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2151

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 04:35 PM »

Without getting exhaustive, I think another couple of moves have been made here. Let's assume Snowden is the White King, but it's not clear who each of the opposing armies are yet. But there's been increasing news snips about "fighting for more transprency" at all levels of news.

So that's a "small subtle move advantage" for Snowden's side. Certainly only a couple of moves, but they're on the board.

Darn I'm almost ready to map this out : )

2152

General Software Discussion / Re: Swapping Out Software?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 04:29 PM »

#3. Tree Note programs
I have remarked a few times elsewhere that I do mixes of old school paper and computer notes. I had been using a program called "TreeDBNotes Pro". For non experts like me it was a perfect blend of power and ease of use. It was the winner of a six month search for note programs without even having an end goal in mind ... total "I'll know it when I see it" territory!

In the end the Killer App (feature) became a "12 click export" of the entire database into a web page. I'm using it right now to index authors for a SciFi webzine. Then upon the reports of a couple of reader/users, I began scratching my head.

"I *know* I fixed that... why is it not done??!" So I did a couple of bug studies...

And ...Collapsed. Completely. "You have ... GOT .... to be kidding."

The *only* core thing a data organizer needs to do is ... organize the data. So get this ... when I filed a piece of data, and then tried to re-file it, it *undid* up to 25 (or more - I never did get the upper bound!) pieces of data previously filed! This includes saves!

Think about it. File 25 things. Move one. Unfile all 25.

Black Hole Horizon level chaos. No. ... Just ... No.

So what do you do when the sole winner of a program search with a killer feature completely implodes?!!

I got *extremely lucky* in that *in the intervening year* *another program* happened to decide to put in the "12 Click Export" feature ... except that this one didn't ruin my data every time I moved something. (I'm pretty sure it wasn't there before because my computer recognized the name but I would have noticed if it had the export.) So the switch was a snap, even forfeiting the old version's paid fee.

The lesson/question here is what happens when a "mission critical" program goes bad. I don't know what I would have done. ANYTHING was better than total loss of data confidence, but back to any of 30 Grade C alternatives would have been miserable.

2153

General Software Discussion / Re: Swapping Out Software?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 04:18 PM »

#2: Office
This one has a bit longer of a history. I didn't exactly have qualms about using company paid copies of Office, so I just did my thing. But at home, to be sure, I didn't feel like buying a *second* copy of it! So pretty soon Open Office showed up. I was just old enough to have seen (I think?) Version 2.x series and it had *such* a strange layout, that while I respected the concept, as a user you have to be able to *use* your new replacement, and I just didn't get the oomph to do it, but I kept it sorta on my "check in next year" category.

Then somewhere about the version 3.x series they understood that you need to make it close to the original you are competing with, and that's when I was at least able to use it for real for a fair many things.

But ya know? OO and now LibreOffice still have a bunch of things that just are laid out differently, and about this year when I am doing more serious spreadsheet stuff at home, I decided that mattered. I am a fan of "durable knowledge". If I learn something, I like it to still be valid for X years, and not instantly be replaced by Next Year's News. After briefly observing the upgrade to Libre 4.x, all those things were there...

I went this year with the promo for Kingsoft Office. (I left the Writer on Libre, no qualms there.) But for spreadsheets, however they did it, they just managed to mirror MS's placement of features. Roughly I count about 20 simple things that I rely on in spreadsheets, and using the "muscle memory" I learned at work on the "real" MS package, just made the switch to Kingsoft easier.

2154

General Software Discussion / Re: Swapping Out Software?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 04:09 PM »

Has anyone recently abandoned any software in favour of another piece of software?
...
So? Anyone?

-Renegade (July 18, 2013, 04:58 AM)

Great Topic! I have three of examples! I'll do them in separate posts in case they spawn their own spinoff discussions. (Notice - I feel it's important not to use the "ad hominem names" for stuff - no "M$ Windoze" etc. However evil a company is, as a discussant you lose instantly when you resort to that stuff!)

#1: "Browser Wars" - 2004
I date my modern (modest!) understanding of computers to about 2004, starting when I was first in between jobs last time. As I began understanding all the issues that are "old hat today" such as Lock-in tricks, three categories of software tied to MS became apparent. Listed in approximate increasing order of converting out of, they are Browsers, Office, and Windows. After a few attempts, some of which are noted here at DC, I simply decided to stay with Windows, and instead became one of the "wait and see" crowd watching the state of Windows from within the ecosystem.

I already knew I had no particular devotion to Internet Explorer, so it felt like an easy first step. And it was. I only do about "ten things" with a browser, so way back in 2004, there weren't many serious contenders. I glanced at Safari and didn't really care for it. So Firefox it was. The add-ons were the selling point, and are to this day. (Though lately the Interface has become part of the discussion!)

