Rants

Or... Things that are pissing me off.

This is where I'll post things I need to rant about and generally get off my chest.
I'll warn you right off the bat, this might get ugly at times, and some may find it offensive.
So read at your own risk.

Rant #1 - People who have no concept of their hardware.
I know some people are gonna be upset over this one, but I am so sick and tired of people who have computers, but lack any concept of what they are and how they work. This actually used to be a much bigger issue for me than it probably is today, as the entire industry has really evolved to a place where the average end-user really isn't expected to, and often has no need to understand their hardware whatsoever. Still, it does annoy me when they act like they have the best rig on the planet, but the second they need help (because something isn't working anymore, you ask them, "So what video card do you have?" and they say, "Video card? Uh, I think it's an LED or something..." I'm sorry, but that's just plain ridiculous. Would you just pick up a power saw and use it without any basic knowledge of what it does and how it should work? Would you pick up some random pill you find in the street and gulp it down without knowing what it is? Not likely. Most people who would honestly say 'yes' probably aren't still around and able to read this, or they're off in some hospice somewhere nursing missing limbs and severe brain damage and probably don't much care what a video card is to begin with. Just as its wise to know a bit about those sorts of things before messing with them, you should have at least a basic idea of what your system is and how it works. I'm not saying you should necessarily know how to tear it apart and put it back together, but would it really be so hard to at least know its general use and upkeep? Knowing little things like the make and model of the major components your machine is built from goes a long way. At the very least, it allows those of us who do intimately understand hardware to actually have a prayer of giving you a meaningful answer to the inevitable question, "Why won't it work?" that we hear so very often. Think about it.... You can't call an auto parts store and say, "I need a new oil filter", but when they ask what kind of car you have, you say, "um.. one with 4 wheels I guess" and actually expect to get anything useful in return. A little basic knowledge goes a long, long way, and if you're not willing to invest at least that tiny bit of time and effort, then I strongly suggest you stick to consoles. With very little meaningful exception, an Xbox is more or less an Xbox, after all, so knowing much more than that is usually not nearly so important.

Rant #1 - People who have no concept of their hardware.

I know some people are gonna be upset over this one, but I am so sick and tired of people who have computers, but lack any concept of what they are and how they work. This actually used to be a much bigger issue for me than it probably is today, as the entire industry has really evolved to a place where the average end-user really isn't expected to, and often has no need to understand their hardware whatsoever. Still, it does annoy me when they act like they have the best rig on the planet, but the second they need help (because something isn't working anymore, you ask them, "So what video card do you have?" and they say, "Video card? Uh, I think it's an LED or something..."

I'm sorry, but that's just plain ridiculous.

Would you just pick up a power saw and use it without any basic knowledge of what it does and how it should work? Would you pick up some random pill you find in the street and gulp it down without knowing what it is?

Not likely. Most people who would honestly say 'yes' probably aren't still around and able to read this, or they're off in some hospice somewhere nursing missing limbs and severe brain damage and probably don't much care what a video card is to begin with.

Just as its wise to know a bit about those sorts of things before messing with them, you should have at least a basic idea of what your system is and how it works. I'm not saying you should necessarily know how to tear it apart and put it back together, but would it really be so hard to at least know its general use and upkeep? Knowing little things like the make and model of the major components your machine is built from goes a long way. At the very least, it allows those of us who *do* intimately understand hardware to actually have a prayer of giving you a meaningful answer to the inevitable question, "Why won't it work?" that we hear so very often.

Think about it....

You can't call an auto parts store and say, "I need a new oil filter", but when they ask what kind of car you have, you say, "um.. one with 4 wheels I guess" and actually expect to get anything useful in return. A little basic knowledge goes a long, long way, and if you're not willing to invest at least that tiny bit of time and effort, then I strongly suggest you stick to consoles. With very little meaningful exception, an Xbox is more or less an Xbox, after all, so knowing much more than that is usually not nearly so important.