Put Us Out Of Our Misery!

[Pleng]

Yea I don't think that either, but I do think this tread has spiraled out of control and I wouldn't mind seeing it talk about something a little more upbeat since it's hopelessly off topic... like naked porn stars for example

Yea.. there's nothing more disappointing than a porn star who ISN'T naked!

 

[Monk]

Sometimes I get a little too excited and kind of forget all of the other delays that have hampered this project.

While forgetting each and every hurdle is something I find difficult - especially with the forum to remind me of every single mis-step! - the enthusiasm I can not only understand, but fully agree/sympathise with/understand. The concept is just relaly good, and exciting - it's easy to get carried away!

http://www.pwnordie.com/2009/02/25/22-hottest-celebrity-women-that-play-video-games/
*warning! ^^^ contains pics of hot women (not naked tho)*

I think porn stars have too much time on their hands

Einstein had a wardobe full of identical sets of clothing, based on the idea that the time and mental energy spent choosing what to wear each morning could be saved and better spent elsewhere. Porn stars have obviously taken this principle to new heights and cut out a lot of the "getting dressed" at all. Think of the savings to be made, the progress that they could achieve!

Yeah well, I still think the Pandora is a pretty nifty machine, I'm not trying to deny that. It's like this thread makes me look like I totally hate everything which is really not the case of course.

Nope. Mostly, people see what they want to see. Don't be goaded into behaving more agressively than you mean to.

Monk i do sometimes wonder how you do it write compact to the point with a great sense of humor.

It's easy - I'm a plagiarist. Everything I write - every single word - I got from a book called "the Oxford Dictionary". but I jest - you can't really say I'm concise can you? Some of my posts are so long they span timezones. Or so it seems to me

Yea.. there's nothing more disappointing than a porn star who ISN'T naked!

How about two porn stars - twins maybe - who aren't naked? Surely that's twice as dissapointing?

 

[Pleng]

Yea.. there's nothing more disappointing than a porn star who ISN'T naked!

How about two porn stars - twins maybe - who aren't naked? Surely that's twice as dissapointing?

That question is complex on so many levels!

I mean it depends on just how un-naked the 1 porn star is compared to the twins. I'm not even going to begin working out the truth table for that one!

 

[MonkeyChops]

hmmm.... semi-naked twin porn stars

 

[dyslexic]

Monk i do sometimes wonder how you do it write compact to the point with a great sense of humor.

It's easy - I'm a plagiarist. Everything I write - every single word - I got from a book called "the Oxford Dictionary". but I jest - you can't really say I'm concise can you? Some of my posts are so long they span timezones. Or so it seems to me

This (I'm a plagiarist. Everything I write - every single word - I got from a book called "the Oxford Dictionar) made me
Yea i have seen those long span timezones you wrote.
I need a 10 time longer post to say the same and still be misunderstood. :unsure:

 

[Monk]

Yea i have seen those long span timezones you wrote.
I need a 10 time longer post to say the same and still be misunderstood. :unsure:

The thing is, The Internet could have been designed to hamper communication. By design it is well suited to stripping every aspect of nuance, every drop of humour, every particle of body language from our communication. Each and every inflection is lost, sometimes to be replaced with a bland and uninformative "emoticon" (did he mean that he was smiling, or is he using that a defence against retribution?). Even a telephone conversation has inflection which communicates considerably more meaning than just a transcription ever can, yet now we regularly use text-only (or effectively text-only) communications many times a day. The scope for being misunderstood is vast, and it seems to happen often enough to me too, so you are not alone.

On the flip side, this stripped-down form of communication provides a levelling mechanism for those not well suited to verbal or face-to-face communications. People who are shy, stutter, or simply do not have a forceful enough character to come to the fore in physical meetings (computer clubs, conventions, thing slike that I guess) can rise tot he challenge on-line as they have the opportunity to prepare what they say better, or even just to feel that the annonymity that the net provides lets them express themselves more clearly than they ever could in person - so while some of us lose huge chunks of our communication armament, others have their communications lifted above what they might otherwise be able to communicate.

With the bad, always, comes the good also. One cannot exist without the other. When this forum works well - as it does reasonably often - the misunderstandings and even arguments are quickly sorted out and/or forgiven. Though sometimes we may take a considerable detour along the way

*I suspect that either Douglas Adams or I stole the dictionary idea from the other, although it's possible that we both came up with the idea - it's amazing how many people can come up with a new idea, or a new joke, only to find that someone else has done the same thing - often much earlier. So I may even have plagiarised my comment on plagiarism!

