Dark Star

Dark Star, originally uploaded by commorancy.

One of my new superheroes on Flickr, Dark Star.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year to Randosity Readers

Thanks to everyone for making this blog the success that it is during 2012. Happy New Year everyone. See you in 2013, unless I make another post before then. ;)

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 110,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Revert back to iTunes 10 from iTunes 11 (Windows Edition)

[UPDATE 2015-01-17] New Article: How to make iTunes 12 look and act more like iTunes 10

If you’re looking for the Mac OS X downgrade steps, please check out this Randosity article. After giving iTunes 11 a fair shake, I have come to the conclusion that this version is so hopelessly broken that I just can’t deal with it any longer. So, I’ve decided to roll back to iTunes 10.

The iTunes 11 botch

It is very obvious that Tim Cook (and crew) are systematically undoing every ideal that Jobs held for Apple. iTunes 11 is no exception. With its missing menus, unnecessary drop down menus, haphazard interface, missing Radio link (well, not missing, but moved to a hard-to-find area), huge graphical album listings and no easy way to set art on music any more, the whole iTunes 11 release is one big botch. Well, the last straw came today when I tried importing a CD. It imported fine until I stopped it because I realized the import settings were wrong. When I attempted to restart the import, iTunes 11 would only begin at the next track and refused to replace the existing, something that iTunes 10 does quite nicely. When I put a second CD into my second drive, the whole app locked up. Then, I killed it with task manager. On startup, it proceeded to lock up Windows and prevent me from working with the desktop. I’ve never had this issue with iTunes 10. Worse, playlist metadata is now stupidly globally linked. Meaning, if you uncheck a song in one playlist and it exists in other playlists, it unchecks the song there too. So, now checkboxes are global settings across the whole of iTunes. That’s just some of the underwhelming, but major changes in iTunes 11. I’ve had it with iTunes 11 and all of its stupid new quirks.

Rewriting that much of an app is really a gamble and this is one gamble didn’t pay off. I’ve heard some people seem to like some of the changes. I’m not one of them. Seriously, what was the benefit to changing the interface that radically for no end-user payoff? I mean, at least give us users some kind of a bone to endure that kind of radical change. There just isn’t any reward for dealing with this massive of a change. All we get is whole lot of learning curve, fighting through bugs, dealing with stupidity in UI design all without any substantial ease of use improvements.

Restoring iTunes 10

Well, I finally made the decision to revert back to iTunes 10. The first problem was locating the most recent version of iTunes 10. Thankfully, Apple Support keeps older iTunes versions online (or at least, they’re there now). So, if you are thinking of reverting back to iTunes 10, you might want to grab your copy now before they take it down. But, keep in mind that once you’ve upgraded to iTunes 11, your ‘iTunes Library.itl’ (What are the iTunes library files?) file will be updated to the latest format which is incompatible with iTunes 10. So, you will have to restore back to an older version of library.itl or possibly face rebuilding your entire media library from files on disk.

Steps to revert on Windows:

• Download iTunes 10 from the above link
• Start->Control Panel->Programs and Features
• Make note of the iTunes 11 ‘Installed On’ date.
• Uninstall iTunes 11
• Install iTunes 10
  • Don’t start iTunes 10 at this point or you will receive an error stating that library.itl was created by a newer version. Continue on with the steps below.
• Go to C:\Users\<your user>\Music\iTunes
• Rename ‘iTunes Library.itl’ to ‘iTunes library.iTunes11.itl’ (in case you want to revert back using this file)
  • Note the space in the name
• Copy the most recent backup of ‘iTunes Library.itl’ or of a date just before you installed iTunes 11
  • Copy C:\Users\<your user>\Music\iTunes\Previous iTunes Libraries\library.<date>.itl to
  • C:\Users\<your user>\Music\iTunes\library.itl
  • If you don’t have a backup copy, you can simply delete ‘iTunes Library.itl’, but you’ll probably have to rebuild your media library from scratch. Deleting this file doesn’t delete your music, it will just remove iTunes’ reference to it.
  • If you have a ‘iTunes Music Library.xml’, you may be able to import that to rebuild your library more easily.
  • You should regularly export your library as ‘iTunes Music Library.xml’ anyway in case iTunes ever gets corrupted.
• Once you have iTunes 10 installed and ‘iTunes Library.itl’ recovered, you can start up iTunes 10. Assuming the ‘iTunes Library.itl’ was a backup created by iTunes 10, it should start just fine. If it doesn’t, keep recovering older ‘iTunes Library.<date>.itl’ backup files until you find one that works.

