h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello.
I can't understand what one should do in order not to have a thread from hootoo appear in the list on the A&Q. Could you tell me, please?

Bye,
Kirsti

Hi Kirsti.

Yes.

Sign in.
Got to your Personal space ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U2282835 )

The topmost panel is 'My Conversations'

At the left end of each entry is an asterisk which is actually the 'remove from my list of conversations' button.
Posting to it again will re-attach it.

There are other quicker ways but I don't know which are dependant on browser options so I offer the one with guarantee.

Cheers
OG

Thank you. May I ask you if you two years ago had another screen name? I remember an Airhead that then disappeared and I wondered if it was you.

Kirsti,

No, Airhead wasn't me.

I've had a few names which are now defunct because I managed to lose or forget one or other of the essentials. Two of those are recognisable variations of this name which are still in the system but I just can't access them.
I posted only rarely on LE boards before DNA and in fact the change to DNA was when I abandoned other names. Remember how we used to have to sign on separately? Lots of members disappeared around then. And lots of good forums have disappeared since or been absorbed into the onion skin or whatever it's called.
May I ask if you are aware of and use Jont and Achilles script?

Thanks for your reply. No, I am a computer consumer knowing next to nothing about - lots of things. So Jont and Achilles script says less to me than FORTRAN - if that was the language for computers in the 60's. When I'm unhappy enough about computers I ask my eldest son for help.

Good night, it's late here.

PS. There's something fishy, as sdg would say. I looked at raneem's list of discussions and there are threads where you as well as she take part, so it's normal that she's in the list. What's strange is that there are discussions in 'all raneem's discussions' where only you take part. On the list it looks as if she took part. Do you understand why? Didn't she ask you to help with her welcome page? Does your computer react in her name for your messages since then?

I haven't looked specifically at the list of which you speak but...

It is possible (and useful) to subscribe to a conversation to which you yourself have not posted.

When one is signed in: At the top and bottom (I think) of the 'discussion' list of any member (and on some other versions of the same information) is a 'subscribe/unsubscribe' button which works in conjunction with the little check box on each individual discussion.

Obviously one must be signed in for this to be available. A big problem with most browsers is that they don't reliably give you the most recent page - instead, you get an old page which doesn't reliably reflect your signed-in/out status. If in doubt, refresh your page.

J & A 's script is a useful little bit of (free) software written specifically to enhance use of these BBC boards but it is designed to work on Firefox and Opera browsers only.

Thank you, Old Goat I have firefox installed on this computer. Maybe I'll try and download the J & A script. Unfortunately there is something badly installed on the computer, it is often cut off, then when I restart they say that I left unexpectedly, would I like to restore the programme...

To show how little I know about computers, I'm not even sure of the meaning of 'refresh' a page.

Well, have a good day, once you are awake.

Good morning.

Refresh a page. Firefox calls it 'Reload current page'. Ctrl+R or 'Reload' from the View Menu - (Alt v r) The tool icon is a blue circular arrow. When you view an Internet page, copies of that page are created in/on various places/computers in the system, including your own hard drive. Later, when you view it again, in certain circumstances, the system will get the most convenient copy which can be, and often is, out of date. 'Refresh' forces a demand to the source to send the current page.

When you say

Do you mean your whole computer or just Firefox? Who is 'they' - your 'Operating System' or Firefox? [I'm guessing that the 'OS' stops working properly, you restart (OR 'reboot') the PC, Firefox asks if you want to 'restore', you say 'yes' and everything is fine until next time.] Try and make note of what you were doing - precisely and in full - when the system failed.

There is a link to the Jont and Achilles script on Jont's home page and there is a link to that, together with some pertinent and useful introductory info on Achilles' home page at U2328687.

I need more

Have a good day!

Hello.

On this computer, running with Linux - is that the Operating System? - I think I have three browsers: firefox, opera, galeon. No matter which one I use, there are interruptions and all that rests is the screen with its icons. The computer is still running, KWord for the word processing is not gone. Often the browsers are cut off when there are interactive possibilities or when there are pictures being displayed.

Do you find my messages too boring without enhancement?

Hello Kirsti.

No, I don't find your messages boring. I'm not sure what you mean by 'enhancement'. Perhaps a reference to J&A script. That for me is the only thing that makes my continued use of the LE board possible. I cannot read the BBC's grunge on grunge screen - I simply can't see the print.

Yes, the OS on your PC is apparently Linux. I've seen a machine using this system but never used one and have no practical knowledge of the system. I know from remark's of Jont from time to time that he has, but that doesn't help me now. I've never used galeon, either. Firefox can be set to restrict pictures and certain other things.

