I sat at my computer and played Galatea for 40 minutes and I came up with one ending. Galatea turns to a flame, then a shadow "passing you in a cool whisper." Galatea's last words are "I am what you think I am; I am what your treatment makes of me." All I did was ask about the sparkles in her skin and my guy went off demanding answers. I didn't even do anything. I got frustrated because I lost control.
The most frustrating part was trying to find and use the correct words and phrases that my guy would understand. The commands are very selective and more selective than the other IF games we're played. At least in Zork, I could move around. Actually, it reminded me of Eliza, only I was trying tp "shrink" Galatea.
Another ending that I found, after I took a break (a long break), was that you take her off the pedestal. She comes to life "she looks more human than she has all evening. This is accomplished by kissing her lips, and showing affection. I was just compassionate, and understanding. I enjoyed this ending. It was a happy one.
The earlier IF games were just words on a screen. These words told a story and created images in the player's mind. The player was in control of their imagination. Today's society doesn't want to imagine, they want it done for them.
These games were basic puzzles and riddles. You had to travel through different rooms and tunnels. With Galatea, you need to strike up a conversation with Galatea, and try to figure her out. Even with "9:05", you're not sure what your role is. It's a riddle to figure out. When someone tells you a riddle, they don't give you pictures to go along with it, but you have to use your imagination.
When computers first came out they didn't have alot of memory. I believe they had 16k, according to Scott Adams. With memory like this, it doesn't leave room for pictures and images. He believes that "Your mind gives a much better picture than the finest artist." You don't need the fancy images to help you play the game. When you're giving a word problem, you're not given fancy images, hence the name "word" problem.
When you came to a new area or gave the command "Look", you were given a very brief description of your surrounding area. With Galatea you are told you're in a room, there's a pedestal and so on. Just a brief description, so it's up to you to add the colors and such.
Now with the visual part being simple, even the commands had to be short and direct:
"Two words! Two words! We don't let you get away with anything here. Ok, climb tree."
Even the commands use limited words such as "take, look, touch, taste, cut" and so on. The move in directions you use east, west, north, and south. Just put the word "go" in front. I'll admit that it can get frustrating trying to choose the correct word combinations to make any progress, but the computers only had limited memory. Just like the player needs to pick and choose their word combinations, so does the game creator. The creator tries to use teh combinations that they feel most people will use. Scott Adams does this, but only during the first two-thirds of creation. The last third he lets people play and then make adjustments and additions: "I'd watch how they played the game. I'd watch what they'd try to do with the items that I never thought they might try to do. [I said,] "Wow, what a good idea! I think I'll put that in the game." I literally did. So the games were written by the users."
Game creators aren't trying to drive us nuts, just take us back to more simple times. They take us back to a time before TV, and visual stimulants. A time when we used and relyed on our imaginations for entertainment.
We start out with Princess Toadstool in Mario Brothers. She is the helpless princess held against her will in a castle by a dragon, Bowzer. Mario and Luigi are sent to rescue her. This is a classic example of the helpless princess, where she is waiting to be rescued.
After the helpless princess, we move to male and female character equality. Mortal Combat is a prime example. You can either battle the computer or another player. You can choose to be either a female or male character. The male characters are known for weapon use, while female characters are known for their high flying martial arts moves. All characters, no matter what the gender, have equal skills and power engery. The females are equal to the males.
Next we move to today with the female character being the main character and kicking any guy's butt that gets in her way. She is stronger than the male characters. Tomb Raider comes to mind. Lara Croft is on a mission to save the world. Her adversaries are all males, and she comes out on top. Lara saves the world but kicks many butts and kills many guys to dos so. She can handle any weapon given to her as well as any man.
There appears to be three levels of progression of the female character, but is there really any progression?
Julie had commented on my first “Gender In Kids’ Culture.” She felt that there is more to wrestling that just steroids and implants. That it also promotes violence towards women. That women get beat for “flirting” with another wrestler. This was true.
The WWF is no longer; it is now the World Wrestling Entertainment. WWF stands for World Wild Life Federation. There was big lawsuit and the Wild Life won.
Yes there has been violence and demeaning women in wrestling, but that has come to an end for the moment. The last two situations that involved violence was other the summer and there hasn’t been any since.