 

[Dunny]

You can even say you hate craig because he's not the type of person you do like.

It's all to do with hair. I shall expand on that:

I hate EvilDragon. He has more hair than I do, and that's just not on.

I can't comment on Craig's hair because he wears an enormous hat with big floppy things on the side. I suspect he has more hair than I do - so that's a good enough reason to hate him. MWeston is generally worthy of my hate because he made a prototype handheld with a case made of (what looks like) cheese. I'm not sure he has any hair at all, but he probably has. Fatih is more than deserving of my hate because I don't know anything about him at all, but he probably has a full head of hair.

Have I left anyone out?

I think I can justly claim to have the best reasons for disliking the team. I like people with less hair than me. Every year, the number of people I could count as friends dwindles. I am sliding into an old age of friendless senility. Maybe I already am a senile old 86 year old who only thinks he's getting a Pandora. That's a scary thought, and I hate you all for it.

D.

 

[may88]

I'll PM you Duncan Goodhew's email address. It's good you have at least one peer.
I think Gail Porter still has eye brows and pubic hair so I shartn't bother you with her details.

 

[EvilDragon]

Wow this bit is a honest and great explanation.
One note though.It would have been a good idea to make clear that there is a risk.
Many people here did believe that it was ready to roll of the assembly line one year ago (including me).

Well, that was a kind of a problem. We never wanted that much publicity in the beginning.
We only wrote about it at the boards - and most did know us since years and know that we are no big players but try to achieve something here.
However, when preordering started, it got into the news of various sites - that was unplanned. It just happened.
A lot of guys did order without even knowing who we were and what the background was.
We really didn't expect that.

It's all to do with hair. I shall expand on that:
I hate EvilDragon. He has more hair than I do, and that's just not on.

Best post in this thread so far

 

[juniorm33]

I'll PM you Duncan Goodhew's email address. It's good you have at least one peer.
I think Gail Porter still has eye brows and pubic hair so I shartn't bother you with her details.

Wasn't her hair growing back now she's got a bloke or something. :huh:

 

[may88]

I'll PM you Duncan Goodhew's email address. It's good you have at least one peer.
I think Gail Porter still has eye brows and pubic hair so I shartn't bother you with her details.

Wasn't her hair growing back now she's got a bloke or something. :huh:

All the more reason to not to bother dunny with. Must go and find out... I do seem to think I saw a recent picture with stubble (on head - in case Wizard Stan is read and getting ideas).

Dunny, may be you should also get a bloke and then may be you could keep your mind and a few friends to boot.

 

[may88]

It's all to do with hair. I shall expand on that:
I hate EvilDragon. He has more hair than I do, and that's just not on.

Best post in this thread so far

Oh for God's sake. ED has more hair that the rest of us put together. I'm only amazed that Timotei has not come a-knocking yet.

 

[fiori_musicali]

Well, that was a kind of a problem. We never wanted that much publicity in the beginning.
We only wrote about it at the boards - and most did know us since years and know that we are no big players but try to achieve something here.
However, when preordering started, it got into the news of various sites - that was unplanned. It just happened.
A lot of guys did order without even knowing who we were and what the background was.
We really didn't expect that.

In the light of this, I'd like to present a point of view that I haven't seen laid out elaborately enough as of yet.

Without any reference to any particular person as I don't know all of your histories, nor is any of that on my list of interests.

The argument against OP's actions and morality that has been more or less seriously thrown around is "They're in it just for personal profit" (whether you say it's just Craig, anyone else, or the whole team).

How about the fools (pardon me) who jumped in to preorder without educating themselves about the nature of the project? They didn't have any conception of what the Pandora represents other than a powerful portable gaming console + ultimate warez rom bank in your pocket at a ridiculously low price. As average consumers who are used to exchanging cash for high production line consumer electronics they put their money in and start the "Are we there yet?" nagging which they feel they're entitled to, and which is the position they take for granted without ever considering alternate systems.

These people just wanted their awesome portable all that without any deeper appreciation for what they had gotten themselves involved in. Now, imagine these ignoramuses barking at you like rabid dogs ready to bite, threatening to cancel their orders if you don't start casting magic spells to make things happen faster to fulfill their selfish desires. Yes, you've got their money, you need their money, but you didn't really invite Average Joe to make an uninformed commitment to a project that is carried out in a very non-standard way incomprehensible to Joe, for he's not seen anything quite like it before, nor is it very likely that he's aware of the finer ideological, cultural or technological aspects of the project.

