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When is it?

I have recently had a weird problem with time zones. I've become so used to mentally converting for GMT that I keep doing it with PST as well. It leaves me saying spectacularly wrong meeting times. I might has written it off if I'd done it once but I've done it about three times in the last two weeks. I am thankful that I double check before rushing off but at the same time I am somewhat amused by the problem.

It is just a matter of focus. But, I never thought about time zones before Eve. I knew that they existed. I travel enough to deal with them. But, I never had a second clock on my phone to keep up with time in another country. I would stare at the clocks on the wall at some companies. They'd have clocks showing the time at major cities all over the world or places where they had offices. It very much said, "We are an international company." A form of decorative bragging rights and a subtle reminder.

But, here I am, a no one in a dead end job with time on my watch because I need to know when it is in other places. Time zones have become a regular part of my day. Of course this country is so many hours before or after us. Doesn't everyone pay attention to this?

No... no they don't. Even other games don't. They gate regions onto servers. It improves latency. The AU Eve players can speak to that. But, I wonder if I can live without the international feel and flavor of Eve in another game. The knowledge of other cultures has only improved me. Sure, I was aware of it but it is different to learn of something or even read of it and sit down with someone and figure out why a recipe is different or what one thing means.

It is warm for them and cold for me. It is light somewhere during the deepest dark here. I know these things but to listen to the complaints and wonder of the elegant complexity of the planet is another.

Time is supposed to be the fourth dimension. There are theories about. All things happen at the same time but we move through them at a set pace. That time can be conquered and traveled through, controlled and manipulated. but for me, I'm simply trying to remember what direction I am thinking in for the when I need it to be.


Comments

  1. To me, what reminds me of the international nature of EVE it's English. In EVE, I've talked to people of many different places, just because each one of us learned to speak English for whatever reason.

    I don't know what is to play EVE in my language, as EVE has been always a English language experience. Anything I read, write, do, know about EVE is in a foreign language... one I share with people whose languages are, or may be, very different from mine.

    Of course nothing is perfect. Russian are isolationist jerks and they use their alphabet as a barrier to keep foreigners away (something which CCP encourages, IMHO, by allowing to post non-latin characters in general chat).

    I don't know now, but it used to be amusing to meet people whose English was "foreign English", and chat in a funny way as each one of struggled to translate our language into English in a way the other players could translate back to their languages and so understand each other.

    That's one beauty of a single server. English as a foreign language becomes the universal communication tool, equally alien to everybody but the English- speaking players.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's plenty of English speaking Russians. I've played EVE with them vOv

      Also Ethnic communities are fine and the Russians are hardly alone. There's French, German, Brazilian (Portuguese), Japanese, tq server chinese, Greek and no doubt many other ethnic communities on TQ.

      Delete
    2. “Of course nothing is perfect. Russian are isolationist jerks and they use their alphabet as a barrier to keep foreigners away (something which CCP encourages, IMHO, by allowing to post non-latin characters in general chat).”

      Huh? Russians, just like any group of Eve players, can be 'isolationist' if they want. Onions, you really are a self-centered ball of hate. If Cyrillic characters show up in local it doesn’t necessarily mean that the only purpose behind the appearance is purely to exclude you. They may just be chatting with each other.

      Onions, you and yours (whatever other tubers that includes) are not the center of the Eve universe. You never were, you are not now, and you never will be. CCP was not formed to service exclusively you. Get over yourself.

      Delete
    3. Everybody else uses English in Local, out of the most elementary etiquette in a international medium. Foreign languages are kept for foreign language chats.

      Of course it is so hateful to ask Russian players to do the same as everybody else does, use English in local and keep their language for their channels... what a terrible, self-centered person I am!

      Delete
  2. HELPeR is a small Anoikis corp but we have members from the far West coast, Washington state... a smattering across the East coast... Florida, Georgia, Virginia... an hour farther east up in Canada and we even have a Kiwi (a New Zelander)... as his job schedule is such that his prime game time matches ours...

    I have loved the international feel of EVE from the first day... actually I really enjoy that EVE doesn't 'feel' national or international to me so much as all that really doesn't matter... at least to me it doesn't... we are all citizens of New Eden.

    The only part of EVE that makes me feel any 'boundaries' is the fact that the Chinese are barred from Tranquility by their government for political reasons...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh and... this

      "Onions, you really are a self-centered ball of hate. If Cyrillic characters show up in local it doesn’t necessarily mean that the only purpose behind the appearance is purely to exclude you. They may just be chatting with each other.