The first was with Vince McMahon and his daughter, Stephanie. He didn’t want her to be co-general manager of Smackdown or even in the business. He set up an “I Quit” match with Stephanie. She had to wrestler her father and was to either win by pin-fall, or submission. Vince had to make Stephanie say, “I quit.” This match was brutal. Vince basically beat the life out of his won daughter. He had her in a submission move and wouldn’t say I quit. Stephanie eventually passed out and her mother, Linda McMahon, threw in the towel. Stephanie hasn’t been back since. Now I true wrestling fan knows that this was how they were taking her off the show so she could marry, Paul Lavask, also known as Triple H. It appears to the average viewer that this is violence towards women, but there is a reason for it.
The second one involves Scott Steiner and Test, who were “fighting” (wrestling) each other to have Stacy Keibler as their property. When Scott “owned” her, he treated her as an equal and very well. Test, when he “owned” Stacy, treated her like a slave. He had her dance for his friends. She was just meant to please him and to do as he said. This feud went on until the stakes were not only for Stacy’s services, but also Scott’s. If Scott won, he won Stacy. If Test won, he won both Scott and Stacy. And that’s what happened. This went on and they both demeaned Stacy until Mick Foley set her free. He freed both Test and Scott, although Eric Bishop hired them back that night. Stacy has been a free woman since.
If women fight men, it’s in an inter-gender match, which allows the women to beat and get revenge on men that have wronged them. Trish and Lita were being pursued by Christian and Jericho romantically. Christian and Jericho had placed a bet on who could get the girl in bed first, for a Canadian dollar. The girls found out and were given a match against the guys. Trish and Lita were excited and pounded on the guys. The girls lost, but Jericho and Christian got a good beating.
Even when a woman has been with a man for a few months and she is wronged, she gets revenge. Jamie Noble and Nidia were dating for a long time. Unfortunately, Nidia was blinded by Tajiri with his black mist. She was blinded for a month or so and Jamie took advantage of this. He would toss her in the ring and throw off his opponent. Jamie then told her that his opponent had tossed her in the ring. This went on until she got her sight back and had found out what had been going on. Nidia got a chance to get revenge at . Nidia and Jamie were to wrestle but Jamie was to be blind folded. Jamie won but only because he peeked. But he got a mean beating up to the point that he cheated.
Now the women get a chance to wrestle (beat) on the men that have wronged them. The WWE might go back to violence towards and demeaning women, but for the time being it’s pretty fair. I hope this gives a better understanding of why I didn’t feel the need to address the violence aspect with the WWE.
I wonder if interactive games like Eliza, or a Holodeck will replace the need for human contact in the future.
Eliza is an interactive psychiatrist who helps you through your problems. It analyzes your thoughts. Eliza is also something that you can argue with or just be a smart mouth with. You can let out your frustrations without hurting anyone. I pretended that I was talking with my mother when I gave Eliza a try. It doesn’t quite replace the need for human contact though. There is no voice, or picture, just printed word and a computer screen. Eliza is though a lead to the Holodeck.
As for the Holodeck, you can create your own interactive world, and interact with it, i.e. surroundings, creatures, and characters. You have “virtual” human contact, which could possibly eliminate actual physical human contact. You could live in your own world. It would be your perfect paradise.
What happens though when you’re world malfunctions? In the television series, Futurama, the characters Kif and Amy are in the Holodeck, creating their perfect life. In the last scenario, the Holodeck malfunctions, and all the scenarios are combined. Evil characters are also created by the malfunction: Gangus Khan, Mr. Hyde, and Evil Lincoln. They start to destroy the scene in the Holodeck, and get out into the ship.
With that in mind, what happens when someone is injured or dies while in the Holodeck? It will become a huge controversy. People will become divided and take sides on whether the Holodeck is a danger. If the Holodeck replaces human contact, and then becomes a danger, we lose human contact altogether. What will become of human contact in the future?
Feminists want equal rights for everyone, especially women. They want it everywhere, even in video games. Some feminists don't realize that some kind of progress is taking place.
Most female characters today are strong, powerful, and at least equal to male charatcers if not beyond. The female characters have a "kick butt" attitude, that they come through on. They carry fatal weapons, and handle them like pros, can do amazing martial arts moves. go on the same quests as males. Nikki Douglas asks "how long have we waited for this?" She sees the female character as a "representation of herself, as a women."
Now it appears that female characters are equal to males characters, well at least power wise. But feminists aren't happy. They want to change the character's appearance. Laura Croft has a small waist and large breasts, so what? She's got the power. She kicks any guy's butt who gets in her way. Helen W. Kennedy thinks that Laura is a cyberbimbo. She feels that Laura is a good character until you get to her looks and body. Since Helen found this image ,we should look at Laura differently. Someone just got creative on the Internet. Now if we saw Princess Peach like that what would Helen say? Protest her because someone got creative?
