Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with internet

Tabs vs Windows

zzazazz — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:19:19 -0800

What really is the difference between a new tab or a new window while using an internet browser? Does opening a tab take up less RAM than a new window or is it merely more convenient?

Link to (in)famous internet-based meltdown

docgonzo — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:15:36 -0800

Looking for link to (in)famous internet-based meltdown. Details inside. As I recall it, a man interested in bicycle touring posted to an online bulletin board seeking a female companion for an upcoming trip. The man then met all subsequent posts/comments/queries with increasingly angry/vehement/unhinged responses. I have searched MeFi and google using different sets of keywords and... nada. Thanks for your help!

Can I run a fantasy parimutuel?

luke — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:04:26 -0800

Under what conditions would online fantasy parimutuel be legal? As a programming exercise, I'm writing a Web app that creates a parimutuel system of betting on cycling events. The intention is to have a fantasy bookmaking operation, where one can predict various outcomes for cycling races and score imaginary money (or points). You know, for fun. (Cycling book is common and sanctioned in Europe, but there's no such action here.)

I'm wondering, however, what I am allowed to do before this is considered "gambling." I'd really like to offer prizes, for example, to motivate people to play and play well. I'd also like to eventually have a nominal fee for creating an account ($1 or so) to discourage, umm, "gaming" the system by creating sham accounts, as well as to encourage players to behave as if their imaginary money had value.

Illinois' gaming statutes read, in part, that a person gambles when he "Plays a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value ... Makes a wager upon the result of any game, contest, or any political nomination, appointment or election."

Consider the following scenarios:

1. Free to play, no prizes.
2. Free to play, prizes for top winners.
3. Nominal charge to play, no prizes.
4. Nominal charge to play, prizes.

IANAL, but I'm reasonably certain that (1.) is in the clear.

But would merely offering prizes run afoul of the law? Technically I'd be offering a "game of skill ... for a thing of value." But that seems to prohibit a wide range of common activities, from Rotisserie baseball to trivia contests to ring tosses at the carnival (not to mention commodity futures at CBOT).

And if I were to charge to use the service, would that make the predictions "wagers," even if no subsequent money changes hands? I'd sort of see it akin to a cardroom, where the house charges for admission but not necessarily for the actual gambling.

(I realize that if this becomes a reality I'll probably want to seek professional counsel. I'm just curious whether this is a hopeless vision from the outset.)

Wifi in, wifi out....

london302 — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:18:50 -0800

Hotel/Hotspot wifi question: Is it possible to share the same connection on many devices? say my laptop/ipod/SIP phone without paying incrementally for each device? As the number of devices has multiplied I find it very expensive to pay for internet per device. If there is regular ethernet I can just plug in my travel router but in hotels where there is wifi I am stuck.

The options could be

1. to log in using my laptop and somehow pipe the internet to the ethernet port and plug a hub or wireless router. Is it possible to do in Vista.

2. maybe there is a router which logs wirelessly into the hotspot (allows me to enter login details somehow) and then give me an ethernet port.

Would love to hear your personal experiences and recommendations.

Devices like mifi etc are not an option as international roaming costs are prohibitive.

Help me consume the entire internet.

specialagentwebb — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:33:50 -0800

What (Linux) programs should I install on my new netbook to optimize my internet experience? I recently bought an Asus eeePC, to use as my "internet box" (as opposed to my "photo editing/gaming box"). It came with Windows 7 Starter. Within an hour of playing with it, I'd switched to UNR (9.10). Much better.

But now I'm a little lost as to what programs I should be installing. There are like eight gmail notifiers and a dozen or so instant messaging programs. I'm sure there are hundreds of awesome internety apps out there. I've used Ubuntu before, but always pretty casually (Oh hey, minesweeper!). Which apps make your internet consumption the fastest and most convenient?

Really good real estate agent websites?

c:\awesome — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:35:28 -0800

My aunt is becoming a real estate agent, and she wants me to build her a website. What are the most impressive real estate agent websites out there in terms of design, features, etc?

