Good Riddance to Facebook Games.

Half a month into the new year.. and I think I didn't do too badly for my ONE resolution.. Though I must confess I have not been doing the devotion everyday.. but I would catch up with it and tonite if I read for two days, I am already up to date.. And in a way I do feel spiritually closer to God.. :)

Then Yesterday (Thurs) I made a `drastic' decision - or you could count it as my 2nd resolution for the new year.

I was in the steam room for my detox treatment and since I had to be stuck in there for 1/2 hour, I used the time to pray and commune with the Lord. And I was committing my work to Him, and also confessing how bad I've been in term of wasting time playing on FB games.. and causing myself to sleep extremely late..

Then, the Lord spoke (ok, not literally but He instilled this idea into my head). It's plain and simple: I should just stop playing ALL the games with immediate effect.

It's not exactly very hard to do right, you would say.. Games are games.. but for someone like me who really enjoyed playing them, and yes, got addicted in the process, it is kinda a `drastic' decision. But I welcome it and I told God and myself that I WILL do it.

So it's set. When I got home in the evening, I went to Facebook as usual. First, I put up a status message to announce this decision - a self-tactic to make my decision more firm. Then I just took away all the bookmarks of the applications of the games.. I didn't go and delete the applications for various reasons.. First, it takes too long and I might soften.. and I have too many applications anyway. Secondly, I have kids friends who may want things from my games which I think I can give to them.. to think of it, for Pets Society especially, it's hard for me to just delete my whole account after I had invested so many months and built up a beautiful `home' with so many furniture and stuff in it. At least now even if I don't play at all, I know it's still somewhere in cyberspace..

Actually the one game that I was resisting last night was `Cafe World', cause I was in the midst of cooking a few dishes.. and then I have so many friends who are active playing this game, who without fail have been sending me gifts (dishes) daily. To show my resoluteness, I even deleted all the gifts that they sent so far since last night..

And then there was Sorority Life - a silly girlie game that actually promotes (if anything) vanity and accumulate material things!! But can you believe I have two characters there and even took the trouble to add many strangers just to be come `sisters' (and then deleted them from FB friends cos they're total strangers) And I reached level 109 or 110? in one.. that's A LOT of hours or days or even weeks of time.... sigh

So am I having withdrawal syndrome from FB games? maybe.. I don't know. I know myself too well. If I didn't take such a drastic measure to stop altogether, I could never have the discipline and self control to play just sparingly. Because I have an addictive streak, and from past experiences I have learned the lesson of how addicted I get with things like computer-related games..

A friend actually commented on my status message: `see how long it lasts'!! Hmm but I am really determined to make it last until I have no more interest whatsoever with these games anymore!!

So, good riddance to Sorority Life, Cafe World, Petville, Restaurant City, Pet Society, and Word Twist (though basically I have only one opponent but I can get carried away) All of you have given me fun and good time but at the same time got me wasted hundreds of hours .. so like what the song sings.. it's `Time to say Goodbye..'!

update 17-1-10:
I DID IT!! I just deleted all my FB games applications except Pet Society (for reasons above) and Word Twist (maybe once a while just to play it as it's non continual..).

Taking the `Mac' plunge and loving it!

On Monday night, I bid farewell to my PC of six years and spent a couple of hours tidying the quite messy contents in the hard disk.. ready for the `big change'!

The thing is, it was getting very slow, always hanged and worse of all,because of piracy reason (ahem, i didn't have an original Windows software as it was a clone), I couldn't even access some of the programs anymore!

And Since I `shifted' to my new SoHo, even dad has commented that perhaps it's time to upgrade my desktop computer.. The monitor looked quite dwarf on the large table.. but of course the main reason I decided to change was that I felt it has served its due.

So for the last week or two, I was scouting around and researching for a new desktop. To be honest, I had not thought of switching from Microsoft to Mac as I've been using MS Windows since the day I owned a PC - and although I had tried a Mac before it appeared a bit too `complicated' to me.. Though I must admit I think it's pretty cool.

Then early last week, I stepped foot into Machines - a store that carries only Apple products - and fell in love instantly with the iMac!

Yes, its appearance and design is simply genius and beautiful - like all Apple products. But after speaking to the staff there, I realised the advantages of using a Mac (no worries about virus, almost crash-proof..) basically a more superior technology than Windows. Well, I didn't just take his words for it and proceeded to read up on the Net from reputable tech sites. Reviews of similar all-in-one desktop all point to the fact that the best IS the iMac.