Elaind Showalter is afraid that young girls will look/see Lara Croft, and become even more obessed with their appearance. That young girls will be more and more disgusted with their own appearance and go to extremes to change their body. Well I hate to break the news, but girls are already like this and will continue to be obesses due to TV and movies. Playing Lara in a game isn't going to do as much damage as seeing Angelina Jolie represent Lara in the movie. Why do you think they picked Angelina? Because she already had the body they needed. Game characters aren't real, but the movie stars that represent them are. Angelina shows girls that it is possible for a human to have Lara's body.
Feminists not only have a problem with action/fighting games but also sport games. Beach Volley Ball has girls in bikinis, so what? That's what you see human female players wearing. Most professional female volleyball players wear two pieces. (Two pieces allow more mobility than one pieces.) Should we protest them? Some have large breast and tiny waist. This game is an image of the actual sport. Beach Volleyball is played on a beach, so you're not going to wear sweats, but a bathing suit that YOU feel comfortable in and allows to play.
Game producers are trying to sell their product, and those that are buying are hormonal men and boys: SEX SALES!!!!!!!! Female characters have breasts and great bodies. They are also powerful and get the job done.
Even with Jurassic Park: Trespasser. You don't know that you have a female character, Anne who is a scientist, until you look down and see large breasts. I don't see a problem with this. The game creators allow you to look in all directions, so if you are female and look down, you are going to see breasts. Go ahead girls, look down and tell the feminists what you see!
Male characters are also built unporportionately. They have huge pecks, arms, and have a six pack stomach. Their legs are also built well. Just like with women, they are not the norm we see in everyday life. Men usually wear sleeveless shirts, if they're even wearing a shirt at all. They are in tight pants or shorts. Men critics aren't complaining.
It is true that female characters don't all have large breasts, but they do have breasts. Princess Toadstool has breasts, although they might not be as big as Laura Croft's. Now we have a problem with how characters dress, with showing breasts? Where is it all going to end? Feminists are never going to be happy. They forget that SEX SALES!!!!!!!!!! It's nothing agaisnt women, game producers are just out to make a buck. I ask again they have breasts, so what?
I did a little survey of my own. I asked females between the ages of 18 and 26 the following:
There are two women and you have a choice to look at/see one on the beach. Both are very beautiful and are in bikinis. One weighs between 100lbs to 120lbs. The other weighs 350+lbs. Which one would you rather look at or see on the beach? Out of 22 females, 17 said the 100lb-120lb, 2 said the 350+ and 3 were neutral.
Feminist want change, well they're going to have to start with society. The females in my survey were brought up that thin and beauty are what is accepted. It's not the game makers' fault. They just create to society's standards.
Gender today is represented in many forms from sports, movies, and video games to literature, television and the Internet. One has to wonder then what we are teaching our children about gender and society. An easy example for me to examine is today World Wrestling Entertainment. The wrestlers have written books: Stone Cold Steve Austin, Lita, The Rock, and Mick Foley just to name a few. There is a CD out called WWE Originals. The WWE is a soap opera; the story line changes and so and so is mad at their partner, significant or wrestling. Wrestlers have even taken over movies, The Rock (has 2!) They also do commercials (Brock Lesner does muscle building powders). Lesner also has the most recent wrestling video game focused on him. Finally, the obivous, Television: RAW, Smackdown, Sunday Night Heat, Velocity, Confidential and so on. Wrestling goes beyond entertainment too. There are toys, ie action figures and bobble heads, clothing, ie shirts and bandanas, posters and so on.
Guys and Steroids?
Most of the male characters in the WWE are built and good-looking. They have a six pack and nice pecks. They almost never wear shirts and the pants are tight, being even if they wear pants. Most of the male wrestlers wear what looks like underwear. This also shows off their butt. My friend made a comment about how great Randy Orton’s butt looks on TV. He’s the image for playgirl: the built pretty boy. Scott Steiner has muscles wear I didn’t think it was even possible. But with him having such muscles, he gets the girl Stacy Keibler. Chris Jericho was after Trish Stratus and Christian after Lita. They do get the girls by what appears to be their looks. All the above-mentioned have amazing wrestling moves but are known for their bodies, and looks.
