*****
If you don’t know about Pokemon Go, yet, either you live under a rock with the geodudes and sandshrews or you are in a rare place that hasn’t been run over with “smartphones” being put to one more stupid use. [If you want to know how it works, do your own research or ask just about anyone who is walking around with their “phoneputer” as if they are carrying a metal detector.]
Now, as a fair fan of most things Pokemon, I admit to liking many of the characters and some of the game mechanics. I think the concept of capturing Pokemon in a virtual visual world/way is rather genius. And, there’s something magical about the notion of freely traveling the world in search of these creatures with plenty of adults and kids willing to help each other learn (when they’re not forcing the creatures to fight each other for prizes or take over the world).
But, the “app” goes a bit above and beyond what you get with a $300 Game Boy 3DS system. It’s a serious drain on a phone battery (requiring you to have your camera on at all times). And, sadly, it’s already caused more trouble than Team Rocket ever did. When a “free game” starts causing traffic accidents, break-ins, street crime, the desecration of private/sacred property and untimely deaths (including people walking off cliffs because their eyes were fixed on tracking some imaginary creature or PokeStop), the madness must be stopped. [At least, send it back to the drawing board and redesign it before more people get hurt and no apology can compensate for the losses.]
I could be skeptical of the skeptics. Often, when some new tool or technology comes along, there are those who try to push time back to reinvent the wheel. [And, sometimes, I am one of them.] Maybe these initial reports are not all true or accurate. But, if someone actually DID find an Onix, a giant rock snake, in their kitchen, then this Google Positioning System is rather random and senseless. [See what I did there?]
In short, it’s still early in the release of this new craze. But, I am just about as skeptical of it as I am a certain website that claims everyone who is anyone must have an account with them. I call it Fbook because it gets an F in my book.
Gotta catch them all? I’ll stick with my Game Boy, thanks. Better luck next crime.
Writingbolt's Creation 