Forums and Facebook

[viking272]

I never had a Facebook account so can't relate but this does resonate with me about corporations and our data.
Thanks Chris and the team for all your efforts here :D

[exxos]

Indeed similar topics (maybe in passing even) have mentioned that Facebook is a terrible place to store information. I think people flood to FB as it's convenient for them. But information soon gets lost. Doesn't exactly have a search feature. Don't think it gets archived on archive.org etc. When I was on the groups it was the same questions over and over again every couple of weeks. Was just like groundhog day. Plus FB can ban groups whenever they feel like it, then what ?

I left most forums / groups etc now. In fact my presence anywhere on the Internet is basically limited to this forum now. Each time I go on another group, it just ends up in a disaster in one respect or another. I just don't bother any more. FB is just a place to abuse other people and to repost cat-memes 100s of times a day. Beyond that, FB is pointless IMO.

I think I mentioned a few weeks ago I left other groups even local community groups for our town etc. people were posting they have lost their cat has anyone seen it etc, then it was just constant sarcastic comments like " was careless of you to lose him". Then like 100+ posts of the same. FB just seems to be a cesspit of humanity in a lot of cases. In fact a lot of other forums are the same. I have ranted about those as well.

Overall if people want to contribute to a community, then they do it on forums like this one. As soon as people get help on FB but information is basically lost and does not help anyone else whatsoever. Just lazy and selfish of people IMHO to be like that. Actually the same problem why some of us don't reply to PM's anymore. Again it becomes groundhog day where it is only helping that one person and the information is lost and never helps anyone else. This is why forums exist.

I took down most of my YouTube videos last week. Mostly because they don't get any views and a lot of videos are linked to posts on the forum which are meaningless just as a video on my channel. But even that is like Groundhog Day with people. I don't think people are generally abusive but my videos get very little views or comments anyway. But like one soldering video I posted I did with solder paste one night and use too much paste but I did not care it was just for fun. Then someone commented about it being the first time I have done SMT soldering as I used way too much paste.. It is not the comment exactly which annoyed me, the fact that the guy did not even read the info on the video which basically said exactly what he said anyway, in that I use too much paste. It is like Groundhog Day again where people really don't read or understand what they are replying to. Just ends up being more pointless comments.

I want this forum to be a family friendly place. May not be perfect, but we all try our best to not let it turn into a huge pointless hate speeches all over the place. Sadly the Internet has just turned into a cesspit of humanity along with most of the groups out there, whatever form they may take.

EDIT:

I think as well most of us are "old guys" who remember when things were fun and people helped each other. Maybe these days, the "people of today" it's just normal to throw abuse about regardless of the topic. To "them" its normal , but to "us" it's terrible.

It is also possible people of today don't even know what forums are. Likely if they want to know anything they just go to Facebook and find a group. Is just how it is done these days. Similar if you want to buy anything on the Internet, you go on evilbay. Looking classified on forums is probably a lost art for people today.

[sporniket]

It is not the comment exactly which annoyed me, the fact that the guy did not even read the info on the video which basically said exactly what he said anyway, in that I use too much paste.

To be fair, youtube tries its hardest to make people NOT read the info on a video (text hidden, unhide button very discreet, emphasize on what other video you should zap to). Most of the time, I unhide the details only to get a link (to a product, github repository or a reference, generally mentioned in passing on the video).

[exxos]

To be fair, youtube tries its hardest to make people NOT read the info on a video (text hidden, unhide button very discreet, emphasize on what other video you should zap to). Most of the time, I unhide the details only to get a link (to a product, github repository or a reference, generally mentioned in passing on the video).

Yep, know what you mean. YT on mobile is terrible for getting anywhere. I can't seem to use the seek bar anymore. Girlfriend getting annoyed with it as well. The sound was muted on one video and the icon never came up. Things are just becoming less functional as time goes on :roll: Anyway, people should still read the info to what the video is actually about before posting stuff. We are just in the "see something - comment age" unfortunately.

Like you say YT is not helping and its really just another reason why I give up with the thing. I really don't see the use in hiding stuff all the time. My pet-hate for sites in general. Just always seem to take more and more clicks to get anywhere or spend ages looking for something. Like most things Google related, look for recent guides on how to do things and find things and then the webpages look nothing like the guide pages anyway. So does not help at all. Really can't be bothered with it all anymore.

[mikro]

Overall if people want to contribute to a community, then they do it on forums like this one. As soon as people get help on FB but information is basically lost and does not help anyone else whatsoever. Just lazy and selfish of people IMHO to be like that.

