Dark Helmet 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Pakistan Bravely Fights Back Against Fictitious Plot In Video Game

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 30 Jan, 2013 @ 09:44am

    Re: People of Pakistan have suffered enough humiliation from your American companies.

    "People of Pakistan have suffered enough humiliation from American companies. We are enemies in your games. The prophet Muhammad(PBUH)ridiculed in your media and your internet. We do no have to tolerate your disrespect."

    A couple of questions:

    1. How is one small sect of a nation's federal police force being portrayed as an enemy in a fictional game qualify as "humiliation"? I would suggest that it in fact does not.

    2. You are not enemies in all, or even most of our games. Your hyperbole will win you no converts.

    3. "The prophet Muhammad(PBUH)ridiculed in your media and your internet." Now this is just silly. America has bent over backwards to be as inoffensive as possible to your religion in particular, despite what that says about us as a free speaking nation. Your religion's intolerance for free speech in non-Muslim world's however, has some rather unfortunate trouble spots in its history. For example, see Salmon Rushdie. That said, it would be inappropriate to paint the entire religion with that extremist bunch, so I suggest you not do likewise with us if you want there to be tolerance between us.

    4. "We do no have to tolerate your disrespect." Of course you don't. But I don't have to tolerate your intolerance, either. That's how this whole free speech thing works. If your ideas had merit, they wouldn't need boycotts and censorship to find a foothold. Sadly....

  • On the post: Richard Marx And How Not To Act In The Internet Era

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 30 Jan, 2013 @ 08:59am

    Re: Re: Richard Marx?? Never heard of him.

    "Pride in not knowing anything that happened before one's birth is a trait I have always found perplexing."

    Pride? When did I say anything about being proud? I've just never heard of the guy, is all....

  • On the post: Richard Marx And How Not To Act In The Internet Era

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 30 Jan, 2013 @ 05:26am

    Re: How old *are* you?

    Er, I'm about to be 31. Even so, I was raised to firmly believe that rock and roll and most music died in 1979. Probably why as an adult I tend towards mashup music, electronic music, and particularly video game compositions.

    Well, that and any jazz from the 40's to the 60's, of course...

  • On the post: Major Media Fails To Fact-Check iPhone Joke

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 30 Jan, 2013 @ 05:23am

    Re:

    "WTF kind of name is Manti Te'o anyway?"

    Er...Hawaiian, I think?

  • On the post: Richard Marx And How Not To Act In The Internet Era

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 29 Jan, 2013 @ 02:05pm

    Re:

    "Honestly, I don't have a problem with asking an online critic to discuss things in person."

    REALLY?!?!?!? Why not just discuss in the forum of the conversation? If Richard Marx showed up in the comments and wanted to explain why he thought this wasn't strange behavior, or perhaps some details of the story that were previously untold, I'd sure as shit listen. I have a hard time thinking anything would sway me to believe zipping around to random bars because of internet words is a good idea, but I'd listen. What does being "in person" have to do w/anything?

  • On the post: Redditor Points Out The Flaws In SimCity's Online-Only DRM, Gets Banned By EA For His Troubles [UPDATED]

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 29 Jan, 2013 @ 01:00pm

    Re: Too Sensational

    "Claiming that BoA practices lead to our country's economic downturn and somehow suggesting that EA's practices are comparable in that respect is pure sensationalism"

    Either that, or the absurdity of the comparison was meant to be funny. Though, to be fair to you, I guess you'd have to have a sense of humor to get it....

  • On the post: Redditor Points Out The Flaws In SimCity's Online-Only DRM, Gets Banned By EA For His Troubles [UPDATED]

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 29 Jan, 2013 @ 12:49pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: And this is why....

    "Mass Effect 3 was garbage."

    Ok...WHAT!?!?!? There were certain aspects of ME3 that were bad (slightly different video as a reward for all those gained assets?!?!?), and the ending sure as hell could have been done better, but to say the game was garbage as a whole is just silly. It was a hell of a game right up to the last ten minutes. Admittedly that's disappointing, but it's only disappointing because everything up until that point was so GOOD.

