Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with resource

A set of most specific requirements for a game.

MeatyBean — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:41:57 -0800

Looking for a turn-based platform independent online game that can be played asynchronously with hours or days between players turns. I'm a member of a group of nine friends now scattered throughout the US and abroad. While we were together we enjoyed playing Risk. We all are pretty busy these days and finding time for a video game is difficult let alone finding a set time to meet up, that is we would require a game that allows for players to take time upwards a few days before they play their turn. I'm wondering if there might be a strategic conquest, resource management, 4x, or simply an interesting game that can suit us. We are on various operating systems so something platform independent or a web game (maybe an app on Facebook) is preferred. Though there are nine of us it's doubtful that all will commit, so though I would like a game that would allow for all of us, a title with a player limit of 6 or so could work just as well.

Games of interest might include:
Settlers of Catan
Diplomacy
Civilization Series
Galactic Empires

[IT Filter] Does anyone know of a resource which gives a comprehensive analysis of the IT Industry and its various facets?

platosadvocate — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:02:13 -0800

[IT Filter] Does anyone know of a resource which gives a comprehensive analysis of the IT Industry and its various facets? I have a BA degree and I am currently working in a Business/Operations Management role. I'm going to get into the IT Industry for many justifiable/good/rewarding reasons, but I need a better grasp on what is specifically out there in order to determine the ideal IT facet and role to target. Kudos if there's a resource that can also point me in the direction of practical/relevant certifications that will furnish the skill set to not only get the job, but excel in the position.

Thanks in advance for your time, effort, and goodwill!

...now where's that Egyptian pine bark...?

mykescipark — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:08:47 -0800

My next tattoo is going to run the length of my torso's right side, from about mid-breast to inner thigh. I'd like to avoid the usual sort of vines/leaves/faux-tribal clichés, with a similarly organic or flowing feel, and in a more modern style. Can you recommend some resources for interesting patterns or motifs? (Nb.: I've already explored the wide world of tattoo sites, so I'm looking for more intriguing ideas, i.e., scientific diagrams and the like.)

Do you have any good DIY resources

Ookseer — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:52:19 -0800

Can you recommend some alternatives to Make magazine/blog without the social baggage and less emphasis on blinktrons and noisetrons? In the craft & DIY spectrum I'm very much a practical solutions for practical problems person*. I don't want to be part of a culture or movement. I don't want to fill my house with bare wires and raw bits of 2x4. And I've never seen anything that needed to blink more or make more noises.

On the other hand I have skill working with all kinds of materials, I can tackle medium difficulty electronics projects, cook, bake, sew and program a computer, and I'm generally of the opinion it's not a good project unless I get burned and/or cut. I don't want to save the planet or make a statement, but I just a lot of satisfaction from making something that I can use.

Make magazine is too haphazard and their agenda makes me weary, Craft magazine is too ribbons and lace. Instructables is on my list and slowly increasing in quality. ReadyMade is...okay. Although not a DIY blog, I get a lot of inspiration from Notcot.

What are the other web sites, blogs, magazines, organizations, and other resources that are going to inspire me? What are the ones that inspire you?

*Try saying that five times fast.

Resources for building websites aimed at mobile/cell phones?

zingzangzung — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:24:50 -0800

What are the best sources of information for someone new to building websites aimed at mobile/cell phones? I have experience in building standard websites but I need to get up to speed on developing sites that perform well on mobile/cell phones.
There must be a lot of sites out there (or even books) that cover this area, from the basics to more advanced. What would you recommend?

Pet vet on the 'net yet?

pseudostrabismus — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:17:43 -0800

For minor pet health questions: suggest websites that are comprehensive & user-friendly? I'd like to avoid unnecessary vet visits. Last week my cat had runny eyes for no apparent reason, and googling common search terms (cat+eye+discharge, etc) led me to a lot of annoying sites jam-packed with ads, poor user design, and sketchy-sounding information. (He's fine, now, by the way. I imagine his cat allergies were acting up or something.)

I'd like a pet health website with comprehensive, searchable entries offering detailed and specific information about animal health issues. Everything should be explained in terms geared to the literate layman- in other words, use of Latin terminology is fine if it's explained plainly and intelligently, rather than cut & pasted from a vet textbook in indigestible hunks, or dumbed down into single syllable hyperbole in the vein of POOR KITTEH OH NOES! VET TIME HURRY! Levelheadedness would be a plus, as not every sneeze needs a visit to a vet. I'd love to see stuff like "If your cat is breathing fine, it's ok to wait out the sneezes or a week or so. After 10 days, if it's not better- or if the cat is gasping- it could be problem X or Y, so take him to the vet."