Facebook's taken over my GMail

reenum — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:22:19 -0800

When I log into Gmail, Firefox redirects me to a page on Facebook. What gives? Over the past couple of days, when I log into GMail (even using the secure site), I am redirected to a page on Facebook that says the following:
----------------
We've redirected you to this page as a precaution

Some websites may try to trick users into providing information or otherwise risking their online security, through a process called clickjacking. The website you were on may not have meant any harm, but we brought you here as an extra safety measure.
----------------

I've tried this with Firefox on a Mac and on a PC, and get this issue on both.

Any suggestions?

Twenty-Four Pixels of Sweet, Sweet Sticking it to the Man

mwhybark — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:18:19 -0800

How does one (or can one) spoof reported screen resolution from IE6 and up? I am trying to set up some specialized software on my wife's netbook under WinXP. The software is browser-integrated, and when we point the netbook at the software supplier's website, it presents a 'minimum requirements not met' FAIL screen. I'm not mentioning the software or supplier because I am interested in violating their TOS in order to use the software and services.

The specific line item that produces the FAIL is the screen resolution:

Our netbook max is 1024x576. The reported min is 800x600. I strongly suspect we can deal with the missing 24 pixels without being bitchslap-denied by a large and liability averse-corporation.

If there is a way to get IE to report arbitrary spoofed values in the UserAgent string, I'm reasonably confident we can get past the FAIL screen. Any hints?

I've got ethernet ports in my house and I don't know what to do?

petah — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:32:27 -0800

So I have ethernet ports in every room, and I'd like to somehow hook up the internet to them. Any advice? So today I was messing around and realized that what I thought were phone ports were actually ethernet ports. (maybe both?)

I'd like to figure out a way to feed my internet connection to the wiring in my house, to output the internet from all the ports in my house.

After a few google searches, people have been recommending looking for a hub or centralized port of some sort. I found something that MIGHT be it, in the master bedroom closet, the picture is here. It appears to just be an ethernet cable sticking out of the wall, tied to a bunch of other cables with no ends.

Any advice is much appreciated!

Is My ISP Screwing Me? Yes! but HOW?

london302 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:03:45 -0800

So I have an 'business' internet connection in my office which is supposed to be SDSL with a speed of 512kbps upload and download. But my expeience (browsing, streaming, voip, skype) doesnt match the quoted speed. Is my ISP screwing me? LONG! The office building I am in has internet hardwired into it and you dont really have a choice of getting your own ISP. This is nothing new in serviced offices business as this is how these guys make money on top of the rent. My inclusive package on the face of it is sufficient for all my use (browsing, streaming, voip, skype etc) but fails to perform. When I test the speed on the usual speed testing sites it shows the speed to be what is promised by the supplier but I cant keep a skype call alive for more than 30 seconds and everything else is painfully slow.

When I contacted the ISP they say 'we dont support voip or skype so we cant comment on it and because you are getting the speeds we promised this is the end of the matter. If you think you need a faster connection then please pay us £x a month and we will upgrade you to a 1024kbps line'.

As a test, I installed wireless internet on my computer using a 3G modem and the experience is considerably better especially for streaming and skype and the speeds shown on the meter are actually slower than office line.

Now, I know that the headline speed is not everything when it comes to internet experience because they use things like 'QOS', ''throttling, 'port blocking' etc.

Can anyone please:

1. Explain in lay terms what these 'tricks of the trade' are?

2. Is there an easy diagnostic that I can run on my line and give the ISP a printout to show them why I dont get the experience to match the speed.

BTW: I know that the ISP is doing the best to maximise its profits and abuse the contractual position they have - I just want to know how I can prevent myself from being screwed more than they would normally be able to get away with. Thanks

help me erase my trail

crazylegs — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:32:07 -0800

How do I erase my google trail? When I search my name on google, all kinds of old stuff appears, much of which I have already deleted. Is there some way to remove this stuff permanently and totally, so it doesn't appear when my name is googled?

How to change the homepage for my Aino?

Ms. Next — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:23:29 -0800

Can I change the homepage on my Sony Ericsson Aino to a page that actually exists? I got my first phone with internet access and I'm enjoying it more than I expected. However, whenever I start the internet browser, it takes me to a homepage that doesn't work/exist. I'd like to change that to a page that I actually use, but I can't figure out how. I've read the manual but to my knowledge, it doesn't give a clue as to whether it's even possible to change the homepage.

