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Filed under: Business, Developer, Internet

Developer's widget gets too popular, becomes a burden


Widget is a funny word. Let's get that out of the way right now. If you don't giggle when you hear it, you've lost your soul. "I like to think my widget makes a lot of people happy." That's funny, accept it. And everyone wants their widgets to be seen. But if too many people play with your widget, it can start to become a pain. It can happen. A story on InsideFacebook tells about a developer who's had 400,000 people use his widget, and it's really starting to cost him money. He doesn't really have the hardware to handle that type of traffic, and since the widget doesn't generate any money, he's pretty much on his own.

Don Dodge (can that name be real? So dynamic. That's a name that can get things done) talks about how this type of thing happens. Warning: when you check out his article, you'll notice his picture in the top left corner. DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY INTO THE EYES. They're hypnotic. You'll wake up naked in the desert buried up to your neck. Dodge has some good ideas and explanation of this phenomenon, and some ideas on how it can be used to make enough cash to support your ever promiscuous widget. And while Don Dodge's parents are probably proud of what their son is doing, they've got to be a little disappointed that with such a fantastic name he didn't become a spy, or a cowboy, or some sort of intense figure where he could shoot at someone while yelling something witty at them like "get the hell out of Dodge." It's sad, really.

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Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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