One Of A Hundred Reasons Not To Use Clear For Internet Service

A recent IM discussion, reprinted in it's entirety. Dude's name changed because I might be an asshole, but I'm not a fucking asshole.


Chat Transcript
Hello Michael Murphy. Please wait while we find a CLEAR specialist to help you.
You are an existing customer with a Tech Support question.
You have been connected to BOB LOBLAW.
BOB LOBLAW: Thank you for contacting Clear chat support, my name is BOB LOBLAW, I am glad to meet you online.
BOB LOBLAW:  Also is this a good call back number in case we need to call you back?
Michael Murphy:  Well, it's my home phone, and I'm typing this at a coffee shop because our signal is down, so no- you can't reach us there right now.
BOB LOBLAW:  Okay Michael.
Michael Murphy:  Ok.
BOB LOBLAW:  If I understand you as correctly as I read your concern, you are having problem with the reception that you are getting?
Michael Murphy:  Yes. The past few days it's been coming in and out every few hours, and all of today we haven't had access to it at all.
Michael Murphy:  I'd say this started around Monday or Tuesday.
BOB LOBLAW:  I'm sorry to hear that, I'll be more than glad to help you with your concern.
BOB LOBLAW:  What is the status of the light on your modem at the moment?
Michael Murphy:  I couldn't tell you- I'm at a coffee shop. Last time I checked, the lights were blinking.
BOB LOBLAW:  Oh, you need to have the modem with you while we are troubleshooting it.
Michael Murphy:  And before that, they were all lit, but we weren't able to connect.
Michael Murphy:  I'm not asking to troubleshoot. This happens all the time with Clear's service. It'll work itself out whenever- I've gotten used to not being able to do anything about it. All I'm asking for is a discount on my next bill, as once again my service has been terrible for most of the week. That's all.
Michael Murphy:  I've been told it's because I'm too close to one of your towers, but that doesn't make much sense. The truth is, I don't think anyone knows why this happens to our service., as it's always an issue.
BOB LOBLAW:  I understand, is the service up and running now?
Michael Murphy:  Again, I don't know- I'm not home.
Michael Murphy:  If I had to guess, I'd say no, as it's been this way all day.
BOB LOBLAW:  You need to have the device and see if the service is up and running before we settle this issue Michael.
Michael Murphy:  Well, if I go home, and the service is down, I have to come back here to tell you it's down. See the problem we find ourselves in here?
BOB LOBLAW:  I understand that however we still need to check it Michael.
BOB LOBLAW:  We do have a hotline number which is 888-888-3113 if you have no connection at home.
Michael Murphy:  So, on top of the constant inconvenience I get from your service every month with my service coming in and out, as it has been for most of this week, now I need to be further inconvenienced. I don't have a cell phone- I work from home. So, the only option you're giving me is to go all the way home, and then if it's down, come all the way back here.
Michael Murphy:  When all I'm asking you for is credit on my next bill for a few days of interrupted service.
BOB LOBLAW:  We can assist you with that however we need to check if the service is up so that we can settle the credit you are asking.
Michael Murphy:  Why? Why can't you just credit the account, and if it's still down, I can write tomorrow or whenever you decide to work out whatever the problem is, and request you add that additional time to the credit. I really don't see the problem here.
BOB LOBLAW:  I would be happy to help you further. Would you please verify the account by telling me, in what city you were born?
Michael Murphy:  Munster
BOB LOBLAW:  Thank you for that information.
Michael Murphy:  Of course.
BOB LOBLAW:  If the signal is not stable, you need to reposition the device. I'm looking at the usage on the account now, on the 2nd of October, there's a 6 GB usage.
BOB LOBLAW:  Hi, Are you there?
Michael Murphy:  The signal is stable. It's your service. There will be whole days/weeks where it's fine, and then it just goes out. This is one of those instances. Again, it's just how it is because the service is unreliable. I've gotten used to it.
BOB LOBLAW:  I understand, however we can offer troubleshooting and we are not able to give credit since there's a usage.
Michael Murphy:  Ok, how about this- I'll go home, and wait until the signal magically appears again, and then I'll IM with someone else who has no idea what I'm talking about, and I'll go through this all over again with them. Sound good?
Michael Murphy:  And if this is about my current bill, I have an extension on it until next weekend.
BOB LOBLAW:  I can see the extension here, kindly contact while you have the device with you Michael.
Michael Murphy:  BOB LOBLAW, I don't even know what you're saying. I'll deal with this once I'm home, and the connection is back (whenever that may be). This hasn't been productive at all- have a great night. Or day. Whatever time it is there.
BOB LOBLAW:  I do apologize for the inconvenience.
BOB LOBLAW:  Is there anything else i can help you with?
BOB LOBLAW:  Hi, Are you there?
Michael Murphy:  Yes, I'm here. I have to get back to work- which I do online. So that I can get money. So that I can pay you for your terrible service.
BOB LOBLAW:  Sorry to hear that Michael, as much i wanted to help you with that you need to have the device with you.
Michael Murphy:  Don't apologize. First, I know you couldn't mean it less. Second, apologies do nothing. I know you understand what I'm saying, and I know you understand that I'm now going to have to do this all over again. Stop reading from your employee manual, and talk to me like a person. If you're not capable of that, say so, so that I can get on with my night.
Michael Murphy:  Ok, that tells me all I need to know. Thanks again for wasting the better part of an hour of my time, BOB LOBLAW.
Michael Murphy:  Later.
BOB LOBLAW:  Kindly contact us once you got the device. Have a great day.
Michael Murphy:  Too late.