I've changed the 'favourite page' in the connectivity menu but that doesn't help.

Is it even possible to change the homepage, or am I stuck with this non-existant one?

Qwest or Comcast interwebs?

no bueno — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:42:56 -0800

Qwest or Comcast internet? (especially in Denver) I'm moving from Columbus, OH where I have Time Warner. Surprisingly enough I'm satisfied with their internet service. $35/month for 15down/2up. I do not want TV or phone service so I want your opinion on internet only please! Either provider have frequent outages or not able to provide you with the bandwidth advertised? If you have other suggestions for high speed internet in Denver I'm open to suggestions. I'll be moving into Capitol Hill area if that makes a difference. Thanks!

Can a company track down non-company email?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:12:12 -0800

Hypothetically, let's say that an employee from CompanyX, a rather large large semi-techie company, sent something they shouldn't have to a competitor. The employee didn't use their work email address (which the company can search) but they did use their company computer at work and something like their Yahoo account. Can the company track down the source of that email without knowing the exact recipient but perhaps knowing the company that it was sent to? If they can, how good do they have to be to do it? Do they have to know the computer it came from? Does it matter if the person used https? Are there some limiting factors that may prevent them from tracking non-work email?

Make Up Your Mind!

cjorgensen — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:23:41 -0800

Why do internet ads load so many different URLs in your browser before displaying the final content? I've been noticing this more and more, but tonight I clicked a clothing ad, and I saw more than 4 URLs display in my address field before I got to see the content I wanted.

I can see reasons to for a single redirect. I do this with various sites/pages. I create a page that redirects to my main site. I use this to track the success of inbound links, but more and more I click on an ad and I watch the address field in my browser go nuts. I see URLs go by faster than I can read them. I'm trying to figure out what's to be gained here. To me it feels scammy, but the sites it was on is reputable and the advertising was for a national brand.

Bonus point: any way I can see each domain that goes by? I use a mac if it matters. The domains don't show in my browser history.

Copying a massive directory over the internet

aatreya — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:21:59 -0800

How can I reliably transfer a massive directory with lots of files over the internet? It's a one-time thing. I have a directory on a computer on the east coast containing over 40,000 files (mostly photos), and taking up approximately 200 GB. I want to transfer the entire directory over the internet to a computer on the west coast. Since the destination computer is a laptop and the connection is unreliable, the transfer needs to be resumable.

This is only a one-time transfer, so I don't want to setup a huge system for just one use.

What's the best way to do this?

NBA on the web

msalt — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:05:46 -0800

Can I listen to NBA basketball games on internet streaming audio? Specifically the Portland Trailblazers, but other might feel differently. Their radio station is 95.5 The Game but when I clicked during a game the other day, there was a talk show on.

Wholesale inventory how-to?

lhall — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:15:19 -0800

I'm interested in starting an online store that caters to a specific niche. So how do I acquire products for it? I love shops like Patina Stores, Modcloth, Delight and Fred Flare -- smallish operations, funky and stylish choices.

My imagined (niche gardening-related) store would have some overlap with products they carry (for example, Patina has in the past carried Cray-printed garden trowels).

But when I was thinking of the logistics of setting up my own little online place, I realized I have no clue how one even approaches acquiring inventory without doing it through retail avenues.

Is there some kind of wholesale organization that little stores like that 'shop' from, for their warehouse? I know that industry-only textiles places exist, so is it some kind of setup like that, where you have to buy a certain amount of product?

Thanks in advance for helping with this obvious noob question. If you have information on how an operation like this is set up and run, I could obviously use the education.

Help me reinvent my telecommunicative self.

SassHat — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:53:53 -0800

Toronto: Help me figure out my phone/internet/gadgets arrangement. Can I really do it all with the iPhone? Apologies for the length. I'm in the rare position of having absolutely no methods of communication or associated devices. I cancelled my cell phone service a month ago, starting tomorrow the phone will be disconnected. My 2 year old refurbished ThinkPad died on me about a week ago (yes, it's dead-dead, for reals) and since moving into my current apartment in the fall I have yet to sign up for home phone, internet or cable. Oh yeah and I left my ipod in a cab, never to return. So here we are.