    ME1 has it's flaws too. Too many vehicle missions for starters. Vehicles that blow for seconds. An aiming system that felt horribly inaccurate. And ME2 had flaws, like a boringly stupid mineral collection mini-"game", an extreme lack of Ashley (no one can tell me she shouldn't have been a playable character in all 3 games), and the introduction of one of the most terribly named characters in the history of SciFi (The "Illusive Man"? Fuck, just call him Scary McPowerPants or something....).

    I'd say of the 3 games, ME1 is the worst of them, in fact....

  • On the post: Another Case Of Prosecutorial Bullying Against A 'Hacker'

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 25 Jan, 2013 @ 12:14pm

    Re:

    Actually, part of the problem is that PROSECUTORS tend to ignore the sentencing guidelines and talk a great deal about maximum charges. That's the entire point: that they threaten what would be beyond justice...

  • On the post: Another Case Of Prosecutorial Bullying Against A 'Hacker'

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 25 Jan, 2013 @ 12:02pm

    Re: Re:

    Nope, I did it because even I make mistakes occasionally. I'll see about editing it and thank the commenter for the correction....

  • On the post: Another Case Of Prosecutorial Bullying Against A 'Hacker'

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 25 Jan, 2013 @ 11:47am

    Re:

    And here I was going to say that you have used more words than any other commentator out there to try to discredit Techdirt by using Swartz's death as a means.

    We can play this game all day, or we could just discuss the content....

  • On the post: Cyber War: A One-Sided Battle Against A Trumped Up Enemy

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 24 Jan, 2013 @ 09:58am

    Re:

    Feel free to link to them then.

  • On the post: Announcing: Our New Sky Is Rising Report!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 24 Jan, 2013 @ 07:15am

    Re:

    "Pirate mike supporting theft as usual, using fantasy statistics from google to suppor this."

    Translation = I don't need yer fancy book-learnin', Ivy-League boy. Now squeal like a pig! SQUEEEEEEEEE!

  • On the post: Announcing: Our New Sky Is Rising Report!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 24 Jan, 2013 @ 06:19am

    Re:

    "Still on the Google payroll I see."

    You should see the golden toilets and cocaine-bag-carrying mega-hookers they send us. INSANE, brah....

  • On the post: Some People Still Can't Seem To Question Their Car's GPS

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 22 Jan, 2013 @ 04:35pm

    Re: Re: I'm confused

    Now you've fucking done it....

  • On the post: Some People Still Can't Seem To Question Their Car's GPS

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 22 Jan, 2013 @ 04:09pm

    Re: Low blow

    If her nation chooses to trust her enough to drive, mocking her actions using her GPS seems like fair ground....

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2013 @ 12:25pm

    Re: Re: Re: Slants and Observations

    "It seems like you feel like your point is being misconstrued. I'm trying to be honest in giving my view of how the writeup comes across. I think the comments demonstrate that the writing might not be as clear as you think."

    It is, perhaps deliberately so, but do not ask me to apologize for the inability of others to read properly stated words. I won't do it. I hold my fellow human beings to far too high a standard to even entertain the idea. So, no, the writing was clear as a bell unless one is of the mind to jump at shadows and pretend it said something different.

    "The article begins by stating the NRA is being "hypocritical and stupid" .. by opposing Doctors asking their patients about guns. On this topic, we disagree."

    That's fine. Nothing wrong with disagreement. Labeling that disagreement as being wholly anti-2nd Amendment is a wonderful example of how discourse in this country has deteriorated to a point of madness. Nuance is tossed out the window such that if you criticize one part of one issues's one player, you're completely on one side of the issue. That is how many of the pro-gun folks in this forum behaved in this post and they make themselves look the fools for doing so. That is entirely their problem, not mine.

    "Then next few comments has a link and implies that the NRA is protecting the 2nd amendment (possibly) at the expense of the 1st and perhaps the 4th. On this topic, we also disagree. I didn't see calls for censorship anywhere in the article(s) linked."

    First, I did not use the word "censor". Instead, I followed the logical conclusion that if the NRA wishes to deflect what they consider an attack on the 2nd amendment by pointing to things that would impact OTHER amendments, then they mean for that deflection to result in an attack elsewhere. This is logically consistent, though, again, nuanced. That said, I will not apologize for other people's inability to think.

    "The 3rd point made in the article (I think?) is that you are asserting the NRA is being hypocritical decrying gun violence in some video games while themselves releasing video games that "glorify guns" and depicts shooting."

