Re: [GTALUG] uses and dangers of AI in science

[Don Tai via talk]

thank you for the link. It was a very interesting article, and a cautionary
tale for those in academia.

On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 at 09:41, Alvin Starr via talk  wrote:

>
> On 2024-03-11 15:44, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
>
> I found this article quite 
> interesting.
>  
> 
>
>
> I will only be truly surprised when an AI comes up with a stupid mistake
> that humans have not made first.
>
> Think of hiring a OCA artist to do your illustrations for your paper
> working only from a text description of what you want to see.
> Then take what you get back and just publish it without any checking.
>
>
> --
> Alvin Starr   ||   land:  (647)478-6285
> Netvel Inc.   ||   Cell:  (416)806-0133al...@netvel.net   
>||
>
>
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Re: [GTALUG] Air Canada claims its chatbot is liable, not AC!

[Don Tai via talk]

B.C. lawyer reprimanded for citing fake cases invented by ChatGPT: Chong Ke
ordered to pay costs for opposing counsel to discover precedent was AI
'hallucination'
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lawyer-chatgpt-fake-precedent-1.7126393

"The cases would have provided compelling precedent for a divorced dad to
take his children to China — had they been real.

But instead of savouring courtroom victory, the Vancouver lawyer for a
millionaire embroiled in an acrimonious split has been told to personally
compensate her client's ex-wife's lawyers for the time it took them to
learn the cases she hoped to cite were conjured up by ChatGPT.

In a decision released Monday
, a B.C.
Supreme Court judge reprimanded lawyer Chong Ke for including two AI
"hallucinations" in an application filed last December.

The cases never made it into Ke's arguments; they were withdrawn once she
learned they were non-existent."

On Tue, 20 Feb 2024 at 10:19, Peter King via talk  wrote:

> Yeah, I had them change my booking for a stop in Montreal with only an
> hour connection, and yes I missed the connection...  I had to stop
> watching the video, it was too close to documentary!  She is one funny
> woman.
>
> On 2/16/24 18:18, Ron / BCLUG via talk wrote:
> > Ron / BCLUG via talk wrote on 2024-02-16 10:35:
> >
> >> I particularly like this part:
> >
> > Coincidentally, it was just yesterday that I caught one of Canada's
> > most talented comedians do a 4 minute skit on dealing with the
> > frustration of *human* customer service at "Air Canaday":
> >
> >
> https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4kq2SaRwXeo=05%7C02%7Cpeter.king%40utoronto.ca%7Cc9cace8dc1354eab6a7a08dc2f458ce3%7C78aac2262f034b4d9037b46d56c55210%7C0%7C0%7C638437222964979992%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C=Pii4FU%2FmEZdj68%2FNMOkzyM9ded%2FX4OG14Q0NDYpXSr4%3D=0
> >
>
> --
> Peter King  peter.k...@utoronto.ca
> Department of Philosophy
> 170 St. George Street #521
> The University of Toronto  (416)-946-3170 ofc
> Toronto, ON  M5R 2M8
> CANADA
>
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>
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Re: [GTALUG] Air Canada claims its chatbot is liable, not AC!

[Don Tai via talk]

I think this is a great example of the caution needed when using AI
chatbots. We are still in the early stages of adoption. With AI
hallucinations being quite common, more "misunderstandings" are surely to
occur.

On Fri, 16 Feb 2024 at 13:54, Ron / BCLUG via talk  wrote:

> D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote on 2024-02-16 08:25:
>
> > <
> https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/air-canada-chatbot-lawsuit-1.7116416
> >
> >
> > There's surely more to this story.
>
> Standard operating procedures - "it wasn't us, guv, it was a contractor".
>
>
> I particularly like this part:
>
>  > Air Canada argued Moffatt could have found the correct information
>  > about bereavement rates on another part of the airline's website.
>  >
>  > But as Rivers pointed out, "it does not explain why the webpage titled
>  > "Bereavement Travel" was inherently more trustworthy than its
>  > chatbot."
>  >
>  > "There is no reason why Mr. Moffatt should know that one section of
>  > Air Canada's webpage is accurate, and another is not," Rivers wrote.
>
>
> Also, where CBC looked up any similar cases on CanLII:
>
>  >A survey of the Canadian Legal Information Institute — which maintains
>  > a database of Canadian legal decisions — shows a paucity of cases
>  > featuring bad advice from chatbots; Moffatt's appears to be the first.
>
> We can bet everything we own that it won't be the last...
>
>
> rb
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Re: [GTALUG] I asked ChatGPT to compare iGPUs.

[Don Tai via talk]

AI "hallucinations". Fact check everything, unless you just asked Chatgpt
to write you a love poem.

On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 at 11:04, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> I have two models of dirt-cheap notebook.  One was $300 for an "open box"
> not quite two years ago and the other was $300 ten days ago.
>
> It's easy to google on the web to compare the CPUs but not so easy to find
> out the difference between the integrated GPUs.  So I asked ChatGPT 3.5
> (the free one).
>
> "compare igpu in i3-1005G1 and i3-1215U"
>
> The answer looked OK but I'm quite sure that it is very wrong.  It thought
> that the i3-1005G1 was newer and more advanced than the i3-1215U.  The
> first clue is that it thinks that the i3-1215u is part of Intel's 8th gen
> Core processors whereas it is part of the 12th gen.
>
> I then asked it "why do you thing i3-1215u is 8th gen?".  It appologized
> and said that that processor was part of the 10th gen "Comet Lake".  It is
> not.
>
> I wonder if this is due to its training date being before the i3-1215u's
> launch (first quarter of 2022).
>
> It sure would be nice if it knew what it didn't know.
>
> Note: I'm not cherry-picking this example.  This is the first prompt I've
> given in weeks.
>
>  ChatGPT output:
> When comparing the integrated graphics processing units (iGPUs) of the
> Intel Core i3-1005G1 and the i3-1215U, there are a few key differences to
> consider:
>
> Architecture:
> The i3-1005G1 is part of the 10th generation Intel Core
> processors, codenamed Ice Lake. It features the Gen11 graphics
> architecture.
> The i3-1215U, on the other hand, belongs to the 8th generation
> Intel Core processors, codenamed Kaby Lake Refresh. It features Intel HD
> Graphics 615.
>
> Performance:
> The i3-1005G1 generally offers better graphical performance
> compared to the i3-1215U due to the newer architecture and improved
> integrated graphics in the Ice Lake processors.
> The Gen11 graphics in the i3-1005G1 typically provide better
> support for modern gaming and multimedia applications compared to the
> Intel HD Graphics 615 in the i3-1215U.
>
> Features:
> The i3-1005G1 supports newer technologies such as Intel's Adaptive
> Sync, which helps reduce screen tearing during gaming or other
> graphic-intensive tasks.
> The i3-1215U may lack some of these newer features and
> optimizations found in the 10th generation processors.
>
> Power Efficiency:
> The i3-1005G1, being a part of the Ice Lake architecture, benefits
> from Intel's advancements in power efficiency, resulting in potentially
> better battery life and lower power consumption compared to the i3-1215U.
>
> In summary, while both iGPUs serve their purpose for light gaming and
> everyday tasks, the i3-1005G1 generally offers better performance and more
> advanced features due to its newer architecture.
>
>  second prompt
>
> User
> why do you thing i3-1215u is 8th gen?
> ChatGPT
>
> I apologize for the confusion. It seems there might have been a mistake in
> my response. The Intel Core i3-1215U is actually part of the 10th
> generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Comet Lake. Let me correct the
> comparison between the iGPUs of the i3-1005G1 (Ice Lake) and the i3-1215U
> (Comet Lake):
>
> Architecture:
> The i3-1005G1 features the Gen11 graphics architecture as part of
> the Ice Lake processors.
> The i3-1215U, being a part of the Comet Lake processors, features
> Intel UHD Graphics.
>
> Performance:
> The i3-1005G1 with Gen11 graphics generally offers better
> graphical performance compared to the i3-1215U with Intel UHD Graphics due
> to the architectural improvements in the Ice Lake processors.
> The Gen11 graphics typically provide better support for modern
> gaming and multimedia applications compared to Intel UHD Graphics.
>
> Features:
> The i3-1005G1 may support newer technologies and features compared
> to the i3-1215U, although both are part of the 10th generation Intel Core
> processors.
>
> Power Efficiency:
> The i3-1005G1 might have an advantage in power efficiency due to
> the architectural improvements in Ice Lake, potentially leading to better
> battery life compared to the i3-1215U.
>
> So, to clarify, both the i3-1005G1 and the i3-1215U belong to the 10th
> generation Intel Core processors, but they differ in their graphics
> architecture and associated features.
>
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Re: [GTALUG] war story: Brother printer won't turn on

[Don Tai via talk]

yes, I am old, but my next generation both know how to solder and how to
sew. My daughter has both a sewing machine and a serger. She has become the
"Go to" person in her circle to repair a treasured possession instead of
the pitch and repurchase cycle. When you have little money, maintenance
becomes more important. My son learned to solder at the age of 5.

We've had a great run of economics these last 15 years, but this will not
last. The nextgen will need to work harder than the Boomers.

On Sat, 20 Jan 2024 at 14:10, o1bigtenor  wrote:

> On Sat, Jan 20, 2024 at 11:26 AM Don Tai via talk  wrote:
> >
> > "I'd like to say that soldering is a basic life-skill, but it isn't. " I
> think it is.
> >
> > If you do any kind of electronics repair or hacking, then you must know
> how to solder. It isn't difficult. You just need practice. Tutorials abound
> on YT. Knowing how to use a multimeter is also an essential life skill.
> Without these fundamental skills you must trash equipment that somehow went
> awry and buy another one. This is similar to mending your clothing. You can
> just pitch the clothing and buy new, or buy better quality and learn to
> mend what you have. The choice is yours.
> >
> > With the quality of product dropping as time passes, there is more of a
> need to repair older but better quality products (computer tech excluded)
> than to simply buy new. Learn how to solder and sew yourself, find someone
> that knows, or pay someone to do it for you.
> >
>
> Hm - - - - you pretty much  put your age in neon with a comment
> like that - - - lol.
> Not that I disagree in fact.
>
> The ethos has evolved to where from about 15 to 20 years ago it is now
> considered
> ethically imperative to discard and buy new on a very very regular basis.
> Someone has to be spending money quite regularly to make all those nice
> salaries
> that mid and upper management from most large companiesand the increase the
> wealth of the financial elite. Heaven forfend if the financial elite's
> net worth isn't increasing
> by at least 15% per annum!
>
> HTH
> (tongue firmly in cheek)
>
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Re: [GTALUG] war story: Brother printer won't turn on

[Don Tai via talk]

"I'd like to say that soldering is a basic life-skill, but it isn't. " I
think it is.

If you do any kind of electronics repair or hacking, then you must know how
to solder. It isn't difficult. You just need practice. Tutorials abound
on YT. Knowing how to use a multimeter is also an essential life skill.
Without these fundamental skills you must trash equipment that somehow went
awry and buy another one. This is similar to mending your clothing. You can
just pitch the clothing and buy new, or buy better quality and learn to
mend what you have. The choice is yours.

With the quality of product dropping as time passes, there is more of a
need to repair older but better quality products (computer tech excluded)
than to simply buy new. Learn how to solder and sew yourself, find someone
that knows, or pay someone to do it for you.

On Sat, 20 Jan 2024 at 11:51, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> | From: Evan Leibovitch via talk 
>
> | I've had a CDP-L2520DW for at least a decade.
> | Touch wood, no problems like this.
>
> I've found Brother laser printers to be fairly reliable, especially
> considering how complex and mechanical they are.  I don't buy other brands
> so I cannot compare them.
>
> I've bought several refurb Brothers from their web site.  Since the
> pandemic, the prices seem to be way higher.
>
> Brother seems to allow clone toners. That's good.
>
> Brother's say that the toner cartridge is empty a bit prematurely.
> Luckily there are sequences of key presses that override this.
>
> | FWIW, I've found Brother tech support to be quite helpful
>
> Good to know.  I've rarely found any tech support useful so I try them
> last.  Google is much better.  I wonder if chatGPT would be better still.
>
> |  While I have no
> | idea where she was located, she did know her stuff.
>
> I always ask CSRs "what City are you in" as a kind of stamp collecting.  I
> do it at the end because it isn't important and I don't want to throw the
> conversation off.
>
> | For those of us not intrepid enough, or lacking confidence in keeping a
> | soldering gun steady -- I wonder if Brother might make available a
> | replacement circuit board.
> | More expensive than buying a single capacitor but less than replacing
> what
> | has otherwise been a pretty good unit (from a company that has supported
> | Linux very well).
>
> I'd like to say that soldering is a basic life-skill, but it isn't. One
> could try Dropping in on the Hacklab open house (Tuesdays starting at
> 18:00)? 
>
> Ohh: I thought that the Repair Cafe had died but I'm wrong:
> 
>
> The repair is pretty easy if you've done any soldering.  I solder about
> twice a decade, so I'm not very good at it.
>
> I don't know what soldering guns are good for.  Probably not electronics.
> I use a cheap soldering iron I bought three to five decades ago.
> Probably from Radio Shack.  For electronics work, you want a low power and
> small iron.
>
> The latest cool cheap soldering iron is the PINECIL V2.  It has a RISC-V
> processor and open source software.  Why, I don't know.  I'd have bought
> one but the shipping doubles the price and irks me.
> 
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Re: [GTALUG] war story: Brother printer won't turn on

[Don Tai via talk]

excellent fix, and you, hopefully, improved your soldering technique!

On Fri, 19 Jan 2024 at 17:46, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> My LASER printer / scanner, a Brother MFC-L2729DW, would not power on.
> Normally something like this is due to a power supply failure, but I
> googled and found this:
>
> 
>
> (The video is incomplete; there is another one that is linked from the
> first, but all the useful info is in the first.)
>
> Following his instructions, I found that I could reset the machine to
> work.  But he said that it would fail again on a power failure or even
> just turning it off.  Furthermore, doing this too many times breaks the
> printer.
>
> It turns out that settings are kept in a RAM that is powered by a
> supercapacitor (instead of a battery).  Furthermore, that
> supercapacitor wears out.  All you need to do to fix the printer is
> to replace the supercapacitor.
>
> The video claims all recent Brother printers have these
> supercapacitors.
>
> The video shows you how the replace the supercapacitor.  You need a
> new supercapacitor, which he will sell you.
>
> Armed with this information, I
>
> - bought a suitable supercapacitor from digikey.ca (cheaper and faster
>   than ordering from Australia).  Actually I bought a slightly smaller
>   one, but that seems to be OK.  The original was 0.33F, 5.5V.
>   I paid $3.48 for two, plus $8.00 shipping, plus HST.
>
> - pulled apart the printer, as per video
>
> - hacked out the old supercapacitor and soldered (badly) the new
>   supercapacitor.  (Doing the job right would have required removing
>   the circuit board.  Instead, I left the old supercapacitor's legs
>   and soldered the new one's legs to the old ones.)
>
> - struggled to get the plastic panel back in place.
>
> It works.
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Re: [GTALUG] Ongoing war story (currently losing the battle)

[Don Tai via talk]

Try to boot directly into BIOS. This could be an F10 or other key, and
depends on the motherboard or manufacturer. Check the date and what disk
the BIOS will try to boot from. You should be able to boot up with just a
display, keyboard and mouse. Plug and play started in 1995.

On Fri, 19 Jan 2024 at 16:16, Peter King via talk  wrote:

> I had a Lenovo Legion T5 that went very bad on me (short story: do not buy
> this computer!), and while getting a replacement case/motherboard/CPU all
> set up, hauled out an older computer with which to get work done while the
> replacement gets up to speed.  Well, now this older machine is acting up.
> For a while it would not boot unless mouse, keyboard, and monitor were all
> attached.  It runs an AMIbios from 2009, and a bit of googling showed that
> back in the day that did happen as a "feature" of consumer computers
> (rather than servers).  So each time I needed to reboot I just plugged in
> all that stuff, rebooted, and then unplugged it all again, and the old
> computer ran just fine.  That worked around a dozen times.
>
> Today I set out to reboot the old computer to get some work done, plugged
> everything in, and ... nothing.  Never even got to the BIOS screen.  No
> luck with multiple attempts.  Changed the HDMI cable, still nothing.  Took
> off the side panel and saw that when I turn on the power to the system, the
> CPU fan and the case fans come on, but it doesn't look like anything else
> does.
>
> It could be the graphics card, or the power supply, or the CMOS battery,
> or something else.
>
> Any suggestions for what to try next?
>
> --
> Peter Kingpeter.k...@utoronto.ca
> Department of Philosophy
> 170 St. George Street #521
> The University of Toronto(416)-946-3170 ofc
> Toronto, ON  M5R 2M8
>CANADA
> http://individual.utoronto.ca/pking/
>
> =
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>
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Re: [GTALUG] "AI" on getting correct technical answers

[Don Tai via talk]

The ostracization of the non-tech in society was quite evident at the start
of the pandemic, and then it got even worse. The elderly at my gym could
not book immunization appointments for pharmacies because they refused to
book over the phone and told people to book exclusively through the web
site. They were forced to go to city sites, which were much further away
and inconvenient, where at least the City of Toronto had a phone number.

Further, during the pandemic the City of Toronto opened up workout gyms to
those that need medical physiotherapy (doctor's note required), but to go
you needed to book an appointment time slot..online..or call the city. This
turned out to be quite a task for the elderly.

Grocery fliers are now not being delivered in my area of Scarborough.
Retailers are pushing people to go online, but the elderly cannot handle a
computer much less navigating an online flyer. Therefore the elderly do not
know when certain items go on sale. Specifically NoFrills made a change
where if there was a flyer printed, it was an abbreviated version of the
online flyer, so even the elderly did get to see a printed flyer, they were
unable to see all the sales.

There are a lot of elderly, and with each year this will accelerate, but it
seems the ostracization has not been noticed. We must accommodate for such
a large and vulnerable chunk of our society. Their cases are certainly not
corner use cases.

On Mon, 15 Jan 2024 at 09:41, o1bigtenor via talk  wrote:

> On Mon, Jan 15, 2024 at 7:14 AM Don Tai  wrote:
> >
> > The current social assumption made by companies is that all people have
> a cellphone, all people know how to use them, and all people are almost
> always connected. This is not the case for much of our society, but from
> the viewpoint of data architects, developers and tech companies, this is
> their view.
> >
>
> Agreed - - - but how does one get the attention of this technical
> elite to notify them that some of their basic
> assumptions are just - - - wrong?
>
> Regards
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Re: [GTALUG] "AI" on getting correct technical answers

[Don Tai via talk]

The current social assumption made by companies is that all people have a
cellphone, all people know how to use them, and all people are almost
always connected. This is not the case for much of our society, but from
the viewpoint of data architects, developers and tech companies, this is
their view.

On Mon, 15 Jan 2024 at 07:56, o1bigtenor via talk  wrote:

> On Sun, Jan 14, 2024 at 3:03 PM Evan Leibovitch  wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Jan 14, 2024 at 7:20 AM o1bigtenor via talk 
> wrote:
> >>
> >> On Sun, Jan 14, 2024 at 3:06 AM ac via talk  wrote:
> >> >
> >> snip
> >>
> >> > > And, it's just a generic LLM.  I've heard experienced developers
> >> > > saying surprisingly positive things about GitHub's Copilot for quite
> >> > > a while now.
> >> > > As for the SQL issue - all search queries on Qwant / DDG / Google
> >> > > lead to "how to join tables in SQL"; utterly useless. I know that
> >> > > reasonably well.
> >> > > And, who hasn't had a search lead them to StackOverflow where the
> >> > > highest rated answer is strongly condemned further in the comments
> as
> >> > > being wrong / out of date / insecure, etc.?
> >> > >
> >> > Actually, this is an interesting point.
> >> >
> >> > Google search seems to prioritise answers from humans and human
> sources.
> >> >
> >> > I searched on Microsoft the other day and was surprised to see that I
> >> > could supply .js snippets (which I did not code and was too lazy to
> >> > read through) and receive a correct answer direct from "search"
> >> >
> >> > So, us humans will be replaced as 'coders" - Machines will be writing
> >> > the code which powers machines. Not only is that something for us to
> >> > understand fully, but we also have to comprehend where we are all
> >> > choosing to go.
> >> >
> >> > It is like watching episodes of "the Traitors" and seeing how the
> >> > majority votes out a faithful.
> >> >
> >> > there is just nothing to do but be along for the ride :)
> >> >
> >> > > Lots of incorrect answers supplied by humans.
> >> > >
> >> > indeed, if only there was some way to 'sort' or use advanced search to
> >> > set dates... (to exclude popular answers from 2009) or do more
> settings
> >> > on search options... oh, wait - and then there are no search
> >> > results... when is "search" not "search" and just becomes "answer" -
> >> > interesting! - it is like a mobile phone - it is hardly even a mobile
> >> > phone any longer, why do so many people still call it a 'phone' or a
> >> > mobile phone...
> >> >
> >> > I think though that I will still be using Google for search, although
> >> > when looking at it all from my perspective we are all already screwed,
> >> > unless we can vote out all of the tratitors. (which seems increasingly
> >> > unlikely)
> >> >
> >> Re: search engines - - - - to me they are totally frustrating.
> >>
> >> If I'm asking for a search where I want terms  'a + b + c + d + e' well
> -
> >> I'm looking for where ALL 5 terms show up. Not where any one term is or
> >> any two (etc etc). So if one is looking for very generic kind of items
> - -
> >> well search is useful - - - if you're looking for the specific - - - -
> search
> >> - - - well - - its quite useless!
> >>
> >> (tried to sign up for chatgpt but as I'm unable to use a cellphone at
> my location that's a no for even signup (and no way to reach the idiots - -
> - - sorry I guess I should use people but I wonder - - to let them know
> that I can't because its only after registration that connection is allowed
> - - - total circular logic that is!)
> >
> >
> > I'm having a hard time parsing this.
> >
> > I have never used a cellphone to access https://chat.openai.com -- this
> is where I signed up for free and later where I upgraded to Plus. The
> process to register is quite easy, I don't quite understand the issues you
> and Kevin are having.
> >
> One doesn't use a cell phone (well I wouldn't) but a cellphone number
> is demanded to
> verify one's identity. Without a working cellphone connection one is
> today - - - a NON-person.
>
> I understand that you don't get the problem but then you are an urban
> dweller who has
> absolutely no idea what its like trying to connect to an ever
> increasing number of entities
> that demand SMS connectiviity (you know like the banks, the bloody
> government - - - shall
> I go on???!!!) all the while prating about maintaining my
> privacy and security - - -
> bollocks) - - - this is our contemporary situation. That
> urban dwellers don't get it
> is also our contemporary situation. The pity is that they don't even
> try to understand
> the enormity of the situation or the helplessness of those caught in
> the squeeze - - - - .
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] "AI" on getting correct technical answers

[Don Tai via talk]

ChatGPT is very good at making up stories to amuse my female friends. Ask
it to write a love poem to a girl and she will be thrilled at the result.
There is no verification or source required. ChatGPT is good for chatting.
I find its Chinese is also very good. You can use ChatGPT to improve their
English level for learners. There are a lot of benefits to the tech, but
factual accuracy is not one of them.

