Kurt's Thoughts

This is one of the funniest articles, I’ve read in a while:

A Vegetarian Diet Shrinks the Brain
According to a new study, vegetarians and vegans are six times more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage than meat eaters.

The link was discovered after scientists at Oxford University ran memory tests, physical checks and brain scans on 107 people between the ages of 61and 87, and then retested them five years later.

Researchers speculate the loss of brain mass in vegetarians and vegans is due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, which is found in meat, fish and eggs. This type of brain atrophy is linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and other cognitive failings.

The decision to eat meat is often attacked by veggies, but it now seems as though these kinds of affronts may just be a product of small-mindedness.

(http://www.asylum.com/2008/09/15/a-vegertarian-diet-shrinks-the-brain/)

Yeah, so the article is funny but that’s not what I found most funny.  Check out the comments:

• “this article is bullcrap. I’ve been a vegetarian for about 50 years now, and I’m still sharp. I remember everything, and nothing has changed. I’ll be 85 in December.”
• “LIES! Old people don’t use the internet…”
• “I believe this article is probably true. My girlfriend is vegetarian, and she is dumber than a box of rocks.”
• “of couse she is as dumb as a box of rocks… she IS dating you after all”

Y’know, every time I find myself closing the browser and hating the Internet because some idiots on Slashdot with too much time on their hands write an overload of inanities, I stumble upon a gem like this and all of a sudden, I reobtain that ever-important attribute that gives humanity a chance at coexisting with one another:  Perspective.

I read this in the New York Times today and almost fell over laughing:

"IBM is threatening to leave organizations that set standards for software interoperability because of concerns that their processes are not always fair.
IBM published a new set of guidelines it plans to follow, which include encouraging standards bodies to have rules to protect their decisions from "undue influence," a clear reference to competitor Microsoft." 

The standards processes “are not always fair”?  If I read this correctly, IBM thinks they’re important enough that they can dictate how worldwide standards committees engage with them… or they’re going to take their ball and go straight home.

IBM is one of the more senior technology companies in the world and it has maintained one of the largest established lobbying groups in both the United States and in Europe in order to communicate their ‘value’ to standards bodies & governments alike. 

Before 2000, Microsoft had virtually no presence in these circles – but after IBM and others like them testified against them in antitrust hearings, after having been locked out of opportunities on the basis of international "standards" created based on influence by IBM, they discovered how important involvement in the political & world standards process was.

So I find it comical that the 600 lb gorilla of lobbying & politicking should cry foul about "undue influence".

To quote Jason Matusow:

• "If IBM is such an advocate for open standards (meaning process and technology), why then be so concerned when it turns out that the openness invites participation of those who disagree with them?"

In a perfect description of how IBM stacks the deck better than anyone when it comes to standards processes, check out Jason’s blog about the degree to which they will go to outmaneuver their competition in standards committees:

• http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonmatusow/archive/2007/07/18/open-xml-us-v1-committee-vote-and-ibm-motivations.aspx

I found this really great article about something my dog does all the time.  I’d always wondered about this:

• http://www.wagreflex.com/2008/09/help-my-dog-is.html

Help! My Dog is Having an Asthma Attack!

Has your dog ever made a noise like he was gasping and choking and kind of sneezing and wheezing all at once? Would you describe it as an “asthma attack”? This can be an alarming incident to witness because you feel helpess like there is nothing you can do to make it stop. However, it does stop in about 10-30 seconds and then your dog goes back to normal acting like nothing happened. What the heck?

What you were probably a witness to is something called reverse sneezing. The name is actually a misnomer as it really has nothing to do with sneezing. It is an irritation of the soft palate that causes a spasm. The soft palate is the soft, fleshy piece of tissue that is an extension of the hard palate (roof of the mouth). The spasm narrows the airway and makes it temporarily difficult for the dog to take in air.

Anything that causes irritation to throat can trigger a spasm. Some common causes include excitement, drinking water, pulling on a leash, perfumes, household cleaners, and environmental allergens.

Brachycephalic dogs (those with pushed in faces like Pugs and Boxers) have very long soft palates and therefore seem to more susceptible. Small breed dogs also seem to be more prone but nobody knows why (smaller airway?).

Although this condition seems very alarming it rarely requires treatment. Once the “sneezing” stops, the spasm is over. Things you can do to help minimize the length of the spasm is to massage the dog’s throat or cover the nostrils which makes the dog swallow.

