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shadowfyr · 07-06-2007, 01:52 PM

Speaking of automation... A while back I tried to write a script for my client to open an http connection, find my muds name in the list and then read the vote status from it. Three problems - first, since I am on dialup, a page load of that size is like 50-60 seconds. Second, the client doesn't multithread its scripting, so that freezes the client while waiting on the html. Third, the mud may not always be listed on the *same* page each time, so that can double, triple, quadruple, etc. the wait time.

Any chance you might adjust the information pages for each mud to also include the current vote status for it? Loading one smaller page might not be nearly as bad, especially for us low bandwidth people.

As for the voting stuff... Only gripe I have is a) who cares and b) I am just glad its not one of those, "Lets muck with how downloads work so you need cookies, valid client IDs and other stuff." Those **** me off, since first, dialup + the managers in browsers = about a 10% failure rate downloading large files, so you *must* use a more reliable manager, even if they don't want you doing so. Second, it gets bloody complicated/impossible to *fix* that problem if you have one installed, since often the method used to disable it involves something like a ctrl-click or something, which won't work if the link you click isn't the "file" by a http request, which redirects you to some page that auto-starts, with no other way to initiate it. Frankly, some sites are really starting to **** me off with this BS. Especially the ones where I **pay** for the fracking product, then they hand me a damn non-resumable FTP server and some convoluted idiocy for preventing people illegally downloading, which fracks with the managers and download enhancements I have installed in my browser(s). Sony pulled that on me with EQ, back before I realized that it was going to take a week to *update* the client to current, even "after" downloading the full version from *someone else*, so I could have downloaded just the updater and let it install everything. I mean, who in their right mind dumps 3GB of files for download on a server that doesn't allow resuming? Even with broadband a failure in the middle of that could ruin your day.

Anyway, sorry about the bit of rant there. I am just increasingly less and less impressed with the lengths places go to "protect" themselves from illegitimate traffic, at the expense of, I suspect, just about everyone still using dialup or that doesn't trust the managers in their browser(s) to work properly.

07-06-2007, 01:52 PM	#3
shadowfyr Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 310	Re: Auto Voting Speaking of automation... A while back I tried to write a script for my client to open an http connection, find my muds name in the list and then read the vote status from it. Three problems - first, since I am on dialup, a page load of that size is like 50-60 seconds. Second, the client doesn't multithread its scripting, so that freezes the client while waiting on the html. Third, the mud may not always be listed on the same page each time, so that can double, triple, quadruple, etc. the wait time. Any chance you might adjust the information pages for each mud to also include the current vote status for it? Loading one smaller page might not be nearly as bad, especially for us low bandwidth people. As for the voting stuff... Only gripe I have is a) who cares and b) I am just glad its not one of those, "Lets muck with how downloads work so you need cookies, valid client IDs and other stuff." Those **** me off, since first, dialup + the managers in browsers = about a 10% failure rate downloading large files, so you must use a more reliable manager, even if they don't want you doing so. Second, it gets bloody complicated/impossible to fix that problem if you have one installed, since often the method used to disable it involves something like a ctrl-click or something, which won't work if the link you click isn't the "file" by a http request, which redirects you to some page that auto-starts, with no other way to initiate it. Frankly, some sites are really starting to ** me off with this BS. Especially the ones where I pay** for the fracking product, then they hand me a damn non-resumable FTP server and some convoluted idiocy for preventing people illegally downloading, which fracks with the managers and download enhancements I have installed in my browser(s). Sony pulled that on me with EQ, back before I realized that it was going to take a week to update the client to current, even "after" downloading the full version from someone else, so I could have downloaded just the updater and let it install everything. I mean, who in their right mind dumps 3GB of files for download on a server that doesn't allow resuming? Even with broadband a failure in the middle of that could ruin your day. Anyway, sorry about the bit of rant there. I am just increasingly less and less impressed with the lengths places go to "protect" themselves from illegitimate traffic, at the expense of, I suspect, just about everyone still using dialup or that doesn't trust the managers in their browser(s) to work properly.