On a Chinese social media platform I asked ChatGPT (the company is based in
sunny California) where it was from. It said that it was from Huan, China,
but then could/would not tell me where in Hunan was its home town.


On Sun, 14 Jan 2024 at 07:26, o1bigtenor via talk  wrote:

> On Sun, Jan 14, 2024 at 3:06 AM ac via talk  wrote:
> >
> snip
>
> > > And, it's just a generic LLM.  I've heard experienced developers
> > > saying surprisingly positive things about GitHub's Copilot for quite
> > > a while now.
> > > As for the SQL issue - all search queries on Qwant / DDG / Google
> > > lead to "how to join tables in SQL"; utterly useless. I know that
> > > reasonably well.
> > > And, who hasn't had a search lead them to StackOverflow where the
> > > highest rated answer is strongly condemned further in the comments as
> > > being wrong / out of date / insecure, etc.?
> > >
> > Actually, this is an interesting point.
> >
> > Google search seems to prioritise answers from humans and human sources.
> >
> > I searched on Microsoft the other day and was surprised to see that I
> > could supply .js snippets (which I did not code and was too lazy to
> > read through) and receive a correct answer direct from "search"
> >
> > So, us humans will be replaced as 'coders" - Machines will be writing
> > the code which powers machines. Not only is that something for us to
> > understand fully, but we also have to comprehend where we are all
> > choosing to go.
> >
> > It is like watching episodes of "the Traitors" and seeing how the
> > majority votes out a faithful.
> >
> > there is just nothing to do but be along for the ride :)
> >
> > > Lots of incorrect answers supplied by humans.
> > >
> > indeed, if only there was some way to 'sort' or use advanced search to
> > set dates... (to exclude popular answers from 2009) or do more settings
> > on search options... oh, wait - and then there are no search
> > results... when is "search" not "search" and just becomes "answer" -
> > interesting! - it is like a mobile phone - it is hardly even a mobile
> > phone any longer, why do so many people still call it a 'phone' or a
> > mobile phone...
> >
> > I think though that I will still be using Google for search, although
> > when looking at it all from my perspective we are all already screwed,
> > unless we can vote out all of the tratitors. (which seems increasingly
> > unlikely)
> >
> Re: search engines - - - - to me they are totally frustrating.
>
> If I'm asking for a search where I want terms  'a + b + c + d + e' well -
> I'm looking for where ALL 5 terms show up. Not where any one term is or
> any two (etc etc). So if one is looking for very generic kind of items - -
> well search is useful - - - if you're looking for the specific - - - -
> search
> - - - well - - its quite useless!
>
> As I've been pondering the AI stuff (tried to sign up for chatgpt but as
> I'm
> unable to use a cellphone at my location that's a no for even signup (and
> no way to reach the idiots - - - - sorry I guess I should use people but I
> wonder - - to let them know that I can't because its only after
> registration
> that connection is allowed - - - total circular logic that is!) what
> I've come up
> with is from looking at the past.
>
> Truly innovative and unique ideas/things are rarely enough even designed
> or developed by a 'team' (that's changing in advanced materials these days
> though) most often its an individual that finds something that the
> thundering
> herd has either ignored or doesn't know about. Somehow to date AI is more
> about the thundering herd (and a technique that when fully utilized will
> allow
> major chip makers (and some small group of other hardware vendors) to
> really cache in the bucks ('Follow the money' is the adage!). Am wondering
> if that is the reason for AI's proliferation?
>
> What say you?
>
> TIA
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Re: [GTALUG] "AI" on getting correct technical answers

[Don Tai via talk]

It is possible that ChatGPT will give you a solution to a coding problem,
but I've asked it technical questions on (non-coding) such topics as
welding, and many AI hallucinations have been returned. References returned
are also non-existent.

It is not possible to say that ChatGPT can correctly and accurately answer
technical questions, but possibly that it can return coding snippets that
work.



On Sat, 13 Jan 2024 at 16:51, Evan Leibovitch via talk 
wrote:

> Just curious.
> Microsoft has force-fed a Copilot Beta button on my Windows box next to
> the search window.
> Isn't this supposed to be a chatbot fine-tuned to developer needs?
> Does anyone have experience with it?
>
> On Sat, Jan 13, 2024 at 3:42 PM Alvin Starr via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> On 2024-01-13 10:30, Ron / BCLUG via talk wrote:
>> > Alvin Starr via talk wrote on 2024-01-12 20:11:
>> >
>> >> It is defiantly not useful for getting correct technical answers to
>> >> problems.
>> >
>> > That's not my experience.
>> >
>> > I guess that depends on the definition of "correct technical answers",
>> > because it (i.e. ChatGPT) can be excellent at giving correct answers
>> > to technical (coding) problems.
>>
>> I use ChatGPT a reasonable amount to quickly template code snippets
>> because I use too many languages too infrequently to stay familiar with
>> any of them.
>> For trivial tasks it does quite well.
>>
>> More complex tasks I have found things like calls to non-existent
>> libraries.
>> suggestions to use programs that do not exist.
>>
>> For the most part by the time the problem gets to me, people have
>> exhausted google et al and, there is no ready answer out there on the
>> internet.
>> In this case what LLMs come back with are what could be a good answer
>> but for the fact that its wrong.
>> The problem is that they cannot say "I don't know about that".
>>
>> I will have to try the hand over a code snippet and ask what is wrong.
>> That does sound interesting.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Alvin Starr   ||   land:  (647)478-6285
>> Netvel Inc.   ||   Cell:  (416)806-0133
>> al...@netvel.net  ||
>>
>> ---
>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
>> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
>> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>>
>
>
> --
> Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
> @evanleibovitch / @el56
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] update with a new question, is since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

Your question is: Will OTA TV work in your location? The simplest way is to
get a modern TV that has a built-in NTSC scanner, hook up any antenna, any
antenna, and scan. This will tell you if OTA TV will work in your location.
For this simple test you will need to be able to read the instructions on
the TV, hence my insensitive comment. This test excludes all the
intricacies of your current equipment and your other technical needs. It
was suggested to only reduce the risk of buying stuff and then finding out
OA does not work in your location. I think it will work.

On Fri, 8 Dec 2023 at 16:21, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Don,
> I respect you came late to this party.
> As I shared, at least privately, I have professional needs for media.
> www.curtainupdistribution.org
> I have professional equipment invested in to my current setup. moving
> would be less logistical.
> As prior conversation has established, my perfectly fine television needs
> a converter box.
> Returning it is no hardship, testing with the best tools possible more
> sensable, , I just want to save time when I can zip
> somewhere using paratransit and support someone locally.
> besides, its a work investment so...
> Lastly, I will ignore the insensitivity implied in "find a sighted person."
> I will be the first to admit those interacting with the world uniquely
> have dreadful public relations laughs.
>
> best,
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Fri, 8 Dec 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > If you wish to reduce your OTA TV risk and see if it can work, maybe you
> > can get a sighted person, find any modern TV with an ATSC tuner, coat
> > hanger antenna, and see how many channels you can get. If you have a
> clear
> > line of sight to the CN tower, then you should get at least 7 tv
> stations.
> >
> > You might wish to try this before moving ahead with an ATSC converter
> box,
> > because it is so easy to do, non-destructive, takes very little time, and
> > costs nothing.
> >
> > On Fri, 8 Dec 2023 at 15:00, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi amazing folks,
> >> Okay, the capable tech who has been supporting my office computer needs
> >> was here this morning.
> >> Aside from taking my sharp calculator to repair the battery case issue,
> >> and
> >> providing a quite nifty DVD unit, complete with Ethernet port, memory
> >> card, USB  abilities and cd playing, we discussed my converter box
> antenna
> >> project.
> >> Ordering from amazon can be a complex frustrating affair due to how much
> >> inclusion  varies.
> >> Before I spend several ours on the phone, let me be certain that there
> is
> >> no place
> >>   in town, not factory direct or anyone where I can walk in and buy  an
> >> atsc capable converter box?
> >> my window does face the cn tower, on the right,  so it feels more and
> more
> >> possible that the indoor antenna  attempt is worth the effort.
> >> Thanks,
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] update with a new question, is since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

this OTA TV test should take no more than 10 minutes and needs only a newer
TV and an coat hanger antenna hooked to a coax cable

On Fri, 8 Dec 2023 at 16:01, Don Tai  wrote:

> If you wish to reduce your OTA TV risk and see if it can work, maybe you
> can get a sighted person, find any modern TV with an ATSC tuner, coat
> hanger antenna, and see how many channels you can get. If you have a clear
> line of sight to the CN tower, then you should get at least 7 tv stations.
>
> You might wish to try this before moving ahead with an ATSC converter box,
> because it is so easy to do, non-destructive, takes very little time, and
> costs nothing.
>
> On Fri, 8 Dec 2023 at 15:00, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi amazing folks,
>> Okay, the capable tech who has been supporting my office computer needs
>> was here this morning.
>> Aside from taking my sharp calculator to repair the battery case issue,
>> and
>> providing a quite nifty DVD unit, complete with Ethernet port, memory
>> card, USB  abilities and cd playing, we discussed my converter box
>> antenna
>> project.
>> Ordering from amazon can be a complex frustrating affair due to how much
>> inclusion  varies.
>> Before I spend several ours on the phone, let me be certain that there is
>> no place
>>   in town, not factory direct or anyone where I can walk in and buy  an
>> atsc capable converter box?
>> my window does face the cn tower, on the right,  so it feels more and
>> more
>> possible that the indoor antenna  attempt is worth the effort.
>> Thanks,
>> Kare
>>
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
>> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
>> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>>
>
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Re: [GTALUG] update with a new question, is since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

If you wish to reduce your OTA TV risk and see if it can work, maybe you
can get a sighted person, find any modern TV with an ATSC tuner, coat
hanger antenna, and see how many channels you can get. If you have a clear
line of sight to the CN tower, then you should get at least 7 tv stations.

You might wish to try this before moving ahead with an ATSC converter box,
because it is so easy to do, non-destructive, takes very little time, and
costs nothing.

On Fri, 8 Dec 2023 at 15:00, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi amazing folks,
> Okay, the capable tech who has been supporting my office computer needs
> was here this morning.
> Aside from taking my sharp calculator to repair the battery case issue,
> and
> providing a quite nifty DVD unit, complete with Ethernet port, memory
> card, USB  abilities and cd playing, we discussed my converter box antenna
> project.
> Ordering from amazon can be a complex frustrating affair due to how much
> inclusion  varies.
> Before I spend several ours on the phone, let me be certain that there is
> no place
>   in town, not factory direct or anyone where I can walk in and buy  an
> atsc capable converter box?
> my window does face the cn tower, on the right,  so it feels more and more
> possible that the indoor antenna  attempt is worth the effort.
> Thanks,
> Kare
>
>
>
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
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Re: [GTALUG] since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

If you have a deck then mount the antenna on your deck, and as high as
possible, as far from LOS obstructions to the CN Tower and Buffalo as
possible.

On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 16:05, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi Evan,
> sorry managing several tasks today.
> If this item has no amplification what makes it better?
> for context the window in question also has an outside ledge.  meaning if
> placing it outdoors, improves my options, I can do this easily.
> Especially since the window  faces my deck.
> Karen
>
>
>
> On Wed, 6 Dec 2023, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
>
> > Hi Karen,
> >
> > Sayal doesn't carry the ChannelMaster, but it does appear to have a good
> > antenna of a slightly different, and actually better, design for only
> $25:
> > https://shop.sayal.com/products/arn-270
> >
> > Here is the Amazon entry for the same model, out of stock and more than
> > triple the price that it is at Sayal:
> > https://www.amazon.ca/GE-34140-UltraPro-Outdoor-Stealth/dp/B01BY033S0
> >
> > Sayal does not sell amplified antennas but it does sell an add-on
> amplifier
> > for $15. I have no idea whether or not you'll need it.
> > https://shop.sayal.com/products/arn-576
> >
> > The antenna itself is simple once assembled and placed in your window.
> But
> > as discussed, all the over-the-air broadcasters stopped sending analog
> > signals a decade ago. So plugging the antenna directly into the coax
> input
> > of your TV will give you nothing.
> >
> > I'm afraid the only options I can think of are a converter box or a new
> TV.
> >
> > You're absolutely right that the converters available today have extra
> > features such as the DVR, which won't be useful to you because of both UI
> > and transfer issues. However, because there is so little demand for such
> > converters now there are very few choices, and likely all of them will
> try
> > to replace the TV's remote control with their own and have features such
> as
> > DVR.
> >
> > I'm wondering if it's all worth the grief, and maybe just getting a new
> > cheap TV would be simpler and less error-prone for the long term.
> >
> > - Evan
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 6, 2023 at 3:05 PM Karen Lewellen 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi all,
> >> As I need a replacement power adapter for a talking calculator, I have
> to
> >> visit Sayal in person anyway.
> >> So, perhaps I can pick up one of my otar items the converter box, at
> >> a lower cost?
> >> Have an associate from cSI  visiting on Friday, so we can do a mid range
> >> test while working on other things.
> >> Can take the TV manual with me, if there is more than one option.
> >> If I am honest, while the suggested converter box is nifty, it also
> comes
> >> with a dvdr which is not likely to be inclusive from a format transfer
> >> standpoint with  my production software.
> >> More interested in a direct means to some television than the recording
> >> aspect.
> >> Am sold on the channel master, like the brand, and the way it may attach
> >> to my window glass.
> >> Thoughts?
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > --
> > Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
> > @evanleibovitch / @el56
> >---
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Re: [GTALUG] since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

An antenna amplifier is often not used because it boosts the signal too
much, muddles the signal and thus degraddes your original signal. You can
ask in the indoor antenna group. I've opted to not use an amplifier.

Each antenna has a directional beam width, meaning it is directional in
only a certain direction for a set number of degrees. Just as you cannot
see beyond your peripheral vision, for example behind you, the antenna
cannot pick up stations beyond its beam width. My DB4E antenna has a beam
width of 60 degrees, meaning if I wish to get the CN tower and Buffalo
stations, I cannot pick up Hamilton, just one or the other. I have tried
this physically and could not pick up both. I have contemplated adding a
second antenna for Hamilton, but have not yet experimented. The experts
have said that two dissimilar antennas will conflict with each other and
will not work.


On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 15:31, Don Tai  wrote:

> OTA signals are terrestrial and "line of sight" LOS, meaning they are
> directional to the transmitter. TVFool.com will tell you what direction to
> point your antenna. My antenna, here in North Scarborough, is pointed at
> 158 degrees, a little off from the recommended 164 degrees due to my
> neighbour's large tree. The higher you can get the antenna, clear of
> buildings and trees (such as my neighbour's mighty pine), the more TV
> stations you will receive. The station will be received and you can watch,
> or you'll get a blank screen.
>
> There is the situation where a TV signal can be bounced off a building or
> neighbor's window into your antenna, so some experimentation is required.
> Outdoor is better than indoor, higher up is better than near the ground. I
> don't think any indoor TV antenna will be substantially better than
> another. A larger outdoor antenna, high up, with a clear LOS view of The CN
> Tower and Buffalo and surrounding US cities, will get you the most TV
> stations.
>
> For specific antenna questions please go to
> https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/on-city-of-toronto-metro-area-indoor-antennas-only-ota.42391/,
> which is a specific sub-group for the Toronto area, indoor antenna and ask
> there. I use the outdoor group myself, and have found them to be helpful
> but sometimes very technical.
>
>
> On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 15:15, Scott Allen via talk  wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 14:52, Karen Lewellen 
>> wrote:
>> > Then, as is just asked, I am confused as to what makes the GE solution
>> > better.
>>
>> So am I. You would have to ask Evan why he thinks it's better. It's
>> quite difficult to conclude that one antenna is better than another
>> for your particular situation. You really have to just try one and see
>> how well it works, if it works at all.
>>
>> For an outdoor antennal you would normally mount it to a wall or mast
>> and run the cable through a hole somewhere to the tuner that's inside
>> and attached to (or built into) the TV. If you add a separate
>> amplifier, it could be either inside or outside, depending on the
>> type.
>>
>> --
>> Scott
>> ---
>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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>>
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Re: [GTALUG] since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

OTA signals are terrestrial and "line of sight" LOS, meaning they are
directional to the transmitter. TVFool.com will tell you what direction to
point your antenna. My antenna, here in North Scarborough, is pointed at
158 degrees, a little off from the recommended 164 degrees due to my
neighbour's large tree. The higher you can get the antenna, clear of
buildings and trees (such as my neighbour's mighty pine), the more TV
stations you will receive. The station will be received and you can watch,
or you'll get a blank screen.

There is the situation where a TV signal can be bounced off a building or
neighbor's window into your antenna, so some experimentation is required.
Outdoor is better than indoor, higher up is better than near the ground. I
don't think any indoor TV antenna will be substantially better than
another. A larger outdoor antenna, high up, with a clear LOS view of The CN
Tower and Buffalo and surrounding US cities, will get you the most TV
stations.

For specific antenna questions please go to
https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/on-city-of-toronto-metro-area-indoor-antennas-only-ota.42391/,
which is a specific sub-group for the Toronto area, indoor antenna and ask
there. I use the outdoor group myself, and have found them to be helpful
but sometimes very technical.


On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 15:15, Scott Allen via talk  wrote:

> On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 14:52, Karen Lewellen 
> wrote:
> > Then, as is just asked, I am confused as to what makes the GE solution
> > better.
>
> So am I. You would have to ask Evan why he thinks it's better. It's
> quite difficult to conclude that one antenna is better than another
> for your particular situation. You really have to just try one and see
> how well it works, if it works at all.
>
> For an outdoor antennal you would normally mount it to a wall or mast
> and run the cable through a hole somewhere to the tuner that's inside
> and attached to (or built into) the TV. If you add a separate
> amplifier, it could be either inside or outside, depending on the
> type.
>
> --
> Scott
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] since I am going to sayal anyway...is ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

The higher your antenna, the more stations you will receive. I'm 5km west
of Scott with an external antenna on my roof, 8' extension and can get 21
stations, of which I can watch 17. 4 stations from an indoor antenna is
good, but you might need to play with its orientation and stick it closer
to a window for line of sight LOS reception.

On Wed, 6 Dec 2023 at 22:34, Scott Allen via talk  wrote:

> On Wed, 6 Dec 2023 at 21:14, Evan Leibovitch via talk 
> wrote:
> > Sayal does not sell amplified antennas
>
> Yes, they do. Of the 11 TV antennas listed under "TV-Radio Antennas
> and Accessories", 6 have built in amplifiers:
>
> 1. Philips SDV7225 indoor
>
> 2. Philips SDV8622T/27 indoor/outdoor
>
> 3. RCA CANT702Z indoor/outdoor
>
> 4. Digiwave ANT5012 indoor/outdoor
>
> 5. Digiwave ANT5013 indoor/outdoor
>
> 6. CJ Tech 72257 outdoor
>
> P.S. Karen's conversation piqued my curiosity, so I bought the Philips
> SDV8622T/27 from Sayal a few days ago. I'm located in North-East
> Scarborough, a bit west of the Toronto Zoo. Using a Haier 32" LCD TV,
> that has a built in digital tuner, and with the antenna pointed
> towards the CN Tower through a second story window, I am able to
> receive 4 stations:
>
> CBLT-DT CBC 5.1 (channel 20)
> TVO 19.1 (channel 19)
> CBLFT-DT CBC French 25.1 (channel 25)
> CITYTV 57.1 (channel 18)
>
> --
> Scott
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

agreed, Scott is correct. Your TV is NTSC. Sadly you will need a new
TV..sorry

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 16:05, Scott Allen  wrote:

> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:48, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> wrote:
> > for the record, my set is a Toshiba 32af43.
>
> The Toshiba 32af43 is an old CRT based analogue TV. It is only capable
> of tuning NTSC analogue signals, which are no longer being broadcast.
> You would need an ATSC capable TV or an ATSC tuner box.
>
> As for an antenna, many stores that sell TVs will also sell antennas.
> Walmart has them. Best Buy has them. Also, Sayal Electronics has a
> number of them available for various prices.
>
> --
> Scott
>
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

I have a  Toshiba 32L1350UC TV from 2013..and have done OTA for 10 years.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:48, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Is the walmart.ca link for an antenna?
> for the record, my set is a Toshiba 32af43.
> My goal is swiftness. If I can walk into a store, buy an option, try it
> out, and return it if it fails, I prefer this.
> the investment is worth it, especially as I have nothing at all right now.
>
>
>
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > you may, of course, buy an antenna and try it. Of all your tech issues,
> the
> > antenna will be, by far the easiest to do. It will either work or not.
> You
> > will get channels to watch or not. It is also reversible,  so there is
> very
> > little risk.
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:34, Karen Lewellen 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Don,
> >> Let me be forthright,
> >> between not being able to use a phone in my house in spite of paying for
> >> it, losing access to my main gmail account,   fighting bell for an
> >> accessible phone, not being able to work fully because I have no land
> >> line,
> >> falling behind on rent, as a result,  and fighting Canada post... I
> >> need solid
> >> solutions.
> >> 1. can such an Antenna be bought, instead of constructed, and if so
> where?
> >> Evan referenced a loop.
> >> 2, if that is not possible, before I lose time awaiting sighted help to
> >> construct an Antenna,  can that be made clear?
> >> I would rather buy a solution  that gives me many choices then construct
> >> one  if I can.
> >> Especially since hook up a temporary antenna is where I am lost.
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
> >>
> >>> first hook up a temporary antenna, put it near your window, scan your
> TV
> >>> and see how many channels you can get.
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:20, Karen Lewellen  >
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I still have the box, but have not been a rogers customer since  2017
> or
> >>>> so.
> >>>> you are suggesting that I can use the box for the digitization
> process?
> >>>> plugging things into the rogers  box?
> >>>> or use the port for cox to plug in this antenna?
> >>>> if so that will be magical, as I have both cable, and know where that
> >> port
> >>>> is!
> >>>> and the antenna, if I  want to buy one is in the walmart.ca link?
> >>>> that referenced HDMI, will check that..this is becoming quite
> >>>> sensational!
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> There should be a specific port just for "antenna" or "ANT", a coax
> >> cable
> >>>>> port, or the port that you plug in your Rogers cable. Unplug your
> >> Rogers
> >>>>> cable and plug in your antenna. It should not affect your other
> ports.
> >>>> You
> >>>>> should not need to change anything else.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 13:13, Karen Lewellen <
> klewel...@shellworld.net
> >>>
> >>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Don,
> >>>>>> Can you be more specific about the digital TV side?
> >>>>>> My Toshiba is quite fancy,  however I have a number of converter
> units
> >>>>>> that may bridge the gap.
> >>>>>> have wondered if I connected an antenna to a spot for one on the set
> >> if
> >>>>>> that
> >>>>>> would do the trick.
> >>>>>> or if I reconnected one of the existing digital converter units I
> >> have,
> >>>>>> got them from both radio shack  and the source years back, if that
> >> might
> >>>>>> do the trick..
> >>>>>> Going to check my TV manual, as well.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Thanks!
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I've been using Over the Air OTA TV for 10 years now, and have been
> >>>> happy
> >>>>>>> with the free servic

Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

https://usermanual.com/support/toshiba/document/32af43-36af43-manual

page 19, "CH PROGRAM": how to automatically scan for new channels. Your TV
can receive over the air OTA channels.

page 7, "ANT"L The antenna jack is very prominent

you can do OTA tv..

