Is there anything worth doing on the Internet anymore?

[Kage Kisaragi]

So the title poses the question, "Is there anything worth doing on the Internet anymore?"

There was a time with MUDing was cool but now a lot of the originality behind it has died out and usually very generic games are now being made.

Then there was chatting, but in this day and age I think a lot of us would much prefer to avoid such places as they tend to be the center of numerous net related scandals. Not to mention the likelihood of finding a place where the choice of topics is something that interest you and yet still has a ready and viable attendance number.

Forums, while similar to chatrooms, the messages posted are usually responded to at a slower time frame but do have a higher likelihood of getting responded to by someone of similar interest.

MMORPG's, horribly generic now days, and rarely with anything worthwhile as a reward for the investment. Usually having awkward mechanics that only reward those who spend 40 hours a week playing them and even then mostly because all they did was grind relentlessly. This causing backlash as other non grinder players may never experience certain finds because of said grinders.

Image Surfing, while not nearly as popular as it used to be, (if ever) occasionally finding a neat graphic (even if just for wallpapering or admiring) isn't something that is so much fun and engaging as it is novel.

Video Surfing, while there are some gems that spin out from this category of net activity. The idea is usually to search for something you already have a fair understanding of thus it isn't exactly all that new, you're usually just looking for a different interpretation of it. Am I right? When you look for a new funny dance, or you wanna hear a old tone, the idea is you already know something about it and thus you want to see something unique done with it right?

All of these things are the most likely things that can be done for free with the internet, while there are definitely other things can be done they usually come with a price tag as well. Such as more in depth online games, or shopping, listening to new music, ect ect.

What is the next new thing to be accessible via the Internet?
(This is not a subject for my next research paper or anything, I'm just being really reflective with how I feel about the internet as it is right now.)

[mattx110]

This board, and research.

[Royal]

MMORPG's, horribly generic now days, and rarely with anything worthwhile as a reward for the investment. Usually having awkward mechanics that only reward those who spend 40 hours a week playing them and even then mostly because all they did was grind relentlessly. This causing backlash as other non grinder players may never experience certain finds because of said grinders.



Metaverses.

Check out metaverses.

[Paradox]

Seems to me you've just become jaded and bored with the things you mention, Kage. "Worth doing" is entirely in the eye of the beholder.

[Kage Kisaragi]

Seems to me you've just become jaded and bored with the things you mention, Kage. "Worth doing" is entirely in the eye of the beholder.

I came to a similar conclusion but I didn't want to say it because.. well who wants to admit that something they used to enjoy has lost a lot of its steam to them?

[Paradox]

Ha, well, nothing wrong with eventually getting bored with something. Happens to the best of us.

I can say, though, that I play City of Heroes and don't find it at ALL like the MMORPG's you mention.

[Radioactive Zombie]

Tried Second Life?

Meh, I either troll for funny responses on /b/ or talk with others in Gaia.

Yeah, Imma Gaiafag, deal with it.

[Kage Kisaragi]

I haven't played City of Heroes and like the other online games that have a price tag on them, I expect it to be more fulfilling because its designers are getting paid more and more to keep the game fresh. I mean I bought the internet (lol doesn't that sound funny) why should I have to keep paying for more content to keep it interesting. I bought a TV and I'm perfectly satisfied with the level of content I'm getting out of it as is, I don't have to pay for a additional service in order to feel fulfilled by it.

...


Looking at this from another angle, I can see that the world is full of additional content that must be paid for in order to enjoy the product more.

TV, you have to buy cable to see the exclusive stuff.
Phones, you have to buy additional features if you want to keep up with the Jones's.
Food, you have to buy more than one kind to make a meal. (This one is kind of funny)
Video Games, buy the system.. now buy the memory card, now buy the games..

Outside of food 20+ years ago or more I remember distinctively that additional content was a relatively new term? Cable? What's dat? Three way calling? What'chu talk'in bout? Game sold separately? Don't I get one with it?

I'm going to look into some of these suggestions as well.

