02-01-2020
Update:
I am finding it hard to build a decent app (beyond a very basic app) with Blynk. With four labeled data displays, that "cost" met 400 x 4 = 1600 credits. That means I cannot add more of value (like another country or two's datasets for the Wuhan virus and a data chart), without getting into the “feed Blynk money”¯ business model. Blynk is starting to feel "disappointing". I was advised to “just give Blynk another 1000 free credits to share”¯; but I don't have any “free credits to share”¯ because this “very tiny app”¯ leaves me with only 400 "Blynk energy credits".
As many people know, I have a very low threshold for corporate greed, and surveillance capitalism in general, and I have promoted Blynk in the public service cause; but I think I was premature in doing so due to Blink's business model.
So, after this experiment with Blynk, I'll probably stop developing public service apps with Blynk. I have already "learned" the impression that Blynk is quite a bit more “feed me money”¯ than I care for; based on my experience with this public service app today. Unfortunately, as some know, I have a very low threshold for the "Blynk-like" business model, as I have come to understand it. Maybe I simply do not understand it?
People keep saying Blynk is "free"; but Blynk is not free for any real useful app. Everything in the app has a “cost”¯ and after we use the very tiny “2000 Blynk energy credits”¯ we have to pay real money. What am I missing? Any user created app of more than a few small data parameters exceeds the "free credits" provided by Blynk. I find today, I cannot add a chart of the Wuhan coronavirus without digging into my bank account to feed Blynk's requirement for "real coin" on a public service app. I don't have the “Blynk credits”¯ to add more countries, charts, or whatever. It's seriously - pay to play.
This Blynk business model is not designed for public service, as I have experienced over the past day.
Also, on the tech side, I do not like / appreciate it when we create a Blynk app on our phone, Blynk just “deletes it”¯ without warning. I was running a test server monitoring app one phone, and the Wuhan stats app on another phone, and Blynk just deleted the server monitoring app and replaced it with the Wuhun stats app without warning me. I'm not happy about this at all. My work on that "server monitoring app" is gone from Blynk; there appears to be no mechanism to save the Blynk app we created in the phone, so after Blynk deletes it, all that work is GONE!
Anyway, I have a low threshold for the things I am seeing with Blynk, especially after building a public service app, meant only to help others who are in crisis, and learning more about Blynk today, in the process.
This User Gave Thanks to Neo For This Post:
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xbill(6) Games Manual xbill(6)
NAME
xbill - save your computers from Wingdows [TM] virus
SYNOPSIS
xbill [-l level] [--gui gui] [--sizesize] [-v] [-h]
DESCRIPTION
Ever get the feeling that nothing is going right? You're a sysadmin, and someone's trying to destroy your computers. The little people
running around the screen are trying to infect your computers with Wingdows [TM], a virus cleverly designed to resemble a popular operating
system. Your objective is to click the mouse on them, ending their potential threat. If one of the people reaches a computer, it will
attempt to replace your operating system with the virus it carries. It will then attempt to run off the screen with your vital software.
The game ends when only 1 (or 0) of your computers are being productive. Additionally, some computers are connected with network cables.
When one computer on a network becomes infected, a spark will be sent down the cable, and will infect the computer on the other end when it
reaches there.
Clicking the button on one of the little people will cause it to cry out in pain and melt (id software eat your heart out!), dropping the
stolen os if it is carrying one. If a computer is running Wingdows or is temporarily off, the os can be dragged back to the computer (or
another computer compatible with that os). To extinguish a spark, drag the bucket of water from the upper left corner onto it.
The status bar at the bottom tells the following:
Number of Bills on/off the screen
Number of Computers running their OS/off/Wingdows
Level
Score
OPTIONS
-l n Start at level n.
--gui gui
Use a specific front end. The possible values are gtk, motif, and athena. Note that some of these may not be compiled into the
binary.
--size size
Play on a field of size x size, instead of the normal 400x400. size must be larger than 400.
-v Print version number and exit.
-h Print help and exit.
When using the GTK gui, all standard GTK options are supported. When using the Athena or Motif GUI, all standard X Intrinsics options are
supported.
AUTHORS
Main Programmer:
Brian Wellington <bwelling@xbill.org>
Programming & graphics (v2.0 and earlier):
Matias Duarte <matias@hyperimage.com>
COPYING
Copyright (c) 1994-2001 Psychosoft
It's FREE! If you want to express your undying gratitude to us for bringing a small bit of meaning into your otherwise pointless existence,
you could always send us e-mail. XBill is distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Go play the game now!
Version 2.1 October 2001 xbill(6)