So the first point in "Abandoning" is how invested you were in the original program. I had zero alliance to IE and was just old enough to remember laughing at IE 2 back in the Netscape days, and missed the "zeitgeist change" somewhere about 2002 when IE really locked in. My company never used any precisely specific locked-to-IE apps, so that made it easy to learn Firefox and there I stay. Yes, there are creaks and quirks, but I'd be *really unhappy* to have to move to anything else! (Especially since we lost Opera as an option!)

2155

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 02:26 PM »

(Re-posted here once I pondered a little.)
I have a small bad habit of having cutesy things pop into my mind about more serious topics.
This one is from Mouser's announcement elsewhere.
My cutesy things belong in Silly Humor. But the 3 part assembly of them tends to mean I accidentally compose them in the original thread when it's not my intent to hijack it!

I have restarted my Yumps project from scratch, this time coding in Python.

The new project name is "Mewlo".

Mewlo is an open source, high-level programmer's framework for creating custom, community-driven web services.

-mouser (July 17, 2013, 09:17 AM)

But "Yumps" is more fun to say!

Sing it!

Yumps! Yumps! Yumps! Yumps!
Yumps! Yumps! Yumps! Yumps!
Yumps! Yumps! Yumps! Yumps!
Yumps! Yumps! Yumps! Yumps!

Who's leading the CMS that's made for you and me?
M-o-u-s-e-r, who made DC for me!

Or this one:
YumpsYumpsYumpsYumps YumpsYumpsYumpsYumps Bang Bang!
YumpsYumpsYumpsYumps YumpsYumpsYumpsYumps Bang Bang!
Mouser We Love You. The Data is never far, when stored safe from harm!
YumpsYumpsYumpsYumps YumpsYumpsYumpsYumps Bang Bang!
Do a wildcard search, of our fine 12 data-field friend!

2156

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 02:16 PM »

It's slowly becoming clear that there really is a superior race of beings on this planet. Mind you they're obviously not human beings ... My money is on the dolphins.

-Stoic Joker (July 19, 2013, 12:05 PM)

"DC Members unite to take over the world! Uh... what is it Pinky? We're all booked today? Can we take over the world tomorrow?"

-TaoPhoenix (July 19, 2013, 01:55 PM)

Shouldn't Pinky=Brain?   NARF!

-wraith808 (July 19, 2013, 02:13 PM)

I might not know my source well enough! I wouldn't be surprised I got it backwards. But isn't that what this thread is all about? Immense displays of ineptitude? : )

2157

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 02:05 PM »

Are you a moron? Most people are!

-Renegade (July 19, 2013, 11:21 AM)

Nah, this is more serious in that it's called "Social Engineering". Reduced to basic elements, "Social Engineering" looks ludicrous, but that's because it operates at a whole different plane. (I'd still love to know if anyone did a study on the rise of Facebook imploding the classic Bank Security question "Mother's Maiden Name". Because that used to be kinda hard to figure out. Now you look at Mr. Green and he "Likes" his family ... oh look, there's Papa Green, Mrs. Green, and ... wait for it ... Sally, Matilda, Angie, Henrietta, and Lucy Ostrowowskiej from Poland.)

So you gang are programmers - used to immense technical details. So it's just a little bit mean to call people getting social engineered "morons". It's more like a "Security Flaw" in the brain. We want to be liked, so it throws off defenses. Once known, the hack to abuse a Security Flaw is far lower level than the "original level of intelligence in the system". (That's why there's the derogatory term "Script Kiddie - someone else did the brilliant work finding the flaw, the Script Kiddie just uses it "turn-key.")

2158

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 01:55 PM »

It's slowly becoming clear that there really is a superior race of beings on this planet. Mind you they're obviously not human beings ... My money is on the dolphins.

-Stoic Joker (July 19, 2013, 12:05 PM)

"DC Members unite to take over the world! Uh... what is it Pinky? We're all booked today? Can we take over the world tomorrow?"

2159

Living Room / Re: Own your identity

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 01:32 PM »

I would add to this, own your content. If you write interesting stuff on forums, also add it to a blog or something that's running on your domain.

-justice (July 12, 2011, 03:46 AM)

Well, there's an assumption in the middle here. If "Own" your content means "have it available without wholly relying upon an external web service" then I'll add the whole realm of simple private offline backup records. A while back I put a lot of my comments into a note organizing app I was using for a while. (I still have one, but lemme go visit that change software thread!)

