HTML is a wonderful tool for making text that easily accessible by people with poor eyesight. This is because it allows the reader to set a default text size that suits them and/or to increase font size whenever they want.
So don't throw this advantage away. Here's how:
Don't put text in graphics. This makes it impossible or impractical for the user to resize. If you make the text big for your elderly users, then it will be too big for everybody else.
Don't use <FONT SIZE=>. Leave the font size alone, and then the user will get whichever size they have configured as their default.
Don't use pixel or point sizes in CSS. These tend to override user defaults.
Basically, leave the font size alone for all normal text. For headings etc., specify the font size using ems or percentages, as this way they will remain in proportion with all the normal unsized text.
At root, the meaning of "liberal" is something akin to "freedom". The difference between the way Americans and the rest of the world use the word "liberal" is caused by the different areas of life that they apply the word to.
In the US, "liberalism" is typically applied to social/moral issues. Thus "liberals" support the freedom of people to take drugs, have gay sex, burn the flag, run around naked, etc.
The rest of world tends to apply "liberal" to the economic sphere. Such "liberals" are typically anti-union, anti-minimum-wage, and support the right of business to be free to do whatever the hell they want. That is why, for example, the Liberal Party in Australia is the right-wing party of big business.
As another popfile user, I'd like to add that the popfile author is very active on the popfile forums on sourceforge, and has a wonderfully professional attitude. He calmly deals with critics, and always appears open-minded about new suggestions and is willing to discuss the pros and cons openly.
As a result, the forums are quite active, and he seems to get quite a bit of assistance from the users. It really seems to be a perfect example of an open source project done well.
My popfile accuracy is 99.49%, for over 9,000 emails. I receive approximately 120 spams a day. I'm just a very happy user.
This really isn't true. Get good lights, both front and rear, and wear light-coloured clothing, and riding at night becomes quite safe. Other practical tips are to get fenders and a rack/panniers for carrying stuff.
I commute by bicycle all year 'round, riding in the dark, the rain, and even the snow. I enjoy it far more than I enjoy driving a car. (It can be a bit hairy in the snow though)
Advertisers have no power to force you to see their ads if you (with the help of Gator) decide you want to see something else. Therefore the decision is correct. The advertisers can go to hell.
Gator has no right to sneak software onto user's machines without their proper permission. Gator can go to hell.
The idea that a steel frame will flex and therefore be more comfortable on bumpy roads is a complete myth. Frames do flex, but hardly at all in the vertical plane. Any microscopic vertical flex that does occur would be impossible to differentiate from the much greater flex of the tyres, saddle, and handlebar tape.
The only possible way in which a steel frame may be more comfortable than aluminium (all other things being equal) is if there is some difference in the way it vibrates.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars don't solve the following car-related problems:
They perpetuate the current system of land use where roads and parking lots take up valuable real estate that would be better used for housing, farming, industry, or commerce.
They do nothing to improve the appalling safety record of cars. This point has particular importance for pedestrians and cyclists.
They do nothing to improve or even halt the further suburbanisation of cities, leading to social dislocation and the atomisation of society.
They do nothing to improve travel times and traffic problems.
What problem do they solve? Pollution? Maybe, but how do you produce the hydrogen?
if someone didn't spend so much money on the cell phone to take 600 pictures of a book, they probably could.. well.. buy the book.
Cell phones with cameras can be bought in Japan for as little as 1 yen, and often not more than about 2,000 yen (around US$18). They're not expensive - the money is made on the call plans. Strangely enough, the call plan charges do not differ depending on what type of phone you get.
A person sharing files isn't copying/xeroxing anything, so your analogy is flawed. What they are doing is leaving their copy in a place that makes it dead easy for others to copy.
The better analogy is of a library that leaves copyrighted books sitting on the shelves right next to the photocopying machines. Which is of course what all libraries do.
Because the politics of the BSD license closely match your personal politics, you are unable to see it as political. But how can it not be political?
What are the political values inherent in the BSD license? Freedom to do what you like with code. Freedom to not distribute the source to your modifications. Freedom to exploit that non-distribution in all the ways that companies like Microsoft do.
You might agree with those freedoms, but don't try and tell me they aren't political.
