Social Networks: the more we are connected, the more we are split appart

One of my part-time jobs is to teach English as a foreign language, so I often ask my students about what do they do in their free time in order to fetch some examples we can work in class. In one of these sessions I asked a group of teenagers how often did they check their e-mail; their answer was basically “Nah, no one checks their e-mail anymore”.

That response surprised me quite a bit. Of course the reason behind that answer was obvious; instant messaging applications such as Facebook, Skype, or WhatsApp have rendered e-mails obsolete. Later on, when I had a group of adults on class I asked them about this very topic, and found out that –despite all these new means of communication– they still check their e-mails regularly, as well as they expressed my own concern toward how the youth is losing the skill of writing letters (or e-mails); something they will eventually require in order to procure and/or conserve a job.

I made sure to include that for later classes, but that’s another story.

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My take Into Shooting Games

There was a time not long ago when I used to like shooting games more than most other videogame genres, and it’s not that I stopped enjoy them; at heart I still like them very much, and that’s pretty much the impression I give whenever I talk, whenever I write, or whenever anyone watches my Xbox Live’s Avatar (pictured left).

I enjoy the sheer excitement current shooting bring to the table: they’re usually fast-paced, and franctic fun the moment you start playing; while some people might consider them dumb or brainless, knowledgeable players know that overcoming in shooting games require strategy and mental prowess processed so damn fast that can’t be seen with bare eyes; also shooting games offer some of the most replayable experiences out there, one playthrough will rarely go the same way as another.

But I noticed a trend in my latest articles for CultureMass, I tend to talk as much about shooting games, as I complain about current games and the state of the videogame industry.

This is what I'm talking about?

Don't be that Guy

Now that this blog is officially moving again, I’d like to talk about the things that you’ll frequently find in here, and the first thing I need to tackle is the Column that gave such much joy, and the beginning of my writing career: Don’t be that Guy.

It started as a funny flowchart I did for Bitmob.com (now called GamesBeat) back in 2011, when I was really into Online Gaming; that article would end up being edited, posted on the main page, and read by tens of thousand viewers; one of them: a curious fellow called Paul Franzen.