Supply URL with question?

[Andrew Thompson]

I only dipped back into the Javascript group
again recently, after writing this document
for regular reference in Java groups..

<http://www.physci.org/codes/sscce.jsp>

In a nutshell, it calls for a complete
example. I use it even more regularly
with applets, since thay are so much
easier to debug given an URL.

It seems folks here rarely call for an
URL/example.

What are the thoughts of the more regular
contributors on this matter?

[ To put that another way. Encourage URL's? ]

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.PhySci.org/ Open-source software suite
http://www.PhySci.org/codes/ Web & IT Help
http://www.1point1C.org/ Science & Technology

[Richard Cornford]

Re: Supply URL with question?

Andrew Thompson wrote:
<snip>[color=blue]
> It seems folks here rarely call for an
> URL/example.
>
> What are the thoughts of the more regular
> contributors on this matter?
>
> [ To put that another way. Encourage URL's? ][/color]

<URL: http://jibbering.com/faq/faq_notes/pots1.html#ps1Code >

Richard.

[Andrew Thompson]

Re: Supply URL with question?

On Sat, 15 May 2004 06:32:45 +0100, Richard Cornford wrote:
<A.T.>[color=blue][color=green]
>> [ ...Encourage URL's? ][/color]
>
> <URL: http://jibbering.com/faq/faq_notes/pots1.html#ps1Code >[/color]

Yes, that does seem to echo in most respects,
what I am getting at in my page. It also
is a much more consise statement (though still
a full '2 screens worth')..

Then ..given that (sub-section of that) document
appears to be a sub-document of the main FAQ..
it is no wonder it gets a bit lost amongst the
detailed and wide ranging warehouse of information
at the jibbering Javascript FAQ. :-)

Thanks for the link..

I'll bite my tongue at jumping in to point it
out to the plethora of posters here who could
use the advice, as it often goes down poorly
on the Java groups.. :-O

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.PhySci.org/ Open-source software suite
http://www.PhySci.org/codes/ Web & IT Help
http://www.1point1C.org/ Science & Technology

[Richard Cornford]

Re: Supply URL with question?

Andrew Thompson wrote:
<snip>[color=blue]
> Then ..given that (sub-section of that) document
> appears to be a sub-document of the main FAQ..
> it is no wonder it gets a bit lost amongst the
> detailed and wide ranging warehouse of information
> at the jibbering Javascript FAQ. :-)[/color]

That page is stated as compulsory reading (and linked to, in the HTML
version) in section 2.3 (headed: "What do I have to do before posting to
clj?") so it shouldn't be too hard to find for anyone reading the FAQ.

<snip>[color=blue]
> I'll bite my tongue at jumping in to point it
> out to the plethora of posters here who could
> use the advice, as it often goes down poorly
> on the Java groups.. :-O[/color]

It usually only seems necessary to direct people to section 2.3 of the
main FAQ (e.g. with:-

<URL: http://jibbering.com/faq/#FAQ2_3 >

- ). But you shouldn't worry about directing people to the FAQ on
comp.lang.javas cript as anyone who complains will just be directed to
the FAQ for their trouble. ;-)

Richard.

[Andrew Thompson]

Re: Supply URL with question?

On Sat, 15 May 2004 15:31:55 +0100, Richard Cornford wrote:
[color=blue]
> - ). But you shouldn't worry about directing people to the FAQ on
> comp.lang.javas cript as anyone who complains will just be directed to
> the FAQ for their trouble. ;-)[/color]

Ahhh yes, I see at least one section looks very familiar..
<http://www.jibbering.c om/faq/faq_notes/pots1.html#ps1A ddR>
Jukka, Stan Brown, Smart Questions... :)

[Dr John Stockton]

Re: Supply URL with question?

JRS: In article <18t27io81c05q$ .1jeofwx2x7fb9$ .dlg@40tude.net >, seen in
news:comp.lang. javascript, Andrew Thompson <SeeMySites@www .invalid>
posted at Sat, 15 May 2004 02:27:45 :
[color=blue]
>It seems folks here rarely call for an
>URL/example.
>
>What are the thoughts of the more regular
>contributors on this matter?
>
>[ To put that another way. Encourage URL's? ][/color]


News is often read off-line. Therefore, questions given completely in
News are more likely to get considered.

