#FirstWorldProblems ;-)

Hey Everyone!! :-)

With all the truly terrible things going on in the world, I just thought I'd share a little bit of silly nonsense. If nothing else, it might lighten up my blog, a bit. So, I hope that this recounting of a most first world-esque of problems gives you a chuckle. ;-)

Is it just me, or have other people found that some of those "buy this movie disk and get a free digital copy" are more a test of your resolve and puzzle-solving skills than a real freebie? I mean, some of them, they just give you a website and a code and you go to the website and enter the code and you get your movie and it takes 30 seconds and you're happy. But some of them, you not only have to gather all the pieces together, you also have to figure out what they are and how they go together and in what order.

For instance, I tried to redeem a code today but when I went to the website the little insert had, it told me I had to insert this extra disk that was at the back of the case. Well, okay, a bit strange, but easy enough. Insert the disk, enter the code, another error message with no actual explanation of why or suggestions of how to fix it this time. Go to the website's FAQs and after reading to nearly the bottom find out that I have to be subscribed to a specific retailer's service and download their software.

Of course, no mention of this is made anywhere on the disk or the software it runs or on the little insert with the code. And the retailer isn't the same retailer where I bought the disk or owned by the movie studio that produced the movie. But, okay, whatever. If that's what I need to do, I can do that. It doesn't cost anything but a few minutes.

So, download the software only to find out when I go to install it that it's already installed. My guess is that it's from some time in the past when I had to do this for another movie, but I've forgotten about it because I never use this retailer. But, okay, good, it's already installed. Except I can't start it because it's out of date. Would I like to update it, it asks me. No, not really, it's a pain in the ass and a waste of time. But, since I can't start the software without updating it, and I apparently can't get my movie without the software, sure.

So, update downloaded and installed, time for a restart of the computer. But that update only got it updated enough for the next update - I said I never use this retailer, right? - so next update downloaded and installed, and another restart. But, no, still not updated enough, we need to do this one more time for good measure. And, at this point, I'm asking myself how bad do I really want that digital copy?

But, I've come this far, so one more restart and eureka! The software opens. Now I have to log in. But, of course, I haven't the faintest notion what my login or password is. So, I enter my email and it helpfully sends me a temporary password. But, of course, it's only temporary, so I have to immediately go to the retailer's website, not the software, and create a new password. But the first password won't work. Does it tell me why or what the password has to include? Nope! Why would it do something that simple? That would defeat the purpose of the challenge.

So, two more passwords rejected, and I decide to throw everything and the kitchen sink at it. And summon a demon, for good measure. And that does the trick! Or maybe it was the demon, I'm not sure. But I've got a password, now, and can log into the software. But I don't just have to log into the software; I have to log in, enter the code, and log in again to confirm I want to redeem the code.

But I do all that and... Nothing happens. I mean, literally nothing. It just sits there totally ignoring my frantic clicking on the "redeem" button. So, I seriously consider just saying "fuck it," at this point. But, damn it, no, I'm not going to be outsmarted by a movie code!

So, I take the disk out and blow on it, highly technical manipulations here, and put it back in. And nothing. So I start reading through the menus on the software and find something that says "authorize on this device." You mean this device? The device I just spent an hour downloading, updating, and logging in on? Is that the device we're talking about? Because, I'd have thought that concept had been sufficiently communicated by now.

But, nope, apparently not. So, I authorized the device, which required another entering of the password. And I've got a whole flock of demons sitting on the back of my chair, by this point. And enter the code and click redeem, and... Another fucking error message!

It wants me to insert the disk. The disk was inserted, but apparently it wasn't inserted in the right order. So, I closed the software and removed the disk. Then I opened the software and logged in - again! - made sure it was authorized for this device - it was, thank heavens - inserted the disk, entered the code, logged in again to redeem - those demons were really having a party by then - clicked redeem, and GOT MY FUCKING MOVIE!!!

And, afterwards, after I scared all the demons away, I thought about this. And I can't help but wonder if the movie company hired a video game designer to write their digital movie codes. Because, seriously, what the actual fuck? 😑