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posted by on Friday August 25 2017, @11:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the we're-really-big-time-now dept.

Welcome, new trolls! We're pleased as punch to have you aboard, unfortunately as you may have noticed our moderators are unable to give you the moderations you've been working so hard for. Since we can't really do much about people not moderating more, we're going to be giving out more points so that the ones that do can give you the attention you so desperately crave.

Moderators: Starting a little after midnight UTC tonight, everyone will be getting ten points a day instead of five. The threshold for a mod-bomb, however, is going to remain at five. This change is not so you can pursue an agenda against registered users more effectively but so we can collectively handle the rather large uptick in anonymous trolling recently while still being able to have points remaining for upmodding quality comments. This is not an invitation to go wild downmodding; it's helping you to be able to stick to the "concentrate more on upmodding than downmodding" bit of the guidelines.

Also, this is not a heavily thought-out or permanent change. It is a quick, dirty adjustment that will be reviewed, tweaked, and likely changed before year's end. Questions? Comments?

 
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  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Arik on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:29AM (19 children)

    by Arik (4543) on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:29AM (#559261) Journal
    It's a combination of board and browser settings.

    There's a control, might be a drop down list, when you post, as to what 'mode' you want to use, and if you're logged in you can set a default.

    One of them is 'code.' I set it as default after some testing, years ago, determined it was least likely to munge up what I typed in and post something different. Usually leave it alone, occasionally change modes if I want to do something that's easier in another though.

    Apparently the most popular browsers, with default settings, change to a monospace font in response to what the server sends in this case. Server very likely does wrap the whole comment in <tt>, haven't actually looked at it. 
    --
    If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Informative=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:40AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:40AM (#559267)

    very likely does wrap the whole comment in , haven't actually looked at it.

    Uh huh. Sure.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:43AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:43AM (#559269)

      So now he knows and can change the action. Oh wait, no, I guess it's just a lost cause.

      LOL!

    • (Score: 4, Touché) by Arik on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:47AM

      by Arik (4543) on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:47AM (#559273) Journal
      "very likely does wrap the whole comment in , haven't actually looked at it."

      Was there something that you posted but no one is actually seeing in your post? Did the server just munge your post?

      Annoying, isn't it?

      There's a simple fix ;)
      --
      If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 26 2017, @09:42AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 26 2017, @09:42AM (#559365)

    > the most popular browsers, with default settings, change to a monospace font in response

    You said it was code. Have you coded? Have you tried with a variable-width font? The coders of popular browsers use monospaced fonts for coding, and don't imagine many fruitful coders would want otherwise.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Arik on Saturday August 26 2017, @10:35AM

      by Arik (4543) on Saturday August 26 2017, @10:35AM (#559387) Journal
      "Have you coded? "

      Yeah, I'm not currently a coder but when I started with computers there was no other option. A PC out of the box was just a bunch of parts, and once you got them all soldered together and working you still had little more than a computer - waiting to be programmed. That was what a *normal computer user* did - create programs. The typical productive strategy was to do an outline using BASIC, then profile it and figure out which sections were causing it to go unresponsive for long periods of time, and recode them in hex. Admittedly, for a number of reasons, I haven't done that in a long time.

      "Have you tried with a variable-width font?"

      Yeah, I've tried them, but the best thing to do with them is just delete them. But it has nothing to do with code! Code or no code, FONT! you have one job, convey information. You look real pretty but lose information? YOU FAIL!! I don't need you, I don't want you, I certainly don't love you.

      --
      If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
  • (Score: 5, Disagree) by lentilla on Saturday August 26 2017, @10:32AM (12 children)

    by lentilla (1770) on Saturday August 26 2017, @10:32AM (#559384)

    Server very likely does wrap the whole comment in <tt>, haven't actually looked at it.

    You know what, Arik, it does wrap your entire comment in a <tt>. I looked it up for you.

    You have been told many times; by many people; that your posts appear in a monospace font and that it's very annoying. If your browser doesn't behave this way then it's broken. Your browser is broken - not everybody else's.

    When you are writing for an audience the onus is on the writer to make it easy for the reader. That's because it's a "write once, read many" situation. What you are doing comes across as lazy and arrogant.

    So don't be a dick, mate. What you have to say has merit, just not how you go about saying it.

    To Long Didn't Read? Arik: Please stop posting using "Code" mode. You say you know where the control is, now go ahead and use it. It's very jarring to everybody else.

    • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by Arik on Saturday August 26 2017, @10:41AM (8 children)

      by Arik (4543) on Saturday August 26 2017, @10:41AM (#559391) Journal
      "You know what, Arik, it does wrap your entire comment in a <tt>. I looked it up for you."

      Thanks!

      "You have been told many times; by many people; that your posts appear in a monospace font and that it's very annoying."

      Oh lord, it's another of THOSE posters.

