Sunday, July 28, 2013
"How to Internet" by My Mom
So my mother decides she wants to order a replacement light for her makeup mirror. It's a special size and shape so she has no choice but to use the internet to find one. That was her first mistake...
My mom finds one on Amazon, but she doesn't want to use my account (finally!) so she has to make her own account. I guess, according to her, I was supposed to show her how, but she never remembers when I'm over to visit.
Anyway, she brings the computer into the kitchen while I'm finishing dinner and tells me how it won't let her make a new account. I find this hard to believe, but I ask her to explain. She claims that every time she tries to make a new account, it gives her my account and all these messages that her email is already tied to an account. Well, that gets me wondering if her email was somehow tied to my account from back when I was under 18.
I ask her to click the "create account" link. She clicks it and everything works fine. She's able to create her new account. "But it didn't do that when you weren't here!" she cries. It took me a minute but I realized what had been happening earlier is that the browser was auto-filling in my email address when she was undoubtedly clicking the "log in" button instead.
OK, so now she has an account. She's all set, right? Ha. Ha ha. HAHAHAHAHA.
The light is already saved in her cart so she proceeds to checkout. She's laboring painfully on the payment page. I start to pace and peek over her shoulder, to ensure she doesn't do something stupid like send a million dollars to a Nigerian scam artist.
"I'm not stupid." Oh? "The reason I go so slow is not because I don't know what I'm doing but because I can't see." She's totally wearing her glasses FYI. "When you get old you just can't see these little things." Uh huh...
I squint a little at the computer screen. "Mom, your name isn't 'Vias'."
Seriously... "The 'name on card' isn't Visa either. It's YOUR name. You type your name there." So much for not being able to see.
We finally get through the payment and she gets to the receipt screen. She proceeds to bookmark it. "Mom, what are you doing?"
"I'm bookmarking this page in case I don't get the email."
"Mom, those expire after a while. Why don't you just print the page?"
"No, it's never expired for me before. I don't want to print it."
"Fine...................... Well, why don't you just open a new tab and see if you've gotten the email yet?"
"Huh?"
"Click the plus sign! It opens a new tab in your browser. You can check your email WHILE keeping this receipt page up!" I'm close to hyperventilating at this point... trust me, reading a typed out version does not do justice to the actual experience of dealing with my mother.
"I didn't know you could do that." Of course not.
So we go into her email and she starts bitching about all the spam emails she gets from various online shopping sites. I can sympathize. I've had to unsubscribe from a lot of companies I really like because I just can't keep up with the volume of useless emails they send me. So I suggest that she lets me help her unsubscribe from their email lists.
"No. I want to order from them someday."
"Mom... you don't need to be on their mailing list to order from their website. Just let me unsubscribe you!"
She proceeds to delete the email and gets all flustered. "No no. I don't want you to touch anything. I have my reasons." Which I'm pretty sure is code for 'I don't know what the fuck I'm doing.'
Once again I have lost the battle of the internet to mom.
My mom finds one on Amazon, but she doesn't want to use my account (finally!) so she has to make her own account. I guess, according to her, I was supposed to show her how, but she never remembers when I'm over to visit.
Anyway, she brings the computer into the kitchen while I'm finishing dinner and tells me how it won't let her make a new account. I find this hard to believe, but I ask her to explain. She claims that every time she tries to make a new account, it gives her my account and all these messages that her email is already tied to an account. Well, that gets me wondering if her email was somehow tied to my account from back when I was under 18.
I ask her to click the "create account" link. She clicks it and everything works fine. She's able to create her new account. "But it didn't do that when you weren't here!" she cries. It took me a minute but I realized what had been happening earlier is that the browser was auto-filling in my email address when she was undoubtedly clicking the "log in" button instead.
OK, so now she has an account. She's all set, right? Ha. Ha ha. HAHAHAHAHA.
The light is already saved in her cart so she proceeds to checkout. She's laboring painfully on the payment page. I start to pace and peek over her shoulder, to ensure she doesn't do something stupid like send a million dollars to a Nigerian scam artist.