In short, reverse sneezing is not a life-threatening problem and will usually resolve on it’s own without treatment. If you are unsure whether or not your dog is actually reverse sneezing video tape an episode and take it to your veterinarian. They can watch it and tell you for sure.

–Dr. Hinson
———————
Dr. Hinson is a mixed animal veterinarian in Tampa, FL and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

“It’s as if millions of voices suddenly cried out…” 

Yep, that’s a fitting quote to describe the blog posts, comments, and email I’ve seen about the “I’m a PC” series.  Millions of voices… all different.

• “Finally!"  Microsoft is responding back to Apple!”
• “Microsoft is admitting that their other Seinfeld ads were bad…”
• “Darn.  I was really looking forward to the next in the Gates/Seinfeld series.”
• “PC != Windows.  Typical close-minded Microsoft…”

So here we go.  Stuff that made me smile while I watched the ads for the first time:

1. That “PC” guy?  That’s Sean Siler.  And he’s a real employee at Microsoft.  Yes, he works on  Windows.  IPv6 Networking specifically.
   
2. To quote one person in the advertising industry, “It takes months to shoot and ad campaign like this…it’s quite laughable to suggest [Microsoft] cooked this up after the Bill & Jerry spots aired.”
   
   So why did this make me smile?  Well, our campaign has a very long project timeline which is part of what makes the assertion that we ‘dumped Seinfeld’ ridiculous.  This sort of reporting is bell weather indicator of crummy research, or none at all.  A news source inferring that we changed its advertising campaign direction midstream is simply attempting create controversy instead of reporting facts & news.  As one extremely smart person I know put it succinctly:  “They are noise… not signal.”
   
3. “I’m a PC” is a metaphor for real people.  Diverse, widely-varied in thought & opinion, independently-thinking, with a common bond:  We’re all human beings.   And like real societal challenges, some people have issues of incompatibility – but we all evolve & exist for the better because of their differences in thinking, doing, and being.

   It isn’t about pushing ‘elitism’.  It’s about celebrating differences & the incredible strength of loosely coupled diversity.

   What really made me smile about this was the fact that they end capped the ad with Deepak Chopra.  Say what you want about him:  His philosophy on personal well-being and self-assured individuality is quite fitting.

   And by the way, on the topic of things that might make you smile, does anyone else that knows their computer history think we’ve somehow seen this all before?

4. The mantra of the “I’m a PC” ad in the “Life without walls” campaign is something that has a real chance to resonate.   Interestingly enough, all of the companies that managed to break into the top 10 spots in “all time best ads” have a very crisp value proposition for the user and that the ad campaigns that got them there delivered a simple message that was easy for everyone to understand and identify with at an emotional level.

   FYI:  The top 10 list includes:

   1. Volkswagen, "Think Small", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1959
   2. Coca-Cola, "The pause that refreshes", D’Arcy Co., 1929
   3. Marlboro, The Marlboro Man, Leo Burnett Co., 1955
   4. Nike, "Just do it", Wieden & Kennedy, 1988
   5. McDonald’s, "You deserve a break today", Needham, Harper & Steers, 1971
   6. DeBeers, "A diamond is forever", N.W. Ayer & Son, 1948
   7. Absolut Vodka, The Absolut Bottle, TBWA, 1981
   8. Miller Lite beer, "Tastes great, less filling", McCann-Erickson Worldwide, 1974
   9. Clairol, Does she…or doesn’t she?", Foote, Cone & Belding, 1957
   10. Avis, "We try harder", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1963
5. “Life without walls” is going to have some very cool marketing angles.

   One of the themes of Windows is the availability of choice for consumers & businesses alike.   Many hardware manufacturers, software libraries, development tools, online stores… all while sharing a common bond, a common ‘lingua franca’, a small but important set of consistencies that allow people to associate with each other when talking about computers:  A consistent set of drivers, a consistent paradigm for interacting with applications, a consistent means of management, a consistent manner of communicating.

6. As a life long American geek, it made me proud to have U.S. Astronaut Bernard Harris featured in the ads.  And as a N.E.R.D. fan (going back to when they performed their anthem“Rock Star” as the title theme for Microsoft’s original XBox title “NFL Fever”, having singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams featured was doubly cool.

   And if you’re a green proponent, seeing Edouard Francois, famed green architect should be an exciting sight as it was for me.

