   Poll Results! [10.29.02 - 11.4.02]    
THE RESULTS    Q: To what extent do you think the law should regulate entertainment, specifically - electronic entertainment?The law has no business telling me what constitutes entertainment. Hands off!---------------------------------260---||||||||||||||----37.41%Loose guidelines and incentives to adhere to them are preferrable to legal armwrestling-----------------------98----||||--------------14.10%Protecting kids. Monitoring fraud. Leave the rest to parents and responsible adults---------------------------226---|||||||||||-------32.52%Treat electronic entertainment just like all other forms. There should be some things that are unacceptable---102---||||||------------14.68%"Entertainment" goes to far these days, and needs to be brought in check--------------------------------------9-----|-----------------1.29% Total Votes:  695THE ANALYSIS    Gah I have no time for any analysis... gotta finish my game framework so I can compete in Ludum Dare's upcoming 48hr contest. Oluseyi you'll have to do your bit on choice number 4 for me.NEW POLL [11.5.02 - 11.11.02]   We break from our regular programming for this poll by Erunama.Q: With the increasing popularity of Linux and the ease of its installation in new distributions, will Linux (or another open source operating system) be able to take over Microsoft''s stranglehold of the market?- Yes, open source will prevail over proprietary corporate operating systems- Yes, as long as Linux continues to improve and more and more hardware/software companies support it- No, Linux does not (and will never) have the software quantity or quality that Windows has- No, Microsoft will find ways to suppress Linux before it starts infiltrating the computers of the general public- Maybe; it is too early to tell what Microsoft has up its sleeve, and how the public will react to a Windows-like OS that is not Windowshead over to the main page to vote!    _________________________________________________________________Drew SikoraA.K.A. GaiidenICQ #: 70449988AOLIM: DarkPylatBlade Edge SoftwareStaff Member, GDNetPublic Relations, Game Institute3-time Contributing author, Game Design Methods , Charles River Media Online column - Design Corner at PixelateUnnoficial IGDA chat! [polaris.starchat.net -> #igda]NJ IGDA Chapter - NJ developers unite!! [Chapter Home | Chapter Forum]"Real programmers don't work from 9 to 5. If any real programmers are around at 9am it's because they were up all night." -Anon."It's not the size of the source that matters, it's how you use it"- Self    
quote:Original post by Gaiiden  Oluseyi you''ll have to do your bit on choice number 4 for me.  Gladly. I voted that way, afterall.Electronic entertainment is exactly that: entertainment that takes an electronic form. It should be regulated like all other forms of entertainment (I remember someone writing once that if electronic entertainment accepted regulation like porn did, it would not only be a more successful industry but would have far fewer critics and would not be the easy target for tragedies like Columbine) because then we would be free to pursue adult-themed games without the stigma of "games are for kids" as well as without the propaganda of "targeting/marketing filth at our children."It''s interesting how many people responded with choice 1. I wonder if public garroting as a sport would upset such people? To issue a blanket statement like that denies how quickly liberty is taken for license in out world, as well as the fact that the progress of our society is based on the acceptance of certain forms of behavior and activity as inacceptable, and collective agreement on punishment for violation of those terms. When did you agree, you ask? When you did or didn''t vote.The fact that the largest proportion of respondents chose this option is, to me, indicative of a highly reactionary nature to criticism of the game development community by the community in general.It''s not surprising that the moderate position, choice 3, was the next most popular. The problem I had with that stance was that "protecting kids" is a nebulous statement (I crafted it, so I should know) that when concretized is equivalent to saying "this is not acceptable under any conditions for persons of such status" - which is essentially choice 4. Where 3 and 4 differ is 4''s statement that some things should be unnacceptable and 3''s placement of responsibility where it rightly belongs - on parents and responsible adults. I personally think some things should be collectively deemed unnacceptable for public consumption (what you do in private is your own business, but products that must be sold and advertised in the public domain need some restrictions), but I also think that choice 3''s assertion is very true. This was a tough one.Let''s not even get started on choice 5. I mean, why are you here then?  