When one looks at Vince McMahon, there is no possible way that he could have such huge muscles. There are rumors that he has taken steroids. If a boy assumes Vince got his body from steriods, then that boy thinks that is the only way to achieve that desired body. Vince also not only has a wife, Linda McMahon, but also gets a girl on the side, Sable. This is telling our young boys that to get the girl you need to have muscles by whatever the means necessary.
Although Vince's son, Shane McMahon, doesn't have a girl hanging off him, like his father, he still has a built body. Shane is more into the wrestling part, then getting the girl.
Girls and Implants?
The guys aren’t the only ones who worry about their looks in wrestling. As I have mentioned before, the wrestlers have awesome moves. Trish has a move wear she does a handstand on the bottom ropes, puts her legs around her opponent and flips them off. This is a tricky move to pull off, but all Larry “The King” Lawler talks about is her “puppies.” All commentary is about her body. This is also true for Lita. She pulls off stunts like the guys, but isn’t acknowledged of course. These two women have gone into inter-gender matches with Jericho and Christian. Trish and Lita have proven that female wrestlers can hold their own against male wrestlers.
It is true that all the female wrestlers have had implants, even Vince’s own daughter Stephanie joined on the implant train. (Before, After) She is not only associated with a desirable body, and implants, but also power. She was co-general manager on Smackdown (until she lost an “I Quit Match” against her father. All of these divas get attention from guys: Torri Wilson from Billy Gunn; Stacy Keibler from Scott Steiner and Test; Trish from Jericho; Lita from Christian; and Stephanie from Triple H and Kurt Angle.
If you don’t believe me, look at Shaniqua. She was a new character to the WWE. Shaniqua is also a female body builder, which causes her to have small breast. During an episode of Raw, Bradshaw clotheslines Shaniqua. She was off for over a month, and when she came back she had breasts. She claimed that they were “permanently” swollen due to the hit she took from Bradshaw. We know that she got implants, and probably was encouraged by the WWE. I enjoy her excuse that they are “permanently” swollen.
What are we teaching our children?
Both men and women have it hard in today’s society. We teach our children that you have to have the looks and be build. Boys are to be handsome, and have muscles. If you have the looks and the muscles, you’ll get the girl. As for the girls, if you have the looks and the body, you’ll get the guy. Girls should have a small waist and large breasts. I believe that we are teaching our children that all beauty is superfical.
Now a "Hacker" we think of as a person who breaks security systems for diabolical reasons, and "cracker" is a saltine grain product right? Wrong!
A Cracker is someone who likes to break into your system and steal your information. However, a Hacker is someone who enjoy playing with computers. A Hacker may occasionally circumvent security measures, but this is not malicious; she just does it when the security is in her way, or because she's curious.
A Cracker is someone who is out to steal your information. These two terms are often confused due to mis-informed journalist. Journalism and the media have created a negative image for the Hacker.
There are ways to protect yourself from Crackers, but you will have to pay. Some people make careers out of being Crackers, which could be considered a life of crime. Hackers, on the other hand, can help businesses. They are especially good at Systems Administration, Programming, and Design.
Hackers aren't the bad guys, Crackers are so just cover them with cheese and don't let them get to you.
I really enjoyed reading this novel alot. One area stuck out at me though. Dorian meets an actress, Sibyl. Dorian falls for her beauty and acting ability. She's as beautiful as he is. He courts her and so on and she falls for him. Her scting becomes horrible was she realizes that there is more to life than acting: love. Dorian leaves her on unkind terms and words. The next morning he realizes that he truly does love her and must apologize quickly. Before he can apologize, he finds out that she has committed suicide during th night. Dorian is devastated.
Now I wondered if Dorian was "truly" in love with Sibly, or if it was superfical love. We are brought up with our fairytales: Cinderella, Snow White, Sleep Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and so on. We are taught that love can brind life and beauty back. Cinderella becomes a princess when her princes finds and loves her. Snow White is awakened from her magically sleep form her true love, the prince. Sleeping Beauty is the same as Wnow White. Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, turns the ugly beast into her loving beautiful prince with her love.
Now if Dorian truly was in love, wouldn't the portrait have gained some beauty? Even if he realized after being mean that he loved her, it was love and it should affect the portrait. Belle made her beast beautiful with love, so why hasn't the portrait regained some beauty? Either Dorian didn't truly love Sibly, or our fairytales tell a lie. It's nice to believe in fairytales, until reality hits.