Lengthy code, of course, is unwelcome in News; but it is also not
particularly helpful if found /via/ a Web URL. For one with a problem,
the first step in tackling it should be to remove all excess material.
Note that removal can often make the solution obvious (perhaps by
showing that some of the removed material was, after all, not
extraneous).

A Web page with a fault may well, independently of the fault, by a page
that is not ready for public release; in such a case, it will be
necessary in any case to reduce the page.

URLs are most useful if there is a question about the service of a page
or about the links to other files.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon. co.uk Turnpike v4.00 IE 4 ©
<URL:http://jibbering.com/faq/> Jim Ley's FAQ for news:comp.lang. javascript
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/js-index.htm> jscr maths, dates, sources.
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/> TP/BP/Delphi/jscr/&c, FAQ items, links.

[Andrew Thompson]

Re: Supply URL with question?

On Sat, 15 May 2004 18:31:17 +0100, Dr John Stockton wrote:
[color=blue]
> News is often read off-line. Therefore, questions given completely in
> News are more likely to get considered.[/color]

This is of concern to me. Many of us may
have broaband, or use a web interface to the
groups through a good connection, but URL's
would have been a nuisance for me when I was
on dial-up.

I might throw a survey up at my site
to try and get some numbers..
[color=blue]
> Lengthy code, of course, is unwelcome in News; but it is also not
> particularly helpful if found /via/ a Web URL. For one with a problem,
> the first step in tackling it should be to remove all excess material.[/color]

Like so..
<http://www.physci.org/codes/sscce.jsp#short >
(Short | Tricks for Trimming | Problem Solved?)
[color=blue]
> A Web page with a fault may well, independently of the fault, by a page
> that is not ready for public release; in such a case, it will be
> necessary in any case to reduce the page.
>
> URLs are most useful if there is a question about the service of a page..[/color]

I do not quite follow.
What do you mean by 'service'?

That seems to imply to me
'the HTML itself, nothing more'.

As opposed, for example, to this URL..
<http://www.physci.org/test/003url/index.html>
...purely for debugging some JS.

Could you clarify?

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.PhySci.org/ Open-source software suite
http://www.PhySci.org/codes/ Web & IT Help
http://www.1point1C.org/ Science & Technology

[Dr John Stockton]

Re: Supply URL with question?

JRS: In article <x4ytyjwwzqa$.1 2kx8yx1xugbx$.d lg@40tude.net>, seen in
news:comp.lang. javascript, Andrew Thompson <SeeMySites@www .invalid>
posted at Sun, 16 May 2004 05:18:33 :[color=blue]
>On Sat, 15 May 2004 18:31:17 +0100, Dr John Stockton wrote:
>[color=green]
>> News is often read off-line. Therefore, questions given completely in
>> News are more likely to get considered.[/color]
>
>This is of concern to me. Many of us may
>have broaband, or use a web interface to the
>groups through a good connection, but URL's
>would have been a nuisance for me when I was
>on dial-up.
>
>I might throw a survey up at my site
>to try and get some numbers..[/color]

That would give a flawed result, since your site is more likely to be
visited and answered by those with broadband / permanent access. To
sample the opinions of News users reliably, use News.

Those who want to use Web authoring as a career can be expected to have
permanent access. But those who want to use Web authoring as a means of
publishing information only need rather limited access.

[color=blue][color=green]
>> URLs are most useful if there is a question about the service of a page..[/color]
>
>I do not quite follow.
>What do you mean by 'service'?
>
>That seems to imply to me
>'the HTML itself, nothing more'.
>
>As opposed, for example, to this URL..
><http://www.physci.org/test/003url/index.html>
>..purely for debugging some JS.
>
>Could you clarify?[/color]


Remember that a question does not to have (in the mind of a potential
answer) to be logical, though it is nice when it is.


"Why is 0.1 + 0.2 not 0.3?" is a logical question; it's nice to see
code, because the problem as observed may be that
document.write( 0.1+0.2) // gives 0.3000000000000 0004
or that
0.1 + 0.2 == 0.3 // gives false

Such a question can and should be asked entirely in News; there is no
need at all for a URL.


But a question about the behaviour of lastModified may be such as
to call for the examination of the Last-Modified: header line, as
sent by the server in question; here, a URL would be useful, to those
who know how to look at such headers.

