Recent Posts

20801

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Question and Answer Maker

« Last post by mouser on February 01, 2009, 06:20 PM »

Nice post -- there have to be some more recommendations by dc members on this subject.. come on people speak up!

20802

DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: Teddy - A simple drum machine!

« Last post by mouser on February 01, 2009, 06:02 PM »

report after trying new version:

• Installer didn't add a start menu item
• Couldnt get it to change soundbanks until i turned off numlock key and then hit ctrl+numpad keys.
• Why not let just regular number key pressed change the soundbanks and spacebar to cycle?  - why make user hit ctrl+numpad?
• In the about box it would be nice if it had a link to click to open up this thread here, and maybe when you add start menu items, add a link to visit website that goes to this thread.
• Double clicking banner goes into toddler mode well -- maybe it would be nice to have text on the banner saying "Double click here to toggle toddler mode"  -- you could show it for the first 60seconds only maybe.
• On a multi-monitor setup if i made the mistake of running Teddy on one of my monitors, going into toddler mode damn near made me do a hard reboot because it was hidden behind a black screen and took over all control.  I'd suggest a few safeguards against that:  1) try to get it to do toddler mode better on multiple screen setups.  2) make a hotkey that can exit Teddy -- ctrl+alt+del like CrazyLittleFingers does would be a very good idea.

looking great though!!

20803

Coding Snacks / Re: Idea: Lightbox

« Last post by mouser on February 01, 2009, 08:38 AM »

Haha Skrommel, I love your screenshot

20804

DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: Teddy - A simple drum machine!

« Last post by mouser on January 31, 2009, 08:36 PM »

If you want to do something really fancy and advanced, add this idea to your todo list:
Make bank 9 reserved for Program Recorded Snippets.
If user hits Ctrl+Letter then program should beep, then record from mic until ctrl key released, and then store the sound into that key (in bank 9).

20805

DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: Teddy - A simple drum machine!

« Last post by mouser on January 31, 2009, 08:26 PM »

Please add an option to change drumkit samples from the gui.

i dont think thats worth the effort.

however a compromise might be to let the digts 1-9 select between 9 possible banks of sounds, ie make 1 the base Samples folder, and then hitting 2-9 will load samples from "Samples\1" "Samples\2" etc

20806

DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: Teddy - A simple drum machine!

« Last post by mouser on January 31, 2009, 08:18 PM »

Wonderful!  Really fun
I'm sure some parents are going to love this for their kids (makes a great compliment to Crazy Little Fingers).

Some very quickie suggestions:

• Put a normal maximize button on the form for people who aren't going to read the website -- maybe it should even default to full screen
• Make a website for it, then
• Upload it in zip format for normal people
• Make an installer maybe

20807

Find And Run Robot / Re: Puzzling results

« Last post by mouser on January 31, 2009, 02:41 PM »

i will look into it.. clearly it does not seem desirable.

20808

Developer's Corner / Re: The D programming language - an interview with the author

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 09:23 PM »

Imperfect C++ and stroustrup's Design and Evolution of C++ are both good books -- I enjoyed them both thoroughly.  Doesn't change my pessimistic view though.  I also definitely can recommend the slim volume on D I mentioned above.

20809

Post New Requests Here / Idea: System Tray Icons for Background Processes

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 12:43 PM »

I know a lot of people try to eliminate system tray icons -- they want it empty down there.  I'm the opposite -- I love seeing what is running on the pc with these icons.

So here is my idea:

• A program that lets you set icons for background processes and services.
• It would let you configure a custom icon or use the exe icon of the process.
• It would let you select which processes should be included or excluded.
• It should automatically show or not show the icon based on if the process is currently running.
• It should offer a right-click menu for each icon letting you stop the process.
• A nice option would be to allow a process icon to always show even if the process is not running, but show grey if not, with menu item to start it up.

20810

Developer's Corner / Re: The D programming language - an interview with the author

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 12:32 PM »

ps i keep a little notebook of ideas for what i would consider my ultimate dream language.  if anyone here ever becomes a serious language designer with a few years to spend writing the next new language, drop me a note 

20811

Developer's Corner / Re: The D programming language - an interview with the author

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 12:23 PM »

My main ranting against C++0x can be found here: https://www.donation...59.msg71904#msg71904

Summary:

• It's still my primary programming language, and I still love it, but you simply cannot "fix" C++ by adding stuff, which is the ground rules that C++0x is operating under.  It's simply not feasible, and the result is ugly.
• In truth, the C++0x debacle is going to have some very useful side effects.  Their are some brilliant language designers working on C++0x issues, and churning out interesting, detailed, thoughtfull, argued positions.  I suspect that many of the ideas that come out of C++0x arguments will find their way into younger, more consistent and more elegant languages.

