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Looking For Quacks In The Pavement

Month: October 2002

  • Where Tuesday Went

    Heh. Styrofoam peanuts.

    “It’s like they took a bit of a movie, put it in a box and filled the rest of the box with styrofoam peanuts. This scene, for instance, is a styrofoam peanut.” – Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Screaming Skull


    And no, that quote probably isn’t exact. I’ll redact this post later, maybe, once I’ve got the wording straight. Anyway, on with the day’s events:

    • Department Head meetings are now on Tuesdays. Still at 8:00 in the bloody damned morning, though. Needless to say I got up too bloody damned early today. Oh yeah, and the Summer 2002 ratings were released today. This is information only interesting to other radio people, I’m afraid.
    • Mari wants a weblog/journal/thing. I’ve set one up for her, but you can’t see it yet. We’re waiting for DNS to get set up, then I’ll make some sort of big announcement. For the record, it’s running Movable Type. MT’s neat and all, but I don’t see myself switching this site any time soon. I’ve got far too much time and effort invested in Monaural Jerk, which I still think is a better system for techies like myself.
    • In related news, I now know how to enable those Trackback things you’ve probably seen popping up all over the blogosphere. They’ll probably appear as if by magic at some point in the next couple of days on a greyduck.net near you. Stay tuned.
    • A diet consisting solely of hot cocoa and Ritz crackers, coupled with sleep deprivation. This is the answer to the question, “Why are you so incoherent this evening, Karel?” Now stop asking me silly questions.
    • This is damned funny. Note to self, add The People’s Republic of Seabrook to the Blogs of Note…
    • Last and probably least, I spent a part of the day poking around on DeviantArt. I even posted a journal entry on my profile. Mostly, though, I was there to grab a bunch of cool new anime wallpapers. If you ask nicely, I’ll show them to you.

  • iMediaFrogger

    Allow me to introduce you to OMT Technologies, Inc. and their delightful software package known as iMediaLogger. This software package is used to create audio logs of, say, radio stations. When things work correctly, someone in the building can go to a website, browse the last 15 days’ worth of hourly-generated MP3 files, and download a given file. These files can be used to verify the airing of inventory (read: “commercials”) as well as to make air-checks and “best-of” sequences.

    All well and good, yes, but what happens when the software turns out to be a steaming heap of moose dung? When it becomes unhappy, it exhibits the following misbehaviour: Any attempt to click on the Events view button crashes the program. Minimizing crashes the program. Any network-based requests (API client or Web interface) are acknowledged but ignored, thus making the software almost completely unusable… even before it crashes when you try to view Events or minimize the window.

    Back in May I learned that part of the trick to keeping iMediaLogger happy is in clearing out the gigantic backlog of generated HTML, ASX and SMIL files in addition to activity and error logs. You see, there’s no mechanism in the software itself to take care of this. (I know, I’ve asked their tech support department twice.) (Did I mention that their tech support department seems to consist of one guy?)

    I came in yesterday intent upon doing this preventive maintenance. More fool me. I went right down the line, from Logger 1 through Logger 2 to Logger 3. I used the same procedure on each computer: Close program, delete outdated logs and web content, launch program. Logger 1 and Logger 2 exhibited all the signs of an unhappy iMediaLogger, while Logger 3 woke up and ticked right along.

    Oh, damn. After some futzing, tinkering and swearing I decided to try calling Tech Support. The number given on the website is apparently the main desk, and when I asked for tech support my number was taken and I was informed that someone would be calling me right back. An hour and a half later, I gave up and went home.

    This morning I tried again to call their tech support, only to be told that “they’re out to lunch.” What, their entire support department? Nice. I waited an hour and called again. After a careful and thorough explanation of the problem, the helpful suggestion I received was to completely uninstall and reinstall the software. I was also informed that the newer release available would not address my problem, and that the brand new version is due out “some time soon.” Oddly enough, this is the same thing I was told back in May…

    Resigned to my fate, I dutifully noted all of the settings for the audio feeds on Loggers 1 and 2, uninstalled the software on 2, did some housekeeping, reinstalled and reconfigured iMediaLogger. The program ran just fine, so I let it do so for half an hour or so. Then, as instructed, I closed the program so I could make a “pristine” backup copy in case of future corruption.

    And then the program went bad immediately after re-launching. Grrrrreeaat. So running iMediaLogger more than once is enough to cause database file corruption. Out of sheer desperation I tried using the newly-created backup database files, but to no avail. I had to blow out the database files and reconfigure the software yet again to get it running once more.

    After the debacle of Logger 2, I didn’t even bother reinstalling the software when it came time to do Logger 1. With the existing install, I blew out the database files and reconfigured the software. Surprise surprise, it worked. Le sigh, le double sigh.

    But wait, there’s more! At some point in this process, some bit of genius software logic decided that our existing audio files were no longer necessary. Imagine my amazement when I peeked inside the inventory directories to find them empty! What idiot psychopath programmer writes a routine to cause the automatic deletion of the audio inventory that the software is designed to create? Without any sort of prompt or message or confirmation, even? My friend, the OMT Tech Support Department, had no good answer to this question. Or any of my questions, now that I think on it. There are some pissed-off Program Directors in my building right now, I can attest.

