IRIS - Peer-to-Peer Social Network App.

 

IRIS

https://iris.to/

Reading through how it works and the underlying concept, it seems to really very similar to Secure Scuttlebutt in some of it's underlying abilities. Iris is currently functioning but, "The application is an unaudited proof-of-concept implementation, so don't use it for security critical purposes."

• No phone number or sign-up required. Just type in your name or alias and go!
• Secure: It's open source. Users can validate that big brother doesn't read your private messages.
• Available: It works offline-first and is not dependent on any single centrally managed server.
• Users can connect directly to each other, offline.

Okay! Excellent! These four things are the same as offered by Secure Scuttlebutt. When I first read this, I thought this must be using the Secure Scuttlebutt network, but it's not! Iris uses the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network! Wow, interesting, right?

It's the brainchild of Martti Malmi. He's from Espoo, Finland and a Bitcoin developer from 2009 to 2011. Wow, so he must know what he's doing, eh?

What else does it do?

• Communicate and synchronize with local network peers without Internet access
• When local peers eventually connect to the Internet, your messages are relayed globally 

• Bluetooth support upcoming
• Opens to background on login: stay online and get message notifications!
• More secure and available: no need to open the browser application from a server.

Really weird, it sure sounds like Secure Scuttlebutt, doesn't it? The description is almost identical. How is it different from Secure Scuttlebutt?

Well, rather than running on the Secure Scuttlebutt protocol, Iris runs on the GUN protocol [I will have to do another post on GUN]. I read somewhere that Iris runs on the Bitcoin Cash Network, but that is not true; the author of that article may have assumed this from Martti's past connection with Bit Coin.
While Secure Scuttlebutt doesn't support connecting to the same account through multiple devices, with Iris you can use the same account for multiple devices. Perhaps in the future SSB will allow this, but at the moment it doesn't, although someone said that SSB cannot allow this fundamentally, so the SSB would have to be rewritten to allow this. I'm not sure if this is true, but if so, the we cannot hope for one-account-multi- device SSB usage. When using Iris, you become a GUN user of the underlying protocol, which is apparently allows multiple devices.

What if I forget my password and or lost my device?

Answer: the Web of Trust

So, imagine you are connected with your friends on Iris, you can ask these friends to verify you and allow you to reconnect with your account. Also, through this Web of Trust (your trusted friends), you can filter out spam and other unwanted content. I suppose this means that if one or more friends tag something at spam, it is filtered out for other friends, and you can set things to be automatically filtered. Not sure how it works. You can also filter on the distance, or how far outside your circle of friends it came from, such as from your friends, or friends of friends, or friends of friends of friends.
 

IRIS is something to keep an eye on as it develops and more options are make available, such as more privacy implementations, ability to delete sent or received content, etc. We'll see what they come up with, should be very interesting.

Secure Scuttlebutt - Patchbay - Manyverse

Secure Scuttlebutt - Patchbay - Manyverse - Decentralized Social Network - Introduction

 

https://scuttlebutt.nz/

Alright, let's get started. First of all, computer coders love to make up their own jargon and whenever they make a new app, they love to make app-specific jargon. It's very annoying. For example, you don't make Posts on Twitter, you make Tweets. But, that's just the tip of the iceberg, but I digress, let's move forward keeping this in mind.

Apps can connect through the Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB) network "gossip" protocol. So, you don't make Posts in Scuttlebutt, eye-roll, you 'gossip'.  Whatever. Anyway, SSB is a "protocol," a 'protocol' is the underlying code to the network that apps are built on top of. So, you have the network, such as a telephone network, and any phone company can create phones to connect to that network as long as they adhere to the network's 'protocols' otherwise it just won't work as they'll be speaking different 'languages' so-to-speak, insert another eye-roll. Instead of phones, we're talking about apps, here.

 

There are currently a bunch of different apps available that connect to the SSB network protocol. Think of them like different browsers such as Firefox, Safari, Chrome... they all connect to the same network, but they have a different look & feel with very similar capabilities. 

• Patchwork
• Patchbay
• Manyverse
• Planetary
• ...and more

Patchwork was the first and most basic app. You can still use it, but it has been laid to rest as a more robust and easier to use app called Patchbay has taken over as the default app.  It's still not very user-friendly, and that's me speaking, as a very computer literate person, I can say that it's pretty terrible.  Others also think that it's terrible and have been working on an app that normal everyday people who like things to "just work" can use called Manyverse. As of now, it is only available as a smartphone app, but they're working on a desktop version with no completion date in mind.  If you have the newest Mac with their own M1 computer chip, you can also use phone apps on these macs though the apple store. So, pretty soon, I think all computers will be able to use phone apps. If you mainly use your phone for messaging and posting things for your friends to see, download and use Manyverse and ditch instagram and all that other trash that tracks you, collects information on you, etc. Take control of your data. If you don't use a smartphone, you'll need something else, such as Patchbay.

With SSB, there are no central servers/pods needed to host data. Every device contains some data from other users, and is shared across the network. Just like sharing a Torrent.  In use, it looks and feels much like Facebook did in the beginning. You make a Post to your 'feed', all Posts are Public and anyone who visits your page can see your Public Posts, likewise, if they subscribe to your feed, your Public Posts will show up on their feed as well.  When you make a Post, it's literally like sending out an email to all your friends on the torrent network, and it shows up in their feed.

If you make a Public Post while offline, once you are back online, your post will automatically sync with the network and spread that post to your friends and followers.  So, if you have 4 friends in your network, 1, 2, 3, 4, and only 1,2 are currently online, if you make a Public Post or send a Private Post or make a move in your Chess game, person 1 and 2 will receive all your Posts, even the Private Post you made to person 4 and the Private Chess move you made to person 3, but it's all encrypted and hidden in the background. Then you go offline.  Once person 3 or 4 come online, they will receive their Posts from you via person 1 and 2 who are still online. Essentially, send a message to someone who is not present on the local network, the next time they are connected with someone who was when you sent the message, it will be conveyed to them. Passed along just as you would pass someone a note in class, and your friends would pass the note along to the intended person. This is how Torrents work. And the note can be either public or private [encrypted].

Interestingly, this network also works without the internet. If you and your friends are connected through a local network or wifi, or bluetooth, that's all you need. The internet is not a requirement.  Likewise, data from you will be sent along to those on the local network. So, lets say all of your friends never connect to the internet, they are totally off-grid.  You send Tom a message, but he lives far away from you.  You meet up with Sally for a coffee, and your device and Sally's device automatically connect to one another over wi-fi or bluetooth.  A few days later, Sally meets up with Tom and he receives your Message and your posts etc. in the same way.  It's not a quick as posting directly to the internet, but it is completely off-grid and works. No communist totalitarian government can interfere with or track your data.  I guess they could roam around with devices looking for people on the SSB network who are physically nearby. Of course, all you have to do is turn your wifi/bluetooth off when you are not connecting to other SSB users in person.

Likewise, after you leave the network, disconnect, you are free to browse respond, comment, reply to all of the communications you downloaded. Once you connect again, all will be sent in into the network and reach the individuals and groups etc. which you correspond with. So, if you go off-grid on a wilderness hike, or head out on a sailboat, and have no internet connection, you can make posts, sent messages, make comments on other people's posts, etc. and the next time you connect, it will sync with the network and suddenly everyone can see your wilderness hike posts and photos from the last week you were away.

It's kind of like automatic social networked emails, where you can reply to messages now, and they will send the next time you are on the network. No different in experience than if you only use WiFi -- you send messages to your friends while eating breakfast, but while you are travelling to school or work, you have no WiFi connection. But once you reach your school or workplace and connect to the WiFi there, you receive your replies. Right? I'm sure you've all experienced that, when you are out of wifi or cell-tower range and get no messages or texts, but once you get back from your hike or come out from the underground parking, ping ping ping ping you get all the messages that people send you while you were unavailable. 

The interesting part about all this for me is that you and others on your network of friends carry everyone's messages around with you, and can send/receive messages on behalf of your friends. Everyone has a copy, so if one person cannot pass the message along, others will. 

As I stated previously, there are currently two ways to connect with this network.  

1. over the interneti
2. over local network/WiFii
3. BlueTooth (they're working on it) i
4. ... what are other options?

There is work being done to allow connections through BlueTooth, and even radio frequency! The options can only grow. This really gives me hope at the network broadening. It will also allow people in areas, of which there are many around the world, that do not have any internet connection to communicate with each other. Imagine using shortwave radio! Send a message to someone hundreds or thousands of kilometres away without the internet though the air. It would be amazing, all we would need would be a device and some way to charge the battery, perhaps solar, or even cheaper, a dynamo. 

