2021

Status Notices / Scheduled maintenance, 2014-09-20

« on: September 13, 2014, 08:18:30 AM »

The forum, wiki and IRC will be going offline for about five minutes on 2014-09-20, between 07:00 and 07:15 UTC.

For convenience, this means:

EDT (USA east coast):
2014-09-20, 03:00-03:15

BST (UK):
2014-09-20, 08:00-08:15

AEST (Australia east coast):
2014-09-20, 17:00-17:15


The intent is to install security updates on the server which hosts the forum, wiki and IRC. These will be non-disruptive to functionality, as the server is running a stable OS release that gets critical fixes only.

2022

Technology & Information / Re: Getting a new smartphone

« on: September 10, 2014, 01:18:04 AM »

Yep, picked up a Oneplus One for $460 AUD. Tech specs better than most everything on the market while still maintaining comparable battery life to the S5, comes with CM11 and 64GB on board data. Hopefully it holds up better than my shitty S4 did.

That looks neat. I haven't been able to install CyanogenMod on my One M8 because adb doesn't work properly on Linux. I can't even get to the point of unlocking the bootloader. I may buy one of these instead.

2023

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: Not letting me post something ...

« on: September 01, 2014, 06:03:09 PM »

Thanks for letting us know. That specific sentence is unlikely to be relevant; there's nothing at all in our setup that would reject posts based on their content.

If you can post the exact error message, I can try and investigate further.

2024

Arts & Entertainment / Re: The Elder Scrolls Online/General Elder Scrolls Discussion

« on: August 18, 2014, 04:45:23 PM »

Vivec is not a fan of the Elder Scrolls series.

Do you have any evidence for this?

2025

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: On the notion of FES reunification

« on: August 15, 2014, 03:14:37 AM »

I'm not suggesting the society do anything with the database at all. Only that it is deemed their property. Not Daniel's. Not PP's. Not Parsifal's. The content was generated by the society, it should belong to the society.

All this Lord Dave bollocks about hosting and maintenance is nonsense. The IP should belong to the society.

What do you mean by "own" it? It's not possible to own a database, and the only IP law I'm aware of which could possibly apply to a forum database is copyright law. Since (in most jurisdictions) authors have automatic copyright over their work, we would need to get everyone to agree to hand copyright for their posts over to some legal entity, which would need to be valid in the USA (where the primary copy of the forum database is stored) and Australia (where the backups are stored).

Even assuming you did all that, what are you going to do to enforce it? Take me or Daniel to court if things don't go the way you like? Seriously, Thork?

2026

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: I am facing unfair persecution in FES

« on: August 10, 2014, 11:51:12 AM »

EJ, I'd like to see you be able to contribute as much as you want to, but it's difficult to make a case for your posts being worthwhile when every one of them seems to ramble at length without discussing the thread's subject. Most of them (as in the one you've just linked) also contain unfounded strings of insults, which is hardly the sort of civil discussion we'd like to see in the upper fora.

Try to keep your tone civil and your posts on topic, and I'll stick up for you when that happens. But I can't defend your case when you're posting like you do now.

2027

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: update the home page

« on: August 07, 2014, 02:51:31 AM »

I would be happy to update the home page if someone wants to write something for it. At the moment, I have neither the idea nor the time for a new post.

2028

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: FES Constitution, Second Draft

« on: August 07, 2014, 12:21:59 AM »

But what does the council have to do with it?

You're writing a Constitution for the Council, aren't you?

2029

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars?

« on: August 06, 2014, 06:14:39 AM »

The Trek universe is mostly ruled by good guys, while the Wars universe is mostly ruled by bad guys. Everyone knows the good guys always win, so it'd be Trek by a landslide.

2030

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Frank Zappa 1984 tour 30th anniversary extravaganza

« on: August 06, 2014, 06:11:20 AM »

My earphones broke, which makes it kind of hard to keep this up. I may pick it up again (albeit with some skipped shows) soon.

2031

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: FES Constitution, Second Draft

« on: August 06, 2014, 05:09:15 AM »

I feel like the owner is automatically gonna be an administrator, though. Should we just give the power to other admins then?

It has never been the mandate of the Zetetic Council to oversee or manage the operations of the forum at all. The original purpose for its existence was to run the Society independently of the forum. I don't see that it has the authority to give that power to anyone.

2032

Technology & Information / Re: Getting a new smartphone

« on: August 05, 2014, 01:40:02 AM »

I have an HTC One M8. It's decent, except that I can't install a custom OS on it due to adb being broken on Linux. That's not really a fault with the phone, though.

2033

Technology & Information / Re: Adding an email account to messaging apps

« on: July 30, 2014, 01:33:08 AM »

The fact that it had its chance. If you were talking about some new potential standard then you might have a point. We aren't talking about a new standard though. We are talking about an attempt at a standard that the world said bye bye to.

