The Vent and Rant Thread - Page 1840

CRussel · 04-20-2016, 04:10 PM

I think there are two reasons participatio is down. The biggest is the problems getting to this software solution. We tried a couple of different ones before we got to it, and one at least was a total disaster. VERY poorly managed by the technology company doing the work (an author's company). The second reason is, I think, related -- there are other venues available to authors, limiting the need / usefulness of the Bar. IAC, I log in there a couple of times a week, just to keep track of what's happening.

DMcCunney · 04-22-2016, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

I think there are two reasons participatio is down. The biggest is the problems getting to this software solution. We tried a couple of different ones before we got to it, and one at least was a total disaster. VERY poorly managed by the technology company doing the work (an author's company). The second reason is, I think, related -- there are other venues available to authors, limiting the need / usefulness of the Bar. IAC, I log in there a couple of times a week, just to keep track of what's happening.

It used to be a fairly vibrant community when I paid attention. One question is just how important the presence of Baen authors with their own forums is to the overall success of the Bar. And some of the authors are very busy people, and time to post on the Bar will be at a premium. (I just saw David Weber when he was GoH at a con in March. His participation in the con was somewhat constrained by things like doing edits on the book in process an editor was yelling for. He was a fine GoH and delighted to meet and talk to the fans, but other things had to come first.)

Yes, there are many venues available to authors, but the question is what the author is attempting to accomplish. The usual answer to that question is "sell books", but the Baen forums aren't necessarily the place to do that. They are good places to keep in touch with a subset of the audience who has bought the author's books.
______
Dennis

Bilbo1967 · 04-23-2016, 04:02 PM

The April Android Marshmallow security update (OTA) killed my Nexus 9.

Corrupted OS warnings, regular crashes etc.. Tried a factory reset and it wouldn't get past the checking for connection dialogue. I sent it back to HTC today under warranty.

CRussel · 04-24-2016, 06:39 PM

Sigh. Why, oh why, don't I LISTEN to my inner warnings...

My main home Hyper-V server here about 6 years old. It's got two VMs on it, a Domain Controller and an infrastructure server. Both are, obviously, critical work loads. And I'd been getting a bad feeling about that host server for the last few weeks. Enough that I'd started pricing a new motherboard, CPU, SSDs and RAM to build a new one. But I wanted to wait until I got a final OK on two new book projects (contracts should be signed this coming week). Even though this server wouldn't actually be used for that project but just to run the backend systems here. (I have two lab servers - one an old laptop with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and the other my main desktop.)

But, did I listen to that inner warning? Did I actually DO anything about it? No. So, today, I applied patches on one of the server VMs and rebooted it. Sigh. One of the HDDs on the host has decided to start failing. And now I can't get to one whole set of shares on that infrastructure server, since apparently the VHD is on a corrupted segment of the HDD.

A replacement HDD is on order from NCIX, but meanwhile I need to limp along and try to get as much off this failed VHD as I can. And now I need to get serious about that new server.

DMcCunney · 04-24-2016, 06:58 PM

My new Android tablet started misbehaving. It had been working fine, but suddenly decided to go into a loop on boot.

It has a 32GB microSD card installed where things like eBooks live. Pop out the card and the tablet boots fine. The FAT32 filesystem on the card had no issues.

But the card is partitioned. My device is rooted, so I carved out a 3GB partition on the card formatted with the Linux ext4 file system. The system sees and mounts the ext4 slice on boot as a file system. This lets me use a utility to move large apps to the card and create links to them in the root filesystem. Android follows the links and runs the apps as though they were in internal storage.

The problem was in the second partition. I hadn't moved all that much to it, so I bit the bullet, deleted and recreated the second partition and redid the ext4 format. The tablet would boot.

I started to re-download stuff that had been on the card, install it, then move it. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides installed and moved fine. Firefox installed and moved. Google+ and Chrome did not. Both refuse to install, claiming Insufficient Storage. The tablet thinks there are 650MB of free app storage space out of the 2GB it has by default.

WTF?

I can live without Chrome (since I prefer Firefox anyway) and Google+ on the tablet, so I'm leaving well enough alone. I suspect a full cure would involve restoring to factory default state and starting over from scratch. I have travel coming up next week, and want a working tablet when I go, so I'm not diving down that particular rat hole now.

But I really wish I knew what was going on.
______
Dennis

cromag · 04-27-2016, 10:17 PM

Okay ... I honestly shouldn't be surprised by this. And yet, I am.

I follow a lot of science and technology pages here on Facebook. It's a good way to keep up with at least the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new discoveries, etc. Of course, these same sites collect a lot of comments. Some are from intelligent people who add to the conversation. Other ... odd? ... offensive? hysterical? ... comments come from people who don't know their a$$ from a hole in the ground.

I sometimes reply to comments if it seems the person is being serious and needs some info, or if the reply includes some obvious error. I keep it simple and really don't get snarky.