"I'm not stupid." Oh? "The reason I go so slow is not because I don't know what I'm doing but because I can't see." She's totally wearing her glasses FYI. "When you get old you just can't see these little things." Uh huh...
I squint a little at the computer screen. "Mom, your name isn't 'Vias'."
Seriously... "The 'name on card' isn't Visa either. It's YOUR name. You type your name there." So much for not being able to see.
We finally get through the payment and she gets to the receipt screen. She proceeds to bookmark it. "Mom, what are you doing?"
"I'm bookmarking this page in case I don't get the email."
"Mom, those expire after a while. Why don't you just print the page?"
"No, it's never expired for me before. I don't want to print it."
"Fine...................... Well, why don't you just open a new tab and see if you've gotten the email yet?"
"Huh?"
"Click the plus sign! It opens a new tab in your browser. You can check your email WHILE keeping this receipt page up!" I'm close to hyperventilating at this point... trust me, reading a typed out version does not do justice to the actual experience of dealing with my mother.
"I didn't know you could do that." Of course not.
So we go into her email and she starts bitching about all the spam emails she gets from various online shopping sites. I can sympathize. I've had to unsubscribe from a lot of companies I really like because I just can't keep up with the volume of useless emails they send me. So I suggest that she lets me help her unsubscribe from their email lists.
"No. I want to order from them someday."
"Mom... you don't need to be on their mailing list to order from their website. Just let me unsubscribe you!"
She proceeds to delete the email and gets all flustered. "No no. I don't want you to touch anything. I have my reasons." Which I'm pretty sure is code for 'I don't know what the fuck I'm doing.'
Once again I have lost the battle of the internet to mom.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
boredom
So I'm all like "Yeah! I need to follow all my friends on Pinterest!"
*looks at friends' Pinterest boards*
"Nope. I'm good."
*looks at friends' Pinterest boards*
"Nope. I'm good."
Sunday, July 14, 2013
I'm a girl and I will pwn your ass
Between the Trayvon Martin case's verdict, Cory Monteith's death, and Kyle Massey's cancer scare (don't worry, it turns out it's not true!), last night and this morning have been hell on my emotions. So given that I'm already on high alert, I've been very hard not to get aggressive in online debates.
But it's sooooooo tempting!
Normally I don't leave comments on public groups. It's a policy that's served me well. Why do I occasionally decide to break that policy? Why? (But to be honest, the conversations with my friends right now are certainly more taxing.) And of course it's regarding a charged topic for me (even if it's not charged for other people). Everyone's being really nice and polite so i feel like an uncouth bitch for feeling so aggressive internally... but my emotions aren't completely without reason either.
It's a feminist topic in a female-specific space, but men are still allowed to post there, provided that they follow the rules. I had just seen one of the men make a sexualized comment on a woman's avatar earlier today which really irked me. She laughed it off and seemed not to mind the attention, which is her prerogative, but there are more appropriate places for that interaction. I thought this was a safe space, and that interaction made me feel like it's not. Yes, this is slightly off-topic, but I bring it up to further illustrate my frame of mind.
So we get onto a topic of female representation in the gaming community and it's really interesting. There's a lot of statistics flying around fast and loose. I bring forth some actual statistics from official sources and link them like a good little academic. One of the other women posits a hypothesis based on the statistics that people have presented, but then one of the men responds that he thinks she's being overly optimistic. The basis for his inference rests on a statistic regarding social gaming. Without having any links for reference, I strongly disagreed with what I interpreted to be his definition of social gaming: ie, games on social networking sites and smartphones. From what I've read, social gaming refers to games that have a social aspect. So while it does include Farmville and other cooperative games on social networking sites, it also includes MMORPGS and shooters that allow you to cooperate or compete with people around the world. It really doesn't matter how any of us personally feels that social gaming should be defined in this situation. The only thing that matters is what was meant by the statistics being used to justify further conclusions. There was also nothing in the statistics I presented that indicated someone who plays a social networking game wouldn't also play on another gaming platform (have I played Facebook games while waiting for the boat or a long-ass flight path? You better believe I'm guilty). So while I still feel a little unsure of what exactly he believes without quizzing him, I felt he was implying that the majority of female gamers were just Candy Crush Saga players skewing the statistics.