I'm looking at cost (both monthly and overall) in terms of what combination of services and gadgetry I purchase, but I am willing to spend a little more for superior service or quality.

Here's what I need for sure:
- Some means of making phone calls
- Some means of using the internet
- Something for general computer use
- Some sort of ipod

Mitigating factors:

- Phone - not against the idea of landline only, but I do send a lot of texts and would generally prefer to have this.

- Minutes - with unlimited nights/weekends I can easily keep under ~200 mins per month

- Data usage - varies wildly, I went over fairly often on a 2GB home internet plan with Bell, but way under on their 20GB plan, but that was with an abundance of downloading I could probably pare down.

- Service providers I will work with: TechSavvy, Telus, Rogers if necessary (not preferred). No Bell under any circumstances.

- A computer would need to be somewhere under a grand for me to even consider it, yes I know Macs are great, which is why I'm trying to save up now to get a Macbook Pro later this year or next.

- While I do sometimes use Photoshop and a couple of other programs, I think that I'm probably ok just cobbling together internet cafe time with using my work computer after hours, I think (this is what I have been doing already for a few months). A bigger concern is theoretically using a tiny netbook or iPhone ALL the time and whether that will get annoying.

So far I've come up with a few ideas:

1. Netbook (~400) + Basic Telus Plan ($35+/month) + LG Keybo2 ($75) + Techsavvy Internet ($40/month) + shuffle ($80) = $555 up front, $75/month + bs fees, 3 year contract on phone
Downside: Netbook potentially insufficient for my needs.

2. Netbook (~400) + TechSavvy Home Phone ($35/month) + phone ($25?) + Techsavvy Internet ($35/month) + shuffle ($80)= $495 up front, $70/month, no contract
Downside: No texting, Netbook potentially insufficient for my needs.

3. iPhone 3gs ($199) + Telus smartphone plan ($80/month) + ??? = $200 up front (plus future mystery machine), $80/month, 3 year contract on phone.

Downside: I would need some sort of computer to deal with syncing and upgrades for the iPhone, yes? Could I get away with just using the computers at the internet cafe/work when I need to for now? Second concern is data - this is only 2g/month plan, not sure that is sufficient? There is also an $80 rogers plan for 5gb of data only, but there we are again with no phone.

Hope me internets. Where is the best bet?

Help me get Internet!

CwgrlUp — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:15:38 -0800

Linksys Router Problems...Help.... Just bought a new Linksys Wireless G Broadband Runner with Speedbooster, model number WRT54GS2.

The set-up went fine and then it came time to hook up our other computers to the network. One is an HP Mini (with Windows XP) and the other HP (with Vista). Both went through set-up fine but the problem came when the HP with Vista would not connect to the internet. The HP with XP has connected just fine but the HP with Vista will not connect to the internet.

It will connect to the network but not to the internet. I have googled answers and have come up with nothing.

Please help me!

How to get high speed internet in rural Kansas (Williamsburg area)?

idyllhands — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:26:02 -0800

How to get high speed internet (besides satellite) in rural Kansas (Williamsburg area)? We are considering buying a home in rural Kansas, but there are no DSL or cable companies offering internet coverage there. I would prefer not to go with satellite since I get the impression that it is pricey and offers poor speeds (high latency). Most of the big telcos seem to offer EDGE/GPRS coverage (at least according to their website's coverage maps). My wife requires the ability to use a VPN for her job, and I am a tech addict who requires internet access to function =)

My main question is:
are there any other options for internet in the area surrounding Williamsburg, KS?

And, if a cell data plan is my only option, then I have several questions about that:
Can I have my phone hook to my router and provide service to my laptop and desktop?
What is the quality of service?
Do the companies offer the option to breach contract if coverage is too poor to be usable?
I don't care about having internet on my phone, I just want it at my home. Are there any other questions I should be asking in order to make my internet experience workable/livable?

I am planning on taking advantage of the tax credit for first time home buyers, which stipulates that we live in the house for 4 years. I do not want to live somewhere for 4 years without internet service.

Eternal graditude to anyone who can help!!

All the pretty little gems in the world

reenum — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:11:54 -0800

How do people get 200,000+ points in Bejeweled Blitz? I have several friends who routinely break 200,000 points, while I'm stuck at 175,000. I even saw someone who had 435,000 on there.

