Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2008 September 29

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September 29

Presentation Maps

I have an Excel spreadsheet full of names and addresses. About 70-75 of them. I'd like to print out large-ish copies of a map of the state of Vermont with "pins" on the map according to all the addresses so that I can find a central location for monthly meetings in the coming year. The reason I need presentation size is for a meeting that's coming up in October for the same people. I've found a number of places on the net that will import a spreadsheet and put markers on a map using Google Maps or Yahoo Maps but I don't know of a way to get a large file suitable for printing and posting on an easel or whatever. I don't see a way to do it with either map site. Does anyone have any idea where I can do this?

I don't want to just project this with a laptop and a projector since I'd like hard copies for people, like the president of the club, to be able to take home and maybe make notes on.

Thanks, Dismas|^(talk) 01:45, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

You need a geocoding program that produces SVG images. I've written my own geocoding software for my own projects (so it isn't generalized to use anyone else's data). I'm sure that if I can write the program, someone else has produced a similar program that lets you put in a spreadsheet and get a map. -- kainaw™ 03:26, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Creating a webcomic...need help with programming and CMS ideas

What should the site I present my content be like? I like how xkcd does it. Ruby on Rails seems to be very popular with comic admins and I think many of the more popular sites use it. I don't know how to program any web scripting languages like PHP and I don't have much experience with databases. I certainly don't want a series of static pages. --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 04:10, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Wordpress is always an option...its pretty easy to navigate and use for those new to the game...plus theres a shedload of themes out there that'll make it uniquely yours (with a few modifications)...you may need to learn some PHP tho'. Boomshanka (talk) 04:16, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

I don't want it to look like a blog, though. Really, I'm using this as a learning experience to get into some web programming. --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 04:30, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

From what I can tell, xkcd uses static pages... If you like how they do it, then read up on HTML and CSS and find someone to host your web site. You can also use an editor like Dreamweaver or MS Expression. There are many companies that will host yours for free.

But when you wrote that you didn't want static pages, did you mean that you wanted to animate the comics? If that's the case, in addition to HTML and CSS, you'd need to use something like Adobe Flash Professional. There are other animation techniques, but that's what I'd recommend. Some people also use JavaScript to improve the feel of their sites with things like drop-down lists and roll-over images.

Tell me: what format are your images in? You asked for help, and if you'd like, I can assist...--465jn (talk) 06:03, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

A Wordpress site doesn't have to "look like a blog". Have you seen some of the webcomics that use Comicpress (a Wordpress theme)? —Tamfang (talk) 08:34, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't accuse PVP, for example, of looking like a blog. —Tamfang (talk) 05:52, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

I tried quite a lot of CMS software out there a while ago, the vast majority I thought were real bad, the only one I really liked was MODx, very modular, and good use of page cache. It's not for everyone, but if you are not afraid to learn something a little more complex than your average "install & post" web bundle, it's good. Equendil Talk 09:33, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Take a look at Comicpress. It's the Wordpress theme that many other webcomics use (like Starslip Crisis, just to give you an example to look at). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:33, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

A very simple way of using php is to specify some kind of variable in the URL: www.example.com/showcomic.php?id=102

Then just have one page with all the layout and each comic saved in a numbered file, i.e. 102.jpg. Somewhere in the page would be a statement like this:

<img src="<?php echo ($_GET["id"]).'\.jpg'; ?>">

Please contact me via my talk page if you need more on this - I could build you an example page based on this. -=# Amos E Wolfe ^talk #=- 14:54, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Note that if you just cobble together some very ad hoc code it is likely to have a variety of security problems. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:54, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Duly noted. I normally add a small script which will only process the $GET value from the URL if it matches one of a set of values defined in an array. It's also not difficult to "sanitise" any potential user input (such as $GET from the URL) to remove anything except letters and/or numbers, using regular expressions. -=# Amos E Wolfe ^talk #=- 14:40, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Hacked AIM Account

I've gone through all of AIM's steps on trying to "fix" the problem but it's not helping me.

It's like for whatever reason, I can no longer access my account nor change/reset my password like all of the account info/registration has been somehow changed.

