here's the problem, not every psychologist is veritable, and many are simply looking for things that are profitable. These tests can be entertaining and even intriguing, but sometimes personality tests are about as accurate as the "What Disney Character Are You?" test in Disneyland. Enjoy them, share them, but don't ever shell out the big bucks for something that isn't credited. On the other hand, some tests that you may like to consider are the Hartman Color Code test and the Holland Code test. Both are longstanding and have been improving for many years. And both can be found online for free. Just use your judgement when browsing online (because virtually anybody can put a website on the internet!)

I see that several individuals have put in different opinions on Mark Overmars' Game Maker (found at https://www.yoyogames.com/). I will admit, for diehard programmers, Game Maker isn't the best tool. But for the average guy who wants to have a little fun in their spare time, it is perfect.Game Maker and the Game Maker Language is an event-based scripting language, which basically means WHEN this happens, DO this. It makes games really simple, because most games have to do with what happens when two baddies touch, or when your knife goes in the other guy's armor.I would highly suggest a review of Game Maker if you are looking to make computer games for fun. The free install comes with all kinds of tutorials and helps, and if you pay the extra 20 bucks, you can do more with three-dimensions and particle programming. A great tool.

You know, I find this thread very intriguing. Are you asking whether in this day in age, people can live without these things, or are you asking specifically about avid gamers? I have lived a sad life, with no game consoles ever. And I can attest to you that they aren't everything. In fact, they aren't anything. You cannot accomplish any good with them. Your fellow human beings are never bettered by their use. I'll concede that it's fun-- I've used them, for goodness sake! -- but never essential, and never worth wasting away a lifetime on. If we have been called here to this Earth, whatever your belief, have we no better work to do than to build each other up and make everybody's life better, rather than just our own?

I recently noticed that there is a thread about the Halo books. Perhaps you find these books interesting to read-- that they add a fun element to the game. But if you really like the game, then I submit to you that there are better books to read. You see, the game designers of Halo were sci-fi fans. The original Halo (and its offspring) was quite obviously based off of two sci-fi classics. These books are Ringworld, by Larry Niven, and Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. Ringworld won the 1970 Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. Larry Niven imagined a ring-shaped world that was the size of Earth's orbit, as a solution to population overcrowding. Starship Troopers is a little bit older. With its first printing back in '59, Troopers is more of a narrative exploring true nationalism, inner workings of governments, and how society evolves. All the while, the story is going on. If you have seen the awful 1997 movie, read the book, you'll feel better. If you haven't, read it anyway; it exhibits a certain thread of exploring your true self.

Now, don't get me wrong-- I agree with you. Seeing a film version of one of your favorite books can be extremely irritating. The fact is, that films and novels come from completely different worlds. For example: when you write a play, you use the strength of the play-- dialogue. When you write a book, you use the strength of the book-- description. But when you write a screenplay, you write to your strength, and that is action. When a film student is taught how to write a movie, they are often given specific parameters that will help them write a "seat of the pants" movie. Most books are, let's face it, not so much thrilling as enthralling. Film authors have to take the book and make it as exciting to watch as it was to read. To do this, they have to cut massive sections out and rewrite whole characters. They have to foreshadow things differently, and present the book in a different medium. Next to zero films give a perfect imitation of the book. Now, as for the above quote. dwolters, I see your point. But I beg to differ. That awful process of changing book to film is usually detrimental, especially to one who has read the book. But there is one movie that was better than the book. Christmas with the Kranks. Sorry, John Grisham, but Skipping Christmas sucked. And the movie they made out of it didn't. Really.