Why All The GTA 5 Backlash?

Here, in as few thoughts as possible, is why so many in gaming are having an odd backlash to GTA 5.

1.Unlike previous entries, 5 tears into the left wing perhaps even more so than the right this time around, and that makes people who can't laugh at themselves uncomfortable. Now, we are the coffee-shop-dwelling yoga practitioners they're poking fun at, and all of a sudden the joke's no longer funny. Interesting.

2.The gaming press "scene" has become stuck on the idea of games being a conversation. GTA is not a conversation. It doesn't care what you have to say. It is a statement. It doesn't care what it makes you feel about yourself. It doesn't care what other, similar games are doing/have done. It is it's own thing.

3.People who have grown up with the series are older now, and more sensitive than they were back then. We're not only seeing this in games, but film and tv as well. Too much violence makes people feel uneasy.

4.They throw around terms like misogyny, racism, and torture as negatives, forgetting that they're playing a game about terrible people doing terrible things. The game is what it is, and always has been. Some will say that's a problem, but I don't. I like that every few years Rockstar delivers how they view American society presently.

Ol' Phil

I'm of a few different opinions on this one.

On the one hand, Phil's a genius in the worst sense possible. He truly is gifted in a "Beautiful Mind" kind of way, but with that comes a complete lack of social skills. He really doesn't understand how to deal with being in the public eye, and that fucks him over time and time again.

On the other hand, Marcus Beard, the journalist in question, can be kind of a blow-hard asshole. At times he's on the money, and I don't get a sense of "fuck you just because" from him, but he does carry this air of "I can say whatever I want cause I'm British and into soccer." Which is where the blow-hard aspect comes into play.

So, I totally understand a guy like Phil stepping up and kicking the guy in the nuts, but the nut-kicking in question was uncalled for, in relation to what Marcus actually said.

At the end of the day, Phil has tantrums in public because he doesn't know how not to. I only hope this tantrum doesn't stick, because it'd break my heart if Fez 2 really did get shelved for good.

Top 10 0f 2012, Day 4

7. Hotline Miami

Drugs and murder. An amalgamation of these things comprise the cold, black heart beating inside Hotline Miami.

