Re: unfair business practices: Hamrick Software USA

[Michael Berger]

On 01/26/2017 03:18 AM, Steve Litt wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:41:33 +0200


On 2017-01-24 14:27, Michael Berger wrote:

Dear all,

if you should plan to purchase software from Hamrick Software USA
(www.hamrick.com), please, be warned not to be trapped by this
Company's fraudulent statements and business practices.

My story.

When looking for software to be used with HP Scanjet G4050 (not
fully supported by XSANE) I came across the 'VueScan' software from
Hamrick.

The documentation and technical specification guaranteed exactly was
I was looking for: a software using TMAs (Transparent Media
Adapters) for scanning of color slides, color negatives etc. under
Linux with my scanner. See screenshot attached.

Fully convinced by what was stated I purchased the license to use
'VueScan Professional'' and made a credit card payment for US$
89.95.

However, I could use VueScan for ordinary flat bed scanning only,
*nothing* else.

Upon my complaint Ed Hamrick wrote: 'Unfortunately, VueScan only
works with the transparency adapter on this scanner on Windows and
Mac OS X (but not Linux)'.

No sorry, no regrets, no money return, no compensation !

When I asked him if that was all he could say, I got the following
answer: '...please, make a bunch of postings mentioning VueScan. All
publicity is good publicity' :-) Regards, Ed Hamrick

I all my life I have never seen such insensitivity and coolness
before.  What a highly educated and shifty business attitude!

Cheers,
Michael

   

Dr Eberhard Lisse  wrote:


Besides the fact that I fail to see what this has to do with LyX, I
have been using that particular package for many years (predominantly
on the Mac but also on Windows (and even on Linux)) and am not only as
happy with it as Prof Knuth, but also found them to be extremely
responsive to constructive criticism.

Nothing in the preceding paragraph in any way refutes the OP's claim.
It's simply an anecdote proving that the OP's experience isn't
universal.


They offer a free version for download which is identical but prints
watermarks, so one wonders if one should not have tested this before,
never mind a charge back.

Was a "sold as is, no refunds" policy *prominently* displayed on all
text and advertising material? If not, their response is sleazy.

I keep going back to the snotty attitude, of the vendor, described by
the OP. Unless somebody proves that the OP is lying or seriously
altering the truth, I'm not going to buy from Vuescan, and I thank the
OP for warning me.
  
SteveT


Steve Litt
January 2017 featured book: Troubleshooting: Just the Facts
http://www.troubleshooters.com/tjust


Hi Steve,
thanks very much for your comment. You understood my intent and as well 
interpreted my  e-mail absolute correctly.
And NO!, there is/was no "sold as is, no refunds policy" or anything 
similar.


And yet, there seem to be people showing more sympathy (and perhaps even admiration) with 
Ed Hamrick and his business behavior than with my rather "antiquated stupidity".

Best,
Michael

Re: Attaching References

[William Hanson]

Chris,
I'm using Windows and LyX 2.0.5.1.  Since I've been unable to make LyX
2.2.2.2 work (more about that later), and since all I needed to do to
complete my document was add three references, I tried to make 2.0.5.1 do
that for me.

However, since I first wrote the situation has changed somewhat.  (I
suppose that's due to the messing around I've been doing.)

I do indeed have a BibTeX Generated Bibliography box at the end of my
document.   And when I click on it the window that opens contains a link to
the .bib file I created with Mendeley.  This sounds promising, but now when
I try to insert a reference into the document (by choosing Citation) the
box that pops up is empty.

And now, unlike earlier today, I'm no longer able to create a pdf using any
of the pdf options under File→Export.  (Some of those pdf commands now
produce error messages, and the ones that don't do nothing.  Previously
LuaTeX produced pdfs.)  So I'm still stuck.

Thanks for responding.  Nice eagle.
Bill






On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 4:02 PM, Christopher Menzel 
wrote:

> Hi Bill,
>
> What platform? Mac? Windows? Linux? Also, what sorts of messages are you
> getting? And, just to make sure, did you insert a pointer to your .bib file
> at the end of your document by selecting Insert → List/TOC → BibTeX
> bibliography? All you say is that you stuck the file somewhere but LaTeX
> needs to know where to find it.
>
> In my experience with all three platforms, if you install the latest
> version of TeX for your platform and then the latest version of LyX, things
> generally should Just Work. So if you haven't upgraded your TeX
> installation in a while I'd consider doing that and then installing Lyx
> 2.2.2. (You should rename your copy of LyX 2.0.5.1 first to avoid having it
> overwritten; it'll still work.)
>
> -chris
>
> > On 25 Jan 2017, at 3:16 PM, William Hanson  wrote:
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I've created a BibTeX (.bib) file in Mendeley Desktop and used the
> Import option in Mendeley to get this file into a folder in my main
> collection of folders (outside Mendeley Desktop).  But I can't get LyX to
> access this file and create citations in documents I'm working on. When I
> try to insert a citation into a document I'm given access only to an old
> list of citations, not to those in the new file just mentioned.  And I
> can't get LyX to let me add the citations in the new file to the old list.
> >
> > I'm using LyX 2.0.5.1, which I've used for years.  I've downloaded
> 2.2.2.2, but but I can barely get started with it.  It keeps telling me
> that I have to add new files to make things work, but I'm unable to do so,
> and the Users Manual doesn't help.
> >
> > What should I do?
> >
> > Bill Hanson
>
>