So, I downloaded and installed Patchbay.  The first thing I'm greeted with is this, now what do I do?? There are no instructions!!! Very annoying.

 

So, already this is annoying as there are no instructions on what to do or what these things mean. That's why I'm making this post, to hopefully help others.  So, an IDENTITY is another jargon, this is another way of saying your ACCOUNT.  When you start Patchbay, there is a Default account/identity. You can use that, but it will be called "ssb (default)". I suggest making a new identity with a name that you can associate with.  Choose carefully because it seems you cannot change it later. There seems to be no way to delete an account/identity. Which is also very annoying, because as there are no instructions, one would assume that this could be either deleted or renamed later, but no.  Seems not.  Hopefully in the future this will be possible and very easy.

Right now, each device you use will have a different account/identity. As of now, there is no way to use the same account/identity across different devices.  So, if you make an account/identity on your phone and another on your computer, you can name them both Bob, but it might be more helpful to name them Bob(PC) and the other Bob(Mobile) or Bob(iPad).  Likewise, you can make multiple identities/accounts on each device, either for different users, or for different purposes, just as people on Facebook have a personal account for only their friends Bob(PC), and another account for their business Bob(Work).  And, if you want, you can connect your own accounts to each other so that you can see your Bob(PC) posts while on your Mobile, and if someone make a comment, you can read and reply as Bob(Mobile).  I named mine Bob(home). You can name it however you like Bob_home or bob.home, for example.

Your Avatar name, the name that others see, can be anything you want.  By default it's a random set of characters. If you want to remain anonymous on your Public Posts, think about not using your real name.  But like on any platform, you want your friends to be able to recognize you even though you call yourself SwampThing.  Maybe in the future we can have a Public Avatar and a Private Avatar, so my Public Posts would be as "SwampThing" and my Private Posts and Messages would be from "Bob".  

So, this is where SSB gets super annoying, connecting with your friends for the first time.  If all your friends are right there in the room with you on the same local wifi, well, then it's super easy, click Initial Sync, you will see a list of other users on the network, and you can connect with whichever you choose to connect with. Easy. Well, sounds easy, but I cannot try this yet as there is nobody here. Besides, the people who I live with, I do this old-fashioned thing, called talking to them. It's the people I know that live far from me that I mostly want to connect with. This is what you see when you click Initial Sync:

See all the Local Peers? Yeah, that's right, nobody is there, because I'm all alone here trying to connect with my friends who are elsewhere. 

But, supposedly if there are others in the same room:

Click their profile to see more about them, and click “Follow” if you feel like following what that person has to say and helping to ferry their data around.

Your computers will talk to each other even if you’re not following each other, because you might happen to have gossip [jargon: messages/posts/etc.] about a mutual friend to sync.

 But, I think before you start connecting with people, you should review your connection settings, you can Initial Sync later. 

Okay, so skip this, Lauch! the app...

 

Alright! This is it!  Yes, very basic and rudimentary, but who cares, that will improve, what we need right now is functionality.  I will explain the basics now.

At the top are your default tabs. 

• posts (public posts you make that everyone can see, just like a Public post on Facebook, friend or not all can see it)
  
• private (these are private posts, I have no idea how this works)
  
• inbox (again, I have no idea what this is, is this where other people's private posts to me show up??)
  
• notifications (again, what kind of notifications? I have no idea)

Okay, so as you can see, I'm already getting very frustrated because I have so many questions already and NO ANSWERS. There is no guide or instructions anywhere on the internet for this that I can find.  On the Secure Scuttlebutt site there are some very vague instructions that leave me with only more questions. But, I'll tell you what I do know and have figured out.
The first think you want to do it create a Profile for yourself which will include your Username and Avatar image. In the top right corner, there is a dropdown menu, hover over it for the dropdown, and choose Profile.  These setting can be changed later, but each time you make a change, it is publicly known. So, if your name is SwampThing and you change it to Bob Dobbs, then decide, to change it back to SwampThing, it was Publicly known that you changed your name to Bob Dobbs, and if that is your real name and you didn't want anyone to know your real name, well, not it's out there. Changes you make are posted to your Public Posts/Feed.  Your profile image/avatar must be a square, if it is not a square it will be auto-filled in, or you can use your mouse to highlight a portion of your image to use, just like on Facebook.  Your default profile name as I said before is a random set of characters. Keep it as is for now, or change it, just remember, it will be Pubic knowledge, just like on Facebook.
You will see a checkbox "Show posts on public viewers". What the heck is this? Well, all of the Public Posts on SSB can be viewed by everyone, and you don't need a SSB account to view them, you can use a Public Viewer to have a peek at what using SSB is like.  Kind of like when you want to view someone's instagram profile but don't have an instragram account, you can go to instagram viewer websites to do this:
Go here:  http://viewer.scuttlebot.io/
Enter someone's profile ID, try this one:  

 @ye+QM09iPcDJD6YvQYjoQc7sLF/IFhmNbEqgdzQo3lQ=.ed25519

This is the account of Mix Irving, this is what your Public Posts/feed will look like once you start posting stuff.  Mix is one of the Secure Scuttlebutt contributors, he seems to be the head guy working on Patchbay.  Looks like he's the only person working on it, which would be why it is so rudimentary, it's not like a whole company and team of people are working on this, as there is little or no money in free open source stuff unless we ourselves support it with our $$$$.  Consider supporting this endeavour instead of giving your money to mega corps. 

https://opencollective.com/patchbay

Here is another person working on the mobile Manyverse app which runs on SSB: 

   http://viewer.scuttlebot.io/

@QlCTpvY7p9ty2yOFrv1WU1AE88aoQc4Y7wYal7PFc+w=.ed25519

Hopefully one day it will be a desktop app, too.  It looks much easier to use than the current version of Patchbay.  As you can see, Andre has an Identity/Account where he made it viewable to Public Viewers, and he also has a "andrestaltz_phone" profile which he has not made available to Public Viewers. So, you can see the difference yourself by clicking on his phone profile. Nothing comes up.

If manyverse was available for Desktop, I'd use it rather than this Patchbay, because I'm pretty annoyed so far at the general lack of ease-of-use and having just SO many questions without any answers.

Okay, let's continue. On the Profile page is says "aliases". Now this confuses me, because the word is plural. So, does that mean you can create multiple aliases under this one identity/account?  No! It should say "Alias". You only have one alias, and that's it.  The + sign does not add more aliases, it only adds a profile Avatar, one. The + sign should be "Change Avatar" not a + sign. Also, it says "Names" when it should say "Name" and in the "name" box it says "+ another name". Another? Can I make more than one name for this one Identity/account?  No.  This should read "Public Name".  So, if you want to be known as SwampThing, or Bob Dobbs, this is where you enter what name you will Publicly be known as. As I said before, do NOT enter your real name if you don't want your name to be Publicly known. Again, how will your friends know who you are then? Same dilemma on Facebook. If you want to be anonymous, it takes a bit more work and it's more annoying, but that's why it's so easy to be tracked.

Okay, the next setting you will want to look at is under settings>replication.

So, this fancy looking chart is your Social Circles that you will be helping to "replicate" or "spread their data around" in the network, like Torrent sharing. More jargon! They call each circle a "hop".  The first social circle outside of yourself is your immediate friends. The second circle/hop are friends of friends. The third, likewise are friends of friends of friends.  I recommend setting it to 2.  Why?  Well, looking around on Facebook and in real life we all have lots of friends of friends who are connected to each other, on Facebook I'm always surprised to see Mutual Friends, so they are out there, and they can pass your data to your friends even though you don't know them personally.  Under the chart are your Pub Gossip settings. Pubs are Public Chat Rooms (will get into that later), and if you join a Pub, you will connect to ALL the people in the pub, that can mean a LOT of Posts (and data), so you might want to limit the gossip/data you download and share with Pubs. Personally, I don't know anyone yet who owns a pub, and I don't want to deal with Pub data, at least not right now, so I think I'll play it conservatively for now and set it to My Pub.  I can change it later.

Okay, that's it!  So, how do I connect with my friends?? Good question, and this is where it gets super annoying.This is how you connect with your friends: 1. connect directly with them as described above when you are on the same local wi-fi/bluetooth2. have them send you an invite code or you can send them an invite code.3. you can join a Pub (more jargon!) or a Room (more jargon) and connect with them there.

