Journal Entries
Peer Moderation
Posted Nov 2, 2002
Finally, TPTB decide to switch to peer moderation - even if it's only a "pilot program" at the moment! This development is, obviously, a step forward towards what many of us've been wanting for a long time: a free community.
I suspect that there's a few people over at BBCi HQ who're interested in what'll happen over the next few months. I feel that they're taking chances with this, and I hope that we don't screw things up for them.
Personally, I've always thought that a program like this would work. Having worked as an Ace, I've occasionally had to deal with people who've needed moderation. It's notable that none of them are still on h2g2. The people who understand enough to want to stay here don't need to be told how to act: it's obvious that if you want to live in a nice place, you don't go around graffiting the walls.
So, yes, this is a big responsibility for us, but I think that the community's ready for it. There's enough intelligent people here for me to be confident that h2g2 isn't going to descend into a DALNet-esque swearing contest.
Anyway, this is Metaki signing in and giving my views on Peer Moderation, as I suspect lots of people're going to be over the next few days.
Metaki
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Latest reply: Nov 2, 2002
Another Commentry on my Parents and Why My Family Life Sux0rs
Posted Oct 22, 2002
Again, I'm writing down my side of my story in an online journal because my parents are too stubborn/single-minded to listen to what I have to say. Of course, they're happy to give speeches about their opinion, but they can't accept mine. I try and say things to them, and they tell me that they've "heard enough" before I've said more than one or two sentences.
Anyway, on with the story... I got in from school today and went to my bedroom to listen to music and read a new book that I just got from my school's library. At 6:50, I go downstairs and ask my mom how long dinner's going to be:
[Metaki] How long's dinner going to be?
[Mom] Well, if you go and set the table now, it'll be ready when you've finished.
I was upstairs reading, as noted, and therefore don't particularly want to "set the table:"
[Metaki] But how long's it going to be?
[Mom] Go and set the...
[Metaki] Can't you just tell me how long dinner's going to be?
[Mom] Four minutes.
[Metaki] OK *goes back upstairs and turns off his computer, bookmarks his reading page, washes his hands, etc.*
At about seven PM, I have dinner with my brother and sister, then go back upstairs, pausing to ask my mom if I'm allowed to go on the internet to check my mail, which I am. Soon, my mom comes up and starts getting indignant 'cause I haven't spoken to my dad since he came in. I'm all like "whoa, big deal, calm down," and she storms out.
Eventually, after I go down to get a drink of water, my dad manages to get annoyed about me still not having said Hi to him all night (as if it'd mean anything at 7:30PM). He starts making speeches. When I try to answer him, he cuts me off, and eventualy just puts on his wireless headphones, connected to the TV and ignores me. My mom, on the other hand, decides to rant on about ME being impolite, disrespectful - when my dad's the one insulting me, and speaking s***, basically.
What the f*** is going on here? I make one small mistake and my dad goes off on one, my mom ostracises me, and I'm told to go in my bedroom and make an appointment with my school counsoler in the morning - WTF is that all about? I'm not the one who needs to speak to someone, they are! Why am I getting told off after they've done worse things than I have? This just isn't fair!
The really bothering thing is that this happens almost regularly, as if my parents can't go for so long without shouting at me and causing family tension - which they blame on me, by the way. After Challenge Day last month, I've done so much to try and stop this, and it still isn't working. They're dead set on ruining my emotional life, it seems! This whole thing just seems like an endless cycle that isn't going to stop until I get the hell out of my home! How am I supposed to put up with them making stuff up about me, and then telling me off for minor stuff that I don't deserve to be told off about?
They go on about my attitude, but their attitudes are causing more problems than my calmness is! They shout at me, treat me like s*** and ignore me, whereas I try to stay calm, and they say that my attitude sucks!
Metaki
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Latest reply: Oct 22, 2002
Hotmail Support Thanx
Posted Oct 15, 2002
I've recently decided to do something about all of that crap that comes in my e-mailbox every morning. Therefore, all of it's been getting bounced to abuse@[serviceprovider].com. I have to say that I'm impressed with the results from Hotmail. Every account that I reported was closed, and I was informed of the results. The support staff were courteous, quick and effective.
In other words, thanks goes to Cynthia at Hotmail Support for her help, and I'm very grateful to MSN for their co-operation 
.
While I'm on a Microsoft-loving note, Windows XP is so much better than Linux. Quick, never crashing, 1337-looking, compatible with all my games... I love Windows XP!
Metaki
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Latest reply: Oct 15, 2002
My Parents and Why I'm Sitting In A Library Typing This At 6:30PM PST
Posted Oct 11, 2002
So... my family life will officially suck for the next few days. My mom got in another one of her Really P***ed Off moods again today, this time over my sister (who is, seriously, the cause of most of the problems in my family) crying because I commited the terrible act of trying to shoot a hoop using her basketball.
I'm now sitting in a library, on a public computer, typing a journal entry on the unjustness of my family, and why I'm moving the hell out of my house when I'm old enough.
My mom promised, yet again, about a week ago to stop doing this. That agreement lasted all of about three days, because she's been shouting, and shouting, and shouting for the last few. She'll get angry over small things (exaggerated by my sister), and shout at me and my brother. When I try and point out that I haven't done the things that my sister's accused me of, she just get worse and says that I'm insensitive (to my sister's put-on crying in the background) and disrespectful (to my mom).
Erm... what? I'm insensitive to a lying, decietful, exaggerating, annoying six-year-old who's been told off by my mom so many times for being lying, decietful, exaggerating and annoying? I'm disrespectful for trying to tell the truth? What is going on here?
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Latest reply: Oct 11, 2002
Backup CDs, FactorSolve 1.0
Posted Oct 10, 2002
I was looking around on my backup CDs today, deciding which one to wipe in preperation for its long-overdue replacement, when I came across a folder marked "QB[ASIC] Projects". Curiously opening it, I found one of my oldest and most useful programming projects, FactorSolve.
When run, FactorSolve asks for a number. It then finds all of the pairs of factors of this number, adds each pair together and subtracts each pair, and optionally highlights a requested number in the results of the latter calculations.
Why would I create something to do that, you ask? Why, to do the boring part of factoring Quadratic Equations: finding the factors.
Say, for example, that I need to factor x^2-2x-35. I tell FS to find the factor pairs of 35 and highlight 2 in the results. It outputs:
...
7x5 SUM 12 SUB 2 (line bolded)
...
Then, all I need to do is figure out the pos/neg signs (easy), and I get (x-7)(x+5)=0. This example may have been easy, but when you get to numbers with loads of factors, it comes in pretty useful...
Anyway, that's today's boring journal entry finished 
. See you again sometime soon...
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Latest reply: Oct 10, 2002
Robert Wall [Undead]
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