Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with structure

I both require and recoil from structure. Help?

The Dutchman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:58:03 -0800

I have recently realized that, without some kind of structure in my life, I am not going to be successful (in terms of career and money). The times that I have had structure (college) have been my most successful and productive. However, the idea of structure sends me running, fearful of losing the freedom and flexibility to do what I want, when I want. I can see rationally how this aversion has hurt me: My freelance business is dying, I'm out of money and I'm not much further along in my "career" now than I was when I graduated from college 10 years ago (I'm 35). It's obvious to me that not having an income will restrict my freedom and flexibility even more than structure would, but this knowledge doesn't seem to make it any easier to bite the bullet and make myself a schedule or apply for a job. How can I give myself the structure I need without it hurting so much? Or, alternatively, how can I cope with the fact that it will hurt, because I know it's a trade with a net-gain? I'm already working with a therapist on this, but I'm looking for personal experiences with similar issues. What techniques, books, videos or anything else have helped you? One specific issue I'm hoping to address: I often have ideas to improve or expand my business, or for new businesses entirely that I really believe are good. I get excited for a while and then lose my drive to see them through to launch.

A thought I had was to put an ad on Craigslist to assemble a few like-minded freelancers/entrepreneurs and have a daily or a few-days-a -week video conference at the same time each morning. It would be pretty brief and consist of each person stating their tasks and goals until the next meeting and how they have done since the last meeting. Even that much structure makes me squirm a bit, but I'm thinking it would make me/us accountable in some way and be a tiny bit of schedule I'd have to adhere to -- maybe a way to dip my toe in to the concept of having structure.

I need examples of multi-threaded narratives in film and video games.

ga$money — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:46:31 -0800

Looking for multi-threaded narratives in film and video games, such as Pulp Fiction or Go. I'm looking for examples of films that have multi-threaded narratives, particularly ones where the narrative lines loop back to their starting points or intersect with each other. Two examples are Go and Pulp Fiction, where we follow one character's storyline, but it intersects with other storylines or characters that are presented elsewhere in the movie. So we see Jules and Vincent in the background during the opening sequence of Pulp Fiction, when Honey Bunny and Pumpkin discuss holding up the diner. Or in Go, where we see the gay couple at the checkout stand while following the erstwhile drug dealer's storyline. So far as other examples, I have Timecode (though really something different), Run Lola Run (sort of), and Rashomon (sort of, but the whole notion of each character telling the story in flashback mediates the plot device more than I want). I know there are more examples out there, but I'm drawing a blank.

Extra bonus credit if you can give an examples of video games that attempt the same thing.

Believe it or not, this is a work-related question, so I guess I must have a really awesome job.

What is the Purpose of this Structure?

Effigy2000 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:16:17 -0800

Does anyone have any idea what this structure is, or what its purpose might be? More pics and information past the break. My fiancee and I have driven past this this thing on our way into work for the last couple of years and we've often wondered what this structure's purpose in life is. I'm hoping Metafilter might finally be able to provide us with an answer.

Some info I can give you is that this structure, which looks sort of like the words most painful waterslide, is situated in the suburb of Oxley in Queensland, Australia. It's located next to a Harvey Norman store (a white goods and furniture store) but as this view on Google Maps shows, the store is only new whereas this structure has been there far longer than that, so I'm certain it has nothing to do with the store. A couple of salespeople I asked at the store had no idea what it was either and wanted to know what it was themselves! And if that wasn't enough evidence, these pictures show that it's fenced off from the store on a whole other property, which I think must be a farm because this picture shows some cows standing near the structure. That last picture also shows some rubble which may or may not be related to the structure's purpose.

Our theories are that it could be some kind of artistic structure, but it's in a semi-industrial area so that seems unlikely. It might have something to do with aviation (there's a small airport nearby) but if so, I don't know how it relates.

Here's one last picture and a street view for your further consideration. Any idea what this thing might be? Or what its purpose might be? Please help put our enquiring minds at ease!