The overall point that 30 year old women were a larger demographic than teenage boys currently (from the ESA stats I posted) and thus it would be advisable for the gaming industry to pay attention to their wants as they had more income at their disposal was fine. I just don't care for the idea that the majority want Farmville 3. Honestly, writing this blog has calmed me down quite a bit. But there's still this lingering feeling that the responses had a tone of "mansplaining" to them, which it what initially got under my skin... and it was only furthered by other people derailing the conversation before I could get this guy to clarify his position and cite his sources. So yeah, calmer now but still frustrated.
The other thing that seriously frustrated me today is the amount of women who will chime in and say they have never been harassed while playing video games (without further commentary in support of those who have been harassed). Good for you. You've probably never been raped either that but doesn't mean it's not still a real problem. That doesn't mean that it's appropriate for you to chime in with "I've never been raped" whenever a discussion on the topic occurs. You're derailing a serious issue and undermining efforts to bring it to the forefront of the public's attention. Are you looking for brownie points from someone? Because you're not getting them from me.
Harassment in online gaming is a serious issue. The details may change from year to year, but it hasn't been wiped out. You may never personally experience it, but there are those who have, who've had their gaming experience ruined, and even been made to feel unsafe in some cases. Honestly, there's a lot less "OMG You're a girl!" bullshit these days than back during vanilla WoW, but stereotypes about healers vs tanks, noobs, and general sexual harassment still persist. I play video games to relax and have fun. I don't want to feel stressed out and on guard like I would at some shady dudebro bar (which you'd have to drag me to kicking and screaming). I purposely avoid places that cater to those kind of guys, which is easy since those activities don't interest me. But gaming is in my goddamn blood. I won't relinquish my game worlds to a bunch of overgrown manchild fedoras. This is my space too, and I won't give it up without a fight.
But it's sooooooo tempting!
Normally I don't leave comments on public groups. It's a policy that's served me well. Why do I occasionally decide to break that policy? Why? (But to be honest, the conversations with my friends right now are certainly more taxing.) And of course it's regarding a charged topic for me (even if it's not charged for other people). Everyone's being really nice and polite so i feel like an uncouth bitch for feeling so aggressive internally... but my emotions aren't completely without reason either.
It's a feminist topic in a female-specific space, but men are still allowed to post there, provided that they follow the rules. I had just seen one of the men make a sexualized comment on a woman's avatar earlier today which really irked me. She laughed it off and seemed not to mind the attention, which is her prerogative, but there are more appropriate places for that interaction. I thought this was a safe space, and that interaction made me feel like it's not. Yes, this is slightly off-topic, but I bring it up to further illustrate my frame of mind.
So we get onto a topic of female representation in the gaming community and it's really interesting. There's a lot of statistics flying around fast and loose. I bring forth some actual statistics from official sources and link them like a good little academic. One of the other women posits a hypothesis based on the statistics that people have presented, but then one of the men responds that he thinks she's being overly optimistic. The basis for his inference rests on a statistic regarding social gaming. Without having any links for reference, I strongly disagreed with what I interpreted to be his definition of social gaming: ie, games on social networking sites and smartphones. From what I've read, social gaming refers to games that have a social aspect. So while it does include Farmville and other cooperative games on social networking sites, it also includes MMORPGS and shooters that allow you to cooperate or compete with people around the world. It really doesn't matter how any of us personally feels that social gaming should be defined in this situation. The only thing that matters is what was meant by the statistics being used to justify further conclusions. There was also nothing in the statistics I presented that indicated someone who plays a social networking game wouldn't also play on another gaming platform (have I played Facebook games while waiting for the boat or a long-ass flight path? You better believe I'm guilty). So while I still feel a little unsure of what exactly he believes without quizzing him, I felt he was implying that the majority of female gamers were just Candy Crush Saga players skewing the statistics.