So, 1 seems pretty easy although I've never tried it.  In the Menu go to Network. If there are local Peers (more jargon, it means other SSB users on the local wifi or bluetooth) you will seem them in a list here, and you can click around, find people you want to Follow.

2 seems easy, so this is how you do it.  In the Menu go to Network>Invites. Then enter a private message to your friend that you are going to send the invite to, like "Hey, this is Bob Dobbs, connect with me!" Then click Create Peer-Invite.  Seems pretty easy, right?  Hm... what on earth is this other box?? "an introduction message which the community will be able to read with this invite is accepted".  Huh??  Why would we want to announce to the "community" that this invitation has been accepted? Which community? The Public?  What does "community" mean??  More confusion, more questions.  If I'm making connections and want to be anonymous, why would I do this? Even if I didn't want to be anonymous, what's the point of this?  Is it just like when you friend someone on Facebook there's a notification that says "Bob is now Friends with Sally"?  Again, no explanation, no definitions, nothing.  Super annoying. Okay, I'll put a private message and leave the community message blank. Now, let's hit the Create Peer-Invite button.

Okay, I expected something to happen, but immediately there's a test message at the bottom which says, 

"creating an peer invite takes some time."
"Time so far: 0 mins, 10 seconds"

Hm... okay, how long does this take??  Been a few minutes now... 

Still waiting... guess I'll do something else while it's doing whatever it is doing. Again, no information on what it's doing, or why it "takes some time" etc. Also, that's incorrect English, it should read "creating a peer invite" not "an peer invite". It does say this is in BETA above, so maybe it doesn't work at all.

Okay, so let's look at the 3rd option. Pubs and Rooms. First, as these are jargon, I'll define them for you

Pub: pub is a Public House, just like the place you go to drink, be merry, and "gossip" with other locals and exchange information. A Pub is not spread out on the distributed network, it is located on an actual server somewhere.  So, in this regard, yes, it's kind of like meeting in the same physical room and connecting over wi-fi, but you do it on a server Pub instead. It's just like visiting a Public Group on Facebook.  Everyone can post stuff and there are different Pubs for different subject matter.  There could be a general Pub with no specific reason topic, or there could be a Vegan Recipes Pub where people go to exchange recipes and meet other like-minded people and chat etc.  In order to join a Pub you need a Pub Invite Code.  Why?  Well, a Pub works on the network just like another Identity/Account, and just as nobody can connect to you without an invite (although they can see your public posts)  you cannot connect to other or to a Pub without an invite code. But, I don't want to connect with a Pub just to connect with friends.  Maybe I'll start my own Pub. Okay, that's not really an option as I'd have to set up a server either in my own home or rent server space online, plus I've never set up a Linux server before and setting up any server is tedious and shit. Still, would be nice to have my own Pub and Room. Maybe I'll hire somebody who is a tech wizard who can do it without pulling his hair out.

Okay, after 22min, I still don't have an invite code. Guess it doesn't work yet. Shitty. So, how can I connect with someone on the other side of the planet? I guess I'll have to do it in a Pub or a Room.

Okay, so I don't want to connect to a Pub just to connect with friends, plus that pub data... won't I start sharing that around? Maybe not since I set my Pub sharing to only include Pubs that I own. And how do I find a pub that I WANT to belong to? Also, can I disconnect from a Pub? Also, pubs need to be moderated, so that you don't host a put for Cute Cat Photos, and have a bunch of porn showing up on there instead, so do I really want to join a pub that is open to the public? I don't know, how wild are these Pubs? I don't want to jump onto some random pub, start automatically sharing their data, and finding out that it's full of filth.  So, some Pubs are private and some cost money to join because it costs money to run the server and to moderate the users/content. So, maybe I'll do that... but wait, first let's talk about rooms.

Rooms: are a new thing, similar to Pubs, but in Rooms, everyone quietly minds their own business. In Pubs there's lots of talk/gossip/data/posts/etc. going on, but not in a Room. We can look around and see each other in the room (as a list of users in the room), and if we spot a friend we want to connect with, we can connect with them. That's it. It's a simplified Pub. 

Learn about Rooms here: https://youtu.be/W5p0y_MWwDE

Okay, so how do I get an invite to a Room? Then I have to get my friend to also get an invite to the same Room? Shit, what a pain in the ass. Once I'm in a Room, can I invite my friends? Unknown at this point. Would be nice if this peer-invite code would work.

So, Rooms have Aliases, which are like domain names.  Here's one they mention in the video staltz.hermies.club

That's right, the same guy mentioned above who is responsible for Manyverse. Okay, let's join his Room!

I go to this link https://staltz.hermies.club/ and here is what you see:

Cool, really easy, now I just click on the link....

Okay, it's doing something, looking for my Patchbay app... waiting... waiting...

Oh shiiiiit, seriously??!! It only works with Manyverse?? Of course, because Andre is working on Manyverse, he's not working on Patchbay... uuuuggg...  This probably only works on smartphones!!! ARRRG~!  I would download Manyverse, but I don't have a compatible smartphone or other compatible device, they're all too old, and besides, I HATE texting on my phone, I'd rather use a keyboard to type messages and do posts etc. Why spend 15min cramping up my thumbs when I can type the same thing out in 1min with my keyboard?  Super annoying. So, you can't connect to Rooms with Patchbay??  Maybe if I copy the code and paste it in Patchbay that will work... let's try it... here's the code:

ssb://experimental/?action=consume-alias&alias=staltz&multiserverAddress=net%3Ahermies.club%3A8008~shs%3AuMYDVPuEKftL4SzpRGVyQxLdyPkOiX7njit7%2BqT%2F7IQ%3D&roomId=%40uMYDVPuEKftL4SzpRGVyQxLdyPkOiX7njit7%2BqT%2F7IQ%3D.ed25519&signature=bP-z-DPIOZrWSVvHJdCfUZ2Zq30fyJ_rWLzIcknXi1Jg0aE1jPBVWofe3RnwxBRszYgWHPx7haCzByW89avLDQ%3D%3D&userId=%40QlCTpvY7p9ty2yOFrv1WU1AE88aoQc4Y7wYal7PFc%2Bw%3D.ed25519

Let's try pasting it or part of it into here to see if it works: 

Tried a few different things... nothing... doesn't work. They mention in the video that you can share an invite code, but why do that when it's easier to just click on a button. NO! I clicked the button, doesn't work, just give me the damned code!! THAT is easier.Hm, let's copy the code from the video... whew, that took at long time to type out and recheck:

net:hermiesroom.staltz.com:8008~shs:W18NyiHagiiVE4/jm2sxzqQqIwmUw2p9pKZ0lHH9OXA=:SSB+Room+PSK3TLYC2T86EHQCUHBUHASCASE18JBV24=

Let's try that!!  Yes!! The Use Invite button changed colour!!

I click on it! Finally, we're getting somewhere!!!

"Not a valid invite code" -- seriously?? Shiiiit!Look at all the fuck'n nonsense I'm having to go through to use this fuck'n thing.THIS is why the average person DOES NOT USE IT. Grrrr.

Now what??  Try to find a Room invite... This is dumb. If I can go to http://viewer.scuttlebot.io and enter Andre's 

ID@QlCTpvY7p9ty2yOFrv1WU1AE88aoQc4Y7wYal7PFc+w=.ed25519 

and view his profile/feed, why can't I do that with Patchbay?????!!!!! Patchbay can't be used as a SSB Viewer?? What's it good for then? That just seems stupid. If you have someone's direct link to their profile, like Andre's above, you can't do anything with it.  I have to use my web browser to go to a  SSB Viewer site to view Andre's profile/feed?  That seems annoying.  Say, you want to put your SSB ID on your resume or something, so people can view your page without being able to comment or anything, they can't use their SSB app to view your page, they must find a SSB viewer on a browser.  Dumb!
I also see that Andre and others have a Bio at the top of their Feed, seems there is no such option in Patchbay.

Another question:  if someone connects with you by finding you in a Room or on local wi-fi, does that mean they can message you, make comments on your feed etc.?  Seems so. I don't know, as I cannot figure out a way to get connected with my friends on this fuck'n thing.  Guess you'd have to do a lot of blocking if there are people out after you or lots of people trolling around and sending out SPAM and ADS and shit.  I wonder.

Question: what's the difference between people 'connecting' with you by hitting the 'connect' button, verses you sending them an invite code and connecting with them that way? Is there a difference between Bob trolling around in a Room or Pub and connecting with Lucy and Lucy sending Bob an invite code to Connect to her?  When people Connect with me, will I receive a notification that "Lucy would like to Connect with you, click accept or deny this request"?  How can we keep unwanted people out?

