Janet's Undead Thread v3.0

Comments

[Janet Cupo]

This is an interesting thread.

[Mac]

You're trying to start another undead thread!

[antiaphrodite]

Now this may hold some promise of controversy.

[Mac]

You'll notice that some of the old links list has appeared. The way TypePad does this requires that I do them one at a time, and I only got started last night (spent most of the time figuring out how).

This empty post, btw, is a side effect of the import process, which I forgot to delete until Janet had already happened upon it. You'll notice the archive is now several months longer. This is a very tiresome process--takes twenty minutes or so to move a couple of months' worth of posts.

[antiaphrodite]

I never thought importing posts/links was such a hassle. My continued prayers, Sir.

[Janet Cupo]

I just thought that you were making a profound comment of the vapidity of one particular moment of time (March 17, 2010, 9:15:15), and I was impressed by your ability to convey your message without using a single word.

AMDG

[Mac]

Yeah, I was thinking on the way to work that I ought to use this style of writing more often.

[Mac]

The import process itself, strictly speaking, is not time-consuming. It's getting ready for it that takes a while. TypePad can only import what's on Blogger's front page, and Blogger will only display up to 1mb of data on its front page. Depending on the number and length of posts, amount of graphics, etc. that seems to be running about 8-10 weeks worth of posts. So I have to import, note the last post imported, log in to Blogger, delete all the posts that were included in the last import, then import. The time-consuming part is the deletion--there's no way to delete multiple posts, and deleting each one takes four or five mouse clicks, and possibly some scrolling (when the post is long, because the "do you really want to.." button is at the bottom). Adds up when you have 50 posts to delete.

I'm not deleting from lightondarkwater.com, btw, but from lightondarkwater.blogspot.com, which in the normal run of things nobody saw.

[Paul]

Just checked lightondarkwater.blogspot.com. Not the easiest thing to read.

[Mac]

Nope, it's not supposed to be at this point. Normally it would look exactly like lightondarkwater.com/blog, which was a copy of lightondarkwater.blogspot.com anyway until Blogger turned off my ability to perform that copy operation, thus precipitating the hurried move here, but TypePad's import process requires changing the Blogger blog to a skeletal template which results in a simple document it can import.

Since you asked...:-)

[Mac]

We now have a new undead thread. It's not really an orphan thread, comments without a post, like the other two, just an empty post with comments. It's appropriate because once again Janet happened to be there when it appeared (it's a side effect, presumably an error, of the Blogger import process). I couldn't figure out a good way to get any kind of indicator of new comments present on the old Halo/Echo thread, and it occurred to me that this would do the job.

So have at it....

[Janet Cupo]

Oh happy day!

AMDG

[Robert Gotcher]

Now that I know what these things are for, I'm going to join in.

I'm not quick enough to be the first anything. Or to notice things like empty posts.

Well, many of my own posts are kind of empty, but that's a different matter.

[Robert Gotcher]

By the way, Mac, did you know that when you click on "Home" at the top of the page, it gives you an error message?

[Janet Cupo]

You did it wrong, Robert. When you click on the button, you have to click your heels three times and say, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

AMDG

[Mac]

Thanks, Robert, I didn't know that. I know what's causing it but I don't know if I can fix it.

[Mac]

I mean, in a more straightforward way than the heel-clicking method.

[Janet Cupo]

"I know what's causing it but I don't know if I can fix it." It's the flying monkeys, isn't it?

AMDG

[Mac]

Was. They're vanquished now.

[Robert Gotcher]

Dang. And I was practicing the heel clicking. Now it isn't necessary.

[Janet Cupo]

You never know when a little heel clicking might come in handy. And while you're waiting, you better get yourself some ruby slippers.

AMDG

[Robert Gotcher]

How do you know I don't have some?

[Janet Cupo]

Please send a picture.

AMDG

[Mac]

:-)

[Robert Gotcher]

They are invisible.

[Mac]

:-) :-)

[Janet Cupo]

Well, I know you have a lot of work to do on the blog, but at least it seems to be functioning well.

