I originally used the nick of SERPENT in Descent 1 games back when I was into gaming, then messed around and added the illegal character ! making it SERPENT! which made me seem different from all the other Serpent wannabe's (I was a pretty good player on kali).
When my soundcard died I gave up playing games for a few months and ran across IRC. Since it didnt allow ! in the nick space I ran around as Serpent- in #loonybin and #ircaddicts (and got my arse kicked often in #eggdrops). Then that nick started getting used by other people so I decided to find a new nick. At the time I was fascinated with art and scupltures with dragons depicted in them. So one day while watching Dragonheart, I logged in and started using the nick of DRACO- (keeping the - from SERPENT-).
Now Im quite well known on the undernet, and an op on #eggdrops #eggys #dmsetup and recgonized by helper friends on #zt and #cservice by some (except for the commando Channel Nazi, we all know who he is).
It's very true that many geeks get attached to their Nick, I have had DRACO- for over 4 or 5 years (I cant remember far enough back). I have and will ask people who take my nick to change or enlist the help of other users who insist the imposter to change nicks. The most I will deviate from my nick is to change the o to a 0, (sometimes i will clone and use both nicks at once and confuse people:P )
I work at a concert venue called Millennium Fortress, and the lady who coordinates everything calls me DRACO- because we keep in contact via email so much and remembers my nick faster than my realname. I dont mind, I think it's funny when the kids I work with call me DRACO- too. What is silly is I actually instinctively answer to DRACO- if someone calls out my nick. I encourged some people to call me by my nick cuz my first name Justin is so common. I think there are 4 younger kids that work at the concert named Justin, and a 3 kids named Jason (if you are named Justin you know why Im mentioning Jason everyone mixes them up but Jason is closer to Justin than steven,travis,tyson,cody or jacob).
This is all wrong.. What you need is a format in which some kind of central processor or remote can can tell each module the "Big Picture" of the morph. Maybe by wireless control.
Then each module should then discover where it is at in the current "Big Picture" then decide at a random interval to choose to be some other part/position in the new "Big Picture", and then it should broadcast to the rest that it is whatever part.
Since the modules are changing at a random interval, the ones who havent morphed/decided on what to be have received the notice that other modules have become some type of part, and crossed it out on the list of parts in the "Big Picture" then decide from what hasnt been used yet, to be come one.
After a few hundred cycles they should be able to complete the form required. This would be better and quicker than than each module making a call to a central system and waiting for a response. Although, the method I described would require every unit to have some smarts (we couldnt call them cpu's cuz they would now be decentralized:P DPU maybe?)
As for powering, maybe place the central system somewhere in the mass with battery power (maybe with solar cells) and have each module make power connects with other modules to connect to the central system. This could also be setup where you can place solar cells on the modules, while removing the wireless crap and using the power leads for signalling (that might help keep ppl from stealing modules from one unit to another.. Might need a litte dose of keycodes/serials/encryption)
I thought on this before when I saw a Stargate SG-1 episode with some type of modular pesky robots. Very fun episode. Only diff was the modules themselves would do all the processing themselves, (very good AI Im sure). They also were supposed to be able to create more of themselves by consuming metals. Just 2 modules is all it took to start a rampage.
So, you saw it here.. on Slashdot, now archived on hundreds of thousands of computer caches (for a few days), as well as slashdot's archival system (for a few months).
If one of the science dudes read this stuff, I really wouldnt mind changing careers to robotics if theres an offer.:)
I have a trackball called Logitech Marble Mouse. The name implies it's a mosue but it's a trackball.
I find it much more confortable than any other trackball I have delt with. This one functions by finger control or by using all the fingers or the palm operate. The thumb falls on the primary button and the pinky or ring finger falls on the right button.
In linux it has no trouble with using 3 button emulation (clicking both mouse buttons to simulate the middle mouse button).
Something else I love about it, that it is an optical tracking trackball. There are dots on the red trackball and i assume an infrared detector/transmitter to translate the movement.
