The Technology Vent and Rant Thread

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Renate

I wouldn't know, it's been so long since I touched it.
The biggest problem was that it used CR/LF for line endings.
I don't know if they've seen the light.

Most any usage of files nowadays allows a "*nix" ending of LF even if they don't advertise it.

On Android I have my own test editor.
It's very simple.
The one thing it does is save a new version every time it closes.
The idea is that it's mostly for collecting one-offs and making sure that I don't lose anything.

I'm curious: Why is CR/LF an issue when it comes to ending lines? I'm not an expert, but I would think that putting a carriage return followed by a line feed would result in a blank line after each paragraph. If I'm wrong please feel free to correct me.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=763

I liked a meme a bit ago:
M-soft survey asks "What feature of Edge do you use most often?".
User returns a screen shot of arrow pointing to the UNINSTALL button.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I liked a meme a bit ago:
M-soft survey asks "What feature of Edge do you use most often?".
User returns a screen shot of arrow pointing to the UNINSTALL button.

yes, and I'm always terrified about clicking Microsoft's help buttons, as they spawn millions of msedge.exe processes.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I'm curious: Why is CR/LF an issue when it comes to ending lines? I'm not an expert, but I would think that putting a carriage return followed by a line feed would result in a blank line after each paragraph. If I'm wrong please feel free to correct me.

MacOS and Linux/Unix systems use the naked LF as the end of line and a new line is started 1 line down. Windows systems use a CR/LF pair where the LF moves 1 line down but does not move the cursor to the start of line—that task is left to the CR.

The issue is that depending on how a program is written, a MacOS/Linux/Unix system can do strange things when fed a configuration file with CR/LF EOLs including screwing up comparisons (trueCR is not the same as true).

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I'm curious: Why is CR/LF an issue when it comes to ending lines? I'm not an expert, but I would think that putting a carriage return followed by a line feed would result in a blank line after each paragraph. If I'm wrong please feel free to correct me.

Early teleprinters (like the Teletype Model 15) used a fixed platen, a moveable carriage. The original 5 bit Baudot code had been extended to work with typewriter-like devices (instead of printing paper stripes). Two control codes were added, Carriage Return and Line Feed. These were regarded as independent movements. Moving the heavy carriage back 8 inches took a lot of time in contrast to rolling the platen 1/6 of an inch. So CR always preceded LF. In modern usage LF has been rebranded New Line and implicitly includes a CR. Unless you're overprinting a single line there is no reason to use anything besides LF (NL). For command line text usage of dynamic statistics Backspace is used to redo a field. Most programs that accept text can handle CR/LF or LF. Apple decided to use just CR for a while which really messed things up. Using just a single code for the logical end of a line makes sense. Unfortunately there are still standards that explicitly require CR/LF like HTTP/HTTPS. All headers for the web are required to have CR/LF although the content can switch to just LF.

Phew. That's a long one. Do people like it more when I break it into lines or leave it free flowing?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Renate

Early teleprinters (like the Teletype Model 15) used a fixed platen, a moveable carriage. The original 5 bit Baudot code had been extended to work with typewriter-like devices (instead of printing paper stripes). Two control codes were added, Carriage Return and Line Feed. These were regarded as independent movements. Moving the heavy carriage back 8 inches took a lot of time in contrast to rolling the platen 1/6 of an inch. So CR always preceded LF.

In modern usage LF has been rebranded New Line and implicitly includes a CR. Unless you're overprinting a single line there is no reason to use anything besides LF (NL). For command line text usage of dynamic statistics Backspace is used to redo a field. — dynamic statistics, redo a field, in a command line — eh what

Most programs that accept text can handle CR/LF or LF. Apple decided to use just CR for a while which really messed things up. Using just a single code for the logical end of a line makes sense. Unfortunately there are still standards that explicitly require CR/LF like HTTP/HTTPS. All headers for the web are required to have CR/LF although the content can switch to just LF.

Phew. That's a long one. Do people like it more when I break it into lines or leave it free flowing?

A wall of text is anything but 'free flowing'.

They discourage self editing as-you-go by the writer - see example above. And they give no hint to the reader to ask 'did I get that"- and if not go back and reread. And they encourage TL:DR responses.

---

Now, how come there's no Miller Column add-on for Windows File Explorer - only want it occasionally.

BR

[Renate]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

A wall of text is anything but 'free flowing'.

People who are viewing this on a 2" wide display would probably prefer it without manual line breaks as that would turn it all jaggedy.

