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Poster:
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Dupenhagen Moonbat |
Date:
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Mar 23, 2016 8:34pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the actual Internet Archive? |
"... since everyone's feedback counts"
If this were true, the beta would've been scrapped long ago.
It *will* be scrapped when the mobile fad dies in a few years. (You read it here first). Meanwhile, long time contributors to and users of the Archive hold nose and wait.
Btw, I'm interested in that
magic command that fixes all things forums. What is it?
This post was modified by Dupenhagen Moonbat on 2016-03-24 03:34:33
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Poster:
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pegzmasta |
Date:
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Mar 23, 2016 1:51pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the actual Internet Archive? |
What I meant about the feedback, is that if we all posted our feedback into the forums (where everyone can see them) instead of inside of the
Exit JavaScript Feedback Form (whose comments have not been published, and may be lost even though we're using an archive…
The Archive), then we could've seen how many people were truly using
Beta (v2) vs. the
Classic Interface. We have stats, but we don't have the comments the users actually typed in order to generate those stats.
> Btw, I'm interested in that
magic command that fixes all things forums. What is it?
Awesome!
You managed to find that post (I was hoping someone would notice). I have the command for you; took about an hour for me to figure out how to do it today. Since the error is simple, the fix is simple. The forum links can be fixed in
2–
6 seconds.
If we were to factor in that it would take about
1 minute for the "Archive.org" webmaster's to commit this change; about
30 seconds to write a description of the change to be sent into the "
ChangeLog"; and finally, about
30 minutes for the change to go live throughout all of the servers for
IA…
this fix would've taken approximately 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 36 seconds in order for it to have been applied to the main site–
give or take.
In essence, it is so easy to fix the forums, that there is no reason not to; plus, it only makes sense that links should point to the proper destination and should help users save time, as well
:-)
Anyway, I've attached a script that users can run (the commands within are standard commands and should not require software outside of
GNU). It will execute on
GNU Bash; thus, it works on any operating system that has the
GNU Core Utilities installed (e.g.
GNU/Linux). If you don't have
GNU/Linux and wish to use the command on "
Windows" or "
Mac OS X", then you'll need to sprinkle some
*freedom* into them so that the attached bash script, "
fix-ia-forums.bash", will work (I'll provide links and a "
HOWTO" if anyone asks).
Last thing: I just came up with this today, so I haven't implemented the "
Most recent posts" link, yet. Do realize that this command will create a local file (plus the original "
archive.css") for you– it doesn't exist online. This solution is simply a quick
hack that you can store in your file system; the forums are alphabetized, and every time you run the command all numbers will be updated (e.g. number of posts, most recent post).
You must be connected to the internet in order for the command to work!
I've also attached the result I received after I ran the bash script. The "
css" file will not go into effect if you click the attached file (plus, certain links in the attached file like
`General Website Discussion' won't appear in my attached file); thus, download all files into the same directory instead, and try it out! The "
html" file is meant for download and opening from your filesystem with any browser of choice. If the forum problem isn't solved soon, then I shall post working links elsewhere on the internet for us to use.
This post was modified by pegzmasta on 2016-03-23 20:51:54
Attachment: archive.cssAttachment: fixed-forums-page.htmlAttachment: fix-ia-forums.bash
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Poster:
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pegzmasta |
Date:
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Mar 23, 2016 4:57pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the actual Internet Archive? |
It's good that you have these links saved (not everyone can find the "
Most recent posts" link).
Maybe if the Archive is not willing to fix their own links, then I'll ask and see if garthus (or anyone else whose interested) can help out. Ignoring the visual aspect of things: We know it's easy to turn
the forums page with 3% of working links into a forums page with 100% of working links (some are censored due to content). Obviously fixing the forum problem requires more than just that kind of fix, but it should at least
start with that kind of fix.
The next step would be to make specific links easier to find. Perhaps including the "
Most recent posts" link throughout all forums would allow users to maintain an abstract visibility on the overall conversations in the community, whilst still maintaining focus in there specific forum. Another thing that I think is important is to allow users to comment on how the Archive's interface or features currently function for them on their browser, and allowing them to rate certain features, and to even contribute code and ideas if they want to improve something.
Maybe the admins or Achivists believe it's
far-fetched to report bugs when they are spotted, but how can a bug be fixed if we don't identify it first? Maybe they think that it's only good enough to have links bring you
close to your destination, rather than directly to your destination. What about new users? If a link does not point to the right spot, won't new users have a hard time navigating this site? Isn't it lazy to think: "Oh, they'll figure it out eventually; we've got a button on that page– they just need to find it and click on it." Some may say that I am splitting hairs, but I'm not just thinking about myself: I'm thinking about new users, as well as the
larger 65% of computer users, and of course researchers who themselves say this website is in dire need of improvement (these users we simply can't afford to drive away, for they are our greatest potential contributors).