I just found this: 

https://hermies.club/

reading through Andre's feed on the SSB viewer, as there seems to be no other way to read anyone's feed through Patchbay, so dumb, that should be a very ability is should have. But what do I know, eyeroll.

OMG, did you read this woke communist marxist crap in the Code of Conduct? Wow, insane! It really is a cult. I'm sure Andre thinks he's being virtuous and doing the right thing, but no, he has been fooled by the marxists. It's okay, I was almost fooled too.

https://hermies.club/notice/show?id=3
https://scuttlebutt.eu/code-of-conduct/

Learn more about how you may have been fooled here: https://newdiscourses.com/

That's the problem with these crazed woke communists, they say they want everything to be open, accepting etc., but what they really want is power and control to the point that anyone disagreeing with them is going against them and must be shutdown. If you look through this insane code of conduct, literally ANYTHING you say can be deemed going against the code. That's part of how they operate. "We want everything to be open and free" then they list pages and pages of rules you must follow which will include wording that will allow them to ban anyone who doesn't agree with them.  So much marxist communist wording on this page. Disgusting. In the rules one cannot discriminate against someone, unless of course they're disagreeing with them, or don't follow their ideology.  Such as I once made a comment on a social media platform that healthy pregnant women are more difficult to tell that they're pregnant, and was accused of saying that most pregnant women are fat, and was banned. I contested the ban, explaining that is not what I said, but was denied, labelled a woman hater. This, is how mentally challenged zealots these people are, and also a perfect example of doing the exact opposite of what they purport to uphold. They are liars. They are hypocrites. Anyway, I digress, I just can't stand these marxists, and they think they're so high and mighty and virtuous, but they're not and they're rampant in the tech industry for some reason.

Let's look at the hermies.club, and see if we can connect...

OMG, so only Manyverse is able to easily connect. If I want to do this on my desktop, I'll have to do a bunch of nonsense. Great. It says I can contact Andre or cryptix directly with my ID and ask them to add me.  Wow... this is stupid. Of course they give no method of contacting them, you will need to look around on the net and find them on facebook or find their email or something I guess. Jezuz.  Okay, here's Andre's website: 

https://staltz.com/ can find his contact info there.

Okay, let's look at "ssb-room2-check". Not sure what it is or how it can help me.

So, it says it's a "CLI tool to manually test room 2.0 features".Ooooookay, why would I need to "test room 2.0 features"? Really vague description of what it does and why I would need it. So, this is an SSB app. Okay. Close all other SSB apps before using.P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p...
Okay, getting very tired of all of this... I'm going to give up for now...

===============================

Day 2: Connect With Local Peer

Okay, now I have somebody in the room with me. A Local Peer.

They have downloaded Manyverse and installed it on their phone.

I will make another post about that process.

Once they started up their Manyverse app, I could see them in my Connections>Local Peers.

There is only one option, to Follow. So, I followed them. It worked, it says that I'm following them.

They likewise Followed me. Also, they have a Connect button, so they Connected with me also.

I do not see their Name, only their ID.

I do not see their Avatar, that is blank.

They likewise do not see my Avatar and only see my ID.

Wait, Patchbay has a Connect button, but only in the Initial Sync screen on app startup.

I restart Patchbay, hit the Initial Sync button, ah, I can see the Local Peer listed. Their Avatar is still blank (a burgundy coloured square) and their ID. I click on them, it says that I'm "Following" them. There is also a "Connect" button, too. Then I hit the "Connect" button. Nothing happens. Try a few times. Nothing.  It says that I'm "Following" them, but the "Connect" button does nothing. It does not change to "Connected" or do anything else.

Okay, launch the app.

Back at my Public Posts... hm... my public posts are not loading, totally blank. I reload Patchbay. Now I can see my Public Posts again. This is a glitch which is noted on github, launching from Initial Sync doesn't work yet, only from the initial screen.

I try to send a message to my Local Peer. There is no way to send a message to them.

When I enter the @ symbol, I am the only Peer to choose from.  I try to send a message to myself, using the "Inbox" tab (it should really be renamed "Private Messages").

It takes a few moments, but it works, I receive my own message, in the "Private" tab. Not in the Inbox. Inbox seems to be the place for creating and sending Messages. I guess this tab should be called "Compose Private Message".

My Local Peer, using Manyverse, can click on me, then Follow and Connect.

My Local Peer also sent me a message.

I did not receive the message. 

My Local Peer cannot see my Public Posts.

I cannot see My Local Peer's Public Posts.

On the Manyverse website it says "Wi-Fi connections work between Manyverse and other apps such as Patchwork and Patchbay."  Well, I am using Patchbay and my Local Peer is using Manyverse and we cannot connect with each other. 

When my Local Peer goes to their "Connections" screen, it says that they have no connections.

Aren't we supposed to be able to connect to Local Peers somehow?? I thought this is how we do it!!

More frustration.

Okay, so... I guess that it, that's the end. What more can I do??

We followed each other, but cannot see anything about each other, can't see each other's posts, cannot sent messages to each other, my Connect button does not work, my Local Peer's Connect button seems to work, but nothing happens on their end either.   We each made some Public Posts, none are visible to the other.

I tried sending a private message, but I can only send a private message to myself, so I did, it worked. But I do not see any message from my Local Peer.

My Local Peer can see the messages they sent to me in the Manyverse app, but I received no messages.

If I look in my Inbox I see the two test messages I sent myself. 

If I look in my Private tab, I see the two messages I sent myself repeated over and over and over to infinity if I start scrolling down. That seems pretty glitchy.

Maybe I should use Patchwork, but I was told that it is now defunct and not worked on any longer and that Patchbay has taken its place, so I got Patchbay.

The Manyverse app seems very slow to react when clicking different buttons. It can take a bit of time to switch from one screen to another.

So, in the end, we cannot connect to each other.

This really sucks. A bunch of friends are relying on me to find them an alternative the can use to the likes of Facebook etc. They want to get off of megacorp networks.  I said I'd find an alternative. I chose Secure Scuttlebutt after doing much research. They are not computer savvy. They will NOT like this at all. They will be like, "Oh well, guess I'll use Signal or whatever..."

I can't even get two people to connect to each other on SSB. They are right here in the room with me!

 

Okay, after all this, there is a problem with Patchbay.

I installed Patchwork, and I have no problem following with the Local Peer, seeing each other's posts, sending and receiving messages etc.

The latest update with Patchbay was YEARS ago.  The latest update with Patchwork was only in April. So, it seems that although it is stated on the Patchwork page to not use this app anymore as it is no longer in production, it seems there is no choice, since Patchwork is the only working desktop SSB app at the moment.  You know, it would have been useful is THAT information was posted front and centre on the Patchbay and Patchwork pages.

So, basically, Secure Scuttlebutt in regards to a desktop computer app, is dead in the water right now.

Great. I was really looking forward to using this.

If you prefer to connect to your social network on your phone, no problem for you, Manyverse is up and running and it seems to work fine -- we tried it, and the only problem so far is that the app is very slow to load, so once you click on a button, it can take some time until the next screen opens, usually 4 or 5 seconds, but sometimes 20 seconds or more.  Not sure why, but if you just wait, it will load. Not really a 'problem' more of a test of our patience, but when nothing is happening it seems that the app is frozen or something, but it's not, it's loading, just wait.  I don't have a circle of friends using this yet, but I imagine Syncing will take some time, especially if people are sharing around photos and large files.
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are 3D Printed Records The Future?

What's great about 3D printed records, is that we will soon be able to share, print, and listen to analogue audio once the quality of the end product is good enough.

This is how it can work:

Audio is recorded in an analogue format.  This format will take sound-waves and save them in an analogue-digital-format utilizing mathematical vectors.  Yes, just like vectors are used in graphic design.  There will be no audio quality loss or limitation.

Now, imagine if we used an analogue laser player to listen to the record; no wear from a needle on the surface.  These players already exist.  But, any dust on the grooves or damage such as scratches will be amplified up by the laser player just like a needle does.

So, imagine that the record grooves are INSIDE of a transparent record which has a flat top/bottom surface i.e. no worry of dirty grooves, the laser will focus beyond the flat surface.  Just like DVDs or CDs work.

Pretty great, huh?  Also, since lasers can have a much smaller pinpoint than a needle, the grooves in the record can also be made smaller to fit much more music per side of a record.