Please give me your Bejeweled Blitz secrets.

Please Keep Me From Fixing This Computer With A Hammer!

snsranch — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:29:18 -0800

I'm currently running open access from a wifi router (linksys) but my wife's vista machine can only access it as local only (no internet). I've scoured google and have since disabled IPv6. Still no good. Any suggestions? I did have a secured network up and her machine was fine until a neighbor kid did something on our kid's machine. I've reset my router and am leaving it as open and unsecured until this is resolved.

I'm thinking that she should be able to link in the same way she would at starbucks or something. Please hope me!!!

Internet access for the Australian traveler...

adamk — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:58:51 -0800

I'm an American internet addict traveling around Australia for a year with my laptop. Wifi access at hostels is often a big ripoff. How to stay connected without breaking the bank? Specifics relevant to any city of a decent size would be appreciated, since I'll probably spend some time in each of them! There are any number of places that offer internet access around Australia, and I'd like advice about which ones I should be frequenting and giving my business to. I'd like to avoid paying a high price for a bad connection. I'd much rather pay a low price for an excellent connection :)

I have three use cases to consider.

(1) Quick email / Twitter / Facebook / light-to-moderate browsing. This is probably a daily thing, at least in the city.

(2) Bandwidth intensive activities -- pushing lots of high-res photos to Flickr, uploading video to Vimeo, downloading music and television shows from back home. This is probably something that I'd want to do every 7-10 days.

(3) All-day scenarios: I'm a software developer, and have a few freelance clients back in the States. When I'm "at work" I need a stable connection to browse, look up documentation, check Stack Overflow, access version control, and push media back and forth. I'm currently taking a few months off from working. I'll probably put in a few weeks of work in March, when I'm in Melbourne or Perth.

Some other info:

- I brought an unlocked iPhone 3GS with me, and got a prepaid Optus account. 500MB of data transfer per month. This should work fine for some aspects of #1, but I don't like doing too much browsing on the small screen. I know how to tether my laptop to the phone's modem, but it doesn't always work as well as I'd like.

- Yes, I know about the free wifi at McDonalds (I'm posting this over an Egg McMuffin in the Sydney CBD). Seems fine for case #1, since the connection is slow and is limited to 50MB of transfer.

- Assume I'm staying in hostels or cheaper hotels in most areas. However, I plan on staying for long enough in Perth and Melbourne that I may rent an apartment and get wired internet access. Still, I work better when I'm out of the house. There's something about being in public that keeps me on task.

- I prefer free/cheap for #1, but realize that I may have to pay up to satisfy #2 and #3. I'm happy to pay as long as the connection is sufficiently fast and stable. Especially for #3, when a connection is essential for my income to keep rolling in.

- I'm in Sydney now, and will be heading to Hobart and Launceston next. Then to Melbourne for a quick visit (I'll be back later), and off to Perth via Adelaide.

- I know better than to expect much of anything in some parts of the country (e.g. the road from Perth to Broome).

Thanks for your help!

Totally sweet websites that will make students say "wow"?

debbie_ann — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:07:19 -0800

Totally sweet (yet school appropriate) websites? I teach computers to grades K-8 and am looking for unique interactive websites to share with my students. I want something beyond the standard game-heavy cartoon-selling kids websites, something that will really give them an idea about the web’s vast potential. The following have been big hits. Many have been suggestions from other teachers or random Mefi links that happened to be PG. How does one find more ‘raw’ sites like these?

Coloring Book http://www.isoverse.com/colorbook/

Cool Math Games http://www.Coolmath4kids.com

Do I need an umbrella? http://www.doineedanumbrella.com/

Is it Christmas? http://www.isitchristmas.com/

Kaleidoscope Painter http://www.permadi.com/java/spaint/spaint.html

Kinetic sketch http://kineticsketch.com/

Make a Flake http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/noflash.html

Matisse’s Pieces http://www.toytheater.com/matisse-pieces.php

Mobile maker http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/interactive/mobile.htm

Mr. Picasso Head http://www.mrpicassohead.com/create.html

Orisinal Games http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

poisson rouge http://www.poissonrouge.com/

splatter paint http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

starfall www.starfall.com

Typeracer http://play.typeracer.com/