      If you don't like the font your browser is displaying then FIX IT you farking maroon!

      "If your browser doesn't behave this way then it's broken."

      Absolute nonsense! My browser, in fact, does behave this way - but if I told it not to, then it would not! If it bothered me, I would tell it not to! And if I told it not do this but it STILL did it - THEN I would agree it was MY browser that was broken!

      "When you are writing for an audience the onus is on the writer to make it easy for the reader."

      I'm not writing for you. If you enjoy my post, wonderful. If you don't, fuck off. You haven't paid me a cent and I wouldn't take it if you offered.

      "What you are doing comes across as lazy and arrogant."

      Right back at you, you myopic, self-obsessed little jackass.

      --
      If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
      • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Gaaark on Saturday August 26 2017, @12:25PM (2 children)

        by Gaaark (41) on Saturday August 26 2017, @12:25PM (#559411) Journal

        I look at it as, if I don't want to bother my eyes reading your 'font', I skip it and scroll past.

        It is annoying to look at and might make me miss something I might have wanted to read, but I have a choice. Just like why I don't adjust my settings to skip AC's. I might miss something intelligent.

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
        • (Score: 1, Troll) by Arik on Monday September 04 2017, @09:09AM (1 child)

          by Arik (4543) on Monday September 04 2017, @09:09AM (#563366) Journal
          "I look at it as, if I don't want to bother my eyes reading your 'font', I skip it and scroll past."

          I'm going to put myself, mentally, in the place of someone who knows nothing about computers. This is easier than it sounds, for me, as I do it regularly.

          Yeah, that sounds reasonable.

          In fact, though, it's not. It's umm, 'magical thinking.'

          Fact is, I have no font, I have no way to make my font appear on your screen. I'm just sending text.

          YOUR browser determines which fonts it will use to render that text. If you don't like it, well that's not unexpected. You're probably running a toy OS from Microsoft, and it probably has abominable font choices preselected for you.

          But you are not helpless, my friend. Dig in. Figure this computer out. Bend it to your will, don't let it run the show. You may not be able to REALLY take control of Microsoft Windows but even on that you can certainly prevent it from using fonts you think are ugly.

          *I've tried NOTHING and I'm all out of ideas!*

          --
          If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
          • (Score: 1, Troll) by Gaaark on Monday September 04 2017, @10:58AM

            by Gaaark (41) on Monday September 04 2017, @10:58AM (#563406) Journal

            Sigh

            From your own post elsewhere:
            "Trolling is intrinsically an act of attention-seeking."
            You like attention. "Mommy, look at me. LOOK AT ME!"

            I know. I get it. You type in 'code' for the attention it gets you. That is why i put 'font' instead of just font.

            My profile will show you i use linux. I am typing in palemoon. I am just not going to change my browser settings for one troll.

            I was actually saying a nice thing:

            I might miss something intelligent.

            I guess in your place, i am wrong.

            --
            --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
      • (Score: 4, Touché) by lentilla on Saturday August 26 2017, @12:53PM (4 children)

        by lentilla (1770) on Saturday August 26 2017, @12:53PM (#559415)

        "The folk at 71 Baxter Street were having an extended party. On the morning after the third night of loud revelry, a group of neighbours gathered in front of number 71. A spokesman stepped forward and knocked on the door.

        "Yeah, whatcha you want?", said the large man that answered the door.

        "Neighbour - you've been having some mighty fun these last days", said the spokesman, hat in hand, "but we're all hoping you'd be keeping it down some in the evening-times. Our kiddies can't sleep for the music and it's causing trouble in our homes."

        "Yeah?"; said Mr Seventy-One; "well put in some earplugs you farking maroon!""

        ---

        I'm not a maroon, and neither are you Arik. I don't want to make enemies and I was simply asking you to quit with the <tt> tag. I; too; expect people to accept me for who I am but I always try to take their wishes into consideration because I'd prefer to live in harmony rather than constant conflict. We appear to have a fundamentally different view of the world - and that's OK too. I look forward to your future postings outside this thread - even if they happen to be in monospace.

        • (Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Monday August 28 2017, @08:20AM (2 children)

          by FakeBeldin (3360) on Monday August 28 2017, @08:20AM (#560098) Journal

          Hey Arik,

          Your use of code as default for comments is annoying me, to the point that I skip over your comments. They're just not worth the effort they require of me. Case in point: I skipped your grandparent post after the first line, because I'm not going to waste effort on it. Then I read the replies. Specifically, I read all of Lentilla's silly, off-topic story-slash-analogy. The story was way too long to make an obvious point obvious. Yet I read all of it, and I could not read more than the first line of your post, even though that might be more on-topic.

          Clearly, your posting style is annoying the hell out of me.
          Equally clearly I'm not the only one.

          You might want to consider changing.