A theme some have chosen to explore in games this year is questioning what we, as the player, do in games, and why. Out of all the titles that explore that theme, none rub it in your face while giving you the finger harder than Hotline Miami. It's puts it's harsh world view up to your taped-open eyeballs, and before you can even begin to understand what's happening, you're hooked. An amazing soundtrack. Responsive, fun, and repetitious twitch-game play. These are the tools Hotline Miami uses to get you addicted.

While the story is completely bat-shit crazy in a "what if Hunter S. Thompson, Quentin Tarantino, and Keiichiro Toyama made a video game?" kind of way, there is a logic to it, and if you let it, Hotline Miami will reveal itself to you over the handful of hours it takes to complete. All you really need to know going in is you're an instrument of death and destruction, and man, is your trigger-finger itchy. Who you're killing, why you're killing them, and if they even deserve it are all questions better left behind as you progress through the game.

More than anything, though, Hotline Miami hands-down wins soundtrack of the year. While not originally created for the game, the assembled collection of songs fit perfectly, and add to the experience of playing in a way that few other soundtracks do. You are death incarnate, and this is your playlist.

For what is an incredibly low price of admission, Hotline Miami offers players an experience entirely unlike anything else on this list, and anything in gaming as a whole. The fact that it is completely addictive and enjoyable is only the icing on this bloody cake.

Top Ten of 2012, Day 3

8. XCOM: Enemy Unknown

They struck hard and without warning one night, taking all of humanity by surprise. Aliens... ruthless killing machines with an unknown agenda. It falls on your shoulders as the head of XCOM to exterminate this extra-terrestrial threat, and save the world... or at least, what's left of it.

And with that, you're thrown into the deep end of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a reinvention of the classic strategy series. Developed by Firaxis, of Civilization fame, Enemy Unknown remains true to the decades-old originals while at the same time bringing the series into the modern world of gaming. At it's core, the title is a turn-based strategy game where you lead a squad of alien-hunting soldiers out into the unknown of one randomly-generated map after the next. On top of that, there's a resource managment aspect to the game in the form of your headquarters, where between missions you must perform autopsies, research new weapons, train soldiers, and maintain peace with your many diplomatic relations.

Keeping these many plates spinning is difficult throughout the entire game, but as least a few hours in you manage to get a better handle and understanding of how they each function and relate to each other. It's at this point you realize that even if you master all the different elements that comprise Enemy Unknown, it will still always present a tough challenge. This is because Enemy Unknown is an asshole of a game. The stakes are high, and it stays that way from start to finish. The aliens are cold-blooded and ruthless, taking out members of your squad with no remorse or hesitation.

That Firaxis manages to make you feel a connection to what are essentially disposable members of your squad, despite the fact that none of them have any spoken lines or individual characteristics, is a testament to how solid the leveling system is. These men and women literally go through the ringer at your command, and seeing them level up, progressively becoming stronger and more powerful, brings a sense of pride and satisfaction. That they can so easily be ripped away from you seems almost cruel on the part of the developers.

Despite it's several bugs, glitches, and frame-rate issues, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a smart, user-friendly, modern day RTS. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, it is still very much worth your time.

Top Ten of 2012, Day 2

9. Dust: An Elysian Tail

If ever there was truth to the idea of a work being more than the sum of it's parts, you could find that in Dust: An Elysian Tail. Although, truth be told, the individual parts that comprise Dust are just as impressive as the collective whole. Even more so when you realize that each of those individual parts were mainly designed by one person.

The first game from Humble Hearts studio, which is in fact just first-time developer Dean Dodrill, Dust sets out to acomplish several goals, and achieves them all masterfully. At it's core, the game is a hack-and-slash adventure in the style of Vanillaware's output, but that's far from all. Dust is basically everything Dean likes about video games all rolled up into one- there's a Metroidvania element, rpg mechanics, a combo system, a crafting system... I could go on.