Re: unfair business practices: Hamrick Software USA

[Steve Litt]

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:41:33 +0200

> 
> On 2017-01-24 14:27, Michael Berger wrote:
> > Dear all,
> > 
> > if you should plan to purchase software from Hamrick Software USA
> > (www.hamrick.com), please, be warned not to be trapped by this
> > Company's fraudulent statements and business practices.
> > 
> > My story.
> > 
> > When looking for software to be used with HP Scanjet G4050 (not
> > fully supported by XSANE) I came across the 'VueScan' software from
> > Hamrick.
> >
> > The documentation and technical specification guaranteed exactly was
> > I was looking for: a software using TMAs (Transparent Media
> > Adapters) for scanning of color slides, color negatives etc. under
> > Linux with my scanner. See screenshot attached.
> >
> > Fully convinced by what was stated I purchased the license to use
> > 'VueScan Professional'' and made a credit card payment for US$
> > 89.95.
> >
> > However, I could use VueScan for ordinary flat bed scanning only,
> > *nothing* else.
> >
> > Upon my complaint Ed Hamrick wrote: 'Unfortunately, VueScan only
> > works with the transparency adapter on this scanner on Windows and
> > Mac OS X (but not Linux)'.
> >
> > No sorry, no regrets, no money return, no compensation !
> >
> > When I asked him if that was all he could say, I got the following
> > answer: '...please, make a bunch of postings mentioning VueScan. All
> > publicity is good publicity' :-) Regards, Ed Hamrick
> >
> > I all my life I have never seen such insensitivity and coolness
> > before.  What a highly educated and shifty business attitude!
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > Michael
> > 
> >   

Dr Eberhard Lisse  wrote:

> Besides the fact that I fail to see what this has to do with LyX, I
> have been using that particular package for many years (predominantly
> on the Mac but also on Windows (and even on Linux)) and am not only as
> happy with it as Prof Knuth, but also found them to be extremely
> responsive to constructive criticism.

Nothing in the preceding paragraph in any way refutes the OP's claim.
It's simply an anecdote proving that the OP's experience isn't
universal.

> They offer a free version for download which is identical but prints
> watermarks, so one wonders if one should not have tested this before,
> never mind a charge back.

Was a "sold as is, no refunds" policy *prominently* displayed on all
text and advertising material? If not, their response is sleazy.

I keep going back to the snotty attitude, of the vendor, described by
the OP. Unless somebody proves that the OP is lying or seriously
altering the truth, I'm not going to buy from Vuescan, and I thank the
OP for warning me.
 
SteveT

Steve Litt 
January 2017 featured book: Troubleshooting: Just the Facts
http://www.troubleshooters.com/tjust

Re: Required packages

[Uwe Stöhr]

Am 07.01.2017 um 16:24 schrieb Uwe Stöhr:


The problem was a bug in MiKTeX's installer: It did not work unless one
added something to the proxy field


This is now fixed. I therefore released a new Windows installer 
including the fixed MiKTeX:

http://ftp.lyx.de/LyX%202.2.2/
(will soon be at lyx.org as well)


To fix this, open the program
MiKTeX update (admin)
There click on the button "Connection settings" and use the option to
use a proxy. As address just type in "test". (Port is 8080) and press OK.


If MiKTeX update tells you now that it cannot find the proxy, remove 
this setting and don't use a proxy.


regards Uwe

Re: Change bar

[gordon cooper]

Progress: The plot thickens!   As yet, have not been able to isolate the
problem area, but have found a possible bug in the Compare tool.

The January file was the reference for the Compare Tool, looking for
changes added since the previous December version.

A glitch in the comparison progress has promoted the work ‘Links’
from Standard to Sub-section, and although not obvious in the
copies shown, has inserted an extra } into the code for
that line. This } was found and listed as an error in the conversion to 
pdflatex.



1. Source code from earlier Dec_2016 file

 *

   When the Setup process is finished, the device should be working.


 0.1 Basic MX Tools

__

2. Source code from January file – where a set of three hyperlinks is added

 *

   When the Setup process is finished, the device should be working.

_Links_

 *

   Blueman Troubleshooting
   

 *

   Arch Wiki 

 *

   Debian Wiki on Pairing 


 0.1 Basic MX Tools

___

3. The Differences file source code is showing this :


 *

   When the Setup process is finished, the device should be working.


