Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with profile

How does Facebook generate the list of friend icons on the left side of my profile screen?

jason's_planet — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:42:21 -0800

How does Facebook generate the list of friend icons on the left side of my profile screen? How does it decide which ones to display? Does it pick people who've visited my profile lately? Or people whose profiles I've visited? Does it try to mix up people from a variety of groups -- these ones from high school, these from that online group, a certain amount of men, a certain amount of women? I have a hard time believing that the process is entirely random because I've noticed some friend icons appear only at certain points during the week and never appearing during other times of the week.

So what's the deal?

If you are married, is it mandatory to say so on your Facebook profile?

farmersckn — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:33:21 -0800

If you are married, is it mandatory to say so on your Facebook profile? I have a Facebook account and I have my "relationship status" turned off. In fact, most of my "Info" on Facebook is disabled. I also do not have my account searchable online. My wife is upset and thinks that I am embarrassed by her because she we are not "linked" on Facebook.

Am I in the wrong because I have not "linked" our two accounts?

She is also upset because I have not initiated any conversation with her through Facebook, and I did not reply to a post she made that mentioned me.

Is my wife getting overly jealous about this? We have already had several arguments about it lasting several hours total. Her argument is that all of her friends who are married are "linked" so I should "link" her too.

I'm not exactly sure how the process works but AFAIK she has not "linked" me, either. Is she doing this just to test me?

flightless bird

a womble is an active kind of sloth — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:04:26 -0800

I'm having difficulty restoring my thunderbird profile. I copied my thunderbird profile onto a portable harddrive, reinstalled windows xp, and reinstalled thunderbird. I tried copying the new profile into C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\ and am trying to follow the instructions here but it can't get it work.

I changed the "Path=Profiles/svkxbom0.default" so that it matches the name of the profile I want to use.

The profile file has the following info:
[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/svkxbom0.default

Do I need to change something else? Each time I open thunderbird it opens the address wizard and then ends up overwriting xxxx.default in the profile file.

Thanks for suggestions

How to merge online and offline Xbox 360 profiles

chris88 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:09:38 -0800

How to "merge" my offline Xbox 360 gamer profile into my new online gamertag for Live play (without losing achievements,points, etc gathered offline) I've been playing XBox 360 offline for awhile, but have only recently decided to move online and occasionally dabble with XBox Live.

To do this, I got on the XBox site and got myself a shiny new Gamertag.

Thing is, my online gamertag and offline game profile (the latter with all my achievements, points, games played etc) are under two different names, as the name I use for my gamerprofile is a common one and was not available when I went to use it as my online gamertag.

I'm wondering two things - firstly, how can merge things so I have my offline profile become my online one, and secondly, I understand there is a cost involved in terms of Microsoft points - can someone confirm that for me?

Thanks so much!

In search of self-taught illustrator

[user was fined for this post] — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:09:31 -0800

Help me find a certain article about a young, self-taught illustrator (possibly living/working in London). Vague and inconclusive details inside. Approximately two years ago, I read a profile on a website (the name of which I can't recall) of an illustrator (whose name I can't recall). What I do remember is that he didn't picture himself as a professional artist growing up and had little or no formal training, but one day he felt compelled to essentially lock himself in a room and do nothing but draw, which he continued to do for two years. When he emerged, he found agencies willing to pay for his talents and is currently working as a professional illustrator.

There are a few details that I may recall, but I'm not 100% sure about any of them:

- I read the article about two years ago, and I think it had been newly published around that time (so it might be about 2-3 years old).
- I'm fairly sure he lived/worked in the UK, and I'm somewhat less sure it was London.
- The article was published in a website that covered topics of art, design or both, and probably contained other individual profiles like this one.
- I'm kinda sure the illustrator was in his early or mid-twenties when the article was written.

I found the profile inspirational and would like to send it to someone who will also enjoy it, but given my inability to recall the names of the man or the site, I haven't made any headway searching for it. I'm hoping this entirely inadequate collection of half-remembered details will seem familiar to someone whose memory is better than mine.

If you know of a similar article in which one or more details disagree with what I (think I) remember, please assume I'm wrong and post it anyway. Thanks in advance!

How do I copy browser histories & saved passwords from one machine to another on XP?