It wasn't exactly a regular transaction when you paid for your Pandora, it really was an investment whether you like the word or not. You were substituting for the bank and gave a distributed loan to the OP team so that they could realize this project. Then, instead of acting like a partner and a supporter you act like a spoiled brat who has no clue what he's gotten himself into, and demand results faster without being able to give any kind of contribution - even in form of professional insight - to the process. Just how committed were you again? Or isn't it true that you were just that selfish bastard who wants to play his games / whatever, NOW.

What kind of high-level mental acrobatics are you required to go through to be able to respect such a difficult and unappreciative partner/investor/customer? Could your normal social code and inhibition become compromised in the process of taking shit from random, unknown, anonymous, faceless people who know your name, address and what you look like, and that you owe them money for which they reason they can pressure and threaten you (to set an arbitrary payback date for the loan you took from them, which they're free to do), call you a liar and a scammer and generally treat you like shit if you don't give them more than you're currently capable of providing?


Something to take into consideration, amongst other things.

 

[EvilDragon]

How about the fools (pardon me) who jumped in to preorder without educating themselves about the nature of the project? They didn't have any conception of what the Pandora represents other than a powerful portable gaming console + ultimate warez rom bank in your pocket at a ridiculously low price. As average consumers who are used to exchanging cash for high production line consumer electronics they put their money in and start the "Are we there yet?" nagging which they feel they're entitled to, and which is the position they take for granted without ever considering alternate systems.

Well, most of them cancelled their preorder already and some other guys took it over.

However, once we realized that was happening, we removed the Pandora from the shop and were only taking eMail orders. At the official site, we clearly stated on the "Where to buy"-page that you can ONLY preorder via eMail and the moment and the reason why (including the "we have no idea when it will be ready").

It wasn't that we didn't take action when we realized such things - but we never expected that and therefore didn't think about that earlier.
We never thought we would gain THAT much publicity!

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

*ninja-ed*

Excellent post fiori. Sums up my feelings exactly.

 

[WhiteBat]

EvilDragon, since it is 2010 you might want to change this part on your site:

"While the project is currently at a very advanced state (just right before the big mass production), there are still some things that could cause a delay in production and delivery.
So we can't give you a definate delivery date yet. It might be October, it might be December. But you CAN be sure we'll do everything to finish it as fast as possible."
http://www.open-pandora.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=12&lang=en

might be scaring some people off

 

[trooper]

*/SNIP/*

Brilliant, Made me laugh, And could not have said it better myself.

Trooper

 

[Monk]

Without myself getting into calling people fools or ignoramuses, I must admit that on the whole a web site like http://www.open-pandora.org/ looks pretty much like an invitation to Joe Public to buy Pandoras. Quotes like "It might be October, it might be December." sound like the product should be forthcoming very soon (well, they would have last September).

I'm not sure that customers don't have a reasonable right to have their expectations in such regards be met, or the right to be unhappy (and express that) when such expectations aren't met. I'm not sure that investors in any company tend to sit back silently either - from what I know of investors (including Craig's comments on the topic) they are generally very demanding too.

None of which excuses anyone for being a jackass, of course.

Everything seems to be painted so HARSHLY too often, when in actuality we all share more in common than the fairly small differences that divide us.

 

[Consequence_9]

Everything seems to be painted so HARSHLY too often, when in actuality we all share more in common than the fairly small differences that divide us.

^this^

I feel like things have improved a lot recently however (not counting a few outliers). I really think it must have something to do with the pandora finally nearing full-scale production. Before we were all grouchy & in the same boat, our patience running thin with no end in sight; but now that the light at the end of the tunnel is clearly visible, well, we've chilled out as a community. Once the pandora finally ships I think the atmosphere will be even better, jubilant even. All of us preorders will surely be so relieved & excited to finally have our little dream machine that we'll be able to handle teh n00b threads with a smile & a handshake instead of animosity (at least I like to think). Whether or not this is the case is yet to be seen but, speaking for myself, I'm going to be so brimming with excitement for a while that it's gonna take a lot to aggravate me (forum-wise anyway ;]).

 

[Pleng]

EvilDragon, since it is 2010 you might want to change this part on your site:

"It might be October, it might be December. But you CAN be sure we'll do everything to finish it as fast as possible."
http://www.open-pand...emid=12&lang=en

might be scaring some people off

I dunno. I think it should stay there. Then people will be really amazed if they get their Pandora in June or July, rahter than really p*ssed off if the site had said "It might be April, it might be May".