Drupal structure? Help me structure my structure!

suedehead — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:12:11 -0800

I'm trying to create a magazine via Drupal, and I'm having some problems using node references. Should I be using books or taxonomies? Or can you just help me iron this problem out with what I'm doing now? I'm having trouble trying to determine the best possible structure for a Drupal 6 installation.

Some information about the site I'm making:

it's an online magazine organized into less than 10 articles grouped underneath a single issue. I don't have a use for categories for each article or each issue -- all I need is the structure.

Each article has around ten images associated with it. In addition, I need to designate a 'representative image' for each article that will show up as a thumbnail in the issue page. Also, each article will have small links to the other articles within the same issue.

So far I've been creating three node types: 1) an Issue type, 2) an Article type, 3) an Image type, using Imagefield. Each Image references the Article that it's part of, and each Article references the Issue that it's part of. Also, the 'representative image' for each Article is a node reference to an Image. I'm using custom php code to tie it all together, and it's working, albeit I'm working pretty slowly. Here's a diagram:



Issue --- Article

      --- Article

      --- Article --- Image

		  --- Image

		  --- Image

But now I'm starting to think that I'm overthinking this, and that I should use the book module. The problem with that is that the book module seems to have limited flexibility in terms of making custom themes/layout. I can't even find a good google result how to customize the Book tree that appears within the Book navigation menu.

So what should I be doing in terms of structure? Should I be using Taxonomy, or Book? Or should I just continue to customize things by using node references and hacking php code to tie everything together? Has anyone had similar experiences with Drupal and found the best possible way for this sort of website? Thanks!

LARP-making 101

divabat — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:36:50 -0800

How do you organise, structure, and run a LARP - particularly one that's a little bit unusual? I'm quite inspired by White Elephant Burlesque, which is part burlesque troupe part LARP. They have a storyline, with characters, and they perform in character.

I would like to do something similar (and they've given me their blessing) - I have a storyline that could work quite well. How do I get it going?

1. The storyline I have in mind has some set characters, and a basic plot, though there is always room for innovation and deviation. How strict should the plot be? How about the characterisations?

2. Do I assign characters to players? Do I cast for certain people to play certain parts?

3. I don't imagine my story will involve a lot of combat or any other points-gathering activity; however, having quests and challenges for the characters sounds interesting (the overall story quest I had in mind centers around the identity of a spirit and their murderer). What are some creative ways of incorporating quests into a LARP like this?

4. From what I can envision, this is something that would likely be played over time - and sometimes online - and many of the players would either be burlesque/performer types that are new to gaming, or people that like to RP but may be new to performing. I'm not out for stage talent here, just a bit of fun. How can I best organise people's time and have them get along with as little conflict as possible?

Any other resources on running and structuring a LARP, or any other related game style that can help (as I write this I realise this has shades of murder mysteries) would be helpful too.

Real life hobby for someone who enjoys building structures in computer games?

wastelands — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:10:18 -0800

Real life hobby for someone who enjoys building structures in computer games? Recently I enjoyed creating awesome defensive lines in Plants versus Zombies and playing the engineer class in Team Fortress 2. I loved Legos as a kid. Whenever I play a board game with friends, I'm always building little towers out of the pieces.

My question: What's a good non-software based hobby that would be good for someone who likes building structures? Bonus points for something that's not super nerdy. I don't really see myself painting Warhammer 40K miniatures or anything.

Thanks!

why are taxi fare structures so complicated?

cilantro — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:20:41 -0800

Why are taxi fare structures so complicated? I was in a taxi today and was reading the sheet that outlined fares... it was basically something like 'Fares start at 2.70 and continue at the rate of .20 for every 234 yards or 67 seconds until the fare reaches 3.72, at which point it continues at the rate of .20 for every 321 yards or 78 seconds until the fare reaches 11.20, and then it continues at the rate of .14 for every 452 yards or 92 seconds. Except on the weekends or on holidays or after 10 pm, when it is completely different'.