7. I think it would be safe to say that if they’d been watching TV over the past year or so that people might characterize Windows PCs & their users as boring and unhip.  ”I’m a PC” shines sunlight on this perception:  Any sort of attack on PCs would be attacking stereotypically boring and unhip Windows users.  Stereotyping an entire world of people is not cool and ultimately alienating.
   
8. I’m very pleased that the concept of “PC = Windows; Windows = PC” has been repeatedly burned into the minds of millions of people worldwide.  We’re quite grateful for this. 

   Yep.  And as you can see, we’re taking full advantage of this alignment and we look forward to proudly reinforcing this sentiment.  Microsoft Windows is the Personal Computer.

9. Delighted to see the bit with San Antonio Spurs star & 3 time NBA Champion Tony Parker and his wife, Hollywood actress Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame.  No offense to Tony, but I was a little more excited by Eva’s participation than his.  I’m sure he understands.

   In fact, from what I understand, Eva practices what she preaches.  She was at the Windows Vista launch party a couple years ago and had some nice photos taken at the Vista press room.  (see the photo to the right, which was one of many taken)

   Just another reason to worship at the altar of the beautiful Eva Longoria.  Tony, you lucky bastard.

10. The athlete at the end of “I’m a PC #2” was UFC light heavyweight championship contender Rashad Evans.  (Do NOT call him a “boxer”)  Just 2 weeks ago, Rashad, KTFO’ed famed mixed-martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell with a wicked punch that landed Liddell on the floor in a stunning upset that left the MMA community reeling.

    This lines Rashad up for a bout to regain his light heavyweight crown… and it also explains what Rashad was doing wearing a t-shirt with Bill Gates’ famous police mug shot photo on it as he entered the ring for a fight.

11. Interesting that some folks in the media are starting to look at our advertisements more carefully.

    Huh. Those Mac Ads Aren’t As Funny Any More.
    by Michael Arrington on September 19, 2008
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/19/huh-those-mac-ads-arent-as-funny-any-more/

12. Some folks are profiting from the “I’m a PC” concept already.
    http://shop.cafepress.com/design/15949305

And finally, there’s been a lot of talk about our ads being edited using a Macintosh.  I can’t help but smile at the folks that levy this argument on the “I’m a PC” ads.  Whatever happened to “can’t we all just get along”?  After all, we make software for more than just Windows. 

…and besides, it would seem as if some folks have forgotten their recent history about a certain store apparently being run on Windows-based products:

• http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/08/apple-iphone-in.html – Windows XP
• http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/07/iphone-3g–brou.html – Windows CE
• http://blog.retrosight.com/AnOpenLetterToApple.aspx – Windows Mobile

I stumbled upon something really funny.  Penn Jillette mentioned that there was a site out there that had a PDF list of all the complaints received by the FCC about their Showtime program on cable, “Bullshit”.

This stuff is funny.  Keep in mind that Penn & Teller is a show on a pay-for cable television network.

Complaints to the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) about the Showtime TV series,
Penn & Teller Bullshit
http://www.governmentattic.org/docs/FCC_Complaints_PennTellerBS_TV_series.pdf

Penn Jillette has a comment related to Bill Gates & Global Warming.

One of my favorite video podcasts is “Penn Says” (RSS).  It’s Penn Jillette’s bi-weekly commentary on anything and everything.  And being that many of Penn’s opinions, politics, and often whacked-out gonzo thoughts reflect my own, you can see why I would religiously sync his podcasts to the ol’ Zune.

While looking at one of his recordings (this one being on his apparent belated discovery that Ron Silver is a lucid thinker and a reasonable human being unlike many of his nutjob contemporaries) it dawned on me that his podcast is actually distributed by a company called “Crackle”.  On a whim, I decided “check it out” – after all, most of the podcasts I’ve seen out there are just sh-t on a cracker and it’d be nice to see some other professional, quality, well-produced Zune playable content on my device.

WTF?  I think I hit the mother lode.  Look at what I discovered:

DATING BRAD GARRETT  (RSS)
Yeah.   That Brad Garrett.  If you know anything about the former Everyone Loves Raymond star, he’s not just an actor, he’s a brilliant comedian… and he’s just as slight bit east of bat-sh-t crazy. He’s possibly the most irreverent, non-politically correct, incorrigible comedian I’ve ever witnessed – and I’ve seen Bob Saget, George Carlin, and a few other scary comics.  NOTHING is off limits for him, heaven forbid you be in the front row during one of his shows in Vegas.