Microsoft just payed AOL $750 million in return for AOL continuing to use IE. If AOL didn't have Netscape to use as a bargaining tool/threat, there's no way they would have been able to get so much cash from Microsoft.
Netscape development just turned a big profit for AOL.
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
on
Rent a Segway
·
· Score: 1
Well, you did say that bicycles weren't allowed on the street....and that aint true.
But I disagree that rollerblades, skateboards and scooters are similar to segways. From the videos I've seen of segways, they seem to be far more agile, maneouverable and stable than anything else on wheels. They can stop very quickly if they have to. I don't think they'd cause a problem on even the most crowded footpath - all that would happen is that the segway user would have to travel at the same speed as the pedestrians.
I like the segway, but I'm unlikely ever to buy one. For very short distances I'll walk, and for medium distances I ride a bike (on the road). The segway seems to be aimed at people who are too lazy, scared or incapacitated to ride a bike, but I'd much rather those people be on a segway than in cars creating traffic that slows me down on my bike!
Re:Go to a pedestrian-friendly city
on
Rent a Segway
·
· Score: 1
In Australia, bicycles must be ridden on the street. They are not allowed to be ridden on the footpath.
It's not just speed that is relevant to whether the footpath or the street is appropriate - it's how nimble the device is, and how much space it takes up. Segways seem to me to be much more "pedestrian-like", whereas bikes are much more "car-like". Segways don't take up much room, and they can stop and turn very quickly, with an almost zero turning-circle. They move just like a pedestrian, but faster. And if it's crowded, they don't have to move faster.
This isn't funny, it's insightful. This administration has a negative view of all those things, and so wants negative sounding words to describe them. These positive (or at least neutral) words don't allow them to vilify and demonise certain groups.
Sex worker - this dignifies prostitutes and puts them in the same class as all other "workers". It doesn't sound as negative as "prostitute" or "hooker".
Men who sleep with men - this implies that straight people can have gay sex, and that's a bit unsettling to people who want the comfort of neat little labels like "faggot" or "homosexual". It's so much easier to vilify these straightforward categories.
Anal sex - This phrase is dangerous because it doesn't explicitly mention homosexuals - it also covers male-female anal sex. If men and women do it together then it's harder to demonise.
Needle exchange - "Exchange" is a such a nice word, connoting such lovey-dovey concepts as reciprocity and sharing. It's just not consistent with vilifying drug users, or with prosecuting the war against drugs.
I toss and turn quite a bit during the night. I would sometimes roll over onto my daughter, but there was no harm done, and I would semi-wake up for a fraction of a second and roll off.
But if you're drunk, there's a chance that you won't semi-wake up and roll off. The baby can be smothered and suffocate.
On the odd occasion when I'd been drinking, I would sleep in a different bed. But new parents often don't do a lot of drinking.:)
Some more details - my daughter stayed in the bed untl she was about 2.5 yo. At that age she was starting to take up too much room, and would often get all east-west when her parents were north-south. She liked to thrash her legs around too. It was getting a bit much, so we rigged up a small bed that was next to our bed, and she slept there. We sold it to her as a sign that she was very grown up, needing her own bed. After a few months of that we moved her bed a bit further from our bed, and eventually we moved it into a separate room altogether.
I really have fond memories of the time she used to sleep in our bed. A very idyllic time.
Breastfeed. It's cheaper, simpler, more convenient, healthier, etc etc.
Breastfeed frequently. Don't go for this "every n hours" bullshit - that just makes the baby go crazy. If you feed the baby whenever it appears to be hungry you'll have a happy, contented and quiet baby, and that will make you happy and contented too.
Breastfeed for a long time. Don't stop after a couple of months - stop when the baby starts to lose interest. This usually takes about 2 years.
Don't buy a cot. Have the baby sleep in your bed. When the baby wakes up in the middle of the night to be fed, what do you want to do - get out of your nice warm bed, or just feed the baby quietly right there in the bed? With the baby in the bed, the dad will hardly wake, and the mum will only have to roll over and shove a tit in the baby's mouth until they both fall back to sleep. This may take just a few minutes.
The only warning here is you cannot be drunk or on drugs if you're sleeping in the same bed as the baby.
