Subj : Re: newspaper was: moving or To : Barry Martin From : Nancy Backus Date : Sat Jul 04 2020 17:57:52 -=> Quoting Barry Martin to Nancy Backus on 26-Jun-2020 15:53 <=- BM>>> Never know! The (say) five-second timing may have been configured a BM>>> couple of decades ago based on some now-unknown factor and just became BM>>> a de facto standard. NB>>> And it might have been totally arbitrary, yet still became de facto NB>>> standard.... ;) BM>> True, though I'm thinking maybe that programmer may have had a slight BM>> mean streak: set to give enough time to glance through when you know BM>> what you're looking for, not enough time when you don't. NB>> Nah.... More likely, he figured he'd given more than enough time... NB>> maybe even twice how long he'd needed... ;) Not a clue what newbies NB>> would need... ;) BM> And one of the problems with manuals and menus is the person/s BM> creating them already know the answers! Like "of course the shut down BM> the computer it's under 'Start'! Exactly... Another good reason as far I am concerned to stay with the known and not be quick to upgrade or change.... in Dos, the most I need do (and that isn't even critical) is to logoff before I turn off the switch... nothing that the computer needs do to shut down cleanly.... BM>>>> Good question. Haven't moved, haven't had a long power outage or need BM>>>> to unplug a TV for a long time; no one has mentioned it after they BM>>>> moved. NB>>>> Just a curiosity... not that I've needed it either... ;) BM>>> Right -- to me seems almost odd: you don't know the antenna 'wire' BM>>> goes in the 'Antenna' connection? May as well also add "righty-tighty BM>>> lefty-loosey"! NB>>> Some people would need the help... hard enough to figure out where NB>>> the power key is on some things... ;) And sometimes things aren't NB>>> marked clearly, either by word or by symbol... BM>> "On/Off", "1,0", that symbol with the O with the hole at the top and BM>> the line coming in from the top. Or as in the case with my monitor BM>> none of the buttons are identified yet only one turns it on. NB>> My point exactly... "On/off" is the only one that should be obvious to NB>> anyone... and even that confuses some... ;) BM> See my 'stop under start'?! Well, yeah... that's Windows, and Windows is confusing by definition.. NB>>>> It might have been e[X]pert.... ;) BM>>> That could be a problem!! NB>>> Wouldn't be a problem if hot keys were enabled (or standard) and NB>>> all you had to do was type 'x' to toggle the expert mode... :) BM>> IIRC BBS menus to just have the user type 'x' to enter expert mode; BM>> the trick is to get out! NB>> I think it was a toggle (worked either direction) on the one bbs I NB>> was thinking about... but it could well be different from one software NB>> to another.... BM> IMO ideally would be a toggle: the user could simply hit the same key BM> to undo the action. ...So if you ever come across "BarryMail" or BM> BarryReader" you'll know exactly what to do! (Send a nastygram 'cause BM> that's the only part that works right!!!) Fortunately there are other working softwares out there already... ;) BM>>> And the eaglets have grown! ...Was kind of funny: had checked in on BM>>> them the other day; storm was approaching. The two eaglets were BM>>> alone, standing together facing 'left' and sort of had the look like BM>>> they were saying "Mom?! Dad?! Where are you?" NB>>> They'll be flying off on their own soon... BM>> Soon! Just checked and one was looking around contemplating what to BM>> do with his (or maybe it was the her) life. NB>> Totally unaffected by a world in crisis over a pandemic... BM> Which is a nice distraction for the rest of us! LIS I'm not paranoid BM> but concerned. Yup... Not paranoid either... just a bit more cautious than usual... BM> Oh, reminds me: half-heard on the news New York, New Jersey and BM> California were considering a quarantine period for visitors to the BM> states? I think the third state was Connecticut, actually.... BM> I'm not in disagreement as it would help to reduce spreading BM> of the coronavirus, just seeing how it could be enforced. EU yes: each BM> country is sort of like a U.S. state but independent so can make their BM> own regulations. U.S. states are independent but united; no border BM> stations. (Sloppy phrasings.) Yeah... I'm not sure how it's supposed to be enforced, either... Maybe just the threat of needing to be quarantined for 2 weeks is meant to deter thoughts of coming yet... Or it's expected to be voluntarily followed.... I know a friend of mine from the Pond was saying that she'd not be able to come to the annual meeting since her daughter was flying in from San Diego the day before and needed to quarantine for two weeks... and maybe the officials at the airports can enforce it...? NB>>> could have a comparison program to look at strings and compare to what NB>>> they should be, I suppose, but that's not really a spell checker... ;) BM>> Agree not really words but a sequence of letters, the same as a BM>> specific sequence of letters makes up a word. I would suppose the BM>> spell checker would check for the sequencing, the same as it does for a BM>> written word. NB>> As I understand it, though, it's a lot more complicated than NB>> sequencing words... would require maybe as much programming work as it NB>> would be to just look at the sequencing oneself... BM> Quite probably. Maybe run through the spell checker for a quick BM> check, though I can see holes in that too: "but it wasn't supposed to BM> be that sequence in that position." Knowing how unreliable spell checkers are anyway, I just don't think it all that feasible an idea.... ;) ttyl neb .... I am extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end. --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452) .