The overall point that 30 year old women were a larger demographic than teenage boys currently (from the ESA stats I posted) and thus it would be advisable for the gaming industry to pay attention to their wants as they had more income at their disposal was fine. I just don't care for the idea that the majority want Farmville 3. Honestly, writing this blog has calmed me down quite a bit. But there's still this lingering feeling that the responses had a tone of "mansplaining" to them, which it what initially got under my skin... and it was only furthered by other people derailing the conversation before I could get this guy to clarify his position and cite his sources. So yeah, calmer now but still frustrated.
The other thing that seriously frustrated me today is the amount of women who will chime in and say they have never been harassed while playing video games (without further commentary in support of those who have been harassed). Good for you. You've probably never been raped either that but doesn't mean it's not still a real problem. That doesn't mean that it's appropriate for you to chime in with "I've never been raped" whenever a discussion on the topic occurs. You're derailing a serious issue and undermining efforts to bring it to the forefront of the public's attention. Are you looking for brownie points from someone? Because you're not getting them from me.
Harassment in online gaming is a serious issue. The details may change from year to year, but it hasn't been wiped out. You may never personally experience it, but there are those who have, who've had their gaming experience ruined, and even been made to feel unsafe in some cases. Honestly, there's a lot less "OMG You're a girl!" bullshit these days than back during vanilla WoW, but stereotypes about healers vs tanks, noobs, and general sexual harassment still persist. I play video games to relax and have fun. I don't want to feel stressed out and on guard like I would at some shady dudebro bar (which you'd have to drag me to kicking and screaming). I purposely avoid places that cater to those kind of guys, which is easy since those activities don't interest me. But gaming is in my goddamn blood. I won't relinquish my game worlds to a bunch of overgrown manchild fedoras. This is my space too, and I won't give it up without a fight.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Done.
George Zimmerman Found Not Guilty In Shooting Death of Trayvon Martin
I'm so upset right now. How in the fuck did the jury come to that conclusion?
I ask that partially in all seriousness because I am by no means an expert on Florida law, but also as a rhetorical because I seriously cannot conceive how George Zimmerman did not get charged with manslaughter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperfect_self-defense
http://www.naacp.org/page/s/doj-civil-rights-petition?utm_medium=email&utm_source=NAACP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin
http://www.amsterdamnews.com/news/national/fight-continues-for-retrial-for-florida-s-marissa-alexander-in/article_f843ae58-d436-11e2-a5a8-001a4bcf887a.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/14/1223449/-Armchair-Quarterbacking-the-Zimmerman-Trial-Where-did-the-Prosecution-Go-Wrong#
[update - 7/14/13]
I'm so upset right now. How in the fuck did the jury come to that conclusion?
I ask that partially in all seriousness because I am by no means an expert on Florida law, but also as a rhetorical because I seriously cannot conceive how George Zimmerman did not get charged with manslaughter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperfect_self-defense
http://www.naacp.org/page/s/doj-civil-rights-petition?utm_medium=email&utm_source=NAACP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin
http://www.amsterdamnews.com/news/national/fight-continues-for-retrial-for-florida-s-marissa-alexander-in/article_f843ae58-d436-11e2-a5a8-001a4bcf887a.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/14/1223449/-Armchair-Quarterbacking-the-Zimmerman-Trial-Where-did-the-Prosecution-Go-Wrong#
[update - 7/14/13]
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
The State of Something
I believe that the church made suicide a sin because if they hadn't then what would stop people from taking a shortcut to a happier (after)life. As Thomas Hobbes put it, life in the state of nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." But it's really not any better under the social contract either, at least for most of us.
I'm an atheist.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Freedom and Equality, Fuck Yeah!
I can't think of a more utterly appropriate song for right now than The Distillers' "Seneca Falls."
While you're out there celebrating the birth of this nation (if you're American), I hope you take a moment in the midst of your drunken patriotism to remember that the fight for freedom and equality is not yet over.
For more delicious history, head on over to Meg's blog and get yourself educated with today's delightful entry:
Feminism, Equal Rights, and insulting the past when you say you’re not one: A Historical Perspective
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