It is clear from your good description that either Firefox is 'stopping running' (or 'it hangs', as they say) or Linux is shutting it down. Is it true that when you are using Firefox it simply disappears from the screen and leaves your'desktop' with the other programs running undisturbed? Or does the Firefox screen freeze?

The desktop remains, the word processor sheet remains and everything that comes from Internet is cut.

Yes, I think you wrote that the A & J script enhanced things. Do you mean that you can't see very well? There was someone who gave an advice on the communication page. On some web pages you can make what is written bigger or smaller by pressing Ctrl and rolling the middle wheel in the mouse. I know all mice don't have a middle wheel.

See you later,
Kirsti

Hello again.

That everything continues except the Internet is good information. A few more questions and answers will probably allow a knowledgeable individual to identify clearly what would be your best next move. But that isn't me, unfortunately. Still, it's my nature to try and find out, which means I'll ask people.

Thanks for trying to help with the screen visibility thing. No, it isn't the size which makes life difficult it is the, to my eyes, poor contrast. J&A script allows me to select whatever colour I want for the text and whatever colour I want for the background. Also a score of other useful amenities which, while not so fundamentally essential to me, have endeared themselves.

(For those who have no mouse wheel, keyboard Ctrl+ and Ctrl- should give similar results.)

Have a nice day
OG

Hi again.

Thank you for your answer. Don't worry. I think my son OUGHT TO be able to mend things id really he tried. He has got IT education.

Unfortunately he's not very motivated to make things I and not he needs working. Some months ago I can't listen to any BBC lessons, neither on this computer that has been put up for me, mainly, neither on his computer.

If you go to my personal page you can see that I have two pictures on it. I couldn't 'send' it from this computer, each time I wanted to fix it, the computer changed from the kind of script (I don't remember, four letters? GMT???) needed for the pictures to normal text. So I changed computer and there they are, my pictures. I hadn't wanted them to be in the middle. I'm sure there is a way of making the computer understand 'right', 'left' or 'middle' but I am going to get used to the centred pictures so I'll not bother my mind with placing pictures for the moment.

When I saw your picture I couldn't help laughing. You look rather like my, husband. No other picture from the picture library would suit him as well as this one. What else than a beard can one expect from an Old Goat?

Bye for now,
Kirsti

Hi.

I never worry about problems like that. But they do stay there, forever as far as I can tell, until they are given answers!

Re the two pictures position. They are there because the Guide MarkupLanguage (GML) script which determines the page includes (in two places, one for each picture) the words:

EMBED="CENTER" BLOB

(Notice in passing that is the US spelling). Delete 'CENTER' insert 'LEFT' or 'RIGHT' as required.

Don't forget what I said about refreshing the page! When you have changed the script and 'updated' or whatever the term is, if you don't see the new changes as expected, do NOT conclude you made a mistake. Refresh the page. THEN, if it still isn't what you expected, put it right.

My friends tell me the picture is perfect likeness of me. (I don't tell them that I have an actual photo of myself taken about thirty years ago and lacking only the red satchel! Wild hair, beard, the whole nine yards; just different hat and footwear. )

Taraa

Ta.

What does 'Taraa' mean? Obviously a greeting at the end of a message.

Ta-ta.

Hello!

Taraa is what people say in some parts of England. A modification, or slurred version, of the ta-ta you used. I've seen it spelt different ways. My cousin used to say 'Trah' or 'Turaah' but then she used to say 'goo' for 'go'.
I've no idea of what it might mean, but then, the ta-ta origin is itself unknown. I know that came from 'babytalk' but that doesn't help me much.

Bye!

Hi. I've just changed my space a little. I seemingly have to use this computer, which is not the Linux one. My space is now written in big sized letters but it's possible it's difficult to read due to the colours that might not contrast enough for you.

See you!

Good morning!

That's impressive! I particularly like the multi-hued 'welcome'! I looked at your script to see if you'd found a less laborious way than I know to do this!

I looked at it also in the so-called skins - 'alabaster' (not particularly impressed) and 'classic goo' which I quite liked. The easiest way for you to view it this way is to be logged in and select from the 'My Preferences' menu at the side of your 'My Space'. I particularly like your Dragon on the ink-pot against the rich blue background of 'goo' - the shadow is retained but is drawn into the picture to make it part of the whole.

I suspect might be using the 'Internet Explorer' browser which is known to be more convenient in GuideML. One day the mess made by Microsoft's mad rush for market domination (not totally a bad thing) will be behind us. Regardless, I hope it works well and reliably for you.

Incidentally, your text uses the word 'to' in 'to reduce' but it shouldn't be there.

Evening.
I hadn't seen your reply. Probably because I unsubscribed !

The Linux computer occasionally also completely turns off, the whole computer. One can't make it work straight after that cut off, one has to wait, and then there's no problem.

I'll go and take away the 'to'.

Have a good evening.