Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with internet

Where can I find a freeware macro recorder?

ptsampras14 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:47:42 -0800

Where can I find a freeware macro recorder (with smart recording ability)? I am looking for a freeware macro recorder, which I cannot seem to find. By recorder I mean no coding required. I already tried that and it was much too complex. With this recorder I also would like the feature to only record the mouse coordinates with key press which I think alot of programs refer to as "Smart Recording". Any help is appreciated.

Simplistic front end for Windows?

jorlando — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:16:17 -0800

Is there an ultra-simple and bullet proof front end for MS Windows thats suitable for elderly folks? My dad is 87 and uses his computer for very basic things like Skype, email, and limited web browsing. He's always messing up his desktop or losing icons because of uncoordinated and impatient mousing. Sometimes he opens applications by accident or gets confused by notifications and solicitations that pop up. He hasn't been scammed but probably is at risk no matter how much I warn him.

He lives alone so the computer is an important lifeline for him. I've been able to help somewhat by remoting with VNC but sometimes he kills his connection and cant get the computer online

I'd like to install some kind of Windows shell for him that enables only those features that he needs and isolates him from everything else. It will turn off drag and drop and the need to double-click anything. A one-button mouse would be good too.

It doesn't even need to be Windows based if it supports Skype and web browsing

Any ideas?

Thanks

Live sports on PC

paulyballs — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:50:10 -0800

What's the best way to watch live tv (sports mainly) on a PC? My gf's parents have a vacation cabin with only internet access and they want to be able to watch live sports while they are there. What's the best option. Her mother asked me about "Digital TV for PC" but I think it's a scam. They do have full cable at their main home so I was thinking of advising Slingbox. Anything else out there that won't require me installing hardware at their main home? Thanks!

Help me logon to my email!!

dmbfan93 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:37:19 -0800

Please help me fix an internet/computer problem....I keep getting the message "Invalid Security Certificate" when I try to logon to my email accounts. I'm trying to logon to both my gmail account and my msn account and this morning I get the message "google.com uses an invalid security certificate"? This is just occuring, I was able to login last night. Does this have anything to do with a windows update that installed on my computer last night?

I try to logon to my MSN account and the exact same thing is occuring. The following message I get:

# This could be a problem with the server's configuration, or it could be someone trying to impersonate the server.

# If you have connected to this server successfully in the past, the error may be temporary, and you can try again later.

Please help me fix this!

What website provides the infrastructure for taking investments on the startup of your internet business

jeffreyclong — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:43:35 -0800

What is the website that allows you to set a startup amount for a web -based project and allows people to invest in such a way that you won't start the business until you have sufficiently met your startup amount. I tried a bunch of google searches and couldn't come up with it. Hard to find the right keywords to search.

the difference it makes

four panels — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:29:22 -0800

Sort of looking for an Internet Radio Stream that plays kompakt pop/ambient kind of stuff. Thank you!

Online career change exercises wanted

reenum — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:22:57 -0800

Are there any websites or online resources for people considering a career change? I've been thinking of changing careers for a while, and after some recent events at the office, it's time to get up and start figuring some things out.

I'm going to get "What Color Is Your Parachute" and a few other recommended texts from other threads, but I'm wondering if there are any websites or other online resources (preferably free), that have exercises and other things I can use to try and evaluate what it is I truly want to do.

I have a lot of free time at work. For obvious reasons, I don't want to show up here with career change books.

Thanks!

Website to track previous travels?

reductiondesign — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:00:19 -0800

I'm looking for some sort of web service that will keep track of previous travels and do things like make a map with pinpoints of where I've been, where I've been in the past year, etc. Mapping out highways taken and the like would be even better. Sort of like Brightkite, but without the whole social networking thing. I don't care about planning future trips or booking flights or hotels. Does this even exist?

"What are you doing?" "I'm ending our friendship." NOOOOO!