Can anyone recommend such a site?
Thanks in advance!

PS, Personally, I'm most interested in cats, but I'm sure other users would appreciate sites relevant to their pets too. So if you know the #1 health resource for the spiny echidna or whatever, well, shoot!

A new medium?

owtytrof — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:30:02 -0800

Can you kindly recommend to me watercolor and/or acrylic paint resources? My wife wants to learn watercolor and acrylic paint. We saw this question, but she was hoping specifically for books. Naturally, web resources or even some pointers would also be appreciated.

She can already work with pastel and gouache, so she doesn't need something in the "...for dummies" vein. Particularly, recommended brushes and techniques are of interest.

Thanks!

OSX: Is there some way to rebuild/restore resource forks?

GS1977 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:27:37 -0800

Is there a way to restore or rebuild resource forks for files/folders copied to a FAT32 hdd? Ok, so I'm troubleshooting an external hdd for a friend. She says she was copying stuff to it when her cat turned off the powerstrip it was plugged into. Eeep.

Anyway, now many of what I'm assuming used to be folders appear as Unix Executables under OS X. Many of these files are the same size (e.g. 1.25GB for the ones containing MP3s). The drive is FAT32, so I tried it under XP and the folders show up as empty. However, in OS X, I am unable to correct what I'm guessing are stripped-off resource forks.

Does anyone know of any utilities which might help me recover these files? Remember, it's FAT32 drive, so HFS-only utils do me no good.

Any help is much appreciated.

The wisest way to do ERP?

rongorongo — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:12:07 -0800

What is the wise way for a medium or large businesses to implement ERP software? By 'wise' I mean most likely to boost business performance and avoid pitfalls. What organisations have done this really well?

I ask this as somebody who has recently ventured a little way into the world of Oracle and SAP development having previously worked on less exalted (and often open-source) web technologies. At first site the ERP solutions seem to be a good way of dealing with the complexity and need for reliability. On closer inspection, however, they seem awfully prescriptive, inflexible, brittle and costly. Also some of the common management processes surrounding implementation (such as throwing many consultants onto a project to try to deliver it to a given deadline) seem a little dubious. This may well just be my inexperience - is it better to have a monolithic solution or something more customised and flexible?

Are there good vector graphic libraries for Macromedia Flash ?

vincentm — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 06:53:15 -0800

Where can I find a good vector graphic library for Flash ? I'd like to buy a collection of vector graphics (people, machines, concepts, body parts, etc.) to use in macromedia flash projects.

Easy of use (browsing the collection and inserting it to flash) is mandatory.

Are there good resources that I can use for my e-learning projects. Any suggestion ?

Help me improve my PHP and MySQL skills with useful resources on the web.

MetaMonkey — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 15:20:29 -0800

Help me improve my PHP and MySQL skills with useful resources on the web. I've taught myself a fair amount of MySQL and PHP, but now I'm getting more advanced I'm needing guidance beyond my Googling abilities to advance my general knowledge.

I'm looking for forums for finding solutions, or asking questions, tutorials/general resources for problem solving and advancing my knowledge, and advice on best practises (and anything else that may be useful).

For example, for PHP finding solutions to common problems, guides to learning new tricks (for example, I'm trying to get my head round streams), and most importantly improving my programming methods and performance, juggling and manipulating multi-dimensional arrays. For MySQL I'm looking to improve my knowledge of efficient query building, DB optimization and indexing.

Recommendations for excellent books would also be welcome.

All suggestions are much appreciated.

How can I find what test audiences "ruin"?

Gucky — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 13:37:05 -0800

I'm fascinated by changes instigated by movie/tv test audiences. Any good way to find more (or confirm internet rumors)? After complaining about the ending of THE DESCENT, someone told me there was an alternate ending but test audiences hated it.

Time and time again, I've heard the vague rumor about the alternate endings for ARMY OF DARKNESS, an article on FATAL ATTRACTION etc that were scrapped for reshoot by fickle midwesterners with a score card. Cat and Girl had a strip about an ending of PRETTY IN PINK where Molly Ringwald chooses Ducky that I still don't know if it's based on fact or not (it's not in imdb).

Besides following the specific news of a film as it comes out (google for "test audience changes" get nothing but news about THE BREAKUP), is there book, website or other source of info to find these alternate endings (without flipping through every single imdb entry for "alternative endings")?