The only fault I find in this device is the tracking sensors cannot handle very high speed movements (blurred dots) and is not a viable device for playing 3d games that involve mousing (ala Descent 1 2 or 3 or quake). But it's a natural problem.
Im curious if other optical pointing devices have the same problem with speed and playability in games. Please reply, with your indications on your devices. I would like to find another device with a decent feel that would be good in gaming.
I havent seen any libraries use mag stripes before, but I have seen them make use of bar coded cards for the patrons and also have the books bar coded. Both devices are designed in the same manner of keyboard wedges, I think there might also be a few serial systems and pc card (for handhelds).
If anything, I would go with barcodes on the books and barcode on the patron's card. You can get magstripe card readers that also read barcodes on cards. But I would think barcode scanners would be the way to go, you can always find one quicker than a magstripe/barcode card reader if one fails (and they dont have as high failure rate where magstripes do). Barcode readers also make checking in/out books faster than the old paper, signature, rubber stamp style. Also during the twice a year inventory check, barcodes on the books make finding missing books quicker (a week compared to several weeks)
But if you are looking for either one check out www.barcode.com they have a catalog they can send out to you.
I recommend calling a speciallist to show you their gear, ask them durability and speed questions about the hardware and software and the database. Then after they leave take those answers and come up with your own system, you can probably cut hundreds of dollars off of their system running linux, with cheap barcode readers you can get anywhere (even in old computer hardware stores). Some extras to think about, an thermal transfer printer (because old thermal tape always fades away after 3 months, but thermal transfer stays), a datalogger (for those inventory days and mass book check in, dataloggers get you away from the pc, but captures the data you scan, then you sync it to the computer like a palm pilot).
Another neato gadget, a palm pilot with a barcode scanner on it (interesting but doesnt have good application here).
Email me for more info just take out the comment \*dontspam*\. Im just scratching the surface of my memory on these things (Im posting from work and ended up talking to a vistor half way thru my posting)
Dude.. you are a total idiot, Cali is getting hammered with storms right now, getting some snow.. While all of Texas is seeing 30 degree weather. You think our electricity is cheap? We are getting our wallets stolen from us by HL&P and San Banard... My family's electric bill was 348 for the month of December.
Our house is a double wide trailer house, we have 2 HVAC units which we hardly ever run. The only things that run around here are 2 tvs, 2 computers maybe 3 to 6 lamps and the washer and dryer and the dishwasher (only once a day). We dont use all that much power except at night. We dont know where all that bill is coming from.
My boss never has a bill over 150 bucks, and he runs everything all the time, with a wife and 2 little children. That sorta bothers me since he has 2 big screen tvs, and runs the HVAC all the time (he is 23 and doesnt understand you dont set it to 90 then get hot and set it to 60 and then restart the cycle again, unfortunately he does it at work too, standard clothing is short sleeves and a removable coat at work)
The rate hike is all across the board, they didnt hike it up just cuz cali is having power problems. The rate has been high since the summer.
But I still find it strange how power is done stock exchanges. Why not just hook all the generators up, count the megawatts that you produce.. then count the megawatts your customers use.. if you have a deficit, you pay the main controller, if you have extra, you get paid by the main controller. (main controller just being a name thrown out.. maybe DOE would be better word)
But who cares what i think.. im not in that job sector. so i wouldnt know..
(capitalization is optional, please use mental spell check)
I too op on some close knit channels including #Irc4kids, the first day X started acting up our admin (the older ops) all agreed it was time to reissue the "dont op anyone that you dont know as an op or isnt on the bots" statement. We also got together and pooled our resources to get some bots thrown together because our usual standby bots have also been knocked out somewhere in the netsplits. We also stated to other ops and regular users that if the undernet were to break up, to check our website or efnet to find out where we may go.
I have to begin doing the same for my hideout channel and also talk to the manager of #dmsetup to see what we are going to do about these issues (we are always just too busy with removals to do any managing work).