But, what if we eliminate the need for a record all together?  How?  Well, we are taking analogue audio and saving it in a digital format using mathematical vectors.  All we need is to create a device which can take these vectors and output them in an analogue wave sound, and presto, analogue sound without the physical record or magnetic tapes which are prone to dust, scratches, and other forms of damage.

iTunes App Store No Credit Card

How to download free apps and OS X updates etc. from the App Store and iTunes without a credit card.

Apple's answer:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534

 

Well, it sounds easy enough -- when you sign up for an account, choose "none" as your payment option,
[VISA] [MASTERCARD] [PAYPAL] [NONE]
but I already have an apple id from registering my computer.  When I log in, there is no [NONE] option.

So, you have to:

1. add your credit card info, then go back and delete it and supposedly the option of [NONE] will appear (but, they already have your credit card info, do you think that if you delete it that it just disappears?  I don't think so.)

2. create a new account.  But you can't do this with the App Store.app, you have to use iTunes.app.  Create a new account, put in any fake info you want, and surprise surprise, the [NONE] option is there.  Once you've done that and verified your account with the link that was sent to your alternate email, you can now login to download free stuff through iTunes.  But, what if you want to download OS X updates, those are not listed in iTunes, only the App Store.app  So, find the free app you want to download, login with the same info you used with iTunes, and it will say something like, "you can't use that account to download stuff from here, only through iTunes" and it will redirect you to the iTunes version, or whatever that means, and it now works.  Super stupid and convoluted, but if you don't want to give the your credit card info, or you don't even have a credit card, these are hoops they make you jump through.

Add Subtitles to Your Own Video

Want to add subtitles to your own videos?

In this example of how to do it, we'll use a video found online, Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

1.  Download a copy of the video; I use Download Helper plugin for Firefox.

One source: Dailymotion
Direct link: Blurred Lines HD mp4 (same page as above)

2. Copy and paste the text below into a regular text file.  Save it as the same name as your video file, but change the extension from .txt to .ass  (Advanced SubStation - subtitle file). That's it.  Open the video with something like VLC media player.

Note: You can edit the text file to make simple changes, or use something free like Aegisub (better) or Jubler to edit the sub files or create your own from scratch.

[Script Info] ; Script generated by Aegisub 3.0.4 ; http://www.aegisub.org/ Title: Original Script: mycomputer Update Details: ScriptType: v4.00+ Collisions: Normal PlayResX: 1920 PlayResY: 1080 PlayDepth: 0 Scroll Position: 108 Active Line: 134 Video Zoom Percent: 0.5 Audio URI: robin-thicke-ft-t-i-pharrell-blurred-lines-unrated_music.mp4 Video File: robin-thicke-ft-t-i-pharrell-blurred-lines-unrated_music.mp4 YCbCr Matrix: TV.601 Video Aspect Ratio: c1.77778 Video Position: 6218 Timer: 100,0000 [V4+ Styles] Format: Name, Fontname, Fontsize, PrimaryColour, SecondaryColour, OutlineColour, BackColour, Bold, Italic, Underline, StrikeOut, ScaleX, ScaleY, Spacing, Angle, BorderStyle, Outline, Shadow, Alignment, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Encoding Style: Default,Arial,31,&H00FFFFFF,&H0000FFFF,&H4B000000,&H4B404040,0,0,0,0,100,100,0,0,1,0,2,2,20,20,20,0 [Events] Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.00,0:00:04.40,*Default,,0,0,0,,Everybody get up Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.02,0:00:08.57,*Default,,0,0,0,,Woo! Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.28,0:00:12.65,*Default,,0,0,0,,Everybody get up Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.74,0:00:12.74,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.74,0:00:14.82,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(964,146)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.74,0:00:17.07,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.40,0:00:24.12,*Default,,0,0,0,,If you can't hear what I'm trying to say Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.33,0:00:28.34,Default,,0,0,0,,If you can't read from the same page Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.17,0:00:30.09,*Default,,0,0,0,,Maybe I'm going deaf, Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.00,0:00:30.59,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.19,0:00:31.81,*Default,,0,0,0,,Maybe I'm going blind Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.71,0:00:32.59,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(964,146)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.76,0:00:34.51,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.82,0:00:36.29,*Default,,0,0,0,,Maybe I'm outta my mind Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.30,0:00:38.26,*Default,,0,0,0,,OK now he was close Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.30,0:00:40.14,*Default,,0,0,0,,Tried to domesticate you (chya) Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.14,0:00:42.14,*Default,,0,0,0,,But you're an animal Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.14,0:00:44.14,*Default,,0,0,0,,Baby, it's in your nature (naycha) Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.14,0:00:46.14,*Default,,0,0,0,,Just let me liberate you (chya) Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.81,0:00:46.65,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.14,0:00:48.14,*Default,,0,0,0,,You don't need no papers Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.86,0:00:48.69,Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.14,0:00:50.14,*Default,,0,0,0,,That man is not your maker Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.69,0:00:50.57,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.14,0:00:54.15,*Default,,0,0,0,,And that's why I'm goin' take a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.15,0:00:56.15,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.11,0:00:57.57,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.24,0:00:59.70,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.74,0:01:02.12,*Default,,0,0,0,,You're a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.08,0:01:04.15,*Default,,0,0,0,,Can't let it get past me Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.15,0:01:06.05,*Default,,0,0,0,,You're far from plastic Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.06,0:01:07.70,*Default,,0,0,0,,Talkin' about getting blasted Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.71,0:01:09.71,*Default,,0,0,0,,I hate these blurred lines Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.29,0:01:11.59,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.92,0:01:13.63,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.92,0:01:15.76,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.63,0:01:17.89,*Default,,0,0,0,,But you're a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.18,0:01:19.76,*Default,,0,0,0,,The way you grab me Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.76,0:01:21.76,*Default,,0,0,0,,Must wanna get nasty Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.76,0:01:23.76,*Default,,0,0,0,,Go ahead, get at me Dialogue: 0,0:01:23.93,0:01:26.02,*Default,,0,0,0,,What do they make dreams for Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.14,0:01:27.94,*Default,,0,0,0,,When you got them jeans on Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.10,0:01:29.86,*Default,,0,0,0,,What do we need steam for Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.02,0:01:32.19,*Default,,0,0,0,,You the hottest bitch in this place Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.23,0:01:33.73,*Default,,0,0,0,,I feel so lucky Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.44,0:01:34.40,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.15,0:01:35.74,*Default,,0,0,0,,You wanna hug me Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.57,0:01:36.40,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.45,0:01:37.66,*Default,,0,0,0,,What rhymes with hug me Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.70,0:01:39.70,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.03,0:01:42.37,*Default,,0,0,0,,OK now he was close Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.49,0:01:44.16,*Default,,0,0,0,,Tried to domesticate ya Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.45,0:01:46.16,*Default,,0,0,0,,But you're an animal Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.21,0:01:48.08,*Default,,0,0,0,,Baby it's in your nature Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.96,0:01:48.54,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.42,0:01:50.17,*Default,,0,0,0,,Just let me liberate you Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.92,0:01:50.63,Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.29,0:01:52.13,*Default,,0,0,0,,You don't need no papers Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.96,0:01:52.59,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.46,0:01:54.05,*Default,,0,0,0,,That man is not your maker Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.88,0:01:54.55,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.13,0:01:58.13,*Default,,0,0,0,,And that's why I'm gonna take a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.43,0:01:59.51,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.34,0:02:01.85,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.18,0:02:03.81,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.72,0:02:05.98,*Default,,0,0,0,,You're a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.31,0:02:07.73,*Default,,0,0,0,,Can't let it get past me Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.19,0:02:09.81,*Default,,0,0,0,,You're far from plastic Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.77,0:02:11.61,*Default,,0,0,0,,Talkin' about getting blasted Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.65,0:02:13.73,*Default,,0,0,0,,I hate these blurred lines Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.15,0:02:15.78,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it (I hate them lines) Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.03,0:02:17.65,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it (I hate them lines) Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.20,0:02:19.70,*Default,,0,0,0,,I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.53,0:02:21.91,*Default,,0,0,0,,But you're a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.16,0:02:23.83,*Default,,0,0,0,,The way you grab me Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.95,0:02:25.66,*Default,,0,0,0,,Must wanna get nasty Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.20,0:02:27.75,*Default,,0,0,0,,Go ahead, get at me Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.41,0:02:29.96,*Default,,0,0,0,,One thing I ask you Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.00,0:02:31.92,*Default,,0,0,0,,Let me be the one you back that ass into Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.92,0:02:33.75,*Default,,0,0,0,,Yo (come on?), from Malibu, to Paribu Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.84,0:02:35.95,*Default,,0,0,0,,Yeah, had a bitch, but she ain't bad as you Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.17,0:02:38.01,*Default,,0,0,0,,So, hit me up when you' pass(ing) through Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.01,0:02:39.80,*Default,,0,0,0,,I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.05,0:02:42.05,*Default,,0,0,0,,Swag on, even when you dress casual Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.93,0:02:43.80,*Default,,0,0,0,,I mean it's almost unbearable Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.93,0:02:45.93,*Default,,0,0,0,,Then, honey you're not there when I'm Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.10,0:02:47.93,*Default,,0,0,0,,With my foresight bitch you pay me by Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.02,0:02:49.98,*Default,,0,0,0,,Nothing like your last guy, He' too square for you Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.89,0:02:51.87,*Default,,0,0,0,,He don't smack that ass and pull your hair for you Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.98,0:02:55.19,*Default,,0,0,0,,So I jail watch (jail watch), can't wait for you to salute Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.11,0:02:56.11,*Default,,0,0,0,,But you didn't pick Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.23,0:02:57.90,*Default,,0,0,0,,Not many women can refuse this pimpin' Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.15,0:03:00.03,*Default,,0,0,0,,I'm a nice guy, but don't get it confused (get pimpin') Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.03,0:03:01.16,*Default,,0,0,0,,Shake around Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.61,0:03:02.62,*Default,,0,0,0,,Get down Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.49,0:03:04.53,*Default,,0,0,0,,Get up Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.70,0:03:08.79,*Default,,0,0,0,,Do it like it hurt Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.16,0:03:10.66,*Default,,0,0,0,,Like it hurt Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.96,0:03:16.42,*Default,,0,0,0,,What, you don't like work (Hey...) Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.75,0:03:18.30,*Default,,0,0,0,,Baby can you breathe Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.46,0:03:20.13,*Default,,0,0,0,,I got this from Jamaica Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.59,0:03:22.22,*Default,,0,0,0,,It always works for me Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.47,0:03:24.22,*Default,,0,0,0,,Dakota to Decatur Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.22,0:03:24.30,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.30,0:03:26.31,*Default,,0,0,0,,No more pretending Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.60,0:03:26.43,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.43,0:03:27.68,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.39,0:03:27.77,*Default,,0,0,0,,'Cause now you winning Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.77,0:03:27.89,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.68,0:03:28.60,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.89,0:03:29.68,*Default,,0,0,0,,Here's our beginning Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.68,0:03:29.85,*Default,,0,0,0,,Uhuh Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.43,0:03:30.56,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.85,0:03:31.81,*Default,,0,0,0,, I always wanted Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.85,0:03:33.90,*Default,,0,0,0,, You're a good girl (Everybody get up) Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.40,0:03:35.69,*Default,,0,0,0,, I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.44,0:03:37.98,*Default,,0,0,0,, I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.11,0:03:39.74,*Default,,0,0,0,, I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.69,0:03:41.90,*Default,,0,0,0,, You're a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.07,0:03:43.74,*Default,,0,0,0,, Can't let it get past me Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.78,0:03:45.70,*Default,,0,0,0,, You're far from plastic Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.08,0:03:47.70,*Default,,0,0,0,, Talkin' about getting blasted Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.79,0:03:49.79,*Default,,0,0,0,, I hate these blurred lines (Everybody get up) Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.16,0:03:51.62,*Default,,0,0,0,, I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.04,0:03:53.62,*Default,,0,0,0,, I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.04,0:03:55.75,*Default,,0,0,0,, I know you want it Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.79,0:03:57.71,*Default,,0,0,0,, But you're a good girl Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.17,0:03:59.80,*Default,,0,0,0,, The way you grab me Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.84,0:04:01.59,*Default,,0,0,0,, Must wanna get nasty Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.97,0:04:03.72,*Default,,0,0,0,, Go ahead get at me Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.55,0:04:06.60,*Default,,0,0,0,, (Everybody get up) Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.39,0:04:10.47,*Default,,0,0,0,, (Everybody get up) Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.56,0:04:12.94,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.60,0:04:14.73,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.52,0:04:16.94,*Default,,0,0,0,,{\pos(972,74)}Hey Hey Hey Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.19,0:04:25.49,Default,,0,0,0,,www.metrolyrics.com/blurred-lines-lyrics-robin-thicke.html