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:48, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Is the walmart.ca link for an antenna?
> for the record, my set is a Toshiba 32af43.
> My goal is swiftness. If I can walk into a store, buy an option, try it
> out, and return it if it fails, I prefer this.
> the investment is worth it, especially as I have nothing at all right now.
>
>
>
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > you may, of course, buy an antenna and try it. Of all your tech issues,
> the
> > antenna will be, by far the easiest to do. It will either work or not.
> You
> > will get channels to watch or not. It is also reversible,  so there is
> very
> > little risk.
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:34, Karen Lewellen 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Don,
> >> Let me be forthright,
> >> between not being able to use a phone in my house in spite of paying for
> >> it, losing access to my main gmail account,   fighting bell for an
> >> accessible phone, not being able to work fully because I have no land
> >> line,
> >> falling behind on rent, as a result,  and fighting Canada post... I
> >> need solid
> >> solutions.
> >> 1. can such an Antenna be bought, instead of constructed, and if so
> where?
> >> Evan referenced a loop.
> >> 2, if that is not possible, before I lose time awaiting sighted help to
> >> construct an Antenna,  can that be made clear?
> >> I would rather buy a solution  that gives me many choices then construct
> >> one  if I can.
> >> Especially since hook up a temporary antenna is where I am lost.
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
> >>
> >>> first hook up a temporary antenna, put it near your window, scan your
> TV
> >>> and see how many channels you can get.
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:20, Karen Lewellen  >
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I still have the box, but have not been a rogers customer since  2017
> or
> >>>> so.
> >>>> you are suggesting that I can use the box for the digitization
> process?
> >>>> plugging things into the rogers  box?
> >>>> or use the port for cox to plug in this antenna?
> >>>> if so that will be magical, as I have both cable, and know where that
> >> port
> >>>> is!
> >>>> and the antenna, if I  want to buy one is in the walmart.ca link?
> >>>> that referenced HDMI, will check that..this is becoming quite
> >>>> sensational!
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> There should be a specific port just for "antenna" or "ANT", a coax
> >> cable
> >>>>> port, or the port that you plug in your Rogers cable. Unplug your
> >> Rogers
> >>>>> cable and plug in your antenna. It should not affect your other
> ports.
> >>>> You
> >>>>> should not need to change anything else.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 13:13, Karen Lewellen <
> klewel...@shellworld.net
> >>>
> >>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Don,
> >>>>>> Can you be more specific about the digital TV side?
> >>>>>> My Toshiba is quite fancy,  however I have a number of converter
> units
> >>>>>> that may bridge the gap.
> >>>>>> have wondered if I connected an antenna to a spot for one on the set
> >> if
> >>>>>> that
> >>>>>> would do the trick.
> >>>>>> or if I reconnected one of the existing digital converter units I
> >> have,
> >>>>>> got them from both radio shack  and the source years back, if that
> >> might
> >>>>>> do the trick..
> >>>>>> Going to check my TV manual, as well.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Thanks!
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> >>>>

Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

you may, of course, buy an antenna and try it. Of all your tech issues, the
antenna will be, by far the easiest to do. It will either work or not. You
will get channels to watch or not. It is also reversible,  so there is very
little risk.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:34, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Don,
> Let me be forthright,
> between not being able to use a phone in my house in spite of paying for
> it, losing access to my main gmail account,   fighting bell for an
> accessible phone, not being able to work fully because I have no land
> line,
> falling behind on rent, as a result,  and fighting Canada post... I
> need solid
> solutions.
> 1. can such an Antenna be bought, instead of constructed, and if so where?
> Evan referenced a loop.
> 2, if that is not possible, before I lose time awaiting sighted help to
> construct an Antenna,  can that be made clear?
> I would rather buy a solution  that gives me many choices then construct
> one  if I can.
> Especially since hook up a temporary antenna is where I am lost.
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > first hook up a temporary antenna, put it near your window, scan your TV
> > and see how many channels you can get.
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:20, Karen Lewellen 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> I still have the box, but have not been a rogers customer since  2017 or
> >> so.
> >> you are suggesting that I can use the box for the digitization process?
> >> plugging things into the rogers  box?
> >> or use the port for cox to plug in this antenna?
> >> if so that will be magical, as I have both cable, and know where that
> port
> >> is!
> >> and the antenna, if I  want to buy one is in the walmart.ca link?
> >> that referenced HDMI, will check that..this is becoming quite
> >> sensational!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
> >>
> >>> There should be a specific port just for "antenna" or "ANT", a coax
> cable
> >>> port, or the port that you plug in your Rogers cable. Unplug your
> Rogers
> >>> cable and plug in your antenna. It should not affect your other ports.
> >> You
> >>> should not need to change anything else.
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 13:13, Karen Lewellen  >
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Don,
> >>>> Can you be more specific about the digital TV side?
> >>>> My Toshiba is quite fancy,  however I have a number of converter units
> >>>> that may bridge the gap.
> >>>> have wondered if I connected an antenna to a spot for one on the set
> if
> >>>> that
> >>>> would do the trick.
> >>>> or if I reconnected one of the existing digital converter units I
> have,
> >>>> got them from both radio shack  and the source years back, if that
> might
> >>>> do the trick..
> >>>> Going to check my TV manual, as well.
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks!
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> I've been using Over the Air OTA TV for 10 years now, and have been
> >> happy
> >>>>> with the free service. The digital signals are uncompressed,
> providing
> >>>>> visibly higher quality images than Rogers (My Mum's service). I
> receive
> >>>> 17
> >>>>> digital channels, Southern Ontario and Buffalo, despite my
> neighbour's
> >>>>> large evergreen. OTA works well during clear, rain and snow storms,
> but
> >>>> may
> >>>>> go out during foggy weather.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> You will need a digital TV (slim width one), and an antenna. The
> >> antenna
> >>>>> can be as simple as a coat hanger, but a better one will get you more
> >>>>> stations. Simply attach the antenna to your TV, place the antenna
> near
> >> a
> >>>>> window and rescan your TV with the antenna option and presto, free
> >>>>> digital uncompressed TV stations will magically appear. There is no
> >> cost.
> >>>>> If you dislike it you just rescan your TV to cable.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> tvfool.com will generally tell you in which direction to point your
> >>>>> antenna, though downtown there may be signal bouncing off nearby
>

Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

first hook up a temporary antenna, put it near your window, scan your TV
and see how many channels you can get.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 15:20, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> I still have the box, but have not been a rogers customer since  2017 or
> so.
> you are suggesting that I can use the box for the digitization process?
> plugging things into the rogers  box?
> or use the port for cox to plug in this antenna?
> if so that will be magical, as I have both cable, and know where that port
> is!
> and the antenna, if I  want to buy one is in the walmart.ca link?
> that referenced HDMI, will check that..this is becoming quite
> sensational!
>
>
>
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > There should be a specific port just for "antenna" or "ANT", a coax cable
> > port, or the port that you plug in your Rogers cable. Unplug your Rogers
> > cable and plug in your antenna. It should not affect your other ports.
> You
> > should not need to change anything else.
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 13:13, Karen Lewellen 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Don,
> >> Can you be more specific about the digital TV side?
> >> My Toshiba is quite fancy,  however I have a number of converter units
> >> that may bridge the gap.
> >> have wondered if I connected an antenna to a spot for one on the set if
> >> that
> >> would do the trick.
> >> or if I reconnected one of the existing digital converter units I have,
> >> got them from both radio shack  and the source years back, if that might
> >> do the trick..
> >> Going to check my TV manual, as well.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> >>
> >>> I've been using Over the Air OTA TV for 10 years now, and have been
> happy
> >>> with the free service. The digital signals are uncompressed, providing
> >>> visibly higher quality images than Rogers (My Mum's service). I receive
> >> 17
> >>> digital channels, Southern Ontario and Buffalo, despite my neighbour's
> >>> large evergreen. OTA works well during clear, rain and snow storms, but
> >> may
> >>> go out during foggy weather.
> >>>
> >>> You will need a digital TV (slim width one), and an antenna. The
> antenna
> >>> can be as simple as a coat hanger, but a better one will get you more
> >>> stations. Simply attach the antenna to your TV, place the antenna near
> a
> >>> window and rescan your TV with the antenna option and presto, free
> >>> digital uncompressed TV stations will magically appear. There is no
> cost.
> >>> If you dislike it you just rescan your TV to cable.
> >>>
> >>> tvfool.com will generally tell you in which direction to point your
> >>> antenna, though downtown there may be signal bouncing off nearby
> >> buildings,
> >>> so you might need to experiment. A free TV guide is available at
> >>> https://tvlistings.zap2it.com/ just put in your postal code, antenna,
> >>> "Local Over the Air Broadcast" and a schedule appears.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 04:07, Evan Leibovitch via talk <
> talk@gtalug.org>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> One option available to some cord cutters is going back to the
> antenna.
> >>>>
> >>>> I have one on my rooftop and it does quite a good job of picking up
> >>>> Toronto and Buffalo channels, which I find preferable to the Robellus
> >>>> options for two reasons:
> >>>>
> >>>>- The off-air signal is not compressed so it can be noticeably
> >> sharper
> >>>>than cable or satellite
> >>>>- The cable/dish options usually get their US feeds from Detroit or
> >>>>Boston or some such; Buffalo local news and weather will be more
> >> relevant
> >>>>to me
> >>>>
> >>>> This isn't just limited to people with their own houses. A good small
> >> UHF
> >>>> antenna can also work well from an apartment building, especially if
> >> you're
> >>>> south-facing. I once lived on an upper floor in a St. Jamestown tower
> >>>> (Wellesley/Parliament) and my reception was outstanding with just a
> >> simple
> >>>> loop. A really good website for determining what you can get at your
> >>>> location is tvfool.com.
&

Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

There should be a specific port just for "antenna" or "ANT", a coax cable
port, or the port that you plug in your Rogers cable. Unplug your Rogers
cable and plug in your antenna. It should not affect your other ports. You
should not need to change anything else.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 13:13, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Don,
> Can you be more specific about the digital TV side?
> My Toshiba is quite fancy,  however I have a number of converter units
> that may bridge the gap.
> have wondered if I connected an antenna to a spot for one on the set if
> that
> would do the trick.
> or if I reconnected one of the existing digital converter units I have,
> got them from both radio shack  and the source years back, if that might
> do the trick..
> Going to check my TV manual, as well.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Don Tai via talk wrote:
>
> > I've been using Over the Air OTA TV for 10 years now, and have been happy
> > with the free service. The digital signals are uncompressed, providing
> > visibly higher quality images than Rogers (My Mum's service). I receive
> 17
> > digital channels, Southern Ontario and Buffalo, despite my neighbour's
> > large evergreen. OTA works well during clear, rain and snow storms, but
> may
> > go out during foggy weather.
> >
> > You will need a digital TV (slim width one), and an antenna. The antenna
> > can be as simple as a coat hanger, but a better one will get you more
> > stations. Simply attach the antenna to your TV, place the antenna near a
> > window and rescan your TV with the antenna option and presto, free
> > digital uncompressed TV stations will magically appear. There is no cost.
> > If you dislike it you just rescan your TV to cable.
> >
> > tvfool.com will generally tell you in which direction to point your
> > antenna, though downtown there may be signal bouncing off nearby
> buildings,
> > so you might need to experiment. A free TV guide is available at
> > https://tvlistings.zap2it.com/ just put in your postal code, antenna,
> > "Local Over the Air Broadcast" and a schedule appears.
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 04:07, Evan Leibovitch via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> One option available to some cord cutters is going back to the antenna.
> >>
> >> I have one on my rooftop and it does quite a good job of picking up
> >> Toronto and Buffalo channels, which I find preferable to the Robellus
> >> options for two reasons:
> >>
> >>- The off-air signal is not compressed so it can be noticeably
> sharper
> >>than cable or satellite
> >>- The cable/dish options usually get their US feeds from Detroit or
> >>Boston or some such; Buffalo local news and weather will be more
> relevant
> >>to me
> >>
> >> This isn't just limited to people with their own houses. A good small
> UHF
> >> antenna can also work well from an apartment building, especially if
> you're
> >> south-facing. I once lived on an upper floor in a St. Jamestown tower
> >> (Wellesley/Parliament) and my reception was outstanding with just a
> simple
> >> loop. A really good website for determining what you can get at your
> >> location is tvfool.com.
> >>
> >> I use these channels mainly for local news, sports and weather. Most
> >> actual programming can be found on the web, either through a
> subscription
> >> to a service like Crave or ... there are other paths
> >> <
> https://www.howtogeek.com/71315/the-how-to-geek-guide-to-getting-started-with-usenet/
> >.
> >> I also have a tuner called an HDHomerun that takes antenna input and
> >> provides it through your home network (ie, accessible to your PCs and
> >> phones) so you don't even need a coax-input TV.
> >>
> >> Of course you can in theory receive over the air channels using an
> antenna
> >>> and an ATSC tuner, but if you are in a basement that seems unlikely to
> work.
> >>>
> >>
> >> For the expense of a simple loop
> >> <
> https://www.amazon.ca/Antenna-Indoor-Amplified-Digital-Miles-Support/dp/B0BWDSXVLG/ref=sr_1_20
> >
> >> -- some are available for under $25, and you can return it if it doesn't
> >> work -- if you're close enough to the CN Tower you might be surprised.
> >>
> >> - Evan
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 12:23 AM Karen Lewellen via talk <
> talk@gtalug.org>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi,
> >>> If 

Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

Note that over the air OTA TV also provides the Buffalo FM classical
station sans picture. You can listen to classical music through your TV.

https://www.wikihow.com/Build-Antennas "
- Create a simple TV antenna using a coaxial cable and tinfoil or a
jumbo-sized paperclip.
- Make a HDTV antenna using copper wires and a wooden board. Avoid using
insulated wire."

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 12:44, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi Evan,
> granted as said, the watching over  my DOS computer, or my flip phone is a
> firm  no.
> While I do have personal and professional interest in Boston and Detroit,
> that you are getting Buffalo might make this a worth while experiment,
> even
> if it just gets me through the Holidays..I am quite isolated here, and all
> the  mayhem around  how i reach the world is weighing quite heavily.
> Can you give me a specific loop model, and a from where?
> There is a co-worker with cSI who has been a divine gift, putting together
> my DOS machine and working with my spare talking scanners.
> If I get this swiftly, I can discover if it is workable, there is a window
> with a ledge right out behind my set.  In fact I have a garden shelf it
> can be attached to, so ling as  it does not have to run through the window
> itself.
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
>
> > One option available to some cord cutters is going back to the antenna.
> >
> > I have one on my rooftop and it does quite a good job of picking up
> Toronto
> > and Buffalo channels, which I find preferable to the Robellus options for
> > two reasons:
> >
> >   - The off-air signal is not compressed so it can be noticeably sharper
> >   than cable or satellite
> >   - The cable/dish options usually get their US feeds from Detroit or
> >   Boston or some such; Buffalo local news and weather will be more
> relevant
> >   to me
> >
> > This isn't just limited to people with their own houses. A good small UHF
> > antenna can also work well from an apartment building, especially if
> you're
> > south-facing. I once lived on an upper floor in a St. Jamestown tower
> > (Wellesley/Parliament) and my reception was outstanding with just a
> simple
> > loop. A really good website for determining what you can get at your
> > location is tvfool.com.
> >
> > I use these channels mainly for local news, sports and weather. Most
> actual
> > programming can be found on the web, either through a subscription to a
> > service like Crave or ... there are other paths
> > <
> https://www.howtogeek.com/71315/the-how-to-geek-guide-to-getting-started-with-usenet/
> >.
> > I also have a tuner called an HDHomerun that takes antenna input and
> > provides it through your home network (ie, accessible to your PCs and
> > phones) so you don't even need a coax-input TV.
> >
> > Of course you can in theory receive over the air channels using an
> antenna
> >> and an ATSC tuner, but if you are in a basement that seems unlikely to
> work.
> >>
> >
> > For the expense of a simple loop
> > <
> https://www.amazon.ca/Antenna-Indoor-Amplified-Digital-Miles-Support/dp/B0BWDSXVLG/ref=sr_1_20
> >
> > -- some are available for under $25, and you can return it if it doesn't
> > work -- if you're close enough to the CN Tower you might be surprised.
> >
> > - Evan
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 12:23 AM Karen Lewellen via talk <
> talk@gtalug.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >> If I could get the digital box, without having to use a modem, I would
> >> likely  be fine, because the digital box would tap into the existing
> >> blanket internet  wireless wise would it not?
> >> In fact that was my landlord's idea adding an extra receiver to his
> >> account, for which I would pay the rental, as it is just on another
> floor.
> >> I am curious how the antenna idea works, I am above ground for the area
> >> where   my television sits, so perhaps?  what do I need?
> >> Oh  boy does my television have optical outs..in spades
> >> The DVD player  has an HDMI port, I imagined connecting the cable box to
> >> this, and since the set is connected to the  player it would be enough.
> >> I still have my old Roger's  digital cable box, the one they provided
> for
> >> older televisions as well.
> >> wish I had fewer trees, not only is satellite less complex, from bell
> >> there
> >> are   channels automatically provided with audio description for the
> blind
> >> enabled..they do not provide this for Fibe.
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Lennart Sorensen wrote:
> >>
> >>> On Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 08:09:47PM -0500, Karen Lewellen via talk
> wrote:
>  Hi folks,
>  before simply saying you avoid television, Part of what I do
> >> professionally
>  means accessing  a great deal, news channels and other things for
> >> example.
>  And for me, the, I will just watch it on my computer is a nailed shut
> >> door.
>  This entire property is Bell fibe saturated which  while it might
> >> translate
>  to one of their fibe 

Re: [GTALUG] Re-creating a Wordpress Installation

[Don Tai via talk]

https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-change-your-wordpress-site-urls-step-by-step/

try this, options 2-4 should work

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 11:40, William Witteman via talk 
wrote:

> I am hoping to benefit from the experience of the group.
>
> I have to recreate a wordpress-based website for work, from partial
> information.
>
> I have a database dump, and the contents of the web root - which gives me
> hope that this is possible.
>
> What I don't have are any configuration files for the webserver, and this
> wordpress site used to live as a subfolder of another domain which has not
> been renewed - like http://expired.com/my_wordpress_site
>
> I also don't have the .htaccess file for the site.
>
> I put the files on my local Debian box, and re-created the database, but
> all the links on the site are broken, because they still try to resolve
> expired.com. I changed the siteurl in wordpress, but the problem
> persists, and I am at a loss.
>
> Anyone have any advice?
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: sort of, is it really impossible to get real cable anymore?

[Don Tai via talk]

I've been using Over the Air OTA TV for 10 years now, and have been happy
with the free service. The digital signals are uncompressed, providing
visibly higher quality images than Rogers (My Mum's service). I receive 17
digital channels, Southern Ontario and Buffalo, despite my neighbour's
large evergreen. OTA works well during clear, rain and snow storms, but may
go out during foggy weather.

You will need a digital TV (slim width one), and an antenna. The antenna
can be as simple as a coat hanger, but a better one will get you more
stations. Simply attach the antenna to your TV, place the antenna near a
window and rescan your TV with the antenna option and presto, free
digital uncompressed TV stations will magically appear. There is no cost.
If you dislike it you just rescan your TV to cable.

tvfool.com will generally tell you in which direction to point your
antenna, though downtown there may be signal bouncing off nearby buildings,
so you might need to experiment. A free TV guide is available at
https://tvlistings.zap2it.com/ just put in your postal code, antenna,
"Local Over the Air Broadcast" and a schedule appears.


On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 04:07, Evan Leibovitch via talk 
wrote:

> One option available to some cord cutters is going back to the antenna.
>
> I have one on my rooftop and it does quite a good job of picking up
> Toronto and Buffalo channels, which I find preferable to the Robellus
> options for two reasons:
>
>- The off-air signal is not compressed so it can be noticeably sharper
>than cable or satellite
>- The cable/dish options usually get their US feeds from Detroit or
>Boston or some such; Buffalo local news and weather will be more relevant
>to me
>
> This isn't just limited to people with their own houses. A good small UHF
> antenna can also work well from an apartment building, especially if you're
> south-facing. I once lived on an upper floor in a St. Jamestown tower
> (Wellesley/Parliament) and my reception was outstanding with just a simple
> loop. A really good website for determining what you can get at your
> location is tvfool.com.
>
> I use these channels mainly for local news, sports and weather. Most
> actual programming can be found on the web, either through a subscription
> to a service like Crave or ... there are other paths
> .
> I also have a tuner called an HDHomerun that takes antenna input and
> provides it through your home network (ie, accessible to your PCs and
> phones) so you don't even need a coax-input TV.
>
> Of course you can in theory receive over the air channels using an antenna
>> and an ATSC tuner, but if you are in a basement that seems unlikely to work.
>>
>
> For the expense of a simple loop
> 
> -- some are available for under $25, and you can return it if it doesn't
> work -- if you're close enough to the CN Tower you might be surprised.
>
> - Evan
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 12:23 AM Karen Lewellen via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> If I could get the digital box, without having to use a modem, I would
>> likely  be fine, because the digital box would tap into the existing
>> blanket internet  wireless wise would it not?
>> In fact that was my landlord's idea adding an extra receiver to his
>> account, for which I would pay the rental, as it is just on another floor.
>> I am curious how the antenna idea works, I am above ground for the area
>> where   my television sits, so perhaps?  what do I need?
>> Oh  boy does my television have optical outs..in spades
>> The DVD player  has an HDMI port, I imagined connecting the cable box to
>> this, and since the set is connected to the  player it would be enough.
>> I still have my old Roger's  digital cable box, the one they provided for
>> older televisions as well.
>> wish I had fewer trees, not only is satellite less complex, from bell
>> there
>> are   channels automatically provided with audio description for the
>> blind
>> enabled..they do not provide this for Fibe.
>> Kare
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023, Lennart Sorensen wrote:
>>
>> > On Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 08:09:47PM -0500, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
>> >> Hi folks,
>> >> before simply saying you avoid television, Part of what I do
>> professionally
>> >> means accessing  a great deal, news channels and other things for
>> example.
>> >> And for me, the, I will just watch it on my computer is a nailed shut
>> door.
>> >> This entire property is Bell fibe saturated which  while it might
>> translate
>> >> to one of their fibe TV boxes working for me, its almost December and
>> I am
>> >> no closer to my land line solution..even with photographs of the
>> existing
>> >> jacks.
>> >> So,I am wondering if at all, it is still possible from anyone to
>> simply find
>> >> old fashioned cable box cable.
>> >> I have all the rest of the 

Re: [GTALUG] Browsers (and Thorium to be specific)

[Don Tai via talk]

I by default don't run JS, and then with the Noscript plugin, grant js
access. Many sites will block you without JS running. Though I depend on
FF, which usually works, I don't mind if web sites crack and don't render
well. I also regularly run Tor. I haven't had an issue with Chrome, other
than that my version is no longer supported and they want me to upgrade my
Linux version.

