Recent Posts

7426

Official Announcements / Re: So we gave up the March Ad Experiment Idea - What about a 7day mini fundraiser?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 21, 2012, 01:53 PM »

^ He wrote everything I was thinking... using better words and with more patience.

7427

Official Announcements / Re: So we gave up the March Ad Experiment Idea - What about a 7day mini fundraiser?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 20, 2012, 07:58 PM »

Whatever you want to do is always my stance on that regard.

7428

Living Room / Re: FBI Redirects Traffic from Blog to FBI - Scary... very scary...

« Last post by wraith808 on March 20, 2012, 09:55 AM »

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you...

7429

General Software Discussion / Re: Google Books Downloader - WARNING - contains search hijack "arccosine.com"

« Last post by wraith808 on March 20, 2012, 06:15 AM »

Update: from the codeplex team...

Hi -

Thanks for contacting us.

We have escalated this request to our next level support team.
As soon as this has been completed, you will be notified.

Thanks -
Hengzhe Li

Another update:

Thanks for reporting.  I have unpublished the project.
 
Thanks,
Jonathan

7430

Living Room / Re: Which decade was the most fun for you personally?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 20, 2012, 06:13 AM »

          

7431

Living Room / Re: Britannica - would you buy it on (say) Kindle or Nook?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 20, 2012, 06:10 AM »

One point - I did see Britannica on the App store.  Yeah... won't be buying that.  It's free.  But it requires a $1.99/month subscription.  And I'm sure it will be limited.  So...

7432

Living Room / Re: Which decade was the most fun for you personally?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 20, 2012, 06:04 AM »

With me, each decade has it's ups and downs... thankfully more ups and downs.  But, it's been getting better and better.  So, no matter how relative things may be, my best times have always been the current times.

7433

General Software Discussion / Re: Google Books Downloader - WARNING - contains search hijack "arccosine.com"

« Last post by wraith808 on March 19, 2012, 06:25 PM »

Did you post a comment/report the project?  Because the source that's checked in pretty much does nothing, so its a misdirection...

I'm posting something about the source, but as I don't have experience with the binary, wouldn't post that.  I'd suggest going to http://googlebookdow.../releases/view/84266 and posting your experiences...

Update: Posted two issue tracker items and a review about the source code doing nothing.  I also sent a support e-mail to the Microsoft team over the site.

7434

General Software Discussion / Re: Superboyac is throwing in the towel: I'm going to transition to Linux

« Last post by wraith808 on March 19, 2012, 05:03 PM »

^ And this is the reason that I gave up when I tried my Linux experiment.  My steps were:

• 1. Install Linux on a side box and use WINE to run Windows apps.  The problem was, it wasn't my primary machine, and so everything was slower and it wasn't helping my transition, as when I went to the machine, I wasn't really *doing* anything.  In fact, most of the time, I was using slower Windows apps in WINE.
• 2. Install VM on my main machine.  Again, I wasn't really getting anything done in the VM, and when I did use it, some of my major things required Windows, so it was either install WINE to use them in the VM (which didn't seem to make sense), or go back to Windows.

In the end, I know I didn't give Linux the try it deserved, but I realized that I didn't need to- that there was no compelling reason to switch.  So I haven't.

7435

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: Ability to *up*vote a post

« Last post by wraith808 on March 17, 2012, 07:57 PM »

^ I don't think so much a reputation mod, but something that you can say that this post is a good post.  It can also help mouser in making the newsletters, bringing attention to posts the community thinks are great.

7436

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Interested in an eReader - Kobo Touch $29.99 from Best Buy 2012-03-17

« Last post by wraith808 on March 17, 2012, 11:59 AM »

...no, the refurb is normally $50.  The normal price is $100.

7437

Found Deals and Discounts / Interested in an eReader - Kobo Touch $29.99 from Best Buy 2012-03-17

« Last post by wraith808 on March 17, 2012, 09:45 AM »

Kobo Touch $29.99 from Best Buy 2012-03-17

More on the Kobo.  Though less mainstream than the others (especially since Borders went under), the Kobo remains a viable alternative, especially since it is one of the friendlier readers for EPUB.  It's store sells books with Adobe eBook DRM, which I am skeptical of since the Adobe Digital Editions requires activation, so I'm not sure how that is on the Kobo.  But this is a really good deal on a reader.

(review on GoodReader) (Review on CNET) (review on The eBook Reader)

7438

Living Room / Re: A change I've seen in the forum

« Last post by wraith808 on March 16, 2012, 05:02 PM »

I've noticed this change or shift in attitude also, and not just in this forum.  I can't explain it, i've asked others about it, i don't get it.  There does seem to have been a change in mood or attitude or something in the last couple of years.