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:34:59 -0800

Help! Can I salvage this friendship even after experiencing the searing pain of rejection? (CAUTION: lengthy beanplating)

Okay. About six months ago, I posted a smart, sassy personal ad under "strictly platonic" on the local Craigslist (not in the US) seeking someone to talk to, hang out with, with the intention of expanding my social circles and being introduced to someone else's social circle. It was w4m since most of my friends (maybe 90%) are girls and I don't have enough guy friends. Having never used CL before, I was surprised by the caliber of responses, mostly coming from interesting, articulate people, and ended up hanging out with someone who really did turn into a friend, and corresponded with a couple more who were local, but were currently assigned elsewhere for work.

Enter: The Man I Speak Of. Despite being an American in America and being over a decade older than me and never having made a friend over the Internet before, he replied to my ad. He had been to my city some years ago, and he worked in the airline industry and so could pretty much fly anywhere. Now, of course, being a MeFite and having been a nethead for 14 years, I am no stranger to online interactions with people from around the world, and upon the requisite Googlestalking, he seemed to be everything he said he was, so I thought, what the hey, why not? He wasn't the best speller, but he still seemed articulate, had a questioning mind, liked to think on his feet, an extrovert, was also interested in books and movies and music, and best of all, he was extremely funny and there was a certain je ne sais quoi in the way he wrote that just made his personality jump off the page. (I'm sure you can see where this is going.) Our highly enthusiastic e-mails escalated in frequency to daily, and eventually we also started chatting daily (with the occasional voice chat). At one point we were chatting twice a day for hours, despite the time differences: when I woke up and he was getting ready for bed, and when he woke up and I was getting ready for bed. We would even chat when he was traveling. If we couldn't chat, he would e-mail or leave an offline message, some little nugget for me to find. (Data point: he was on extended leave from work, and I was between jobs.) I can't even remember what we talked about, mostly getting-to-know-you stuff and common interests I suppose. He would jokingly censor himself when I complained that he ranted too much. We had a strange relationship. It was still strictly platonic on the surface, even somewhat paternal, but clearly we were getting very attached to each other. Eventually, we decided that this wasn't very healthy, and decided to cut back to chatting only once a day. The next time he traveled, he didn't bring his laptop. He started attending adult classes and working on a writing project, so he would have some accomplishments to show for when he comes back from his leave. Good, right?

Three months into it, I'm not sure how, our voice chat turned somewhat flirtatious when he complimented my voice and my laugh. I was flattered, and of course I really liked him, but I wasn't sure if I could put any stock into it, since we hadn't met. He had sent me his picture, but while he wasn't unattractive, I wasn't sure if I was attracted to it, or to him physically, so I kept myself in check. Then, maybe a week later, he started acting strange and distant. I didn't catch him online for days, and he didn't leave any notes. It seemed like he was avoiding me. So then I ask what's up, and he goes "What am I going to do with you?" Then he admited that he had a drinking problem, that he couldn't lie to me, that he had been thinking hard about it because he wanted to be more than friends, that he knew he could be very charming, but that he didn't want me to make any emotional investment in him without knowing this very huge thing and he was worried I would write him off.

Well, dear MeFites, I didn't write him off but I also didn't know how to handle the bomb he dropped. (I mean, up until this worldly older man, I had mostly been involved with geeky types, engineer types, and sensitive indie musician types.) I really, really, really liked him, but I told him that it was something I could handle if we were friends, but that it would definitely be a problem if we were to be more than friends. So, we stayed friends, and of his own volition, he started seeing a doctor and going to AA meetings. I tried to be very, very supportive and help him stay positive. He had previously kicked his smoking habit, I knew he could do it. The tenor of our conversations changed: deeper, more serious. We both expressed a desire to lighten up, but for some reason it would constantly tip towards the heavy end.

In spite of myself, I started to develop feelings for him. Rationally, I knew it wasn't a good idea, but I couldn't help feeling tender and affectionate after he showed such vulnerability. I started becoming uncomfortable with the nature of his friendship with an attractive married colleague he had a crush on, and even more uncomfortable that he vaguely implied having had "friends with benefits" and outright upset at the possibility of him jumping on an opportunity if it arose. Yet I didn't necessarily want to be "with" him and it felt unfair, I didn't own him. But I liked him a lot and felt very attached to him. He had asked me out to see a certain movie and he planned on coming to my city for a week, but that no longer seemed to be on the horizon (he said it would be December at the soonest) given all the things he wanted to do (lose weight, attend more classes, do the 90 meetings in 90 days in AA, complete the writing project), and so we chatted less and less.

