A Microblog in Plain HTML

#programming

Pushed a new commit to the microblog generator. Previously, it required pycurl (to upload to neocities) and urllib.request (to fetch json). Now it just has pycurl to do both.

In the process, I was reading

https://pycurl.io/docs/latest/quickstart.html#examining-response-headers

But instead of writing a function to discern encoding, this post following the same variable names as the documented example. I basically invoked buffer.getvalue() to satisfy a parameter for json.loads() and save effort.

Wonder if that breaks in other cases, but it hasn't yet for me. (Not merging the branch to master yet either.)

#neocities #programming

I read Qualities of Good Software by sundee

https://sundee.neocities.org/qualitysoftware/index.html

https://neocities.org/site/sundee?event_id=2771917

One thing this page reminds me of is that it's easier to get feedback on fanfiction than it is to get feedback on a program. So what's good for user experience isn't as obvious as what's good in writing.

There are many points I agree on. A really good example is how Photoshop (and GIMP) toolbox icons are grey when it would be much easier to pick tools if they had distinct colors. Though I think if followed it 100% e.g "As many options as possible", my code is going to get real unreadable and ugly; I write lots of if-else statements for configuration.

#surf

I heard about Reddit's recent changes to charge a fee for API access. This means applications like teddit will break. (Shucks because teddit has been giving me error 429)

Here is one of the discussions on the topic I've come across. One of the comment that got me thinking the most is the last one. I don't want to scuffle online with that person, and now, the things I think in response don't fit in the "span" of a discussion (like attention span).

https://freepo.st/post/0X8cVr39XT#comments

Whenever a tech company strong-arms its userbase, a reoccurring theme I find in alt-communities is how the general public endures the new changes which then become a norm for the worse in practice and ethics. I find comments (like in the link) characterizing the general public as apathetic, indifferent, or sometimes as sheeple.

But I don't think that's the case.

There are plenty of forums with similar functionality as reddit. An example is Saidit, but I don't go on the internet to read headlines and aggrieved political whining. I can try to use Saidit to talk about hobbies and writing, but I'm unlikely to get any responses because the community of Saidit is set on a different range of topics. Similarly, Freepost focuses on technology.

Conclusion? Linking externally to news articles is no substitution for community building.

I'm going to open a tag for interesting articles I've found on #neocities starting with the articles I recently commented on.

https://temora.neocities.org/a/sentropy

https://neocities.org/site/temora?event_id=2707795

This article is about Sentropy, an automated abuse detection and removal system for social media sites. The company uses an algorithm and artificial intelligence to analyze and pre-emptively remove "harmful content" for their clients.

This might sound positive to those ignorant of what may qualify or be omitted as "harmful content", but a legitimate concern is corporate and government interests getting between online interactions and real friendships. The author also did a great job of archiving articles published about Sentropy.

#neocities

I saw my website reached 100k hits on Thursday, but didn't quite have the time to post about it. The last few thousands have been a crawl, but my site seems to get about 200-300 hits per day even if I don't update.

The only explanation I can think of is a decent placement on a tag/category on neocities. But even as I have a bunch of hits, I feel like I don't know most of the people who visit my site. Regardless, thanks for visiting.

#politics

I heard about the OceanGate submarine, and lol at the countdowns and the media chatting about the oxygen left.

example:

https://archive.is/https://twitter.com/TitanicSub/status/1671533432042840064

When the US Navy already knew it imploded on Sunday (18th) and only revealed so Thursday (22rd), the same day oxygen would have run out.

https://archive.is/https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-us-navy-detected-titan-implosion-on-sunday-but-biden-admin-only-released-news-on-thursday-after-hunter-plea-deal-and-whistleblower-reports-released

Not sure if this can be considered "leading the public on" or "breadcrumbing". I need new words for the bullshit that happens in the public sphere. But TIL navies plant underwater microphones in the ocean to listen for torpedoes.

#microfic #programming

"I got an idea to package my microblog generator on PyPi."

https://pypi.org/

I said that to my friend over an instant messenger.

The chat client I used had event notifications, and so the bottom of the terminal reported he was typing a response. But he took an extra minute of contemplation before he entered.

"lol

"how would you like 200 issues on your repository?

"from confused people who never read your instructions or documentation"

#surf rant

I check the neocities subreddit from time to time. I get over-optimistic in that I might find like-minded people who (1) have the same hobby of building a static website, (2) have preferences leaning towards the old web. But every time I visit, I get disappointed.

https://teddit.net/r/neocities

Every time someone asks why their visit counter doesn't work and dumps their blob of html with an embedded third party script. I keep thinking:

"Neocities already gives you a visit counter on your profile. Why would you want that?"

Thinking a little more on various points, I find that nostalgia is not only guiding to re-create an approximation of the old web, not bounded by the older technology and limitations that define the old web, but also to re-create the mistakes of the old web such as overembellished pages that take too long to load or are plain unreadable.

Also turning the neocities subreddit into some HTML and CSS help desk is probably the worst idea the sub's moderators had. StackOverflow has both a better format and better answers. If the userbase knew the keywords to their problems, there would be no reason to ask for help on reddit.

(I find that taking advice from that subreddit is like the equivalent of asking a boomer for information on fertilizing a garden. In which the answer will usually be to buy "miracle grow" or some product without any thought on what was added to the soil before. And elsewhere is documented which kitchen scraps augment with what element, carrying a neglible risk of nitrogen burning the plants.)