2160

Living Room / Re: Own your identity

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 19, 2013, 01:29 PM »

+1

Unfortunately, I have multiple domains... Does that make me schizophrenic, or do I have MPID (Multiple Personality Internet Disorder)?

-Renegade (July 13, 2011, 04:29 PM)

Renny, the term you are parodying has been deprecated in the psych lit. The new correct parody would be Dissociated Internet Identity Disorder.

2161

Developer's Corner / Re: Microsoft gives app developers 180 days to fix bugs

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 16, 2013, 06:37 PM »

So ... is this a bad thing!?

I think I'm missing the story, or maybe the subtext.

2162

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 16, 2013, 06:35 PM »

that was an interesting viewpoint, and helpful advice.
I've actually used that approach fairly successfully when meeting independent-minded ... cats, for the first time.

-tomos (July 16, 2013, 04:37 PM)

"Is there any other kind?"

2163

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 16, 2013, 04:06 PM »

This is actually a useful infographic, but it's done with some humor, so I think perhaps it qualifies for this thread.

How to live/interact with an introvert:
 (see attachment in previous post)
Source: DeviantArt.

-Deozaan (July 16, 2013, 12:48 PM)

That's a pretty good start. I do feel that introverts can do with some external exposure, but your graphic is on target in one key way - if there's a significant activity involved, sometimes we can enjoy "performing" or "living it up" because the activity is engaging and keeps the pace going, and it's not some parlor party out of Edith Wharton where if you misfire one sentence it becomes gossip for a week.

2164

Living Room / Re: Hack a Day website is now on Kickstarter

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 15, 2013, 08:08 PM »

Sure 40hz, and then if you put your "Black Hat" on, then even more things pop up.

What makes it all a pity is Hack-a-Day is fairly well respected, so that's part of the confusion. If this was a no-name we wouldn't even be caring right now.

2165

Living Room / Re: Hack a Day website is now on Kickstarter

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 15, 2013, 01:52 PM »

The endgame of this question is too hard for me! I can only offer a few random lilly pads across the pond of the problem but someone else will have to make a few big leaps!

It "seems all right" on the first and second reads. If the owner wants to sell and let's presume he's not asking something ridiculous in that 500k figure, fine, he sells.

My alert signal is going off with something to do with "$500k ... or what?"
A. "Shut it down?"
B. "Or sell it to a Big Evil Interest?"

Because the first un-stated item is why they're wrestling with going all "non-profit" now, when why not just do it with the current owner? Why does *he* get to cash out, on *our money*? Why not just walk and say "here's the keys and two beers are in the fridge"?

Well, if an owner wants $$$ or "he'll shut the site down" has been popping up a little here and there, truly the "I'm taking my ball and going home".

Or then there are Big Evil Interests looking at buying these "strange little properties". My best analogy is Dice Holdings (of job ad listing infamy) buying Slashdot. After a few months when everyone had to move in etc, now they're regularly posting "their own stories" in the middle of the normal ones, with varying levels of transparencies to the point a couple of us made sure to squawk about the mixed signals. So there really *are* things that happen when "properties" "sell out to the Death Star".

So that's all I got to get y'all started!

2166

General Software Discussion / Re: How to handle those really awful "endlessly scrolling down" web pages?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 14, 2013, 11:05 AM »

It's looking like you can just type /page/x after the address! I tested it on two random separate tumblr blogs on two copies of FF and then IE to try to help rule out browser specific silliness.

Try it and holler how it goes!

2167

Living Room / Re: Startpage.com Search Engine - Katherine Albrecht on The Corbett Report

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 13, 2013, 05:59 AM »

I've used Startpage as my primary engine for years!

But their results are not perfect. Occasionally I have indeed had to go to the Evil Google. (But only ocasionally when my search is really tough!) For all the boring searches, the privacy protection is important.

2168

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 12, 2013, 11:14 AM »

It's certainly funny to hear obvious lies and hypocrisy from politicians, and then see them exposed for what they are. My wife and I have been laughing our butts off for a while now, and not infrequently hysterically so.

-Renegade (July 12, 2013, 10:55 AM)

(Parody of Distraction Tactics used here, and on Julian Assange)
"In other news, Renny is happily married to his wife! Where did you meet her?"

 

2169

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 12, 2013, 10:53 AM »

the best chess players don't reveal checkmate in how ever many moves it will take
I'm guessing he has not made all his moves yet.

-cmpm (July 12, 2013, 10:30 AM)

I agree with you and "guarantee" he hasn't, because he just released a new tidbit of info a couple of days ago. But even if he just releases "tidbits", we're waiting for the big move from him *or someone influenced by him* that really changes the "prevailing mood of the time". (With a nod to the Gregory Brothers music group!)

