How scary is this?


“Video games are a huge market with a focused “captive” audience. Bringing advertising into the game experience in a natural way, in the background, with product placement, integrated with the characters, will greatly improve the experience.”

I’m really sorry Don, but how on earth is ANY advertising going to “greatly improve the experience”? Maybe in the USA you consider advertising as some sort of public service, but here in the Europe we have a different opinion of it. And improving the experience couldn’t be further from the truth…

As I have said before, if you really understand what they are about, please don’t buy any more Microsoft products, don’t even steal them (and think you are winning). Backup your data, wipe your hard disk of that infectious disease called Windows and just go and get an Open Source alternative - free from advertising, usage restrictions, litigation threats, upgrade fees, vendor lock-ins and eternal damnation (O.K. I made the last one up!)

I cleared my computer of the M$ infection only recently and have had an extremely pleasant experience ever since: No BSOD (Blue Screens Of Death), no strange days when my printer disappeared from the network, no warnings about viruses, threats, scams or malware which needed me to buy MORE software, no crashes, no downtime, no file corruption, no annoying pop-ups telling me I don’t know how to use my application properly or that my license will expire unless I do something; that usually involves money.

Anyone think of any more crap that comes with their stuff? I’m starting to forget now :-)



How to totally ‘dis’ Ecma-376 in two pages


I have just read this paper from the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto. It is clear, articulate and concise. Unlike the 6000+ page “specification” document to which it refers.

Many of it’s findings are not new in themselves but when discussed in the arena of accessibility it makes for a very good read.

How, please, have we got into this mess? We have one of the world’s largest and richest companies, producing a totally sub-standard specification and trying to force it through our International Standards bodies.

There is only one winner if Ecma-376 gets ISO approval in its current form - and it isn’t you or me….


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