During the day/evening, let the baby sleep on your lap if you're just sitting around watching TV, talking etc. Babies don't need quiet dark rooms to sleep. Get you baby used to loud conversation, music, etc. right from birth. Don't separate the baby from all the other stuff you're doing.
Don't buy a baby-monitor. You don't need one if the baby is always near you.
Don't pollute your life with too much baby paraphernalia. You need nappies, towels, wipes, and maybe a pouch etc to carry the baby. When the baby can sit up, a high chair is useful.
Don't worry about set bed times and nap times for your baby. Babies get tired and go to sleep, and they do it when they want to, not when you want them to. If your baby has a strange sleep schedule at first, don't worry, your baby will soon start copying your sleep schedule more or less.
Don't buy a pram. They're dumb, clumsy and ugly. Just carry your baby everywhere, using either a pouch, a sling, a backpack, or your arms. Babies love these - they become sleepy, relaxed and contented. This will make you happy and contented.
Don't buy a stroller. OK, maybe buy a stroller. Strollers are OK for older kids who are getting a bit heavy to carry, or kids that can walk, but not very far.
Use whatever type of nappies you like. It really doesn't matter.
Don't listen to other people's advice - listen to your baby.
By that logic photos of the World trade center wreakage are a type of "action" as well. Real live people were killed in the production of those pictures you know.
Only if the people who crashed the planes into the WTC did so for the express purpose of taking pictures afterwards.
Disable Palladium, and be happy in your little island.
Here's the scenario:
Virtually all PCs will ship with Palladium turned on by default. Outlook Express will ship with Palladium features turned on by default. Major websites will start using Palladium features in their pages.
If you boot your PC with Palladium turned off, you'll be unable to read much of the email you receive, and unable to view much of the web. How long before you capitulate and boot with Palladium turned on?
Yes, yes, yes. I live in Japan, and even in my office, everybody uses either a laptop or a Gateway (PC-built-in-behind-the-LCD). I'm out in the countryside, but the space issue still reigns supreme. The desks are small, and everybody is crammed together. There is no room for CRTs, and not much room for big boxes under the desk either.
The other issue is the sky-high cost of electricity here. LCDs are cheaper to run, and also give off less heat, saving on air-conditioning in the hot Japanese summers.
1. Write down every feature that your device has.....Categorise them as best as possible. This will help you develop an intuitive menu system.
This is the "feature-based" approach, which is sometimes the best way to go.
The alternative is the "task-based" approach. Instead of listing features, in this approach you attempt to put yourself in the shoes of your users and ask yourself what tasks you are likely to want to perform. Then you organise the interface around the list of tasks.
In GUIs, most menu systems are examples of the features approach, whereas wizards are an example of the task approach. Note that documentation can also be split in this way, between task-based and feature-based.
The features approach is the safest and easiest way, but the end result is never very impressive. The task approach, when done well, is fantastic, but when done poorly (or in inappropriate circumstances), is a nightmare, where the tasks don't match what the user wants, and the individual features have been buried inaccessably within the tasks.
But, in Amsterdam, they have a bike lane that is separated from the road by a curb. Actually they have three defined partitions. Tram, Vehicle and bikes. Its perfect.
Interesting. Assuming you drive on the right in Amsterdam, how does a cyclist make a left-hand turn? How does a car turn right if the bike is going straight ahead? Are there separate turn signals for bikes and cars at every intersection? I'm having trouble picturing how it all works.
I ride a bike every day, and like most commuting cyclists I find that bike lanes are less safe, and provide no advantages over the same road without a stripe for a bike lane.
Bike lanes offer "protection" only against cars that are travelling in the same direction, but "same-direction" accidents are a tiny proportion of car-bike collisions. The danger is at intersections, just as it is for car-car collisions.
And bike lanes make intersections more dangerous, because they lead both motorists and cyclists to believe that bikes belong in their own lane, which is impossible to achieve when the cyclist wants to turn left, or when the motorist wants to turn right.
The only people who want bike lanes are motorists who think that it will clear the roads for cars, and some beginner cyclists who fear same-direction traffic despite it being a relatively minor danger.
Slashdot Mirror
HTML is a wonderful tool for making text that easily accessible by people with poor eyesight. This is because it allows the reader to set a default text size that suits them and/or to increase font size whenever they want.
