Nerd news alert (Also, how INTERNETS ads work)

lol some sites block firefox like how the SAF content filters my site lolololololol

(Slowpoke, yes, I am a slowpoke)

Apart from being extremely silly and free advertisment for Firefox and AdBlock (I am not insinuating anything here, nor will I ever endorse the use of one browser over another, unless it’s lolifox, and darnit, that’s because it has loli in it’s name), it’s being initiated by a Christian fundamentalist. What a great ringing ad for Christianity. :V (Yeah, I know, I’m one to speak, but at least I do my best to limit my fundie urges :V)

Well, enough about criticizing. Time for solid hard facts on how INTERNETS ADS work.

INTRODUCTION

There are 3 basic ad types (or so I’ve been informed…): Pay per Click (PPC), Pay per Action (PPA), and Pay per Impression (PPI). I believe there are more types of ads on the Internet, but I don’t know how those types other than the 3 mentioned work.

PAY PER CLICK

The Pay per Click ad basically pays the owner of the site a small sum of cash (quite literally peanuts) every time a user clicks on the ad. Google Adsense ads are usually prime examples of PPC ads.

PAY PER ACTION

This kind of ad is a little more complicated. You click on an ad, and you do something, like buy something from the advertiser or use the advertiser’s services. The owner of the sites gets a cut from the sales, I think. Example of PPA ads: Amazon ads, Affiliate programs like JList.

PAY PER IMPRESSION

Think of PPI ads as TV advertisments. Owner of site entices companies to put their ads on his or her site for a monthly fee, or for a Cost Per Impressions (CPI). This kind of ad is prevalent on the Internet.

It’s because of a few shady unethical companies who exploit the nature of ads (lol Gator) that’s causing headaches for some site owners. I understand why people need adblock and the like, but really, it’s one thing to deny some shady company their money, it’s another to deny someone their means of paying the hosting bills. And anyway, those who block ads are people who are not going to use your services anyway, so why kick up a big fuss?

Take adblockers as a lesson in not just marketing, but also, webdesign. I know ads are supposed to attract attention, but when I read an article, I don’t like an ad to be in the middle of that article. Breaks the mood, ya know.

Acknowledgments:

I gotta thank Maestro (owner of animeblogger.net) for enlightening me on how ads generate revenue for sites. And for reminding me that popups and popunders are not limited to PPI ads.

Nostalgic.

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PS: Dan Kim is not dead.

A little fly told me about this on the grapevine…

Article here

Where I heard it from

tl;dr for impatient people: It seems like some Japanese creators, game developers and them creative-types in Japan actually appreciate stuff like fan translations and fansubs.

Here’s the kicker: (and if I have to verify this, all I have to do is to email RPGamer )

On a similar note, we told Mr. Sakamoto that a fan translation had been done some years ago for Front Mission 1, and asked how he felt about such efforts. The producer replied that he actually found them very encouraging — it’s something the developers should be doing, but because they’re not, the fans are doing it instead. He stated that he’d like to be able to give something back to the fans, and would like to thank personally each of the fans that worked on the translation.

No official word on fansubs yet, but I think if we can take this article as an example, Japan does like the efforts put in by the likes of Mirror Moon and doremi-subs.

Yes, I know TYPE-MOON and some visual novel companies have this ‘no translation’ policy on their works, but it’s more due to the fact that different languages cannot adequately express their ideas, and not because they want to milk the crap out of their fans. I mean, heck, translation into a different language requires an entire shift in mindset, not just blindly machine translate.

The point is, even though sometimes the Japanese ‘officially’ say they do not like fantranslations and the like, deep down, some of them actually do like the efforts the fans put in to do this stuff.

Acknowledgments:

velocity7 (he’s the guy heading the CLANNAD Translation Project) for bringing this to my attention.
RPGamer for writing the article.

If this is the kind of culture we might be turning into, I don’t want to be a part of it.

Nobody attacks Comiket and gets away with it. Even if the attack didn’t happen, attempting to is more than enough.

I may be a fan, but I am not a fanatic. Nor am I someone who is clearly out for some guy’s blood just because he criticized any of my salient points.

I feel ashamed to be acquainted or to be grouped together with people who think like terrorists, even though they might share the same hobby as I do. (I can handle weirdness, but I draw the line at radicalism.)