This. So far I still read Falcon 030 User group but it's getting worse and worse... A 1000th picture of someone acquiring a Falcon.... 1000th comments "I wish I could afford one"... and then it begins... what is NVDI? Why CT60 doesn't use 030 FPU? My Falcon doesn't need clockpatch, it works great!!!!11!!!1!!! PSU recap is pointless! How do I install clock patch? What is clock patch?

Over and over again, I mean, just one google attempt would answer 90% of those question. I remember times when I was full of joy to see a new member of Atari community, these days... I literally pray that the guy isn't a total moron. Sometimes I go as far as blocking such people, I can't look at those stupid questions again and again.

[exxos]

This. So far I still read Falcon 030 User group but it's getting worse and worse... A 1000th picture of someone acquiring a Falcon.... 1000th comments "I wish I could afford one"... and then it begins... what is NVDI? Why CT60 doesn't use 030 FPU? My Falcon doesn't need clockpatch, it works great!!!!11!!!1!!! PSU recap is pointless! How do I install clock patch? What is clock patch?

+1

Yeah Falcon gets to desktop. PSU OK - clock patch not needed etc. Then 100 others will agree and it becomes the "new accepted norm". Then when I say NO! I get flamed etc It is why I have in my signature "Just because a lot of people agree on something does not make it a fact". I have had the same thing happen for almost 30 years now. In just about every group I have been on. I just don't bother anymore.

Over and over again, I mean, just one google attempt would answer 90% of those question. I remember times when I was full of joy to see a new member of Atari community, these days... I literally pray that the guy isn't a total moron. Sometimes I go as far as blocking such people, I can't look at those stupid questions again and again.

Exactly :( A few of us here constantly say to each other that people always expect "the silver bullet fix" and want answers handing to them. Using a search engine is becoming a lost art. A bit like common sense, patience, common courtesy....

I think the last time I looked at a post on Facebook was a guy on ST-FANS ( I think it is the only group I am still registered with, basically because I am a moderator there anyway) who fitted my memory upgrade and skip the step of disabling the old ram. So basically running the the old and new RAM in parallel. But it worked fine so he's going to leave it that way. :roll:

In relation to people not reading things. I see it all the time and people by certain things in my web store. I tell people they need to buy the socket for the Falcon RTC.. half the people don't.. And people buying RAM upgrades and don't buy a cable with it. I used to email people asking if they forgot it but then changing orders all the time , emailing and waiting around, I just gave up doing that in the end. Just another thing which was turning into a full-time job.. All because people don't actually read what they are buying :roll:

My girlfriend is pretty much pi$$ed off all the time with orders because a lot of the people miss parts of their address or duplicate parts and she has to spend time googling where they actually live to complete the address. She constantly says " how can people not know where they live?!". I think auto complete in browsers is not helping matters but people do not even check their address before completing their order. Each time I try and put error checking in for this they come with more and more elaborate ways of breaking things. :roll:

[dml]

I don't have the patience to deal with FB-hosted material. Don't have an account, happy not to deal with it. Occasionally sent links/references to FB stuff - but in all these years have not made it past the welcome/agreement/login nonsense (sorry!).

It seems as if we've taken the sum total of all scientific achievements (including free and open communication) and left it all in the hands of a few corporations to decide what's ok and what isn't ok - and we're all fine with that going forward. Achievement unlocked, I suppose!

[exxos]

I don't have the patience to deal with FB-hosted material. Don't have an account, happy not to deal with it. Occasionally sent links/references to FB stuff - but in all these years have not made it past the welcome/agreement/login nonsense (sorry!).

IMHO you're better off just not dealing with FB. I sometimes get sent links but cannot view the content either.

It seems as if we've taken the sum total of all scientific achievements (including free and open communication) and left it all in the hands of a few corporations to decide what's ok and what isn't ok - and we're all fine with that going forward. Achievement unlocked, I suppose!

Exactly. It all backs onto the whole "right to repair" things as well. Our generation know this is all wrong and we know how things used to be. But people today will probably never dream of changing their own tyre on their car. Take it to a garage and get charged £500 for it. Is just the accepted norm.

I think this could possibly be the problem of when people try fixing these old computers, they have no idea and they are just in the "fix it for me age". Fault diagnostics and soldering I think are going to become a lost art soon.

Ironically I did see a meme the other day which I thought was rather good.

1.jpg

Tells the story of how people don't appreciate skills anymore.

