User blog:JERealize/JER's Report: November 25, 2012

The following is a transcript emphasizing it's main point. It's based on a true story (although edited for content), although all names are removed.

(scene: chatroom. time: sometime after 8 PM Pacific.)

JER: You think you can help me?

User1: What is it? An ad for TDAmerica? No, thanks.

JER: No, listen. I'm looking for a way to enter totaldramaonline.com. Are you Canadian?

User1: I wish. Sorry, man.

JER: Well, I'm looking for a character creation app, but have no luck finding one.

User1: Try this. (insert link here)

(15 secs later)

JER: Sorry. It's not convincing enough.

User1: Well, it's the best I can do. You're on your own.

(User2 enters)

JER: Are you Canadian?

User2: No. How come?

JER: There's this avatar creation site I want to access, and--

User2: You mean totaldramaonline.com?

JER: Yeah.

User2: Wow. That's a problem. No one can access that site, not even with proxy servers.

JER: Maybe Canada-based proxy servers...?

User2: What did I just say?

JER: There should always be a way. I'm just saying. Canadians may not watch our Super Bowl commercials on TV, but they can on YouTube.

(User3 enters)

JER: Are you Canadian?

User2: (to User3) He's trying to get in to some Canada-based site.

User3: Hmm... (to JER) Meet me in PM.

(in PM)

JER: You think you can help me? I'm trying to access the site, but I have no success. Also, they say I can't do it.

User3: What do you mean?

JER: You see, I've been looking for a Total Drama character creation site or app, but to no avail. There may be something promising in totaldramaonline.com, but it's blocked to non-Canadians. You know how to enter?

User3: I access that on occasions, sure.

JER: How? Tell me!

User3: I use this special proxy server.

JER: Where's the link?

User3: It's not a web site; it's a download.

JER: Then, show me how to download it.

User3: That's the problem. They shut down the download page.

JER: Ooh. (pause) Is there another seriver I can use?

User3: There may be. All you have to do is find it.

JER: Can you help me find it.

User3: Why do you ask me for help?

JER: You seem to have first-hand knowledge of proxy servers.

User3: All I did was search "Canadian proxies". It shouldn't be that hard.

JER: I'll try looking again. I'll contact you if I need anything.

User3: Okay.

(end transcript)

Yes, I'm continuing with looking for that fabled all-in-one avatar creator, the one you doubt exists. Last Friday, I realized that requests are at an all-time high, reaching a bottleneck with each artist. (RandomUser: Will you stop whining? He'll get to yours when he gets to it!) I know that, already! Give me a break. As I was saying, I thought, someone had to have created a character creation app, and so I looked. I did find one source, but it was far from adequate, as it was low in choices. I continued, and heard fables about what totaldramaonline.com had. (See this link to see what I mean.) However, it required a Canadian IP address, and thus, woe is me. I still keep trying to find other potential sites, but I never forget about the one, the one without the second, the Holy Grail of avatar creation. In that sense, I went to chat to sort out possibilities, but I met with passive regulars (User1), nay-sayers (User2), and the supporter who does not have the time to help (User3).

You must realize, I'm trying to help everyone who needs images. I'm not out for myself; I want to help reduce request bottleneck as much as the next person. However, I seem to be one of the few to take initiative. I know totaldramaonline.com is far from allowing Americans into its site, but think about this: Just allowing the population of California into its site would double web traffic, and allowing the whole of the United States inward would multiply its users by eight to ten on average, and would surely lead to a web traffic spike within the first few weeks. So, we may not get the, "Keep the coin. It's a loonie, just like you," jokes. So what? That's not a valid reason to close your borders. Now, tell us what's really going on, and why you won't accept Cartoon Network as Teletoon's equal.

Enough of the rant. Let me continue. Of course, the site may be on lockdown, but there has to be another site we can use with near-equal quality. It simply can't be restricted to one site on the data planet, can it? If you can help, by finding a site or app with equal quality, making your own app, or even breaking in to Canada to scan the web contents, or you know someone who can be willingly persuaded to, or even if you have a clue or hint pertaining to the info, then please share here. People should support net neutrality, but the important thing is helping fan-fiction writers (by giving them the images they deserve) and its artists (by easing up on their duties as freeware designers) by giving people a third option. The first is to request pictures from a bogged-down artist. The second is taking weeks of time practicing the art yourself to draw mediocre copies for you and your friends. The third is finding the data necessary to do this semi-automatically (because that's what computers were built for, right?). We should be advancing, right? Then, now is the time to do so. Speak what's on your mind. I'll be listening.

--JER (and now for my new sig:)

Dogs can't talk! (...Unless they had more human-like heads.) 07:40, November 25, 2012 (UTC)