GuyZero — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:40:00 -0800

How do I copy browser histories & saved passwords from one machine to another on XP? My PC got hit by a trojan. Not dead, but not well. The only way to be sure is to nuke it from orbit. Is there any way I can grab the browser profiles for IE and Firefox and re-install them after reformatting so that I still have my web history, saved passwords, etc?

facebook privacy setting wierdness

chrissyboy — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:37:29 -0800

Is anybody else experiencing privacy setting wierdness on facebook today, or have I broken my internets? Since facebook added more privacy options, I've been a bit more 'add happy' of late.

I notice today though that all custom options of who can and can't view different sections of my profile in the 'privacy' settings have disappeared, and all sections are defaulting to 'all friends'.

IIRC when facebook implemented the recent changes to privacy settings linked above, the old 'limited profile' became a friend list called limited profile, which was automatically set to hide the same parts of your profile as it had done before. However no friend list will now save in the 'exceptions' field of customized settings.

I've tried re-applying the 'limited profile' list to the sections I don't want that list to see, but the settings just won't stick. Also a duplicate (empty) friend list called limited profile keeps appearing, despite repeated deletion.

So what the f-bomb is going on? Have I done something to break teh facebooks or am I not alone?

Bang goes my thunderbird !

Baud — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:10:23 -0800

Mail client going postal ! Received emails held hostages ! Please help me see them again ! I am in serious thunderbird trouble :

Thunderbird will not load properly and not give me access to my received emails. here is a screenshot

On my Windods XP box,

- I get my email via POP (webmail is fine not an ISP problem)
- In my profile, I see the Mail folder with my received emails in it
- deleting the profiles.ini generates a new profile, but does not help
- uninstalling reinstalling plain vanilla TB or the latest nightly release (yes, I am desperate) did not change anything

What should Ido to fix this and see my received emails ?

Color me Confused

sprocket87 — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:45:22 -0800

Help me figure out my color profile woes, please! I know questions like this have been asked before, but I'm trying to get some specific help on this one. My goal is to get what I see in Photoshop to be what the JPEG looks like, and by extension, what SmugMug prints.

Background:
- Laptop display profiled with Spyder Pro calibration package
- Photoshop CS3 using the Spyder-calibrated profile as the default working space

Photo workflow:
1. Nikon D70 NEF files into Nikon Capture, with Nikon Color Mode II (Adobe RGB) applied
2. Perform RAW edits in Capture, save as TIFF with Nikon Adobe RGB ICC Profile embedded
3. Open TIFF in Photoshop, "convert to working profile" default (Spyder calib profile)
4. Perform all edits (curves, sharpness, etc).
5. Convert to sRGB color space, save as JPEG

The output is vastly different than the Photoshop display: The colors are shifted and muted. I know this is a common issue, but I don't know what part of my workflow I need to change.

So I guess the way it's going now is Adobe RGB > Spyder Calibrated profile > sRGB. But I've also tried setting my default Photoshop workspace to sRGB, to cut out the second conversion, with no improvement.

The only thing that appears to work is using "Assign profile" and assigning sRGB to the TIFF when I'm done editing it in the default (Spyder) workspace. That makes the Photoshop display image look all green and oversaturated, but when I save as JPEG w/sRGB embedded, it looks perfect. But what happens when I send that to SmugMug for printing?

What's most frustrating is that this never used to happen: I had the same setup and workflow on another PC and everything matched up great. But now I've got something goobered up I guess...

Thanks!

Firefoxin'.

phaded — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 23:41:23 -0800

Is it possible to run multiple instances of Firefox with different profiles? I have a Firefox profile for normal browsing and a separate one that I use for web development and similar tasks, mainly because the extensions I use for one profile aren't always needed for the other and it keeps things running more quickly. Is there a way that I can launch my development profile while I'm using the browsing profile? I've seen some people say that running firefox -p "Profile Name" from the Run box (Windows Vista, btw) should do it, but that hasn't worked for me. Thanks!

Really, I look better in person!

kenzi23 — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:57:23 -0800

Would you pay someone to take a couple of good photos for your profile? If so how much? In my weaving around various social networking sites, discussion fora, online dating sites etc. I have seen so many profile photos that are just not good at all. I don't mean to judge the person in the photo for not living up to some ideal of beauty, rather I keep wishing I could see the person as they see themselves, in focus, without their arm holding the camera, and have the thumbnail tell almost as much as the full-sized photo etc. I am guilty of having such photos so I wonder if people would pay a decent photographer who could take photos that would fit the above requirements. Would you pay for such photos? If so how much?