AMDG

[Janet Cupo]

We're going to have to get used to this "next" thing, though.

AMDG

[Mac]

Maybe I should switch the comment order to be most-recent-first? I know that option is available but it's probably all or none. It would be nice to have these threads m-r-f, but most of the time the post comments are better in most-recent-last order. Though if they get very long that won't be true.

I do still plan to change the appearance somewhat but haven't had time to mess with it for a couple of weeks.

[Janet Cupo]

It would be really nice if you could only have this one m-r-f, but I guess TypePad just didn't foresee undead threads. :-)

I like all the threads in that order, but I think I'm in a distinct minority. You're right, though, any long thread is going to have this moving-to-the-next-screen issue.

AMDG

[Janet Cupo]

Anyway, I think my main point was, the blog currently feels homey enough that I don't feel dispossessed anymore.

AMDG

[Mac]

That's good. It's not quite there for me yet, but a lot better than it was at first.

[Robert Gotcher]

I wish the font for "Light On Dark Water" were different. Something more, I don't know, seraffy? More archaic?

[Mac]

Yeah, I'm not crazy about that, though maybe for slightly different reasons. Departing very far from a few standard fonts on the web is a treacherous business. Might need a graphic instead. Actually I want to do a graphic banner with a photo, but haven't had a chance to experiment yet.

[Robert Gotcher]

Mac, I sent an e-mail to your gmail account. I can't remember whether you said you read that account very often.

[Mac]

Yes, that's my main email acct, and I just saw and replied to your message. Thanks.

[Mac]

Today's xkcd is funny.

[Mac]

I just switched the comment order to descending. I'm not sure this is any better, as you still have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to make a new comment. I can put more comments per page, to lessen the need for 'next/previous', but then it's more scrolling.

[Janet Cupo]

I think that must have been Becca flying back from VA.

AMDG

[Mac]

Becca must be a very wonderful girl.

[Janet Cupo]

The wonders never cease!
AMDG

[Janet Cupo]

I just noticed how far back the archives go. Looks like some progress.

AMDG

[francesca]

Does anyone have a clue how I could open a bank account in the USA? I tried googling, eg, 'bank Southbend' but the kind of banks that came up didn't seem to be the sort that give you a cheque book and a maestro card. I need to give Dan a dollar cheque and I am moving to Southbend in the autumn, so it seemed like a good idea to open a bank account there.

[Janet Cupo]

South Bend, IN? Are you going to teach at Notre Dame?

AMDG

[francesca]

I tried googling 'Southbend Indiana' and then I did get some normal 'cheque book and maestro' card banks. Then I went to the 'contact us' page and tried filling in a combox with a request to open an account. But I couldn't fill in all the fields - eg, the number of 'digits' in our postcodes isn't the same as the number in your zipcodes. And so it wouldn't post the email.

[Mac]

"...normal 'cheque book and maestro' card..."

There's your problem. We don't have cheques here. Or maestro cards, either. :-)

No, seriously, I don't know what to tell you. I'm sure this would all be quite simple (well, more simple) if you could just walk in. If you want to email me maybe I can somehow facilitate this deal with DN. (A check for a dollar?!?)

[Mac]

Re the archives: yes, I do another chunk every few days or so. I'm somewhat frustrated by how much there is to do--not only the actual old blog, but a lot of non-blog stuff at the old address. For instance, the 1st two years or so of SNJs were not blog posts. Turning them into blog posts was one of the things I never did last year during the SNJ hiatus. I'm trying to just keep plodding and do one thing at a time.

[francesca]

I have taken down some telephone numbers of American banks. I am going to call them. It may be easy for me to open an account. If I succeed, then it will be easy to buy the icon from Dan. It should be easy anyhow.

[francesca]

I phoned some banks and it was impossible to start a bank account over the phone or by email. So I gave up and I'm sending the money by Western Union.

[Robert Gotcher]

Francesca,
Did you answer Mac's question? If you are teaching at Notre Dame, I have two sons there. Also, I applied for the same job!