GROUNDLINGS  (RSS)
Some people don’t like improv comedy.  One person I know (and you know who you are… ahem) thinks it’s formulaic and uninspiring.  I think it’s great entertainment and can’t get enough of it.  To each their own. The Groundlings Los Angeles-based Improv comedy troupe does a podcast every week that satires some familiar situations and so far, it’s been well worth the bandwidth to download – particularly because a good chunk of the content comes from stuff you see in LA.

GORGEOUS TINY CHICKEN MACHINE SHOW  (RSS)
File this one under, ‘Glorious’.  First of all, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m Japanese by ethnicity and I’m very familiar with my heritage’s perceived idiosyncrasies – particularly, the Japanese penchant for whacked-out TV shows that aren’t limited by a horrendous sue-happy legal system that’s desperately in need of reform.  So… this is a… uh… parody of… uh… a Japanese TV show that… uh… well, just take a look and you’ll get the idea.

In case you’ve been under a rock over the past month, there’s been a bit fair bit of controversy over exactly what the criteria is for Apple’s acceptance or rejection of a piece of software to post on App Store.  It’s essentially undocumented and numerous contradictory rationales/excuses have been given for “rejecting” one application while “accepting” another.

• NYTIMES:  Apple’s Capricious Rules for iPhone Apps
  http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/apples-capricious-app-policy/?scp=2&sq=iphone&st=cse
• CNET:  Apple blocks competitive products from iPhone App Store–surprised?
  http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10041187-62.html

Joy of Tech, a Mac advocate site of all things, created a flowchart on their theory of how Apple makes up it’s mind.

Oh… one more thing on the topic of the Braun Synchro Shaver: 

While I love the model 7526 shaver, I LOATHE the fact that Braun has this absolutely ludicrous money making scheme known as “Clean&Renew” cartridges.

Clean&Renew cartridges are basically plastic cartridges that contain a blue alcohol based fluid that is tapped whenever it cleans your shaver.  Basically, when the shaver cleaning stand activates it pulls liquid from the cartridge and pushes it through the shaver, cutting through oil and grease and otherwise leaving your shaver nice and clean after 5 or so rotations of this stuff.

Here’s the thing:  These cartridges are $10-$12 for a pair.  And they’re filled with an alcohol solution so naturally this stuff evaporates after a month or less of usage.  So you end up buying more of these blue cartridges year after year.

LINK:
http://buyitnow64.stores.yahoo.net/clchrecc.html

Pssst.  Can I tell you secret?

The blue stuff is called 70% ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL with a little blue dye.  Yes, that’s right.  The same damned stuff you find at Rite-Aid or CVS or Longs Drugs or Walgreens for $1.49 a big bottle.

So if you were to buy a big bottle of this stuff and then… oh I don’t know… wash out a “Clean&Renew” cartridge with some of the alcohol and refill the thing, and be satisfied in knowing that the “blue coloring” wasn’t necessary to clean your shaver… you’d be saving yourself at least a $100 every year.

I just happen to conveniently have a link to some low cost Isopropyl Alcohol.  I bought one $1.49 bottle at the beginning of last year and I still haven’t gone through the whole thing, yet my shaver has remained nice and clean.

LINK:
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=73865&catid=10269

The stand for my Braun 7526 Syncro Shaver has been broken for a couple months now.

I can’t really complain:  I’ve had this shaver for years.  I’ve figured out it’s nuances and how to get the best shave out of it.  I’m quite pleased with the fact that it automatically cleans and charges itself too.

But now the charger base/stand is broken and it’s pissing me off.  Braun’s no fucking help either:  Their site is basically, “Go to one of our authorized service centers and get screwed by having to pay the same cost as the entire charger itself”.  Alright, maybe they didn’t say that last part but they might as well have. 

Back to my problem.  It’s really annoying, and I’m not the only one that thinks so.  Apparently this is a common problem amongst owners.  I found one guy complaining about it on Metafilter:
http://ask.metafilter.com/100872/Fix-for-Braun-ShaverRazor-Syncro-Clean-amp-Charge-System

I would have told him the answer by posting it to the discussion if Metafilter didn’t REQUIRE A 1 WEEK WAITING PERIOD to get an account.  F- you Metafilter:  If Yahoo, eBay, Microsoft, Google, and every other major company out there on the Internet can get my an authorized login in under 5 minutes, why can’t you?