On Thu, 23 Nov 2023 at 17:36, o1bigtenor via talk  wrote:

> On Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 2:56 PM Ron / BCLUG via talk 
> wrote:
> >
> > Lennart Sorensen via talk wrote on 2023-11-23 11:38:
> >
> > > It is pretty annoying that chrome has become the new IE. Lots of web
> > > developers only use chrome and don't care that their javascript or html
> > > doesn't work on other browsers anymore.
> >
> > I too find it annoying.
> >
> > Especially since the standards are so well implemented by all (both) the
> > major browsers, and the cutting edge features should gracefully degrade
> > but not break the site.
> >
> >
> > Any examples of a site that doesn't work with Firefox?
> >
> >
> > I might give one a try; it's beautiful and sunny outside and I'm not
> > just not feeling angry enough.  Need something to fix that.
> >
> >
> Chuckling
>
> I can really empathize!!
>
> I use FF as my main browser it usually seems to work - - - - its the
> only browser that
> doesn't barf at my using more than 1 virtual desktop (I use a lot!!!).
>
> To get some chromium connection - - - well I have Brave, Vivaldi,
> Opera, as well as
> Links 2 and Min which I only use sporadically.
>
> I am starting to think of using a non-javascript browser - - - I'm
> just so tired of the
> bloated number of linked in domains I've found to almost 350 at times - -
> - now
> that's nuts!!!
>
> HTH
> ---
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>
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Re: [GTALUG] (very off topic) torque spec of impact wrench

[Don Tai via talk]

After a winter my front tire lug nuts would not budge. My mechanic used his
air ratchet to break them free, then told me to use just a little
antiseize on the threads. I haven't had any issues with winter corrosion
after that, For every Youtube video stating don't use antiseize there are
others that recommend it.

On Fri, 3 Nov 2023 at 11:03, William Park  wrote:

> This is what happened after getting 4 new brakes and 2 new calipers at
> the dealership.  They over-tightened it!
>
>  - I tried 12in pipe (it's all I have).  It slips, and I don't want
> to step on that.  Maybe longer pipe will work.
>
>  - I've been told (by YouTube, Google) that you shouldn't apply any
> oil or anti-seize grease.
>
>  - VW uses 17mm bolt, instead of lug nut.  So, cutting them off is
> not an option. :-)
>
>
> 1. I'll try to find 2-4ft pipe at reasonable price.
>
> 2. If not, Canadian Tire has sale on "air wrench"
>  -
>
> https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maximum-impact-wrench-with-built-in-regulator-3-8-in-0581968p.0581968.html
> Web says "3/8", manual says "1/2", and I'll see what the box says.
>
> Thanks guys.  I wish I paid more attention to "shop class" in high
> school.  "If I knew then, what I know now...".
>
>
> On 2023-11-03 09:32, Don Tai wrote:
> > Can you drive your car to a mechanic? It might be cheaper to have them
> > loosen it with their air powered impact wrench. Other options I've used
> > 1. penetrating oil (as mentioned)
> > 2. breaker bar (long pipe)
> > 3. propane torch (also mentioned)
> >
> > Once loosened then add some anti-seize compound so that this does not
> > happen again in the future.
> >
> >
> > On Fri, 3 Nov 2023 at 03:07, William Park via talk  > > wrote:
> >
> > Hi (another very off topic),
> >
> > Wheel bolts on my VW are seized pretty hard.  Standing on 24in
> breaker
> > bar doesn't help, and that's 300ft-lb torque.  So, I'm thinking about
> > getting an impact wrench.  Those with greater than 300ft-lb are very
> > expensive.  I found one with 250ft-lb spec at my price range.
> >
> > Question is, is there difference between static torque vs impact
> > torque?
> >In other words, will 250ft-lb impact wrench loosen 300ft-lb bolt?
> >
> > Browsing YouTube, I learned that torque specs are always misleading
> and
> > inflated.  This means, I have to find 600ft-lb or greater, and that's
> > serious money.
> > ---
> > Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org 
> > Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> > https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> > 
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] (very off topic) torque spec of impact wrench

[Don Tai via talk]

Can you drive your car to a mechanic? It might be cheaper to have them
loosen it with their air powered impact wrench. Other options I've used
1. penetrating oil (as mentioned)
2. breaker bar (long pipe)
3. propane torch (also mentioned)

Once loosened then add some anti-seize compound so that this does not
happen again in the future.


On Fri, 3 Nov 2023 at 03:07, William Park via talk  wrote:

> Hi (another very off topic),
>
> Wheel bolts on my VW are seized pretty hard.  Standing on 24in breaker
> bar doesn't help, and that's 300ft-lb torque.  So, I'm thinking about
> getting an impact wrench.  Those with greater than 300ft-lb are very
> expensive.  I found one with 250ft-lb spec at my price range.
>
> Question is, is there difference between static torque vs impact torque?
>   In other words, will 250ft-lb impact wrench loosen 300ft-lb bolt?
>
> Browsing YouTube, I learned that torque specs are always misleading and
> inflated.  This means, I have to find 600ft-lb or greater, and that's
> serious money.
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>
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Re: [GTALUG] (very off topic) where to buy old AM/FM receiver?

[Don Tai via talk]

garage sales, thrift stores, my basement??

On Sun, 29 Oct 2023 at 22:16, William Park via talk  wrote:

> Hi, a very off topic...
>
> While cleaning my house, I found box speakers and LP record player.
> Brand name "Sanyo".  What's missing is AM/FM receiver that came as a
> set.  Do you know where I can buy an old stereo AM/FM receiver?
> --
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] sigh, hardware resources?

[Don Tai via talk]

IBM Thinkcentre M50 8189
2xP4 3.2Ghz, serial port (not tested)
similar to
https://www.newegg.com/ibm-thinkcentre-m50-business-desktops-workstations/p/N82E16883108249
-OEM XP install dates this to maybe  2003, so 20 years old.

It came with Win XP but is currently locked with a password that I do not
know. It can boot and run Puppy Linux 32 bit from CD. I do recall it
running but have not started it from before the pandemic. It is clean and
still looks quite stylish in all black.

Origin unknown, probably curbside, but possibly from an Indian family with
2 kids from Scarborough. I think there was a Bollywood CD in the optical
drive (Is this a feature?)

If you are interested I will start it up and look at its innards in greater
detail.

Don

If interested I will boot it up and maybe do an additional vacuuming.

On Sat, 14 Oct 2023 at 15:41, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> | From: Karen Lewellen via talk 
>
> | In fact, the P3 or greater aspect is far more important than the ISO
> slot, if
> | that makes sense.
>
> Why do you need the power of a P III?  Generally speaking, DOS software
> was built for much weaker processors (eg. 486 or older).
>
> | Although not installing freedos, it can manage more current hardware, so
> can
> | the DOS I run to some extent.
> | www.freedos.org
>
> FreeDOS looks like a good choice: it is still maintained.
> What DOS do you use?
>
> Here are some technical requirements that may make a recent machine
> unsuitable:
>
> DOS requires a BIOS as opposed to UEFI firmware.
> For about a decade, all machines came with UEFI firmware.
> But some UEFI firmware can emulate BIOS.
>
> FreeDOS requires that the disk be formated using MBR, not GPT.
> 
>
> DOS requires disks to have 512-byte sector.  That's less common these days
> -- most current drives 4096-byte sectors.  Sometimes they can emulate
> 512-byte sectors.
>
> MBR disks are limited to 2TB or less:
> 
>
> FAT32 partitions are limited to 2TB as well:
> 
> FreeDOS has supported FAT32 since 2002 (recent, in DOS terms).
> Does your DOS support FAT32?
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] sigh, hardware resources?

[Don Tai via talk]

I can't remember if it was 500 MB or 250MB that can run Puppy Linux, an
outdated browser (Netscape Navigator) from a CD boot..

On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 14:56, James Knott via talk  wrote:

> On 2023-10-13 14:52, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> > or maybe 500mb ram..
> 500 milli byte?  That's 4 bits!  
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] sigh, hardware resources?

[Don Tai via talk]

or maybe 500mb ram..sorry, I'm now used to G or ram..

On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 14:50, Don Tai  wrote:

> Old 'puters, are a little ornery. You get what you get, and then scrounge
> for parts to upgrade. With luck it all works out in the end, or you die
> trying. Serial and parallel ports are a major constraint, then adding in
> USB will get interesting. Most of my old desktops came with almost no
> memory. In fact I've used these old biddies with as low as 500k of RAM,
> which will run Puppy Linux and an old browser, from a CD boot.
>
> You will need to see if you can combine new and old worlds of PC
> components. Usually I cannot even do a Linux boot from a USB drive.
>
> Let me check my stash of old PC carcasses..
>
> Don
>
> On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 09:30, Karen Lewellen 
> wrote:
>
>> Good morning sir. Don of the possible rescue!
>> Let me be forthright. I have not bought a computer off the shelf since my
>> very  first one.
>> Instead my machines have been built from scratch, or provided with
>> alterations made to them.
>>
>> What that means is that my dictionary may not match yours perfectly, but
>> I
>> will try...when I doubt ask.
>> First at least a Pentium 3,  I can be flexible on processor speed as I
>> have utilities working around some of the DOS barriers.
>> As much memory as possible, my previous machine had almost 800 meg of
>> ram,
>> again managers made it work, even had onboard graphics memory although
>> that is less important.
>> A dvdr or combination cd and dvdr would be appreciated, or at least room
>> for  both.  a 3.5 floppy is a must.
>> serial, USB, and parallel ports are also a must.
>> Slots, PCI are a must, if there is a single ISO slot it would be helpful,
>> some of the alternative synthesizers are full size boards, but that again
>> is not mandatory.
>> In case I messed up that term, think soundblaster pro live.  I have a
>> dream-audio 2496 soundcard I still intend finding.  I have d-link
>>  ethernet cards, those sorts of things.
>> Honestly?  what this entire situation has taught me is that I need both a
>> spare and a laptop smiles.
>> Still, does that help?
>> I have a combination of DOS programs and adaptive hardware, including
>> sound
>> Ethernet cards and so forth.
>> Unless your items firmly have DOS drivers that is less of a concern.
>> As for hard drive size, well I always have more than one drive,  so room
>> for  more than one.  20 gig or higher at least.
>> thanks for even offering!
>> Karen
>>
>>
>> On Fri, 13 Oct 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>>
>> > What type of old computer do you seek? Please be very specific, as I
>> have a
>> > couple. Circa year, specs, etc
>> >
>> > On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 02:12, Karen Lewellen via talk 
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi everyone,
>> >> will ask the question simply, as it is not one I have needed to ask
>> for a
>> >> good decade.
>> >> Need a resource for older computer hardware, freecycle  was terrific
>> for
>> >> this sort of thing, as was  the talent who would build mine.
>> >> Unfortunately a visit by someone from renew computer technology
>> Ontario,
>> >> www.rcto.org
>> >> damaged my main computer, at least the  motherboard, possibly the hard
>> >> drive.
>> >> I have a bandaged machine, does not boot to the c drive, using a
>> floppy,
>> >> with the second drive from my main placed in this unit.
>> >> Now  some of my critical synthesizer files are being damaged as well.
>> >> screen reader utilities..so far at least.
>> >> While I do have talent, quality talent to help me with the
>> construction,
>> >> finding say a p3 or p4  may be the challenge.
>> >> Any ideas?
>> >> Cheers,
>> >> Karen
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> ---
>> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
>> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
>> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>> >>
>> >
>>
>
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Re: [GTALUG] sigh, hardware resources?

[Don Tai via talk]

Old 'puters, are a little ornery. You get what you get, and then scrounge
for parts to upgrade. With luck it all works out in the end, or you die
trying. Serial and parallel ports are a major constraint, then adding in
USB will get interesting. Most of my old desktops came with almost no
memory. In fact I've used these old biddies with as low as 500k of RAM,
which will run Puppy Linux and an old browser, from a CD boot.

You will need to see if you can combine new and old worlds of PC
components. Usually I cannot even do a Linux boot from a USB drive.

Let me check my stash of old PC carcasses..

Don

On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 09:30, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Good morning sir. Don of the possible rescue!
> Let me be forthright. I have not bought a computer off the shelf since my
> very  first one.
> Instead my machines have been built from scratch, or provided with
> alterations made to them.
>
> What that means is that my dictionary may not match yours perfectly, but I
> will try...when I doubt ask.
> First at least a Pentium 3,  I can be flexible on processor speed as I
> have utilities working around some of the DOS barriers.
> As much memory as possible, my previous machine had almost 800 meg of ram,
> again managers made it work, even had onboard graphics memory although
> that is less important.
> A dvdr or combination cd and dvdr would be appreciated, or at least room
> for  both.  a 3.5 floppy is a must.
> serial, USB, and parallel ports are also a must.
> Slots, PCI are a must, if there is a single ISO slot it would be helpful,
> some of the alternative synthesizers are full size boards, but that again
> is not mandatory.
> In case I messed up that term, think soundblaster pro live.  I have a
> dream-audio 2496 soundcard I still intend finding.  I have d-link
>  ethernet cards, those sorts of things.
> Honestly?  what this entire situation has taught me is that I need both a
> spare and a laptop smiles.
> Still, does that help?
> I have a combination of DOS programs and adaptive hardware, including
> sound
> Ethernet cards and so forth.
> Unless your items firmly have DOS drivers that is less of a concern.
> As for hard drive size, well I always have more than one drive,  so room
> for  more than one.  20 gig or higher at least.
> thanks for even offering!
> Karen
>
>
> On Fri, 13 Oct 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > What type of old computer do you seek? Please be very specific, as I
> have a
> > couple. Circa year, specs, etc
> >
> > On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 02:12, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi everyone,
> >> will ask the question simply, as it is not one I have needed to ask for
> a
> >> good decade.
> >> Need a resource for older computer hardware, freecycle  was terrific for
> >> this sort of thing, as was  the talent who would build mine.
> >> Unfortunately a visit by someone from renew computer technology Ontario,
> >> www.rcto.org
> >> damaged my main computer, at least the  motherboard, possibly the hard
> >> drive.
> >> I have a bandaged machine, does not boot to the c drive, using a floppy,
> >> with the second drive from my main placed in this unit.
> >> Now  some of my critical synthesizer files are being damaged as well.
> >> screen reader utilities..so far at least.
> >> While I do have talent, quality talent to help me with the construction,
> >> finding say a p3 or p4  may be the challenge.
> >> Any ideas?
> >> Cheers,
> >> Karen
> >>
> >>
> >> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] sigh, hardware resources?

[Don Tai via talk]

What type of old computer do you seek? Please be very specific, as I have a
couple. Circa year, specs, etc

On Fri, 13 Oct 2023 at 02:12, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi everyone,
> will ask the question simply, as it is not one I have needed to ask for a
> good decade.
> Need a resource for older computer hardware, freecycle  was terrific for
> this sort of thing, as was  the talent who would build mine.
> Unfortunately a visit by someone from renew computer technology Ontario,
> www.rcto.org
> damaged my main computer, at least the  motherboard, possibly the hard
> drive.
> I have a bandaged machine, does not boot to the c drive, using a floppy,
> with the second drive from my main placed in this unit.
> Now  some of my critical synthesizer files are being damaged as well.
> screen reader utilities..so far at least.
> While I do have talent, quality talent to help me with the construction,
> finding say a p3 or p4  may be the challenge.
> Any ideas?
> Cheers,
> Karen
>
>
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] help moving a hard drive into a different computer?

[Don Tai via talk]

How different is your old computer from your new computer? How old is your
old computer?

On Mon, 25 Sept 2023 at 19:09, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi folks,
> Sorry rather behind.
> request is simple, as  my short term computer solution is starting to
> fail.
> while a new one is being built for me, I have no  idea  of that timeline.
> between  the landline issue and my cell phone having someone accessing
> its sim code to dial it remotely, my computers are my  contact with the
> outside world.
> Task will be simple for  a knowledgeable person.
> Any ideas?
> Freecycle cafe used to be terrific for such small tasks, no idea of a good
> door now however.
> Thanks,
> Karen
>
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] Landline and Bell revisited.

[Don Tai via talk]

Karen is not alone. Accommodations are needed for the good of the greater
society. I also see this in our election system as well. We must not leave
anyone behind. We are smart, we just need to find an adequate solution.

On Thu, 7 Sept 2023 at 11:41, James Knott  wrote:

> On 2023-09-07 11:25, Don Tai wrote:
> > The next step is the CRTC:
>
> Do you honestly believe they can force Bell to bring back obsolete
> technology?  First off, they'd have to provide a copper pair back to the
> office, when everything else is fibre.  Then, they'd need the equipment
> that can handle it, which may have been scrapped already, etc.
>
> Maybe someone from Bell can clarify this, but I doubt that will happen.
>
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Re: [GTALUG] Landline and Bell revisited.

[Don Tai via talk]

Bell faces human rights complaint over allegations of inaccessibility for
blind customers
https://globalnews.ca/news/9373449/bell-human-rights-complaint/

On Thu, 7 Sept 2023 at 11:25, Don Tai  wrote:

> this is a human rights issue. Contact the Bell Communications ombudsman
> first, but can't find a direct route:
> https://support.bell.ca/how-to-resolve-a-concern
>
> The next step is the CRTC:
> For regulated services, contact the CRTC at:
> Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
> Ottawa, Ontario
> Canada, K1A 0N2
>
> On Thu, 7 Sept 2023 at 11:07, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> The key word is that you cannot conceive of what would cause my brain
>> issues...you are not a medical professional.
>> The  ability to even capture auditory processing disorders, mine came via
>> a  slight stroke in a surgery, did not even exist ten years ago.
>> I respect our professional background in your field..but that does not
>> make
>> you  an expert in
>>   others.
>> That you cannot conceive of my situation does not  mean anything
>> important here , because you are not a medical professional.
>> Please stop trivializing my circumstance by outlining your expertise as
>> if
>> it  carried any weight..it does not.
>> I am personally very tired of hiving to defend explain and micromanage my
>> body to techs who claim to know more than medical tests because they have
>> never seen it before.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, 7 Sep 2023, James Knott wrote:
>>
>> > On 2023-09-07 10:35, Karen Lewellen wrote:
>> >>  may I ask what method of suicide will be best then?
>> >>  From what you say, in spite of the aquired brain injury I currently
>> >>  experience, and its medical documentation, my being able to use analog
>> >>  phone service until less than a year ago,  and the like, my body is
>> too
>> >>  much trouble to keep alive, no longer can communicate with the outside
>> >>  world safely, do my job, etc without the seizures all VOIp services
>> cause
>> >>  me..with tests to support this.
>> >>  Seems like a fine time to go according to you,  since according to
>> you,
>> >>  I cannot achieve what I have done just fine, even with the physical
>> >>  resources for it here in my house, or existing analog customers being
>> >>  around
>> >
>> > First off, I cannot comment on your health issues.  However, I can
>> comment
>> > on telecom issues, having worked in the field for over half a century.
>> The
>> > world is moving to IP for just about everything and that over fibre.
>> > Carriers, such as Bell or Rogers, run fibre out into the community, in
>> some
>> > cases converting to copper in the neighbourhood and more and more often
>> > directly in the consumer's home or office.
>> > Second, I first came across digital audio, for phone service in 1975
>> and it's
>> > been growing ever since.  A bit about me, I started working in telecom
>> in
>> > 1972.  I spent 23 years working for CN Telecommunications, CNCP and
>> Unitel,
>> > as the company ownership changed.  Most of that time I worked as a
>> > technician, but for my last 5 years, I was in planning, where I planned
>> the
>> > installation of telecom equipment, both in the office at 151 Front St.
>> W. as
>> > well as customer sites in downtown Toronto.  Even back then, everything
>> I
>> > worked on was 100% digital.  That was almost 30 years ago.  Since then,
>> my
>> > work has been largely services provided over IP, including voice.  It
>> been
>> > years since I've seen voice provided over anything other than IP.  Even
>> some
>> > of the old Time Division Multiplex (TDM) services were emulated over IP.
>> >
>> > As someone with all that experience, I cannot conceive of anything that
>> would
>> > contribute to your issues, other than possibly getting a CODEC that
>> tries to
>> > minimize bandwidth to the point that it causes noticeable distortion.
>> With
>> > the bandwidth available now, there's no reason for such CODECs to be
>> used.
>> >
>> > Regardless, I wouldn't be surprised if Bell is unable to provide what
>> you
>> > want.  I know Rogers can't.  Even if Bell were able to provide it, your
>> > calls would be analog only as far as their office, if that far.
>> Everything
>> > beyond would be digital, likely over IP.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >---
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>> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
>> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>>
>
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Re: [GTALUG] Landline and Bell revisited.

[Don Tai via talk]

this is a human rights issue. Contact the Bell Communications ombudsman
first, but can't find a direct route:
https://support.bell.ca/how-to-resolve-a-concern

The next step is the CRTC:
For regulated services, contact the CRTC at:
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada, K1A 0N2

On Thu, 7 Sept 2023 at 11:07, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> The key word is that you cannot conceive of what would cause my brain
> issues...you are not a medical professional.
> The  ability to even capture auditory processing disorders, mine came via
> a  slight stroke in a surgery, did not even exist ten years ago.
> I respect our professional background in your field..but that does not
> make
> you  an expert in
>   others.
> That you cannot conceive of my situation does not  mean anything
> important here , because you are not a medical professional.
> Please stop trivializing my circumstance by outlining your expertise as if
> it  carried any weight..it does not.
> I am personally very tired of hiving to defend explain and micromanage my
> body to techs who claim to know more than medical tests because they have
> never seen it before.
>
>
> On Thu, 7 Sep 2023, James Knott wrote:
>
> > On 2023-09-07 10:35, Karen Lewellen wrote:
> >>  may I ask what method of suicide will be best then?
> >>  From what you say, in spite of the aquired brain injury I currently
> >>  experience, and its medical documentation, my being able to use analog
> >>  phone service until less than a year ago,  and the like, my body is too
> >>  much trouble to keep alive, no longer can communicate with the outside
> >>  world safely, do my job, etc without the seizures all VOIp services
> cause
> >>  me..with tests to support this.
> >>  Seems like a fine time to go according to you,  since according to
> you,
> >>  I cannot achieve what I have done just fine, even with the physical
> >>  resources for it here in my house, or existing analog customers being
> >>  around
> >
> > First off, I cannot comment on your health issues.  However, I can
> comment
> > on telecom issues, having worked in the field for over half a century.
> The
> > world is moving to IP for just about everything and that over fibre.
> > Carriers, such as Bell or Rogers, run fibre out into the community, in
> some
> > cases converting to copper in the neighbourhood and more and more often
> > directly in the consumer's home or office.
> > Second, I first came across digital audio, for phone service in 1975 and
> it's
> > been growing ever since.  A bit about me, I started working in telecom
> in
> > 1972.  I spent 23 years working for CN Telecommunications, CNCP and
> Unitel,
> > as the company ownership changed.  Most of that time I worked as a
> > technician, but for my last 5 years, I was in planning, where I planned
> the
> > installation of telecom equipment, both in the office at 151 Front St.
> W. as
> > well as customer sites in downtown Toronto.  Even back then, everything
> I
> > worked on was 100% digital.  That was almost 30 years ago.  Since then,
> my
> > work has been largely services provided over IP, including voice.  It
> been
> > years since I've seen voice provided over anything other than IP.  Even
> some
> > of the old Time Division Multiplex (TDM) services were emulated over IP.
> >
> > As someone with all that experience, I cannot conceive of anything that
> would
> > contribute to your issues, other than possibly getting a CODEC that
> tries to
> > minimize bandwidth to the point that it causes noticeable distortion.
> With
> > the bandwidth available now, there's no reason for such CODECs to be
> used.
> >
> > Regardless, I wouldn't be surprised if Bell is unable to provide what
> you
> > want.  I know Rogers can't.  Even if Bell were able to provide it, your
> > calls would be analog only as far as their office, if that far.
> Everything
> > beyond would be digital, likely over IP.
> >
> >
> >
> >---
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Re: [GTALUG] [offtopic] Opinions on Freedom Mobile, please

[Don Tai via talk]

customer service, such as small changes in plans, not good. Sometimes
spotty service in areas that should be strong (in Toronto), not all phones
can be used with Freedom, my son gets more data for his hard earned buck,
otherwise it works ok. I don't know the difference in speed between 4G and
5G.