EDIT:

Made myself chuckle. Imagine if soldering did totally die out and the general public had no clue about it for some years. Then one day some idiot on youtube will do a video saying they brought a thing called a "soldering iron" managed to fix a dry joint which fixed a common fault on some equipment. Then the Internet will explode with this new marvellous method. The guy who did the video will probably become a millionaire because of all the views on it. Then the miraculous soldering iron will probably appear on many " forgotten technology" websites :lol: :roll:

[dml]

Our generation know this is all wrong and we know how things used to be. But people today will probably never dream of changing their own tyre on their car. Take it to a garage and get charged £500 for it. Is just the accepted norm.

Oh don't start me on that!

I'd rather buy some faulty old gear on ebay and try to fix it, versus buying (err - i mean renting) something new that needs to log in somewhere to continue working, for about a year if we're lucky. Still can't get my head around that part.

Can't stand web-based apps requiring logins or worse - standalone apps requiring logins - anything requiring logins to run! Nope. Dead in a year, or bought out and features limited until you 'upgrade' your subscription. Fusion360 anyone?

I still have CircuitMaker2000 in a zip somewhere :)

I think this could possibly be the problem of when people try fixing these old computers, they have no idea and they are just in the "fix it for me age". Full diagnostics and soldering I think are going to become a lost art soon.

I took radios and TVs apart when I was a kid. Not much equivalent these days to learn from, except Arduinos, RPIs and so on. Which are pretty narrow from an electronics point of view. It's mostly digital lego, except for power supplies (not an ideal startpoint for the curious). They're not going to get far digging into a PS5 or their mobile phone to learn about stuff. So the techie types will mostly end up in the software side with not much clue about repairing anything.

Ironically I did see a meme the other day which I thought was rather good.

This is true, but it is mostly meaningless for those who have not invested years gaining experience in something. If it happened quickly it must have been easy.

I think it's always worth having a go - trying to do stuff yourself, even if it turns out that you're bad at it. Gives you perspective on who you need to find and what it's worth.

[exxos]

Our generation know this is all wrong and we know how things used to be. But people today will probably never dream of changing their own tyre on their car. Take it to a garage and get charged £500 for it. Is just the accepted norm.

Oh don't start me on that!

:lol:

Can't stand web-based apps requiring logins or worse - standalone apps requiring logins - anything requiring logins to run! Nope. Dead in a year, or bought out and features limited until you 'upgrade' your subscription. Fusion360 anyone?

Yeah know what you mean. I'm sick to death of having to register on every site I use. It is why I don't force people to register to buy stuff from my store. But if they are registered with the forum it does make their life easier to gain access to their tracking information and order history. If they don't care about it then well their choice.

I think the way things are going unless you have a smart phone and want to run a million barely functional apps on it, then you cannot even use your own washing machine any more.

I took radios and TVs apart when I was a kid. Not much equivalent these days to learn from, except Arduinos, RPIs and so on. Which are pretty narrow from an electronics point of view. It's mostly digital lego, except for power supplies (not an ideal startpoint for the curious). They're not going to get far digging into a PS5 or their mobile phone to learn about stuff. So the techie types will mostly end up in the software side with not much clue about repairing anything.

Totally agree with you there. Everyone is becoming a software developer. Very few people seem to be able to do hardware side of things anymore. Everyone literally just buys the raspberry Pi. Similar conversations have cropped up in the past. Like you need a 3GB install and a pi to flash a LED.. Well just use a 555 timer.. You don't have to install a Linux framework on it for starters.

A long long time ago I was talking to a engineer at JCB. Won't say too much because I don't want to get sued :lol: But they had a problem with the gearboxes on the diggers or something. He was showing me the lengths they went to software wise to diagnose and solve the problem. I asked them what board they are using. Basically it was a " off-the-shelf piece of crap from China". Considering they were switching high-power solenoids and a crappy thing from China.. I don't think they ever considered "mosfet latch up" . I seriously doubt that board was capable of dealing with all the back-EMF from the coils. But the guide is downright said " it's not the board"... okayyyyyyy then . Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but the fact they never even considered the board to be a problem was just frankly shocking. You fix such issue to raise decent size power rails and fast high-power diodes. These are not things you can't really fixing software.

This is true, but it is mostly meaningless for those who have not invested years gaining experience in something. If it happened quickly it must have been easy.

I think it's always worth having a go - trying to do stuff yourself, even if it turns out that you're bad at it. Gives you perspective on who you need to find and what it's worth.

Absolutely. I have killed plenty of stuff over the years :lol: :roll: