RISC OS Awards 2017 - discussion before finalising poll
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
Doing things in a slightly different order than I said I would… the options now look like this: Best commercial software
Note: I mentioned above the suggestion of putting RiscOSM in again, in place of Impact, but nobody’s made any further comment. Personally, I’d rather keep Impact because RiscOSM has been in the polls for a couple of years. Best Non-commercial software
Note: A couple of other options were mentioned above, and I suggested if PhShpLyrs goes in it could replace DplngScan – but again no further comments. I may just do a coin flip on this tomorrow; heads DplngScan, tails PhShpLyrs. (One of the other possibilities is now in another category). Best game or diversion
Note: Protector has replaced Mop Tops because the latter was actually released in 2016 (noted above) Best hardware
Best solution for backwards compatibility
Best new development
Notes:
Best show of initiative
Best website or online resource
Best publication or offline resource
Best foreign language resource
Note: Literally added the last two as I type this post to fill the category – I assume GAG News must be in German, and I’m pretty sure the French issue of Frobnicate was in French. ;) Best show or event
Most innovative or interesting project
Note: added the biggest portable as noted above – and when I glanced at the thread I noticed Raik had linked to another thread, started by Chris, about his very small one (ooer). Technically that’s his GPS unit, which was included in that context this year, but I thought it worth adding in the smallest portable context this year to compete with Raik’s item. Incidentally – what’s Raik’s last name? I want to say “Fischer” but I’m not sure if I’m right. Broken cog
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Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
The draft form is now up – and wasn’t that fun. I noted that the text for the RISC OS Developments entry was probably too long. It was, but not (or not only) for the reason I suggested. That entry, along with a few others spill over two lines which looks a little untidy – more so in the case of that particular entry because the main text is used to build the link. That’s what I expected, and TBH it’s not the end of the world. The other problem was that I’d forgotten I’d used BASIC to knock together the program to generate the form. As the lines are built up to produce the form, some of them – starting with that one – exceeded BASIC’s limit for string variables. D’oh! My choices were either rewrite the program to get around it, or cheat – so I cheated. I shortened the text, then edited the longer text back into the HTML. There were also a couple of other small issues with the program – result of it being the first use last year, second use this year (eg 2016 being embedded in the templates). Now that I’m satisfied it works year on year, I can think about writing a proper version in C at some point. Anyroaduplike, take a peek at the form, point out any other silly things I’ve missed or cocked up, and hopefully I can make it live this evening. |
Rick Murray (539) 13406 posts |
Looks good, except… Question 15: No (please move on to question 14) – should perhaps be Q19? As mentioned last year, I think the “Other systems” should be a tick box. In this modern age, the choice is no longer between RISC OS and another box. I am writing this on an iPad, I used my Android phone this morning. I will soon fire up the PC to download something (disc space!), and if it rains, probably go back to Android to watch animé or write something. As such, multiple tick boxes on the “other” make more sense these days than radio buttons.
Now then… just put a tick box for Jeffrey Lee and save us having to write it out, m’kay? ;-) |
John Williams (567) 768 posts |
You didn’t use WebChange? |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
Rick:
Oops. Fixed that – in both the HTML file that’s online, and the template files, to avoid a repetition next year!
And as I said in reply (probably – can’t be bothered to check) the question is about which one you use most. The question does ask “…do you use most?” – but I’ve now added a note to emphasise that point. If I made it a multiple tick option, it creates other complications: Logically, the next two questions would have to be repeated for each OS used – which means presenting the form in a totally different way. Ideally each question presented on its own page, with the code behind it dealing with asking each of those questions for each OS selected. Unless I add in an extra question – a variation. One allowing multiple selections, asking which other systemS do you use, followed by the questions as they are asking for those specifics about the one you use most.
Done. ;) (I’ve made the field name ‘JeffreyWins’ as well!) Note to self: Don’t forget to put it back how it was before voting is enabled! John:
No. The existing script language wouldn’t cut the mustard for this. At the very least, it would need a way to process a file on a line by line basis at the script level, so that it can act on directives within the file. The current script language is far too limited for that. Rewriting the script language is something I’ve long wanted to do, though (primarily to make it less horrid/ugly, but also to make it just generally better and more capable) With that in mind, one of my goals for it should be that the end result would be able to cope with something like this. |
Rick Murray (539) 13406 posts |
ROOL’s forum is being a bit flakey today. This is my third try. Good work on the Jeffreyfication. Best just to leave it like that, eh? Something new though. Part 1 is now narrower than Part 2. NetSurf (RISC OS) and Firefox (Android). |
Steve Pampling (1551) 7932 posts |
Spend not spent. Oh and I think that Fred Graute ought to be listed for the update and release of Transient with TrapDelete module. Slightly more unusual than another time/clock utility. |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
Rick:
Yes – and on Palemoon (Linux). A quick glance suggests it’s probably where I’ve twiddled the Jeffrey Lee option in – looks like a spurious closing div. That’ll fix itself when I reverse that silliness. I also need to double check it validates before going live – my code doesn’t deal with entities, and I think there are some that need to be dealt with in the CSV file. eg the search term for S&P Hat springs to mind. Steve:
Ta – I’ll fix that later.