If this is how otaku culture may turn into (and indeed, it might already be too late), I would rather not be a part of it.

You put some Phantasy Star in my cartography! No, you put some cartography in MAH PHANTASY STAR.

I rarely do game reviews, but this game is made of maps and win.

Ladies, gentlemen, and members of the public, if you are pregnant, have heart problems, or are generally pussies or suffer from weak hearts or constitutions, please kindly leave the premises and go home. The management will not be responsible for any injuries, deaths, or mental scarring that would happen during the review.

The rest of you still here? Good.

ETRIAN ODYSSEY: THE REVIEW (Beware of FOE)

Etrian Oddessy
Developer: LanCarse CO. Ltd
Publisher: ATLUS

I think cartography is a very boring activity. Hours upon hours of drawing maps, it gets to you. I’m sure most of you wouldn’t want to be cartographers when you grow up. I mean, we have satellites that tak-

I’m diverging from the point here Etrian Odyssey is basically a cartography game with the explorer element thrown in. Yes, see fabulous dungeons, draw maps of said dungeons, see the world, fight exotic monsters and loot and pillage their bodies for useful bits that can be sold for money, get slaughtered by huge powerful boss-type monsters and watch helplessly as they fornicate with your remains and eat them up after the act… … …

Waitaiminute, did you say “get slaughtered by huge powerful monsters”? Well, you got that right. Inside the exotic dungeons are enemies known as FOEs (don’t ask about the lexicon, I’m not trained in this area, and it’s pretty long) who are more than happy to mow down unprepared bands of adventurers and rape the remains. Of course, that last bit was made up. But the mass slaughter is not made up. Trust me, those FOEs, they are SERIOUS BUSINESS.

The beginning of the game is pretty bleh, since you don’t have access to the last two classes at the start. But once you have them, you will be hooked. Also, the Hexer class has the cutest loli portrait

I recommend this game if you are a masochist, liked Yggdra Union (same artist), or just like something new in your RPGs. If you want instant gratification, run ‘n’ gun-type action or grew up on FF7, I suggest you get another game. Or replay FF7 and write more Cloud X Sephiroth yaoi. (Yes this game is good stuff.)

[Insert witty yet meaningful title here]

I’m seriously running out of witty (or lack of, thereof) titles.

But this isn’t about my creative slump, or about my lack of wit (Yes I know my wit is as sharp as a bowling ball and  as stale as week-old bread, so can it or I tell the world you wank to self-admission of shortcomings ). It’s about the Bible being retold using manga. (ANN link here, original news thread in here.)

Quite frankly, I know and am keenly aware about how Christianity has yet to take root in Japan. And I know how hard it is for missionaries to preach the Good Word in Japan, especially since Japan is extremely deep-rooted in polytheism (Shinto beliefs, basically says there are 8 million gods, one for each and every thing.) , and that’s one of the reasons why Japan isn’t that receptive to the Word.

Heck, Christian or not, I think it’s a wonderful to finally see the Bible getting a spankin’ new upgrade. There’s only so much theologians, translators, and editors can do to refine the Bible, and frankly, reading words isn’t all that useful to most people nowadays. Especially since people have extremely short attention spans today, and most of them wouldn’t be hooked on some of the more, errrr, theological issues.

It’s even more important now, post Da Vinci Code (boy that was a lousy novel, Christian and secular critics agree, it is one lousy novel), since people now are even more wary of anything they read or hear.

Though I wonder, how the heck are they going to portray stuff like the Psalms? Sure, it’s easy to do the big events and all, and with a bit of creativity the Pauline Epistles and the rest of the New Testament can be brought to life (kinda), but what about books like the Psalms, or Ecclesiastes? Wait, I just answered my own question. Silly me.

Long story short: Manga Messiah is a radically good idea, if they don’t try to pussyfoot it through the brutal parts where God rains thunder, hellfire and the like. This is the best kick in the shins this religion needs, by gum.

And yes, if you don’t believe bj0rn is crazy, I can back that up.

Yes, he really was there since Friday, and he got lots of people to back up that claim.

Also, he was the first one to get that sola towel, and KKnM only had 2 in stock. (Guess who took the other towel?)

