What to do about moderators?

Question: What can be done about moderators who delete reasonable comments and answers, simply because conflict with the moderator's personal prejudices?  Or perhaps because they dislike the person posting the answer: I have no way of knowing how many other people experience this, but one particular moderator seems to delete just about everything I post.
Answer: This one surprised me, because I have never associated your user name with particularly low-quality content, and I wondered which mod you were referring to.
Then I looked at your answers, and, indeed, you do have a lot of deleted answers. Thirteen in total.
Who deleted them and why?

Oddthinking:

It only provided an anecdote, which are not accepted here. Cleaned up as part of a an effort to prevent a question turning into a list question.
Apologetic clean up because the answer only addressed an earlier version of the question, which was not notable.
Repost of a deleted answer.
Didn't answer the question

Sklivvz

Didn't answer the question (and had no references)
Repost of a deleted answer.
Theoretical argument
Comment on question, rather than answer
Didn't answer the question
Comment on the question.

Larian LeQuella

Unreferenced anecdote
Didn't answer the question
Didn't answer the question (and then the question itself was deleted by Sklivvz)

So, if you think there is one moderator who has it in for you, I would suggest the evidence doesn't support that - three moderators have been separate involved in cleaning up poor quality answers here.
If you think it is me that has it in for you (After all, I was the most recent to delete one of your posts.), I can only give you my word that you have never even popped up on my radar as a user who needed special attention. I have nothing against you at all, honest!

