Stupid Questions

[Exa Inova]

I could be completely barking up the wrong tree here.

question is...do you bite?

[Paxter]

I think so too - it wasn't the person being stupid, it was the organization that put out its forms in such a way that they need to be printed and yet needs to recieve them by email. (where they are probably printed out again, becuase what are you going to do with information on a bunch of image files?) Even if you don't have the technical resources and know how to put up an electronic form, just put up a bloody .doc file. How hard is that?

Heh. OK, I'll come clean - the truth is that I actually did this for my Worldcon/Aussiecon membership application. They recently changed to online applications, but at the time when I applied they just had a link to a form in PDF format (rather than a .doc) and an e-mail address...so you know the story - print, fill-out, scan, e-mail :P

[Datepalm]

Heh. OK, I'll come clean - the truth is that I actually did this for my Worldcon/Aussiecon membership application. They recently changed to online applications, but at the time when I applied they just had a link to a form in PDF format (rather than a .doc) and an e-mail address...so you know the story - print, fill-out, scan, e-mail :P

I am disappointed in Worldcon. These people called themselves geeks? End the tyranny of freaking paper. Save a rainforest or make more furniture or something - stop printing out things you will just enter into a computer again. This really drives me crazy any time I run across it. I hate printing and scanning, nevermind both. I've called more than once to ask/demand to just send the information by mail.

Don't get me started on - large - organizations that still want to be bloody faxed.

[Tobin]

So they didn't build typable form fields into the .PDF?

I could see that being a pain if the form got updated all the time, but still...

[MinDonner]

.doc files are often frowned upon because you need Microsoft Word in order to open them, so it's potentially discriminatory. On the other hand, it's not exactly difficult to save them as .rtf instead. :dunno:

[felice]

Though annoyingly OpenOffice actually seems to handle .doc better than .rtf!

[Aeovuri]

Re: forms, I just use a pdf editor unless they've locked it, which is rare for forms they let you email back, if it's locked I often answer the questions in a rtf document. However this hits a snag when these forms need a signature.

[litechick]

OK, I have a strict 'no kittens on the keyboard' policy but enforcement is sadly impotent. The other day a kitten stepped on my keyboard and suddenly my font has changed. Everything looks weird and a little smaller.

Is there some magical button on my keyboard which has this power or does the kitten have weird savant-like IT powers?

[The Dude]

OK, I have a strict 'no kittens on the keyboard' policy but enforcement is sadly impotent. The other day a kitten stepped on my keyboard and suddenly my font has changed. Everything looks weird and a little smaller.

Is there some magical button on my keyboard which has this power or does the kitten have weird savant-like IT powers?

Try pressing Control + mouse wheel scroll to zoom/unzoom. That will change the size, at least.

[Crazydog7]

Does inexperience count? The best one I ever got from my Summer Camp days was "Mr. Jon, how long is rest hour?"

Granted the kid was 7.

[Datepalm]

The forum has no less than 72 smileys.

Some, obviously, it would be entirely impossible to communicate without:

:smileysex::fencing::leaving::commie::tantrum:

but does anyone ever use:

:mellow::o:excl:?

and whats the difference between:

:unsure::ohwell:<_< anyway?

[Lord O' Bones]

um.. Stupid question about Batteries.

If batteries are stored in a cool, dark, dry place and are still within their use by date. What could cause them to lose charge prior to any use?

Assuming you mean alkaline batteries, there are three possibilities:

1. Manufacturer defect.

2. The manufacturer lied about or accidentally mislabeled the "use by" date.

3. You did something weird like wrapping them in aluminum foil before storing them.

[litechick]

Try pressing Control + mouse wheel scroll to zoom/unzoom. That will change the size, at least.

Thank you! :)

That is a handy bit of information. One may surmise that if the kitten had one foot on Control and the other on down arrow, it would explain my dilemma. I feel so much better.

[Hereward]

and whats the difference between:

:unsure::ohwell:<_< anyway?

They'll pry :unsure: from my cold, dead keyboard.

[mcbigski]

Why don't airlines keep their planes pressurized at ground level pressure? I suspect they lower the pressure to make us lethargic and docile, but is it really that much more expensive to keep the cabin fully pressurized at 1 atm?

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

Why don't airlines keep their planes pressurized at ground level pressure? I suspect they lower the pressure to make us lethargic and docile, but is it really that much more expensive to keep the cabin fully pressurized at 1 atm?

It's not that it's expensive, necessarily, but that the structure of the plane itself (as currently built) has limits. Building stronger structures would probably be heavier, and -yes- more expensive.

Most of the pressure differentials I've found tend to be between 8 and 9 psi, so that puts a limit on how "low-altitude" the cabin can be.

[Tobin]

Is keeping my batteries in the freezer really that odd?

[a wooden chair]

Is keeping my batteries in the freezer really that odd?

According to Green Batteries..

Putting batteries in the freezer or refrigerator doesn't necessarily prolong their life Alkaline batteries stored at "room temperature" self discharge at a rate of less than two percent per year. So normally refrigerating or freezing them will only help maintain their charge by a tiny amount. Hardly worth the effort of chilling them. However, if alkaline batteries are stored at higher temperatures they will start to lose capacity much quicker. At 85 degrees F they only lose about 5% per year, but at 100 degrees they lose 25% per year. So if you live in a very hot climate or are storing your batteries in a very hot location, it may be worthwhile for you to store your alkaline batteries in a refrigerator instead.

NiMH and NiCd batteries self discharge at a MUCH faster rate than alkaline batteries. In fact, at "room temperature" (about 70 degrees F) NiMH and NiCD batteries will self discharge a few percent PER DAY. Storing them at lower temperatures will slow their self discharge rate dramatically. NiMH batteries stored at freezing will retain over 90% of their charge for full month. So it might make sense to store them in a freezer. If you do, it's best to bring them back to room temperature before using them. Even if you don't freeze your NiMH batteries after charging them, you should store them in a cool place to minimize their self discharge.

If you live in Death Valley I'd say it's not weird to freeze your Alkalines.

[koudoulis]

question:

how many batteries do you people have, that you ve got to store them or years?

i ask because i have about three spare batteries lying somewhere around and if i need them i ll probably go buy some new ones because i ve no fuckin clue where i strategically hided stored them

[Tobin]

question:

how many batteries do you people have, that you ve got to store them or years?

i ask because i have about three spare batteries lying somewhere around and if i need them i ll probably go buy some new ones because i ve no fuckin clue where i strategically hided stored them

I usually keep a pack of 6 or more AAs at any given time.

This is mostly because, like an old married couple, my keyboard and mouse tend to die together - right in the middle of combat.

Cs? I wish I kept them - my cordless radio has been dead for years because I forget to get new batteries.

9vlts? do people still use these?

Watch batteries? piss off - I refuse to buy anything that needs them, they tend to be as expensive as buying a brand new watch.