And then the disaster happened. I won't give any details because I don't want to turn this into a pity party, but a major natural disaster ravaged the region, and we were pretty badly hit. I sought him out for comfort, and he in turn was supportive towards me. He seemed to really want to help, but realistically there was nothing I could ask him to do.

I lost my Internet, and we no longer chatted regularly. Then I learned to tether my mobile phone and logged on more, but he would no longer go online at the "regular" times, unless we set up a time to chat. But even when we set up a time to chat, and I would be late for a few minutes because I had trouble connecting or grabbed a bite before logging on, he would not wait for me like he used to, now that I didn't have a constant connection. One time, just to prove my hunch, I was online right on the dot and stayed invisible. He was late, stayed online for 3 minutes, and left without leaving an offline message or e-mail. I felt him growing cold. Maybe he lost interest. Maybe there was someone else. He did say there was a woman he liked who he wanted to be his sponsor, but according to AA rules it had to be another man. I asked him to tell me if something was up. He said the only thing that had changed was his schedule, that he couldn't keep up the same hours he used to, and that it would be the same if he went back to work.

A month after the disaster, I was grasping at straws, I couldn't stand it anymore. I wrote him a longish e-mail explaining why I was acting strange, that I felt that I was losing him, that I felt confused and may have feelings for him, that I missed him, and lighter times. I said that I had to lay low for a while, and maybe later on I would be back to my rational self and be happy for him and the new developments in his life. I told him he didn't have to reply. Well, he did reply and say that he could go online at 9:00am his time the next day. So I went online and waited. And waited. And waited. An hour later, he was still not online, so I fired off a line about how it was getting ridiculous. He e-mailed back and apologized for forgetting, noted that I seemed mad, and said that since I kept late hours, he thought he might still catch me. I said that it was just that after I had sent that embarrassing e-mail, going online to chat with him felt like having to face the firing squad, and that when he didn't show up, I felt like an idiot, but that I meant it that he didn't have to reply. (I partly wished he wouldn't, as I wanted it to be a swan song of sorts.) He sent a couple of e-mails a few days apart, pretending to work on a response, and when the actual "response" came (a one-word text file) I wondered if he was just dicking me around or if it was part of a running gag between us (him building up something which ends up being nothing, applied to jokes, anecdotes, faux documents). However, I was too sore about previous events that I didn't dignify it with a response until two weeks later, just one line. He asked me how a trip I took was. I replied with just information about the trip and nothing more. Since then, silence.

It hurts so much.

I know, I know, I know, it was a stupid thing to do and this only means he doesn't feel the same, and he has offered no reassurance. I can't seem to get it into my head that even though he once indicated he wanted to be more than friends, he no longer feels the same way.

I can't stop thinking about him. Why am I so attracted to his words? It feels like an addiction, and I'm experiencing withdrawal. But I know that even I got what I wanted, it would still be unhealthy, that continuing to chat with him would be an incredibly bad idea for both of us. I know I need to stay away. Yet I do still want to be friends with this man. I still value his insights and opinions, and I like him a lot as a person regardless of all that has happened.

How do I deal with my feelings for him?
How do I make it hurt less?
Most importantly, how can I save our friendship?

I am at the end of my rope. I don't know what to do.

What was the name of the service that provided you with a free 800 number and credit card processing?

thinktwice — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:17:47 -0800

What was the name of the service that provided you with a free 800 number and credit card processing? Their model was that they took a percentage of the credit card fees and you billed your customers through them. It was a very neat way to setup a small service business with almost no overhead. Are they still in business?

What's your favorite favorite?

A Terrible Llama — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:01:04 -0800

What's the best way to rate comments and why? I'm doing research into what is the best way to rate comments online. 'Best' being a) it is pleasing and appealing to the user and b) it encourages positive behavior.

Some sites show only positive votes (comment has 100 favorites').
Some sites show both positive and negative votes (100 thumbs up, 200 thumbs down)
Some sites show only the aggregate score (-100 points)

I'm interested in what people find appealing, why they find it appealing, and if there's any commonly-accepted thinking among those who design CMSs regarding which works best.