So don't throw this advantage away. Here's how:
Don't put text in graphics. This makes it impossible or impractical for the user to resize. If you make the text big for your elderly users, then it will be too big for everybody else.
Don't use <FONT SIZE=>. Leave the font size alone, and then the user will get whichever size they have configured as their default.
Don't use pixel or point sizes in CSS. These tend to override user defaults.
Basically, leave the font size alone for all normal text. For headings etc., specify the font size using ems or percentages, as this way they will remain in proportion with all the normal unsized text.
At root, the meaning of "liberal" is something akin to "freedom". The difference between the way Americans and the rest of the world use the word "liberal" is caused by the different areas of life that they apply the word to.
In the US, "liberalism" is typically applied to social/moral issues. Thus "liberals" support the freedom of people to take drugs, have gay sex, burn the flag, run around naked, etc.
The rest of world tends to apply "liberal" to the economic sphere. Such "liberals" are typically anti-union, anti-minimum-wage, and support the right of business to be free to do whatever the hell they want. That is why, for example, the Liberal Party in Australia is the right-wing party of big business.
Simple really...
As another popfile user, I'd like to add that the popfile author is very active on the popfile forums on sourceforge, and has a wonderfully professional attitude. He calmly deals with critics, and always appears open-minded about new suggestions and is willing to discuss the pros and cons openly.
As a result, the forums are quite active, and he seems to get quite a bit of assistance from the users. It really seems to be a perfect example of an open source project done well.
My popfile accuracy is 99.49%, for over 9,000 emails. I receive approximately 120 spams a day. I'm just a very happy user.
This really isn't true. Get good lights, both front and rear, and wear light-coloured clothing, and riding at night becomes quite safe. Other practical tips are to get fenders and a rack/panniers for carrying stuff.
I commute by bicycle all year 'round, riding in the dark, the rain, and even the snow. I enjoy it far more than I enjoy driving a car. (It can be a bit hairy in the snow though)
Advertisers have no power to force you to see their ads if you (with the help of Gator) decide you want to see something else. Therefore the decision is correct. The advertisers can go to hell.
Gator has no right to sneak software onto user's machines without their proper permission. Gator can go to hell.
The idea that a steel frame will flex and therefore be more comfortable on bumpy roads is a complete myth. Frames do flex, but hardly at all in the vertical plane. Any microscopic vertical flex that does occur would be impossible to differentiate from the much greater flex of the tyres, saddle, and handlebar tape.
The only possible way in which a steel frame may be more comfortable than aluminium (all other things being equal) is if there is some difference in the way it vibrates.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars don't solve the following car-related problems:
They perpetuate the current system of land use where roads and parking lots take up valuable real estate that would be better used for housing, farming, industry, or commerce.
They do nothing to improve the appalling safety record of cars. This point has particular importance for pedestrians and cyclists.
They do nothing to improve or even halt the further suburbanisation of cities, leading to social dislocation and the atomisation of society.
They do nothing to improve travel times and traffic problems.
What problem do they solve? Pollution? Maybe, but how do you produce the hydrogen?
if someone didn't spend so much money on the cell phone to take 600 pictures of a book, they probably could.. well.. buy the book.
Cell phones with cameras can be bought in Japan for as little as 1 yen, and often not more than about 2,000 yen (around US$18). They're not expensive - the money is made on the call plans. Strangely enough, the call plan charges do not differ depending on what type of phone you get.
A person sharing files isn't copying/xeroxing anything, so your analogy is flawed. What they are doing is leaving their copy in a place that makes it dead easy for others to copy.
The better analogy is of a library that leaves copyrighted books sitting on the shelves right next to the photocopying machines. Which is of course what all libraries do.
Because the politics of the BSD license closely match your personal politics, you are unable to see it as political. But how can it not be political?
What are the political values inherent in the BSD license? Freedom to do what you like with code. Freedom to not distribute the source to your modifications. Freedom to exploit that non-distribution in all the ways that companies like Microsoft do.
You might agree with those freedoms, but don't try and tell me they aren't political.
You need to buy a five-disc jazz anthology from the good folks at The Onion.
