September 24, 2003
--Hey, everyone! Just wanted to do a quick plug of a great new online comic, PockyBot!

New strips go up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can read bonus articles in the 'zine section by contributing writers.

Last, but not least, you can hang out with other PockyBot fans and post in the PockyBot Forums.

--Check it out!



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Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin

August 19, 2003
--Ever noticed certain cycles that online communities go through? A spike in membership, a glut of new people, a big round of complaining and then lots of people leave... then another spike in membership.

Well, this guy called Shirky has written a little something on this phenomenon as it pertains to creating software for groups, i.e. "social software".

A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy is the name of this essay. It's good stuff. It talks about how groups (particularly online groups) tend to have a tension between not wanting to have rules, and needing rules to keep the idiots or newbies among them from running amock.

Read it. We dare you.

______________________
Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin

July 23, 2003
--Extra cool news abounds! We have finally gotten our domain name secured for the next year: www.cyberpumpkinsfarm.com! Yay!

Extra special thanks to Hubris the Angry Monkey at STFU-dumbass.com for the setup and domain hosting!

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Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin

July 22, 2003
--The big Transformers Convention in Chicago is a mere 2 days away! Excitement abounds!

This update is mostly to bring to people's attention a web-site where you can get Invader Zim soundtrack music! How cool is this? Very!

Go right here to get the Invader Zim tracks. You know you want to! . . . Well, if you're a Zim fan, anyway.

Special thanks to Hubris the Angry Monkey at STFU-dumbass.com for the Invader Zim music tip!

______________________
Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin

July 18, 2003
--Yet another update to the Cyberpumpkin's Farm website? Indeed! Now you can sign the online guestbook (top right corner). It's easy, free and painless!

Also, you can check out the newly re-done Galleries page and Links pages!

Thanks for visiting!

______________________
Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin

July 12, 2003
--Woohoo! Check out this piece of art (right), recently added to the Fan Art section of the Gallery!

This is both fan art and gift art, since it was done primarily as a going-away present for some friends who moved away recently.

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Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin

June 30, 2003
--After last week's posting of my little essay about anarchy, I've decided to start putting my more lengthy opinion pieces (written for online discussions and whatnot) on this homepage. This is more for my own benefit, to have a record of thoughts I've put into words, rather than for the few who might actually take the time to read them. Perhaps one day, I'll be approached to compile these into a book and go to the top of some Bestseller List. In the meantime...

This topic involved marriage. The person who started the topic was wondering:

...maybe we should have been asking instead why so many other people ARE married. for so many it leads to so much unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

I responded...

--I'd like to do a take-off on a popular saying:

Marriage don't cause unhappiness and dissatisfaction for people. People cause unhappiness and dissatisfaction for people!

I remain convinced that people who find and keep lifelong partners tend to get more out of life, in a good way. The unfortunate thing is that most people are shocked and aghast when they find out that a good marriage (like good parenting, a good work of art, a good career or a good golf swing) takes really really hard work.

Lots of people go into marriages with the expectation that if they love each other enough, they'll get along just fine. This is an odd misconception, since even the most loving siblings get at each other's throats once in a while. Sometimes they stop even trying to impress each other or stop going out... even just stop having fun altogether. They come home to each other at the end of the day, tired and grouchy.

And then everyone's all shocked when he runs off with the secretary (who is, by the way, paid to be nice, cheerful, have a professional/attractive appearance and not get on his nerves), and she runs off with the dishwasher repairman (who is courteous, attentive, doesn't brush her off when she's talking, and fixes the dishwasher when she tells him to).

People don't seem to realize that when they take the vow forever, that doesn't mean "until we give up". People often give up before they even really try to get past whatever garbage is stinking up the relationship, let alone bring in some fresh roses.

I always chuckle when I hear people quote the old statistic "75% of marriages end in divorce." But what that little factoid doesn't say is that most people who get divorced do it two or three times, not just once. So even when a lot of people stay married, the ones who don't are sort-of "making up for" the ones who do.

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Webmaster and managing editor, Cyberpumpkin