A tool to fetch headers would be of interest,
even if it is only a Telnet script.


I've nothing against giving URLs, of course, especially if they are of a
test page; only against giving only a URL where the question could
easily be presented, in full, in News.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon. co.uk Turnpike v4.00 IE 4 ©
<URL:http://jibbering.com/faq/> Jim Ley's FAQ for news:comp.lang. javascript
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/js-index.htm> jscr maths, dates, sources.
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/> TP/BP/Delphi/jscr/&c, FAQ items, links.

[Andrew Thompson]

Re: Supply URL with question?

On Sun, 16 May 2004 18:31:45 +0100, Dr John Stockton wrote:
[color=blue][color=green]
>> News is often read off-line.[/color][/color]
....[color=blue]
> This is of concern to me.[color=green]
>>I might throw a survey up at my site
>>to try and get some numbers..[/color]
>
> That would give a flawed result, since your site is more likely to be
> visited and answered by those with broadband / permanent access. To
> sample the opinions of News users reliably, use News.[/color]

(slaps forehead) D'Uh!!!

I was trying to figure the most obvious
sources of bias in my 'lies, damn lies and..'
but had missed that (intuitively obvious) one.

Definitely _not_ a web-based survey for that!

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.PhySci.org/ Open-source software suite
http://www.PhySci.org/codes/ Web & IT Help
http://www.1point1C.org/ Science & Technology

[Dr John Stockton]

Re: Supply URL with question?

JRS: In article <yv1sr5gs85xs.l ra0scmwojfz$.dl g@40tude.net>, seen in
news:comp.lang. javascript, Andrew Thompson <SeeMySites@www .invalid>
posted at Mon, 17 May 2004 05:21:19 :[color=blue]
>On Sun, 16 May 2004 18:31:45 +0100, Dr John Stockton wrote:[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>> That would give a flawed result, since your site is more likely to be
>> visited and answered by those with broadband / permanent access. To
>> sample the opinions of News users reliably, use News.[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
> ...[/color]
[color=blue]
>http://www.PhySci.org/ Open-source software suite
>http://www.PhySci.org/codes/ Web & IT Help
>http://www.1point1C.org/ Science & Technology[/color]


It occurred to me that my own site was probably deficient in not having
any links to yours; therefore, I thought that I would follow those links
and reconnoitre.

While I was beginning to do so, my MS IE4 (with other windows inactive)
was slain[*].

Your statistics would therefore also select against IE4 users.

So I thought to tell you by E-mail. The design of your anti-spam
measures is already a deterrent to those who read News off-line; its
implementation has given me no means of finding your E-address.

[*] MS Windows, and the other Net processes, just burped and continued;
your code seems less potent than that at NK's site, which jams my MSIE +
Windows completely (a hardware reset button is a nice thing to have).

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon. co.uk Turnpike v4.00 IE 4 ©
<URL:http://jibbering.com/faq/> Jim Ley's FAQ for news:comp.lang. javascript
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/js-index.htm> jscr maths, dates, sources.
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/> TP/BP/Delphi/jscr/&c, FAQ items, links.

[Andrew Thompson]

Re: Supply URL with question?

On Mon, 17 May 2004 20:33:58 +0100, Dr John Stockton wrote:

(visit my sites)[color=blue]
> While I was beginning to do so, my MS IE4 (with other windows inactive)
> was slain[*].[/color]

(sighs) I was designing a page at another site
that apparently 'killed' MS IE4 and at the time
(about six months ago) I was tempted to simply
hide all styles from it. I am also almost at
that stage with NN 4 as well.

I will look further into it.

My apologies for the inconvenience ('browser
lock-up' is quite irritating) and hope you
might re-visit with that browser in a month
or three to check for improvements.

And yes, I have to improve the 'Contact' as well,
it is not even as good as it might be for a
'send me a form' type mail.

And FTR, if you wish to, you
can contact me thru (ahemm)
physci at the main domain.

Thank you for your report.

[ ..it seems ever more silly to have
considered the web-based survey.
Where *was* my head at? ;-) ]

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.PhySci.org/ Open-source software suite
http://www.PhySci.org/codes/ Web & IT Help
http://www.1point1C.org/ Science & Technology