(was: powerschool webscraper?)
Ben Scott writes: > > On Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 8:29 AM, David Rysdam wrote: > > > > Why does an extremely simple, automatable task like "check if > > posted grades have changed" require a human being to spend valuable time > > poking buttons (or programming a very faithful simulation thereof)? > > Because software these days is mostly about chasing buzzwords and > fashion trends, and not about information. > > The current crop of crap appeals to the same mentality that thought > the tag was a good idea. > > (Aside: I've just discovered (for myself) that if you search for > "blink tag", Google makes all matching occurrences blink.) I, actually, really wanted to use or it's CSS equivalent, recently. Mere weeks ago. It was in an embedded HTML-based UI with minimal content, where the prime goal was just to get the user's attention by screaming "OMG SOMETHING IS BROKEN DOESN'T IT LOOK BROKEN TO YOU!!!" at them. Blinking text is a lousy way to convey information that someone actually needs to parse, but a screenful of blink is great way to look broken. I was pretty frustrated when I saw the hoops one needs to jump through to make blinking text[1], these days, since the browsers finally neutered both and text-decoration:blink. Thanks to everyone who just couldn't restrain themselves-- you ruined it for us all, guys. I'm waiting for Mozilla to save us from UPPERCASE YELLING BY FORCIBLY downcasing everything Footnotes: [1]: http://www.jwz.org/jwz.css?ver=1 cf. http://www.jwz.org/blog/2013/08/a-light-has-gone-out-on-the-web/ -- "'tis an ill wind that blows no minds." ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Historical note about two prominent GNHLUG members
Wow indeed. Congratulations to both of you! For those GNHLUGers who do not know, for a lng time, Bruce ran the GNHLUG mailing lists and website, as well as the CentraLUG group. Bruce and Carole have also hosted wonderful parties for us and sister causes, at their farm (http://www.milessmithfarm.com/). They're kind and generous people, and worthy of praise. -- Ben On Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 9:41 PM, Bruce Dawson wrote: > Gadzooks! Have we known each other that long?! Wow. > > Thanks Dave! > > --Bruce > > On Thu, 2014-10-30 at 21:27 -0400, David Marston wrote: >> On October 29th, 1984, the Northern New England UNIX User Group >> held a meeting at what was then the Manchester branch of Daniel >> Webster College. My archives are missing some of the exact >> details, but it seems that Bruce Dawson and Carole Soule were >> both at that meeting. As best I can tell, that was the night >> they met. >> >> Over the subsequent thirty years, separately and together, they >> have been greatly supportive of the UNIX/Linux community in New >> Hampshire, while also making radical career changes. May you >> live long and prosper! >> .David Marston (Facilitator) >> ___ >> gnhlug-discuss mailing list >> gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org >> http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/ > > > ___ > gnhlug-discuss mailing list > gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org > http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/ ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: powerschool webscraper?
On Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 8:24 AM, David Rysdam wrote: > I don't need or even want a GUI. I want to run it as a cron > job and email myself a result when there is one. Have the script start a VNC or null or other similar X server to host the GUI. Ugly, but it's the ultimate implementation of "simulate what a human with a browser would do". It would be better if the world weren't ugly, but yet, here we are. -- Ben ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: powerschool webscraper?
On Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 8:29 AM, David Rysdam wrote: > It's also making me depressed how terrible the internet has > become. Yes. > Why does an extremely simple, automatable task like "check if > posted grades have changed" require a human being to spend valuable time > poking buttons (or programming a very faithful simulation thereof)? Because software these days is mostly about chasing buzzwords and fashion trends, and not about information. The current crop of crap appeals to the same mentality that thought the tag was a good idea. (Aside: I've just discovered (for myself) that if you search for "blink tag", Google makes all matching occurrences blink.) -- Ben ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