Specifically, what would you pay for a 15-20 min. session with a photographer who will return to you three different and good photos, these photos shot either indoors with lights and a backdrop, or something outdoors, and a little bit of Photoshopping of the images to color correct and get rid of pimples etc.? Would you be willing to pay extra (and how much) for someone to do basic makeup that keeps you looking natural but emphasizes your good points and reduces shine etc.?

Hot to create an empty Windows Profile?

Leech — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:37:31 -0800

Is there any way to create a new Windows profile with nothing installed just like when you install WIndows from scratch? I need to create a profile that loads faster and don't open resident programs like antivirus, IMs, etc; I want it to quickly see movies without wait everything to load and reduce battery consumption.

Your favorite "author's profile" pages?

m2002 — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:28:55 -0800

I'm looking for examples of beautiful "author's profile" pages. I'm building a community blog and I want to create good author's profile pages that will really make the authors look good. What websites/publications have good formats and designs I can use as examples? The authors are all writers looking to publish their first books. So I want to make sure the profiles make them look like experts. Some examples I've come across are

About.com
Harvard Professor

In addition to design, I wouldn't mind some suggestions on what type of info to include. Thanks metafilter!

Where did the MySpace mass email address function go?

skylar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:59:51 -0800

Over a year ago, MeFi users described how it was possible to mass import addresses into MySpace from your address book. Now, scouring the site as described in the original post, I can't find this function. Have they removed it? Is there an automated tool / hack I could use to check if anyone from my address book has a MySpace profile? I'd raher not do it manually. address by address.

God forgive me - I need to delete then retrieve a MySpace URL

skylar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:47:30 -0800

If I delete a MySpace profile, and wait the stated 48 hours for the account to become inactive, can I grab the username and URL again and set up a new page with the same name? I have searched the AskMeFi archive but can't seem to find anyone who's encountered this issue. I have been asked to set up a MySpace page (God forgive me) for a music project and only after setting up the profile realised that it should have been in the music section, which seems to grant a few extra facilities special to bands.

I have already requested deletion but I have some time to make a decision, as MySpace demands that I click on a link in an e-mail to actually confirm deletion. The e-mail says: "We will cancel your account within 48 hours, after which you will no longer be able to log in. Please note that cancelled accounts may not be reactivated and all of your account information, including your friend network, will be removed from MySpace."

What it doesn't say is whether or not I (or someone else) will be able to grab the URL and username, whether it will be permanently blocked out, or whether it will be blocked out for a long time.

How to overcome online dating questionaire writers' block?

kenoshakid — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:18:12 -0800

I have to fill out one of those lovely online dating questionaires, and am having trouble coming up with witty, charming things to say about myself. How to overcome this particular form of writers' block? You know the questionaires I'm talking about. The ones with the horribly general questions, like "Describe yourself," "Describe your ideal match," and "What do you like to do for fun?"

New Computer, Old Data

klangklangston — Thu, 11 May 2006 14:44:11 -0800

New computer, yet want all my old stuff... I have a new (to me) G4. I want to take all of my stuff, but most specifically my Thunderbird email and settings (bolded for easy scanning on the page) and put it on the new computer. How the fuck do I do this? I've tried doing it through the network but the computers don't recognize each other (both 10.2.8, though I mean to update to 10.3 once I can grab the discs from my dad). I've tried emailling myself the profile.ini files, and switching the paths (like Mozilla support sez), but that just makes it create a new identity. I've even tried slapping the hard drives around, making the disc that the old computer booted from the slave, but it still thinks there aren't any mail programs to import from. What the fuck, Thunderbird? I really like the program overall, and I do need a lot of my old emails. And ideally, I wouldn't have to hassle the autistic asshole of a tech support guy that handles the email for my primary job just to get my password back (it's some 16-digit string of random numbers and letters).

So... I realize that my computer woes are becoming a weekly routine, but what do I do, AskMe? Aside from the Thunderbird issues, have any other advice for moving about 35gb worth of data?

Music Journalism: Making it Sound Good

Miko — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 08:23:29 -0800

Writin'Filter: What makes a great musician/band profile? I'm working on getting back into writing, and have just gotten an assignment to profile one of my favorite old-timey bands for our well-read local arts and culture mag. I want to do a great job and get lots more assigments. So, I'm asking: if you're a reader, what makes a great band profile? What questions do you always wish an interviewer had asked? Can you link me to a profile you thought was great? If you're a writer, how do you go about researching your profile subject? What sources would you recommend drawing on? Good questioning techniques? Any other tips?