I have also hardened the settings on my BitchX client to reop bots, lock the chanmode and watch for flood attempts. I might compile an eggy on my box to write a script to route channel activity from one network to another if we end up moving (I know it's been done.. but it's more fun reinventing and improving the wheel using rubber instead of stone)
dvorak keyboards were designed by some university professor. QWERTY boards were designed for use with typewriters.. The keys are laid out in such a way that back when they had the swing arm typewriters the swing arms wouldnt hit one another when typing fast.
I tried using a dvorak layout.. it is easier to use, just there's a lot of learning to do. I think the best way to learn new keyboard layouts is Chatting on IRC.
I use a microsoft natural keyboard, and find it's split design and raise in the center very comfortable.. Shortcuts are no problem, and i swear i can type a lot more accurately with it with close to 140+ wpm when my mind can keep up. Now if only i can clear that bottleneck..
As I have read somewhere in the WAP or HDML info pages, the gateway is what's holding your keys.. When you reconnect to the gateway, you start a ssl like connection to the gateway and then the gateway figures out what session you had by your telephone number and then continues from that session. It's just the wap server protocols. Quite nifty.. and also Quite annoying too.. and Quite insecure if the fbi ever decided to tap your cell phone.. they could probably get in any site you were previously on.. unless you click on logout:P
You people are idiots, the real possiblilty of someone getting hit would be very small. Use the number of 3.5 billion people. Now 3.5 billion people on earth do not cover the entire earth. there is a lot of space (water mountains open plains). Now if there were enough people in the world to stand like sardines next to each other (better hope the guys next to you took a shower) then the possibilty of someone getting hit by a falling satt will still be small chance, because the dumb thing would probably burn up in the atmosphere.
Please think about your sadistic statistics before you start posting numbers. Some idiots think because it has a number means it's true.
CST time is -6 GMT, it is now 5 pm Central time here in texas.. i havent felt any effects yet..
Im thinking of going to the local store and buying up all the tinfoil i can get my hands on and try to wrap myself in tinfoil and see if i get zapped. NOT...
It's gonna the 3rd storm at 1 am cst that im waiting to see/feel/smell
In the Houston Texas metro area, there is a number you can call for car pool info. I know you can find it any day by driving down the freeway, it's posted everywhere. I havent used it before because i live so far away from the metro area, nor do i work in the area. But carpooling in houston is great cuz you can get in on those HOV lanes with less lane changing traffic to worry about.
Also park in ride is a great option too. Carpool to a park and ride.. then ride the rest into construction city, with someone else driving.
I prefer the removable drive bay myself, because you can also use the available bay to boot test operating systems via lilo simply by addressing the appropriate partition on the 2nd drive.
If you go to removable drive bays, you can get them cheap from www.tigerdirect.com for about $14.99 each without fans (with keys) and 3 fan models (without key) for about $22.99 (there are discounts in higher quantities 3-5 or 6 or more tiers)
You may also find the external usb/paralell and firewire kits there as well.
They send out almost weekly catalogs (the size of a magazine) for free if you sign up for one at the website.
(not important to this line) They are selling one of those robot lawn mowers in there for $794.99, i though those things were going to be thousands of dollars.. ill get one if i can one day.
I patent the usage of magnetic flucuation or changes over time.
Anyone caught using my idea without licence will be dragged out and flogged with their computer while standing in a pool of water (to make the blood easier to clean up.
I noticed the site was under a severe case of the slashdot effect. so i searched google for a cahce copy, the site is interesting.
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:www.pjrc.com/tech/mp3/+&hl=en
Offtopic: how i searched.. i went to google.com and then entered the url for the site i wanted the cache for then clicked on the cache url google returned. Pretty easy:)
Yay.. now i have a reason to put a nic in my linux box and also recompile for the soundcard.. So i can totally oblitherate everyone in descent 3.
