Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Topic: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in? (Read 9915 times) previous topic - next topic

Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

September 18, 2008, 10:12:34 pm

I had to register and login to access the resources, which is particularly ~~boring~~ annoying with 128kbps.
You should make it easier to access the resources.

If that was done on purpose: you're in total contradiction with hackers freedom culture and i suggest that you read:
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html
http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #1 – September 18, 2008, 10:22:18 pm

What do you exactly mean with resources? You can download attached files as a guest so...

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #2 – September 18, 2008, 10:26:00 pm

Clarify which resources:

Forum attachments are visible to guests, too.
Graphics site is currently down.
Translator is "closed" since there is still a lot of legacy content - AND we want to choose who can change translations, simply because of quality concerns.
All public SVN repos have anonymous access.

And I don't see how your connection speed can slow down registration... Are you sure you used the right words? If we don't understand, we can't do anything...

Note that sometimes there aren't any resources literally worth a ****.

Also check out the ~~link in my sig~~, maybe that is similar to what you seek? EDIT: eh, it links to the new place which is down... so, http://vs.simutrans.com/graphic_archive/

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #3 – September 18, 2008, 10:26:45 pm

Also, to be honest, I can't think of much that bothers me less than wether we contradict something like "hackers freedom culture"

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #4 – September 18, 2008, 10:50:38 pm

Dirk - it isn't exactly what you think. Hacker is a term which has nowadays the broadly established negative meaning, but also another one which simply means something like "good with computers", without any moral (?) judgement attached. Imo that meaning is now fading away, nobody wants to be labelled as criminal, even mistakenly. Since it was completely redefined by media. As I see it, it is used mostly by people who started in the era when it didn't mean what it does now.

jpic - you have touched one hell of a sore spot. Which you probably didn't know, but now you do. If you came thinking everything with "Simutrans" on it is 100% Free, that is certainly not the case. Please keep in mind that the program engine and game data sets are almost independent entities. And while the official set is open as well as the program, there are at least three other sets in existence of which can't be said the same. Also: telling people they are doing things wrong and they should do xyz instead is no real way to convince them. Regardless of your true intentions, your statement sounded too much like that. And we had in the past too much people telling us that we ought to become open source.

For now, I suggest we focus on the topic - what (existing) resources are inaccessible and what can be done to improve that - and set the rest aside.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #5 – September 18, 2008, 11:15:51 pm

That was not my concern at all. I don't think that a "hacker" is automatically a criminal. But in my experience, the vast majority of people who use the word, are nowhere near being a "hacker"- or having even talked to someone who could really claim such a "title". Mostly it is (over)used by some ~13 year old kiddies who try to sound more important and knowledgable than they really are. Particularly annoying when they sTarT 2 wRiTe lIke tHat ...and all these other artificial mannerisms.

And this poser-thing is the issue I don't like. One could simply write that something isn't working (at all or not well), not user-/guestfriendly, or maybe that something is not according to netiquette or, etc... no problem.

But no, - we get told that we are "in total contradiction with hackers freedom culture" and get treated to links to a site that contains a "how to become a hacker " guideline. I mean really...

This and the way the whole thing was posted makes it hard for me to take this thing seriously.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #6 – September 18, 2008, 11:44:08 pm

Well, true. The overall word choice does tell something. But what is it exactly. Why act in the same manner back? Maybe there is some chance it is just a mistake. Jpic posted just once and we get to judge him based on that? Maybe he isn't a native speaker, just like most of us and just picked words poorly.

I would say it is only fair to at least wait what he has to say second time.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #7 – September 18, 2008, 11:49:43 pm

Seems my limit of patience is just reached for this week already.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #8 – September 18, 2008, 11:59:42 pm

I'm too sleepy to get angry or too excited.

Quote from: VS – on September 18, 2008, 10:50:38 pm

For now, I suggest we focus on the topic - what (existing) resources are inaccessible and what can be done to improve that - and set the rest aside.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #9 – September 19, 2008, 12:06:47 am

Yeah, enough said. Don't worth arguing about anyway.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #10 – September 19, 2008, 06:11:50 am

At the moment is no anonymous access to the PAK128-SVN, because there are copyright Problems of the sources ......

About hacker:
If somebody damage a computer and this computer is not hers/hims, then it is baaaaad.
And I don´t think, that is good, because the hacker says, that he is a good man/woman

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #11 – September 19, 2008, 06:54:48 am

Perhaps he's talking about the use of pak format to keep object's copyright, but I'm afraid we can't do almost anything with that.

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #12 – September 19, 2008, 11:54:21 am

"Register and login". Maybe it's even about posting on forum?

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #13 – September 19, 2008, 02:38:15 pm

The origin of this rant is:
- there is no man simutrans, no problem,
- simutrans -h tells me to get "further information" on the website simutrans.com, internet is a pain at home but that's of course not your fault
- once on simutrans.com, i click "English" and i'm being told that i don't have the privileges.
I though that i had to register to RTFM, but actually it's a broken link ... So yes, it's "just a mistake". About what i call "resources" it's .... documentation of course!

Thanks VS for the relevant information

BTW, if you read my message carefully, you'll see that i'm not telling anybody what to do, i don't care what you do actually

Anyway, about the clueless trolls which i'm not arguing with, hackers face "this kind of person" all the time and live with it

In fine, all i wanted to know is how to get a better resolution in-game.

Quote

For now, I suggest we focus on the topic - what (existing) resources are inaccessible and what can be done to improve that - and set the rest aside.

For example, you could deliver the documentation in ReSTructured text format, with the game itself.