    As a bonus frustration (like wasting ten working hours on this idiotic software package isn’t enough) I was informed (during my second tech support call of the day) that since we haven’t paid $995 for a year’s worth of phone support (12 calls) I can’t call them up for support anymore. I must instead rely on email-only support. Yeah, I remember emailing them back in May. Three times. Then I gave up and dialed their number…

    Let’s see: A software package that has been problematic since day one. Tech support that consists of “reinstall the program, and if that doesn’t work reinstall Windows.” (Yes, that’s what he said the second time around today, after I told him about the 2nd-run problem with the new Logger 2 install. Sure, I’ll reinstall Windows. You betcha. Even though the software works just fine when first configured, it must be Windows’ fault. Moron.) And this company wants us to pay a thousand bucks a year for phone support?

    The next time any of the three Loggers gives us any trouble, we’re going to install somebody else’s software. I can guarantee it.

  • George Of The Bungle

    Via some place I visited only briefly thanks to Wander-Lust, a little something not entirely unlike the aforelinked “Things”, but still a lot unlike. I laughed ’til I cried, people. (Hmm. That sentence without a comma would be a weird mental image, wouldn’t it?)

    Read it. It’s funny, especially if you do “computer stuff” for a living, professionally, for pay, at a company.

    UPDATE: I have it on the very good authority of three non-geeks of my acquaintance that “George” is damned funny. So, go forth and read, dear friends, even if you’re not geek-inclined.
    Chronicles of George

  • Boob Tube Friday Five

    • How many TVs do you have in your home? – Only one. Don’t ask how many computers we have in our home, though.
    • On average, how much TV do you watch in a week? – Maybe a dozen hours, give or take. I’ve been watching less and less over time, and soon we’re going to have our cable turned off (save $50 a month? you bet!) so it’ll probably drop down to almost no TV intake in a big hurry.
    • Do you feel that television is bad for young children? – I feel that unsupervised, unmonitored television time is bad for children of any age. I also feel that there is age-appropriate television programming out there, albeit mostly on kid-oriented cable channels. As long as the TV doesn’t become the all-day babysitter, I don’t have a problem with young kids watching.
    • What TV shows do you absolutely HAVE to watch, and if you miss them, you’re heartbroken? – There’s nothing on TV that qualifies anymore. I used to be religious about a number of shows, but I now realize that the world really will go on if I miss an episode here or there. And, damn Sci-Fi Channel for dumping Farscape. Damn them all to hell.
    • If you had the power to create your own television network, what would your line-up look like? – You know, what’s weird about this question is that I was thinking about exactly such a scenario this morning. Wow. Anyway… my thinking was something along the lines of “Sci-Fi Channel Done Right.” We would pick up as many quality programs as possible, and also help produce long-form quality specials and series. (Remember, this is an imaginary scenario. Real television stations do not operate on pure motives like “quality of content.”) There would be no schlock-horror or cheesy low-budget cyberpunk crapola. When we commit to a series, we would really commit to it, with a firm timeline so the show’s creators can actually tell their story. By the same token, we would be very careful about signing new, open-ended programming. Oh yeah, and no goddamned ballroom-dance instructors masquerading as psychics. No pseudo-documentary alien-abduction crap, either. Hmm. Yeah, I think that about covers it.

    Friday Five

  • Emotional Thrillrides

    I’d like to start by thanking Mari and Doug for making a fun night of my second chance to see Spirited Away. Thanks! Much laughing and joking and banana taffy was enjoyed. Mari loves banana taffy, you know.

    That’s not what this entry is about, however.

    As part of the “good hard look into the depths of my soul” I’ve been engaged in for the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a trend. I’m not sure if it’s something everyone experiences, or if I’m just a weirdo. Here it is: Highs are almost always followed by lows.

    Not terribly profound, you say? Maybe it isn’t, but being aware of this fact is helping me learn to cope with my sudden freak depressions. The other helping factor, of course, is my determination not to wallow. I hate being a pathetic wallowing lump. (I was told recently how awfully unattractive that is. The fastest way to get my attention is to appeal to my overdeveloped vain streak…)

    My current situation is a bit like this: I had a wonderful time Monday night and Wednesday night, first with Wendi and the kids and Amy and her son at the movie, then with Mari and Doug at the movie. Now that the anticipation of moviegoing with friends is gone, the emotional pendulum has swung over and I’m feeling listless, moody and a bit depressed. Now, however, I can recognize why this is happening and try not let it get ahead of me. Hooray!

    I may not be perfect, but I’m working on dealing with the worst of my weaknesses. Isn’t that what it’s all about? “To strive, to seek… and not to yield.”

  • Geekery makes a fine distraction for the unhappy mind.

    Testing, testing.

    If all goes well, submitting this journal entry to the database will cause both Weblogs.com and Wander-Lust to recognize the fact that I’ve updated my page.

    These are the things I do to pass the time between creative endeavors and emergencies, folks. Thank you for your patience.

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