[Paradox]

Kage Kisaragi sounds it out:

I haven't played City of Heroes and like the other online games that have a price tag on them, I expect it to be more fulfilling because its designers are getting paid more and more to keep the game fresh.

Sounds like CoH to me. Unlike most, they don't have "paid expansions". They do have a monthly fee ($14.95) in addition to the original game, but any expansions come with that. They even thought about doing a paid expansion, decided against it and broke that expansion up into three new "issues" (they've been doing about three updates a year for a while now) Also it's not at all a grinder. It's specifically built so casual players can have fun. You can jump on, spend a half-hour/hour running a few missions and have just as much fun as the addicts like I am. :wink: Unlike games like World of Warcraft, what level you are isn't so restrictive. They have a system where a level 10, for example, can be "sidekicked" to a level 32 which lets the 10 play like they were a 31. Or if your 50 wants to help out your buddy who's only a 25, the 50 can "exemplar" down to level 24 and go from there. They really do a good job of making the game accessible.

[J. Robb]

Is there anything worth doing off the internet anymore?

[Kage Kisaragi]

Is there anything worth doing off the internet anymore?

I've often wondered this and the answer is yes... but unfortunately, only the truly fortunate can afford to them.

[StoneGold]

Porn. .

[Mike Pothier]

Porn. .

Damn you for stealing my answer.

[thehod]

Damn you for stealing my answer.

Frankly I amazed it took 12 posts before anyone mentioned it.

[section 8]

What is the next new thing to be accessible via the internet?
(This is not a subject for my next research paper or anything, I'm just being really reflective with how I feel about the internet as it is right now.)

a suspicious statement.

[blackdragon6]

yeah i'm kinda bored with it myself...

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

actually i find porn to be stale now, and when porn becomes stale thats when you know you have a serious problem lol

[section 8]

great now "Longview" by "Greenday" is stuck in my head

"when masturbation's lost it's fun you're f***ing lazy"

[Shellhead]

Porn. .

I thought that's what he was talking about with those fancy references to "image surfing" and "video surfing."


These days, I'm spending a lot of time working on collaborative projects over the internet, related to my hobby as a game designer. Most of my collaborations are with people living in other countries.

1. My friend Stu and I designed a boardgame last fall, and we are anxiously awaiting a decision by a game company on whether to publish it or not. They already published on game that I designed, back in 2006, but they got bought out by another company after that, so things are moving at a slower pace lately. Stu lives near me, but the game company is located in a distant part of the U.S.

2. A guy in Scotland is designing a large expansion for a collectible card game, and I'm helping him with the graphic design. I spent a couple of months creating a set of icons for the cards, using a combination of GIMPshop, Paint, and Excel. Hopefully this will see publication some day, though I doubt it.

3. A guy in Brazil designed an unofficial card set for the same game, and I wanted to expand on his work, just for fun.

4. And then there's this guy in Belgium who is nearly finished designed a boardgame that he hopes to publish with a company based a couple of miles from where I live. I did some work for them a few years ago and love their games, so a friend of a friend recommended the Belgian to get in touch with me. I've helped him edit three drafts of rules now, and I think that they will accept this latest version and run with it.

[DoctorDoom]

Personally, I don't think I could get bored with the internet.

There's so too much for me to do.

[ProjectFanboy]

So the title poses the question, "Is there anything worth doing on the Internet anymore?"

You could always submit your nominations for the PFA's. :tongue:

[aiyanna]

I found many interesting things to do on internet , from listening to music , reading news ,finding out how will be the weather tomorrow ,watching movies to working .

[Pól Rua]

The internet is just a medium by which I communicate with PEOPLE.
The internet itself is no more inherently boring or interesting than speech, or a telephone, or a pair of tin cans with string running between them.
It is what it is.
People, on the other hand, are almost endlessly fascinating.

Maybe you need to be talking with better people.

[Gotham]

I still MUD. But I play a lot of Sins of a Solar Empire and tons of WoW. That's online.

Damn my addiction!

[JonniRandom]

I agree, the internet has got steadily worse.

[Gotham]

I beat the internet ages ago. Where have you nubs been? Then end boss is ridiculously easy if you took the time to get Knights of the Round.