C&T Tech Discussion Rules and Guidlines!

[Twistex]

Welcome to the C&T Tech-Talk forum. Here, you're free to discuss technology of any kind, so have fun. Remember, if you have a computer problem, go to the main C&T forum for answers.

saint

This forum is kinda like Project Mayhem, you know? Fight Club?

"The first rule of C&T tech-talk is:

You do not ask questions!"

For Done to Death topics, see Slutty_Eddies Post, or click here.
Done to Death topics contains useful information and links to Adware removers. If you need help with Spyware on your computer, look there.


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General rules/Guidelines for a clean, nice forum!

Read the stickies. All of them. Before you post any thread. NOW. If you create a mirror thread to one of the stickies, it will be deleted.

Keep the language clean.

Try and keep the Flamethrowers holstered. Topics that dissolve into flamewars WILL be deleted.

Try and use proper grammar, and proper spelling. This will make your posts easier to read and understand.

If defending a point in a debate, use facts to back your opinion. Opinions are not facts, and are not considered valid.

Keep in mind, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Debate, not Convert.

Do not make "clone posts", or repeat threads. Before starting a new thread, check the Done to death list, around the first page, and maybe part of the second, for threads about the same thing. This helps keep down clutter. This is getting to be a hassle, so I'm being less leniant with it.

Do not request Warez, Anime, or anything that is illegal to download in the U.S. This is against Gaia policy, and will not be tolerated. We are not your link to underground/illegal files. This is a bannable offense.

Do not pimp your Forum/website/game dev. team here. It's allright to ask for opinions, but let's keep it reasonable. Gaia is not your free advertising service.

Do not create "I hate this" posts or threads. These only lead to flamewars and deleted posts/threads. You are all entitled to your opinions, but we don't have to, or want to hear them. Whether it be a certain software or hardware or computer company. Please respect others decision to use this, and do not disrespect them because of this. Actions like this will not be tolerated.

Gaia does not support nor tolerate hacking. General discussion of hacking is fine, but this is not the place to teach, learn, or ask for help about hacking. Threads of this nature will be deleted, and repeat offenders will be warned. We will not teach you!

Threads that dissolve into spam, or pointless conversation will be removed. Other than the certified "C&T regulars chat", since there is more to us than computers. Feel free to hold a conversation there.

This is a slow moving forum, you do not need to bump in here. Don't bump, your topic isn't going anywhere for a few hours. Got it?

DO NOT SPAM IN THE STICKIES!

DO NOT FLAME IN THE STICKIES!

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Slutty_Eddie

A few gaians have gone back into our archives and brought back threads that have been dead for ages. This practice is called necroing.

Although Gaia has no specific rule against it, use my general rule...

Say you have something to say about a post, and the last person in the posted 2 weeks ago. If your post would warrant a new thread on its own, then its ok, necro it. If you were going to start a thread like the old thread anyways, necro it.

If you want to say w00t about a topic, or tell gaians about a vague time that something almost kinda happened...Don't.

C&T is a slow moving forum. By necroing topics to babble randomly, you are simply pushing down people who might currently need help or other current topics.

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Druidic Dream

When posting statistics or system specifications (such as the capabilities of a new video card, processor, memory standard, etc.), check, double-check, and triple-check to make sure you have the facts straight. This way there will be no "but I thought that was only a 16-bit pipeline!" or "no, that can only address x of y, not z of y" and the inevitable flamewars to follow.

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Kiretsu

This is not a Mod-x help board. Mod-x, according to their own rules, is to be done on your own. It's your code, you need to decode it. Not us, not your friend, not your brothers step son in laws childs nephew's aunt's cousin on your fathers side. You.

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Current Helpers:

Kiretsu
Slutty_Eddie
Faralan (Thanks for the new layout on DTD! Looks great!)

[Slutty_Eddie]

<center>Done to Death FAQ
I guess since certain topics have already been discussed to death, we should have a FAQ for them, so we don't have to repeat ourselves all the time sweatdrop
If you make one of these topics, chances are we'll flame you, and shove you toward here. Since you didn't comply with the sticky, we reserve that right.
If you have any suggestions to what could be added, please post them in this thread. 3nodding

If you have a question that isn't covered here, feel free to post it. Read Kiretsu's FAQ before doing so, however.

This might also be something to read, too.It's geared toward Unix, and is quite lengthy, so it might be something to read in your spare time, like when you're waiting for us to answer. wink It will help you sound smarter when asking questions, and would probably make it easier for people (not just us) to help you.