Microsoft just payed AOL $750 million in return for AOL continuing to use IE. If AOL didn't have Netscape to use as a bargaining tool/threat, there's no way they would have been able to get so much cash from Microsoft.
Netscape development just turned a big profit for AOL.
Well, you did say that bicycles weren't allowed on the street....and that aint true.
But I disagree that rollerblades, skateboards and scooters are similar to segways. From the videos I've seen of segways, they seem to be far more agile, maneouverable and stable than anything else on wheels. They can stop very quickly if they have to. I don't think they'd cause a problem on even the most crowded footpath - all that would happen is that the segway user would have to travel at the same speed as the pedestrians.
I like the segway, but I'm unlikely ever to buy one. For very short distances I'll walk, and for medium distances I ride a bike (on the road). The segway seems to be aimed at people who are too lazy, scared or incapacitated to ride a bike, but I'd much rather those people be on a segway than in cars creating traffic that slows me down on my bike!
In Australia, bicycles must be ridden on the street. They are not allowed to be ridden on the footpath.
It's not just speed that is relevant to whether the footpath or the street is appropriate - it's how nimble the device is, and how much space it takes up. Segways seem to me to be much more "pedestrian-like", whereas bikes are much more "car-like". Segways don't take up much room, and they can stop and turn very quickly, with an almost zero turning-circle. They move just like a pedestrian, but faster. And if it's crowded, they don't have to move faster.
This isn't funny, it's insightful. This administration has a negative view of all those things, and so wants negative sounding words to describe them. These positive (or at least neutral) words don't allow them to vilify and demonise certain groups.
Sex worker - this dignifies prostitutes and puts them in the same class as all other "workers". It doesn't sound as negative as "prostitute" or "hooker".
Men who sleep with men - this implies that straight people can have gay sex, and that's a bit unsettling to people who want the comfort of neat little labels like "faggot" or "homosexual". It's so much easier to vilify these straightforward categories.
Anal sex - This phrase is dangerous because it doesn't explicitly mention homosexuals - it also covers male-female anal sex. If men and women do it together then it's harder to demonise.
Needle exchange - "Exchange" is a such a nice word, connoting such lovey-dovey concepts as reciprocity and sharing. It's just not consistent with vilifying drug users, or with prosecuting the war against drugs.
It's the impairment.
I toss and turn quite a bit during the night. I would sometimes roll over onto my daughter, but there was no harm done, and I would semi-wake up for a fraction of a second and roll off.
But if you're drunk, there's a chance that you won't semi-wake up and roll off. The baby can be smothered and suffocate.
On the odd occasion when I'd been drinking, I would sleep in a different bed. But new parents often don't do a lot of drinking. :)
Some more details - my daughter stayed in the bed untl she was about 2.5 yo. At that age she was starting to take up too much room, and would often get all east-west when her parents were north-south. She liked to thrash her legs around too. It was getting a bit much, so we rigged up a small bed that was next to our bed, and she slept there. We sold it to her as a sign that she was very grown up, needing her own bed. After a few months of that we moved her bed a bit further from our bed, and eventually we moved it into a separate room altogether.
I really have fond memories of the time she used to sleep in our bed. A very idyllic time.
Breastfeed. It's cheaper, simpler, more convenient, healthier, etc etc.
Breastfeed frequently. Don't go for this "every n hours" bullshit - that just makes the baby go crazy. If you feed the baby whenever it appears to be hungry you'll have a happy, contented and quiet baby, and that will make you happy and contented too.
Breastfeed for a long time. Don't stop after a couple of months - stop when the baby starts to lose interest. This usually takes about 2 years.
Don't buy a cot. Have the baby sleep in your bed. When the baby wakes up in the middle of the night to be fed, what do you want to do - get out of your nice warm bed, or just feed the baby quietly right there in the bed? With the baby in the bed, the dad will hardly wake, and the mum will only have to roll over and shove a tit in the baby's mouth until they both fall back to sleep. This may take just a few minutes.
The only warning here is you cannot be drunk or on drugs if you're sleeping in the same bed as the baby.
During the day/evening, let the baby sleep on your lap if you're just sitting around watching TV, talking etc. Babies don't need quiet dark rooms to sleep. Get you baby used to loud conversation, music, etc. right from birth. Don't separate the baby from all the other stuff you're doing.