#__pages__ #programming

title: Likho's microblog.py

https://likho.neocities.org/pages/likhos-microblog-py.html

I wrote about the microblog generation script I've been writing on-and-off. I hope someone finds it useful.

#test #programming

I added a new feature to the microblog which was to mimic followers/following lists. But I called it a webring.

https://likho.neocities.org/microblog/webring.html

I take back what I said about Charles from #metalocalypse possibly working as a CPA or tax accountant before becoming the manager of Dethklok. I now see him as working as a lawyer at an insurance company. Nathan crashed his car while listening to his own music and met Charles.

#test #surf

I made a new navigation bar even though I thought the old one is okay.

Why:

https://website.grader.com/tests/likho.neocities.org

Originally, the results gave me great marks for performance and security. (Can't get any more secure than absolutely no javascripts.) But I got docked down for mobile and "search engine optimization". For the former, I was apparently lacking "tap targets".

I've opened my own site on a phone before and didn't think there was any issue. (And I mistap things on small touchscreens plenty of times.)

With the new navigation bar, it should be even harder to accidentally tap on the wrong links.

Just for that I now have 30/30 on design for mobile as far as the website grader is concerned. But I only applied the new navigation bar to the index page.

I had fun making a new design, but I'm not sure if I like it yet.

Today I found #wallstreetsilver directly linking to 4chan. 4chan /pol/ has a series of reoccuring threads called "SETF" (Silver Ends the Fed) which makes me wonder how much of SETF is influenced by WallstreetSilver or vice-versa.

https://teddit.net/r/Wallstreetsilver/comments/128l5bz/pol_setf_schizos_were_right_politically_incorrect/

#__pages__ #wallstreetsilver

title: Reading r/wallstreetsilver

https://likho.neocities.org/pages/blog_wallstreetsilver.html

I've been lurking a Reddit sub for over a year and decided to write down what I think. I also accumulated some posts on the topic and decided to open a tag.

#__pages__ #metalocalypse #fanfic

title: Pillowklok

Dethklok is a melodeath band that saw phenomenal success and the celebrity spotlight cast upon them. They discover their manager has fans too and decide to adjust a day dedicated to the fans accordingly.

https://likho.neocities.org/pages/pillowklok/ch1.html

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44263336

200 hits on Ao3! I know those are small-time numbers. Given the size of the fandom and general low interest in non-romantic fiction, I consider that an accomplishment.

#original-work that started as #ainokusabi #fanfic

While it isn't writing I am proud of anymore, I did bother to typeset Mnemosyne's Heretic. With a home printer, some printer paper, two staples, and scotch tape (to reinforce the spine), I printed a physical copy of Mnemosyne's Heretic for myself. These are the photos I've taken.

#programming #test

New update for microblog.py: image thumbnails.

For the entire time I've been posting screenshots of cartoons. Usually, the file sizes are small as is. For photographs and video game screenshots, however, posting too many images on one page will impact loading times (not good). So now, the mini-galleries in each post can now support paths to thumbnails.

microblog.py remains as a page generator and doesn't manage images, so I use another program to resize. Example:

https://imagemagick.org/Usage/resize/#percent

#__pages__ #original-work #invidious

title: Chicken Nuggets

setting: Real life

The struggle of a male fanfiction writer.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23078542

https://likho.neocities.org/pages/chicken-nuggets/ch1.html

extra notes: This was the first original story that I posted onto Ao3. Because this fic was nonromantic and not fandom related, it's never going to be popular. And just now after 3 years, I got an anonymous guest comment on the work.

Regarding the scene where the news misreports fictionalized "me" as the culprit of a mass murder, I had a hard time recalling the exact meme where news reporters get bamboozled by insincere tweets. But I found it.

It's been a while, and I had thought the meme had ended ("Sam Hyde is the shooter!" "He can't keep getting away with this!"). By now news outlets, politicians, and law enforcement should have wised up to the internet's antics, but apparently not.

https://yewtu.be/watch?v=-UodDxsJHOg

I found Russian dubs of #metalocalypse on #invidious

https://yewtu.be/channel/UCSmBwNpDUX4znEGEnqve-0Q

The bad: its a dubover; it goes off-sync; and the original English audio can still be heard.

The good: I can tell which character the actor is portraying without the character being on screen, and the Russians also dubbed some of the songs.

At first I thought it was a pirate or fandub of the show, but the talent behind the voices indicates otherwise. Seems the translation team didn't get the script and had to transcribe the English audio. So Dr. Rockso's song was dubbed (understandable), but Nathan's songs are mostly unchanged. (They did however dub the opening lines for the Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle.)

I am trying to find if they dubbed Thunderhorse or Murmaider. But I think those clips just aren't on yewtube to begin with.

#metalocalypse #fandom #invidious reading youtube comments https://yewtu.be/watch?v=ACil-IIB0UU

Somewhere on yewtube I caught comments speculating about Charles backstory or any pre-canon details about him. The link is one of them.

I don't think the series needs to delve into his childhood or family life like it has for the band characters. But a pre-canon idea I think is interesting is how Charles met the band.

I had two ideas that I don't take too seriously. In both of them, Charles had an early finance career as a tax accountant or CPA. He however thinks his old job was boring shit with steady pay but leaves his position to take a less predictable path as a band manager.

Charles either (1) meets Nathan who left a band and uses previous band experience to find a manager or (2) used to visit Depths of Humanity but became distant from the scene after he earned his degree and started his career; he happens to catch Dethklok performing before leaving for good.