Mac - Batch Rename Files

Apple Mac OSX 10.6

Automator

How to Batch Rename Files
With a Right-Mouse-Click

Quick Answer:

Here's the file you want to download:

http://automatorworld.com/downloads/batch-rename.zip

Drop it into your Services Folder [user/Library/Services]

Start using it by selecting the files you want to rename, then

1. Right-Clicking (or control-click) and choosing Services > Batch Rename.

2. or in the Finder Drop-Menu, choose Services > Batch Rename.

You can edit the file above in Automator, or create your own such as I did.  I made two Batch Rename services.  One for renaming photos and one for renaming music.

Explanation:

Mac is able to do such things with the built in Automator.  It Automates tasks - usually tasks that people do repetitively can be Automated to be performed with the click of one button.  In this case, I want to rename many files all at once.  Why would one need to rename so many files at once?  Well, for me, I have a couple reasons:

1.  I just downloaded 200 photos from my digital camera over to my computer.  They are all named such as this:  DSC0009876.jpg, DSC0009877.jpg...

2. I just copied a whole bunch of random photos of sunflowers off of the net for a study on sunflowers and they all have various names such as:  sunflower_007.jpg, sunny-day-flower.jpg, garden-009.jpg...

But, I want them to look more like this:

Summer Holiday - Banff National Park - 001 - (2010-08-30).jpg

Summer Holiday - Banff National Park - 002 - (2010-08-31).jpg

Summer Holiday - Banff National Park - 003 - (2010-09-01).jpg

Summer Holiday - Banff National Park - 004 - (2010-09-02).jpg

or

sunflower01.jpg

sunflower02.jpg

sunflower03.jpg

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to just highlight the files, right-click, choose Batch Rename Photos, select a few parameters, and presto?  Sure, if you want to add some details of the file, you'll have to do that manually, but that's easy, such as this:

Summer Holiday - Banff National Park - 003 - Swimming In Lake Louise (2010-09-01).jpg

An automated task in Automator is called a "Workflow".  I know I know, so much bloody jargon with computers.  Stay with me.  There are different types of Workflows you can create:

• Workflow - just an automated task that will open Automator, and you run it with Automator
• Workflow Application - will create a separate application that will run your automated task, that way you can have it sitting in your app dock or on your desktop for frequent use.
• Workflow Service - will add your automated task you created with Automator to the Services Folder [user/Library/Services] and this will make it available to you as a right-click-choice or in your Finder Window Drop-Menu under Finder > File > Services.

....and there are a few others too, but you get the idea.

Making a Workflow automated task is as simple as dragging the actions from the Actions Library on the left over to your blank workspace on the right.

Just download the file (at the top of this post), open it (will open automatically in Automator), and have a look.  Each Action is represented as a box.  Really simple and easy to understand.  You can change it and fool around with it to see how it works (and that I haven't inserted any unwanted Automated Tasks in there such as Format Disk) and customize it for yourself, if need be, because that's exactly what I did to create this file - I fooled around with someone else's to suit my own needs.


Make your own:

Steps:

1. Open Automator
2. Open a New file
3. Choose a template for your workflow: choose "Service"
4. Drag Actions from the left pane to the right where is says "drag actions or files here"
5. Actions > Files & Folders > Get Folder Contents
6. Drag the "Get Folder Contents over to the right pane
7. Then do the same for: Get Specified Finder Items, Sort Finder Items, Make Finder Item Names Sequential, Add Text to Finder Item Names, Add Text To Finder Item Names, Add Date or Time to Finder Item Names, Add Text to Finder Item Names
8. All in that order.
9. At the very top choose Services receives selected "files and folders" in "Finder"
10. this is what it should look like:

(Click for Larger Image)

    10. Now go to each window and format everything the way you see it in the above picture.
    11. Once you are done, save it as "Batch Rename Photos.workflow"
    12.  Move or copy the file into your [home] > Library > Services folder.
    13.  And that's it.  You may have to restart your computer or restart finder (force quit) and now you can select a number of photo files you have, right-click > Services > Batch Rename Photos.


Batch Rename Music Files:

Okay, now that you did that, it's really easy to make one for renaming music files:

(Click for Larger Image)

Terra Spider X Shoes 608115 / 0A4NPYA14 Review

This construction work shoe review currently spans from my first purchase of this shoe in 2012 (reviewed it one year after purchase) till 2021, 9 years and 7 pairs of the same shoe.