ANSWER:
http://buyitnow64.stores.yahoo.net/brsyclandchh.html 

And I quote:

“Does the arm on your Syncro Clean and Charge Stand not stay locked down? ”
This repair part will take care of the problem.
For use with all Braun SYNCRO Models 7000 series
The repair is quite simple, we provide instructions with pictures to assist you in the repair.

How sick is that?  An actual precise answer to the problem that I’ve been having.  And it’s only $12.95 for the replacement part – not $49 for an entirely new stand.  And while the money’s not really that big a deal, I feel quite good about having found exactly the right solution for my repair.

A customer forwarded this clip to me of the tryouts for our infamous “banned Xbox 360 commercial”.  Good stuff.

http://www.glumbert.com/embed/xboxlady

So, amidst all the folks that are either just joining the discussion around the new commercials, or still insisting that Microsoft ought to “fire back at Apple’s ads”… here’s a couple observations I made about “New Family”:

1. Previous message: 
   “Y’know I imagine over the years you’ve mindmelded your magnum Jupiter brain to those other Saturn ring brains at Microsoft…” ”The Future… Delicious.”

   New message: 
   “You’ve connected over a billion people….”  “Perpetually Connecting = PC”

   I wondered to myself if people will notice how the series slowly changes from being essentially “about nothing” to being about “Microsoft and its products”.  The ‘sign off’ in this episode recognizes that Microsoft = PC, but it isn’t obnoxious and doesn’t throw mud at “the other camp” and refers to what it represents in a positive way:  Perpetually Connecting.

2. From the “In case it hasn’t sunk in completely by now” file:
   It’s hopefully becoming clear to everyone watching that a direct message from us would likely be completely rejected by viewers.  So instead we’re delivering a message in a rather oblique, indirect manner.
   
3. This parody of “The Simple Life”, the infamous E! reality television show starting Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie is seems to be lost on a lot of people.  And that’s probably a good thing because it effectively targets a specific group of folks by using the context as a filter. 
   
4. Once again, there are oodles of blogs & news articles about the new commercial – most of them never mentioning “The Simple Life” – but all of them pontificating about the commercial with their own interpretations and their own opinions. 
   
5. Wow.  Some folks are going pretty deep into interpreting the commercials meaning: 

   For example, there could be a set of reoccurring symbols being used in these episodes.  Some refer to the symbolism of certain individual objects in the ads like “the gum”, “the broken car”, the empty ketchup bottle”, “the stale meal that needs cheese”, etc.  I saw that one person analyzed the very specific time references made in “New Family”:
   – The old lady that had “been around for 12 years”
   – The leather giraffe had “been in the family for 6 years”
   

6. The media seems to be enjoying this fresh take.
   
   • “I think these ads (although this 4:30 minute skit is more like a mini-sitcom) are great.  Not great at selling product, since that’s not what they’re trying to do. But great entertainment, and humble and irreverent in a way that, say, Steve Jobs could never emulate.” –Dallas Morning News
   • “Gates & Seinfeld’s next commercial: Better. With funny parts. Now it’s kind of starting to make sense. Windows needs to think about how to adapt to the needs of real people.” –ZDNet
   • “Tonight’s ad explains that Gates and Seinfeld are on a quest to reconnect with real people, just like Microsoft is with the campaign. By embracing ordinary people — and contrasting them with the awkward rich guys — the ads are also a populist comeback to Apple’s "I’m a Mac-I’m a PC" ads that feature a hipster mocking an ordinary guy.” –Seattle Times
7. These ads seem to make self-identified Linux & Mac users angry  In reading comments on some of the larger blogs & news sites, these Gates & Seinfeld ads seem to really bring the vitriol out of zealots.  For some reason, words like “stupid” and “waste” and “senseless” are used in long exhaustive comments.
   
8. And finally:

   A co-worker of mine wrote something that I think really does a great job in discussing the science of advertising, something very few lay-people understand.

   ”When I took the Pepsi Challenge back in the 80’s, I had no idea the circumference of the cup and sample quantity would automatically make me prefer the sweeter cola — Pepsi. (Consume a small quantity of liquid from a narrow cup and the front of the tongue, which tastes sweetness, dominates your senses. Drink more of the same liquid from an ordinary soda can, and it hits the sides and back of your tongue – completely changing how it tastes to your brain).

