Diminishing Returns / Big Corporations

It seems that the bigger a company or corporation or company grows, the more horrid it gets.  It seems like this is a function of the people in charge being random CEO's instead of anyone invested in making or using a good product.

I'm going to make use of this post to record examples as I run across them.


Adobe

• Pushing people into Creative Cloud
• CC holds your artwork hostage by only letting you 'rent a license' instead of buying one.  If you stop subscribing you can no longer open up your artwork in CC applications, which may not be fully accessable using other applications.

Apple

• iTunes - anyone who used this way back when hardly recognizes the steaming pile of marketing DRM shit it has become.
• Axing good features/programs.
• Removing the ability to use iMacs as monitors.
• Apple Database Software - PC users get Access.  Mac users don't get anything ~ although they can purchase Filemaker Pro for $250
• OS ~ ludite windowed mode, when the Windows function works so much better. Is this a patent issue?
• On that note: how is it that there seem to be so many patents on things which are just logically the best conclusion. If anyone would eventually come to that conclusion eventually it seems silly that it's patentable. Also trees. It's fucking crazy that big pharma can patent tree syrum and then su indigenous Peruvians for using trees sap or whatever for medicinal purposes.
• iPhoto - Pushing users into Photos (which has fewer features.
• No longer allows users to automatically delete photos after import? 10.18.16

Google

• Google search doesn't actually work very well anymore.
• I remember a time when I could actually find specific things using a few choice keywords.  Nowadays the only hits that come up occur when I am searching for an official company website ~ and even then sometimes only as a sponsored hit.
• Axing good features/programs.
• Google Wave
• Youtube
• Can't easily use my old account because they want to force me to integrate everything.

Holy Magic

Some concept sketches.

Reporter

Why Would He Have To

"I don't know why he would have to resort to that, I would've thought he coulda gotten it anywhere."

More Copic Practice

I'm still too timid to try darker values after past failures, but at least this worked out better.  Maybe next time ;)

Google Forms

I'm not sure how long the 'new & improved v. of google forms has been out, but apparently that is yet another victim of the big brand devolution trend; having dropped it's most useful functionality (to me) and is no longer capable of auto-populating a form starting with an existing google spreadsheet.

Helmet sketches

Not really satisfied.  Can't seem to maintain the proportions I like while still mapping to a human helmet...

Rocksmith

I have no idea what improvements they made for the more recent versions.*

• Catch 22!  The exercises you would use to get better at playing songs are unlocked by having already cleared songs.
• I guess these people needed to point at Guitar Hero to convince some assholes with money that THIS game could work.
• The downside is that as a result, instead of scrolling guitar tab, we get a system akin to Guitar Hero, which isn't as good.  Really I'd prefer musical notation too.
• Eventually we'll get that from someone I guess.  I think there are already some programs out there that do it - but I mean, eventually a bigger budget operation will do it and be able to take a crack at the licensing clusterfuck.
• Obviously there should have been an option to do a 'practice mode' or something that lets you work on specific licks/riffs or whatever before you try to do the whole song at once.
• When does Rocksmith Cello Edition come out?