Still not convinced because I was just afraid of taking the `big plunge' switching over, I posted a question on my Facebook status and was a bit surprised by the response! EVERYONE - and there were quite a lot who replied (save one person) asked me to get the iMac. And many of them were happy `converts'.

So by end of last week, I made up my mind that yes, I am gonna get the iMac! To save my worry, Machine's technician agreed to help me transfer my datas from my old PC hard disk to my new Mac! I went to purchase on Monday and left my pc there for the transfer.

Yesterday afternoon, my brand new iMac 20 inch arrived on my doorstep!

I then unpacked the contents and placed the iMac and all the rest on my table.

As I started to use it, I immediately knew I definitely made the right choice! Of course I only know how to do the basics as there're so many applications/programs I've yet to learn.. but whatever I tried out, I found everything to be so cool, and better still,very user-friendly! For a Net freak like me, I was instantly able to be connected to the Net! :))

And of course, the images are so sharp and powerful and the interface is just so slick and I love even working on a document as I could view all the pages together!! (Errr..I don't think i need to elaborate as any Mac user would know and testify to it!)

Am so excited.. there are still much more to explore for it's only the 2nd day... :)

In short, I just HEART my new iMac - never before I was so in love with a `machine' hehe.. and then I was wondering to myself - why did I wait so long before using a Mac? (I guess I was mainly concern with it being the more `niche' with less compatible software.. but as far as I know, Mac has evolved with times and with new MS compatible softwares, that's not even a problem)

Oh well, better late than never.

The only problem now is.. gosh, I will become addicted to my new iMac!!

FINALLY!!! We've got a wire-less home!

Life has been pretty boring and mundane in the last fortnight.. thus a little excitement is welcome.

Today, this `excitement' arrived in the form of... *drum roll*.. the successful set up of our WiFi connected house!!!

Yes, FINALLY!!! Seriously I never imagined it would have taken that long and that much problem.. ONE whole month and SIX visits by the computer technician, and all the sufferings of getting limited Internet connections... if FINALLY works.. YEESSS!!!

After the fifth attempt at setting up the system, I was almost giving up already and actually told him to forget about the (ever problematic) new system, I want a refund and just do it the ancient manual way - get a cable to run from the modem upstairs to my pc downstairs..

But today, I got some good news.. he had managed to find out the solution from the proper channel for sure.. and even had tested the system up. So ya, after some time of configuration, it WORKED for my home too!

To think of it, I'm glad Patrick has far more patience and perseverance than me.. I mean I feel quite bad of the amount of time and effort, not mentioning the petrol and tolls cost with all these visits.. But he's so optimistic that even after all that he had to go through, he said he learned something new - cos it's a new generation of the system.

So now I can finally settle into my new SoHo.. and do things on the Net from my PC that's full of photos and stuff.. but more importantly, I hope working here can be more productive..

But on the other hand, now that I can access Internet at every corner of my house.. would it mean this will feed onto my already bad Internet addiction!??? :S

p.s. I will take some photos of my SoHo and update my blog soon again..

Wireless Woes!!

Why is that I'm having so much trouble getting wireless connection in my house!!???

The computer guy has come here THREE times already - and each time spending many hours... I was there to assist too.. the last time was a few days before I came back from HK. According to my dad, he said everything was already ok - got a new router, got all the wireless access points placed properly - and apparently working fine...

BUT when i came home yesterday and tested out the Internet... it worked for just like 15 minutes - and then totally can't get into Internet again!! No matter how I tried. I called him up and we did trouble shooting for half an hour and managed to get connection a while - just like a few mins and Kaput, AGAIN!!

He asked me to call up Streamyx, my local Internet provider and I did - twice. Followed the trouble shooting again and this time was asked to plug my laptop directly into the router.. and yes, Internet was working!! so he said there was nothing wrong with Streamyx. It must be my wireless connection points not set up properly!

ARGH!! So I tried calling the computer guy again and could not get him. Sent a long sms and this evening he replied to ask me off the wireless one by one and on it again. I just tried again but to no avail..

So now, the only way I could get access to the Internet is by plugging my laptop right to the router, and I have to sit outside my room (thank god there's a massage chair there) and get my Internet fix.