I am pulling numbers out of my ass as an example, but the fare structure was exactly as random and confusing as that. This seems to be pretty normal for taxis - but why? Why can't they just say (for example) 2.00 to start, then .20 for each 1/4 mile or 60 seconds up to 5.00, and then .20 for each 1/2 mile or 90 seconds? Is this purely to make it impossible for people to try to add up the fares in their heads so they won't argue about it? I figure it's not to make it easier for the cabbies to cheat the passengers, since these are strictly regulated city taxis and not private hire cars... so what's the deal?

Great tool! Now can it help me do the bench press?

Slothrop — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:50:14 -0800

Is there a site structured like onehundredpushups.com, but setup for free weight weightlifting? Exercise questions get asked here a lot, I realize, but I don't think this one has been asked...

I've been using the 100 pushups Web site for a bit now and have found that the ease and specificity of the information really help. I just go to the day on my schedule and do the sets of pushups in number and order that's described. I had two previous attempts at weightlifting that faded away in part because I seem to plateau easily and I think something that has specific numbers to follow will help me break through that better. It would be nice to have a site where you can enter your bench press and military press maximums and get a six-week or twelve-week setup for steadily escalating that weight with numbers of reps, etc. I would be willing to consider software as well.

Some info about me in case it would help : I am 5' 9" and 135 pounds. I play basketball twice a week, full court for an hour. I have started running a bit again, as well. I would like to initially focus on upper body strength as the basketball and running have given me pretty solid legs.

Thanks!

How do I redesign my business structure?

Tavern — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:35:05 -0800

I am attempting to reorganize the structure of my business and was wondering if anyone had experience with this or could direct me to some templates. I own a small company that has 11 employees. There has never been a formal organizational structure to my business. Job descriptions are non-existent and each employee's role overlaps with other employees and there is no real chain of command. Everything flows through me (the executive) and I'm overloaded.

I want to pass out an employee questionnaire that will give me a feel for what people think their main tasks are, who they think they report to, what main problems they encounter, and so on. Are there any templates for such a thing, or should I design one myself? Essentially I want to have them explain to me what they think their job description currently is.

Is this the right way to start? Does anyone have any experience with this? Or can anyone lead me to some online resources about this?

Does anyone know anything about the back corridors in malls behind the stores?

Sully — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:41:34 -0800

Does anyone know anything about the back corridors in malls behind the stores? This is kinda a tricky question because it makes me sound like I'm going to burglarize a mall, but I don't know how else to ask it.

Okay, I'm writing this short story about a group of friends who all work in a mall. They weren't friends before, but got to be friends after they all started working there.

Trouble is, I've never worked retail, and I've never worked in a mall before. Sometimes though, inside a mall, I'm tempted to go exploring, just to answer some questions, but I've always been deterred by the Authorized Personnel Only signs.

I googled 'Mall Blueprints', to find out the layout of malls, but understandably, for security reasons, anything but the basic layout of a mall, like the kinds they have on these black plinths near the entrance for shoppers, aren't shown.

So I guess what I'm wondering is this - I know that there are these corridors that run behind the stores in some malls. They're pretty basic and ugly and sometimes there are cardboard boxes and stuff in them - in my story, my characters like to go into them and smoke.

But I've also got this huge elaborate scene later on and I just want to know if it's possible for someone to exit a store into the corridor, then go to an elevator just off the corridor and take it down to the loading docks, with stops in between that let out into a parking lot structure. Essentially, these kids begin to hang out in these areas. This is their "club house".

I know that a lot of malls are different, and that it would depend on the mall. But does this make sense? Or to someone who's ever actually worked in a mall - would they cry bullshit on this sort of layout?

That's all. Thank you in advance.

Screenplay Structure of The Wrestler

Jeff Howard — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:42:38 -0800

Is Robert Siegel's screenplay for The Wrestler an example of a two-act structure? If not, how would you characterize the structure of the screenwriting, and where are the act breaks? The one I recognize pivots around the physical crisis of Rourke's character.