I used to play descent 1 like crazy on an old 14.4 modem 75mhz processor. I gave up playing after my sound card/modem combo blew up and i had no more sound card for 3 months (till i got money to buy a modem and sound card separately) by then i found irc.
I used to destroy the best of them using the nick SERPENT! which was pretty unique since you couldnt type a ! in the player thing on descent. I renamed the player files to get the ! in there.
I was typing speed was 120 wpm back in high school, I have graded tests to prove that:P My typing speed has always increased slightly every year.
Some keyboards trip me up, like compaq keyboards, they just feel a little more crowded, making my thumbs clash. Other keyboards assist my typing accuracy and speed like a those natrual keyboards from MS (unfortunately I havent found out who ms has to make the keyboards so I can get one without the ms name on it).
Speed isnt anything if you havent learned the keyboard well enough to never look at it, I have been fussing and cussing with computers since I was 8 years old (using the commadore64 back then).
My handwriting is so terrible, I can barely read it sometimes, I find it easier just to type notes up from time to time.. You should see my homedir on my linux box at home.. I have screenfuls of notes typed and stored away. When Im in my coding mood it's easier to pop open another terminal and blast away in pico or vi than it is to dig around in my desk for a pen and search out a notebook to write things down. (I would generally lose what I was thinking about)
I always find it charmingly funny when someone who doesnt know me very much watches me type and goes crazy saying "Stop that, you are typing too fast, I cant even read it before it scrolls away!"
> thought I heard somewhere a while back that some HAM operators were able to "transmit computer packets" back and forth via some sort of gizmo... long distance filesharing... neato. Anyone have any clue what I'm talking about?
That gizmo is called a packet modem.. and the packet modem was what the ethernet cards were designed after. Hams found out they could send stuff faster if they skipped the antenna and only had cable between the packet modems.
In all reality, all your neato ethernet connected boxes are just communicating via a glorified packet modem aka: analog. It's funny the number of people that consider their wonderful lans to be digital connections.
Fiber is the only definate digital connection (well with current fiber technology)
Slashdot Mirror
I originally used the nick of SERPENT in Descent 1 games back when I was into gaming, then messed around and added the illegal character ! making it SERPENT! which made me seem different from all the other Serpent wannabe's (I was a pretty good player on kali).
When my soundcard died I gave up playing games for a few months and ran across IRC. Since it didnt allow ! in the nick space I ran around as Serpent- in #loonybin and #ircaddicts (and got my arse kicked often in #eggdrops). Then that nick started getting used by other people so I decided to find a new nick. At the time I was fascinated with art and scupltures with dragons depicted in them. So one day while watching Dragonheart, I logged in and started using the nick of DRACO- (keeping the - from SERPENT-).
Now Im quite well known on the undernet, and an op on #eggdrops #eggys #dmsetup and recgonized by helper friends on #zt and #cservice by some (except for the commando Channel Nazi, we all know who he is).
It's very true that many geeks get attached to their Nick, I have had DRACO- for over 4 or 5 years (I cant remember far enough back). I have and will ask people who take my nick to change or enlist the help of other users who insist the imposter to change nicks. The most I will deviate from my nick is to change the o to a 0, (sometimes i will clone and use both nicks at once and confuse people :P )
I work at a concert venue called Millennium Fortress, and the lady who coordinates everything calls me DRACO- because we keep in contact via email so much and remembers my nick faster than my realname. I dont mind, I think it's funny when the kids I work with call me DRACO- too. What is silly is I actually instinctively answer to DRACO- if someone calls out my nick. I encourged some people to call me by my nick cuz my first name Justin is so common. I think there are 4 younger kids that work at the concert named Justin, and a 3 kids named Jason (if you are named Justin you know why Im mentioning Jason everyone mixes them up but Jason is closer to Justin than steven,travis,tyson,cody or jacob).
This is all wrong.. What you need is a format in which some kind of central processor or remote can can tell each module the "Big Picture" of the morph. Maybe by wireless control.
