Topics Galore - Part 2

So, here it is. The second part of an eventual epic 20-parter. A few developments have occurred for me after the last post, most notably I've got into doing a bit of drawing again. Most of which are random doodles which aren't really worth posting, but one of which I am quite pleased of. It's Manga, and therefore extremely difficult to get eyes right; however I do believe this is one of my more successful attempts.

I promise you I shall post some more once I get round to finishing them. I've already mentioned that I'm a slow drawer so it may be some time before you see another one I'm afraid. Anyway, to business! I am destined to write about 5 more Topics, taking you up to a grand total of 10 by the end of this post. So without further ado...

Topic 6 - How Flickr Did It Right

This leaves me in a little bit of a quandary, seeing as I hardly ever use Flickr. But, it is a very mainstream website and I wager most of you have come across it at least once before. Flickr is a photo and video sharing website, much like Photobucket (which I use to store random images so they can be posted on various Forums). The main difference about Flickr compared to any other hosting websites is that there is a much larger limit to storing capacity, and a larger capability to share your photos to people around the Internet. As of mid-2008 they allowed users to upload video. A function which has been copied by almost all other hosting sites since then. In regards to why they are so successful and how they "Did It Right"; it's because they always seem to be the first to come up with new functions and features, like the video upload. YouTube are only now starting to catch up with the fact that people often like to download the original video file, something that Flickr started. So yeah, go Flickr. Well that went alright seeing as I know nothing about it... NEXT!

Topic 7 - How Best To Comment On A Corporate Blog

Errmm... I'm going to change that slightly otherwise I'll just have nothing to write about.

Topic 7 - Best Way To Get A Response From A Company

Now I have something to work with, since I have actually emailed a fairly major company and got a response. Back in the day, oh about 2005 (when I was a little bit too immature for my own good and often made rather embarrassing mistakes which I still look back on and think "Why?"), I sent an email to that god-like company us gamers tend to worship: Valve. Being a novice at contacting companies, I thought I would get a response within a couple of days. I naively thought that there would be a bunch of people dedicated to answering mail, glued to the computer screen for eternity like a World of Warcraft addict. I banished the thought of even remotely getting an email from someone high up in the industry or someone worthwhile, other than a secretary. Alas time went by, a week, then two. By the start of the third I decided to email them again, but this time with a twist, and I do believe, the secret to getting a response. Spam. Spam, spam, spam. I sent an email every other day, and then after I found their fax number, I wrote my email out and faxed it to them, every three days. I became transfixed, I just wanted a reply, how hard could it be for them to sit down for a few minutes? Then they wouldn't have my spam to worry about anymore. Three weeks later, I got a reply. Not just a small, one or two sentence measly reply that seems to say "I am high and mighty, thus I do not have the time to speak to mere mortals such as yourself! Be gone with you! Desist with your spam!", oh no. I got a very well thought out, extremely kind and well written response by someone that cared. Plus the responder was someone pretty high up, which surprised me to say the least. Not only that, a week later I received a package through the post which turned out to be a gesture of thanks and good will. Terribly pleased, I sat back and beamed with joy. However, like I mentioned earlier, I soon felt a bit ashamed and slightly guilty. Spamming seems a bit immature in retrospect. But if you are desperate for results, that's the only way forward! (I shall put up a post later containing the contents of my email to Valve and my reply, because I genuinely think every gamer interested in development can gain something from some of the words within.)

Topic 8 - Way To Save A Bad Time At A Conference

Having never been in a conference, I'm going to post a few tips to save yourself from getting in a rut during a discussion or debate. They are fairly simple really, things that perhaps your parents have drilled into you (preferably not literally) during your time in high school before heading off to an exam. First up, if you have notes, rehearse speaking through them. I always had trouble reading things aloud, even more-so nowadays when I'm nervous because of that annoying sudden change in pitch mid-sentence. The last thing you want to be doing is be in a group discussion and end up shuffling through your notes, thus missing other peoples suggestions. Secondly, and this goes with notes, stay focused. Listen to every word and try to make sense of it in the grander scheme of things. You wouldn't want to get bogged down in your notes then have a question aimed at you, only to respond "Err... oh... um, could you repeat that please?". Also, if the discussion is important, make sure you have some questions lined up and take down some notes. If not, bring a voice recorder along. Be a team member by contributing to the discussion with something constructive. If any of you watch the Apprentice you would know that most people on there bicker and moan about a bad decision rather than just getting on with the job. For heaven's sake don't become one of them! Lastly, just be yourself, act naturally. Don't get too worked up about it. It'll only get you down later on. Oh how cliched that sounds...

Topic 9 - How I Find Blogging Ideas

Well, how DO you find blogging ideas. It is a tough dilemma since your mind suddenly goes blank at the most crucial moment. It reminds me of a part in the book 1984, where the main protagonist Winston Smith starts to write an illegal diary. In a day where all media and writing is state owned and there is effectively no free will, he buys a book from a shop in the dark alleyways of the city and his mind fills with things that he could write about and rushes home. However as he leans over the page ready to put pen to paper, his mind freezes. He gets irritated and feels he must put something down, just because the page is there. He ends up writing complete rubbish about being at the cinema and someone standing up in the middle of the screening. This is the problem I still have. You feel you have to write something, but fear the only thing you can talk about is events that have happened to you that very day. You don't even contemplate writing something about current events, or about some sort of recent news story. Just sort of a detailed schedule of what you've done since you got up. Mine would be very bland since I've been stuck in the house all day. So to return to the original point, I find blog ideas from either A) browsing the Internet for other blogs and see what they've written or B) something about me but relate it to a recent event in the news or locally. Well there you go... short but sweet.

Topic 10 - Somebody Has To Say It

We've all been there before, right? You're in a class full of people your own age, the teacher draws something on the board and usually the most immature person of the lot says "Huhuhu, penis...". Now there's only really a couple of lessons this can occur in; Science (classic one of drawing a test tube upside down) and Maths (graphs). This has also happened in a Geography lesson when the teacher drew a meandering river, to much snickering going on behind his back whilst he was blissfully unaware of what he had just drawn. Other than penis "jokes", the only other situation I can think of right now is the mentioning of AIDS. Ever since Team America: World Police was released in 2004, with its AIDS related song right at the beginning an' all, the mentioning of STD's in Science and other lessons always ends up with much talk of AIDS. Even in Geography, again, with the mention of Africa some people can't resist shouting out AIDS. I mean really... what the hell. I suppose I can also include for this topic, the concept of Godwin's Law. For those who are unaware, here is the main gist of the idea: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazi's or Hitler approaches 1". It's probably my favorite Internet law, since 9 times out of 10 it is so very true. How many times have you seen in YouTube comments or forum threads the long argument about America entering WW2 and the whole debate about Nazi's and Hitler? It happens all over the place. Not only that but the other topic of religion. If a religious debate opens up between an Atheist and a Christian, I'll just run in the opposite direction and throw myself into a cupboard and hide. I can't stand it because no side can ever win. It certainly doesn't help when you have friends from both sides who inevitably argue every now and again. Ah they'll never learn...

There we are, 5 more topics. 2 parts down, 18 to go. Currently I've just finished eating a bar of Dairy Milk (something which I haven't done since Easter) and I think it's now time to make a jolly old cup of tea. Until next time...

flump_3@hotmail.com

TTFN,

Matt.