Thanks for any help. I'm not a newbie writer, but it's been a long while since I was published, and the profile form isn't something I've done a lot.

Help me find my missing files in XP

davey_darling — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:23:28 -0800

Windows XP Profile problems - Are my files gone? At work I log on to a network and all of my user data is saved in a profile. I was in on the weekend, and when I tried to log in my profile was not available so I was logged in to a temporary profile. I saved a bunch of pictures into the "my pictures" folder of this temporary folder.
Like the fool that I am, I then logged off and logged back in. This time, my profile was picked up from the server, and the pictures that were in the "my pictures" folder are nowhere to be found.

Are the pictures gone for good? Where should I look to find these missing pictures? I don't have administrator access to this machine, but I do have a knoppix disk which I have used to poke around with not much luck.

How to control multiple ICQ accounts?

davebush — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:37:17 -0800

Is there a way to maintain the online status of multiple accounts with one instance of ICQ? It's simple to switch to a different account, but can it be done without logging the current user out? My goal is to use ICQ's online status feature to display 20 team member's current status on a website. I'd set up an ICQ account for each member, then let one administrator control the online status for each. In the end - "green flower" means team member is available, "red flower" means team member is unavailable. Is this possible somehow? All I need to do is get past the switching user=logging out problem.

Why is my life like a Dilbert punchline?

saysthis — Sat, 20 Aug 2005 03:51:27 -0800

My computer has magically disappeared my user profile. I miss my bookmarks. I'm using Windows XP. This is the error I get:

Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt profile. If this program persists, contact your network administrator.

Okay, so how is that supposed to be helpful? I mean, I'm my own network administrator. The first sentence is the only one that has anything not vague to say. I'll stop whining. Anyway, there's more:

DETAIL - An I/O operation initiated by the registry failed unrecoverably. The registry could not read in, or write out, or flush, one of the files that contain the image of the registry.

Does anyone know how I can restore my settings? I'd be happy to reimport my start list and bookmarks to a new profile, but I don't know how to do that. My browser is Firefox and I can't reinstall because the version of Windows I'm operating off of is from 2003. I'm using a "temporary profile" right now, and I'm actually having to TYPE MY OWN PASSWORDS. How am I supposed to read the NYT like this?

SMTP and Outlook 97

humuhumu — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 06:15:20 -0800

I have a machine running Outlook 97. Somehow, the SMTP server has become changed to 'net' (that's all it says - it should be nameofdomain.com). I am unable to change this back - every time I try, the next time Outlook goes to send and receive, it attempts to locate 'net' again. Any idea what's going on here? Google is little help on such generic keywords and the MS knowledge base doesn't seem able to help. Spyware check reveals nothing. XP Home.

Files Lost After Windows XP Temporary Profile Zapped -- Any Way to Recover?

brookedel — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 01:44:16 -0800

Is there any way to recover files saved under a temporary profile in Windows XP? (MI) Condensing my long and sordid story: after my father's profile was corrupted, my sister went onto the computer under a temporary profile. My father was confused about where his files were, so she moved the contents of his Documents folder to a different location (not sure where exactly). After a reboot, the files were gone. Disappeared into the ether. My guess is that she saved these files somewhere within the hierarchy of the temporary profile, and they were deleted (along with the profile itself) after she rebooted the computer.

My question: can I recover them somehow? Is there a magical utility out there that can scrape up recently deleted files? Cursory searches on Google show a few file recovery utilities, but I have no idea which ones are reputable. Would a data recovery service apply in this case (all the sites I'm seeing talk about crashed hard drives and disasters, while this was just a weird mistake)?

Exhortations to "backup, you fool!" will be duly passed on to my chagrined family.

How can I get Firefox to open links I click in IM windows instead of Avant Browser?

Espoo2 — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 23:53:47 -0800

How can I get Firefox to open links I click in IM windows instead of Avant Browser? It appears as if Firefox is set as the default browser allready.
I also have the same problem with gmailto and clicking on mailto links.

Mefi tribute

solistrato — Sat, 11 Sep 2004 00:07:59 -0800

A while ago, on my old site, I posted this parody of MeFi. (It was subsequently, um, noticed. Yeah, sorry about that.) I thought a fitting tribute would be to post it to my user page. As is plainly obvious, tis fux0red for I am not l33t. Or else, there's some sort of cotton-pickin' interference, as the anchor tags seem to be all kerfluuey. Help, pwease?