Then each module should then discover where it is at in the current "Big Picture" then decide at a random interval to choose to be some other part/position in the new "Big Picture", and then it should broadcast to the rest that it is whatever part.
Since the modules are changing at a random interval, the ones who havent morphed/decided on what to be have received the notice that other modules have become some type of part, and crossed it out on the list of parts in the "Big Picture" then decide from what hasnt been used yet, to be come one.
After a few hundred cycles they should be able to complete the form required. This would be better and quicker than than each module making a call to a central system and waiting for a response. Although, the method I described would require every unit to have some smarts (we couldnt call them cpu's cuz they would now be decentralized :P DPU maybe?)
As for powering, maybe place the central system somewhere in the mass with battery power (maybe with solar cells) and have each module make power connects with other modules to connect to the central system. This could also be setup where you can place solar cells on the modules, while removing the wireless crap and using the power leads for signalling (that might help keep ppl from stealing modules from one unit to another.. Might need a litte dose of keycodes/serials/encryption)
I thought on this before when I saw a Stargate SG-1 episode with some type of modular pesky robots. Very fun episode. Only diff was the modules themselves would do all the processing themselves, (very good AI Im sure). They also were supposed to be able to create more of themselves by consuming metals. Just 2 modules is all it took to start a rampage.
So, you saw it here.. on Slashdot, now archived on hundreds of thousands of computer caches (for a few days), as well as slashdot's archival system (for a few months).
If one of the science dudes read this stuff, I really wouldnt mind changing careers to robotics if theres an offer. :)
I have a trackball called Logitech Marble Mouse. The name implies it's a mosue but it's a trackball.
I find it much more confortable than any other trackball I have delt with. This one functions by finger control or by using all the fingers or the palm operate. The thumb falls on the primary button and the pinky or ring finger falls on the right button.
In linux it has no trouble with using 3 button emulation (clicking both mouse buttons to simulate the middle mouse button).
Something else I love about it, that it is an optical tracking trackball. There are dots on the red trackball and i assume an infrared detector/transmitter to translate the movement.
The only fault I find in this device is the tracking sensors cannot handle very high speed movements (blurred dots) and is not a viable device for playing 3d games that involve mousing (ala Descent 1 2 or 3 or quake). But it's a natural problem.
Im curious if other optical pointing devices have the same problem with speed and playability in games. Please reply, with your indications on your devices. I would like to find another device with a decent feel that would be good in gaming.
I havent seen any libraries use mag stripes before, but I have seen them make use of bar coded cards for the patrons and also have the books bar coded. Both devices are designed in the same manner of keyboard wedges, I think there might also be a few serial systems and pc card (for handhelds).
If anything, I would go with barcodes on the books and barcode on the patron's card. You can get magstripe card readers that also read barcodes on cards. But I would think barcode scanners would be the way to go, you can always find one quicker than a magstripe/barcode card reader if one fails (and they dont have as high failure rate where magstripes do). Barcode readers also make checking in/out books faster than the old paper, signature, rubber stamp style. Also during the twice a year inventory check, barcodes on the books make finding missing books quicker (a week compared to several weeks)
But if you are looking for either one check out www.barcode.com they have a catalog they can send out to you.
I recommend calling a speciallist to show you their gear, ask them durability and speed questions about the hardware and software and the database. Then after they leave take those answers and come up with your own system, you can probably cut hundreds of dollars off of their system running linux, with cheap barcode readers you can get anywhere (even in old computer hardware stores). Some extras to think about, an thermal transfer printer (because old thermal tape always fades away after 3 months, but thermal transfer stays), a datalogger (for those inventory days and mass book check in, dataloggers get you away from the pc, but captures the data you scan, then you sync it to the computer like a palm pilot).
Another neato gadget, a palm pilot with a barcode scanner on it (interesting but doesnt have good application here).
