non compos mentis

I completely overhauled the BaldwinSoftware.com page with a new css and an embedded newsblog using nabble.
Take a look and let me know what you think?
Is it navigable? Will people find the software they seek? Is it pleasing to the eye?

Thanks.

One thing I've been contemplating for a while is making baldwinsoftware.com the main/default/top domain for that hosting account, and moving the linguasos.org stuff to a secondary role,
mostly since I am no longer actively working on Linguas OS, and not sure that I will continue. I do know that I will continue to learn to write software, though.
At the moment, baldwinsoftware.com just forwards to http://www.linguasos.org/bsoft/index.html, a page in a secondary dir on that host.
The thing is, moving stuff around like that could be a lot of work.
I don't want to remove the linguasos stuff...not just now, because I do want that livecd to still be available to people who want to try it. I'm just not continuing development on the project.
I have contemplated creating a new Linguas OS based on debian or ubuntu, but haven't found the time or motivation to do so. After all, it really is a niche product, and with very little apparent demand.

I created a fully platform independent binary file for TDict, my ticklish dictionary look-up program.
One just clicks, and, voila! look up words till your heart's content.
New zip file at sourceforge.net, see project page or freshmeat page.
Been hacking up a storm these past few days.

I made new releases of TclUP and TclText, and now, TDict. I also submitted Shakes to Freshmeat.

I also contributed minor code to Toxic, a ttx conversion filter for treatment of Trados ttx files in OmegaT (free/open source CAT tool)...but really minor code...not even sure if my "enhancements" have been uploaded yet.
It was mostly slight alterations to the gui, more than anything.
My first code contribution to an open source project (prior contributions have all been in writing documentation or localization efforts...well, aside from the projects that I, myself, have created, anyway).

Some day I will be a real hacker.

I did a bit of rearranging of the tclup interface...minor stuff, but I think the result is more ergononic and user friendly


The tarball at baldwin software has been updated accordingly.

I'm still trying to figure out how to make the remote file list into a combobox from which the user can select a remote file, but having difficulty.
Also, still considering making the items listed in the current text widget for the remote file list into link/buttons, which I know can done.

Also, tclup now has it's own project page.

Paholita mi amiga, Paholita, de Chile.

I just fixed a couple of bugs in tclup, my tcl/tk ftp client.



They were really minor, silly things.
I made the remote file list text widget list the files one per line (instead of like a paragraph), and put a scroll bar on the widget.
When saving a profile, it was not saving the browser preference.
Although it correctly showed the url of an uploaded file, it was not passing this correct url to the process to open said file in the browser.
Both of those have been fixed, and a new tarball has been uploaded, available at http://www.baldwinsoftware.com
Now, I want to make it so that when it lists the files on the remote server, one can choose a file by either:
adding a pulldown file list (tk::listbox), or simply clicking on it's name (making the entry in the text widget into a link that sets the $::filename var).
As it currently stands, tclup will get a list of files on the server and display it in a text widget, but you have to copy/paste (or just type) the filename into the
tk::entry field to get your file.

( today's tweets )

Okay, so around 4pm-ish, I just got tired of being around the house.
so I decided I wanted to go to Bridgeport for Brazilian for dinner.
I put Rhianna in the car and we headed up Whalley to get on rt. 15/Merritt, and stopped at the Walgreens just before the highway, and also the ATM to deposit a couple of checks.
It has been mostly sunny and gorgeous out all day, but, when we got to Walgreens, the sky looked like this:

(it's a mobile snap, so not such a great photo).
Anyway, we got up on the Merritt, and shite got crazy, quick.
I could barely see anything for the wind and rain, and we were also being battered with hail.
It had become quite dark out.
By the time we had gotten to the 95/15 connector around Milford, I had switched off the samba I had been listening to, and turned on the radio, to hear a very garbled
weather warning saying something I could barely make out about tornados in Stratford and Milford. Rhianna was freaking out.
I decided Brazilian churrascos could wait for another day, got off the highway. I didn't even really know what exit I was taking...couldn't see...just knew that I wanted to get off the highway and get my kid indoors somewhere so she could calm down, and
so I didn't have to try and drive in that blinding torrent anymore.
I eventually figure out we were on Rt. 1, so we made our way, slowly, and through HUGE puddles, etc., to the mall where we stayed and rode out the storm.
We saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
It was AWESOME!

