Everyone could use a little optimism these days. This isn't anything crazy, but I thought it was cute and maybe even a little inspirational. Bob Wertz blogs about switching the fish logo on his blog from an anxious expression to one with an optimistic smirk:
This year, I surprised myself I chose the “optimist.” Don’t get me wrong, the world is still chaotic and disappointing in many ways. I could have chosen the “anxious” logo, or honestly, one of several “angry” logos. But in my personal life, the kids are settling into their new realities and my new job is going well. I’m making progress on my dissertation and I can see the end of my graduate studies. I see at least some signs of progress that make me believe that we’ll get through the global chaos and political bullshit. So I’m choosing to be optimistic about the semester. We’ll see how long I stick with this version.
As shitty as everything is in the world right now, life goes on. One day we might even make it out the other side.
Annnd here's a little pessimism to even things out: in my home state of Ohio, your household income needs to be at least $226k to live "comfortably." We're nowhere close to that at my place but we do alright... aside from the mountain of constantly growing credit card debt that keeps us both up at night. The state with the highest cost of living was Massachusetts at $329,555 and the lowest was Mississippi at $188,000.
Negative emotions sell products:
Fear is a huge factor in our decision making. The fears we’ve listed here are only a few broad ones. There are other strong emotions that prompt users to make decisions. For instance, dating apps capitalize on loneliness, while ride-sharing apps prey on our desire to be independent and mobile.
When I used to sell cars, I remember this big boisterous sumbitch from Texas who founded some scammy company to keep customers coming back to the dealership for service, and ultimately, to trade up to a new car every couple of years.
He had this word track he called "action, good feeling, PAIN."
One example he used was something along the lines of this:
"We have this great Platinum service package I think you'll really like. You said you were taking the new 4runner on your trip to Hilton Head this summer, right? Man that sounds like fun; hanging out at the beach all day, having a few cocktails, living the easy life. Boy, I'd hate to see you stranded on the highway down there in the middle of that summer heat. Imagine having to pay $8000 out of pocket for a new transmission at some hole-in-the-wall mechanic just to get you limping home. That'd really throw a wrench into things wouldn't it? Part of that Platinum package includes a FREE pre-vacation checkup! So just sign on the line here and we'll get you through financing -- it'll only add a few bucks a month to your payments, and you'll get some peace of mind"
I know the linked article is meant to be a lesson in marketing, but companies who have to scare you into buying their product probably don't have a very good product. And if they do, what a fucking shame it is thinking they have to manipulate you into spending money with them.
"We took the same approach we did with the Gulf of Mexico: be part of the conversation, and give people an app that keeps the names they're familiar with," said MapQuest general manager Doug Berger, in a press release. "Hundreds of thousands of people signaled to us this weekend that we got it right, by downloading our app."
Fear sells, but so does having a spine and not caving to every whim of a delusional dictator. I didn't even know Mapquest was still a thing, but it looks like a real viable alternative to Google Maps even in the year of our lord 2026. I never used Google Maps; Apple's version has been good enough for me over the years. But if I did, I would absolutely be giving Mapquest a try right now.
Technology has transformed where and how games are played, but the old lessons remain useful. Start quickly. Let the player understand the goal. Make actions readable. Create a session that feels complete even when it is short. Respect the player who wants only one round as much as the player who returns for ten. Solitaire did not invent every one of these ideas, yet it placed them together in front of an enormous audience. Its legacy is larger than nostalgia. It helped prove that a game could be simple to enter, satisfying to master and perfectly at home on a computer screen.
Twitter.now is still down at the time of writing this. I keep checking every once in a while to see if anything has changed, but the landing page is still just that graphic of an AI bird with a slingshot on top of a dead AI whale saying, "we're already learning the hard way..."
I'm genuinely curious to see if they'll be able to pull off a re-launch with working moderation. At least to the point where it's usable. Not holding my breath though.
To be fair, it's only been three days, so maybe we'll see some kind of update in the near future.