   That elderly greeter at Wal-Mart may say “good morning” to you, but what he/she is really doing is distracting you from thinking about the list of things you came in for. If you simply stop and look up, the likelihood that you will purchase additional/unplanned items increases dramatically.

   Remember the original Budweiser “whazzzup” commercial? Seemed pointless, unless you recall how the last guy answered the question: “…watchin’ the game, havin’ a Bud.”  That’s right:  Your friends are all at home alone drinking, so forget about that silly stigma – grab yourself a Budweiser.

   Advertising can be very effective even if consumers never consciously understand the desired message. In fact, they often work better when the desired influence is unclear.”

p.s.  This fella dissected “New Family” down to the last detail:
Microsoft says Apple is Dijon mustard and extra cheese
http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-39294-118.html

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just skip this post.

1. No mudslinging.  No snappy retorts.  No anger.  No blood or “public hangings”.  No “crossfire”… 

   “The Future?  Delicious.”

2. Take a look at this photo to the left:  It’s what’s on the front page of Microsoft.com.  Look at the shirt & glasses Bill’s wearing and the side of the picture that he’s on.  Look at the jacket Jerry’s wearing and the side he’s on.  Does this look familiar?

   Note however that Bill’s a nice guy and not a buffoon in a collared shirt.

3. Conversations about cost savings and practicality.  Conversations about ‘things that fit’ and ‘feel right’ when purchasing them.  Conversations about choices and diversity, the future, and most of all, they talked about how you don’t need to spend a lot… even if you’re rich. 

   Everyday people choose ‘smart’ & ‘value’ over ‘cool’. And if you didn’t catch any of that, don’t worry.  They’ll be other episodes.

4. Innovation comes in all sorts of textures & flavors.  Stuff that you and I haven’t even thought of.  Moist & chewy?  Y’never know.  But it’s what Bill’s thinking about, and he’s a pretty smart guy.
    
5. People buying shoes don’t just speak English.  They speak Spanish too.  People other than the 1,000’s of techno-philes, college kids, and bloggers are interested in shoes.  Billions of people shop for shoes.
    
6. Did you watch it more than once?  I’ll bet more than a few people hit the 10 second rewind button on their DVRs or replay button on their screens to see it more than once.  It effectively captivated the watcher with curiosity.  People that knew what it was were “waiting for the pitch that never came”.  Those that didn’t know what it was watched it and likely remembered it or maybe even talked about it at the water cooler the next day.
    
7. There was a lack of condescension and preachiness.  In fact, it didn’t really feel like an ad.  It almost seemed like a Seinfeld episode.  No incessant pounding of a message.  No hard core marketing point to force feed viewers.  Just a lot of light-hearted dialog featuring two interesting people, leaving the content open for interpretation.  There’s more than one way to view Shoe Circus, and that’s what allows people to relate to it differently.
    
8. Anyone else notice that Bill’s Clown Club card used a photo – edited snapshot of the famous Albuquerque, New Mexico state police photo of him when he got arrested for speeding?

   Notice the digital removal of the “mug shot” board.

9. It’s part of a story.  The analogy someone I know used was the “Burma Shave” signs.  Burma Shave signs were outdoor billboards placed on US highways from the 1920s to the 1960s that told a little story in small pieces that evolved as you drove along.  The signs are found in museums and private collections today.

   

   Many more “signs” will be posted along the way.

   …and…
    

10. It’s worth repeating again:  No anger.  And besides: People are talking about it, discussing it, writing about it, blogging about it… right?  Heck, you’re reading this post to read my observations on it.  Now there’s MS haters screaming, “AhhhhM$isabunchof@#$%!” which is pretty much the norm.  There’s MS zealots going, “AhhhhhMSWTFyoushouldhavedoneXY&Zinstead?!?” which is pretty much expected.

    And in the middle there’s an awful lot of people that probably found the opportunity to see another “Seinfeld” episode – one featuring Bill Gates – enjoyable.  And probably talked about it with others because that it wasn’t like any commercial they’d seen before.

    And that was just the intro.  Hey – we have $300M to spend, right?

Wow. Here’s a really interesting look as to why advertising, particularly in games, is BAD.  It’s actually an argument that I’d never really considered.

In a nutshell:  Advertising changes games.  It changes the thinking of it’s creators.  It changes the experience within the game.  It creates visuals that detract from the rest of the game and ultimately doesn’t add to the enjoyment of the game.

Read more here on the Braid web site.

LINK:  http://braid-game.com/news/?p=337