Forbidden Subjects</center>
Software

• I want to test your skills as computer people! Here's a random and pointless challenge!
  
  • This covers a wide range of topics. Mainly topics like "Try to figure this out! I already know how, I just want to see if you do.". Chances are, if you do, then so do we, and we've seen it countless times. If you want to discuss it (how it works, etc), then that's fine. Just be reasonable, please.
    

• I'll help you with computer problems for gold!
  
  • Please don't. Visit C&T regularly and become a member of our community. It's much more enjoyable then giving iffy answers to hard problems you know nothing about or could have been answered better by other gaians.
    
  
  
  
• What Computer Language should I learn?
  
  • Here's a good guide to help you.
    
  
  
• Browsers
  
  • What browser do you use?
    
  • What browser is best?
    
  • What browser should I use? For this, I recommend that you google for browsers to try out. Notable ones are: MyIE2, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Avant Browser, and Safari.)
    
  
  
• $OperatingSystem1 vs. $OperatingSystem2
  
  • Windows has more software and games, Macintosh is better suited towards computer graphics, music, and video, and Linux has more features suited for power users.
    
  • "Better" is subjective, and it's a personal preference. Nothing has been proven from these topics, besides ignorance. These topics are frowned upon.
    
  • No Windows Verson X vs. Windows Verson Y
    
  
  
• OpenGL vs. DirectX
  
  • You're really comparing OpenGL to Direct3D. DirectX is Microsoft's application programming interface (API) for developing games and multimedia applications for Windows. It gives programmers access to the hardware while hiding specific hardware details. There are six components, including Direct3D for 3-D imaging, DirectDraw for 2-D, and, starting with DirectX 8, DirectVoice for communicating with other players during online game play.
    
  • Basically, Direct3D is limited to Windows, and OpenGL is cross-platform. The differences in speed and display are negligible. Direct3D is owned by Microsoft and OpenGL is owned by the ARB.
    
  
  
• What peer-to-peer application do you use? Thanks to (/dev/fox)
  
  • There are a number of peer-to-peer applications that are popular. There's KaZaA which is probably the most popular, but it's official client is laden with adware and spyware and is monitored by the RIAA (but that shouldn't be a problem if you aren't illegally downloading.. *nudge*).
    
  • There's also SoulSeek, eDonkey, BitTorrent and many other similar programs.
    
  • Some popular Linux P2P programs are Gtk-Gnutella, and giFT.
    
  • Other ways some people perfer to get files is the old-fashioned way: via IRC, newsgroups, or private ftps.
    
  
  
  
• How to screen capture a movie / Anime
  Link to Tutorial Here
  
  
• Some useful software:
  Free, unless noted otherwise.
  
  • Gif animation software
    1.) Microsoft GIF Animator; crappy, but free.
    2.) Ulead GIF Animator; Good program, with 15 day trial.
    3.) CoffeeCup GIF Animator; 15 day trial, easy to use.
    4.) UnfreezCombines many gif into a single animated gif.
    5.) Macromedia Flash; can export flash animations as gifs.
    6.) List of other possible software from about.com.
    
  • Paint programs
    1.) MSPaint (Start -> Run -> mspaint)
    2.) Pixia
    3.) The GIMP
    4.) OpenCanvas 1.1; (Old, free version)
    5.) OpenCanvas - $70
    6.) Jasc Paint Shop Pro - $100
    7.) Fireworks MX 2004 - $300
    8.) Adobe© Photoshop© - $600
    
  • Virus Scanners
    1.) Panda Scan - Online scan
    2.) McAfee Freescan - Online scan
    3.) Trend Micro's Housecall - Online scan
    4.) AVG AntiVirus Suite
    5.) AntiVir Personal Edition suite
    6.) Avast! - Free for home users.
    7.) Norton AntiVirus 2004 - $50
    
    
  • Spyware Scanners
    1.)AdAware
    2.)Spybot: Search and Destroy
    3.)CW:Shredder. Just for CoolWebSearch
    4.)Varous one shot spyware detectors.
    5.)Hijack This!. Hijack this! is a last resort tool for removing spyware. This is quite dangrous and should only be used by experienced users and by people being helped by experienced users.
    
    
  • HTML Editors
    1.) Macromedia Dreamweaver - WYSIWYG editor, as well as hand-coding
    2.) Microsoft Frontpage - WYSIWYG editor
    3.) CoffeeCup
    4.) Arachnophilia
    5.) TextPad
    6.) Crimson Editor
    7.) VIM
    8.) Bluefish - Linux only
    9.) Other simple text editors include edit.com, notepad, wordpad, emacs and pico.
    