I GOT A DIRECT MESSAGE FROM JULIETA VENEGAS! I swooned...just about fainted when I saw this in my e-mail box... <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Julieta es mi sueño... :D Of course, I blocked out her message...it's just for me.

( today's tweets )

In addition to OmegaT, I have also, now, been using Anaphraseus.

Both are FREE/Open Source Software, CAT (computer aided translation) tools, and fully cross-platform. OmegaT handles a far broader range of file formats (all MSOffice files, converted to ODF formats, the new docx, xlsx, pptx files, without conversion, Trados ttx files, html, xml, xliff, po, java.properties, other text formats and software localization formats, etc., etc.), and, to date, just feels more efficient for me. There are advantages in how it handles translation memories, as well (can use an entire directory full of tmx files for reference, and still generates a project specific TM for each project, whereas Anaphraseus only works with one TM). Anaphraseus, however, functions similar to the popular CAT tool, Wordfast®, only as an extension to OpenOffice.org (which is also FOSS), as opposed to M$Office®. As such, it will generate "unclean" .doc files, which various clients want, for use with both Trados and Wordfast.
Both OmegaT and Anaphraseus, thus, serve different purposes for me. I use OmegaT for more frequently, but when I need Anaphraseus' functions, I am quite happy to use it, and regard both programs as fantastic tools.
I served as the localization coordinator for the OmegaT project for about a year and a half. It felt really good to be part of the project and contribute, even in this small way, to its continued success.
So, I decided that I'd like to contribute to Anaphraseus, as well. Now, I don't write java, which is why my contribution to OmegaT was in the auspices of localization coordinator. Anaphraseus is written as an extension to OpenOffice.org,in StarBasic. I don't even know if I've ever heard of StarBasic before this project, so, clearly I can't contribute to the code. But the project had no updated documentation, so, I took the rather outdated, and now quite erroneous user and installation manual, and updated it: http://www.linguasos.org/bsoft/AnaphraseusManual_1.23b.html

For years I used FOSS and gnu/linux without making any more of a contribution than some advocacy for FOSS in schools (while teaching in public schools, I formeraly administered a site for said advocacy at school-library.net, but no longer own this domain), so it feels good to be able to contribute in more hands-on ways. Some day I'm going to be a real hacker, and actually contribute code, but, until then, helping with localization (part of my industry, anyway), and writing documentation are good...Ways to get my feet wet, anyway.

In any case, if you are a translator, I highly recommend both, OmegaT and Anaphraseus. They're great tools, run in Mac, Windows or Gnu/Linux, and, above all, you sure can't beat the price of both, the software and support ($0.00)!

( today's tweets )

Last night.
Translating documents from Colombia about HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria  care and prevention programs.

I had set my alarm to wake me at 4:40 yesterday so I could get up and keep slaving away on a huge translation project, and, in fact, got up yesterday and worked something like 20 hours...
I finished the work, and collapsed around midnight, and neglected to alter the alarm configuration, and,
as such, it went off again this morning at 4:40 am.
Now, normally, I would just shut it off and roll over, but I couldn't.
The radio station it's on was playing the Grateful Dead! I just couldn't turn it off, so, now I've been up
for nearly an hour again...now sitting here drinking coffee in bed, with the laptop, listening to the good ol' Grateful Dead.
Good Morning Sunshine!

( today's tweets )

( today's tweets )

( today's tweets )

I AM POSTING from my Lg env3 phone.
fun fun

I got an LG env, with internet & e-mail and everything...GPS even.
For the longest time (10 years) I've had a simple prepaid plan, which has worked out well, but, I'm tired of missing work opportunities for being out with access to my e-mail,
or having to lug a laptop and seek out free wifi in a cafe.
I figure if having immediate access to my e-mail from anywhere gets me 1 large project, the new service will have paid for itself.
The phone is pretty co0l, really.
I haven't figured out how to twitter or facebook on it, but I can read and send e-mails, and find a location with gps, make phone calls, text, etc.
My # has not changed. I'm still with Verizon, whom I have used for 10 years now.

( today's tweets )