Don't buy a baby-monitor. You don't need one if the baby is always near you.
Don't pollute your life with too much baby paraphernalia. You need nappies, towels, wipes, and maybe a pouch etc to carry the baby. When the baby can sit up, a high chair is useful.
Don't worry about set bed times and nap times for your baby. Babies get tired and go to sleep, and they do it when they want to, not when you want them to. If your baby has a strange sleep schedule at first, don't worry, your baby will soon start copying your sleep schedule more or less.
Don't buy a pram. They're dumb, clumsy and ugly. Just carry your baby everywhere, using either a pouch, a sling, a backpack, or your arms. Babies love these - they become sleepy, relaxed and contented. This will make you happy and contented.
Don't buy a stroller. OK, maybe buy a stroller. Strollers are OK for older kids who are getting a bit heavy to carry, or kids that can walk, but not very far.
Use whatever type of nappies you like. It really doesn't matter.
Don't listen to other people's advice - listen to your baby.
Mod the parent down. Murdoch does not own the SMH. He does own just about every other newspaper in Australia though.
By that logic photos of the World trade center wreakage are a type of "action" as well. Real live people were killed in the production of those pictures you know.
Only if the people who crashed the planes into the WTC did so for the express purpose of taking pictures afterwards.
As long as this never turns into action, its just a bunch of 1s and 0s, speech.
Except that pictures of kiddie porn are a type of "action". Real live kiddies were used in the production of those pictures you know.
Disable Palladium, and be happy in your little island.
Here's the scenario:
Virtually all PCs will ship with Palladium turned on by default. Outlook Express will ship with Palladium features turned on by default. Major websites will start using Palladium features in their pages.
If you boot your PC with Palladium turned off, you'll be unable to read much of the email you receive, and unable to view much of the web. How long before you capitulate and boot with Palladium turned on?
Yes, yes, yes. I live in Japan, and even in my office, everybody uses either a laptop or a Gateway (PC-built-in-behind-the-LCD). I'm out in the countryside, but the space issue still reigns supreme. The desks are small, and everybody is crammed together. There is no room for CRTs, and not much room for big boxes under the desk either.
The other issue is the sky-high cost of electricity here. LCDs are cheaper to run, and also give off less heat, saving on air-conditioning in the hot Japanese summers.
1. Write down every feature that your device has.....Categorise them as best as possible. This will help you develop an intuitive menu system.
This is the "feature-based" approach, which is sometimes the best way to go.
The alternative is the "task-based" approach. Instead of listing features, in this approach you attempt to put yourself in the shoes of your users and ask yourself what tasks you are likely to want to perform. Then you organise the interface around the list of tasks.
In GUIs, most menu systems are examples of the features approach, whereas wizards are an example of the task approach. Note that documentation can also be split in this way, between task-based and feature-based.
The features approach is the safest and easiest way, but the end result is never very impressive. The task approach, when done well, is fantastic, but when done poorly (or in inappropriate circumstances), is a nightmare, where the tasks don't match what the user wants, and the individual features have been buried inaccessably within the tasks.
But, in Amsterdam, they have a bike lane that is separated from the road by a curb. Actually they have three defined partitions. Tram, Vehicle and bikes. Its perfect.
Interesting. Assuming you drive on the right in Amsterdam, how does a cyclist make a left-hand turn? How does a car turn right if the bike is going straight ahead? Are there separate turn signals for bikes and cars at every intersection? I'm having trouble picturing how it all works.
Bike lanes are a poor solution.
I ride a bike every day, and like most commuting cyclists I find that bike lanes are less safe, and provide no advantages over the same road without a stripe for a bike lane.
Bike lanes offer "protection" only against cars that are travelling in the same direction, but "same-direction" accidents are a tiny proportion of car-bike collisions. The danger is at intersections, just as it is for car-car collisions.
And bike lanes make intersections more dangerous, because they lead both motorists and cyclists to believe that bikes belong in their own lane, which is impossible to achieve when the cyclist wants to turn left, or when the motorist wants to turn right.
The only people who want bike lanes are motorists who think that it will clear the roads for cars, and some beginner cyclists who fear same-direction traffic despite it being a relatively minor danger.