Now you’ll want to review your library to ensure that any new music you’ve bought or added is there. If not, you’ll have to add the folders of that music to this library.

Note, if you have changed where your library.itl resides, you will have to rename it there instead. If you haven’t modified iTunes in this way, library.itl will be in the above location (or whichever drive is your Windows boot drive letter).  Simply deleting the file, iTunes may be smart enough to pull its most recent backup copy, but I haven’t tested this.  So, I’d rather choose my library.itl from the backups.

Additional note, you can’t tell which version of iTunes generated the library.itl file. So, you will need to review your backup library.<date>.itl files and locate a dated file that’s before you installed iTunes 11. If you don’t remember the date you installed iTunes, you may be able to find the install date in Control Panel->Programs and Features.

Mac Note: that with the exception of the paths, the basics of these instructions may apply to MacOS X. I’ve just not reverted iTunes on MacOS X as yet. However, you’re in luck, Danny has produced a rollback article for Mac OS X here on Randosity for Mac OS X users.

Apple’s progressive slide

There are some technology changes that Apple makes that work. There are some that don’t. Part of the problem is a quality control issue. Steve Jobs was a stickler for high quality control to the point of perfectionism. This is a good thing in that Apple’s quality was always near perfect when Jobs was on duty. Unfortunately, since Tim Cook has taken over, that quality level has dramatically slid down. The iPad 3 was the first example, then OS X Lion, then iOS 6, Mountain Lion and now iTunes 11.  I won’t even get into that thing they’re calling an iPod nano.  I still shutter to think that someone at Apple thought the new taller iPod nano would actually have a real world use case over the ‘watch’ version? I should just avoid the obvious discussion about the whole taller nano debacle.

I’m not sure what the Apple engineers are thinking at this point, but one thing is crystal clear. There is no one at Apple driving quality control either at a software or hardware level. I doubt that Steve Jobs would have ever let iTunes 11 see the light of day the way it is now. The changes were far too drastic requiring a huge learning curve without any real benefit to the user. I mean seriously, what did Apple hope to accomplish by making this drastic of a software change?

For example, if Apple were planning on introducing a Netflix-like streaming service and iTunes needed the software to support this, I can full well understand implementing a needed software change to support this. If they were planning on allowing some new advanced technological approach to playlists, like Facebook style sharing of them, then maybe a change might be required. But, making a change just to make change isn’t useful or wanted. Complicating the interface and moving things to unnecessary new areas is not wanted. Users don’t want to have to relearn an interface just because someone decides to haphazardly move things around with no rhyme or reason.

Analysts amazingly silent?

I’ve yet to see any analysts making any calls on this or any other Apple quality issues. Yet, it’s crystal clear. Apple is not the Apple it once was. I’m sure the analysts are just biding their time to allow their clients to get their money out of Apple before making word of the problems that are just beginning to face Apple. In fact, it’s the same problem that now faces Sony. Sony used to be a top notch, high quality and innovative technology company who could basically do no wrong. Then, something happened at Sony and they’ve not been able to produce anything innovative in years. Apple is clearly on its way to becoming the next Sony. It’s also inevitable that without hiring someone (or several people) of the caliber of Steve Jobs that has both the technological vision combined with high levels of quality control, Apple doesn’t have a future.

As a software developer, you can’t just throw out any change to the wind and hope it succeeds. No, you have to bring in test groups to review the changes and find out how the average user responds to the changes. Apple shouldn’t have any trouble putting testing groups together. But, it appears that iTunes 11 did not get user tested at all. It’s a shame, too. iTunes 11 has some cool features, but those are just completely eclipsed by the poor quality of the software and the stupid design decisions.

Can Apple recover?

Yes, but it’s going to take someone (or several people) to bring quality control back to Apple and someone who is willing to say, ‘No, that sucks. Try again’.. just someone should have to said about iTunes 11 before it was ever released.

Mass Shootings vs Entertainment: What’s to blame?

Note, my heart goes out to those who were hurt by Adam Lanza’s violent act at Sandy Hook.  This article in no way intends to diminish anyone’s loss that day.