Heh, I never thought I could enjoy myself so much at this event, annoyances notwithstanding. And yes, I did have a load of fun at Charafest, nothing beats slacking in a comfortable place while watching people buy stuff. Good times, good times.

Anyway, just a quick rundown of the event:

The local animé merchandise store, Karshi Kanojo no Mise, or KKnM for short, holds an annual event where they sell some of the latest goods from Japan (and yes, they do go to Japan to get these goods.) And this year, they have gotten some Comiket72 goodies to sell. Though the list was seriously lacking in doujin goods (only 1 Touhou pencilboard set, and I don’t think I could afford that :V), at least they held true to their word.

(Well, I do understand if they don’t want to sell doujin goods, most of them isn’t done for profit, but for love and most probably, survival. Hey, people do need to eat.)

They’re a fairly nice bunch of people, really.

Well, enough introduction, now comes the fun part: watching the fairweather fans squirm, moan, and complain about their inadequacy while the true fans (and the insane ones) get rewarded.

And yes, I didn’t sleep just to attend that event. Go figure.

I should hang out with bj0rn and the crew more often. Or go kick myself in the shin.

You reap what you sow.

Reading material:

impz comments on the clarification

DM pretty much shows how much of a fool he really is (even if he does raise some interesting issues)

tj_han makes a really bad pun (bad puns should be made criminal)

Time to get to work.

Part 1

The central belief Peter holds is that an animé fan is one who gives back as much as he takes from the animé industry. That is the hallmark of a true fan.

Well, that may hold true for being a fan, but that kind of fan that statement is hinting at (when read in context of the article that was lifted from) is an idiot and a cash cow for companies to milk. I am, unfortunately a discerning customer and I do demand some form of quality in my product. If a product or service is good, it gets spread to at most 4 people, but if a product or service is bad, word gets spread to at least 7 people. It is not surprising, though, that since the company in question puts out such bad products, no one is buying from them. Bad news spreads very fast.

The issue of giving back as much as you take is a funny issue. If my support is mainly monetary in nature, wouldn’t that mean I am nothing but a mindless corporate whore who does everything in his or her power to keep the company afloat? Support is more than just monetary in nature. It works mainly on fan support, monetary and otherwise. Think about it for a moment. Without Comiket and the like, we would be seeing only mecha animé, even though Osamu Tezuka did work his butt off doing various stuff. NO EROGE, NO NEGIMA, NO LOVE HINA, NO TOUHOU, NO ORIGINALITY. I don’t know how anyone with half a brain could survive in that kind of a situation.

In fact, to bring up the Tezuka Factor, he did a lot of story adaptations prior to Astro Boy. He got his style directly from Disney. Now, Mr. Tezuka, the Father and Pioneer of Japanese animation, was a fan of Disney movies. He’d watch them over and over, trying to understand how they were animated. He brought in Western animation techniques and improved the Japanese animation scene. He worked his butt off in sweatshop conditions to produce a staggering amount of animation and manga. (Yes, he was responsible for the sweatshop conditions animators and manga artists face today, cry me a river.) He singlehandedly brought Japan out of the postwar slump and into the modern era. He was a fan, and he did everything in his power to turn Japan into an animation powerhouse rivaling that of Disney. He was a fan. And he made Japanese animation what it is today.

That is what a fan does. Someone who does EVERYTHING in his power to establish and/or further an interest in ANYTHING, be it wargaming, comics, manga, animation, Classic Battletech (Battletech is closely related to animation, that I will cover much later.), books, blogging, friendster, video games, whatever. They won’t just buy stuff, they spread the word. They introduce their friends to it. They try their very best not to act dumb while doing so. He or she who is passionate about anything will do ANYTHING to get more people interested in whatever they are interested in. Well, anything that puts their interests in a positive light.

If support is just monetary in nature, we’d end up with endless Naruto and Bleach episodes.  And no, I don’t think I want another repeat of the music industry OR the videogaming industry. Endless churning of the same material, only with minor changes in graphics and whatnot. That is no way to expand an industry or business.

As for putting back what you take, let me subvert it into something more relevant: You reap what you sow. It’s true, you reap what you sow. You sow oats, you reap oats. You plant an acorn seed, you get an acorn tree. You sow evil, you reap evil. Plant nothing, and you get nothing. It’s one of the facts of life. If you don’t show an interest in anything, you won’t get anything. Likewise, if you don’t plan to engage in the local market, how will you expect them to respond positively, or even respond at all. And to make matters worse, you go about sowing evil on the sly. I’m not surprised that the reaction to the news is consistent with what I’ve heard about the RIAA and MPAA.