On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 at 23:09, Evan Leibovitch via talk 
wrote:

> Hi all.
>
> I was more than a little ticked off to discover that Telus has no plans to
> offer 5G to its mid-brand Koodo customers, even though its flagship Telus
> and low-end Public Mobile brands already have it.
>
> Now that Freedom Mobile is owned by Videotron, perhaps Canada's
> least-awful telco, I had another look. They have a 5G plan for the same
> money that I'm paying Koodo for 4G with 10GB more per month. Furthermore
> Freedom is the only telco usable in the Toronto subway, with service in all
> stations and two Line-1 tunnel sections (Vaughan to Wilson and St.George to
> Yonge/Bloor).
>
> Pretty well everywhere I usually go these days is within Freedom's 5G
> coverage area. with 4G elsewhere (including the non-Freedom "nationwide"
> network coverage). I don't care about international roaming, I have a
> different SIM for that. And as it turns out the cell tower closest to my
> home is a Freedom one.
>
> Still, I have a few concerns. Reviews for Freedom on Trustpilot are
> plentiful and almost universally vicious. So long as everything Just Works
> my customer service interactions tend to be limited to initial setup.
>
> Does anyone here have any real-life data points to offer? Thanks!
>
> Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
> @evanleibovitch / @el56
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

In my house I'd add arc welding, but that's just me. Heating metal to 6k C,
in a controlled manner...

On Tue, 18 Jul 2023 at 11:09, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> Are there actual sparks that you know of?  The only kinds of sparks
> that I'd accept are
>
> 1. When you unplug a heavy (inductive?) load, like an ordinary
> electric kettle.  That seems to be normal.
>
> 2. Static electricity -- when you get grounded after shuffling across
> a carpet when humidity is low (winter, if you have no humidifier).
> Also after putting on or off a nylon coat.
>
> Anything else sounds unsafe.  I'm not an expert in these matters.
>
> | From: Karen Lewellen via talk 
>
> | My landlord has offered a dedicated line in the living room, but  I am
> unsure
> | that will solve the computer problems in my office, sparks from somewhere
> | impacting my system.
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

If you live in an older house, older than a house built in the 1970s, then
you probably have fuses and not breakers. Older houses could have the
service panel upgraded to breakers, say from 100 amp to 200 amps. There is
a chance that someone could remove a fuse and not replace it immediately.
There are also blended cases where a panel can have fuses and some
breakers. A person that is not careful could touch the wrong place and
receive a nasty shock. I would not recommend you mess with your electrical
panel unless you are sure it is completely safe all the time.

On Thu, 13 Jul 2023 at 14:54, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> What exactly are the remaining problems that you can put your finger on?
>
> Laptops effectively have built-in UPSes.  They should not be affected by
> drooping voltage and a surge would have to be fairly large to harm it.  I
> would guess that the first thing to fail would be the power brick.  Have
> you tested the system with a different brick?
>
> A stereo that stops is an odd symptom.  What do you mean by "stop"?  What
> components do what?  (Many quite different constellations of devices are
> called stereos.)
>
> Do you have any remaining concrete problem with your computer? Wanting to
> run diagnostics is reasonable except that good broad spectrum tests are
> hard to find.  The best diagnostic seems to be running the computer on
> normal tasks.
>
> Diagnostics I use:
>  memtest86+ for RAM (stand-alone)
>  SMARTmon utilities for disks (Linux or Windows)
>  fsck for filesystems (Linux)
>
> | From: Karen Lewellen via talk 
> |
> | My explanation was not clear.
> | I believe the serge damaged the port  not the cable, which is why I am
> seeking
> | software to test the integrity of internal things like the motherboard.
> | My apartment is the upper basement of a house, where hydro is a part of
> my
> | rent.
> | However outlets on this floor seem to share circuits with other things
> both on
> | this floor and likely in the rest of the house which may not be wired
> well.
> | for example the fridge is on an outlet with other  items, so, at least
> | according to those who have already investigated a slight surge or
> feedback
> | may be being sent.
> | I suspect one of my older mac laptops has paid the price, my stereo
> which was
> | just refurbished will  stop, if something elsewhere int the house is
> turned on
> | those kinds of things.  Have to run extensions because the outlets are
> all
> | under the radiators etc.
> | The thing is though I cannot be sure  just what is damaged, without a
> tool to
> | test the internal  items like the board itself.  I only know the machine
> would
> | not speak, even though sighted help at the time indicated the software
> was
> | loading on the screen.
> | Kare
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

Fridges don't usually damage electronic equipment. I'm in a 70s build
detached house and my fridge is also on a circuit with other things. If the
circuit is overdrawn it will trip the fuse. When the fridge is initially
starting up the compressor my lights will momentarily dim.

Most power surges that I've heard that damage electronic equipment are from
lightning strikes.

Don

On Thu, 13 Jul 2023 at 10:56, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> My explanation was not clear.
> I believe the serge damaged the port  not the cable, which is why I am
> seeking software to test the integrity of internal things like the
> motherboard.
> My apartment is the upper basement of a house, where hydro is a part of my
> rent.
> However outlets on this floor seem to share circuits with other things
> both
> on this floor and likely in the rest of the house which may not be wired
> well.  for example the fridge is on an outlet with other  items, so, at
> least according to those who have already investigated a slight surge or
> feedback may be being sent.
> I suspect one of my older mac laptops has paid the price, my stereo which
> was  just refurbished will  stop, if something elsewhere int the house is
> turned on those kinds of things.  Have to run extensions because the
> outlets are all under the radiators etc.
> The thing is though I cannot be sure  just what is damaged, without a tool
> to test the internal  items like the board itself.  I only know the
> machine
> would not speak, even though sighted help at the time indicated the
> software  was loading on the screen.
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Thu, 13 Jul 2023, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
>
> > | From: Karen Lewellen via talk 
> >
> > | When the issue started, it turned out that the machine was working,
> but the
> > | port had stopped.
> >
> > Correctly diagnosing a problem is often the first 90% of fixing it.
> > It often isn't easy.  (Often it is easy, but we don't remember those
> > events.)
> >
> > | However the real issue,  how my landlord manages hydro in my
> apartment, means
> > | that the issue as it did last night can start again.
> >
> > How does your landlord manage hydro?
> >
> > It is unlikely that a hydro problem will damage a serial cable.  I
> > think that a surge powerful enough to melt copper would first fry the
> > electronics.
> >
> > Serial cables can be damaged by rabbits, by wheely chairs, by desk
> > drawers, by excessive flexing and other physical trauma.  The
> > soldering of the connectors can fail due to mechanical stress
> > (especially home-made cables).  Pins can get bent and even break.
> > Over the years, contact oxidization can happen.
> >
> > <
> http://melslilzoo.blogspot.com/2016/09/rabbit-proofing-for-your-indoor-rabbit.html
> >
> > This contains a picture of a rabbit laying waste to cables on a desk.
> > My experience is that they find cables on the floor, behind a desk.
> > Or ones that come too close to their cage.
> >
> > | Please do not feel you are not providing solutions, because you have
> in the
> > | past just as here.
> >
> > I'm glad to be corrected.
> > ---
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> >
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

yes, you can plug your power bar into the UPS

On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 15:14, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> that is interesting..might need more than one due to hydro flow.
> I would hope that  one could say connect power bars tot he UPS so that
> more than a single item gets monitored?
>
>
>
> On Wed, 12 Jul 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > A UPS is essentially a battery with some electronics. You plug the UPS
> into
> > the wall and then plug your computer into the UPS. The UPS monitors the
> > power and evens out brownouts and power surges. When power goes out
> > completely the UPS allows you time to save your work and safely power
> down
> > your computer. When there is constant power, the UPS will recharge the
> > battery.
> >
> > Prices vary with the size of the UPS.
> >
> > On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 12:37, Karen Lewellen 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> How expensive are UPS units, and how do they work?
> >> My hydro is included in my rent. However my landlord does not understand
> >> his layout from  the city standards is not  correct.  It is being
> >> investigated, but may still need an alternative.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, 12 Jul 2023, Don Tai wrote:
> >>
> >>> Computer component testing software, even if you can find it, won't
> >> prevent
> >>> hardware damage. Maybe you should consider a UPS or other power
> >> management
> >>> hardware that will even out any power surges and brownouts.
> >>> Don
> >>>
> >>> On Tue, 11 Jul 2023 at 18:05, Karen Lewellen via talk  >
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
>  Hi folks,
>  What I am seeking is an open source program that tests aspects of say
> >> your
>  motherboard.  that the serial ports or parallel ports work, that the
> USB
>  ports are sound etc.
>  I am asking  because due to an as of yet not fixed hydro problem in my
> >> new
>  apartment, the occasional power surges, even with machines attached to
>  protectors, are causing slight damage to hardware.
>  Need to know how much as I only have so many computers I can use.
>  Any program ideas?
>  Will be sharing suggestions with someone hopefully helping me
>  troubleshoot.
>  Thanks,
>  Karen
> 
> 
>  ---
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> 
> >>>
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

Your explanation is better and more thorough.

On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 13:35, Scott Allen  wrote:

> On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 12:37, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> wrote:
> > How expensive are UPS units, and how do they work?
>
> I was typing this when Don Tai replied but I'll post it just in case
> anything additional I've said is helpful:
>
> UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply, sometimes also called a
> "battery backup" unit. It's a piece of equipment that contains a
> rechargeable battery, connects to your building's AC power (usually by
> just plugging it into a standard AC outlet) and has AC receptacles on
> it that you plug your equipment into instead of plugging them directly
> into the wall. You could think of it as a big power bar with a battery
> in it.
>
> The battery is kept continually charged by a built-in battery charger
> while it's plugged in. If the power fails, an DC to AC converter
> (called an inverter) switches to the outlets and continues to provide
> AC power to your equipment. When mains power is restored, the battery
> is switched out and the AC is switched in and the battery is again
> charged. Thus, it provides "uninterruptible" AC power to your
> equipment. Like power bars, most UPSs also provide surge protection
> and sometimes also other line conditioning.
>
> The cost and size of the UPS you require will depend on how much power
> the equipment you want to keep running draws and how long you have to
> keep it running. For your requirements, the size could vary from about
> 12 inches square to the size of a large suitcase. Cost could be from
> maybe $75 to many hundreds.
>
> --
> Scott
>
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

A UPS is essentially a battery with some electronics. You plug the UPS into
the wall and then plug your computer into the UPS. The UPS monitors the
power and evens out brownouts and power surges. When power goes out
completely the UPS allows you time to save your work and safely power down
your computer. When there is constant power, the UPS will recharge the
battery.

Prices vary with the size of the UPS.

On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 12:37, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> How expensive are UPS units, and how do they work?
> My hydro is included in my rent. However my landlord does not understand
> his layout from  the city standards is not  correct.  It is being
> investigated, but may still need an alternative.
>
>
>
> On Wed, 12 Jul 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > Computer component testing software, even if you can find it, won't
> prevent
> > hardware damage. Maybe you should consider a UPS or other power
> management
> > hardware that will even out any power surges and brownouts.
> > Don
> >
> > On Tue, 11 Jul 2023 at 18:05, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi folks,
> >> What I am seeking is an open source program that tests aspects of say
> your
> >> motherboard.  that the serial ports or parallel ports work, that the USB
> >> ports are sound etc.
> >> I am asking  because due to an as of yet not fixed hydro problem in my
> new
> >> apartment, the occasional power surges, even with machines attached to
> >> protectors, are causing slight damage to hardware.
> >> Need to know how much as I only have so many computers I can use.
> >> Any program ideas?
> >> Will be sharing suggestions with someone hopefully helping me
> >> troubleshoot.
> >> Thanks,
> >> Karen
> >>
> >>
> >> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[Don Tai via talk]

Computer component testing software, even if you can find it, won't prevent
hardware damage. Maybe you should consider a UPS or other power management
hardware that will even out any power surges and brownouts.
Don

On Tue, 11 Jul 2023 at 18:05, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi folks,
> What I am seeking is an open source program that tests aspects of say your
> motherboard.  that the serial ports or parallel ports work, that the USB
> ports are sound etc.
> I am asking  because due to an as of yet not fixed hydro problem in my new
> apartment, the occasional power surges, even with machines attached to
> protectors, are causing slight damage to hardware.
> Need to know how much as I only have so many computers I can use.
> Any program ideas?
> Will be sharing suggestions with someone hopefully helping me
> troubleshoot.
> Thanks,
> Karen
>
>
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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>
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Re: [GTALUG] an odd question about well on going service factors.

[Don Tai via talk]

Ask your landlord to get you a set top box and add the cost to your rent,
or adopt you as a family member.

On Tue, 30 May 2023 at 20:05, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Two points in return.
> 1. your provider has no idea if those residing at an address are family
> or not...making that a non -point.
> 2. Rogers is not bell.
>
>
>
> On Tue, 30 May 2023, James Knott via talk wrote:
>
> > On 2023-05-30 17:49, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
> >>  While this answers my specific question, your comment  about sharing
> >>  services  creates a different one.
> >>  If you have a large house  with more than one television, it is often
> the
> >>  case that this second television has its own cable box, say to allow
> other
> >>  members  of your household to  watch what they wish.
> >>  How is indeed  sharing the Internet with the basement of your house
> >>  different?
> >
> > 2 points.
> > First, it's all one family.  Also, with Rogers, you pay for each extra
> cable
> > box, on top of your monthly bill.  I live alone, unless you count my
> cat.
> > I have 3 boxes and pay extra for 2 of them.
> > ---
> > Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> > Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >
> >---
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>
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Re: [GTALUG] an odd question about well on going service factors.

[Don Tai via talk]

For TV I use an antenna and receive over-the-air signals. Full digital,
great HD quality (barring fog) with no compression, and free. I try to use
both Bell and Rogers as little as possible. You do need a digital TV.

On Tue, 30 May 2023 at 14:40, James Knott via talk  wrote:

> On 2023-05-30 14:30, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
> > Hi folks,
> > Tapping into your genus once again.
>
> These two might be related.
>
> My landlord is including access to his Fibe TV account, he already
> provides internet as a part of my rent.
>
> At this moment Bell and I continue to fight, land line wise and
> otherwise. they seem to be preventing Teksavy from helping me
>
> As I mentioned before, sharing services with a tenant is a violation of
> the terms of service.  Maybe Bell is being nasty about it.
>
> Perhaps a way around this is to use one of the voice over IP providers,
> who will supply a terminal that looks like a plain phone line.
>
>
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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Re: [GTALUG] Toshiba Satellite L500 rejects Linux

[Don Tai via talk]

I have Puppy on an install CD... It always seems to work for me. Puppy is
the last man standing Linux install...

On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 16:05, Evan Leibovitch  wrote:

> I'm not sure that it's a portable-media issue.
> My first instinct is to try a distro that specializes in older HW such as
> Puppy.
> That should be installable to and bootable from a USB stick.
>
> If that works it could easily be a wonky Secure Boot implementation.
> If your preferred target is Debian, perhaps the "Shim"
> tool might help?
>
> - Evan
>
>
> On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 9:13 AM Giles Orr via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Don.
>>
>> Probably a good suggestion, but I don't think it will work for me: the
>> Toshiba in question does have an optical drive, but even if I can find
>> a CD burner, I'm not sure I have media I can burn to anymore (I have a
>> stack of blank CDs ... but they're 15+ years old).
>>
>> On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 08:38, Don Tai  wrote:
>> >
>> > When I find an old computer that won't boot USB I go back to a 32 bit
>> CD install, then upgrade. Some old PCs simply won't reliably boot with USB.
>> >
>> > On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 08:34, Giles Orr via talk 
>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I've recently acquired (through a friend who stopped using it) a
>> >> Toshiba Satellite L500 - Core i3 (3rd gen?), 4G RAM.  I'm determined
>> >> to get Linux onto it (preferably Debian).  I thought I had succeeded:
>> >> I booted from a Debian USB stick, installed to the HD.  All appeared
>> >> to go well, but the system won't boot.  It returns to the Boot Menu
>> >> and says "HD has failed."  What the search engines are telling me
>> >> is that with this generation of Toshibas, the problem is generally
>> >> Secure Boot / CSM etc.  Which makes sense, but ... there is absolutely
>> >> zero mention in the BIOS/UEFI ("Phoenix SecureCore Tiano Setup") of
>> >> "Secure Boot," "CSM," "Legacy," or "UEFI."  Acccording to notes I
>> >> found online, "SecureCore Tiano" has "full support" for legacy
>> >> booting.
>> >>
>> >> Another issue with this machine is my mixed success booting from USB
>> >> sticks: I have an old-ish USB stick I built myself that has GRUB and a
>> >> large menu of ISOs: works great on most systems, won't boot on this
>> >> thing - probably because it's an old-style BIOS-boot only(?).
>> >>
>> >> One of my ideas was to upgrade the BIOS: it appears there's a newer
>> >> version available, but it's NOT available from Toshiba, which is the
>> >> only place I'd want to download it from.  The rest look like dubious
>> >> secondary download sites (if you know one you consider reliable, let
>> >> me know).
>> >>
>> >> What I read online said that Fedora's installer puts an EFI partition
>> >> on the HD as part of the install, while Debian doesn't.  And that
>> >> may(?) be why I can't boot from my Debian install?  So ... I
>> >> downloaded the Fedora installer, put it on a USB stick ... and no joy:
>> >> the Toshiba doesn't recognize the Fedora USB stick as a bootable item.
>> >> Would this be because I burned it on a "Legacy" system?  Is there a
>> >> fix for that?  Except ... I'm about 99% sure the Debian Installer USB
>> >> stick was created on the same machine.
>> >>
>> >> Worst case, I can stick the HD from the Toshiba into another machine,
>> >> install Fedora on it, repartition to make room for Debian, put the HD
>> >> back into the Toshiba ... but that's getting damn complicated and
>> >> annoying.
>> >>
>> >> As always - any suggestions welcomed.
>>
>> --
>> Giles
>> https://www.gilesorr.com/
>> giles...@gmail.com
>> ---
>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
>> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
>> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>>
>
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Re: [GTALUG] Toshiba Satellite L500 rejects Linux

[Don Tai via talk]

I still keep a stack of 32 bit Linux install CDs (many flavours) just for
this purpose. Most of my past Linux installs have been underpowered and old
PCs.

On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 09:12, Giles Orr  wrote:

> Hi Don.
>
> Probably a good suggestion, but I don't think it will work for me: the
> Toshiba in question does have an optical drive, but even if I can find
> a CD burner, I'm not sure I have media I can burn to anymore (I have a
> stack of blank CDs ... but they're 15+ years old).
>
> On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 08:38, Don Tai  wrote:
> >
> > When I find an old computer that won't boot USB I go back to a 32 bit CD
> install, then upgrade. Some old PCs simply won't reliably boot with USB.
> >
> > On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 08:34, Giles Orr via talk 
> wrote:
> >>
> >> I've recently acquired (through a friend who stopped using it) a
> >> Toshiba Satellite L500 - Core i3 (3rd gen?), 4G RAM.  I'm determined
> >> to get Linux onto it (preferably Debian).  I thought I had succeeded:
> >> I booted from a Debian USB stick, installed to the HD.  All appeared
> >> to go well, but the system won't boot.  It returns to the Boot Menu
> >> and says "HD has failed."  What the search engines are telling me
> >> is that with this generation of Toshibas, the problem is generally
> >> Secure Boot / CSM etc.  Which makes sense, but ... there is absolutely
> >> zero mention in the BIOS/UEFI ("Phoenix SecureCore Tiano Setup") of
> >> "Secure Boot," "CSM," "Legacy," or "UEFI."  Acccording to notes I
> >> found online, "SecureCore Tiano" has "full support" for legacy
> >> booting.
> >>
> >> Another issue with this machine is my mixed success booting from USB
> >> sticks: I have an old-ish USB stick I built myself that has GRUB and a
> >> large menu of ISOs: works great on most systems, won't boot on this
> >> thing - probably because it's an old-style BIOS-boot only(?).
> >>
> >> One of my ideas was to upgrade the BIOS: it appears there's a newer
> >> version available, but it's NOT available from Toshiba, which is the
> >> only place I'd want to download it from.  The rest look like dubious
> >> secondary download sites (if you know one you consider reliable, let
> >> me know).
> >>
> >> What I read online said that Fedora's installer puts an EFI partition
> >> on the HD as part of the install, while Debian doesn't.  And that
> >> may(?) be why I can't boot from my Debian install?  So ... I
> >> downloaded the Fedora installer, put it on a USB stick ... and no joy:
> >> the Toshiba doesn't recognize the Fedora USB stick as a bootable item.
> >> Would this be because I burned it on a "Legacy" system?  Is there a
> >> fix for that?  Except ... I'm about 99% sure the Debian Installer USB
> >> stick was created on the same machine.
> >>
> >> Worst case, I can stick the HD from the Toshiba into another machine,
> >> install Fedora on it, repartition to make room for Debian, put the HD
> >> back into the Toshiba ... but that's getting damn complicated and
> >> annoying.
> >>
> >> As always - any suggestions welcomed.
>
> --
> Giles
> https://www.gilesorr.com/
> giles...@gmail.com
>
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Re: [GTALUG] Toshiba Satellite L500 rejects Linux

[Don Tai via talk]

When I find an old computer that won't boot USB I go back to a 32 bit CD
install, then upgrade. Some old PCs simply won't reliably boot with USB.

