Another notch down on the web browsing experience

A web developer wants to put some video into his webpage. He uses the embed tags and some activex fires up (everybody uses IE don't they?) and the video plays. Similarly for many other things. However, now, because some bloke in america (and I'm no lawyer so I am horribly mutilating this) thinks he owns the idea of things playing in the browser window we have to downgrade the whole experience. Well, actually I have no idea what he thinks he owns but microsoft are having to revamp their browsers starting next year so that no longer is it this easy and for every activex control on a page it will prompt you for if you want to see it.

However, there are workarounds. You can use javascript based in a different file (not the same file which is important) to just write the exact same tag that you used to have into the page. This will then not prompt and be exactly the same as before.

So some **** in america has basically started a law suit that means that all pages currently using embedded content will get screwed up and that developers of new pages need to faff more to get them to work as well as of course the evil of bandwidth increase (which really nobody cares about in this age of braodband).

It just upsets me that as I undertand it Microsoft is stopping using this "idea" anyway so its not like the patent is going to make any money because of this lawsuit. And I am finding it very hard to believe that it is taken seriously at all but then america is a bit funny like that sometimes (no offence to any friends I may have who may be studying law in america to become one of these funny people).

For those who want more info go to http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article.php/3088291 which links to the Microsoft information as well as the apple information. Its all a bunch of arse in my opinion. Other opinions most welcome though, especially for those who may have a deeper understanding of the law suit and therefore be able to refute my claim that the prosecutrion are anti-social idiots.

Exalted excitement

Mmmm... exalted... At lunch time I bought the latest Exalted book to be released: "Exalted: Sidereals". My thoughts so far? Well, the cover is exceedingly pretty was my first thought as I saw it. Nice artwork with a purplish background and one that I go "oooh, shiny" when I look at it for the cover as well as the contents.

The insides are interesting as well. I've not had much chance to read it. Half an hour of lunch break during which time I mainly flicked through to see where the big differences were between the new boys and the Exalted I already know. The results though incomplete are that I really like the new kids. Some very interesting quirks and a fairly unexpected background. There are a few points where I think "Hang on... that doesn't mesh with older stuff does it?" but that could be because I still have 95% of the book to read.

I am very bouncy and excited about this all. I'd been thinking a lot about exalted stuff in the last few days after a brief e-mail conversation with one of my players and now I am thinking about it even more. My only problem is I am not sure where I can fit in the Sidereals into my current game or the one I am hoping to start soon. Oh well, just have to notch that up as another game to run. :)


ANd In other roleplaying news... My planning for a starwars one off game is going well. I have five pre-gen characters with mostly written up backgrounds. They all need recent history describing what they know of each other (if anything) and maybe some stats if I feel that way inclined. My main problem is that in writing up the characters and with some comments made from other people I am getting less and less happy with my mission idea. So, as a request for comments anybody got any suggestions of a mission that a military group could get up to in a post-endor (thinking a year to three years but can vary if the idea is good) setting under the scope of the Rebellion/New Republic? If not then just shout out your favourite elements of star wars that you'd like to see in a game. I can always go pre=endor and run some behind the scenes stuff from the films (the capture of the shuttle tyderian (sp?) that was used to infiltrate endor might be fun if a little brief).

Back to exalted I intend to send out an e-mail to some people tonight to see if they want to play in a Solar Exalted Game. Hopefully a weekly termtime game that will be action based rather than anything too politicy though there will be plottyness of course.

Need to finish off my Renaissance character and I have that pencilled in for tonight since I have no other plans. Victoriana 2 will be starting up soon and I'm still awaiting news on whether I will need to rejig my character for another empire and I was told an ammended character generation system would appear for this game that I am yet to see. Once that comes out I'll finish off the character. A couple of other ideas have occured to me if they are needed but I think whatever happens I'll be an industrialist because they are fun. :)

And that's it for the moment. My Dragon Blooded game is still several weeks away and mostly planned since some of it will be writing out the now absent quisalan and other bits were planned for the last session which went slower than expected. On the other hand I am not entirely happy with what I have planned for the future and some newer better ideas have already occured to me that should be majorly fun. I dare say that will be bubblign in the back of my head for some time to come... Must go re-read some sourcebooks. :)

And I think lastly for my roleplaying and by no means leastly is Athory. I can't actually remember when the next session is due and there is no date in my diary. :( I dare say that since all the other players are on LJ somebody will remind me of when that is. And I think that my dragon blooded game is on the first weekend of november but my diary seems to be sadly lacking that as well. Oh well, I'm sure the dates will turn up in my LJ or inbox or somewhere soon. :) Athory is muchos fun though. I've gone on about it lots before but it has me as on the edge of my seat as I can be for a game with large gaps between it. I *really* want to know how and why land masses are being sunk. I want to know what happened to the fake Duke Lawrence. I hate Duke Valentine with a passion and want to see him fall from power. preferably with a struggle so he has to be killed in the process. I think all in all its a good game but not much I need to do about it so short of wondering what on earth is happening I can just wait for the next session. :)


Ah, much roleplaying is fun. :)

[Camstuff] Balancing point

Hmmm... Its make or break time. The garou elders are either about to accept what I have to say or tell me I'm a lying twonk and threaten nasty things and put me in a position where I'm going to get bigtime busted or forced to stand down from being alpha or possibly both. I don't *think* I've done enough to warrant very harsh treatment but it may be that I will end up having said "If you don't accept that then I don't feel I can be the sept alpha" and standing down. Its been a while since we've had cat's graces as sept alpha. It must be her turn again soon. :)

I really wish that other people could read e-mails, think of suitable replies and type and send them instantly so I woulnd't have to wait for responses. :) End of work is probably notthe best time to do this either since people will get it as they are going home and thus offline and things.

Oh well, plenty of other things to take my time up tonight. :)