You reap what you sow, people. And you’d better be able to swallow that bitter pill. Nothing will help you swallow that pill. It is knowledge, and to have it is far better than gold or silver or crude oil.

Part 2

He wants to see a unique Singaporean anime culture, one which is totally free of piracy, illegal downloads and 100 percent friendly to the Japanese studios.

Having dreams is good, it guides a man to his destiny.

However, when a man uses unjust actions and lies to establish his dreams, he is no better than a fool. Deeds before words. Actions speak louder than words. It is in the best interests of the man in question that I openly rebuke him for acting so childishly. What he is doing is no better what your average fan does: openly attacking people whose views are contrary to him, only this time the man in question has got the legal and finacial power to force people to be unable to fight back.

Is this how you want to establish your dream, by turning this country into a desolate land of Copyright Protection ruled by the lawsuit? No signs of growth, no fanbase, and everyone laughs at us for being idiots? Would any Japanese animation company even consider setting up shop here due to this fiasco, after knowing that is how you treat their fans and potential customers? Will the International community even look at us in the right light after this? (I am running the risk of defamation here, don’t sue me for stating what I think is the truth.)

Even America knows they can’t survive without the efforts of the fans. While I will concede to him that a fair amount of “fans” here are nothing but dirty freeloaders who care only about themselves (I should know: I know some of these people; I am not one of them.), it is they who do the market testing. It is they who do the PR work. And at the end of the day, it is them who will sing praises unto your name and bring in the money.

I am painfully aware that our country has a disproportionate amount of people who want free stuff. In fact, it is so deeply engrained into our genes that it would take a Herculean effort to get rid of it. Human nature is such an awful thing to have. And yet, we are human. We may be able to control our urges, but more often than not, we fail. It is more prudent to exploit human nature, rather than to use negative reinforcement. iTunes is a great example of this. Detestable as it is, Apple (and Steve Jobs) has done something that no recording company could ever dream of doing: appealing to human nature. We want things quick and fast, and for a reasonable price. iTunes does that, and a bit more.  I won’t go into details, but iTunes music sells more music than the a CD single every week.

To realize that dream, you have to wake up to the cold hard facts. You are working with humans. Humans are flawed, and cannot comprehend your dream. They want things quick and they want it now. Can you tap into that desire and fufill your dream? Only time will tell. But first, you need to take the first step. Acknowledge that you will never survive without your fans. Heck, you are one yourself, aren’t you?

Part 3

I am an informed customer. I am not like the drooling corporate whore, who buys everything related to his interests and calls it a good buy. I do my research on what is offered, and then I will decide for myself what is good. I do my best to not be too picky about quality, but I have to realize this: A bad product sold cheaply has less worth than a good product sold at exorbitant prices.

I am also a fan. I love my hobby. I would do pretty much anything good and honest to ensure people know of it. I am willing to part with money in order to purchase the latest keepsake or merchandise. I spread the word, I do good works, I don’t make a mockery of myself if I can help it.

I find it very hard to reconcile both these sides of me when it comes to something like animation, manga and eroge. I know a fair amount of merchandise is made to fleece people from their cash, but at time I cannot hold back the sudden impulse of buying. I would love to do so, but I only have a limited amount of money to spend, and even then, I have to take care of the basic needs. I am not a fool who mindlessly spends.

Also, I do not see the need to buy every single thing related to my hobby. I spend what I can. A bit here, a bit there. The odd pencilboard, an occasional DVD set, a figurine or two. Am I not contributing to the industry with these minor acts? You say it is not enough, I say, it is. Little drops of water, tiny grains of sand, make the mighty ocean, and the great big land, so goes that poem I used to read when I was young.

Giving back what you take is more than just spending money. It is about devoting a portion of your time and soul into spreading the word. You make friends and introduce to them your hobby. You get a job related to your interest and try in initiate change. You might want to try maintaining a blog and write about your interest. Am I not doing my best in giving back what I took from the industry in doing so?