  
  

Hardware

• Dream machine
  
  • What is your dream machine?
    
  • If you had $MONETARYAMOUNT, what computer would you get/build?
    
  
  
• What are the specs on your computer?
  
  • Video card, CPU speed, everything belongs in the sticky. This includes benchmarks, like PCMark, and bogomips(cat /proc/cpuinfo on *NIX systems)
    
  
  
• What kind of $HARDWARE should I get?
  
  • Most opinions are gleemed off of Tom's Hardware Guide, so check there first. Then use google.
    
  
  
  
• Build, Buy or Upgrade?
  
  • Building or Upgrading is always cheaper, as long as your time is worthless. If you have no time, buying is always a good choice.
  
  
  
• ATI vs. NVidia
  
  • Again, read Tom's Hardware Guide first. NVidia tends to have a much higher quality card then ATI, which comes at a much higher cost. Price per feature, ATI wins hands down.
    
    
  
  
• Intel vs. AMD
  
  • Each chip has its advantages and disadvantages. Intel has hyperthreading, AMD makes 64-bit chips and they're easier to overclock, I've heard. Intel is ready to release a 64-bit for the home market, so whenever someone gets a decient benchmark on it, it'll be fair game.
    
  
  
• Alienware
  
  • Alienware overclocks your entire computer while not voiding your warranty. Anyone and their sister can build a computer much cheaper, but only mildly experienced overclockers can build a computer better. They have wierd/cool cases, which is what you're spending the extra grand on.
    
  
  
• Internet connection
  
  • If you're looking for a good ISP, check here, for broadband. After you do that, google. You might want to discuss this with other people in your area as well. There's not really much we can help you with here, as experiences differ with location, and it's highly doubtful there's anyone living near you here. Just, don't get AOL. biggrin
    
  • If you want to show off your speed/compare with others, go here. Not here.
    
  • For anything else, go there first if it's broadband. Then come here.
    
  
  
• Desktops vs. Laptop
  
  • Desktops are generally more powerful, and easier to customize/replace hardware. This comes at a loss for mobility, which are what laptops are for.
    
  
  
• Tablets
  
  • There are two types of Wacom tablets: the Intuos2 and the Graphire. The Graphire is the cheaper one, so if you're starting out, you can get that. http://www.wacom.com/graphire/index.cfm
    
  
  
• iPods
  
  • What do you think of iPods?
    iPods are not cheap, however they are a decent piece of hardware. Lots of MP3 players match or equal some part of the iPod's design, however, there are very few players that have all the features the iPod offers. If you have lots of CDs and some money to spend, an iPod is great. If you are broke, a $30 dollar mp3 CD player and a lot of CD-RWs works reasonably well.
    
    
  • iPod's battery
    The iPod's battery is built in and is expensive to replace. As of 1/07/04, the costs are $50 for do it yourself 3rd party battery, $70 for 3rd party service and $109 for an official Apple service. On every iPod except the first generation, the battery lasts a long time. The expected life span is 500+ charges, which when compared to the price of 1000 AA batteries, is a bit cheaper.
    iPod battery FAQ
    
    
  • iPod mini
    The new iPod mini, which costs $250 and has a 4GB hard drive and comes in 5 different colors. Official web site.
    
  
  

Computer problems

• Signatures, BBCode, general Gaia help
  
  • These types of questions would better be put in the Questions & Feedback forum. Their sticky will answer a lot of your questions.
    
  • How to make a random sig
    
  
  
• I feel like making a post where I help people with computer problems.
  
  • Please don't. Instead, visit C&T regularly and scan for people who are already asking for help. Read Kiretsu's FAQ above and try to become a member of the community. It's much more enjoyable than trying to give iffy answers about hard problems you know nothing about or could have been answered better by other gaians. If you like to sell your services, that belongs in the exchange.
    
  
  
• Why does IE only allow me to save images as .bmp files? Thanks to (/dev/fox)
  
  • This problem is usually caused by Internet Explorer's cache either being full or corrupted. The easiest way to fix this is to clear your cache by selecting Tools->Internet Options and pressing the "Delete Files" button on the Internet Options dialog box. If that doesn't work, there are some other possible workarounds that are discussed at this Microsoft Knowledge Base article.
    
  
  
• What is a bot? and what is botting?
  
  • A bot is short for robot. It is a script or program that runs pretending to be a user. A bot could post messages on Gaia for gold, play EQ while you're away or attempt to chat with other humans. In AIM: <a href="aim:addbuddy?screenname=VaVaVirgil">VaVaVirgil</a> is an example of a chatterbot, that will attempt to talk you out of smoking. Most places, including Gaia, do not permit bots. In fact, you will be banned.
    