It's very difficult to find a decent pair of work footwear these days.  I've tried many different styles and brands over the years and few, if any, make the cut.  Usually the first thing to go is the stitching on the sides at the ball of the foot.  Then it cracks and soon there's a hole.  Every pair I've owned have had this problem and from there it's an assortment of different aspects of wear, tear, and generally falling apart.  

 

This pair of Terra Spiders have held up surprisingly well over the last year.  One thing I hate about most shoemakers is that when you find something you like and go back to get another pair, they've discontinued it.  Rather than improving on the footwear they have and making them better year after year, they instead focus on making a continuing array of new styles.  Good idea for trendy fashion attire, but not for work footwear.  When it comes to work, we want reliability, durability, and comfort -- we care not for style.

This is what one year of wear looks like

(click for larger picture)

These Terra Spider work shoes have lasted me one year; almost exactly one year, from July 30, 2012 to my new pair August 04, 2013.  Although, I would have purchased them a few weeks earlier if I had the time.

In the first week of wearing these the stitching under the ankle bone was really hurting me.  I cut two small pieces of carpet to put in there to keep it away from my ankle which I finally removed after the the break-in period, which was between 1 to 2 weeks.  With my new pair, I'm keeping the laces loose for the break-in period so that the stitching isn't touching my ankle. (never happened on subsequent pairs, must have been an anomaly)

(click for larger picture)

The first thing to wear out were the yellow coverings on the insoles.  It really didn't take very long for them to start peeling off at the heel and toe.  I became very annoyed at the feeling that there was something in my shoe when it was merely the material folding back, so I just peeled them right off.  Surprisingly, it was a much better insole that way.  The yellow top layer holds dirt and water and by taking it off the insole became resistant to dirt and water.  If any dirt got int here, I'd simply dump it out and put my show back on.  Also, I like the non-texture of the plain insole because my socks didn't cling to it but had the freedom to slide around a bit therefore reducing any rubbing between the bottoms of my feet and my socks.  I recommend smooth texture-free insoles.  I think I will peel the top layer off even before they start to peel on my new pair.

No cracking; stitching in excellent shape
(click for larger picture)

The reason I purchased these in the first place was because I needed a light flexible safety shoe as I do a variety of tasks in the field of home construction and landscaping, many of which require bending down repeatedly and most safety work footwear is neither light nor flexible at all.  I tried many hiking style safety boots and after awhile they become quite flexible, but fall apart easily.  These Terra Spiders need no break-in period for flexibility; they are flexible and comfortable and bend easily upon purchase.  Look at that, you can hardly tell where the shoe bends as the stitching is still in place and there are no holes or cracks; it really held up well in this regard; I've had other Terra footwear in the past and none have done well in this regard before: peeling, cracking, soles separating from the upper, etc. are all typical of every boot/shoe I've tried (even non-work footwear).

(click for larger picture)

I also purchased these because I was looking for metal-free footwear.  Where I live, it gets cold and wet in the winter for a good many months and I actually got frostbite on my toes due to my steel-toed footwear.  Metal-Free footwear is not only much lighter, more flexible, but also much warmer.

Do these have sole puncture protection (someone commented that they actually do -- well that would explain how I stepped on a nail and it didn't go through).  In the past I was dubious about metal-free shanks (that prevents nails and such from penetrating through the sole of the shoe, but it says nothing on the Terra website nor the box) as I've used metal shanks in the past and had to give them up due to my Frankenstein Walk and the very poor flexibility, but this new stuff actually works.  I've stepped on some nails etc. using shoes with metal-free-shanks and nothing went through.   Update: the new pair I bought now states that is has a "metal-free composite plate".

(click for larger picture)

The first thing of actual significance to actually wear out were the soles.  You can see the heel and toe of one shoe has much greater wear than the other.  I can explain the large chunk missing from the toe area.  It started as a very small piece that was missing due to my stepping on a raised nail-head; when I lifted my food, it popped a little chunk out about the size of 1cm-squared.  It seems that this missing initial piece allowed greater wear to occur in that area.  Or perhaps I just pivot etc. more on that foot.  I think if I didn't lose that initial piece, I could have worn these for another couple months, maybe, but as you can see, similar wear is happening on the other foot and the heel area is almost worn through as well.  The soles are very comfortable and flexible and this may by a trade-off when looking at more durable soles.  I was surprised to see that the parts of the sole that fold up onto the sides of the upper didn't peel off or anything; especially where the shoe bends at the ball of the foot.

(click for larger picture)

The toe-kick rubber started peeling off about a month before I got my new pair, but nothing some PL Premium couldn't fix.  The year-old ones pretty much look the same as the new ones, minus the dirt.

Overall, a very good shoe.  It has a 6 month warranty by Terra, and a 100 day warranty from the store I purchased them at.

Reasons to buy:

• metal-free sole puncture protection
• composite 'steel' toe
• durable
• light
• warm (metal free)
• flexible
• comfortable

Areas of improvement needed (updated):

• more durable insole (seems to have been improved)
• Made In Canada
• more durable sole (unless hiders flexibility/comfort)
• animal-product free (non-leather uppers and glue)
• more durable laces (they are garbage, replace them upon purchase with waxed hockey laces)

I also hate when shoes are marketed as being "Water Resistant" or "Water Proof" when all they do it spray on some water-repellent that washes off in the first rain.  Stop that - they're not water resistant or water proof unless they are rubber boots.

It would be nice if companies made shoes that were 'resolable'.  I have a great pair of Redwing shoes, and they are 'resolable'.  They are made as work shoes, but I use them casually and 9 years later, I'm still using them (and I abuse the hell out of them).  I'd love to see that same quality in the Terra shoe, and I'd also love to see the Terra show Made In Canada as I bought that pair of Redwing shoes specifically because they were Made In the U.S.A. (most of their shoes are not made in the U.S.A. now, only a select few).  I remember when Terra boots were made in Canada; I wonder if they also have a selection that still are.

Update: Second Pair: 2014 October:  my second pair of these shoes have lasted longer as I didn't step on a nail-head popping a piece of rubber out of the sole.  Although the sole has worn under the large toes on both shoes in the form of crack-shaped holes -- water was seeping in through there (similar to the cracks/holes seen on my right-foot shoe above), but I filled the holes/cracks with PL Premium and that solved that (I also used PL Premium to fill a hole in the bottom of my waterproof boot heel that was letting water in and two winters later, they're still good!!  As with my first pair, the yellow fabric coverings on the insoles started to come off almost right away -- this time I just peeled them both off -- they're useless anyway... when they get wet, it takes longer to dry than without them.  I should add that if you use these shoes in wet conditions, you should make sure to use waterproofing spray regularly -- otherwise, the shoes take a long time to dry.  If I put them in the summer sun, not so long but if there is no sun... then what?  I bought a pair of in-shoe/boot dryers -- I got the maxxdry brand, but that's only because I had no choice of other brands.  Takes about a day to dry these shoes with said dryers when they're soaked.  I imagine that non-leather shoes would dry much more quickly.  The laces wore out after about 6 months, so you might as well buy a pair of sturdy tough laces at the same time as buying these shoes. They were also too short to tie in a good double-knot for me and would sometimes come undone.

Still a good pair of shoes -- just bought a third pair Oct. 2014 and probably won't start wearing them for awhile as the old ones are still hanging in there, longer than last year's pair.

Update: 2014 October: There is a new Terra shoe/boot called that VENOM that is pretty much the same as the SPIDER, but with a few upgrades:

• TERRA FIRMA-FLEX Metal Free composite toe cap and puncture resistant plate
• Removable shock absorbing PU FOOTBED®
• Heel pull-on loop 

2016 October:  Yes, I'm am still continuing to use the Terra Spider shoes.  I now change the laces to waxed hockey laces (Canadian Tire).  Just buy the shortest ones in whatever colour you like, and after you've cut them to length, the ends melt very nicely to be able to form an aglet with your fingers.  Why?  The laces which come with the shoes are too short, not durable enough, and do not stay tied well - for my liking. The hockey laces on the other hand are fantastic, far better than any so-called 'durable' laces I've tried from work-wear stores in the past. the pai I currently have have lasted two years and still look brand new. I should add that I don't tie and untie my laces, I merely slip these shoes on and off and keep my laced double-knotted.