I do not abhor fansubs, they are a means of giving back what you owe. I abhor people who justify their reasons for not supporting the industry, people who mask their true intentions under a veneer of lies and deception. I would very much like to flog them in public for being hypocrites, but alas, we live in times where doing as such is not just forbidden, but punishable in most countries. This is all what I can do.

I wish I could do more, but alas, I am human, and my resources are limited. And soon, I will be unable to do even this. It is not my final hurrah, far from it, but if this goes on, even this will be taken away from me. I will forever mourn the loss of my hobby, and I will forever HATE the people who have taken it away.

You have been forewarned.

I do try to be more objective, but this is quite getting out of hand.

 My stand is very clear on this.

Well, a Sunday has come and gone, but no one, I repeat, no one has ever taken up my challenge and tried to prove that their stand is just and true.

If your cause is just and true, then you should come and say that in front of my face (abuse is optional). What better way to prove that your stand is just and true than to say it in front of a lot of people? And in front of the Lord.

This is not a service I offer to anyone, but a challenge. If your cause is just and true, you will have no problems saying it in front of a crowd. This isn’t even a dare. It is an ultimatum. If you really believe your cause is just, say it in front of the Lord. On the Internet, anyone can say anything. Backing up those words, however, is another matter altogether.

This challenge is also open to the people who started this mess, Mr. Stephen Sing and Mr. Peter Go. Should you believe your cause is just and true, this is the perfect chance to do so. Prove to me you still have a small inkling of honor and integrity in that soul you currently have.

Say it in my face, I am a freeloader and a faggot. I don’t care. Hurl abuse at me. I don’t care either. Hit me, if you will. Kill me from where I stand. If your cause is just and true, no one will oppose you. Right now, both causes are unjust and self-serving. How can I throw my weight in with greed and rebellion? You tell me.

I have always thrown my support in with the just and righteous. I have never supported evil, and will never do so. Two causes, one just as evil as the other, clash, none will survive. It has been written since time immemorial, and true it will ring. Evil cannot defeat evil, only good can. Darkness can never defeat darkness, only light will. Fire defeats ice, not ice.

When will mankind ever learn.

Links:

A local forum and their misguided attempts to use evil to defeat evil

Evil lurks afoot.

A stronghold of evil.

An evil document.

Sure, Henry Jenkins may be right on some things, but that is one ambiguous law if I ever saw one.

It’s about software, but hey, it works for pretty much any kind of medium

Henry Jenkins: One handsome old dude

How America handles something as sticky and the Berne Convention when it comes to foreign media.

Yeah, I know, stuff happens, but this is for the benefit of those of you in the audience who don’t know this.

In America, they don’t hand out lawsuits like Halloween candy to people. In fact, they know that this is a fastrack to corporate suicide. Companies like ADV and Funimation actually announce their licenses at conventions and the like. Yeah, you got that right. They announce their licenses out loud. At conventions. Where there are a lot of people. People who will know about the whole thing. And then, the list appears online, via the usual channels.

Most people are happy enough to oblige with the wishes of the company.

For those who didn’t catch the announcement or are a bit too earnest, they send a Cease and Desist Letter. All it says on the letter is to simply please stop fansubbing the series in question. Nothing about lawsuits or threats of jailtime or anything.They know the customer base is extremely small, and they can’ t go around accusing fans for being selfish. A simple “Please” and “Thank You” goes a long way, folks. Remember that. It works internationally.

Speaking of small customer bases, ADV et al knows that having bad rep completely and utterly destroys their chances of making money. (And overlicensing, but that’s another mater I do not have the authority to discuss on). For example, 4kids has one of the worst reps around, and they’re paying the price. Their horrible localizations of Pokémo, Yu Gi Oh and One Piece has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. ADV et al have their critics, but at least they are nice enough to admit they need their customers and that they could do better.

If you remember my earlier article about ADV, they are trying to adapt to the market, Video On Demand and whatnot. They know they can’t beat the crowd, so they might as well try to adapt to the crowd’s taste. Well, that is how any company should try to do. Try to adapt to the market. And at least care for the the community as well. Really, a small gesture of kindness beats any form of heavy-handed punishment easily. Greed does not profits make, but kindness and common sense.

If you don’t want to listen, I can’t say anything. I can only inform and educate. You can’t force a horse to drink water, only lead the horse to it.