On Mon, 22 May 2023 at 08:34, Giles Orr via talk  wrote:

> I've recently acquired (through a friend who stopped using it) a
> Toshiba Satellite L500 - Core i3 (3rd gen?), 4G RAM.  I'm determined
> to get Linux onto it (preferably Debian).  I thought I had succeeded:
> I booted from a Debian USB stick, installed to the HD.  All appeared
> to go well, but the system won't boot.  It returns to the Boot Menu
> and says "HD has failed."  What the search engines are telling me
> is that with this generation of Toshibas, the problem is generally
> Secure Boot / CSM etc.  Which makes sense, but ... there is absolutely
> zero mention in the BIOS/UEFI ("Phoenix SecureCore Tiano Setup") of
> "Secure Boot," "CSM," "Legacy," or "UEFI."  Acccording to notes I
> found online, "SecureCore Tiano" has "full support" for legacy
> booting.
>
> Another issue with this machine is my mixed success booting from USB
> sticks: I have an old-ish USB stick I built myself that has GRUB and a
> large menu of ISOs: works great on most systems, won't boot on this
> thing - probably because it's an old-style BIOS-boot only(?).
>
> One of my ideas was to upgrade the BIOS: it appears there's a newer
> version available, but it's NOT available from Toshiba, which is the
> only place I'd want to download it from.  The rest look like dubious
> secondary download sites (if you know one you consider reliable, let
> me know).
>
> What I read online said that Fedora's installer puts an EFI partition
> on the HD as part of the install, while Debian doesn't.  And that
> may(?) be why I can't boot from my Debian install?  So ... I
> downloaded the Fedora installer, put it on a USB stick ... and no joy:
> the Toshiba doesn't recognize the Fedora USB stick as a bootable item.
> Would this be because I burned it on a "Legacy" system?  Is there a
> fix for that?  Except ... I'm about 99% sure the Debian Installer USB
> stick was created on the same machine.
>
> Worst case, I can stick the HD from the Toshiba into another machine,
> install Fedora on it, repartition to make room for Debian, put the HD
> back into the Toshiba ... but that's getting damn complicated and
> annoying.
>
> As always - any suggestions welcomed.
>
> --
> Giles
> https://www.gilesorr.com/
> giles...@gmail.com
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>
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Re: [GTALUG] bell home hub 3000?

[Don Tai via talk]

Despite not having a user manual, the HH3k has been quite reliable. It
comes with a battery backup. The wifi has really good reach, though I also
use my two routers for wifi.

On Thu, 27 Apr 2023 at 09:50, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Well...What a fascinating piece of information.
> Of course the support pages are likely noninclusive, will check.
> Still, if one is having a challenge with  a product, why put the
> information  the user likely cannot reach if the product is damaged?
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Wed, 26 Apr 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > I've had a HH3000 from Bell since 2017, 6 years and 3 months. At the
> time I
> > looked for a manual, for firmware updates, but could not find one. If you
> > find one, please let me know.
> >
> > Don
> >
> > On Wed, 26 Apr 2023 at 01:23, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi  wise folks,
> >>
> >> in the latest chapter of  troubleshooting  the situation with Internet
> >> here, my landlord and I have a question.
> >> well, I have a question, my landlord freely owns he knows absolutely
> >> nothing about the workings of his technology.
> >> which is why I am seeking a manual for the bell home hub 3000, or anyone
> >> here who might have this particular modem?
> >> Thanks profoundly,
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] bell home hub 3000?

[Don Tai via talk]

I've had a HH3000 from Bell since 2017, 6 years and 3 months. At the time I
looked for a manual, for firmware updates, but could not find one. If you
find one, please let me know.

Don

On Wed, 26 Apr 2023 at 01:23, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi  wise folks,
>
> in the latest chapter of  troubleshooting  the situation with Internet
> here, my landlord and I have a question.
> well, I have a question, my landlord freely owns he knows absolutely
> nothing about the workings of his technology.
> which is why I am seeking a manual for the bell home hub 3000, or anyone
> here who might have this particular modem?
> Thanks profoundly,
> Kare
>
>
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>
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Re: [GTALUG] wireless to ethernet adapter suggestions?

[Don Tai via talk]

Find out where the Rogers cable enters your house. It should be near the
electrical panel, which is usually in the basement.

On Thu, 13 Apr 2023 at 22:32, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Hi Don,
> Thanks, will ask again but  my understanding is that all equipment is
> upstairs  in  my landlord's apartment.
>
>
>
> On Thu, 13 Apr 2023, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > If your apartment is in the basement, it is possible that the Rogers
> router
> > is also in the basement? Check to see where the wire enters the house.
> > Usually the main router from Bell or Rogers will have 4 ethernet ports.
> If
> > everyone is wireless, then these ports should be free. You might want to
> > check where the main router is located.
> >
> > Don
> >
> > On Thu, 13 Apr 2023 at 19:33, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi James,
> >> fine questions.
> >> First, there is no other tenet here, its a private home, my apartment is
> >> in the basement, and honestly?  I saw more than a few rental unites that
> >> advertised as all inclusive,  i. e. providing internet  as a part of the
> >> rent just like some provide utilities.
> >> Speaking personally, I wonder how rogers enforced  that rule?
> >> willing to share the models of those units so I can search for them?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Thu, 13 Apr 2023, James Knott via talk wrote:
> >>
> >>> On 2023-04-13 18:13, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
>   Hi wise souls,
>   I hope I ask this question clearly, as it may be hard to picture.
>   My new landlord is including Internet in my rent, all the more
> >> motivation
>   to find a solution.
>   he has bell, fibe for home, which includes things like Internet, but
> is
>   not very aware of unique methods of using the Internet, like Ethernet
>   connections.
>    for the past year I have quite easily used fibe connections with my
> >> main
>   machine, so I feel sure this may be more about distance than anything
>   else.
>   There is no physical modem in my apartment.  Instead, I have a set of
> >> two
>   adapter I got from the source a few years back.
>   they plug into the wall, have a single Ethernet  jack, and when the
> >> other
>   item is connected to the modem  via the same method, I can use the
>   network, no extra software involved.
>   The problem we are having though is that for unexplained reasons I
> >> loose
>   internet access, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for several hours
> at
> >> a
>   time.
>   My first thought was that perhaps the service  upstairs thinks i am a
>   threat, but again my new landlord has no idea how to check for this.
>   To be forthright the Internet shakiness is becoming a major factor
> for
> >> me
>   personally, I still have no land line, doing a great deal of work
> with
>   resources on line, like reach my office email.
>   Leading me to the question.
>   given adapter  like the one I am using now existed, think 2017 or
> >> 2018, I
>   am guessing comparative ones exist that allow the Ethernet connection
> >> to
>   tap into a wireless network.
>   By which I mean,  there will be no need for the adapter to be
> >> physically
>   connected to the service modem, the adapter can draw upon  the
> wireless
>   resources, while still providing say a single Ethernet jack.
>   Anyone know of such an adapter?
>   amazon Canada would be wonderful as I have a gift card balance just
> >> now.
>   If confusing, ask questions that make it easier to follow,  my main
>   computer uses Ethernet only, I have no wireless resources whatsoever.
>   Thanks,
>    Karen
> >>> Yes, it is possible to do that with WiFi.  I have a couple of portable
> >>> routers that will do that.  However, another issue is by sharing
> >> Internet
> >>> service, your landlord might be violating his terms of service with his
> >>> ISP.  For example, here's something that's prohibited on Rogers.  I
> >> expect
> >>> Bell will have something similar.
> >>>
> >>> "use the Services for anything other than your own personal
> >>> purposes (such as reselling the Services, providing Internet
> >>> access or any other feature of the Services to any third party) or
> >>> share or transfer your Services without our express consent"
> >>>
> >>> So, if your landlord has personal service for his home and shares it
> >> with
> >>> tenants, he would be violating this.
> >>>
> >>> Also, what privacy protection would you have, to keep him or the other
> >> tenant
> >>> off your network?  Typically, you'd use a router.
> >>> ---
> >>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >>> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>>
> >>> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] wireless to ethernet adapter suggestions?

[Don Tai via talk]

Find the Rogers router, plug an RJ45 into it, use a switch or an old
router  and you'll have a couple of wired RJ45 ports for use.

On Thu, 13 Apr 2023 at 22:28, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi Evan,
> I am feeling that the second item is what I need.
> My understanding is that the wifi coverage is quite good, meaning that
> the adapter could connect with ease, keeping me from losing service all
> the time.
> wonder if there is anything comparative, but slightly less expensive?
> thanks for the tip, I can search with the right terms now.
>
>
>
> On Thu, 13 Apr 2023, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
>
> > I don't have a deep background on this, but based on what you described I
> > *think* that what you're looking for is called a "wireless bridge". This
> is
> > the opposite of an access point.
> >
> > When doing an Amazon search, one of the items that came up is primarily
> > used as a wifi signal booster, but also has an Ethernet port.
> >
> https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-AC1900-Range-Extender-RE550/dp/B08TLT65WM/ref=sr_1_13
> >
> > Another simply advertises itself as a wifi to ethernet adapter:
> >
> https://www.amazon.ca/BrosTrend-Ethernet-Universal-Adapter-Wireless/dp/B093GZLKPH/ref=sr_1_7
> >
> > Do either of these come close to meeting your needs?
> >
> > Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
> > @evanleibovitch / @el56
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Apr 13, 2023 at 7:34 PM Karen Lewellen via talk  >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi James,
> >> fine questions.
> >> First, there is no other tenet here, its a private home, my apartment is
> >> in the basement, and honestly?  I saw more than a few rental unites that
> >> advertised as all inclusive,  i. e. providing internet  as a part of the
> >> rent just like some provide utilities.
> >> Speaking personally, I wonder how rogers enforced  that rule?
> >> willing to share the models of those units so I can search for them?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Thu, 13 Apr 2023, James Knott via talk wrote:
> >>
> >>> On 2023-04-13 18:13, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
>   Hi wise souls,
>   I hope I ask this question clearly, as it may be hard to picture.
>   My new landlord is including Internet in my rent, all the more
> >> motivation
>   to find a solution.
>   he has bell, fibe for home, which includes things like Internet, but
> is
>   not very aware of unique methods of using the Internet, like Ethernet
>   connections.
>    for the past year I have quite easily used fibe connections with my
> >> main
>   machine, so I feel sure this may be more about distance than anything
>   else.
>   There is no physical modem in my apartment.  Instead, I have a set of
> >> two
>   adapter I got from the source a few years back.
>   they plug into the wall, have a single Ethernet  jack, and when the
> >> other
>   item is connected to the modem  via the same method, I can use the
>   network, no extra software involved.
>   The problem we are having though is that for unexplained reasons I
> >> loose
>   internet access, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for several hours
> at
> >> a
>   time.
>   My first thought was that perhaps the service  upstairs thinks i am a
>   threat, but again my new landlord has no idea how to check for this.
>   To be forthright the Internet shakiness is becoming a major factor
> for
> >> me
>   personally, I still have no land line, doing a great deal of work
> with
>   resources on line, like reach my office email.
>   Leading me to the question.
>   given adapter  like the one I am using now existed, think 2017 or
> >> 2018, I
>   am guessing comparative ones exist that allow the Ethernet connection
> >> to
>   tap into a wireless network.
>   By which I mean,  there will be no need for the adapter to be
> >> physically
>   connected to the service modem, the adapter can draw upon  the
> wireless
>   resources, while still providing say a single Ethernet jack.
>   Anyone know of such an adapter?
>   amazon Canada would be wonderful as I have a gift card balance just
> >> now.
>   If confusing, ask questions that make it easier to follow,  my main
>   computer uses Ethernet only, I have no wireless resources whatsoever.
>   Thanks,
>    Karen
> >>> Yes, it is possible to do that with WiFi.  I have a couple of portable
> >>> routers that will do that.  However, another issue is by sharing
> >> Internet
> >>> service, your landlord might be violating his terms of service with his
> >>> ISP.  For example, here's something that's prohibited on Rogers.  I
> >> expect
> >>> Bell will have something similar.
> >>>
> >>> "use the Services for anything other than your own personal
> >>> purposes (such as reselling the Services, providing Internet
> >>> access or any other feature of the Services to any third party) or
> >>> share or transfer your Services without our express consent"
> >>>
> >>> So, if your landlord has personal service for 

Re: [GTALUG] wireless to ethernet adapter suggestions?

[Don Tai via talk]

If your apartment is in the basement, it is possible that the Rogers router
is also in the basement? Check to see where the wire enters the house.
Usually the main router from Bell or Rogers will have 4 ethernet ports. If
everyone is wireless, then these ports should be free. You might want to
check where the main router is located.

Don

On Thu, 13 Apr 2023 at 19:33, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi James,
> fine questions.
> First, there is no other tenet here, its a private home, my apartment is
> in the basement, and honestly?  I saw more than a few rental unites that
> advertised as all inclusive,  i. e. providing internet  as a part of the
> rent just like some provide utilities.
> Speaking personally, I wonder how rogers enforced  that rule?
> willing to share the models of those units so I can search for them?
>
>
>
> On Thu, 13 Apr 2023, James Knott via talk wrote:
>
> > On 2023-04-13 18:13, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
> >>  Hi wise souls,
> >>  I hope I ask this question clearly, as it may be hard to picture.
> >>  My new landlord is including Internet in my rent, all the more
> motivation
> >>  to find a solution.
> >>  he has bell, fibe for home, which includes things like Internet, but is
> >>  not very aware of unique methods of using the Internet, like Ethernet
> >>  connections.
> >>   for the past year I have quite easily used fibe connections with my
> main
> >>  machine, so I feel sure this may be more about distance than anything
> >>  else.
> >>  There is no physical modem in my apartment.  Instead, I have a set of
> two
> >>  adapter I got from the source a few years back.
> >>  they plug into the wall, have a single Ethernet  jack, and when the
> other
> >>  item is connected to the modem  via the same method, I can use the
> >>  network, no extra software involved.
> >>  The problem we are having though is that for unexplained reasons I
> loose
> >>  internet access, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for several hours at
> a
> >>  time.
> >>  My first thought was that perhaps the service  upstairs thinks i am a
> >>  threat, but again my new landlord has no idea how to check for this.
> >>  To be forthright the Internet shakiness is becoming a major factor for
> me
> >>  personally, I still have no land line, doing a great deal of work with
> >>  resources on line, like reach my office email.
> >>  Leading me to the question.
> >>  given adapter  like the one I am using now existed, think 2017 or
> 2018, I
> >>  am guessing comparative ones exist that allow the Ethernet connection
> to
> >>  tap into a wireless network.
> >>  By which I mean,  there will be no need for the adapter to be
> physically
> >>  connected to the service modem, the adapter can draw upon  the wireless
> >>  resources, while still providing say a single Ethernet jack.
> >>  Anyone know of such an adapter?
> >>  amazon Canada would be wonderful as I have a gift card balance just
> now.
> >>  If confusing, ask questions that make it easier to follow,  my main
> >>  computer uses Ethernet only, I have no wireless resources whatsoever.
> >>  Thanks,
> >>   Karen
> > Yes, it is possible to do that with WiFi.  I have a couple of portable
> > routers that will do that.  However, another issue is by sharing
> Internet
> > service, your landlord might be violating his terms of service with his
> > ISP.  For example, here's something that's prohibited on Rogers.  I
> expect
> > Bell will have something similar.
> >
> > "use the Services for anything other than your own personal
> > purposes (such as reselling the Services, providing Internet
> > access or any other feature of the Services to any third party) or
> > share or transfer your Services without our express consent"
> >
> > So, if your landlord has personal service for his home and shares it
> with
> > tenants, he would be violating this.
> >
> > Also, what privacy protection would you have, to keep him or the other
> tenant
> > off your network?  Typically, you'd use a router.
> > ---
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> >
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Re: [GTALUG] Canadian hosting?

[Don Tai via talk]

not many options: planethoster out of MTL

https://www.planethoster.com/en/The-Company

On Mon, 10 Apr 2023 at 15:14, Stewart C. Russell via talk 
wrote:

> I know that Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode) has dedicated root Linux
> servers in Toronto, but is there anyone else non-terrible*? There's a
> potential client who absolutely must have all data and processing hosted
> in Canada. I realize there's probably a 3x (or more) premium for
> in-country hosting.
>
> Any suggestions/caveats greatly appreciated.
>
> Best Wishes,
>   Stewart
>
> *: your definition is fine. I don't know enough to have an opinion
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Re: [GTALUG] Modems – does it matter?

[Don Tai via talk]

Does the modem still work? Take the modem cover off, bury it into rice, and
it will dry out, then try it again. Since the modem is already damaged
there is no harm in trying. Water will not leave a sticky residue like, for
example, a soft drink.

Don

On Fri, 24 Mar 2023 at 23:32, Yoshua Wakeham via talk 
wrote:

> Hi all!
>
> My toddler spilled a cup of water on our TekSavvy modem (Technicolor
> TC4350), and now we need a new modem. Welp. TekSavvy sent us the list of
> compatible modems. My question is – are there any important considerations
> for this decision other than price and (immediate!) availability? I don't
> think I've ever actually had to choose my modem, so I don't know what I
> don't know.
>
> Here are the options, all opinions welcome:
>
>- Technicolor CGA4234DGW WiFi - Firmware must be
>CGA4234-P15-13-CA902-c0200r181-191007
>- Hitron CODA-4680 WiFi - Firmware must be 7.1.1.2.2b9 - Teksavvy
>sells for $199.95 or $16.66/month for 12 months + $10 shipping. We also
>rent for the cost of $8 per month.
>- Hitron CODA-45 - Firmware must be 7.2.4.3.1b3 - Teksavvy sells for
>$139.95 or $11.66/month for 12 months + $10 shipping. We also rent for the
>cost of $6 per month. (Not recommended to be acquired outside Teksavvy due
>to firmware)
>- Technicolor TC4400 - Firmware must be SR701343-190628-D - (Usually
>available at Canada Computers)
>- Compal Broadband Networks Inc. (CBN) CD8000 - Firmware must be
>7.13.198.12 - (Usually available at Canada Computers)
>- Sercomm DM1000 - Firmware must be V1.12.03.011
>- Compal Broadband Networks Inc. (CBN) CH8568 WiFi- Firmware must be
>CH8568-7.13.198.53-NOSH
>
> Thanks!
> Yosh
>
> --
> *Yoshua Wakeham*
> yoshwake...@gmail.com
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Re: [GTALUG] New WiFi router?

[Don Tai via talk]

Can you even detect the increased speed difference? I cannot. More is not
necessarily more effective in my use case.

On Wed, 8 Mar 2023 at 10:24, James Knott via talk  wrote:

> On 2023-03-08 10:20, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> > Do you need more than 85M/30M? The DVP is probably capable of 200kph
> > on the straight parts, but we don't need to go that fast..
>
> I don't know about elsewhere but, on Rogers, bandwidth has increased
> dramatically over the past few years.  I currently get over 900 Mb
> down.  Fibre on Bell will also deliver similar or more.  Rogers even
> offers 8 Gb!
>
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] New WiFi router?

[Don Tai via talk]

Do you need more than 85M/30M? The DVP is probably capable of 200kph on the
straight parts, but we don't need to go that fast..

On Wed, 8 Mar 2023 at 01:10, William Park via talk  wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I was upgraded (by my ISP) from Cable 75 (75M/10M) to Cable 100
> (100M/30M).  It turns out my router (Asus RT-N66U) maxes out at 85M/30M.
>   Connecting directly to the modem, I get full 100M/30M.
>
> So, it's time for a new router.  It's been long time since I shopped for
> a router.  Which one do you recommend?
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] Forced off DSL by Bell

[Don Tai via talk]

When I got Bell Fiber to the home, they ripped out my copper. Rogers, on
the other hand still has their coax to my house. I've had very reliable
service with Bell FTTH for the last 5 years. Very reliable through all
weather. I even have pics of the FTTN install, and the outside connections.

Don

On Mon, 21 Nov 2022 at 20:31, James Knott via talk  wrote:

> On 2022-11-21 19:13, Kevin Cozens via talk wrote:
> > On 2022-11-21 18:35, Michael Galea via talk wrote:
> >> the copper is being yanked.
> >
> > If someone was still using copper for their telephone service (ie.
> > they don't have a cell phone), what are they going to do for phone
> > service?
> >
> > Is this being done by bell out in the country? Rogers is also forcing
> > changes on customers whether you like it or not. A family member who
> > lives in a condo is being forced to go with Ignite TV as Rogers is
> > dropping the current TV service. Rogers is saying the TV adapter box
> > only has HDMI output so if you have an older TV without HDMI customers
> > in the building will have a problem.
> >
>
> The question becomes how long do you expect the companies to maintain
> obsolete plant.  The world has been moving to fibre and IP for years.
>
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Re: [GTALUG] flakey laptop power supply [was Re: Laptop made by Intel ?]

[Don Tai via talk]

That's horrible. I'd certainly exchange the laptop. Does USB-C charge as
quickly as AC mains power? Is it a power supply or a laptop issue?

Don

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 at 11:00, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> | From: William Park via talk 
>
> | At work, we recently got Lenovo P1 Gen3, and it's flaky.  My laptop
> doesn't
> | recognize AC power plug, so I have to charge via USB-C. Everything is
> off USB,
> | even the docking station, and it disconnects often.  You can hear Windows
> | notifications.  So, network hangs, USB disk hangs, serial dongle hangs,
> etc.
> | Fans is blasting even in sleep mode.
>
> P1 *should* be quite nice.  Hope you got them on sale.
>
> Modern power supplies are pretty tricky.
>
> Lenovo support should be able to handle this.  Of course there are a few
> problems if it involves returning the device:
>
> - how can you eliminate confidential files from the system before
>   returning it?  Theoretically very difficult with an SSD (wear-levelling
>   is magic).
>
> - all your work configuring the system needs to be redone when you get it
>   back.
>
> - you are missing the machine for a few weeks.
>
> I think Lenovo offers a service that allows you to retain the disk when
> you send the device in for repair.  It may cost.
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Re: [GTALUG] war story: CMOS battery AKA Real Time Clock (RTC) battery in a notebook

[Don Tai via talk]

486x wow. 29 year old battery, that's a battery a bunny could really cheer
for. Most of my 20+ year old desktop PCs all arrive with dead batteries.
Thankfully they are easy to change.

On Fri, 21 Oct 2022 at 22:15, Lennart Sorensen via talk 
wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 07:58:04PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk
> wrote:
> > Almost all PCs have settings that they want to keep while the computer
> is
> > off or even unplugged.  Ones that they don't want to keep on disk.
> Things
> > you set up from the firmware setup screen.
> >
> > Furthermore, they have a realtime clock that runs when the machine is
> > turned off or unplugged.
> >
> > These are all powered by a lithium coin cell.
> >
> > Eventually, that battery runs down and you have to replace it.  Five or
> > ten years of lifetime seems normal.
> >
> > When it runs down, the computer will forget the date, time, and all its
> > setting when it is turned off.  This is annoying: every time you start
> up
> > you have to fill in the time and other settings.
> >
> > Luckily, for most computers it is easy to replace: it is in a socket in
> > the motherboard.  The battery can be sourced from Dollarama or Amazon
> for
> > a buck or two.  Just get the size right.
> >
> > For (some? all?) notebooks the coin cell battery isn't used if there is
> a
> > charge in the main battery.  So you may not notice that the coin cell
> > battery is failing.
> >
> > I flattened my notebook's main battery somehow (left it sleeping for a
> > week?).  When I powered it on, it had no idea of the time nor what to
> > boot.
> >
> > Upon investigation, I find that I have to completely disassemble my
> > computer to replace the battery!  They placed it on the top of the main
> > board whereas access is to the bottom.  If you care, you can read page
> 50
> > of
> > 
>
> Sheesh that's dumb.  Of course I had to disassemble my wife's compaq
> laptop many times years ago to resolder the power connector that kept
> breaking off the board.  Terrible crap.
>
> > It looks as if I will need some new thermal grease since I have to
> remove
> > the heat sink from the processor.  And the coin cell assembly is not
> > generic -- no Dollarama battery.
> > <
> https://www.amazon.ca/LeFix-Replacement-Battery-Connector-Precision/dp/B082G35D4R/
> >
>
> I was recently playing around with my 486 (from 1993).  Much to my
> surprise the CR2032 is still keeping the settings just fine.  Says Sony
> and made in japan on the battery.  I guess they made good batteries.
> Good thing it uses one of those rather than those horrible varta batteries
> that leaked all over the place that were common in the 1980s.  I am
> impressed at the battery still working after 29 years.
>
> --
> Len Sorensen
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] war story: CMOS battery AKA Real Time Clock (RTC) battery in a notebook

[Don Tai via talk]

That is such terrible design. They could have put the CMOS battery
anywhere, like somewhere serviceable.