 0.1 _Links_

 *

   Blueman Troubleshooting
   

 *

   Arch Wiki 

 *

   Debian Wiki on Pairing 


 0.2 Basic MX Tools



Have tested this comparison again with type of the word Links in the 
January file changed

into a subparagraph.

The same error happens during Compare, Links is promoted to be a 
numbered Sub-section
with subsequent numbering changed in Section 3. Is this case, an extra } 
was _not_ added.


This fault in a comparison may be contributing to the Change bar errors. 
Will continue

working on the problem as time permits and report progress.

Gordon.


On 25/01/17 08:28, gordon cooper wrote:

Dear Gunter,
   You have given me a guide as to the possible 
error.

Providing a minimum example is difficult as there is no error report
provided, so the problem could be anywhere. and I am not aware of
any non-standard settings.  This document is a User Manual with
many images and hyperlinks.

So, my next step will be to isolate the fault, using the old slow method
of halving, testing, then halving again etc., and hoping I can see it in
the source pane.  Will report progress.

Many thanks,
Gordon.


On 24/01/17 22:58, Guenter Milde wrote:

Dear Gordon,

On 2017-01-24, gordon cooper wrote:

Have added the Change bar module (Document>Settings>) to couple of
documents so that any Changes will be more obvious in the pdf copies
of Difference files sent to our translators.
The result is erratic. A few times lyx has produced a pdf with the 
desired
bars, but usually it appears to go into an internal loop, then 
crashes after

abou20-30 minutes.  If I remove the Change Bar module, then pdf copies
produced by exporting to pdflatex, are generated in a few minutes.
Add the Change bar module and the crashes return.
This looks very much like an incompatibility between the change bar 
latex

package and some of the other settings/packages you use.

Could you please send a *minimal example* (take a failing document and
remove every non-standard setting and every content that does not 
trigger

the error).


Have read through everything that seemed related in the User List
Archive, but no clues found.

Another good search point is the LyX bug tracker
https://www.lyx.org/trac/wiki/BugTrackerHome
but in this case the only "change bar ticket" is not relevant.

Sometimes also trackexchange or a generic internet search helps. d

Günter

Re: Attaching References

[Richard Heck]

> On 25 Jan 2017, at 3:16 PM, William Hanson  wrote:
>> I'm using LyX 2.0.5.1, which I've used for years.  I've downloaded 2.2.2.2, 
>> but but I can barely get started with it.  It keeps telling me that I have 
>> to add new files to make things work, but I'm unable to do so, and the Users 
>> Manual doesn't help.

When is LyX 2.2.2 telling you that you need to add new files? What files
is it telling you that you need to add?

Richard

Re: Attaching References

[Christopher Menzel]

Hi Bill,

What platform? Mac? Windows? Linux? Also, what sorts of messages are you 
getting? And, just to make sure, did you insert a pointer to your .bib file at 
the end of your document by selecting Insert → List/TOC → BibTeX bibliography? 
All you say is that you stuck the file somewhere but LaTeX needs to know where 
to find it.

In my experience with all three platforms, if you install the latest version of 
TeX for your platform and then the latest version of LyX, things generally 
should Just Work. So if you haven't upgraded your TeX installation in a while 
I'd consider doing that and then installing Lyx 2.2.2. (You should rename your 
copy of LyX 2.0.5.1 first to avoid having it overwritten; it'll still work.)

-chris

> On 25 Jan 2017, at 3:16 PM, William Hanson  wrote:
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> I've created a BibTeX (.bib) file in Mendeley Desktop and used the Import 
> option in Mendeley to get this file into a folder in my main collection of 
> folders (outside Mendeley Desktop).  But I can't get LyX to access this file 
> and create citations in documents I'm working on. When I try to insert a 
> citation into a document I'm given access only to an old list of citations, 
> not to those in the new file just mentioned.  And I can't get LyX to let me 
> add the citations in the new file to the old list.
> 
> I'm using LyX 2.0.5.1, which I've used for years.  I've downloaded 2.2.2.2, 
> but but I can barely get started with it.  It keeps telling me that I have to 
> add new files to make things work, but I'm unable to do so, and the Users 
> Manual doesn't help.
> 
> What should I do?
> 
> Bill Hanson

Attaching References

[William Hanson]

Dear All,

I've created a BibTeX (.bib) file in Mendeley Desktop and used the Import
option in Mendeley to get this file into a folder in my main collection of
folders (outside Mendeley Desktop).  But I can't get LyX to access this
file and create citations in documents I'm working on. When I try to insert
a citation into a document I'm given access only to an old list of
citations, not to those in the new file just mentioned.  And I can't get
LyX to let me add the citations in the new file to the old list.

I'm using LyX 2.0.5.1, which I've used for years.  I've downloaded 2.2.2.2,
but but I can barely get started with it.  It keeps telling me that I have
to add new files to make things work, but I'm unable to do so, and the
Users Manual doesn't help.

What should I do?

Bill Hanson