If you are concerned that a mod is abusing their powers, or generally not doing a good enough job, this post details some options, including contacting the Community Manager team:
What recourse do I have if I believe a moderator has abused their privileges?
Comment: @LangLangC unfortunately we have to deal with the software being designed to work on 170 sites with different rules and topics. I agree we should be more transparent. I've spent many evenings discussing possible alternatives with Shog and the community team. Long story short we would need a "closure" for answers here on skeptics. I'm not sure what it would look like (because after all if an answer is visible "closed" means nothing). But I would like the _community_ to be able to "close" or "delete" bad answers (and vice versa undo those decisions).
Comment: @fredsbend yes, in fact the fact that banners exist at all is because of skeptics in large part. I did propose that the community should be able to add/remove banners via voting somewhere in [meta.se] but it never got implemented. I agree it's a good idea.
Comment: @fredsbend: Agreed. I would file under "I can only give you my word".
Comment: @Oddthinking: I obviously can't read your mind, but I would ask you to explain why you think it is not relevant to point out, first in a comment (which was deleted), and then in an answer (also deleted) that other answers might well be engaging in confirmation bias, and give brief examples?  Since I can't see when other people's answers are deleted, I don't know whether I'm being singled out or not.  However, it seems to happen ONLY on the Skeptics site.  It's most annoying, and the reason I avoid it unless a really interesting question pops up in the hot questions list.
Comment: @sklivvz Has it been discussed if the mod banners (e.g. "this answer needs sources", etc.) could be integrated into the review queues? I'm quite in favor of less deletion if official (i.e. community run) "this answer has these problems" banners were added as necessary. Like wikipedia banners. As such, banners at the top make far more sense than the bottom. This seems the best alternative to a deletion heavy policy.
Comment: To play devil's advocate, this doesn't preclude collusion. Mod 1 says "Hey, Mod 2, I had to delete a bunch of his stuff last time, will you delete this one please so my name is not on it?" If there is a desire to appear like a unified team and a dearth of time mods can give, taking actions for another mod without personally investigating the reasoning seems possible.
Comment: One problem with this kind of 'evidence' here is that it's *site policy* to be intransparent about this. Reasons *for that* aside, we *have to trust* the mods, the community and the cm-managers (SE) on this. While I do that, I wonder if that's really the best design. Complaints like that from OP are not really isolated across the network. (Maybe I misremember, but I think "benevolent dictatorship" was once used to describe the situation?)
Comment: Right now this is not possible software-wise and I think that under the current direction the company has taken I think nothing special per-site can be expected in the near or mid term.
Comment: @Sklivvz Yeah. Was thinking imprecisely. Actually it's SE-policy. As this 'problem' is also SE-wide, it should be tackled on that level, even if Skeptics would be one of the 'needier' sites to gain from such a change?
Answer: I personally think deletion is heavy on this site, for both comments and answers.
For comments, well we already know those are not meant to be permanent anyway. If your comment gave a legitimate criticism of the post (factual corrections, logic errors, heavily biased sources, etc) or added a valuable fact or context (and I mean strictly fact, not opinion) then just comment again and assume the mods acted in good faith. Often, there's a dozen comments and it's just easier to nuke them all. Understand, they're volunteers with duties in real life that actually pays their bills.
For answers, I'd like simply to see less deletions. Reasons such as "theoretical" or "not an answer" I find are sometimes quite debatable. On this site, if it's not sourced or gives only an anecdote when the question calls for studies, you can expect deletion, and I think that's fair.
I've seen many calls for the mods to delete less. Despite this (and I'd bet the existence of empirical evidence that this site deletes a lot more than others) I've not perceived less deletion. Perhaps a straw poll in meta may help, and maybe the surfacing of said empirical data, but it would still require remaking deletion policies so the mods have a new direction.
I've also seen many accusations that the mods are politically biased. I'll be frank: I don't buy it. If anything, it seems to me the mods are more annoyed to wade through those trivial political crap questions in the first place. In other words, when it comes to politics, I perceive the mods are starkly "no nonsense". Nonsense and politics are long-time bed buddies.
I do think they are quick to delete comments that might have an edge, calling them offensive or whatever. To that, I simply think people just need to grow up and expect that harsh criticism is not inherently offensive or rude.
I do think that the mods have a bias against religious topics. It's mild, but does exist. It's mild enough that I don't think it's a problem worth addressing.
In summary, I don't think any extraordinary measures need to be taken against the mods. Odd has shown that there seems to be a reasonable spread among the mod actions taken against you. I'll note that Sklivvz is far more vocal, so he may appear to be "an offender" more frequently. If you don't agree with me here, your options are limited to more fact finding (polls, data, etc.) or appealing to the Stack Exchange staff. I'm sure that's happened a lot, so I'd take that as "waste your time, nothing will come of it". I think the former option is the best course, and you have my support if you go that route.
Comment: @LangLangC Hey, I found this: https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/306197/2017-a-year-in-closing. Looks like Skeptics doesn't have the highest closing percentage, but it's pretty high. I see mostly 20's and high teens, while skeptics is at nearly 40% of questions closed. Skeptics total question count is low on average, but looks close to the median. This, however, is only close actions and also doesn't differentiate mod unilateral actions, mod with users, or only users.
Comment: Would you care to elaborate on "the mods have a bias against religious topics"? [Genuine question without any rancour; it is easier to fight against implicit biases if you understand what they are.]
Comment: Out of pure curiosity I'd be interested in investigating the site dynamics as a whole and in principle. But for this "deletions"-thing I can assure you that any kind of polling would be the worst idea of all. We'll never get a random sample and just pile bias upon bias. Some hard data is there but can only be analysed with diamond-powers (at least). And on top of that we'd need a thorough content analysis of posts *and* mod comments (if they are there). I see quite a few nice dissertations or smaller studies possible on this. But no polls, please.
Comment: @Oddthinking Sure. My first pointer would be a meta post of mine: [Questions about Christianity get down voted](https://skeptics.meta.stackexchange.com/a/4031/11643). That doesn't provide any examples, but it is an elaboration of my thoughts on this as you request.
Comment: For examples, I'd point to [Was Jesus a refugee?](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/37108/11643) as closed while [Was Sergei Brin a refugee?](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/36954/11643) is not. I think the Jesus question is "good subjective", though apparently [my assessment](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/a/37109/11643) is not popular (I still think I'm right, by the way, lol). Sklivvz apparently rejects the Jesus one as "good subjective" because of the contention on what Jesus had actually done when he lived. I think it's clear Sharpton means the story, not the history.
Comment: [Is there a disparity between the number of US schools teaching creationism and the population's desire?](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/15903/11643) shows that going beyond "just the facts" is apparently acceptable if it makes Christianity/Christians look foolish. This is your own answer, so you have an inside track here to evaluate motives and attitudes. This issue was much bigger in the past, and there's many 2011 and 2012 questions and answers that are frankly an embarrassment for a skeptics ethos. I don't complain because they are old and it's not as bad as it used to be.
Comment: My final example really threw me for a loop. [Was the Earth one big ocean once?](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/32474/11643) Sklivvz changed the question into something else entirely, removing any meaning for the OP and failing to represent the claim. He and Larian apparently *do not* want any such question as it originally was. They further seem quite unhappy with answers like mine. Again, I think I'm right here, *and* provided a "good subjective" answer. But it first received a mod banner then deletion. I neglected to address either issue because of the massive edits to the question.
Comment: @odd For the record, your "creationism taught in school" answer is good. I very much prefer that tangential considerations be included in answers. Proper skepticism is through. My complaint here is that mods pretty frequently edit answers to remove that stuff. This, in my opinion, is only a weak compromise for deletion. However, such edit acts don't seem to occur for "anti-religious" answers.
Comment: And if I remember correctly, that question is a good example of the hostility you can receive in comments on such topics, which is further indication of the larger community's feelings on it.
Comment: @lang [Ask and you shall receive.](https://skeptics.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/4298/2018-a-year-in-moderation) This is the first I've seen this, so maybe it's new, but it's on all the meta sites for 2018 at least.
Comment: @fredsbend Comparing sites on posts deleted might set a mind straighter than before. I was surprised how *few* posts (in total) were deleted on Skeptics. For sure not what I expected. But I didn't look into base rates and the like and naturally 'targeting' or 'biased' deletions can't be (dis-)proven even with more numbers of that sort. But I guess mod-available stats (no idea what these actually contain) and some dataSE queries could illuminate that at least a bit further.