On Wed, 19 Oct 2022 at 19:58, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> Almost all PCs have settings that they want to keep while the computer is
> off or even unplugged.  Ones that they don't want to keep on disk.  Things
> you set up from the firmware setup screen.
>
> Furthermore, they have a realtime clock that runs when the machine is
> turned off or unplugged.
>
> These are all powered by a lithium coin cell.
>
> Eventually, that battery runs down and you have to replace it.  Five or
> ten years of lifetime seems normal.
>
> When it runs down, the computer will forget the date, time, and all its
> setting when it is turned off.  This is annoying: every time you start up
> you have to fill in the time and other settings.
>
> Luckily, for most computers it is easy to replace: it is in a socket in
> the motherboard.  The battery can be sourced from Dollarama or Amazon for
> a buck or two.  Just get the size right.
>
> For (some? all?) notebooks the coin cell battery isn't used if there is a
> charge in the main battery.  So you may not notice that the coin cell
> battery is failing.
>
> I flattened my notebook's main battery somehow (left it sleeping for a
> week?).  When I powered it on, it had no idea of the time nor what to
> boot.
>
> Upon investigation, I find that I have to completely disassemble my
> computer to replace the battery!  They placed it on the top of the main
> board whereas access is to the bottom.  If you care, you can read page 50
> of
> 
>
> It looks as if I will need some new thermal grease since I have to remove
> the heat sink from the processor.  And the coin cell assembly is not
> generic -- no Dollarama battery.
> <
> https://www.amazon.ca/LeFix-Replacement-Battery-Connector-Precision/dp/B082G35D4R/
> >
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] Messed up migrating 20.04 to 22.04

[Don Tai via talk]

that's pretty scary, but good that you could keep your /home and win
partitions.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2022 at 12:35, Jim Ruxton via talk  wrote:

> Thanks for these suggestions I tried these and everything else I could
> think of. Unfortunately it seemed the system was too badly corrupted. I
> finally resorted to a fresh install of 22.04 however I was able to keep
> my previous /home and windows partition intact.
>
> Jim
>
> On 2022-10-10 11:56, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
> > | From: Jim Ruxton via talk 
> >
> > I have only generic advice: make sure you do a backup of your data before
> > you go any further.
> >
> > |  For some reason the system doesn't see my /boot/efi
> > | partition even though it is mounted. My fstab file looks correct.
> >
> > Shots in the dark:
> >
> > If you already have it mounted, that might interfere with the upgrade
> > mounting it.
> >
> > Is the GUUID (or whatever it is called) matching correctly?
> >
> > Consider doing an fsck on the ESP (i.e. the volume to normally mounted
> > at /boot/efi).  Remember that this is a FAT or VFAT filesystem.
> >
> > ---
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Re: [GTALUG] wired headset suggestions?

[Don Tai via talk]

budge = budget != budgie

On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 at 12:30, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Not sure what a budge is exactly.
> However, this headset, not to be confused with headphones, will be used on
> a macbook pro in a few zoom meetings where I must use zoom software
> instead of  my preferred dial in option.
> For me personally, there is a risk of physical harm testing items in a
> store  without knowing specifications beforehand.
> Making getting headset, not headphones models the goal of my question.
> Karen
>
>
>
> On Mon, 10 Oct 2022, Howard Gibson via talk wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 02:27:01 -0400 (EDT)
> > Karen Lewellen via talk  wrote:
> >
> >> Hi folks and happy thanksgiving if you are celebrating.
> >> Given others might spend far more time in  on line meetings than myself,
> >> plus the ideas here tend to be workable, I thought I would toss this
> >> question out here.
> >> There are some firm details for me, rather a few  strictly digital, or
> >> wireless headphones actually can make me dizzy.  part of my auditory
> >> processing  condition.
> >
> > Karen,
> >
> >   I bought my headphones at Bay Bloor Radio.  They allow you to put
> > them on and test them.  What sort of budge do you have?
> >
> > --
> > Howard Gibson
> > hgib...@eol.ca
> > jhowardgib...@gmail.com
> > http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson
> > ---
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Re: [GTALUG] wired headset suggestions?

[Don Tai via talk]

They are not a headset, but I use Apple earpods. They are wired, reliable,
have a built-in mic, not expensive ($25CAD), and widely available.

On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 at 12:02, Howard Gibson via talk 
wrote:

> On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 02:27:01 -0400 (EDT)
> Karen Lewellen via talk  wrote:
>
> > Hi folks and happy thanksgiving if you are celebrating.
> > Given others might spend far more time in  on line meetings than myself,
> > plus the ideas here tend to be workable, I thought I would toss this
> > question out here.
> > There are some firm details for me, rather a few  strictly digital, or
> > wireless headphones actually can make me dizzy.  part of my auditory
> > processing  condition.
>
> Karen,
>
>I bought my headphones at Bay Bloor Radio.  They allow you to put
> them on and test them.  What sort of budge do you have?
>
> --
> Howard Gibson
> hgib...@eol.ca
> jhowardgib...@gmail.com
> http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] Messed up migrating 20.04 to 22.04

[Don Tai via talk]

Did you try Ubuntu's Boot Repair disk? This has helped me on numerous
occasions, and not just with Ubuntu.

On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 at 11:00, Jim Ruxton via talk  wrote:

> I'm stuck. I was upgrading from Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 and during the
> install my network stopped working. I believe all packages were downloaded
> by that point. When I tried rebooting to get back my network (big mistake)
> I no longer had a working system. Booting into recovery mode I tried
> finishing the upgrade. For some reason the system doesn't see my /boot/efi
> partition even though it is mounted. My fstab file looks correct. Below is
> my screen when I try the upgrade command. Any suggestions what I can try to
> fix the system or do I need a fresh install. By the way this is dual boot
> beside Windows which is still working.
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/fozqMvjWhpi2kUeF9
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Re: [GTALUG] couple of unrelated electronics questions?

[Don Tai via talk]

Charger for an old apple ipod? You might find it on eBay. Even an
electronics surplus store may not have such a specific item. There are no
surplus electronics stores that I know of in East Toronto. For electronics
parts I go to Sayal.

Don

On Wed, 7 Sept 2022 at 23:28, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> As in, not related to each other smiles
> First, what was the name of the still existing Toronto electronics surplus
> type store, now that above all electronics is gone?
> Need to replace the charger for an older apple iPod, and prefer doing this
> in person to insure it fits.
> And, on an unrelated note,
> Any ideas, even if in your closet for a pair of  still-connecting-to-a
> soundblaster-type-soundcard computer speakers?
> My ideal pair would have a headphone jack too so I could listen late at
> night without bothering others.
> all my serious computer stuff is in storage.  Willing to make this an
> amazon or comparative buy, if not from your closet, if I know what I am
> getting is what I seek.
> Thoughts oh princes of gear?
> Karen
>
>
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Re: [GTALUG] More pointless battles [was: I'm discarding an old notebook!]

[Don Tai via talk]

haha! Unless the battery, after 10 years, is non-functional. In my case, it
is 15 years.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2022 at 14:38, Anthony de Boer via talk 
wrote:

> D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
> > I'm pretty sure that the notebook could run DOS.  Or act as a headless
> > Linux server.  Neither of these appeals to me.
>
> The one big upside there is the integrated UPS!  ;-)
>
> --
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Re: [GTALUG] More pointless battles [was: I'm discarding an old notebook!]

[Don Tai via talk]

Google OS flex system requirements:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/614720/google-chrome-os-flex-turns-old-pcs-into-chromebooks-for-free.html

"You’ll need a USB key with 8GB or more. PCs will need at least 4GB of RAM
and 16GB of storage. The CPU restrictions are more lenient: You’ll need a
64-bit CPU, period. Which is basically any processor made after the year
2000. There are GPU restrictions, though: Intel GMA 500, 600, 3600, and
3650 graphics hardware do not meet Chrome OS Flex performance standards"

On Wed, 16 Feb 2022 at 11:59, James Knott via talk  wrote:

> On 2022-02-15 5:24 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
> > I've been shamed / intrigued into doing a bit more hacking on this
> > Acer Aspire 9300 notebook.
> >
> > Spoiler: this was a waste of time.
>
> Here's a possibility:
>
> https://www.pcmag.com/news/with-flex-google-aims-to-bring-chrome-os-to-old-windows-pcs-macs?utm_source=email_campaign=whatsnewnow_medium=title
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] I'm discarding an old notebook!

[Don Tai via talk]

thanks for the correction, 2008. I still have the original box. The netbook
was given to me because WinXP was constipated with viruses, haha. It
originally ran like molasses in a Canadian winter.

On Sun, 13 Feb 2022 at 16:32, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> | From: Don Tai via talk 
>
> | Correction, no I don't have an Asus Eee PC running.It is broken, but a
> Dell
> | inspiron 1011, Intel Atom 1.6Ghz
>
> The Inspiron 1011 seems to also have been called the Inspiron Mini
> 10v.  It was probably introduced in 2008 (since that's when its CPU
> was introduced), not 2002.
>
> I assume that you didn't get the Nickelodeon Slime Edition of this
> netbook.  That would be interesting.
>
> In 2010, I remotely bought my son a Inspiron Mini 10 - 1012 (he was
> studying in Texas).  It had a 1366x768 pixel display!  It also had a
> Crystal HD Broadcom Media Accelerator, which turned out to be a bit of a
> bust.  But the real failing was that it overheated a lot.
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] I'm discarding an old notebook!

[Don Tai via talk]

Correction, no I don't have an Asus Eee PC running.It is broken, but a Dell
inspiron 1011, Intel Atom 1.6Ghz

On Sun, 13 Feb 2022 at 14:50, Don Tai  wrote:

> "Wow.  The first thing I called a netbook was the Asus Eee PC from late
> 2007.  The same era as my Acer Aspire 9300 that we're talking about."
>
> That's exactly what I have! Don't run W10, but W XP!
>
> On Sun, 13 Feb 2022 at 14:36, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> | From: Don Tai via talk 
>>
>> | That's sad. You could try running an external monitor.
>>
>> An external monitor doesn't (normally) bypass the video card so it
>> doesn't bypass my driver problem.
>>
>> | I'd give up on Linux
>> | and run Win.
>>
>> That doesn't work either.  I mentioned earlier that installing Win 10
>> fails for unknown reasons.  It gets stuck in this loop:
>>
>> - something went wrong, but don't worry, just give me an internet
>>   connection and I'll do updates.  That should fix it.
>>
>> - time passes
>>
>> The biggest problem is that NVidia stopped supporting the video controller
>> on Windows some time ago (before Win 10).  Just like on Linux.
>>
>> The hardest problems, on Windows and Linux, are from NVidia.
>> - not releasing new video drivers
>> - not releasing sufficient specs to enable the open source driver to work
>> - (probably) a bug in the video hardware when system has more than 2G
>>   of RAM
>>
>> | I still have a 2002 Dell netbook running WinXP specifically for Chinese
>> | social media QQ. No email or secure stuff. The only browser that I can
>> find
>> | that still runs is Opera, which is also Chinese owned. The system is
>> | completely isolated, and I expect it to get hacked.
>>
>> Wow.  The first thing I called a netbook was the Asus Eee PC from late
>> 2007.  The same era as my Acer Aspire 9300 that we're talking about.
>> ---
>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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>>
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Re: [GTALUG] I'm discarding an old notebook!

[Don Tai via talk]

"Wow.  The first thing I called a netbook was the Asus Eee PC from late
2007.  The same era as my Acer Aspire 9300 that we're talking about."

That's exactly what I have! Don't run W10, but W XP!

On Sun, 13 Feb 2022 at 14:36, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> | From: Don Tai via talk 
>
> | That's sad. You could try running an external monitor.
>
> An external monitor doesn't (normally) bypass the video card so it
> doesn't bypass my driver problem.
>
> | I'd give up on Linux
> | and run Win.
>
> That doesn't work either.  I mentioned earlier that installing Win 10
> fails for unknown reasons.  It gets stuck in this loop:
>
> - something went wrong, but don't worry, just give me an internet
>   connection and I'll do updates.  That should fix it.
>
> - time passes
>
> The biggest problem is that NVidia stopped supporting the video controller
> on Windows some time ago (before Win 10).  Just like on Linux.
>
> The hardest problems, on Windows and Linux, are from NVidia.
> - not releasing new video drivers
> - not releasing sufficient specs to enable the open source driver to work
> - (probably) a bug in the video hardware when system has more than 2G
>   of RAM
>
> | I still have a 2002 Dell netbook running WinXP specifically for Chinese
> | social media QQ. No email or secure stuff. The only browser that I can
> find
> | that still runs is Opera, which is also Chinese owned. The system is
> | completely isolated, and I expect it to get hacked.
>
> Wow.  The first thing I called a netbook was the Asus Eee PC from late
> 2007.  The same era as my Acer Aspire 9300 that we're talking about.
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] I'm discarding an old notebook!

[Don Tai via talk]

That's sad. You could try running an external monitor. I'd give up on Linux
and run Win. I have found few use cases where I've given up on linux.
Sometimes linux runs slower than win, but not often.

I still have a 2002 Dell netbook running WinXP specifically for Chinese
social media QQ. No email or secure stuff. The only browser that I can find
that still runs is Opera, which is also Chinese owned. The system is
completely isolated, and I expect it to get hacked.

On Sat, 12 Feb 2022 at 11:37, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> | From: Don Tai via talk 
>
> | 15 year old notebook. Will no version of Linux work? That's sad. I have
> | desktops much older than that that can run puppy Linux.
>
> I can run it with the kernel option "modprobe.blacklist=nouveau".
> Then the screen resolution is 1024x768 instead of 1440x900.  And that
> option slows down the already slow machine.
>
> The nouveau driver almost works.  But when it fails, it corrupts the
> screen and eventually seems to lock up the machine.
>
> As I said, I blame NVidia.  They lost interest in providing the
> proprietary driver and they didn't provide specifications sufficient
> for the nouveau driver to reliably function.
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] I'm discarding an old notebook!

[Don Tai via talk]

15 year old notebook. Will no version of Linux work? That's sad. I have
desktops much older than that that can run puppy Linux.

On Fri, 11 Feb 2022 at 22:44, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> I have an Acer Aspire 9300 that I bought in 2007.
> I cannot get it to be useful.  The problem is (mostly) with drivers for
> the NVidia Go 6100 video.
>
> - nVidia stopped supporting this in the proprietary Linux driver.
>
> - nouveau is unreliable https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=46557
>
> - using the generic video driver just doesn't cut it.
>
> Darn NVidia!  If they released specs, I think nouveau would work.  There
> seems to be some bug related to more than 2G of RAM (a lot in 2007).  But
> that's not the whole story.
>
> Other than that, the machine is functional.
>
> Oh: Windows 10 goes into a slow failure loop if you try to install it.
> (The computer came with Vista.  Not safe to use these days.)
>
> The machine would not be fast but it would be useable for many tasks if it
> worked!  It has a 64-bit AMD Turion processor.  This was before AMD bought
> ATI; the "chipset" was made by NVidia.
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: perhaps, headphones?

[Don Tai via talk]

Have you tried trouble shooting your existing JVC headphones? Perhaps only
the audio jack has broken. Most traditional headphones are very robust,
with their cable easily replaceable. With no microphone, there's only 3
cables. Of course if the ear piece foam or the metal connector between the
two ears is broken, then you have no choice but to replace it.

Don

On Wed, 12 Jan 2022 at 19:45, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Actually, if I can search by brand it would help.
> For example, there seems to be a JvC series that replaced the one I am
> using  right now...for one working ear at least.
> I have a soft spot for Sony as well, with the spec details what I need
> most and  am not finding.
> Site the obvious?
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Wed, 12 Jan 2022, Lennart Sorensen wrote:
>
> > On Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 08:34:39PM -0500, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
> >> Hi folks,
> >> or more specifically, a local store site where I can  shop by details?
> >> Granted, some of this is tied to poor website design and accessibility.
> >> but I need to filter out what I do not need to reach what I do need,
> >> Regular wired headphones with a set of technical specifications.
> >> not bluetooth, not noise canceling,  no microphone etc.
> >> Honestly, to avoid this issue I have been finding the same pair of JVC
> ones
> >> which, because they are well built, last a couple of years or more,
> smiles.
> >> To clear out the obvious best buy's site is   no longer a possibility
> filter
> >> wise,  and I cannot even get past the "are you human" thing at
> Walmart.ca,
> >> which has no way to answer it inclusively.
> >> Hoping to visit a place to pick up, rather than have to get them
> >> delivered..my office remains closed.
> >> Any ideas, even if only to narrow down  specifics I can then ask about
> >> elsewhere?
> >
> > I was going to suggest checking canada computers, but their filters are
> > awful too.  Can only filter by store, brand and price.  Not very helpful.
> >
> > They certainly have a number of plain wired headphones but finding
> > them could certainly be easier.  Specifications for some are at least
> > pretty detailed.
> >
> > --
> > Len Sorensen
> >
> >
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] "a web page is slowing down Firefox. To speed up your browser, stop that page."

[Don Tai via talk]

On Tor the G renders well with blocking. There should be no issues, and
it loads quickly. G unblocked Tor for all pay articles a couple of months
ago, convenient.

On Wed, 22 Dec 2021 at 17:48, Mauro Souza via talk  wrote:

> I usually have NoScript running and blocking everything, so most trackers
> don't run. I have ublock to, it helps!
>
> On Wed, Dec 22, 2021, 19:45 Stefan Kloppenborg via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> There are probably folks on this list who know a lot more of this subject
>> that I do. But, I'd start with opening up Firefox developer tools (press
>> F12). The "Performance" tab lets you record a profile showing the time
>> spent on the various JavaScript function calls and DOM events. You could
>> also take a memory snapshot and see what on the page is consuming large
>> amounts of memory. This will give you fairly low-level information, which
>> may or may not be useful or easy to interpret.
>>
>> If you don't have tracking protection turned on (I think it's on by
>> default in Firefox), you could try turning that on: perhaps one of the
>> tracking scripts is taking a lot of CPU resources.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On 12/22/2021 3:32 PM D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> > I get this message when I read the Globe and Mail with Firefox on my
>> > Fedora 35 desktop.
>> >
>> > How can I figure out the cause?
>> > ---
>> > Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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Re: [GTALUG] "a web page is slowing down Firefox. To speed up your browser, stop that page."

[Don Tai via talk]

I use Tor with the G Tor is Firefox, and going through a whole bunch of
servers, but i have no issues. Install and try Tor. The G does load a
whole bunch of social media and javascript  addons, that could be the
issue.. Try the NoScript plugin and slowly find out which one of the
javascript addons is causing the problem.

On Wed, 22 Dec 2021 at 17:32, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> I get this message when I read the Globe and Mail with Firefox on my
> Fedora 35 desktop.
>
> How can I figure out the cause?
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] UPS brand recommendations?

[Don Tai via talk]

UPS=uninterrupted power supply
UPS=United Parcel Service (not the subject here)

On Mon, 8 Nov 2021 at 15:07, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Given reading this thread indicates you are not changing shipping
> companies..my thought from the subject line smiles, just what does UPS
> mean in this context?
> My second thought was that the p referred to power, but...anyway.
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Mon, 8 Nov 2021, Don Tai via talk wrote:
>
> > Open it up, find the battery specs, change the battery. button it up. Did
> > the electronics fry or did it just go dead? Chances are it is just the
> > battery
> >
> > On Mon, 8 Nov 2021 at 10:28, Scott Sullivan via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> For the first time in half a decade, I find myself needing a new UPS. My
> >> 1500VA APC UPS gave up the ghost this weekend.
> >>
> >> What brands are folks favoring theses days?
> >> --
> >> Scott Sullivan
> >> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
>
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Re: [GTALUG] UPS brand recommendations?

[Don Tai via talk]

Open it up, find the battery specs, change the battery. button it up. Did
the electronics fry or did it just go dead? Chances are it is just the
battery

On Mon, 8 Nov 2021 at 10:28, Scott Sullivan via talk 
wrote:

> For the first time in half a decade, I find myself needing a new UPS. My
> 1500VA APC UPS gave up the ghost this weekend.
>
> What brands are folks favoring theses days?
> --
> Scott Sullivan
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] Anyone know of a service to see if someone's pretending to be me?

[Don Tai via talk]

Identity theft is common. If there's an increase in querying your credit
score on Equfax and TransUnion, and you did not apply for any new credit
products, then you should be concerned. I don't know of any service that
does this.

On Tue, 7 Sept 2021 at 15:37, David Collier-Brown via talk 
wrote:

> My company just found a fake instance of themselves, so I wonder what
> folks do to detect them?
>
> I know politicians suffer impersonation a lot, but I don't know who's
> out there helping people and companies find and shut down the scammers.
>
> --dave
>
> --
> David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify
> System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest
> dav...@spamcop.net   |  -- Mark Twain
>
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] How to cut out borders of image?

[Don Tai via talk]

Using Gimp, use the box selector and select the image without the border.
then "Image-> crop to selection", resave.

On Sun, 5 Sept 2021 at 22:00, William Park via talk  wrote:

> Not really Linux related except for the fact that GIMP in Linux.
>
> I have an image that is too large.  I don't want to reduce the whole
> image.  I just want to cut out left and right borders, like you would do
> with scissors.  How do you do that with GIMP (I assume it would be GIMP
> thing).
>
> In Windows, I just move the left/right edges with mouse.  Searching
> online for GIMP answers, I get things like transparent layer, selection
> layer, etc. :-(
>
> --William
>
>
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] done! was ot: headphone jac replacement?

[Don Tai via talk]

Good. Happy ending.

On Fri, 23 Apr 2021 at 16:26, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> Hi folks,
> Sharing the happy ending, given all the discussion.
> igs systems,
> www.igssystems.ca
> Located down the street from me on danforth, visited my place this
> afternoon and worked the needful magic.
> What I failed to articulate well, save to some off list questions, is that
> all of the audio threads are in a connector of their own, none free
> inside the scanner case.
> Making this a needle nose pliers reattach nut effort.
> Easy in theory, its a really small jack.
> Still its done, I can safely use my machine again, I am motivated to get
> those replacement Walkman headphones  sooner,  and all is amazing with the
> world.
> Kare
>
>
>
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: headphone jac replacement?

[Don Tai via talk]

In order to screw on the ring, some of the threads from the audio jack must
be exposed. Otherwise the ring would not be able to grab on and tighten.
You don't need too many threads. Put the thread locker on those few
threads, reinstall the ring and you should be good. Or put the thread
locker on the inside of the ring.

Without the ring, the audio jack may have rotated and might have interfered
with the audio wires, possibly kinking them.