Today there was a post on Space.com's feed about SpaceX's plans to launch an unmanned mission to Mars. One of the replies stated that it would be cheaper and easier to establish a permanent base on the Moon. Specifically, on the "dark side" of the moon.

In my reply I simply stated that "there is no dark side" to the moon. I did not get snarky, and I did not bring Pink Floyd into the argument.

His first response: "It seems your wrong. I know my physics...." (Grammar left uncorrected.) He posted a second response to me, inviting me to continue my physics education via PMs.

Hmmm ...

I don't think so.

Cinisajoy · 04-27-2016, 11:04 PM

I was following our local news on Facebook. There had been a truck vs train wreck.
A parade was going over the railroad tracks. One of the drivers said he saw the lights but thought they were for the parade. 4 people on the trailer he was pulling were killed and the other 8 were injured.

Anyway one Facebook poster said why didn't the parade organizers contact the train so it could have stopped for the parade.
Note: we are talking mile + long freight trains.

ApK · 04-27-2016, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

In my reply I simply stated that "there is no dark side" to the moon

Hey, not his fault you're so wrong.
Of course there is a dark side of the moon. Even my 9 year old could tell you: the INSIDE.
And according to Heinlein's 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' it would be a good place for a base.

You need to apologize.

cromag · 04-27-2016, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

Hey, not his fault you're so wrong.
Of course there is a dark side of the moon. Even my 9 year old could tell you: the INSIDE.
And according to Heinlein's 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' it would be a good place for a base.

You need to apologize.

<-- Note: Green Cheese.

WT Sharpe · 04-28-2016, 08:22 AM

Hmm... Didn't Moon Maid come from that part of the moon that lay in the valley between the dark side and the bright side of the moon?

Seriously, whoever came up with the idea of calling the side of the moon that faces away from Earth "the dark side" did not do any favors to general understanding.

Freeshadow · 04-28-2016, 09:07 AM

Quote:

did not do any favors to general understanding

Always toppable with the term "common sense" (in Polish the very same is called "healthy reason" in German "h. human r.")

WT Sharpe · 04-28-2016, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

Always toppable with the term "common sense" (in Polish the very same is called "healthy reason" in German "h. human r.")

Heh!

Actually, I looked it up. After all, it's been about 52 years since Chester Gould first introduced her into Dick Tracy's universe. Seems Moon Maid lived in Moon Valley, a temperate zone on the Moon's far side near one of the poles.

wodin · 04-28-2016, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

... In my reply I simply stated that "there is no dark side" to the moon. I did not get snarky, and I did not bring Pink Floyd into the argument.
...

If "dark" can be construed to mean "unseen" then there most certainly is a dark side.

wodin · 04-28-2016, 12:47 PM

Hmmm, that's what I get for having a very short attention span. If I don't answer a post before exploring other possible answers I forget that I wanted to answer it in the first place. Oh well, I guess it beats the alternative of not getting old.

covingtoncat73 · 04-29-2016, 12:12 PM

Well, I got a suspicious mole biopsied and it came back "atypical." The Dr. wants to do an excision. This will involve local anesthesia, a pressure bandage, and a couple of stitches.

This thing is right on the side of my knee, which makes me nervous. I wonder what this is going to do to my FP-earning potential (Fit Points for Weight Watchers) for the two weeks I have the stitches in.

Also, I am pretty scared, especially since I feel like the Drs. office is not really telling me everything. I've only heard from some nurse or receptionist or something.

04-24-2016, 06:58 PM	#27590
DMcCunney New York Editor Posts: 6,384 Karma: 16540415 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: PalmTX, Pocket eDGe, Alcatel Fierce 4, RCA Viking Pro 10, Nexus 7	Another Android Failure Mode My new Android tablet started misbehaving. It had been working fine, but suddenly decided to go into a loop on boot. It has a 32GB microSD card installed where things like eBooks live. Pop out the card and the tablet boots fine. The FAT32 filesystem on the card had no issues. But the card is partitioned. My device is rooted, so I carved out a 3GB partition on the card formatted with the Linux ext4 file system. The system sees and mounts the ext4 slice on boot as a file system. This lets me use a utility to move large apps to the card and create links to them in the root filesystem. Android follows the links and runs the apps as though they were in internal storage. The problem was in the second partition. I hadn't moved all that much to it, so I bit the bullet, deleted and recreated the second partition and redid the ext4 format. The tablet would boot. I started to re-download stuff that had been on the card, install it, then move it. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides installed and moved fine. Firefox installed and moved. Google+ and Chrome did not. Both refuse to install, claiming Insufficient Storage. The tablet thinks there are 650MB of free app storage space out of the 2GB it has by default. WTF? I can live without Chrome (since I prefer Firefox anyway) and Google+ on the tablet, so I'm leaving well enough alone. I suspect a full cure would involve restoring to factory default state and starting over from scratch. I have travel coming up next week, and want a working tablet when I go, so I'm not diving down that particular rat hole now. But I really wish I knew what was going on. ______ Dennis

04-28-2016, 08:22 AM	#27595
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	The Vent and Rant Thread Hmm... Didn't Moon Maid come from that part of the moon that lay in the valley between the dark side and the bright side of the moon? Seriously, whoever came up with the idea of calling the side of the moon that faces away from Earth "the dark side" did not do any favors to general understanding.