I actually suspect that the introduction of C++0x is going to ironically hasten the fall of C++.  The momentum to stick with a language is very strong.. But when you force people to change, you've provided them with an incentive to switch to another language rather than adopt a new version of C++.

--

I've read the D book and have decided D is not worth my switching to it from C++.  Thus, I am still waiting for a new language.

20812

N.A.N.Y. 2009 / Re: NANY 2009 Release: Trout

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 11:50 AM »

embarrassed that it's one of my own

20813

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: Fundraiser discussion.. again.. need help with ideas

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 11:45 AM »

is there anything special we could give to donators during the fundraiser?

20814

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: Fundraiser discussion.. again.. need help with ideas

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 11:43 AM »

Would it be difficult to set up one year non-expiring licenses (instead of the six months usually given) on DC apps?

no, that's easy to do.

Alternatively, you could give away free lifetime licenses for a 24 hour period during the drive. How about holding it in March and doing the giveaway on the fourth anniversary of DC going live (March 13th, isn't it?).

fundraiser in march celebrating anniversary with giveaway on that day is not a bad idea..

20815

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: Fundraiser discussion.. again.. need help with ideas

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 11:02 AM »

Another thing is i think for the first time we should have a thermometer fundraising goal thing showing how much we've raised.
Makes me nervous since it seems like it will always seem like too little or too much, but let's give it a try and see.
As for where to set the goal of amount to raise.. i was thinking we would use our yearly hosting costs which is something like $5000 a year; we might actually make that the half way point just to be optimistic.

Sample banner idea:


Another (background text and image would be removed for real version):


the 2nd one is actually easier to integrate into the site since it would replace the normal site banner on all pages, including forum.

20816

DC Website Help and Extras / Fundraiser discussion.. again.. need help with ideas

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 11:00 AM »

Every 6 months or so i seem to think it's time to do a dc fundraiser but then chicken out..  well it's that time again.
Anyway i was thinking actually of just biting the bullet and doing it in feb (or march).

What i wanted to get feedback about is.. I was thinking of a couple of ideas.  In the past we had a big giveaway of donated software licenses.. i think we will skip that this year, mostly because it takes so long to organize, but also because i think it's just one more thing to try to explain which gets confusing.

However, i was thinking maybe it's a good opportunity to experiment with something else.. what if during the fundraiser month we said that if people chose not to donate we would still give them a lifetime non-expiring license key?

Is that defeating the purpose? It's kind of like an anti-incentive to donate so maybe it doesn't make any sense.. but i was thinking it would at least communicate to people that we are pure in our intentions and get more people to actually visit the site and give us a look.

Or is there something else interesting we could do?

20817

Living Room / JayIsGames.com Post Results of Their Best Casual Games of 2008 Awards

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 09:23 AM »

There is probably no better site on the internet than JayIsGames.com for reading about great flash/casual games, and they do a great round up every year.

http://jayisgames.co..._of_2008_results.php

20818

Living Room / Re: Cleaning Inside the Case

« Last post by mouser on January 30, 2009, 09:08 AM »

i want to double what f0dder says -- i destroyed up a power supply by blowing compressed air into it.
i say: never never EVER use compressed air inside a computer case.

20819

Site/Forum Features / Re: Longtime DC Member JoTo is in hospital again -- address for sending postcards

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 10:00 PM »

Welcome back joto!!

20820

General Software Discussion / Re: Shell Extension City's Best Freeware of 2008

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 02:24 PM »

yeah bob at shellcity seriously has to figure out a way to permalink older posts!!

20821

Living Room / Re: My google page rank dropped to 0, anyone have any ideas why?

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 10:17 AM »

google does update pagerank occasionally but.. 0 seems weird, like a bug.

20822

General Software Discussion / Re: Some non-mainstream online and offline software you might not know about

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 10:14 AM »

Nice 

20823

Find And Run Robot / Re: Windows cannot find "Blah-blah". Make sure you typed the name correctly and ...

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 09:09 AM »

You know.. i'll bet there is a story behind why there is a space in that shortcut name.. Microsoft had to have a reason for that.. i wonder if someone can suss it out..

20824

Find And Run Robot / Re: Windows cannot find "Blah-blah". Make sure you typed the name correctly and ...

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 09:09 AM »

Ah!! thank you for remembering that!!!!!! 

20825

LaunchBar Commander / Re: Annoying border..

« Last post by mouser on January 29, 2009, 01:00 AM »

good idea.