I know you already know all of this
PD, but I'm wondering how new users will react when they understand the sorry state of things here. Hopefully, garthus will have us an alternate
INFOPORTAL soon; the lack of feedback is too disappointing for such a great website. It seems like Jeff is doing all of this by himself. I wish another admin or Archivist would chime in, and enlighten us on where the Archive is going with all these so called "
improvements"; better yet, the programmers who are implementing said features should be helping out– they are in the best position for fixing the forum problem.
This post was modified by pegzmasta on 2016-03-23 23:57:52
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Poster:
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Dupenhagen Moonbat |
Date:
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Mar 24, 2016 3:08pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the actual Internet Archive? |
PDp, thanks for the input, every bit helps -- and "coked-up disco" is near the top of the Odessa Goodwyn list.
This post was modified by Dupenhagen Moonbat on 2016-03-24 22:08:41
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Poster:
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Dupenhagen Moonbat |
Date:
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Apr 5, 2016 3:48pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Howto |
As I mentioned in another post, kudos for the Greasemonkey and Linx Amender scripts, worked well, thanks!
I've a problem, however. According to Google Chrome folks, their browser can purportedly make use of Linx Amender without need of Greasemonkey, but thus far I've had no success actually making that work. It's nothing more than an idle curiosity in any case, and what I'd really like to know is how to apply your GNU methods above using Windows, so that I can use Google Chrome after all, by skinning the cat another way.
A great many of us anxiously await your Classic Internet Archive plugin, as one (or two, counting PDpolice) speak up (of late) indicating therefore thousands. It's like the old saw in (heavyweight market) talk radio that one caller's voicing any given opinion speaks for many. We (the Archive community) are watching (not just the Classic drama, but Forums as well) -- in my case, as both a participant and a spectator -- The champion is slowly rising from the canvas, dazed and dizzy, stunned into realizing he's in a fight for his heavyweight boxing life, "... Five! Six! Seven!" You're witnessing a rare moment, folks, one in which a long time champion suddenly faces the possibility of the demise of his career, as a younger, stronger, hungrier challenger walks him down, embarrassing him into performing.
This post was modified by Dupenhagen Moonbat on 2016-04-05 22:48:16
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Poster:
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pegzmasta |
Date:
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Apr 5, 2016 4:51pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: Howto |
Google should have just adopted
Greasemonkey (since it is
Free Software), so that users could freely engage in
augmented web browsing; instead, the official alternative is
nonfree (makes sense, since Chrome is also
nonfree). I had a link in my original
Greasemonkey post, but you had to dig for it in order to find it. Here it is:
Cross-browser user scripting (for Chrome).
The solution for Chrome users would be to use
Tampermonkey, but I am against it since the
EULA for Tampermonkey restricts users (personal use only; non-commercial). The only reason for implementing an
EULA or any other kind of
Proprietary Information Agreement on software, is to restrict users. Since I am against the practice of taking away the users freedom through software: I can't
personally recommend this solution to you (or anyone else). Not only that, but they also update their script manager several times in ways that can break perfectly working user scripts like
Lynx Amender. Even "
tampermonkey.net" admits that a majority of all user scripts online are designed primarily for
Greasemonkey:
A lot of userscripts are written for the Firefox userscript manager called Greasemonkey, that's why Tampermonkey offers a compatibility layer and tries to detect the necessary settings automatically.
It makes sense for a script manager to be
Free Software, since it is in the very nature of a user script to give you extra freedom on the web– ethically speaking,
Tampermonkey does
NOT make sense (let's give users freedom via a
nonfree program…
does not compute).
Greasemonkey is the preferred solution since it is
Free Software that manages
Free Software user scripts via a
Free Software web browser (Firefox has recently become
nonfree, but there exists
free/libre versions of it:
GNU IceCat). I repeat this, because
freedom is very important when it comes to computing, and I am finding it increasingly common for people to keep users out of the equation–
I do not like this.