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04-20-2016, 04:10 PM	#27586
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,297 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	I think there are two reasons participatio is down. The biggest is the problems getting to this software solution. We tried a couple of different ones before we got to it, and one at least was a total disaster. VERY poorly managed by the technology company doing the work (an author's company). The second reason is, I think, related -- there are other venues available to authors, limiting the need / usefulness of the Bar. IAC, I log in there a couple of times a week, just to keep track of what's happening.

04-23-2016, 04:02 PM	#27588
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 13,424 Karma: 81011643 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Midlands, UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite 10, Huawei M5 10	The April Android Marshmallow security update (OTA) killed my Nexus 9. Corrupted OS warnings, regular crashes etc.. Tried a factory reset and it wouldn't get past the checking for connection dialogue. I sent it back to HTC today under warranty.

04-24-2016, 06:39 PM	#27589
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,297 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Sigh. Why, oh why, don't I LISTEN to my inner warnings... My main home Hyper-V server here about 6 years old. It's got two VMs on it, a Domain Controller and an infrastructure server. Both are, obviously, critical work loads. And I'd been getting a bad feeling about that host server for the last few weeks. Enough that I'd started pricing a new motherboard, CPU, SSDs and RAM to build a new one. But I wanted to wait until I got a final OK on two new book projects (contracts should be signed this coming week). Even though this server wouldn't actually be used for that project but just to run the backend systems here. (I have two lab servers - one an old laptop with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and the other my main desktop.) But, did I listen to that inner warning? Did I actually DO anything about it? No. So, today, I applied patches on one of the server VMs and rebooted it. Sigh. One of the HDDs on the host has decided to start failing. And now I can't get to one whole set of shares on that infrastructure server, since apparently the VHD is on a corrupted segment of the HDD. A replacement HDD is on order from NCIX, but meanwhile I need to limp along and try to get as much off this failed VHD as I can. And now I need to get serious about that new server.

04-27-2016, 10:17 PM	#27591
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,451 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Okay ... I honestly shouldn't be surprised by this. And yet, I am. I follow a lot of science and technology pages here on Facebook. It's a good way to keep up with at least the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new discoveries, etc. Of course, these same sites collect a lot of comments. Some are from intelligent people who add to the conversation. Other ... odd? ... offensive? hysterical? ... comments come from people who don't know their a$$ from a hole in the ground. I sometimes reply to comments if it seems the person is being serious and needs some info, or if the reply includes some obvious error. I keep it simple and really don't get snarky. Today there was a post on Space.com's feed about SpaceX's plans to launch an unmanned mission to Mars. One of the replies stated that it would be cheaper and easier to establish a permanent base on the Moon. Specifically, on the "dark side" of the moon. In my reply I simply stated that "there is no dark side" to the moon. I did not get snarky, and I did not bring Pink Floyd into the argument. His first response: "It seems your wrong. I know my physics...." (Grammar left uncorrected.) He posted a second response to me, inviting me to continue my physics education via PMs. Hmmm ... I don't think so.

04-27-2016, 11:04 PM	#27592
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	I was following our local news on Facebook. There had been a truck vs train wreck. A parade was going over the railroad tracks. One of the drivers said he saw the lights but thought they were for the parade. 4 people on the trailer he was pulling were killed and the other 8 were injured. Anyway one Facebook poster said why didn't the parade organizers contact the train so it could have stopped for the parade. Note: we are talking mile + long freight trains.

04-28-2016, 12:47 PM	#27599
wodin Illiterate Posts: 10,279 Karma: 37848716 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The Sandwich Isles Device: Samsung Galaxy S10+, Microsoft Surface Pro	Hmmm, that's what I get for having a very short attention span. If I don't answer a post before exploring other possible answers I forget that I wanted to answer it in the first place. Oh well, I guess it beats the alternative of not getting old.

04-29-2016, 12:12 PM	#27600
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	Well, I got a suspicious mole biopsied and it came back "atypical." The Dr. wants to do an excision. This will involve local anesthesia, a pressure bandage, and a couple of stitches. This thing is right on the side of my knee, which makes me nervous. I wonder what this is going to do to my FP-earning potential (Fit Points for Weight Watchers) for the two weeks I have the stitches in. Also, I am pretty scared, especially since I feel like the Drs. office is not really telling me everything. I've only heard from some nurse or receptionist or something.