I can't stay logged in to any websites

peep — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:17:42 -0800

Suddenly today, I can't stay logged into anything - Google, Facebook, Metafilter, Twitter, Flickr, etc. I've run through a bunch of possibilities, but could the power cutting out last night have done something? I'm using Firefox, and I've already uninstalled and reinstalled it. Privacy settings allow cookies and I don't have it set to clear history when closing a window. And obviously I've tried many times to log into different sites, making sure I click "remember me." I've never had this problem before today. Last night the power went out for about 20 seconds and my computer shut down, but all was otherwise fine this morning. I've restarted and it's in regular (not safe) mode. Any ideas?

Websites for flow charts or concept maps?

tnygard — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:10:19 -0800

Is there a good website for making flow charts or concept maps or cognitive maps in groups? A group of my students and I will be making a website together, and I am hoping to find a free or low-cost way for all of us to make such a chart together online. This would be to show how all of the sections of the website relate to each other. Any thoughts or experiences with such services would be most appreciated.

Need recommendations on automated checkout and download

arniec — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:38:25 -0800

I need recommendations for a web host and software to allow people to purchase digital downloads using Paypal, etc. (think Rifftrax or eBooks, etc.) I want to have a web site where I can make electronic things available for purchase. Be it software packages, MP3 podcasts, or eBooks, I want to have an automated checkout and download system where people can pay and then immediately download the item they've paid for. Credit card purchasing is a must.

In my research I've come across DigiVendor Pro at http://www.idevspot.com/DigiVendorPro.php and the software is very cheap (in price), and security and reliability is a must for me so I'm not afraid to spend more if it means a more robust, secure solution.

Has anyone done this and can they recommend a good package for me?

(as an aside, I'm a programmer and web developer not afraid to get up to my elbows in code to implement or customize the solution. And yes I asked this question: http://ask.metafilter.com/120735/Need-a-store-thats-quick-and-cheap but this one is different as it's digital download automation, whereas the last one was shipping a physical product).

COPPA and non-US websites

lwb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:55:48 -0800

Is a site based outside of the US, that allows US under-13s to join, required to comply with COPPA? To me, question 19. of the COPPA FAQ's seems to clearly state that it would be - "Foreign-based websites must comply with COPPA and the Rule if they are directed to children in the United States, or if they knowingly collect personal information from children in the U.S.". However, the co-owner of the (still in development, at this point) website, insists that US law cannot possibly apply to a website run from outside of the US. So, I am wondering if I am misinterpreting this quote.

If it makes a difference (because what I read of COPPA refers to operators that are "involved in commerce" in the UnitI'ed States), the site will be free to join but will also have a paid membership option for extra content.

I do intend to meet with a lawyer to check over things before we launch, but for a number of reasons this won't happen for a while, and it'd be very helpful to know the answer to this question before then.

I would also appreciate links to any resources explaining these matters. "Internet Law for Dummies", if you will.

How can I tell if someone is trying to hop onto my wireless signal?

invisible ink — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:46:16 -0800

I have a MacBook Pro running OS 10.6.1, and an Airport Extreme Base Station. Is there a user-friendly way to see if someone is trying to use my internet connection or hack into my network? I live in a large apartment building, and am curious to see if anyone has tried to hop onto my wireless signal. Thanks in advance:-)

Looking for a particular admin UI example

micawber — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:24:55 -0800

Looking for good examples of website/cms administration UI. I know what I want, but I can't find it again. I have seen this somewhere but I don't know where - when you are logged into the site, there is a colored bar across the top of the site (which doesn't interfere with navigation) and that gives you access to the administrative functions of the site - however, you still browse the site as a regular user.

Anyone have any ideas of where I could have seen this? It's driving me batty, and I need it for a proof of concept.

Improving Personal Productivity in a Modern, Short-Attention Span Age

Dukat — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:04:36 -0800

Why do I feel compelled to seek distractions while working, and what can I do to stop it? Time management/personal productivity filter. Senior college student with very good grades.