Getting some structure in my life

blueyellow — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:08:37 -0800

I would like to get some more structure in my life. How do I go about it? Since I was a kid I was someone who relished freedom and lack of structure, typically not enjoying having to do anything. Somehow I've managed to still get this to work for me as I am fairly driven when left to my own devices and my general survival instinct seems to operate okay, overcoming this resistance when necessary.

In some respects, I've now reached the pinnacle of this tendency. I have my own business (with some partners), doing what I/we decide to do. I work from home and don't need to be somewhere at any particular time, dress a particular way or live up to other externally mandated criteria... and we're doing relatively well.

My life though has started to become a blur, with one day blurring into the next with it not always being clear what I did one day or the next. I've become less efficient, more slothful, and less focused. It seems that I've gotten too much of what I've wanted and now I'm kind of drowning in it.

I would like to try to get some structure in my life now. I think structure will ultimately reverse some of whats been going on and make me more grounded. I don't really know how to start and how to make it work for me though, especially considering my innate tendency.

Have you dealt with similar things? Do you have any resources you could recommend?

Don't Tread On Me

Tube — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:56:56 -0800

What is this metal structure called? I know of the existence of at least two of these things here in Seattle, the other one on Capitol Hill seems to be functional. Inside the housing is a light fixture, which I believe to be a conventional Edison thread socket. At night the light comes on, and indicates to oncoming drivers the apex of the traffic island.

It seems like an entirely rational concept, but I think I've only seen two of them that I remember. I assume there are others around the country or the world, so there must be a term for them.

What is this thing called?

MySQL problem on Yahoo hosting

Astro Zombie — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:24:00 -0800

MySQL problem I am attempting to create a new user in MySQL, with Yahoo as a Web host. When I go to Privileges, I get this message:

Warning: Your privilege table structure seems to be older than this MySQL version!
Please run the script mysql_fix_privilege_tables that should be included in your MySQL server distribution to solve this problem!

My Google fu has failed me. I have no idea how to repair this problem in Yahoo. Help! Thanks!

What is the best, most flexible way to organize recordings of Jewish liturgy?

likedoomsday — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:06:41 -0800

How can my synagogue organize a large and developing library of liturgical recordings? I'm interested in (inexpensive or free) specialized software or in suggestions on how to use more commonplace software for this purpose. SynagogueFilter: My shul is working on digitizing thousands of audio tapes' worth of cantorial recordings of the Torah, Haftarah, prayers, and other readings. We are also re-recording many of these. How can we best organize them?
My initial thought was to use a folder structure like this (we use the triennial system): Category > Book > Parsha > Triennial part > Aliyah (where, for example, we might have Torah > Devarim > V'zot Habracha > Triennial year 3 > Third aliyah). However, it occurs to me that it might be useful to navigate in other ways, such as by filtering down to a particular year of the triennial cycle earlier in the process, or by viewing all of the Devarim recordings at once.

Is there any good way to do this? Is there software that's intended for something like this? Is there a creative way to use iTunes or some similar software for this? Or should we pick a folder structure and live with its limitations?

Thanks!

A Series of Tubes

Tube — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:01:47 -0800

What is this mysterious structure? Tonight I was walking through Seward Park here in Seattle with my video camera, looking for the recently reported coyote. I didn't see any coyotes, but I did find this strange structure (Flickr video). I found three of these, just off the walking trail, all positioned under very large trees. A large funnel on top connects to a series of PVC tubes underneath. This is supported by metal stakes driven into the ground. I assume they are used to collect rainwater, perhaps for some sort of environmental quality testing. But is there some significance to their location under large trees? There were no containers found under these structures.

One table to rule them all?

urbanwhaleshark — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:12:52 -0800

Can you help structure my oracle database appropriately? I'm writing an helpdesk application that supports n types of call. A call is logged with the system through an HTML form.

There are certain properties common to each calltype (ID, datelogged, dateclosed, owner, status, for example), but beyond that each calltype has a completely different form. Calltype1 may just have a notes field. Calltype2 may have a notes field plus 10-15 other fields that allows the user to add in more specific information particular to that calltype.