          Sidenote: @TMB and others: I'd love to auto-hide any all-code comments. Or apply an automatic -3 mod to them or something. Same thing for other comments that deviate from regular style. Can this go up on the wishlist?

          • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday August 28 2017, @10:13AM

            The auto-mod thing, possibly. We can't get rid of them any more though because they've been an established if little used feature for too long. Justified butthurt would ensue. Really, the best solution is just to make Arik a Foe at the moment and adjust Foe-post karma down if it really bugs you. For me it just makes it easier to tell who wrote something. I look at monospace all the time in terminal windows, so it doesn't bother me in the least.

            --
            My rights don't end where your fear begins.
          • (Score: 2) by Arik on Monday September 04 2017, @08:54AM

            by Arik (4543) on Monday September 04 2017, @08:54AM (#563361) Journal
            Hey FakeBeldin!

            Thanks for letting me know you're a moron. I didn't really need, or want to know, but thanks anyhow! It really warms the cockles of my heart when I hear a REAL HONEST TO GOD MORON go off like this! You're the reason I'm here, and I love you!! *smooch smooch smooch*

            --
            If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
        • (Score: 2) by Arik on Monday September 04 2017, @08:49AM

          by Arik (4543) on Monday September 04 2017, @08:49AM (#563359) Journal
          If your "fundamental view of the world" includes blaming others for your own browser settings then I don't have a kind word for you. YOU ARE THE REASON WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.

          To put it concisely, You ARE being a maroon and the care I would normally have for your feelings is trumped by that fact, prohibiting me from exhibiting the sympathy I might otherwise feel for your poor MAROON ass.

          The gentleman who spoke for the residents of 71 Baxter Street gave it a try, as any gentleman in his circumstances would have to. After the rude reply he received, he should have called the police. And under no circumstances would I recommend he take any direct action until that route had been played out to whatever effect it might have.

          Do you really think there is any sort of recognizable symmetry here? I am sending a signal to the server which consists of several parts. The logic of the server requires a value for the type of post, and I give it the value which results in the behaviour I find least objectionable, for objective and easily verifiable reasons.

          And in response to all of this, sometime later, the server then sends your browser a signal.

          And in response to that signal, your browser renders the HTML (which is actually generated by the server, you understand? no matter what post mode I choose) and it's choosing a font you don't like.

          FSCKING CHANGE YOUR FONT? Why is this hard to understand? Why do I have so many trolls that appear so sincere but really have a problem with this?

          I DO NOT CONTROL YOUR FONTS! YOU CONTROL YOUR FONTS, YOU CONTROL YOUR COMPUTER! OR YOU SHOULD! IF YOU DON'T THAT'S NOT MY FAULT!

          I am seriously sick to death of computer illiterates infesting tech sites. You sound like a nice person, and I really don't want to antagonize you, but you don't have a clue what you're talking about, you're about 5% north of the folks that don't know the difference between a browser and a webpage, and you're not paying my salary so I don't have to be nice to you.

          And I'll just leave it there.

          --
          If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
    • (Score: 3, Touché) by Justin Case on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:42PM (1 child)

      by Justin Case (4239) on Saturday August 26 2017, @03:42PM (#559469) Journal

      your posts appear in a monospace font and that it's very annoying

      I gave you a disagree because some people prefer monospace.

      What is needed is some kind of software that lets the person viewing something adjust it to their preferences instead of giving control to the author to force things the viewer doesn't want.

      Oh, wait, that already exists. It's called a browser.

      • (Score: 4, Touché) by tfried on Saturday August 26 2017, @08:37PM

        by tfried (5534) on Saturday August 26 2017, @08:37PM (#559578)

        Umm, yeah. And I want my browser to show all posts alike, unless they are actually marked up different for a reason. I don't want everything in monospaced, I don't want everything in variable spaced. I expect the author not to lie about the nature of their post (are Arik's posts code?), so my browser an I can make a reasonable choice on the appearance.

    • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Monday August 28 2017, @12:20PM

      by urza9814 (3954) on Monday August 28 2017, @12:20PM (#560185) Journal

      Dude...If you don't wanna read it just adjust your settings so you don't see his comments. Personally, I don't understand what the hell you're going on about. What, do you never use a terminal? Never write code? I frankly don't see how you're getting through the modern world if you're THIS annoyed by monospace fonts. They're not exactly uncommon...in fact, now that I think about it, that's how most of my text editors are configured -- not because I've set them that way, but just because that's the default. A lot of people do prefer it.

  • (Score: 4, Touché) by rigrig on Saturday August 26 2017, @02:01PM

    by rigrig (5129) Subscriber Badge <soylentnews@tubul.net> on Saturday August 26 2017, @02:01PM (#559436) Homepage

    Thanks for explaining.
    I was a bit worried it was something on my end messing up posted text, but I'll just scroll past the blocks of code from now on.

    --
    No one remembers the singer.