Email me for more info just take out the comment \*dontspam*\. Im just scratching the surface of my memory on these things (Im posting from work and ended up talking to a vistor half way thru my posting)
CGI = computer generated images or computer generated inference (were you take several shots and make up (infer) the ones in between)
but usualy it's the first
Dude.. you are a total idiot, Cali is getting hammered with storms right now, getting some snow.. While all of Texas is seeing 30 degree weather. You think our electricity is cheap? We are getting our wallets stolen from us by HL&P and San Banard... My family's electric bill was 348 for the month of December.
Our house is a double wide trailer house, we have 2 HVAC units which we hardly ever run. The only things that run around here are 2 tvs, 2 computers maybe 3 to 6 lamps and the washer and dryer and the dishwasher (only once a day). We dont use all that much power except at night. We dont know where all that bill is coming from.
My boss never has a bill over 150 bucks, and he runs everything all the time, with a wife and 2 little children. That sorta bothers me since he has 2 big screen tvs, and runs the HVAC all the time (he is 23 and doesnt understand you dont set it to 90 then get hot and set it to 60 and then restart the cycle again, unfortunately he does it at work too, standard clothing is short sleeves and a removable coat at work)
The rate hike is all across the board, they didnt hike it up just cuz cali is having power problems. The rate has been high since the summer.
But I still find it strange how power is done stock exchanges. Why not just hook all the generators up, count the megawatts that you produce.. then count the megawatts your customers use.. if you have a deficit, you pay the main controller, if you have extra, you get paid by the main controller. (main controller just being a name thrown out.. maybe DOE would be better word)
But who cares what i think.. im not in that job sector. so i wouldnt know..
(capitalization is optional, please use mental spell check)
I too op on some close knit channels including #Irc4kids, the first day X started acting up our admin (the older ops) all agreed it was time to reissue the "dont op anyone that you dont know as an op or isnt on the bots" statement. We also got together and pooled our resources to get some bots thrown together because our usual standby bots have also been knocked out somewhere in the netsplits. We also stated to other ops and regular users that if the undernet were to break up, to check our website or efnet to find out where we may go.
I have to begin doing the same for my hideout channel and also talk to the manager of #dmsetup to see what we are going to do about these issues (we are always just too busy with removals to do any managing work).
I have also hardened the settings on my BitchX client to reop bots, lock the chanmode and watch for flood attempts. I might compile an eggy on my box to write a script to route channel activity from one network to another if we end up moving (I know it's been done.. but it's more fun reinventing and improving the wheel using rubber instead of stone)
I notice that no matter what language or os you play with, the basic math, algebra and other advanced maths come into play.
I really think a strongpoint in maths helps people understand more about programming languages.
dvorak keyboards were designed by some university professor. QWERTY boards were designed for use with typewriters.. The keys are laid out in such a way that back when they had the swing arm typewriters the swing arms wouldnt hit one another when typing fast.
I tried using a dvorak layout.. it is easier to use, just there's a lot of learning to do. I think the best way to learn new keyboard layouts is Chatting on IRC.
I use a microsoft natural keyboard, and find it's split design and raise in the center very comfortable.. Shortcuts are no problem, and i swear i can type a lot more accurately with it with close to 140+ wpm when my mind can keep up. Now if only i can clear that bottleneck..
As I have read somewhere in the WAP or HDML info pages, the gateway is what's holding your keys.. When you reconnect to the gateway, you start a ssl like connection to the gateway and then the gateway figures out what session you had by your telephone number and then continues from that session. It's just the wap server protocols. Quite nifty.. and also Quite annoying too.. and Quite insecure if the fbi ever decided to tap your cell phone.. they could probably get in any site you were previously on.. unless you click on logout :P
Please think about your sadistic statistics before you start posting numbers. Some idiots think because it has a number means it's true.
CST time is -6 GMT, it is now 5 pm Central time here in texas.. i havent felt any effects yet..
Im thinking of going to the local store and buying up all the tinfoil i can get my hands on and try to wrap myself in tinfoil and see if i get zapped. NOT...