Ahem. WAY to leave a suggestion until the last possible minute! :( However, a quick search on RISCOSitory shows no mention of this – and Fred does send announcements my way. Looking on the StrongED site, I can see a test release, rather than an official one, dated 15th October, 2016. I’m sticking with MiniTime. When Transient + TrapDelete gets an official release, it can be a contender for that year’s poll. |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
Okay – the voting form is now live, with the new improved other platform set up: a question asking to list all those you use, followed by the set asking about the ONE you use most. I haven’t modified the site’s front page to direct people to the form yet – I’ll do that and formally announce the poll either tomorrow or (more likely) Tuesday. Glancing at the calendar, a two month window for voting looks like a good fit; I can then hopefully process the results of the awards poll during the second bank holiday in May, and add the survey results to the queue of survey results that I have yet to process. ;) Note to self for next year: I modified the output files directly to add in the new question etc, so I mustn’t forget to modify the templates before setting everything up again! (Ideally, I’ll rewrite the program that sets it all up in C, and if so I’ll revisit the template files at the same time.) |
Timothy Baldwin (184) 242 posts |
It also has an intermittent IPv6 PTUMD blackhole. Test results from https://wand.net.nz/pmtud/webserver.php:
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Chris Mahoney (1684) 2100 posts |
The link “S&P HAT” is getting confused by the & and is searching for just “S”. |
Timothy Baldwin (184) 242 posts |
The links to my Linux Port aren’t helpful, the first one is broken, the second is a link to a list show reports, it not apparent the discussion of the Linux Port is in the Wakefield show report. |
Bryan Hogan (339) 563 posts |
Rather than having “RPCemu ported to RISC OS”, how about having “RPCemu ported to use Qt library”? That is what has made it more easily portable to other systems with a consistent user interface. IIRC when I asked Chris Gransden about it he said all he did was feed the RPCemu source into the riscos.info autobuilder and out popped a RISC OS version! |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
Chris: Yes, that’s b0rked – even typing it into the search box on RISCOSitory. Now fixed to be a direct link. Timothy: Not sure what happened with the links – I should have included a direct link to the Wakefield report, but in the case of the broken one, that’s weird. The program wouldn’t have generated that (it doesn’t know anything about the domain), so I must have done it manually and had a brain fart. Now fixed. As for the IPv6 issue – that’ll be down to the hosting company. Again, when I’m not running late, I’ll run that test a few times (and for a few domains they host for me) and forward the results to them. Bryan: Grr – your timing sucks! This thread has had that option since 3rd February! Unless anything has changed since I checked mail, though, I can see nobody has voted for it. Given that and the fact that I haven’t announced the poll yet, I’ve reworded it. |
Jeff Doggett (257) 231 posts |
I regularly use a “real” unix system – not linux, so can only tick the ‘other’ box for this! |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
So you’d like a UNIX option for next year, then? I’ll modify the template files when I’m home. The internet connection where I am is terrible – lots of things time out rather than complete. :( Edit: But this posted pretty sharpish, so perhaps it’s improving! \o/ |
Rick Murray (539) 13406 posts |
Gender: Don’t want to say, Male, Female, OTHER. What’s Other? “I identify as a kitten?” |
Rick Murray (539) 13406 posts |
I think having a split between Unix/Linux could get messy. Should we have options for *bsd? Maybe, since they are functionally similar, it could be “POSIX compliant (Unix, Linux… (but not Android))”? The OS tick boxes are good though. It should give a better overall representation of what people actually use, rather than limiting it to “the one most used”. |
Steve Pampling (1551) 7932 posts |
I know it’s late, but can I suggest you change the post-voting page? The results will be counted up in late February, and published shortly thereafter – look out for an announcement on RISCOSitory! " Justification for suggestion: We already know the result of 2016 and waiting until February 2019 for the current voting outcome is probably a bit too much for most people :) Justification for late suggestion of this: Didn’t see the page until after voting. |
John Williams (567) 768 posts |
Sounds like a job for PHP – do it once, have it right for ever! |
Steve Pampling (1551) 7932 posts |
Why over complicate? |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
Jeff: Going back to your UNIX point: I suspect the number of people who use UNIX by choice as well as RISC OS is going to be very small, so it’s probably not worth an option on its own. However, what I could do is add a text field after ‘Other’ so you can specify what the ‘Other’ is. Rick: The ‘other’ option for gender is the easiest way to be poly tickle-able correct. (Though, being politically incorrect, there’s a part of me that thinks some people these days make up new gender terms for themselves just to be different.) Steve: That’s not a late suggestion. That’s pointing out yet another oversight on my part! I’ll fix that shortly. :) |
Rick Murray (539) 13406 posts |
I’m just not interested in you-know-what (I’d rather watch zombie films in peace). Therefore I’m a banana 1. You have no banana option in your form. You are clearly discriminating against the banana community… 1 Slender yet firm eight inch yellow fruit chosen because… Oh, I’ll let you work it out… |
Vince M Hudd (116) 527 posts |
I think ‘Other’ adequately covers that you are Aside: I cast my own vote earlier today – and noted that my age group had changed since last year. Had I got around to the poll a few months ago, when I ought to have done, that wouldn’t have happened. :( The thankyou.html page is now fixed. John: PHP for that was overkill. It now doesn’t mention dates at all, so now it is right forever. |
Steve Pampling (1551) 7932 posts |
As well as being applicable for a poll in, say, January or even late December. |