Even though I like what I'm working on (most of the time), I have to stop a constant compulsion to seek distractions--fiddle with something else, check my e-mail, etc., even if I KNOW I don't need to fiddle with something, or that I have ABSOLUTELY NO MESSAGES and simply need to do the work. I've read a couple of time-management books (the "get it done" method seems to be working well), and I've done very well in college so far, but I know I'd simply have more *actual quality free time* if I buckled down and did the work rather than sought distractions all the time.

So:
(1) Why do I want to seek these distractions?
(2) What can I do to stop it?
(3) How can I work more efficiently? And learn how to value the 40 minutes of quality free time when I'm finished with the work over the 8 crappy, low-quality, 5-minute e-mail "breaks" I might take?
(4) Also, some of my projects (papers and presentations) require work with a computer, and that makes it difficult not to check the Internet. Not looking for blocking programs so much as an internal tool. I've actually considered doing more "paper/essay" work by hand, even though that's slower, because I wonder if I get less distracted and actually get it done faster relative to the computer/Internet distracting me. Ideally, I'd be able to work like a machine on the computer, and save a lot of time without being distracted.

Know there are a ton of threads on this, and have searched through them without much help--but welcome suggestions and thread recommendations anyway.

I like pretty pictures to LOOK pretty!

miss lynnster — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:27:48 -0800

Most awesome, pretty and easy to figure out Flickr image gallery plug-in for Word Press? I'm having some photographers and artists provide content for my LA site, and I want to make sure they're displayed in the most graphically appealing and easy (to navigate as well as to set up) way. I'm not a programmer so I tend to like the plugins that have all sorts of cool features without me having to create them.

Up until now I've been using Picasna for Picasa, and I liked the Lightboxy gallery that it uses but I really am not thrilled with the way the image gallery shows up in the post before you click on it to view the images up close.

Thanks in advance for all of your advice. :)

Fair salary for a "Usability Testing Assistant"

the jam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:42:15 -0800

Asking for a friend: I've been offered a position as a "Usability Testing Assistant" at an established, medium-sized (50-75 employees) web company, and now I need to provide them with salary requirements. In this position, I would report directly to the Usability Testing Director. My responsibilities would include recruiting test participants, running all tests, and communicating to the company's developers insights and feedback from the tests. I've found salary ranges for a "Usability Tester" (60k-70k), but I'm not sure if that would directly apply to me, or if this position would be considered more junior. What is an appropriate salary range for my new position? Concrete numbers or links for more research would be much appreciated!

Who has Clear WiMax?

falconred — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:52:18 -0800

Is the new-fangled Clear WiMax low latency enough for gaming? Clear WiMax has come to my town and is attractively priced compared to my current cable provider.

My only hesitation is latency issues. Searching Google, there is conflicting information regarding whether Clear's latency is better or worse than a cable internet connection. I do a lot of online gaming so latency is a big deal. With high latency, starvosthewonderchicken might finally be able to kick my butt in TF2, and that would make me sad.

I know I can go "test drive" Clear before I buy, but I wanted to know if anyone here has real life experience using Clear WiMax?

What is a security key for a wireless connection?

jaruwaan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:37:43 -0800

My new computer can find our wireless router; it asks for a "security key" in order to connect. What is a security key? I bought a new Dell laptop, Windows 7. The icon in the tray shows a connection to our router. I clicked that thinking I would just need to enter our password. Wrong!

It does show the name of the internet connection we set up, and that the signal is strong. The only prompt is for a security key, which does not accept either the password or pass phrase that were created for this connection.

Is the security key something related to the actual router (Netgear)? The modem (Time Warner cable)? And how do I find it, whatever/where ever it is? Halp!

Internet killed the radio star

bunny hugger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:07:09 -0800

What are some jobs that the Internet is killing, or making obsolete? I know some but am looking for more.

Internet art?

yegga — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:43:21 -0800

Internet art? I'm looking for internet art and the people behind them. To be clearer, ideas that can be put together only in the age of the internet. I mean art of the kind here: Internet Art, net.art, the work of Aaron Koblin, Golan Levin, Ze Frank.

Collectives/groups also welcome.

Most of the above are from the US, please show me some international flavors too.