What to do about moderators?


Forgot Brown sugar in cookies

Question: I forgot to add the brown sugar to a cookie mix. I have added all the ingredients including the flour. Can I still add the sugar to the mix?
Comment: Can you post a link to the recipe you're using or can you at least give some more information about what kind of cookies you're making?  Have you already mixed your other ingredients?
Answer: Cookie mixes (and similar mixes) usually call for the dry and wet ingredients to be mixed separately, which is mostly to prevent over-mixing and to properly control the amount of time that the baking powder/soda (or whatever chemical leavener is in there) is allowed to start its reaction before going into the oven.
Of course you can still mix the sugar in later, you're just more likely to end up with a cookie that's drier and/or harder, with a "grittier" texture, due to the extra mixing.
The bigger problem is waiting; cookie mixes are usually designed to leaven very quickly once mixed, so if you let the mixed dough sit for an hour before baking it, you might end up with very flat cookies. They should taste more or less the same, and certainly aren't going to harm you, they'll just have a weird look and texture.
Answer: a recipe needing brown sugar typically produces a more chewy cookie. If it didnt ask you to do anything like cream it with the butter then it should be fine. Only problem would be that you might get grains of sugar in the mixture  and mixing it extra might make it a lil tough because gluten

Forgot Brown sugar in cookies


Claims - Tangible difference between system claims and method claims - 101 thoughts

Question: Does a system claim which state tangible items, for example "processor configured to" help satisfy the "practical application" aspect of the new guidelines which were released in January 2019?  I am also looking for any definitions in MPEP which define a method claim as well as a system claim.  According to the MPEP, are they really different or merely a different flavor?
Answer: 35 USC 101 says -

Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.