I don't know when he would be able to come again since he said he's busy with a project.. We already paid fully and I know he is an honest guy but right now it seems he is quite clueless too as to what's wrong with the wireless system too!!

Gosh... this is just all TOO FRUSTRATING!! So much time and effort wasted, not mentioning that all the stuff cost a bomb too..

I just hope and pray this problem could be rectified.. I need Internet desperately for my work! And for now, my new nice SoHo is practically useless without Internet.. :((

Sigh..

Ok, enough of ranting.. Hope there will be better news in the next post.

Confession of a Facebook addict. :S

Ok, this is not new.. I've openly confessed to be prone to addiction. No, not drugs/alcohol/ tobacco types, but something that can be equally insidious I feel.

I'm addicted to Internet and all its fun and frivolous stuff.. :(

Even before I owned a computer, I had already been through many phases of pretty serious addictions. i remembered i was so hooked to Gameboy's Tetris more than a decade or two back(?) I played for hours after college till wee hours in the morning.. and then when i had my computer 11 years ago, I began to discover the games that came with Microsoft Windows and one of them was Solitaire. That got me interested for a while, and then Mine Sweeper...

Once I saw my former colleagues playing the online Scrabble program, and when I tried.. I couldn't stop!! Since I could just play with the computer, I played like mad.. (and yes it did hone my Scrabble skill) It got quite bad but eventually I went off it after a few months.

But when I got over those games, I began to get hooked on the Cyberspace itself such as ICQ and chat rooms. Then I also discovered various interesting games websites. Basically I had been a Net addict for as long as I had Internet access!! Oh yeah, then there was MSN and Yahoo Instant Messenger which kept me and some friends chatting for hours almost daily!

In recent years, maybe the novelty dies off and maybe everyone is busy or perhaps become more mature (or so I thought!), my friends and I had not chatted much these days on line.. But then, I discovered the world of blogosphere, and even set up my own.. and reading blogs and updating my own got me quite busy and `65 per cent addicted!'

Blogs already were keeping me busy enough.. but it pales into the background now that I have a new addiction! Never did I anticipate I could derive such enthusiasm and fun from this thing called FACEBOOK!

When a friend invited me join a couple of months back, being a Net junkie, I did it, thinking it's just one of those other friendship networks.. (FYI, i am already on Friendster, Hi5, Tagged and a few more I've forgotten!) And I never really spent too much time on them..maybe sometimes browsing through friends' profiles on Friendster when I'm bored..

I only started to discover what Facebook has to offer last month. The creator of this site must be quite a genius! Besides being able to keep in contact with friends like other similar networks, it comes with so many `applications' - including message boards, cyber-pets, virtual gifts, food fights, quiz, games you can play alone and play with friends, loads of other creative stuff, you name it! And I think there must be like hundreds of those `applications'!

It grows on you. In the last week or so, I have been spending so much time on Facebook! Also because many of my friends are on it, so there're quite a bit of interaction. But i think i got a bit overboard with the many applications and activities, so much so that three nights ago, i received a message from a stranger (well, friend's friend who now has become a friend on Facebook) who accorded me the`Queen of Facebook' - based on my status confessing i'm addicted and also the long list of varied stuff on my profile page. I was amused but not proud. I mean, if I'm like 18 then maybe it would feel different..

But guess what, I'm not alone! Though Facebook seems quite childish and seems to target young people, my group of friends are not that young.. and I also find many older people on it too, such as Patrick Teoh. :p and i'm sure he is not the oldest there.

In a way it's great tool cos I was re-connected to some friends and acquaintances that I've lost touch with! In just a short time, I have accumulated close to 100 friends - looks like everyone who uses the Internet is on Facebook!

How addicted I'm? Gosh..I think I have been spending at least 3 hours nightly on it. So many things I could do - from reading other friends' profile to playing quizzes and games (by myself or challenging another) and many more.. Then last nite a 2:30am, I suddenly had the urge to `spam' many of my friends - by throwing food at them, giving free gifts or just do something silly... I thought I was going a bit mad. But I received a few reciprocal `actions' today..

Oh well, I really do hope this is just another fad that will go away soon.. I mean for myself. But right now, it's quite difficult to ignore it. If you are not there already, check it out for yourself.. (and feel free to add me! ;)) But be forewarned. It can be highly addictive, especially if you are a Net junkie and have an addictive streak like me.. sigh.