This post was modified by pegzmasta on 2016-04-05 23:51:17
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Poster:
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Dupenhagen Moonbat |
Date:
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Apr 5, 2016 6:35pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Careful What Goes in the Hamper |
Lest it be lost in the hubbub (of my own desultory interests), I really
am interested in the howto
*: "Anyway, I've attached a script that users can run (the commands within are standard commands and should not require software outside of GNU). It will execute on GNU Bash; thus, it works on any operating system that has the GNU Core Utilities installed (e.g. GNU/Linux). If you don't have GNU/Linux and wish to use the command on "Windows" or "Mac OS X", then you'll need to sprinkle some *freedom* into them so that the attached bash script, "fix-ia-forums.bash", will work (I'll provide links and a "HOWTO" if anyone asks)."
*only insofar as the howto doesn't hamper progress on the Classic Internet Archive plugin
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Poster:
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pegzmasta |
Date:
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Apr 5, 2016 7:24pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: Careful What Goes in the Hamper |
Ahh, I did promise I would provide a "
HOWTO"!
I can't provide an
official "
HOWTO", since I do not use "Windows" or "Mac OS X." You may conduct some further reading via the following links:
The third link above is my "
HOWTO" for Windows, which may not work for you since I've never tested it step-by-step (I don't have Windows, anymore). You could provide an amazing service to me by attempting to work through my online instructions in an attempt to install
GNU in Windows, and letting me know how it works for you!
GNU comprises of thousands of
Free Software programs in a growing body of work that is a part of the
GNU Project– the original
Free Software project created and specifically designed to provide users with a free/libre operating system. If the third link appears too complicated, then I would work through the first two links. If you were using "Mac OS X", then I would direct you to this part of my website (installing
GNU on a Mac is several times easier than doing so on "Windows", unfortunately):
I put a little
too much ethics into the website, because I created it at a time when I became increasingly frustrated with some
nonfree software that I encountered on the web; thus, I created a free/libre solution (still in the works, though). If the "
nongnu" (
Free Software, but not
GNU yet) website works well for you, whatever difficulty that you have or suggestions that help you to install
GNU will allow me to make my website's "
HOWTO" more accurate. If it becomes too difficult, I'll look for more resources (I know there's a way to do it, and I'll see if it can be done).
This post was modified by pegzmasta on 2016-04-06 02:24:54
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Poster:
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Dupenhagen Moonbat |
Date:
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Mar 24, 2016 3:45pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the actual Internet Archive? |
fixed-forums-page.html is awesome work, man. Bookmarked.
It is interesting how "web/hardware.php" and "iathreads/forum-display.php" both bring up the Wayback Machine Forum. It's obvious that the system is too convoluted for the data gnomes to work -- and fortunately for us (the end users) -- to wreck (completely).
This post was modified by Dupenhagen Moonbat on 2016-03-24 22:45:25
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Poster:
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pegzmasta |
Date:
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Mar 24, 2016 4:13pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the actual Internet Archive? |
Thanks! That page is static and I won't update it from it's current location, since it will require me to delete the post and then re-post the post and attach the HTML page again. The Archive has a bug (the error page for it admits that it's a bug), where you can't alter a file attached to a post. If you want an updated version of "
fixed-forums-page.html", then you would have to run the command "
fix-ia-forums.bash" locally (or automate it via a
.bashrc file).
The cool thing about running the script locally, is that it will update the most recent posts, and the total number of posts for each forum. Not only that, the script will also detect any new forums, add them into the HTML table, and will even correct the link if it is pointing to the wrong URL. Like I said before, though: This is just a quick
hack, a more comprehensive solution will be posted online somewhere (or maybe even within
IA itself as an official uploaded item) by either garthus, stbalbach, myself, or anyone else whose figured it out. For now, I can say with certainty that every link in that page (except for the "censored" ones) points to the proper destination– even the
Wayback Machine Forum, which currently has
NO links pointing to it from the Archive… except for my link
:-)
I'll be keeping everyone updated through the forums (provided they don't break any further) on any updates or if a complete solution is found for said forums. I'm not an expert with HTML, but solving this type of problem is not
Rocket Science. Hopefully, the admins or Archivists will beat me to the punch, but if they don't:
The problem will be solved either way.
This post was modified by pegzmasta on 2016-03-24 23:13:09
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Poster:
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pegzmasta |
Date:
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Mar 24, 2016 7:09pm |
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Forum:
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general
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Subject:
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Re: What happened to the creator of the Internet Archive? |
Automatically bookmarked for nostalgia, and maybe future inspiration.
Excellent move,
PD! I grabbed the torrent for this just now. Love the description:
good archive. One of the things I missed were those soothing and calm colors, now all we get is black and white…
prison colors? We can't really have
Universal access to all knowledge if we lose an artifact like this. Perhaps the future
INFOPORTAL might replicate some of the look and feel of this elusive item.
This post was modified by pegzmasta on 2016-03-25 02:09:28