    You say you've read my comments on this post, and I hate coming off as rude here, but if that is true then this conversation is lost because the above is WRONG. What I've said, for what must be at least the 3rd time now, is that from a PR standpoint what the NRA is doing is STUPID. They hurt their message when the act in a way that can be used by their opponents, simply due to a lack of thought and foresight. That's what this is about: the NRA appears tone deaf.

    More importantly, the only real true argument for the 2nd amendment is to combat tyranny. Now, we can disagree on whether or not that has any practical value any more (and, if you care, I think it still does with regard to local law enforcement agencies), but that's what that amendment is there for. What it's NOT there for is for the FUN of owning a gun. So, when the NRA releases gun games for the purpose of fun rather than for their intended purpose, it's silly, but when they do so in the current atmosphere days after stating that violent games are to blame for mass hootings, it's a stupid fucking move. This really shouldn't be that hard.

    "I completely agree that they look like jackasses decrying gun violence in video games, period. This site has talked extensively about the data (and lack thereof) trying to link shooting in video games and shooting in real life. So at least on that point, I think we can be in complete agreement!"

    Allahu Akbar, comrade.

    "It's very difficult to critique ones own work, because as the authors, we know exactly what we were trying to say."

    Spoken like someone who has not written several 100k word plus novels. And I don't mean that in snark; it really isn't your fault, but trust me, the right mind can be OVERLY critical of one's own work.

    "Instead of being defensive, I'd give you more kudos for recognizing how your points could have been misconstrued/unclear and rephrasing, although you have taken quite a beating from some of these guys! :)"

    Again, this is simply not a matter of being defensive; I am right and they are wrong. Simple. Easy. I cannot be faulted for arrogance because it is true. Nor will I apologize if others choose to jump at shadows because of a touchy subject like guns. I will speak in the plain way I know how and will laugh at those that see an agenda where there is none....

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2013 @ 09:13am

    Re: Slants and Observations

    "Look at the data, and at other articles on this site, gun violence (and violent crime in general) is on a downward trend over the last 40 years."

    Absolutely true....but mass killings are waaaaay up. Of the 11 deadliest shootings in our nation's history, six have happened in the last six years.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

    "I don't go to him for advice on how to live, I go to him for diagnosis of medical issues / illness that my body is fighting."

    Are you parent? If you were, you would know that half of childhood medicine is about PREVENTATIVE medicine, which is what that legislation was all about: preventing injury in parent's homes.

    "I personally find nothing wrong with young children becoming familiar with and learning respect for firearms."

    Me neither. Nor did I state there was anything wrong w/it in the article. This was about bad PR and timing by the NRA, not that their games were bad. I really don't understand why people have such a hard time with this.

    "Also, killing an animal with a gun (for food or sport) is not the same thing as torturing animals (other commenter's made this point very well). For Tim to talk as if hunting == torturing is intellectually lazy, and yes, that is the implication in the article."

    You know what's REALLY lazy? Not doing the intellectual work to understand that I DIDN'T say any of the above, only that I pointed out that NRA opponents COULD make that argument as an example of why the distinction the NRA is making is a weak one. The fact that you think I implied that's true simply means you're not reading hard enough, or that you're a shadow-jumper. The problem is with you, not the article, since what you allege above simply didn't HAPPEN. I both fish and have hunted in the past. I have a problem with neither.

    Once again, stop letting the ideology blind you. I'm not anti-gun, anti-hunting, anti-meat. I'm a fucking libertarian for Christ's sake and you people are driving me up the fucking wall....

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2013 @ 09:01am

    Re: Asked and answered

    "Tanks, planes, bazookas and the like probably do need to be legal to own"

    Oh, dear lord, you really just can't stop yourself, can you? I'll give you credit though: if you can say the above w/a straight face, you have certain abilities that I simply don't possess....

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2013 @ 08:58am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: This blog amazes me

    "Here you're literally saying the distinction between target practice or hunting and shooting people is rather weak when it comes to violence in gaming."

    None of that has ANYTHING to do with owning a gun in real life, so you failed in your attempt. You people do love to jump at shadows, don't you?

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2013 @ 04:24am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: This blog amazes me

    Shane, I took a look over your blog. It's visually well put together. Even more beneficial, some of the content on there tells me everything I need to know about you to completely ignore your extremism.

    Cheers and toodles!

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