I'd really say we're only on some "move" 4-7 at this point, because chess has lots of little "obligatory actions" that comprise up sequences. But we really only have a couple of big picture themes. A, he released a bunch of stuff, B, he's jockeying for Asylum, and that's it.

2170

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 12, 2013, 09:10 AM »

I'd be inclined to declare the first match a stalemate. But this tournament is far from over.

-40hz (July 10, 2013, 09:13 AM)

If we base the assessment on Snowden's declared original objectives, then it must be 1:0 in his favour, as he had ...managed to change public opinion on the issue despite all the spin, while the US government failed to apprehend him or stop him from leaking further information...

-dr_andus (July 10, 2013, 09:59 AM)

Okay gang, with a bit of morning levity but some seriousness to it, the Chess analogy is an interesting one. And the game is not over. We're not into "matches" because *no new serious angle* has been introduced, such as another nation's counterpart, or a second one from the US.

Chess games have multiple phases, sometimes as many as ten. So I'm curious to see how much you gang think he has accomplished, but it's not a "checkmate" for him yet, or the US! Snowden's playing White - he "opened the game" and did his thing. So apparently his "opening was good" and he got an advantage of some level. But then however we interpret it, the US has been playing defense. So you can sit on a "cramped" position for a long time in Chess. Those become either Draws or even wins for Black if the original attacker playing White doesn't finish it all off with a killer combo.

I haven't figured out what chess opening the US is playing yet though.

2171

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 11, 2013, 10:40 PM »

See, this is disturbing when the Tin Foil Hats are right! More fun from Snowden saying that Microsoft was handing the NSA access to stuff. In an unrelated story, HP is apparently *still* (?!!) putting backdoors into its stuff.

2172

Living Room / Re: Privacy Policy

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 11, 2013, 11:59 AM »

Or to simplify:

... lie about your name and other personal information...

-40hz (July 11, 2013, 06:57 AM)

Always.

-4wd (July 11, 2013, 08:32 AM)

Not always forever, because they're closing in on the other side that "violating a site's TOS by providing false info = makes you a Bad Person".

2173

Developer's Corner / Re: The Danger of Naïveté

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 11, 2013, 11:57 AM »

In the spirit of all this, though the algorithmic issues are different, a few "beginner's magic" tricks abuse "naive" shuffling. Using whatever methods etc, you learn the location of at least one (and sometimes a few cards if you're farther along studying.) Then you migrate them to either the top or the bottom of the deck. Then you "shuffle" the cards but abuse the following:

The "riffle" intersperses "1 and 25, 2 & 26" (with clumping). However, if the card you want is on top, then you make sure that half *finishes last*. So the top card remains the top card, with only the stuff in the middle traveling.

Then you "convert" the location knowledge into a sneak peek, and then the usual mumbo jumbo obfuscation for the reveal.

2174

Living Room / Re: Adblock Plus Letting Ads By

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 10, 2013, 11:08 AM »

I'm also grateful for AdBlock. So much so that I've contributed to it regularly since I first started using it. Right now, I don't consider what they've done to be a complete show-stopper. (I'm not that much an ingénue.) But now I'm watching them much more closely than I used to. Which is a shame since trust is such rare and fragile thing these days.

Suffice it to say I'll kick AdBlock to the curb in a heartbeat if I so much as suspect they're abusing what remaining trust I have in it. For the moment, I'll give them some benefit of the doubt. But the ball is definitely in their court going forward.
 

-40hz (July 10, 2013, 09:02 AM)

What remaining trust is there? Isn't the point of AdBlock to ... block ads? I've spent money on chunks of value (if sufficiently vetted! One Un-Named Soul has fallen on bad luck!).

So I'll submit the newspaper pages as my signature example of the Anti-Adblock movement. They employ these *awful* javascipt monstrosities that eat your entire page until you click them to go away!!
 

So see my other posts on the "javascript blockers".

On the mobile front (blah blah yes it's mobile but it matters) one app puts ads right where your finger actions are supposed to be, so then you mis-click and hit the ad 20% of the time.

2175

Living Room / Re: How Google is Killing Honest (Organic) Search

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on July 10, 2013, 11:02 AM »

I lost the link for an essay/article, and wanted to find it again. It *was* easy to find through Google before. Not so much now - it's gone from the results. No matter how I try, I cannot find it.

-Renegade (July 10, 2013, 10:12 AM)

Uh oh! We have a Return of Renny Challenge!
There are few forces (except maybe ex-girls!) as mad as DC members Scorned! So what was the article! First three to find it get Thank-You mentions from Renny!

Because if Snowden taught us anything, it is that when you're stumped, you just Give It To The Interwebs, and they will look for you as a favor!