A method is a process and a system is a machine. They are clearly in two different statutory categories.
EDIT
If you mix things (system, for example) and steps (methods) in a single claim it will be ruled as indefinite.
From MPEP
I.    PRODUCT AND PROCESS IN THE SAME CLAIM

A single claim which claims both an apparatus and the method steps of
  using the apparatus is indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35
  U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. See In re Katz Interactive Call
  Processing Patent Litigation, 639 F.3d 1303, 1318, 97 USPQ2d 1737,
  1748-49 (Fed. Cir. 2011). In Katz, a claim directed to "[a] system
  with an interface means for providing automated voice messages…to
  certain of said individual callers, wherein said certain of said
  individual callers digitally enter data" was determined to be
  indefinite because the italicized claim limitation is not directed to
  the system, but rather to actions of the individual callers, which
  creates confusion as to when direct infringement occurs. Katz, 639
  F.3d at 1318 (citing IPXL Holdings v. Amazon.com, Inc., 430 F.3d 1377,
  1384, 77 USPQ2d 1140, 1145 (Fed. Cir. 2005), in which a system claim
  that recited "an input means" and required a user to use the input
  means was found to be indefinite because it was unclear "whether
  infringement … occurs when one creates a system that allows the user
  [to use the input means], or whether infringement occurs when the user
  actually uses the input means."); Ex parte Lyell, 17 USPQ2d 1548 (Bd.
  Pat. App. & Inter. 1990) (claim directed to an automatic transmission
  workstand and the method of using it held ambiguous and properly
  rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph).

MORE EDITING
A way claim wording can cross the line into including both steps and a claim for a system is that system claims can be written as a system that is defined by its behavior. That can be a legitimate way to define a system. But defining the behavior is usually done as steps. "A system configured to execute . . . " is frequently seen in a claim preamble. Even though a definition of what looks like a method follows, this is not a method claim.
If this type of claim is attempted and not worded correctly it can be ambiguous as to whether a thing or a method is being claimed.
Answer: In 2nd prong test of Step 2A of "2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance", "practical application" is to be 'evaluated on the claim as a whole'(note 24 page') 1.
The term 'additional element' requirement in this context connotes 'claim features, limitations, and/or steps that are recited in the claim beyond the identified judicial exception, (same note)1
Hence, it may be construed that mere mention of a tangible item is not enough. What is required is integration of 'judicial exception' to a 'practical application'(e.g. note 26 page 20 of 1).
If, your "processor configured to" is 'aimed to' usher any improvement in any practical application (e.g. improvement in field of computer technology, computer performance etc (note 25) 1) than (if 102, 103 and 112 do not stand on your way) perhaps.
As regards "definitions in MPEP" for definition of "method claim as well as a system claim", I too looked for the same for years but could not locate one. However, these two documents may be useful for you. Patent claim Formats and Types of Claims from WIPO 2 and also this one from USPTO 3
This site also is rich with highly educative content on this subject e.g 4. Please search tab related to question to find them out.


Why is there a difference between my reputations in the menu bar and whats in My Communities list?

