Scratching the "Web"-itch

My internet connection has been down for the past 48 hours and while I have lived without an internet connection since I first got one at home back in 2001 this is one of the first times I have really felt what has to be described as an itch to get online. I can only conclude that it has to do with the fact that while it has happened before (that something has broke down and I've been forced to live without connection for several days) I today spend a lot more time just browsing the web and utilize my connection in various ways. 

As an example I start each day by browsing a handful of newspaper sites while listening to 'SomaFM Indie Pop Rocks' and having my morning coffee. And I'm sure that most people that have a morning ritual that include reading a newspaper and listening to the radio feel that something is missing everytime they have to start the day without those things.

Most days I continue browsing the web for various entertainment news (be it games, music or films) and also other news sites. While I also browse a handful of different forums. Much due to the fact that I only work in the afternoon and night these days I have a lot of time to kill during the days. So after all this browsing I usually start on one of my many programming projects which includes browsing for more tips and tricks about how to solve specific issues I may or may not have.

So while one might consider me a bit of a web-oholic (if you catch my drift) I actually do something productive with my time infront of the screen ... at least some of the time :)

15 year old collapses while playing WoW

This past weekend a Swedish 15 year old boy collapsed in his home (or his parents home rather) after playing WoW for about 24 hours straight. He was brought to hospital and found to suffer from sleep deprivation and malnutrition. Here is a link to the Swedish newspaper 'Dagens Nyheter' that runs the story.

Now as a gamer myself I really have to ask, what the hell is wrong with his parents? To me it seems like they have failed with teaching the boy the simple art of staying alive. How hard is it to remember to drink and eat really? I have myself had sessions in front of the screen that has lasted for more than 24 hours and I have gamed so much that I have lost my appetite but I have never once collapsed or been in danger of it for the simple reason that even if I'm not hungry I know to eat and drink just because of the simple fact that I like living more than I like gaming. That does not mean I'm a fatty either, I'm about 185 cm short and weigh in at about 80 Kg. So it's not like I shovel in food while I game I do however stop to get to the kitchen and grab some food or drink.

Now I do realize that a game like WoW can be addictive and I do realize that a lot of people can have trouble detaching themselves from these games (it has been argued that I have had such problems). Also the research into how these games affect us are not really done but it would not surprise me if there is a chemical released by our body that affects us pretty much like a drug. But it still amazes me that you can go to the point of almost killing yourself just by sitting to long on your behind and looking at a screen. Actually that would be a lie, I do understand how and why that could happen but a 15 year old boy that does not seem to suffer from any sort of illness or anything like that. How does that happen?

This might all seem a bit harsh but for a person that has not been down the road of long gaming sessions. But if you have read about people dropping dead or collapsing because of gaming and do not understand it then I just want to say that I do not either and I am a gamer that periodically play so much that it would probably be considered unhealthy.

On an other note, the new WoW expansion (Wrath of the Lich King) has already been played through by a European raid guild. The content of the expansion will take most people months to go through and many of the WoW subscribers will never even finish the new raid instances. The guild, that is so far called, 'TwentyFifthNovember' went through the new instances within 68 hours and 30 minutes after release of the expansion. One can only assume that these people has also burned the light at both ends.

Spotify - Streaming music For The Win!

I'm sure a lot of people has already noticed that Spotify has opened up to the public by now. It's a iTune-like thing that lets you browse through and listen to music from all over the world. However you only pay a relatively small subscription fee to get access to all this music. To me this sounds like the best way to combat piracy so far, granted that I've not red that much about the different ways to combat piracy when it comes to music.

Anyway, have a look for yourself over at Spotify to see what it's all about. Personally I don't see any reason for this to work very well for the guys that started it.