My question is: should I have one table for the common call information and a separate table for each calltype, or one big table that contains all the call information covering the fields of all calltypes? I guess my concern is that I'm adding extra complexity to the database by using many calltype tables to spare what I see as wasted space in the big calltype table.

Is my concern justified?

Cheapest partnership structure

thinktwice — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:26:52 -0800

I am looking to form a partnership, Company A, with someone to buy a franchise. A couple of points to note are: This type of franchise only exists in order to each partner to do business (i.e. do deals) within the franchise territory. We will split , legal, professional, office costs.
We would like to have it structured so that both partners Company B and Company C can have their separate DBA's bill Company A.
We will do so that we can both structure defined benefits plans within Company B and Company C.

Is this a good solution? The main issue with all the different companies is the defined benefit plan. The reason for separate companies and plans is that one partner is making significantly more in commissions and thus will be contributing far more into his defined benefit plan.

struct { pain, discomfort }

gjc — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:00:36 -0800

Maddening database question- Why are hierarchical/tree databases (seemingly) unavailable to me? Structures of structures of structures. When I was in high school, I took a programming class. BASIC, Pascal, and C. From "hello world" to data structures and pointers and all that fun stuff. This was all text based on some version of UNIX. (To give a time frame, I started the year they changed out from some giant room filling Big Iron machine serving dumb terminals to the vastly more powerful ... 486 tower sitting on a desk serving twice as many dumb terminals.)

One of the things we did was write a very simple tree database using predefined data structures, and here's the key part, you could "nest" different structures into others arbitrarily. (Basically what XML is now)

The real reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to find a task management program where I can break bigger tasks into smaller, child tasks. And then children of children. It seems like this should be easy, but I'm not finding anything even close.

Example:

====Build Shed
-------------Design Floorplan
------------------ Buy paper and pens
------------------ Sit down and design shed
-------------Get materials
------------------ Wood
------------------------ Plywood
------------------------ Beams
-----------------------------2x4, 2x6 and 2x8
------------------ Nails
-------------Construct Shed

Then, some kind of processing that creates a flat, ordered to-do list that I can use to actually do what I need to to fulfill the prerequisites of the parent tasks.

It seems perfectly suited for an XML data format, but I can't find any kind of frontend that thinks the way I do.

Am I missing something? Do I have to build this app myself??

Making out doesn't make it notable.

asuprenant — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:49:42 -0800

Which Chicagoland parking garages are most notable? Which historical, architecturally-interesting, or culturally relevant parking structures in or around Chicago are missing from this list?

Marina City
(corncob buildings + condos)

The John Hancock Center
(has Guggenheim-style spiral ramp)

Trump Tower
(has a light-from-within sculpture at the base)

Self-Park Garage on East Wacker Place
(by Stanley Tigerman)

Contemporaine
(by Ralph Johnson)

Millennium Park
(is a lid for a parking garage)

Harris Music for Theater and Dance
(looks like a parking garage)

shops at North and Clybourn
(nice view, previously)

111 South Wacker
ramp creates curvilinear pattern in ceiling

Hotel LaSalle (now demolished)
world's first parking garage

The Milwaukee Museum of Art

Fortune 500 Company Strucutres

ashepp — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:54:45 -0800

Is there an online resource that describes the different business functions of Fortune 500 companies ? e.g. Sales, Marketing, Legal, It, etc ? I'm trying to write a paper on how large organizations structure themselves and was wondering if there's any official resource for this information. I've found SIC Codes and NAICS Codes but these seem to describe the company industry segments not organization.

Appreciate any help!

Please help me structure my wiki!

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 23 May 2007 21:03:25 -0800

MediaWiki + hierarchies: Can it work? I am looking at MediaWiki as a department CMS, because a group at the institution I work at has added some code that handles both campus single-sign-on authentication and group-level control for allowing, say, staff and faculty to be able to edit (only) their own pages.