On the other hand, wide screen viewing without any div width is annoying too.
There probably should be some way to set the max width for large screens.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Renate

Early teleprinters (like the Teletype Model 15) used a fixed platen, a moveable carriage. The original 5 bit Baudot code had been extended to work with typewriter-like devices (instead of printing paper stripes). Two control codes were added, Carriage Return and Line Feed. These were regarded as independent movements. Moving the heavy carriage back 8 inches took a lot of time in contrast to rolling the platen 1/6 of an inch. So CR always preceded LF. In modern usage LF has been rebranded New Line and implicitly includes a CR. Unless you're overprinting a single line there is no reason to use anything besides LF (NL). For command line text usage of dynamic statistics Backspace is used to redo a field. Most programs that accept text can handle CR/LF or LF. Apple decided to use just CR for a while which really messed things up. Using just a single code for the logical end of a line makes sense. Unfortunately there are still standards that explicitly require CR/LF like HTTP/HTTPS. All headers for the web are required to have CR/LF although the content can switch to just LF.

Phew. That's a long one. Do people like it more when I break it into lines or leave it free flowing?

I prefer there to be paragraph breaks (with a blank line between the paragraphs) when a post moves to a new part of the topic. Often, I've found a wall of text a bit difficult to read, and a first-line indent is less readable than separating the paragraphs with a blank line. To me, although first-line indents made sense in the days when documents were printed on paper to save paper, with electronic documents that is not an issue since I don't think it affects the size of the document.

Returning to topic, based on what you wrote it seems that the issue is an incompatibility between the operating systems. To me, only a carriage return should be needed as long as it always does the following: (1) it moves the cursor to the next line and (2) the cursor is at the beginning of that line. It's basically the same thing that happens with a typewriter. This is different from a line break, where it doesn't start a new paragraph it just moves the cursor to the next line so it is still part of the same paragraph. However, one possibility is that the reason a line feed is needed after a carriage return is to make it explicit that the cursor move to the next line.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Renate

People who are viewing this on a 2" wide display would probably prefer it without manual line breaks as that would turn it all jaggedy.

On the other hand, wide screen viewing without any div width is annoying too.
There probably should be some way to set the max width for large screens.

When I look at a WSJ item in the News app in my iPhone I see the same paragraphs I see in the WSJ I buy at the news stand.

BR

[Renate]

You can always temporarily reduce the width of your browser window.

[PeterT]

One has to "love" Mobile phone repair firms.

This last week I've been experiencing issues on my Pixel 9a, purchased late January this year. The phone has been randomly rebooting, and at times reporting no SIMs in it. Initially I had an eSim and physical sim; my number on the eSim, and my deceased wife's number on the physical sim. When the sims disappear, some times they reappear by them selves, other times I have to either restart or power off/on; even then no guarantee they would work.

I tried converting the physical SIM to a second eSim; no change.

I tried a full factory reset of the phone and reinstall; no change.

Got in touch with Google support and described what I had done and was advised to take the device into an Authorized Google Repair center; in my case the closest was a branch of Mobile Klinic.

The first visit the tech just claimed he'd done various cleanups and updates on the device (even though I knew all components were updated). I went home and of course the issues continued.

Went back Thursday and well.. First of all the tech told me that the issue was related to my using the Google supplied VPN when connected to the mobile network and that it wasn't supported by my phone carrier (Public Mobile) who is owned by Telus who also own Mobile Klinik. VPN has been disabled and guess what... No change.

Grudgingly he said he'd need to contact Google for authorization to replace the device, and if the authorization was not given they'd replace the system board.

Still waiting to hear back.

What gets me though is the total BS on the VPN causing the issue; especially as these issues occur at home with NO VPN!

[Renate]

Originally Posted by PeterT

One has to "love" Mobile phone repair firms.

Well, I do have a bit of sympathy for them.

I volunteer at a "Repair Café". People walk in with stuff, anywhere between a new $1000 coffee maker to a 50 year old cassette recorder. Sometimes we can fix the stuff, sometimes we can't. Intermittents are the worst.

Naturally it's possible to fix everything, but can you fix this piece of equipment in an hour without a schematic? What if the device has a microprocessor (everything does), knows exactly what the problem is but can't say?

The worst part is when I admit defeat then have a bright idea on the way home.

[PeterT]

I understand however... blaming a VPN connection that is not always active for SIM issues....

And yes; intermittent problems are the worse.ideal case is one that is reproducible at will

[JSWolf]

On July 10, 2025, I purchased a Geekcom Mini-PC that has 32GB of ram. The same model now has 16GB ram and costs about 53% more. This is all thanks for Fing AI.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by PeterT

One has to "love" Mobile phone repair firms.

I was very lucky last year when I had a bloated battery issue on my precious S10e.

Samsung Service Center Phone Support said I'd have to leave the device with them for at least 3 days. I went then to an authorised service center, which had told me by phone that they could fix it by 6PM same day if device delivered to them before noon. So I went there, and only then they said they couldn't find a battery replacement. (which they had assured would be available either on their store or on some partner's).

Later in that same day I started calling every phone shop near me, and for my surprise, a tiny shop inside a hidden mall much closer to me said they could fix it in under an hour, which they did!