Question: Right now I am confused with the fact that I have 237 points or reputations I am seeing at the top right of the Database Administrators forum, but in YOUR COMMUNITIES list it says 172.
Comment: This was driving me nuts this morning on how I suddenly had more rep without any records of upvotes, etc.  Thanks for asking the question!
Comment: @JohnEisbrener, I can relate, it was driving me nuts as well. I saw on `dba.stackexchange` and `stackoverflow`. It was well received here but on SO, wow they tore me a new one for having banner blindness. I am only human, after hours of looking at code, yeah I guess my eyes go blind to content I was not looking for, I get subjective vision, ha! You are welcome, I am glad it helped.
Comment: imo, there should be some notation of the scoring change in the rep tab linking to the blog post.  They do it with deleted users, so I can't imagine that small UI tweak would have been all that hard, but what do I know...
Answer: I am just guessing but it seems to me this is a caching issue. The recent move to double the reward for questions means for you that your reputation on this site should increase by 65 points, based on the number of your questions and their current score. That is exactly the difference between the numbers 172 and 237 that you are (were) observing. I suspect the numbers in the Your Community list are fetched from a separate storage that is updated on a schedule, while the actual rep that you can see in the top bar is meant to update immediately. By this point I would expect the numbers to be identical.
Comment: @Daniel: It's nice to receive such an appreciation but it's also sad that we are at a point when a perfectly regular (in terms of its tone) answer should even be perceived as particularly civil. The move in question as well as the big ongoing issue that started earlier may have made a lot of people more uptight and jumpy, I guess, but it's still sad.
Comment: thank you for your civility. I asked the same question on Stack Overflow meta and was downvoted out of existence because of my banner blindness. Yep, that's me, after looking at code for hours, my eyes just blank out I guess. What can I say I am a human being and not a bot.
Comment: oh yes, the move with the recalculation has left some people betrayed, especially on the original SO. I do understand their reasoning as I have always found myself defending SO from certain developers who have said to me that an employer would just see us as having too much time on our hands. It's a sad comment to make, especially when one of these engineers who made it, is self-employed. We are not automatons, we have family and friends, we should have time on our hands and if we are using it for our craft, one would think its a plus for hiring.
Comment: Anyway, this move is seen by many as devaluing SO as being a place that properly captures one skill level based on reputation feedback from our peers. While I am not personally betrayed by it, the decision could give fuel to those who say they were right, it does not measure skill level, its just a bunch of guys with too much time on their hands...super insulting, that comment itself makes me angry.


Corrupt files in microSD - How to know if files are damaged?

Question: I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 with a 4GB Kingston microSD.
This microSD has only a few files (that I can remember) - visible both in PC and in file manager (default app) in the smartphone:

Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force 5.iso (1.6 GB - for PPSSPP Emulator).
Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force 5.cso (1.5 GB - for PPSSPP Emulator).
Folder "DIR" - 0 files in it.
Folder "Music" - 73 .mp3 files.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories.iso (495 mb - for ePSXe Emulator).

Background
In previous ocassions, the PPSSPP emulator didn't read the .ISO file (and I though it was the .ISO file), so, I compress the .ISO file in a .CSO file which I read in formus that is recongized by the PPSSPP emulator, however, the .CSO file was also not recognized and the app freezes.
Trying discarging both files, I used the emulator in my PC and all works well, so, I decided to move all my Music "73 .mp3 files" to the "microSD". After the music files where there, I use the default music player, but most of the files (when trying to play "random") says: not supported and skips until it finds a .mp3 file "apparentely" not corrupted or ends playing abruptly.
Even some .mp3 files plays for a few minutes, ends abruptly and search other random .mp3 file.
What have I tried?

Scan for viruses the microSD.
Download from other sites the ISO files.
Format the microSD "via the available option in the Samsung Galaxy and vía PC (right click > Format device)".
Following this answer I downloaded (SD Card Formatter 5.0.1), but the formatting process failed for both format options (quick and overwrite).

For me, it this weird how this microSD can corrupt files (most of them) and not others. Also, my goal is use the microSD for storage games that I can use with the PPSSPP emulator "mostly, Yu-Gi-Oh! games".
I'll replace my microSD, but, before to do that, I want to know:

Is there a way to activate a log file in Android for check wheter are files corrupted or missing?
What resources or what else can I do for save the 4GB microSD for use as I intend to do?
Answer: Few things you can try:
Use fsck to check and repair bad blocks How do I check bad sector on my android with ADB recovery mode?
(alternatively follow this guide for FAT formatted cards)
Obviously, both need root, you could also try to run it from a regular Linux box.
And finally, how to run scripts on boot and use logcat perhaps to view the results. I would think that Android already does this check automatically, but...