      Onions, you and yours (whatever other tubers that includes) are not the center of the Eve universe. You never were, you are not now, and you never will be. CCP was not formed to service exclusively you. Get over yourself."


      Players like Onions make me sometimes wish we weren't quite 'so' all inclusive... =\

      Delete
    2. Well, there may be some culture barrier here. Speaking a shared language in a shared chat is considered polite in my neck of the woods.

      Эти комментарии предназначены для всех, кто читает блог, а не только для тех, кто говорит на определенном языке. На мой взгляд, я имею в грубость использовать язык, который вы не говорить, но, возможно, это именно то, степень вежливости вы ожидаете от иностранцев...

      Delete
    3. Because Google translate let's me know.. Even on my phone from work before my lunch break

      To translate Onions:
      These comments are for everyone who reads the blog , not only for those who speak a particular language . In my opinion , I am rude to use a language you do not speak , but maybe that's exactly what degree of courtesy you expect from foreigners ...

      Delete
    4. Because Google translate let's me know.. Even on my phone from work before my lunch break

      To translate Onions:
      These comments are for everyone who reads the blog , not only for those who speak a particular language . In my opinion , I am rude to use a language you do not speak , but maybe that's exactly what degree of courtesy you expect from foreigners ...

      Delete
    5. @Onions Bilingual Russian speakers can be rude to me if they want to. They can do it by impugning my integrity in a language I understand, they can do it by purposely excluding me from their conversation via language I don’t understand, to really befuddle me they might whip out super-secret decoder rings and pass indecipherable notes before my sad puppy eyes, they could even up and violence my boat, alternately they could be indifferent to my presence from the get-go. And me? Well I get to choose whether I take offence or not.

      Welcome to the sandbox Onions, where all things don't necessarily orbit around you.

      Delete
  3. Not to beat the poor horse but... Onions, you say, "...degree of courtesy you expect from foreigners..." Who are the foreigners?? Non english speakers? To many here and ingame, YOU are the foreigner... regardless of what language your momma spoke or that you learned in school...

    In New Eden there are no foreigners... we are all brothers and sisters of EVE.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Angry Onions whose WP account is borkedApril 21, 2015 at 6:10 AM

      In a game where everybody are foreigners unless proven wrong, it is just plain courtesy, etiquette, you name it, to speak English in public channels.

      As those are channels which everybody can use, or will use, or must use. They don't have any other choice but to read Local.

      By using a foreign language for the sake of communication, the player becomes part of the community: "see, I speak English, because I want to talk with you".

      He does not set himself apart as an alien by using his language as a barrier, at least not in the shared channels.

      But players who write Russian in Local channel break that.

      Apparently I've run into some kind of cultural barrier, as from what I see from your answers, you all think that it's Ok to alienate yourself from the community by speaking your language in public channels. It's shocking to me, but then, if that floats your boat...

      I just think it would be chaos if everybody did as Russian do and talked their non-English languages in Local. It would render Local useless and would break the feeling of being a part of a large, diverse community.

      I can't get over it, sorry. EVE is our game, we all speak English to understand each other. Anyone who breaks that simple etiquette should not be tolerated.

      Speak English in local. Is what all other 150+ nationalities in game do.

      Except some Russian...

      Delete
    2. And French, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, German and the list goes on. Russians are not the only ones who speak their own language. That is why things like google translate can help us cross boarders. I cannot speak any of these languages but we can still communicate.

      Delete
    3. Onions,

      As often as not, you make me sad. If we go back and look at your original post excising the crack at Russians it’s actually a wonderful comment about the struggles and pleasures working within Eve’s English Lingua Franca. But you couldn’t stop there, no you had to malign an entire group because they, according to you, abuse local etiquette. Then, while you were at it, you had to malign CCP for enabling it. Result? A possibly interesting comment was overwhelmed by resentment.

      Now Onions, I’m just a corn fed ‘Murican and I don’t know much ‘bout multilingual etiquette, but one thing I do know is that whatever niceties that etiquette imposes doesn’t stop you from repeatedly dropping your drawers and mooning us all. Yup, even with your sparkling English, that refined bald ass of yours shines right through. Russians ain’t got ‘nothin on you.

      At some point Onions, you may want to step back and ponder on whether you remain the best choice for bringing your thoughts to the table. Over the months that I’ve read your comments I’ve noted that you just might have a good idea or two but, alas, it matters not when your astounding lack of social skill again drowns out any possibility that you’ll be heard.

      Delete
  4. This reminds me, my main and my industry-alt have both long and detailed bios. In German. :V

    ReplyDelete

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