PS: Of course if it's possible to improve my gaming experience for a reasonable price (like, 10 or 15 bucks) i'm okay with that, although i'm aware it's a lot of money for the majority of the persons (i live in a rich country: Spain, so i can actually afford that).
Else i've got spare space on my server (around 500GB atm) to share with OSS developers (feel free to get more information on http://example.com/).

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #14 – September 19, 2008, 03:10:40 pm

Well. If you could help eg. with the lack of manpages, you're more than welcome. But Simutrans doesn't have many switches. Most of the options are either adjustable directly in game gui, or with config files (.tab). It seems english wiki is down again (sigh), so if you understand German - Startparameter für Simutrans (and if you don't, the names are rather easy to understand).

Money... one word, "freeware"

And yes, the webpages are in rather bleak state. We had a great hosting plan; one member of community paid for it, but it became... unsustainable? On the donor part I mean. So about two months back we moved (physically) to another server and everything is a mess since then.

Resolution. There should be simuconf.tab somewhere - iirc ~/simutrans/ and inside

Code: [Select]

# display (screen/window) width
# also see readme.txt, -screensize option
display_width  = 1024

# display (screen/window) height
# also see readme.txt, -screensize option
display_height = 768

# show full screen
fullscreen = 1

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #15 – September 19, 2008, 03:14:31 pm

Thanks for the tip!

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #16 – September 19, 2008, 03:16:52 pm

Hi jpic,

Quote from: jpic – on September 19, 2008, 02:38:15 pm

- once on simutrans.com, i click "English" and i'm being told that i don't have the privileges.

That's because Simutrans' Portal has links that are pointing to topics of old forum yet. Once this forum has started from scratch, those links are broken. That's why you are getting message error.

I have commented about it to community and presented my desires of fixing such portal and do some improvements which will facilitate access to the visitor, forum members and players. Be sure, I will do it.

I'm sorry for inconveniences...

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #17 – September 19, 2008, 03:19:32 pm

No problem!

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #18 – September 19, 2008, 03:24:33 pm

And I don't really want to argue with persons who are not able or willing to be precise in what exactly didn't work for them in the first place, give bogus reasons (registering and logging in is annoying because I only have 128kbps - when I got to simutrans first I only had 33.6kbps - didn't make registering any more or less comfortable than today - and as you said in you 2nd posting, your connection speed is not this community's responsibility), and then post links that are not directly related to the problem at hand.

So, instead of just politely telling us that a link might be broken or something worked differently than you've come to expect, or asking for help with a problem you might have encountered, you're just complaining. Not even saying what it exatcly is that you're complaing about, but you're already telling us that we're obviously doing something wrong, since we don't adhere to some obscure "hackers freedom culture". That's in fact "this kind of person" I seem to face all the time - and I have to live with it. Next time you want people to solve a problem, you should maybe tell them exactly what the problem is? That's at least how all we non-hackers usually communicate...

By the way: I never said a word of what I think a hacker is - I only said that I do not mistake the term hackers for criminals (as VS guessed). And that most (not all!) of the people who use that term are in fact just kids and wannabes. So, please tell me where I insulted any profession - or where you think I misused the term "hacker" itself. I only complained that most people just unnecessarily overuse the term - and that this is the reason I am a bit leery of the word. That's all.

Quote

In fine, all i wanted to know is how to get a better resolution in-game.

How about you ask that directly next time? Saves people time and unnecessary discussions. Overall a more effective and pleasant environment, believe me.

And about your PS: simutrans has always been (and is going to stay) free. So is registering here. What connection does this comment again have to simutrans?

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #19 – September 19, 2008, 05:41:33 pm

Peace and love, my friends...

For me, a real hacker is a person who likes to investigate how things work. Give him a black box with three buttons and some lights and he will be happy finding out what is inside without opening it. Give him a web page, a protected CD-ROM and he will find how it is protected and how to p**** that protection. But that knowledge can be used for the good or for the evil. That's apart.

Now the word is also ****ociated to script-kiddies: some young teenagers full of pimples (sometimes only a young mind, not real age), with little or no knowledge of computing, that download exploits made by others to tresp**** others digital property or apply their "own law", western side of River Pecos.

Quote from: jpic – on September 19, 2008, 02:38:15 pm

[...]
PS: Of course if it's possible to improve my gaming experience for a reasonable price (like, 10 or 15 bucks) i'm okay with that, although i'm aware it's a lot of money for the majority of the persons (i live in a rich country: Spain, so i can actually afford that).
Else i've got spare space on my server (around 500GB atm) to share with OSS developers (feel free to get more information on --LINK REMOVED--).

Oh my God! Living so much time in a rich country, and now I realize!

No offense.

Thanks for the offer, but wouldn't it be a problem such a big server with so little bandwidth?

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #20 – September 20, 2008, 04:55:30 am

double post - sry - my bad -

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #21 – September 20, 2008, 09:57:49 am

I have been requested by jpic to remove the quoted link to his server.

Please try and keep the discussion on-topic, discussion of "hacker" culture and the meaning of the word should really go on in a seperate topic, with this one kept for discussion of the issues raised by jpic (namely the lack of documentation distributed with the game, and the broken links on the main simutrans portal, which, btw, would be easily fixed by simply pointing them at the relavent places in the archive).

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #22 – September 20, 2008, 11:06:37 pm

Thanks a lot for everything, the new link on the portal is extremely relevant BTW good job and thanks again!
It's really a cool game BTW, thanks for sharing the cool gaming experience

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #23 – September 20, 2008, 11:16:29 pm

The link to the english forum (EN - English) still takes you to the old forum... The IT link points to the FR subforum and the FR one is broken...the rest are right..

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #24 – September 21, 2008, 09:50:49 am

The links should be fixed now, please check

Re: Is it possible to browse the ressources without registring or logging in?

Reply #25 – September 21, 2008, 01:38:46 pm

Everything is right now.