Need a stripper

squirrel — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:25:48 -0800

Help me batch-strip resources from thousands of image files. I'm using a G5 running OSX 10.4.5 to do all sorts of graphic design and editing. I use GraphicConverter to do many tasks, including browsing large directories. I have finally figured out how to tweak the GC settings so as to browse directories without adding huge resources to every file. This is important for storage space because a 50k JPG becomes a 175k JPG if you add a resource fork. Think 1000+ photos in a few dozen directories, and you can see how this adds to storage bloat big time.

So, I've figured out how to stop GraphicConverter from adding the new resource... how do I go back and strip the resource off of all those bloated old files that have already been affected? I could save 75% of my image storage if I can figure out how to do this. How do I automate the task? I'll be keeping a copy of the originals, of course... but are there any other precautions I should consider?

I'll be checking back frequently, so feel free to ask specific questions.

house renovation resource needed

mailhans — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 04:05:53 -0800

Bought a house last year (1901) with a lot of old ceilings and woodcraft. Some parts really need a good renovation. Are there any good resources for these specific operations?

Where to download Public Domain general knowledge / trivia question bank?

Mitheral — Fri, 11 Mar 2005 09:38:36 -0800

I need a few hundred to a few thousand general knowledge or trivia questions that I can integrate into a application I'm writing. Ideally I'd like to download a csv or database file of the format:
Question,PossibleAnswer1,PossibleAnswer2,PossibleAnswer3,PossibleAnswer4,CorrectAnswer
or similiar. Prefered questions would be timeless in nature (eg: "when did Columbus discover America" or "how long is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with sides 3 and 4 units long" rather than "what is the worlds tallest building" or "who is the president of the USA"). This is for a minor add on to an application I'm playing with (and teaching myself .NET) but I'd still like to be able to distribute it for free afterwords so questions banks that require payment are out. This seems like an invalueable resource for things like school knowledge bowls and the like but my google-fu is failing me.

internet archives other than archive.org

aladfar — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 11:45:41 -0800

Where archive.org fails: I'd like to research the development of news websites - specifically those established by traditional media companies (CNN, The New York Times, etc). While archive.org is a valuable resource, many of the sites I'd like to look at block the automated scripts (robots) that make archiving possible. What's more, some of the sites archived are woefully incomplete and are missing images, etc. Is there an alternative to archive.org or another resource that I might use? I've given some thought to looking at design books from the early 90's in the hopes that they contain screenshots. While this is a more laborious way to go about the research, it might work. Any suggestions on that front would be welcome.

What I'm trying to do is trace the design evolution of online news - how it's adjusted to changing screen resolutions, coding languages, audience demands, etc. While I can find old copies of newspapers at the library, finding old versions of websites has proven extremely difficult.

I need historical real estate sales data for a particular city

tirebouchon — Sat, 18 Dec 2004 12:26:49 -0800

I am looking for a resource, preferably online, that will give me historical real estate sales data for a particular city. Ideally I would like to see the average sales price by month from the year 1974 until the present. Any ideas?

Lyrics Site

jdroth — Wed, 19 May 2004 13:18:59 -0800

I need a good lyrics site, something reliable that doesn't want to spam me with popup ads, doesn't want to install spyware all over my computer, doesn't want to give me worthless e-coupons. Googling for lyrics always leads me to slimy dens of crap. Any recommendations for lyrics sites that play nice?

Is there a programmer mentoring community online?

grefo — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 10:38:34 -0800

Is there an online community or web site that mentors new programmers? One in which the student is guided through the different phases of development of a small, but not insignificant program. If one doesn't exist, would it be a worthwhile endeavor to create a mentor community?

Epidemiology

shotsy — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 13:46:30 -0800

I've been watching 24 this season and it has gotten me interested in epidemiology. Can anybody suggest a good layperson's resource, either on the web or in print about the topic? I'm looking for information on how diseases spread and how the situation gets out of control. I've done my googlework, but most of the stuff seems to be to advanced for my current understanding or not very informative. Case studies and response projections would be awesome.

Online resources for emotional support after a breakup?

btwillig — Tue, 20 Apr 2004 12:57:38 -0800

Can anyone recommend some good online resources that might help someone going through the breakup of a long term relationship? More along the lines of emotional support rather than legal.

Is there a good place online to find lots of photos of past US Presidents?

Ignatius J. Reilly — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 23:56:54 -0800

Is there a good place online to find lots of photos of past US Presidents? Specifically, I want the picture of Jimmy Carter wearing them crazy-ass nukular yellow rubber booties when he went ot 3 Mile Island.