Story-wise, Dust plays with the biggest trope used in both anime and rpg's- the mysterious hero with amnesia- but does so without it feeling tired and stale. This is mostly done through the pure charm of the storytelling and character designs- the world of Dust, despite it's sometimes-heavy subject matter, is a warm one... a place you enjoy inhabiting.

The combat and exploration all feel buttery-smooth, fun, and enjoyable. The combo system keeps the numerous battles from ever growing boring or repetitive, and there's just enough collectables, upgrades, and side-quests to keep you curious and uncovering different parts of the map.

In a time when over-the-top violence seems to dominate the medium, a select few games are reminding us that a game doesn't need blood by the bucket to be enjoyable. Dust: An Elysian Tail is one of them, and it's one of the best of the year.

Top Ten of 2012, Day 1

10. Mass Effect 3

On the surface, ME3 is the ultimate refinement of everything we've come to love about the series, but digging into the meat of the beast, EA's influence over Bioware becomes readily apparent.

From a marketing campaign focusing on the "sexy" and "new user friendly" aspects of the title, to the bigger emphasis on combat and multiplayer, it's easy to spot where a higher up within the company piped in with a "Well, what if we added..." This isn't to say that a game should be judged by the behind the scenes antics of it's production, but if the end result is a bad taste left in your mouth, you have to call a spade a spade.

So, looking past all that, what's left?

Well, what we're given is a title that does its best to wrap up years worth of A plots and B plots (and C,D, and E plots for that matter). Sometimes it all comes off a bit too convenient and tidy, but overall the resolutions are satisfying. One area where the game is sorely lacking is with the supporting cast. Major players from part 2, whom you assumed would be with you until the end, are benched for just about the entire game, despite having vital roles previously. One has to wonder why new characters are being introduced this late in the story while other characters that you're already invested in are literally stand around a waiting room for the entire game, as if there's nothing better to do.

What the benching of these characters does, whether it was Bioware's intent or not, is it places the focus of the narrative more on Shepard than the cast. The problem with focusing on the one instead of the many is that Shepard him or herself is only as interesting as the company they keep. Sure, you can build a story up around your individual version of Shepard, but we've spent hours and hours with these crew members, and our attachment to them is just as deep, if not deeper, than our investment to Shepard. That they are absent, or only minor players at best in this grand finale, makes it a lesser tale.

Regarding the tale, I wish I could tell you why it begins the way that it does, but seeing as I didn't purchase the last piece of DLC for ME2, I was left totally in the dark, and completely confused. I had to play catch-up, both online, and within the narrative, just to get a basic grasp of what had happened in the time between parts 2 and 3. Again, you have to call a spade a spade, Bioware/EA.

Once you're off and running (for reals- you flee Earth), the game gets to telling its story, and does so mostly competently. Mass Effect 3 is a war movie with a controller. The wide-eyed spectacle of the first game, and the down and dirty black ops nature of the second are traded in for Saving Private Ryan in space. The tone and level design fit with what they're doing with the narrative, but this leads to several sections of the game that just feel repetitive (which, seeing as some of these levels were built for multiplayer, they are) and lacking when compared to the high notes of the first two games.

Where Mass Effect 3 shines is it's one on one moments, and character resolutions. When it's just Shepard and someone that he's forced to put in harms way, those conversations are pure gold, and remind you that when they bring their a-game, Bioware are second to none. These scenes can be gut-wrenching at times, and I wished there were more of them in the final product. As it stands, the bulk of the game has weight and depth, but most of that is undermined by how everything plays out in the end.

As for the games ending, and how we get there, that's a whole different conversation. The end of Mass Effect 3 breaks the series in several ways, and is compounded by the addition of the extended cut material. At least with the original ending, you could say it was a definitive poor ending. Now, it's just muddy and reactionary. I've heard the Leviathan DLC fleshes out what comes in the ending further, and sets you up to be more accepting of it, but honestly if that's the case, then it should have been in the game. Just like the From Ashes DLC.

Mass Effect 3 is a mostly-enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy, but it should have been better. It should have been game of the year. And it's not.