However, in my experience with MediaWiki, and wikis in general, the notion of a hierarchy is anathema to the wiki philosophy: every article page is an entity unto itself.

About the closest I've seen MediaWiki come to handling groupings of pages is via Categories.

Are there other ways and strategies for putting Wiki pages into a structured form? (I'd like to, say, put "undergraduate" pages underneath an "undergraduate" pages; likewise with "graduate" or "faculty" pages.)

I'm happy to consider alternatives to MediaWiki which allow hierarchies, can provide an interface that could be customized by a graphic designer, have an authentication component that can be swapped out, and some means to add an ACL (access control list) to allow gradated control over (hierarchical) sections.

Drupal does not appear to directly meet the last two criteria, from the modules I've seen, but if I'm wrong I'd appreciate any pointers.

A different kind of fencepost problem

adamrice — Thu, 03 May 2007 10:57:08 -0800

Stuctural-engineering filter: I need some help figuring out requirements for a temporary art installation that needs to stand up to the wind. The installation will resemble a fence made of T-posts and panels of vinyl banner material. Each panel will be approximately 2 m square (I have some flexibility on this), and will be supported by T-posts left and right, held to it by zip-ties through grommetted holes at 60 cm intervals. I'll be cutting slits in the panels to allow some wind to pass through, but it needs to be able to stand up to 60 kph winds. My questions are:

1. How deeply do the T-posts need to be sunk into the ground?
2. Can I double-up panels on T-posts, so a single T-post is supporting panels on both sides, or should each T-post be holding up only one side of one panel?
3. Another way to approach #2 is this: below a certain panel size, I could double up (I imagine). What is that size? I'm interested in minimizing the time and effort it will take to set all these T-posts.

I'll be grateful for any other suggestions along these lines. I've thought about anchoring the T-posts with cables and stakes front and rear, but site considerations make that impractical, and I am hoping it would be unnecessary.

Does the type of Japanese structure seen in this photo have a name?

BorgLove — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:50:53 -0800

Does the type of Japanese structure seen in this photo have a name? I'm looking for visual reference of the structure in this photo, usually seen in Japanese gardens and/or misty swamps, but I don't know what to google for. 'Japanese plinth' or 'Japanese pagoda' don't seem to do the trick. What are they called?

Pic

My Kingdom for a DBA

thanotopsis — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:18:36 -0800

Databasefilter: I'm a self-taught 'DBA' (I use quotes so as to not offend those who have this knowledge through a paid education). I'm having an efficiency problem with a few of my tables, and I thought maybe one or two of you could help. I've got a table that looks like this in SQL 2000:



UnitValue (

    dts           smalldatetime,

    fund_id    int,

    price        decimal(10,4)

)

Here's the problem: For the last 10 years or so, we've been tracking anywhere up to 150 fund values on a daily basis. The table size is now unweildy, and indexes don't seem to help me.

A thought presented itself to me today, but I'm having some trouble figuring on how I'd use it. I thought, perhaps, that I'd structure the table in this manner:

UnitValue (
dts smalldatetime,
fundAname decimal(10,4),
fundBname decimal(10,4),
....
)

...where each column name relates to a particular fund. Then, I'd create indexes for each column relating to a date.

I'm thinking this would greatly reduce the size of my table, and the indexes would do a great deal in reducing query time.

My question is: How do I query against this table? Take, for example, the fact that participants in specific plans that I'm managing could have 1 to X number of funds, so to acquire their total balance for any given day, I have to join against the UnitValue table to find their particular mix of fund values for that day.

I could use "dynamic SQL", I suppose (by building the query programmatically in a large string variable) and then evaluate the SQL code after I've built it up, but wouldn't that offset any performance gains I'm getting from structuring the table in this manner? I was under the assumption that a stored procedure couldn't optimize queries built in such a manner. Besides, coding that way is hell on my inner debugger.

Is there a way to join against the SQL database tables in a generic manner to figure out to which columns I need to pay attention for any given participant?