-superboyac (March 16, 2012, 03:42 PM)

I'm seeing a lot more anger most places I'm looking.

People seem to get angry much more easily than they used to, and stay angry a lot longer once they do.

-40hz (March 16, 2012, 04:18 PM)

This, definitely.  And people seem to have less tolerance for dissenting opinions, or even discussion of those positions.

I like a good debate of positions.  But have been getting less of that, because at the end, it seems that there is more anger at than appreciation of differences.  Sad.

7439

Living Room / Re: Britannica - would you buy it on (say) Kindle or Nook?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 06:18 PM »

Except they're really not. There are all sorts of agendas, cliques, and power brokers within the Wikipedia community. Just like everywhere else. (Get involved as a contributor and you'll find that out pretty quickly.)

-40hz (March 15, 2012, 05:43 PM)

QFT.  And very good summarization of what I meant above with your comments on the peer review system.  Non-PhD's can bring things to the table, and so a group of PhD's vetting each other's work doesn't mean that you have the last word on the subject.  But you're a sight closer than you are without them.

7440

Living Room / Re: Britannica - would you buy it on (say) Kindle or Nook?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 05:07 PM »

But studies have shown that the quality (i.e., error rate) of Britannica is only somewhat better than Wikipedia -- they're both of similar magnitude.

I fear that the stigma really stems from academia (right down to elementary school) believing in a top-down model, a priesthood of experts who dictate to the masses, whereas WP stands for power from the ground up.

-CWuestefeld (March 15, 2012, 04:47 PM)

Not to get off-topic, but while your arguments may be valid (there is the argument that it's not about top down, but responsibility), they still don't reflect the stark reality of those students in the halls of academia, i.e. they can't use Wikipedia.  So Britannica and their ilk still serve a very real purpose currently.  And indexing them in a digital manner on a digital platform does serve a purpose.  Not having that constraint, I don't think that I would purchase them for myself, but others in my household do have to live by those constraints, so it's a possibility.

7441

Living Room / Re: Britannica - would you buy it on (say) Kindle or Nook?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 04:31 PM »

I mean, at this point, Britannica is just dying a relatively quick death.  Who really needs it?  Nobody wants or needs your books, anything you put online will be inferior to wikipedia, so either figure out a way to fill a need that is currently unfilled, or...goodbye.

-superboyac (March 15, 2012, 03:35 PM)

Actually, not.  There's a very good reason for Britannica and other recognized sources to be there- and other than the fact that Wikipedia is crowdsourced, so the information is only as reputable as effort the community puts into it, i.e. unsourced information remains on the site.  That is for education.  Most schools don't accept things sourced from Wikipedia.  In the educational arena for the most part, Wikipedia is persona non grata.

7442

Living Room / Re: A change I've seen in the forum

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 04:28 PM »

As TaoPhoenix says, the living room has a very wide open scope -- I just think that discussions should try to stay on topic, and be conducted with an eye towards their permanent existence on the site as a knowledge repository.

-mouser (March 15, 2012, 03:42 PM)

This.  It's not the topics that I refer to, but the focus in the topic.  That's the reason for the bit about the notifications- If I wanted to be notified about replies to this topic, but came here after being notified and saw a post about SOPA... that's not really part of the topic.

7443

Living Room / Re: A change I've seen in the forum

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 02:09 PM »

I didn't really want to call anyone/anything out... Think of this more as a PSA and the chance for a discussion.

7444

Living Room / Re: A change I've seen in the forum

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 12:21 PM »

I'll agree and admit to going off topic on more than a few occasions. But I don't see it as a problem per se in an area like the living room. I was always under the impression that forum areas such as that were pretty much intended as "anything goes" boards, whereas things like "general software discussion" et al were expected to be more focused and narrow.

Free ranging discussion is also (in my experience) the way people actually do talk about things - including serious topics - as may be witnessed by the popularity of the Living Room compared to the other boards.  So going off on a related theme or digressing is not at all the same thing as "talking nonsense." And, as was pointed out earlier, sometimes some horseplay or diggression defuses a tense situation and allows a discussion to resume on a less emotional level.

For a focused treatment of a topic - and one intended for posterity - I think a wiki would be a much better venue than a forum. But others may see it differently.
 
 

-40hz (March 15, 2012, 11:47 AM)

I do agree that free ranging discussion is the way that people talk about things - to a point.  However, when totally new discussions start at random in a topic about a different discussion, it just seems strange IMO.  I have a problem with that in RL at times (because my mind goes faster than my mouth, thus I'm a few steps ahead of the conversation and forget to connect things), and other people look at me strangely because of this as they have a hard time following the change in conversation.