It's gonna the 3rd storm at 1 am cst that im waiting to see/feel/smell
DRACO-
Crimminals have no rights in the us justice system. The cops can do pretty much whatever they want.
In the Houston Texas metro area, there is a number you can call for car pool info. I know you can find it any day by driving down the freeway, it's posted everywhere. I havent used it before because i live so far away from the metro area, nor do i work in the area. But carpooling in houston is great cuz you can get in on those HOV lanes with less lane changing traffic to worry about.
Also park in ride is a great option too. Carpool to a park and ride.. then ride the rest into construction city, with someone else driving.
DRACO-
I prefer the removable drive bay myself, because you can also use the available bay to boot test operating systems via lilo simply by addressing the appropriate partition on the 2nd drive.
If you go to removable drive bays, you can get them cheap from www.tigerdirect.com for about $14.99 each without fans (with keys) and 3 fan models (without key) for about $22.99 (there are discounts in higher quantities 3-5 or 6 or more tiers)
You may also find the external usb/paralell and firewire kits there as well.
They send out almost weekly catalogs (the size of a magazine) for free if you sign up for one at the website.
(not important to this line) They are selling one of those robot lawn mowers in there for $794.99, i though those things were going to be thousands of dollars.. ill get one if i can one day.
DRACO-
I patent the usage of magnetic flucuation or changes over time.
Anyone caught using my idea without licence will be dragged out and flogged with their computer while standing in a pool of water (to make the blood easier to clean up.
time to log off and shutdown :)
I noticed the site was under a severe case of the slashdot effect. so i searched google for a cahce copy, the site is interesting. http://www.google .com/search?q=cache:www.pjrc.com/tech/mp3/+&hl=en
Offtopic: how i searched.. i went to google.com and then entered the url for the site i wanted the cache for then clicked on the cache url google returned. Pretty easy :)
Yay.. now i have a reason to put a nic in my linux box and also recompile for the soundcard.. So i can totally oblitherate everyone in descent 3.
I used to play descent 1 like crazy on an old 14.4 modem 75mhz processor. I gave up playing after my sound card/modem combo blew up and i had no more sound card for 3 months (till i got money to buy a modem and sound card separately) by then i found irc.
I used to destroy the best of them using the nick SERPENT! which was pretty unique since you couldnt type a ! in the player thing on descent. I renamed the player files to get the ! in there.
DRACO-
I was typing speed was 120 wpm back in high school, I have graded tests to prove that :P My typing speed has always increased slightly every year.
Some keyboards trip me up, like compaq keyboards, they just feel a little more crowded, making my thumbs clash. Other keyboards assist my typing accuracy and speed like a those natrual keyboards from MS (unfortunately I havent found out who ms has to make the keyboards so I can get one without the ms name on it).
Speed isnt anything if you havent learned the keyboard well enough to never look at it, I have been fussing and cussing with computers since I was 8 years old (using the commadore64 back then).
My handwriting is so terrible, I can barely read it sometimes, I find it easier just to type notes up from time to time.. You should see my homedir on my linux box at home.. I have screenfuls of notes typed and stored away. When Im in my coding mood it's easier to pop open another terminal and blast away in pico or vi than it is to dig around in my desk for a pen and search out a notebook to write things down. (I would generally lose what I was thinking about)
I always find it charmingly funny when someone who doesnt know me very much watches me type and goes crazy saying "Stop that, you are typing too fast, I cant even read it before it scrolls away!"
> thought I heard somewhere a while back that some HAM operators were able to "transmit computer packets" back and forth via some sort of gizmo... long distance filesharing... neato. Anyone have any clue what I'm talking about?
That gizmo is called a packet modem.. and the packet modem was what the ethernet cards were designed after. Hams found out they could send stuff faster if they skipped the antenna and only had cable between the packet modems.
In all reality, all your neato ethernet connected boxes are just communicating via a glorified packet modem aka: analog. It's funny the number of people that consider their wonderful lans to be digital connections.
Fiber is the only definate digital connection (well with current fiber technology)