Yes, we've established that. Do you know what a logical connection is?

2034

Technology & Information / Re: Adding an email account to messaging apps

« on: July 30, 2014, 01:24:37 AM »

I know what a standard is. If a messaging standard ever comes about it won't be xmpp. Not because it isn't any good but because we tried it, it had its chance and it failed. People are not adopting it, its numbers are dwindling. What you consider good won't ever be much without people using it. You sort of need people to use it for it to be worth anything.

What is the logical connection between "we tried it and it failed" and "it won't become a standard"?

2035

Technology & Information / Re: Adding an email account to messaging apps

« on: July 30, 2014, 01:10:59 AM »

Well it doesn't sound like we are having the same conversation then. It'd be nice if there was a standard, you may wish all you want.

I think we are, you just seem to assume that standards come about because someone, somewhere decides that there shall be a standard. No, standards come about because people use them, and the best way to improve the adoption of a standard is to adopt that standard.

You can wish for one thing and do something that achieves the polar opposite if you like. Meanwhile, I will use the things that I think are good.

2036

Technology & Information / Re: Adding an email account to messaging apps

« on: July 30, 2014, 01:00:01 AM »

Yes, I'm well aware that XMPP isn't widely accepted as a standard. That's irrelevant to my claim that it would be a far better standard than anything we have currently. Pointing out that specific apps which implement XMPP aren't popular is missing the point.

2037

Technology & Information / Re: Adding an email account to messaging apps

« on: July 30, 2014, 12:25:14 AM »

Hangouts is on iPhone and Android and you can use it from any computer. It also has hangout video chats which allows up to 10 people to all be videochatting at the same time. The videochat functionality uses Web RTC too which means that nobody has to install any software for it to work.

So, in what way is it a more appropriate text messaging platform than XMPP?

All the services that were plugging into it have been slowly ditching it for years. I mean, you can use what you want. It's not like I have any interest at all in participating in whatever it is you are doing. I'm just offering an opinion and I like hangouts because it is fast, reliable and easy to access. The video service is second to none and every hangout can be published into a YouTube video as well.

That doesn't answer pizaaplanet's question.

The messaging in general across the whole internet is getting annoying though. There are too many competing standards and stubborn users who think everyone else should be using the messaging app that they like. Myself included. It's only getting worse too.

Which XMPP solves, since it isn't a "messaging app", but a protocol that any app can implement.

Can you please answer the question now?

2038

Technology & Information / Re: Adding an email account to messaging apps

« on: July 30, 2014, 12:07:50 AM »

The messaging platform that everyone should be using is hangouts.

No, let's not lock ourselves into one vendor's proprietary solution.

2039

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: On the notion of FES reunification

« on: July 29, 2014, 01:03:21 PM »

Guys, please try to keep to the topic. Take it elsewhere if you want to ramble about Chinese proverbs.

I've also no idea why I have to be civil to someone who isn't a member here. Obama doesn't post here. Do I have to be polite about him too?

In S&C, yes, as per the forum rules (rule 1, and to a lesser extent, rules 3 and 6).

I don't know why you are puckering over forum comments?

I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that making personal attacks in S&C was up for discussion. Nobody is criticising you for expressing your opinions, and we've taken those into account. Unfortunately for you, most people don't share your view, and you're going to have to accept that instead of flying off the rails and making wildly inaccurate assertions.

If you want to make a counterpoint, then fine, but stay calm and be civil in the upper fora. Making personal attacks (whether directed at people who have registered here or not) doesn't lend your stance any credibility, nor does it do our public image any favours, either as an independent society or with a view to reunion.

2040

Suggestions & Concerns / Re: On the notion of FES reunification

« on: July 28, 2014, 12:47:47 PM »

Thork, I'm a patient man. Numerous times over the past seven months, I've argued in favour of letting misdemeanours on this forum slide when everyone else was calling for a ban. I firmly believe that self-moderation is the best form of moderation, and that everyone ultimately has good intentions, and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for that reason. Now you are trying even my patience.

The decisions we make now are going to shape the Flat Earth Society for years to come. Don't kid yourself into thinking that any of us underestimates the importance of making the right choice. That's why we've been careful to let everyone have a fair chance to speak their mind, something most web forums don't even pretend to do. The idea that reunification is mutually beneficial is the first thing we've seen eye to eye with the other camp on for years, and I won't let you or anyone else throw a spanner in the works.

I'm only going to say this once: When you post in this thread, you will be civil. Go and post whatever obscenities you want in Angry Ranting, and nobody will stop you. But if you make another post like that in this thread again, you will get to be one of the vanishingly small group of members we've issued bans to.