This is the kind of thing that I've been seeing as of late, though it could just be me...

7445

Living Room / A change I've seen in the forum

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 10:19 AM »

...and not necessarily a good one, in my experience/opinion, is the constant derailing (or dovetailing) on topics, especially in the living room area.  I've found myself doing the same.  It seems that no matter what's posted in the topic, the discussion degenerates into a general discussion of/commenting on anything that comes to mind.  It makes notifications of topics less than useful- I'm interested in the subject, not tangential conversations and posting of links to only peripherally related articles.  It makes this less a place that things can be discussed in a fruitful and rewarding way (IMO) and more of a schizophrenic melange of ideas on some bizarre stream of consciousness.  If some of these discussions took place in real life, I'd either be confused or walk away.  And it seems that more and more people that used to contribute are doing so... I'm not sure if that's the reason, or something else.

Anyone else notice this/have a problem with this?  And if so, is there anything we can do to make this less prevalent?

7446

Living Room / Re: New Time management system from Mark Forster

« Last post by wraith808 on March 15, 2012, 10:11 AM »

Okay, y'all have surprised me. To me this is the Scarlet C (for Copyright) staring me in the face, because, wait for it ... "distributing it is 'wrong' ".

Watch what happens when you / if he were to (pick a grammar case) change it to a Creative Commons license - that means the owner WANTS it to get out!

The future of content is Freemiums and riding viral waves. Secret email lists are what feel wrong to me. (Email? Really?!)

I know, it's an angle at collecting value etc, it just feels to me like it's headed into an evolutionary dead end type path.

-TaoPhoenix (March 15, 2012, 09:52 AM)

No, copyright is distributing it is unlawful.  This is usually followed by DRM to enforce this.  

Undermining someone else's wishes when there is no price nor claim (he didn't say don't distribute it- he said sign up to get it) is just plain manners and respect for someone's works.  Just because they limit initial distribution by saying sign up for an e-mail doesn't imply any sort of dead end path to me- it implies about the same as sign up to our forum for a permanent key to our software.  

It's pay me for this work that I've done- the payment just doesn't take the form of money.

(Sorry... I was posting at the same time as you, Tomos.  I removed the questions and just left the statement)

7447

Living Room / Re: Whats the point of subcribing to a youtube playlist/show?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 14, 2012, 08:22 PM »

but does it show playlists and shows you are subscribed to? I used to get those emails (not sure why I don't anymore) and I don't really remember ever seeing the playlists I subscribed to showing up in those emails either.

-nite_monkey (March 14, 2012, 05:58 PM)

Yes... and that's what I was referring to.  I don't even use the homepage, so I hadn't ever seen it affect that.

From my digest:



Note the name of the channel I'm subscribed to, followed by the playlist that I'm subscribed to.

7448

Living Room / Re: New Time management system from Mark Forster

« Last post by wraith808 on March 14, 2012, 08:13 PM »

I don't think it's copyright... I think it's wanting to artificially form a community.  It's not like you're actually paying for it, and I'd never sign up under false pretenses then e-mail someone else's work out.  That seems on the other spectrum of wrong.  He writes it and gives it away for free with a sign-up- if that's how he wants to distribute it, even though I won't go through the effort without some information, it is his prerogative, and I'd not undermine that.

7449

Living Room / Re: Anyone playing Mass Effect 2 game yet?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 14, 2012, 04:52 PM »

Either way: it is bound to EA account (despite the fact of having DVD edition).

-fenixproductions (March 14, 2012, 04:29 PM)

If you have the DVD edition, I believe someone can still use it- they just can't use the free DLC.  At least I think that's how it works.

7450

Living Room / Re: Anyone playing Mass Effect 2 game yet?

« Last post by wraith808 on March 14, 2012, 03:46 PM »

For you fenix (no spoilers, but I'll still put it in tags)

Spoiler

Note that there ARE spoilers in the links, so read at your own peril

Mass Effect 3 Ending-Hatred: 5 Reasons The Fans Are Right

Spoiler-free analysis of the Mass Effect 3 ENDING controversy

Mad about the ending to Mass Effect 3? BioWare director isn’t sorry

'Mass Effect 3' Turns Up the Bitterness of War

Casey Hudson Finally Talks About Mass Effect 3 Ending. Uh Oh.

My take: it's a story.  You have interactive choices that give the illusion that it's not, but it's a scripted story.  And just like any novel you read, the author's intent and take on it are his or her own, and won't necessarily jive.  I didn't particularly like it, but it wasn't bad.  And I definitely didn't think it was unforeseeable, except in the case that you thought that there was a pot at the end of the rainbow.