Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Starters

Some amazing stuff here: 40 Amazing 3D Fractals Using Apophysis. Like this:

And you really should click for larger, as the color and detail in this image are just amazing. As are all the other images at the link. This particular image was created by someone who goes by the nom de plume of “mynameishalo” and was taken from deviantART. There’s other great stuff there, as well, but it was the fractal images that rang my bell.

―:☺:―

Apropos of nothing… I found this in comments to a post at Lex’s place yesterday:

Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is often because you appear to be a first-time contributor to our community, a voluntary association that prides itself on civility and intelligent discourse. If you’ve ladled your comment with gratuitous profanity, egregious inanity or pugnacious stupidity, do not be surprised if it doesn’t make the moderation cut: Although heterodoxy of opinion is welcome, life’s too short to wrestle with pigs. Unless of course the siteowner chooses to make sport of you, which is admittedly well within the realm of the possible. Otherwise, welcome aboard!

One of Lex’s regulars, who isn’t accustomed to the indignity of comment moderation,* posted the quoted moderation message as part of a “WTF?” comment. I’d never seen the moderation message before myself, given I’m also a regular. But… having posted comments at Lex’s place from off-site locations (read as: hotels), I’m fairly certain he employs some sort of IP address-based filtering system.

But this newest message? Just dead on perfect. Lex is serious about the collegiality in his comments section, and his blog is one of the few places on these here inter-tubes where one can discuss a difference of opinion at length, as long as one obeys the rules. But… if you’re dumb enough to ignore basic civility in your comments, then rest assured Lex will “make sport of you.” And believe me: you don’t want Cap’n Lex to do that. Oh no, My Precious… you doesn’t.

* Let’s say this about that: I hate comment moderation. I believe there is but ONE good reason for it, that reason being if one is being stalked and/or one’s blog is frequented by an egregious troll or trolls who just won’t give up. Same difference, in other words, and a LOT of military or mil-support blogs get this sort of incredibly offensive traffic. Some blogging platforms don’t support “banning,” and comment moderation is the only way out in this case. But… if you’re NOT being stalked or haunted by trolls, comment moderation says but one thing to me: control freak. And I’m not particularly fond of control freaks.

―:☺:―

And finally... My Thrill of the Day, if not the century. Enter the following phrase in Google's search box... exactly as typed: "oh shit oh dear" +Tom Robbins ... and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button. Report back...

7 comments:

  1. The colors in that photo remind me of a flashback to the 60s....powerful stuff!

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  2. I'm reporting back. Rather I was "bounced" back.

    How queer....

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  3. It's called "akismet" and it's a multi-layered spam filter associated with WordPress. The first time a user comments under an unrecognized email address the comment is sent to a moderation queue. Once his comment is approved (in theory), s/he is free to comment forever, although the system does have glitches.

    Also, certain IP addresses known as a haven of notorious spammers go straight to a spam box, and sometimes good folks in the IP range get swept up as well. I often get a note via PM asking, "wait, what?" and so I pull 'em out again. Finally, the use of certain flag words "CIALIS" (and worse) are automatically moderated, as are comments with a high ratio of html links to text (you should see some of the spam I get, ugh).

    I've had my share of trolls before, and since I value the environment folks like you have created Buck, mean, nasty and stupid doesn't usually make the cut. Life's too short, etc.

    And I'm paying for that microphone.

    Cheers.

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  4. Pat: The pic I posted was just the tip o' the iceberg. Didja go look at the others? Sike-A-DELIC doesn't even begin to describe some of that stuff. I love it.

    DC: I may never have another google-moment like this... ever. THAT knocked my socks off last evening... I went "WTF?!?" and tried it again. And again.

    Lex: Thanks for the explanation. I thought it was something like that, having been caught up in the moderation queue once or twice while on the road. And yeah: You've got a GREAT good gig goin' on at your place, and I'm MOST appreciative.

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  5. I love the colors; maybe not the overall subject, but interesting:)

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  6. Lou: Did you check out the other pics? They're arguably "better" and might be more your speed. I like the whole concept of fractals, tho.

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  7. Fractals I love. They are to my education what the Big Wheel was to my toy box: something that came along just enough after I'd passed through that age for me to look back at those behind (too close behind to even be called the next generation) with envy. Still hope to take a course in fractals some day. Hope to God no one puts a man-sized Big Wheel on the market. ;-)

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Just be polite... that's all I ask.