  • Botting is the act of using a bot.
    
    
  
  
• Help! My Video doesn't work but I can hear audio!
  
• My audio works but I can't see the video!
  
• My software is complaining about a missing codecs?
  
  • You don't have the appropriate video codec installed on your machine. If the video is relatively recent then it's more than likely encoded using DivX.
    Windows users have a few options, here are some of them:
    
    • Install the latest DivX codec from http://www.divx.com or,
      
    • Install Xvid (free, opensource MPEG4 implementation) from http://www.divx-digest.com/software/xvid.html
      
    • Install ffdshow, A windows directshow filter utilising the ffmpeg codecs. (for advanced users)
      
    • Install the videoLAN Media Player, a free player that also uses the ffmpeg codecs. It can play practically anything, including DVDs and uses far less CPU power than the "official" Divx Player / CODEC.
      Linux users should probably use mplayer or VideoLAN.
      

• Are you a Geek?
  
  • Sorry, only the most popular cheerleaders and football players hang around gaia and talk about computers. NERD!
    

Internet

• Website rating
  
  • As said above, asking others to rate your website is fine, as long as you aren't blatantly advertising it. Before you do this, though, run it through a few of the validators below.
    
  
  
• HTML Validators
  
  • These validators do numerous things, ranging from making sure your code is compliant with web standards, to checking to see that your page is accessible for people with disabilities.
    
  
  
• Free webhosting
  
  • Freewebs 100 megs, more avalible for purchase. Chat, webboard, guestbook. WYSIWYG Editor.
    
  • Fateback 60 Megs, Unlimited Transfer, email FTP
    
  • Brinkster 30 MB, 500MB / month transfer.
    
  • Think-not Designed for artists. 100 megs of space, email and offsite linking.
    
  • 1ASPHost.com 100 MB, unlimited bandwidth, ASP, Access, Shockwave. It is run on windows, so it's less reliable than other free servers. Also doesn't allow off-site linking.
    
  • 100 Megs Free 100 megs, FTP, email, forum, guestbook.
    
  • Lycos 50MB. Hourly transfer rate.
    
  
  
• Paid webhosting
  
  • Cold Steel Designs Offsite linking. 25MB space, 500MB Bandwidth, $2/mo. PHP, MySQL, unlimited subdomains, unlimted emails.(more plans avalible)
    
  • Surpass Hosting Offsight linking. 525MB, 15GB/ month. $5/month. PHP, MySQL.
    
  • Angelfire Offsite linking $25/year.
    
  • Espinada Offsite linking, Unlimited Bandwidth, $25 a year.
    
  • yHosty $42/year 200mg. 3 GB/month. unlimited MySQL, ftp and subdomains. ssh, php, perl.
    

Free image hosting

• Photobucket 100MB, 2.5GB/month
  
• UploadIt.org Premium accounts avalible for $8.50 a year.
  

Domain Registrars

• Godaddy.com Highly recommended
  
• Web.com
  
• Idotz.net
  
• Namecheap.com
  
• Ev1servers.net
  
• Htsnet.com (This is a business class registry, so it's a bit more expensive)
  

Miscellaneous

• I have a joke!
  
  • Post it here. I heart computer jokes.
    
  
  
• Hacking
  
  • Have you been hacked?
    
  • Are you a hacker?
    
  • What do you think of hackers? (The general consensus follows these definitions: hackers, crackers, and script kiddies. End of discussion. biggrin )
    
  • How to become a hacker.
    
  
  
• Post an image of your desktop?
  
  • Not much needs to be said here biggrin
    
  
  
• Goatse
  
  • Goatse is dead! Not really. The .cx domain was just a redirect. There are also a few sites that mirror goatse.
    
  • Sites discussing Goatse (and the others - you know what they are) are generally not welcomed, and the pictures are not to be posted anywhere on Gaia(as a link or through img tags), or you will be smited. Hard.
    
  
  
• Crash Differently
  
  • It is a guy in jeans, a gray shirt with a blue collar, making fun of Macs. Starts, "Editing is all mac baised...". We've all seen it.
    
  
  
• Xanga
  
  • Yes, we know it's cool. Don't post it.
    
  • They have a ton of skins on their website, so check through there first, if that's what you want.
    
  
  

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(Thanks faralen for the great new layout! You did a lot of work on this, and I'm very greatful. And hopefully a lot of n00bs are as well)