After Adam Lanza killed 27 people at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut, congressional leaders are now aiming their sites on video game violence as a cause.  This knee jerk reaction came about because Adam Lanza was a ‘gamer’.  What child of his generation hasn’t played at least one video game at some time?  I would have been more surprised to learn he had never played video games. Video games are ubiquitous at this point. They are as ubiquitous as TV, the telephone and the Internet. In fact, video games are on telephones. Video games are not in any way a small industry that only a small segment of children play. No.

In fact, most big video game titles like Skyrim, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft today gross far  in excess of the proceeds that even the biggest films gross over their cinematic run.  Most children today play video games in some way or another every day, whether it be on their iPhone, personal computers, a console (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, etc), Facebook or on a handheld like the PS Vita, PSP or Nintendo 3DX.  Video games are everywhere.

Violent Games versus the Real World

Video game violence has been in games since the early days of video games on computers, like playing Ultima on the Apple II to Nintendo’s Zelda series to Plants vs Zombies to today’s most sophisticated pc and console games like Call Of Duty.  Video game violence is what it is and it’s here to stay. But, there is nothing at all that feels real about playing a video game or in participating in video game violence.  Yes, video games can become an immersive experience at times, but it is so far removed from reality that anyone who is sane and rational can tell the difference between a game and reality.  Note, I did say that anyone who is ‘sane’ can tell the difference.

With Adam Lanza (as with many of the other shooters), there are questions regarding mental state, which brings up a whole separate topic that is unrelated to video games.  We’ll explore that in just a bit.  However, I have been playing games since the Atari 2600 days.  I’ve sold video games and video game units and I’ve owned practically every video game system ever made.  Suffice it to say that violence in video games has never once prompted me to pick up a gun in the real world nor carry or point said gun at anyone (nor any other kind of weapon for that matter).  Not one video game has conditioned, persuaded, caused or in any other way influenced me to do anything violent.  Okay, I have to confess that I have thrown my game controller across the room because the game did something stupid and frustrating.. like crash and lose my game making me start over.  And, throwing the controller across the room was not prompted by the content in the game, but because the game itself was badly designed and caused me to start parts of the game over wasting a lot of my time.  I’d also never throw the controller at someone.  Breaking the controller in half, that’s one thing.  Hurting someone using a gun, that’s something totally different.  Personally, I don’t even own a gun and that’s also my own choice.

Gun Rampages

Let’s discuss some causative factors involving Adam Lanza’s actions.  Note, I cannot speak from personal experience as I did not know the Lanza family personally.  However, based on what I’ve read in the media, here are the issues as I see it.

• Adam Lanza may have had Asperger Syndrome or some other form of Autism.  This is a form of mental distress.  That is, without a certain level of proper management of the condition, an autistic child can either withdraw and/or act out.  This is the first problem in a series of problems that led to Adam’s actions.
• Adam was legally an adult at the time.
• Adam’s mother was apparently an active gun owner.  She had purchased guns from a local gun shop several years prior to Adam’s actions. One thing, however, I am not certain of is how actively she managed keeping those guns safe.  Apparently, however, she didn’t keep them locked up safe enough as Adam was certainly able to gain access to them, load them and carry them to Sandy Hook.
• Nancy Lanza apparently thought that teaching her mentally ill son how to shoot guns was a smart idea.
• Adam’s mother had been having some mental distress of her own, perhaps in just simply managing her son’s condition.

The question remains, were video games involved?  Was any type of entertainment media involved?  Unlikely.  So, what did prompt this?  Let’s explore Aspergers just a little.

Asperger Syndrome

Here is an explanation according to Wikipedia:

Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger’s syndrome or Asperger disorder, is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

Basically, these repetitive patterns keep the mental distress of the person to a minimum, the patterns give the person structure and order and allows the person to function in a mostly normal way.  If new things are introduced, the Asperger’s sufferer can act out, withdraw or produce violent acts.  Let me say that again, without proper management of Asperger’s, the person can act out violently.

I could see, however, an Asperger’s sufferer turning to video games to relieve the condition.  That is, most games are extremely repetitive.  The more repetitive, the better for this type of person.  So, I could easily see how any repetitive video game could provide comfort and stability for someone with Asperger’s.