2018 August:  Continuing to use the Terra Spider shoes.  I still recommend getting rid of the laces and use hockey laces; the hockey laces I currently have on my shoes have lasted two years and look great and I will move them to my new pair of shoes (I considered getting new laces just so they'll look nice and clean to match my new shoes, but no need, the shoes will dirty up in a few days to match). My latest pair of shoes have held up pretty well, very similar to previous ones, with one exception, the insoles held up far better than in all previous ones I've owned. Usually the top fiber layer of the insole which is glued onto the foam part starts to peel off within a month and sooner or later I just have to peel the whole thing off because it's very uncomfortable. But this time, I didn't even wear a hole through as I usually do and it didn't peel at all. Hopefully this is an improvement they've made in the manufacturing and not an anomaly. The stitching on either side of the toe started coming apart so I put some PL Premium on there to stop it coming out any further. Not pretty, but worked. It has been almost two years for this pair of shoes now. The likely reason they've lasted longer is due to doing more driving and more indoors work compared to my first pair in 2012 which I thrashed working nearly 90% of the time outdoors. If you work in, say, a warehouse job indoors, you can expect these to last at least two years, more if you are careful about not pivoting or spinning too much in them and keeping the wear on the sole at the large toe to a minimum. I do not pivot on or drag my heels and that's evident by the lack of wear in the heel area.

2018: No peeling or holes; insoles in excellent shape
(click for larger picture)

2018: Stitching on either side of toe came apart
(click for larger picture)

2018: Major wear points on upper
(click for larger picture)

2018: Major wear points on lower: large toe
(click for larger picture) 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2018/19 PAIR UPDATE

 

(click to view larger picture)

As you can see, this pair fared very well, perhaps from doing a lot more indoor work during that time. That's my best guess.  But, if you look at the soles, you can see where there is wear and cracking at the heels and large toes. Because of these 'breaches" in the outer sole, water gets into the mid-sole, which soaks up water like a sponge. That's fine, but this allows water to get into the inside of the shoe as there is no barrier between the mid-dole and the inner-sole-board. If I was working exclusively indoors or an otherwise dry environment, I could have continued to wear these shoes without any problem. But, I had to get a new pair of shoes simply because of the water problem. Stepping in a shallow pooling of water is all it takes. Or multiple trips across a wet driveway. Doesn't take much.

Makeshift arch support

(click to view larger picture)

Man, I had a terrible problem with sore ankles in this pair of shoes.  Maybe it was the type of work I was doing, or maybe it was the shoes, I don't know, but I just felt like there was no horizontal support and my feet/ankles would 'fall inwards' if you know what I mean. I stopped at a few places to see about getting some insoles or other kind of arch support, just some foam inserts or something cheap, but when it comes to arch support, nothing is cheap. Complete ripoff. So, I just made my own with cardboard, taped them to the inner sole-plate and put my insoles back on top. Worked really well. But, another reason I wanted a new pair. Once I got a new pair, and I've had those for over a year now, no ankle problems. So, no idea what was going on.

Minimal wear but shoelace wear still evident

(click to view larger picture)

As you can see, the stitching at the toe is coming apart and the shoelaces are pretty much ready to fall apart at this point.  As I've said before, these shoes last about a year, and these were already over a year old and fared much better than previous pairs perhaps due to working more indoors. The major points of wear were the soles (heel and large toe), shoelaces, and toe stitching; same as previous pairs, but the additional new problem of sore ankles with no definite cause.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2021 UPDATE

 

The Terra Spider shoes have had their name changed to Terra Spider X. There have been some design changes.

 

Got the Terra Spider X over a year ago. Perhaps 1.5yrs old right now. I will continue to wear these through the summer until the rain comes again. The outer sole is already breached, so that means water entry.  I recommend always getting a new pair in the fall before rain/winter starts, then you can extend the wearing time through the dryer summer months even if you have wear in the outer sole where water would normally get in.

 

First and foremost, with this new design, they have removed the shoelace eyelets. This seems to have been the cause of major shoelace wear.  As you can read above in my previous posts, the laces did not last very long until they broke, so I had been replacing them with hockey skate laces.  Now, without the plastic eyelets, I haven't had any lace breakage problems.

2021: new design and improvements
(click for larger picture) 

The top layer of materiel under/around the eyelets has been removed also, save for the bottom-most eyelets which still go through the toe material.

 

Another thing they seem to have fixed is the glue used to adhere the fabric to the foam insole. Previously, the fabric would start to peel off almost immediately so, instead of being annoyed by the peeling fabric, I would just peel the whole thing off myself and be done with it. I didn't experience any peeling with the new X version or my previous pair. Yes, there was wear, but no peeling.

Insole much better, no peeling

(click for larger picture)

The Heel Collar part of the shoe, just under the ankles, has been improved, also.  This part of the shoe has often been quite stiff and really hurt my ankles until they broke-in, so now this part of the shoe has been replaced with soft padding all the way around the back of the heel. Very good improvement. Much more comfortable right from the start of wearing a new pair.

I'm not certain, but I think the main leather part of the shoe has been changed to a different kind of material, it seems a bit more swede-like on the surface.

The major wear-point for these Terra Spider X shoes has been the back of the heel. The material has totally worn away and the inner stiff backing material has slowly been breaking away in pieces.  This point certainly needs improvement. I keep thinking that the back of the heel should have no material at all, and be completely smooth to prevent rubbing between the heel/sock/back-of-shoe.  Would save me getting holes in my socks as well.  Since I do a lot of bending down, there's really no way to prevent the heel from lifting up a little when bending down, so I think it would be best to limit friction instead.  Of course, this might be a bad idea, because it might allow the heel too much freedom of movement to life up. But if the top of the heel curves in, and the shoe does as well, that should prevent the heel from lifting out of the shoe.

Heel backing support and wear needs a design change 

(click for larger picture)

 

 

The soles of the shoes haven't changed. The Terra Spider X soles are no different. Still very good, very flexible upon purchase, great for squatting and foot flexibility etc. Still love the soles.  The major wear points seem to be on the pivot points, i.e. the large toes and heels. Same as any footwear. Not sure if this can be improved upon without affecting comfort in a negative way.  Since it rains around here a lot, once the sole is either punctured (by a nail for example) or worn through a little by regular wear, water get into the squishier inner part of the sole and once that happens, water enters the shoe and your foot is wet. Would be nice if they could but some kind of coating between the rubber sole and the inner insole footbed board to prevent water getting in. Once the outer sole is comprised, the midsole just soaks up water like a sponge.

The soles are still comfortable and flexible in design.

(click for larger picture)

 

Arch support. These shoes have zero arch support. They are totally flat. With at least one previous purchase of Terra Spider, I have added my own arch support in the form of cardboard cutouts that I taped in place.  I found that adding arch support really helped with ankle stability. My ankles were getting sore. The arch support helped. Maybe it was the specific work I was doing, not sure, but with this current pair of Terra Spider X shoes, arch support never occurred to me. So, not sure what was going on there. But, if you typically like arch support, you will have to add your own with these shoes or replace the insole with ones with arch support.

Old design on top, new design on bottom.

(click for larger picture)

 

Looking at the picture above, you can see some differences between the new version and the old.

 

The heel collar being the main design change and a great improvement. 

 

The plastic eyelets removed. 

 

The stitching at the toe is still a weak point. I am still having that stitching come out and having to glue it to prevent it coming fully apart. They really need to do something about this. Stitching is not enough, it needs to be glued down.  

 

Toe-kick rubber on the nose has been good in previous years. It hasn't come off at all. In the past, it would eventually start peeling forward and I'd have to glue it back on with PL Premium (just because that kind of glue is usually kicking around on every jobsite). So, maybe they improved upon that by using better glue in the manufacturing because I haven't had any problems with that issue for awhile now.

 

The pull-tab loop for putting your finger in to pull your shoe on is a good idea, but, it's WAY too small. I can't easily get my finger in there and my fingers are pretty thin. So, regular man-hands will not fit in there.  Plus, takes too long to try and get your finger in there, and imagine that you are wearing gloves, as I usually am, I just want to take my shoe off, shake out the debris that's in there, and put it back on, it would be better that it was a thicker piece of material, more of a pull-tab, not a pull-loop. You know, something a guy can just grab onto with no need to try to find the hole.

The area where the shoe bends at the ball of the foot, I haven't had any problems with cracking and splitting, so that's good. That was a problem on my previous pair.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, so not sure if it's luck of the draw in manufacturing, or if it has to do with something else. Such as, getting the shoes wet and muddy then drying them out, causing the material to become less flexible. Not sure.

Anyway, still a great shoe. I highly recommend them, and look forward to further improvements on their design.  If I had to choose only one improvement, hm... I'd say to prevent water from getting into the shoe through an outer-sole breach -- a brand new pair of shoes can be turned into soggy sponges by a puncture through the outer sole allowing water in.