Don

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 23:23, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> The thing is that the audio jack threads are not exposed.
> So, I would have to put this liquid in the case of the machine..which does
> not seem safe under the circumstances.
> Sorry about the misspellings, the synthesizer I am using is not fully
> functional.
> The ring cannot simply be placed back and screwed down?
> i have no idea how I would use locktite if the threads must be reached.
>
> ---thread cut for brevity
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: headphone jac replacement?

[Don Tai via talk]

If you still have the ring you can thread it back on. Locktite is a liquid
that you put on the threads, that when it dries it makes it more difficult
for the ring to loosen and come off. Without the ring the 3.5mm audio jack
might get pushed inside the box, which would mean you'd need to open the
box back up to push it back through the hole.

Do you still have the ring?

The Xerox "Kurzweil Reading Edge Optical Recognition Speech Synthesizer,"
has a separate keyboard on the right side, with yellow and white keys. The
keyboard is attached to the main unit by a curly cable.

You can get someone to retighten the ring, if you still have it, and see if
the stereo sound comes back. Otherwise you might need to replace the audio
jack for a new one, which means opening up the box and possibly soldering.
This is easier than it sounds.

Don

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 21:39, Karen Lewellen 
wrote:

> Indeed the ring became loose, and this afternoon fell off all together.
> i was getting stereo just find  until the ring fell off.
> what is loosekite?
>   your description sounds about right if the unit has a small keypad
> attached to the front right.
> Is there anywhere I could take the unit to get the ring reconnected?
> Karen
>
>
>
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, Don Tai wrote:
>
> > A 3.5mm audio jack will have a ring that screws into the cylinder part of
> > the jack. You plug you headphones into the jack. This ring is tightened
> > against the side cover. Has this become loose? If this has loosened, then
> > you could use some locktite to ensure it is tight.
> >
> > An issue is that when the audio jack becomes loose, it might stress the 3
> > wires and stop working. Apart from the looseness of the jack, can you
> hear
> > the left and right channel audio?
> >
> > Do you have a Xerox "Kurzweil Reading Edge Optical Recognition Speech
> > Synthesizer," 1992?
> >
> > Don
> >
> > On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 20:33, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> The thing about the other suggestions is that my personal experience of
> >> blindness  makes some of those steps a bit risky.
> >> If I still have the external connector, its not broken, just came loose
> >> due to how much I use it, why cannot I just screw it in place again?.
> >> The port  or jack is Entirely external to the machine.
> >> Its a talking scanner that looks a bit like a portable  well copy
> machine.
> >> No idea if images exist on line but it is called the reading edge.
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, William Witteman via talk wrote:
> >>
> >>> In that case, you could try to repair the broken bit with something
> >>> moldable like sugaru (sp?) or another moldable plastic, but I would
> tend
> >> to
> >>> go with Don's suggestion, as those parts are generally pretty
> disposable.
> >>>
> >>> On Tue., Apr. 20, 2021, 20:15 Karen Lewellen via talk, <
> talk@gtalug.org>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Okay, this is why I love  the list.
> >>>> My description is clearly faulty.
> >>>> What I am speaking of is the circle connector into which you plug the
> >>>> headphone itself.
> >>>> as if, had I a really small  hmm wrench? twisting it the other way
> would
> >>>> have  kept the external  port in place.
> >>>> The internals worked perfectly fine, I just   cannot plug in the
> >>>> headphones because the external round connector is gone.
> >>>> Does that make better sense?
> >>>> Kare
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> A headphone jack usually has left and right channels, plus a ground,
> so
> >>>>> only 3 wires.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> You will need to take the device cover off, determine if one of the
> >>>>> connections is loose/cracked. If the connection is loose or cracked
> >> then
> >>>>> you resolder the joint and you're done. Check the connection with a
> >>>>> multimeter. If the plug is worn out you will need to unsolder the 3
> >>>>> connections, remove the old (may be physically attached to the
> >>>> board/cover,
> >>>>> reinstall the new plug to the board/cover, resolder the 3 wires,
> check
> >>>>> connectivity with a multimeter.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> 

Re: [GTALUG] ot: headphone jac replacement?

[Don Tai via talk]

 Xerox "Kurzweil Reading Edge Optical Recognition Speech Synthesizer,"
https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/476405/#slide=gs-464336

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 20:50, Don Tai  wrote:

> A 3.5mm audio jack will have a ring that screws into the cylinder part of
> the jack. You plug you headphones into the jack. This ring is tightened
> against the side cover. Has this become loose? If this has loosened, then
> you could use some locktite to ensure it is tight.
>
> An issue is that when the audio jack becomes loose, it might stress the 3
> wires and stop working. Apart from the looseness of the jack, can you hear
> the left and right channel audio?
>
> Do you have a Xerox "Kurzweil Reading Edge Optical Recognition Speech
> Synthesizer," 1992?
>
> Don
>
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 20:33, Karen Lewellen via talk 
> wrote:
>
>> The thing about the other suggestions is that my personal experience of
>> blindness  makes some of those steps a bit risky.
>> If I still have the external connector, its not broken, just came loose
>> due to how much I use it, why cannot I just screw it in place again?.
>> The port  or jack is Entirely external to the machine.
>> Its a talking scanner that looks a bit like a portable  well copy machine.
>> No idea if images exist on line but it is called the reading edge.
>> Kare
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, William Witteman via talk wrote:
>>
>> > In that case, you could try to repair the broken bit with something
>> > moldable like sugaru (sp?) or another moldable plastic, but I would
>> tend to
>> > go with Don's suggestion, as those parts are generally pretty
>> disposable.
>> >
>> > On Tue., Apr. 20, 2021, 20:15 Karen Lewellen via talk, > >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Okay, this is why I love  the list.
>> >> My description is clearly faulty.
>> >> What I am speaking of is the circle connector into which you plug the
>> >> headphone itself.
>> >> as if, had I a really small  hmm wrench? twisting it the other way
>> would
>> >> have  kept the external  port in place.
>> >> The internals worked perfectly fine, I just   cannot plug in the
>> >> headphones because the external round connector is gone.
>> >> Does that make better sense?
>> >> Kare
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, Don Tai via talk wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> A headphone jack usually has left and right channels, plus a ground,
>> so
>> >>> only 3 wires.
>> >>>
>> >>> You will need to take the device cover off, determine if one of the
>> >>> connections is loose/cracked. If the connection is loose or cracked
>> then
>> >>> you resolder the joint and you're done. Check the connection with a
>> >>> multimeter. If the plug is worn out you will need to unsolder the 3
>> >>> connections, remove the old (may be physically attached to the
>> >> board/cover,
>> >>> reinstall the new plug to the board/cover, resolder the 3 wires, check
>> >>> connectivity with a multimeter.
>> >>>
>> >>> You will need:
>> >>> -tools to remove the cover: screwdrivers of all sorts, pry tool,
>> >> depending
>> >>> on the cover. it does vary a lot
>> >>> -soldering iron, solder
>> >>> -replacement 3.5mm audio plug
>> >>> -multimeter: to check if the soldered joint is electrically
>> connective.
>> >>>
>> >>> That's it.
>> >>> Don.
>> >>>
>> >>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 19:00, Karen Lewellen via talk <
>> talk@gtalug.org>
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> I might add  during the current lock down?
>> >>>> Here is the scoop
>> >>>> The primary device i use as my computer's speech synthesizer source
>> has
>> >> a
>> >>>> 3.5 inch headphone jack, which has been getting looser over the past
>> >> week
>> >>>> or so.
>> >>>> While I had hoped to find a way to tighten it before a disconnect,
>> that
>> >>>> hoped was dashed this afternoon.
>> >>>> I do have the jac, in fact I have a spare, what I am wondering though
>> >> is a
>> >>>> couple of things.
>> >>>> first, if I want to tr

Re: [GTALUG] ot: headphone jac replacement?

[Don Tai via talk]

A 3.5mm audio jack will have a ring that screws into the cylinder part of
the jack. You plug you headphones into the jack. This ring is tightened
against the side cover. Has this become loose? If this has loosened, then
you could use some locktite to ensure it is tight.

An issue is that when the audio jack becomes loose, it might stress the 3
wires and stop working. Apart from the looseness of the jack, can you hear
the left and right channel audio?

Do you have a Xerox "Kurzweil Reading Edge Optical Recognition Speech
Synthesizer," 1992?

Don

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 20:33, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> The thing about the other suggestions is that my personal experience of
> blindness  makes some of those steps a bit risky.
> If I still have the external connector, its not broken, just came loose
> due to how much I use it, why cannot I just screw it in place again?.
> The port  or jack is Entirely external to the machine.
> Its a talking scanner that looks a bit like a portable  well copy machine.
> No idea if images exist on line but it is called the reading edge.
> Kare
>
>
>
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, William Witteman via talk wrote:
>
> > In that case, you could try to repair the broken bit with something
> > moldable like sugaru (sp?) or another moldable plastic, but I would tend
> to
> > go with Don's suggestion, as those parts are generally pretty disposable.
> >
> > On Tue., Apr. 20, 2021, 20:15 Karen Lewellen via talk, 
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Okay, this is why I love  the list.
> >> My description is clearly faulty.
> >> What I am speaking of is the circle connector into which you plug the
> >> headphone itself.
> >> as if, had I a really small  hmm wrench? twisting it the other way would
> >> have  kept the external  port in place.
> >> The internals worked perfectly fine, I just   cannot plug in the
> >> headphones because the external round connector is gone.
> >> Does that make better sense?
> >> Kare
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021, Don Tai via talk wrote:
> >>
> >>> A headphone jack usually has left and right channels, plus a ground, so
> >>> only 3 wires.
> >>>
> >>> You will need to take the device cover off, determine if one of the
> >>> connections is loose/cracked. If the connection is loose or cracked
> then
> >>> you resolder the joint and you're done. Check the connection with a
> >>> multimeter. If the plug is worn out you will need to unsolder the 3
> >>> connections, remove the old (may be physically attached to the
> >> board/cover,
> >>> reinstall the new plug to the board/cover, resolder the 3 wires, check
> >>> connectivity with a multimeter.
> >>>
> >>> You will need:
> >>> -tools to remove the cover: screwdrivers of all sorts, pry tool,
> >> depending
> >>> on the cover. it does vary a lot
> >>> -soldering iron, solder
> >>> -replacement 3.5mm audio plug
> >>> -multimeter: to check if the soldered joint is electrically connective.
> >>>
> >>> That's it.
> >>> Don.
> >>>
> >>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 19:00, Karen Lewellen via talk  >
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I might add  during the current lock down?
> >>>> Here is the scoop
> >>>> The primary device i use as my computer's speech synthesizer source
> has
> >> a
> >>>> 3.5 inch headphone jack, which has been getting looser over the past
> >> week
> >>>> or so.
> >>>> While I had hoped to find a way to tighten it before a disconnect,
> that
> >>>> hoped was dashed this afternoon.
> >>>> I do have the jac, in fact I have a spare, what I am wondering though
> >> is a
> >>>> couple of things.
> >>>> first, if I want to try, or must try reattaching this myself,  which
> >> tool
> >>>> do I need? screwdriver, or wrench?..or something else?
> >>>> If I want it done by someone else, for which I would happily pay even
> if
> >>>> moving the machine might be a dance, where in Toronto might I take it
> in
> >>>> for the work?
> >>>> In theory it is rather important, the replacement  synthesizer is s
> >> slight
> >>>> fire risk, as its casing is broken around the plug in area for its
> >>>> adapter.
> >>>> Also, it sounds like it has a could, which may become frustrating as I
> >> use
> >>>> my computer rather a great deal these days.
> >>>> Ideas?
> >>>> Thanks,
> >>>> Karen
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ---
> >>>> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >>>> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >>>> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>>>
> >>>
> >> ---
> >> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> >> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> >> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> >>
> >
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] ot: headphone jac replacement?

[Don Tai via talk]

A headphone jack usually has left and right channels, plus a ground, so
only 3 wires.

You will need to take the device cover off, determine if one of the
connections is loose/cracked. If the connection is loose or cracked then
you resolder the joint and you're done. Check the connection with a
multimeter. If the plug is worn out you will need to unsolder the 3
connections, remove the old (may be physically attached to the board/cover,
reinstall the new plug to the board/cover, resolder the 3 wires, check
connectivity with a multimeter.

You will need:
-tools to remove the cover: screwdrivers of all sorts, pry tool, depending
on the cover. it does vary a lot
-soldering iron, solder
-replacement 3.5mm audio plug
-multimeter: to check if the soldered joint is electrically connective.

That's it.
Don.

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 at 19:00, Karen Lewellen via talk 
wrote:

> I might add  during the current lock down?
> Here is the scoop
> The primary device i use as my computer's speech synthesizer source has a
> 3.5 inch headphone jack, which has been getting looser over the past week
> or so.
> While I had hoped to find a way to tighten it before a disconnect, that
> hoped was dashed this afternoon.
> I do have the jac, in fact I have a spare, what I am wondering though is a
> couple of things.
> first, if I want to try, or must try reattaching this myself,  which tool
> do I need? screwdriver, or wrench?..or something else?
> If I want it done by someone else, for which I would happily pay even if
> moving the machine might be a dance, where in Toronto might I take it in
> for the work?
> In theory it is rather important, the replacement  synthesizer is s slight
> fire risk, as its casing is broken around the plug in area for its
> adapter.
> Also, it sounds like it has a could, which may become frustrating as I use
> my computer rather a great deal these days.
> Ideas?
> Thanks,
> Karen
>
>
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
> Unsubscribe from this mailing list
> https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>
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Re: [GTALUG] information storage ideas

[Don Tai via talk]

I have no solution to propose, but it looks like you need a graph database,
vs a more traditional relational database. Independent tools used in
different orders and situations. There are several versions of graph
databases, but as I have no need I've not researched them.

Graph databases have nodes and edges. The edges allow you to define
relationships between nodes, in a much more organic way. Your graph
database can then be rendered in a 3d model, which is always cool to see.
You should still be able to do a linear keyword search when you wish a
specific node/skill.

Don

On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 at 12:41, o1bigtenor via talk  wrote:

> Greetings
>
> I tend to work on quite a number of different things  if not at the
> same time then in
> quite short order. So far most projects will get some notes or phone
> call references
> or other information jotted down on paper. Over time this means that I
> all too often
> tend to redo things - - - sometimes to improvement but sometimes I
> don't know where
> the previous work is so I'm looking or I'm redoing.
>
> So I'm looking at collecting things like contact information (and
> their value/area etc etc),
> project ideas, info sources, project planning, project design
> parameters, project
> components all of which hopefully results in some in the end.
>
> Have been trying to use taskwarrior and its a decent reminder system but
> the
> storage of all the other 'stuff' isn't there. Been trying to just save
> things into a folder
> (that's not so useful when information is applicable to multiple projects).
>
> Has anyone found a 'reasonable' system that would effect this less than
> simple
> 'idea'?
>
> TIA
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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>
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[GTALUG] Right to Repair Article in NYT

[Don Tai via talk]

I repair and I hope that you do, too. Repair, resurrect and Reuse. Tech
throws out so much after software can't keep up. Linux is one of the tools
I use to keep PCs in service but still secure.

I've not heard anything about Right to Repair legislation here in Canuck
land.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/climate/right-to-repair.html
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Re: [GTALUG] MathML Support on the Internet

[Don Tai via talk]

LaTex to svg? a bit better rendering, and at least renders well on all
browsers.

On Mon, 17 Aug 2020 at 20:04, Howard Gibson via talk 
wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Aug 2020 18:26:37 -0400
> Stewart Russell via talk  wrote:
> >
> > If you're auto-converting from TeX, try to do it as high up the
> conversion
> > chain as you can. By the time your doco has hit DVI, it's basically marks
> > on paper and any semantic information is lost. I don't think I've used
> DVI
> > files this century: I was an early adopter of pdftex, and I'm pretty sure
> > my TeX engine of choice these days is pdfxetex: straight to PDF, while
> also
> > supporting bidirectional fonts, OpenType variant glyph forms and (IIRC)
> > micro-justification of hyphenated pages. This little wrinkle pushes
> hyphens
> > slightly into the right margin. It looks much better. Also, since every
> > printing system I'm ever likely to use has a PDF document path
> (PostScript
> > is dead), it cuts out a lot of conversion and font hassle. PDF's just
> super
> > handy to have as a virtual paper format anyway. Dunno what I did before
> > CUPS, IPP and the cups-pdf virtual printer. Waste lots of paper, I
> suppose.
> >
> > cheers,
> >  Stewart
>
> Stewart,
>
>I copied the MathML code from a site on MathML.  I want to learn it.  I
> have not worked hard on it since.  As I noted during the meeting.  If it
> works in Midori but not on Chrome, it doesn't work.  If it works on Chrome
> but not on Midori, it is not reliable.
>
>I am posting articles prepared with LaTeX.  The HTML conversion
> converts the equations to bitmaps.  These are reliable, however crappy they
> look.
>
> --
> Howard Gibson
> hgib...@eol.ca
> jhowardgib...@gmail.com
> http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] MathML Support on the Internet

[Don Tai via talk]

This does not render properly using Tor, which is surprising, as Tor is
based on Firefox

Chromium also does not render properly.

http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson/MathML.html

On Mon, 17 Aug 2020 at 17:47, Seneca Cunningham via talk 
wrote:

>
>
> On Aug 17, 2020, at 17:27, Christopher Browne via talk 
> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 17 Aug 2020 at 17:15, Howard Gibson via talk 
> wrote:
>
>>I brought this up at our last meeting and we discussed it.
>>
>>Officially, you can insert equations into your website using MathML.
>> Unfortunately, Google Chrome does not support this, so it does not work.  I
>> uploaded my MathML page to my website, and you can try it out.
>>
>>http://rev/~howard/hgibson2/MathML.html
>>
>
> A URL that seems to work better for those of us outside your network ;-)
> is this one:
> http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson/MathML.html
>
> I'll note that the browsers I had handy were Firefox and Chrome; I concur
> with your comments on the handling of the quadratic equation.
>
> Those results are not extraordinarily surprising.  The one I'd wonder
> about is Safari; I would assume it doesn't support it.
>
>
> Safari handles those equations without any issue.  If you want to cause
> some Safari rendering errors, add a binomial coefficient.  Based off one of
> the links I put in the etherpad, Chrome used to support MathML.  It stopped
> after Google forked WebKit into Blink.
>
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Re: [GTALUG] web hosting question

[Don Tai via talk]

A friend on here uses Planethoster, a Canuck company based in Montreal but
also have servers in France. He has had good experiences so far, but you
might need to request English once in a while. Why do you want to have a
Canuck host provider? This severely limits your choices of host provider. I
use A2 in Michigan.

I always split domain name and hosting because there was a time when host
providers could hold your name ransom if you wanted to leave. I think most
host providers split out their domain name part to an external
company/different sub-company, but I don't want any surprises.

On Wed, 29 Jul 2020 at 11:38, Kevin Cozens via talk  wrote:

> On 2020-07-29 11:05 a.m., o1bigtenor via talk wrote:
> > Finding a reasonable Canadian web hosting company is proving to be more
> than
> > somewhat challenging.??
>
> What is proving challenging about finding a "reasonable" Canadian web
> hosting company? What do you mean by "reasonable"?
>
> FYI, I use Canadian Web Hosting (canadianwebhosting.com) for my website.
>
> --
> Cheers!
>
> Kevin.
>
> http://www.ve3syb.ca/   | "Nerds make the shiny things that
> https://www.patreon.com/KevinCozens | distract the mouth-breathers, and
>  | that's why we're powerful"
> Owner of Elecraft K2 #2172  |
> #include  | --Chris Hardwick
> ---
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Re: [GTALUG] New Build Computer?

[Don Tai via talk]

"replace a 12-core i7 box with 32GB RAM and some 10TB of storage"

Replace this? Future proof this? Your spec is pretty damn great already.
You doing video editing or calcs for a satellite orbiting the earth?

On Wed, 15 Jul 2020 at 13:02, Peter King via talk  wrote:

> My main computer is in the shop (it won't pass a POST) and it looks like
> the motherboard may be the culprit.  The last computers I had built were
> put together very well but the places where they were done no longer exist.
>
> Suggestions/recommendations for places that build computers to custom specs
> with high build quality?  And, for that matter, what a future-proof solid
> set of specs looks like these days?  (This is to replace a 12-core i7 box
> with 32GB RAM and some 10TB of storage.)  Thanks!
>
> --
> Peter King  peter.k...@utoronto.ca
> Department of Philosophy
> 170 St. George Street #521
> The University of Toronto  (416)-946-3170 ofc
> Toronto, ON  M5R 2M8
>CANADA
>
> http://individual.utoronto.ca/pking/
>
> =
> GPG keyID 0x7587EC42 (2B14 A355 46BC 2A16 D0BC  36F5 1FE6 D32A 7587 EC42)
> gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 7587EC42
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Re: [GTALUG] sale today on ThnkPad T490 and tiny ThinkCentre PCs

[Don Tai via talk]

Is it me or can anyone else scroll right?

https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-t-series/T490/p/22TP2TT4900

8G soldered RAM is a bit too lean for me.

On Fri, 10 Jul 2020 at 09:40, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk 
wrote:

> Lenovo list prices always seem high to me.  But unpredictably they have
> significant discounts.  Sometimes the resulting prices seem reasonable.
>
> ThinkPads are generally the standard best bet for UNIX.
>
> Starting at noon today, Lenovo has a modestly spec'ed T490 for $1000.  I
> think that that's a good price.
>
> Bad news: it appears that T490 notebooks have one soldered-in 8GiB RAM and
> one RAM socket.
>
> Here's the current line-up.  Scroll right ("NEXT" button on page) to see
> the model I'm talking about.
>
> <
> https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-t-series/T490/p/22TP2TT4900
> >
>
> There are other potentially interesting items on sale today "Black Friday
> in July".  If you like tiny PCs, look at the ThinkCentre M75 Tiny or the
> ThinkCentre M90n ("n" stands for "nano").
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Re: [GTALUG] Wireless Bridge - Asus RP-N12 N300 Repeater

[Don Tai via talk]

You could, at the most convenient place, run an RJ45 down to the main floor
or the basement, and then use a regular router or a wired switch to to get
basement coverage.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2020 at 23:35, William Park via talk  wrote:

> FYI...
>
> For work-from-home, I got stuffs spread over two tables in my basement.
> Most devices don't support or have wireless capability.  Problem is my
> router is upstair.  To run an ethernet cable, it has go across hallway,
> living room, through kitchen, down the stair, then across basement to
> the opposite corner.  I don't want that.
>
> So, I got
> - ASUS RP-N12 N300 Repeater
>
> https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_1056_1058_id=087667
>   $29.88
> It's repeater, access point, and media bridge.  "Media Bridge" (ie.
> wireless bridge) is what I needed.  It has one ethernet port, and that's
> connected to switch.  So, you connect devices to the switch and it
> gets IP from the router.
>
> A coworker recommended
> - TP-LINK (TL-WA850RE) N300 300Mbps Universal WiFi Range Extender
> - TP-LINK (TL-WR802N) N300 Wireless N Router Nano
> but I went with Asus, instead.
> --
> William Park 
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