Is there any other way at getting it back...legally? —Preceding unsigned comment added by L3tt3rz (talk • contribs) 10:08, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Is there any proof that this account is actually yours and you aren't trying to hack into someone else's account? --wj32 ^t/c 20:45, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Building A Computer: Processor Type

Should i go with an AMD processor or an Intel Processor. AMDs are really expensive but i've never used one. I like intel but their processors faster than 3 GHz are uber-expensive. I am sick of my crappy computer and want to build a new one, but i'm stuck on the processor choice. Can someone help? 31306D696E6E69636B6D (talk) 13:15, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Try Tom's hardware (put it in google) they provide comparative tests of CPUs. There is no 'correct' answer and it will depend on applications/tasks as I understand it. Anyhoo Tom's hardware is a good place to start comparing CPUs. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 15:17, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

What websites have you been looking at? AMD have almost always been cheaper than Intel at the same performance level, but their higher-range (ie. the 3Ghz+ ones you were talking about) is very... lacking. --antilived^{T | C | G} 22:27, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Whose opinion have you been reading without actually researching yourself? It didn't take me more than half an hour in an electronics shop to see that there's no bias either way, and I've never known one. - Jimmi Hugh (talk) 00:51, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

Are you talking to me? Recently this gap had virtually disappeared (hence the "almost", considering AMD and Intel's long history), but AMD is still cheaper in the lower-end, when you take the motherboard into account. --antilived^{T | C | G} 03:37, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

If you planning on building a Hackintosh, get an Intel processor. Otherwise, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't get AMD processors. --wj32 ^t/c 03:02, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Any practical difference between Cat 5e and Cat 6?

Our IT guy wants to rewire our offices with Cat 6 Ethernet cable which will require considerable expense. We're already wired for Cat 5e and run Gigabit Ethernet over that without problems. Are there any real benefits to a Cat 6 network? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.167.58.6 (talk) 14:53, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

I can't think of any reason to rewire offices with cat 6 where cat 5e is already installed. It might be a good idea for connecting major servers or buildings together but honestly I think the bandwidth would just be wasted going to a bunch of individual pcs. Personally I wouldn't rewire with something that was only twice as good - I'd put in more cables. Otherwise you have the problems of lots of changes to things that are already working. I'd only consider rewiring where here was a requirement for and the cables could support three or four times as much traffic. Dmcq (talk) 15:30, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Mac conversion MOV to GIF

Resolved

 – Time passed.

Hello. Can you tell me how to convert a Quicktime movie (.mov) to an animated movie that is usable on Wikipedia (.gif)? I tried the menu items in GraphicConverter, searched Wikipedia a while, and found nothing so far at versiontracker.com. Thank you. -SusanLesch (talk) 15:41, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. Just to save precious time here, for now I no longer need to post the movie. Maybe Quicktime Pro or a GraphicConverter upgrade will do this, or maybe I missed the obvious. If there is follow up please copy my talk page as I may not be able to return to the Reference desk anytime soon. -SusanLesch (talk) 17:23, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Just a note that Quicktime Pro does not have this ability. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:48, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

For the absolute best quality, I export my movie as an image sequence, import that to ImageReady CS2 (which automatically builds an GIF animation from a image sequence folder), then do my color optimizing then export. I'm sure there are far more automated ways, but I've have yet to see a process that gives me the quality and control as this method. --70.167.58.6 (talk) 21:34, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

Phone infrastructure?

When you set up a corporate phone network, and you set up an option on somebody's voice mail to press "zero" to go to another person in the same branch, is that flowchart called phone infrastructure or what's the term? A term to mean the map and layout of who gets redirected to whom for optimal service standards and covering for other people if the caller needs immediate assistance to redirect a live person when they reach a voice mail.--Sonjaaa (talk) 18:07, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

A bunch of extensions that all ring in response to a given stimulus (generally a given external line ringing) is called a "ring group". Voicemail, and the "press 0" thing are examples of what phone people call an "attendant" (voicemail is an example of "automated attendant", which also includes VP systems). So probably what you're doing is proposing setting the "missed-call attendant" (or "optional missed-call attendant") to a given ring group. Modern phone exchanges generally have hideously complicated "maps", which allow you to set up any number of complicated things like this. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:13, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Metalink and local files?

I was wondering if it was possible to link to local files (on my computer), with the metalink standard. SF007 (talk) 22:29, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

The latest spec says:

<url> has values of "ftp", "ftps", "http", "https", "rsync", "bittorrent", "magnet", "ed2k" for the type attribute.

so apparently not. --Sean 23:09, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

OK, it was just to be sure. Thanks. SF007 (talk) 21:49, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Of course, you can hack together a solution by running an http or ftp server on your computer, and then directing the metalink to that (using localhost). But it seems a little silly to me (not to mention potentially unsafe, unless you block incoming connections from other computers) 90.235.17.83 (talk) 12:44, 1 October 2008 (UTC)