Access to Guns and Mental Distress Disorder

If any one thing played role in Adam’s actions, it was easy access to Nancy’s guns.  Any mental distress can easily place a person into a state that is surreal or unreal.  That is, they can’t easily tell the difference between reality and delusion.  Once the line between reality and delusion has been crossed, the person may not have any conscience left to understand any actions that may be acted out.  With Asperger’s, something must have changed in Adam’s life that upset his everyday repetitive balance and he acted out.  Apparently, first on his mother, Nancy Lanza three days before Sandy Hook.  Then, killing her on the day of Sandy Hook and then killing 26 people at Sandy Hook.

Nancy, unfortunately, provided him with access to the necessary weapons to make his own fantasy become a reality.  So, off Adam went toting Nancy’s guns to Sandy Hook to commit his violence.

Were Video Games involved?

Let me start by saying that I’ve never played a video game where someone stocks up with guns from their mother’s gun stash, visits a school and opens fire.  So, I would have to say that getting this idea from a video game is definitely not possible.  Where Adam got the idea is anyone’s guess.  Perhaps he watch a documentary on the Columbine massacre?  Who knows?  But, it’s clear that the main problem did not stem from a video game plot.

Gun ownership and mental distress?

Instead of wasting time pointing the finger towards entertainment media as a ’cause’, we should point the finger towards where it belongs, at the gun safe located in a house with a person of mental distress.  Guns and gun ownership comes with a price (and not just a monetary one).  It comes with the price that you are responsible with what happens with the guns that you buy and store.  If you buy guns and store them in a house with someone that has a history of mental issues, then you are responsible for what happens after.  Of course, in Nancy’s case, she’s now dead along with the 26 other people from Sandy Hook.

Gun laws and gun background checks should include checking the background of anyone living in the home (or in proximity) with the person who wishes to buy, own and use the gun.  Anyone who is close enough to have access to the gun needs to also be background checked.  If any one of those persons has a history of mental illness, the gun purchase should be denied.  It’s quite clear that gun access in combination with mental distress is the most likely reason these children rampage schools with guns.  If they hadn’t had the access to the guns, they wouldn’t have rampaged the school with said guns as they wouldn’t have been able to buy the guns as children.

It’s fairly clear that gun ownership laws need to change.  These laws need to prevent gun ownership by anyone who is the legal parent or guardian over anyone with a history of any mental condition or illness.  I also believe that gun ownership should be denied to parents who have children that are not yet legally adults (and especially of children during teen years).  It should also be illegal to store guns in a home of children between the ages of 8 and 17 at minimum, but preferably children of any age.  Of course, if someone has guns already or they were handed down because of a will or other ‘gift’, then these are situations where guns can become present in the face of someone with mental distress.  For anyone purchasing a gun that will live in proximity to anyone of any age, the laws should require mandatory gun safety training for anyone who intends to touch, use or gain access to the weapon.  In fact, gun safety and storage training should be required to even get a permit to own a gun.  It should also be illegal to teach anyone with mental illness to hold, use, access, touch or otherwise handle a gun (or any other weapon).

Clearly, though, there is no real answer to completely prevent this problem.  Allowing any gun ownership can lead to another Sandy Hook.  Gun laws can only do so much without outright banning guns, but that cannot be done in the US because of the US Constitution’s second amendment which guarantees the right to ‘keep and bear arms’.  So, without repealing the second amendment, there is no real answer to the issue of these mass violence events.  Even if violent video games and other entertainment were banned tomorrow, the violence would not stop as gun ownership and mental conditions would simply continue to be influenced by other means (news, TV shows, movies and the like) and people would still act out.

Prevention?

Could Sandy Hook have been prevented? Maybe.  Maybe not. If Nancy had recognized the signs early enough (as in 3 days earlier when Adam acted out on her), she might have had him arrested or otherwise detained.  However, since Adam was an adult at the time, that issue brings up an even more serious question about mental illness. However, the US does so little to actively manage people with mental illness, especially when they reach adult age, I’m not sure this could have been completely prevented.  It’s clear, though, that guns and mental illness do not mix, especially those with Asperger’s, but any person with paranoid delusions could act out violently. We need better means to determine just who is in a state that could lead to such violent acts. Unfortunately, doctors just want to medicate and send people on their way. That doesn’t fix the problem, it just delays it. We need better from the medical community than, “take 2 pills 3 times a day”.