Al Jazeera sports application geolocation problems for iPad

Question: I have an app for Al Jazeera sports. I have a subscription with them on the app, and now I'm going to the USA to study and I need to watch the games on my iPad since I'll have no TV access when the games are played. Is there a tweak that I can do through iFile to trick the app to think that I am in the Middle East? It works if I change the IP address to a Saudi web proxy, but its not reliable, not always online, and becomes slower. If you want to test the application, you'll need to get it from a middle eastern Apple Store.
Answer: If the Al Jazeera apps determines your location based on your IP address (which seems to be the case), the only way to circumvent this check is by using a proxy or VPN connection with an IP address in an allowed range.


Recurring Notifications Problem

Question: I have an HTC One M8 running Android KitKat 4.4.4, HTC Sense version 6.0. I've owned the phone since Dec. 30, 2014.
Not sure how, or why, but about 3 days after purchase, I started to have a problem with notifications, regardless of whether the phone was set to silent, sound, or vibrate. If I don't address a new notification the moment comes in, my phone proceeds to vibrate every 3 minutes until I can get to the notification (I teach all day, so I can't get to my phone). As you can imagine, this is quite frustrating.
I have gone through every setting on every app (installed or purchased) four times to ensure the vibration setting is shut off. I have done a factor reset, and put my backup on the phone. I do not have a purchased app giving me notification reminders. I have contacted HTC for device support, spent 4 hours with them, and they have suggested I send my phone in. Not a fan of that.
This seems really similar to a setting on iPhone which allows you to set when you want to be reminded of missed notifications. I just can't seem to find where to shut it off on this device.
TIA for any help/advice.
Comment: May have this figured out. In the Settings menu, under Accessibility, there is a setting for notification reminders. So far all seems to be working well.
Answer: go to setting > accessibility > notification reminder.
Comment: You should edit existing answers, not just create a new one. This is a Question and Answer site, not a forum.

Recurring Notifications Problem


Is a Canadian TFSA similar to an American Roth IRA?

Question: Canada never used to have a "pay tax now, but don't pay tax later" investment option, until 2009 when the TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account) was created.  Is this fundamentally the same as a US Roth IRA?  e.g. can I read American investment advice and mentally substitute "TFSA" when I read about IRAs?  Is there any subtle difference I should be aware of?
Answer: The closest American thing to Canadian TFSA were the Lifetime Savings Accounts (LSA) proposed during the first term of George W. Bush administration.  LSA had many features of TFSA: after-tax contributions with an annual limit, tax-sheltered growth, tax-free withdrawals of both contributions and earnings at any time.
(The proposal was never enacted - here's a politically-neutral explanation: LSA amounted to a tax cut on investment income and, considering the cost of tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 and two wars, it was very difficult for the Congress to pass such a proposal.)
Without LSA, Roth IRA is the closest thing.  There is one important difference.  From Roth IRA, you can only withdraw contributions in nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.  Earnings can be withdrawn without penalty only in retirement.  This condition makes Roth IRA suitable primarily for retirement savings.
TFSA, due to their tax-free withdrawals, are suitable for saving and investment of any time horizon, from long-term retirement investing to saving for the next major purchase (car, appliances, or home improvement).
Answer: The fundamental idea is the same, so most of the time you can read "TFSA" when someone writes "Roth IRA," particularly when the topic is which option is a more tax efficient option in the long term.
However, the TFSA is more flexible, and it may be appropriate to use in cases where a Roth IRA is not.  When you withdraw money from a TFSA, you regain your contribution room the next year.  I believe this is not the case with the Roth IRA.  Also, unused contribution room in the TFSA carries forward, while it does not with the Roth IRA.  I also believe there are some rules about Roth IRA contributions having to stay invested for 5 years before the earnings can be withdrawn tax-free, but I'm not too sure on the details of that.  Either way, there is not restriction in the TFSA.
Answer: I believe you also have to be making income to qualify for contributing to a ROTH IRA and income that you have paid tax on through the year. US schemes alway seem to involve an employee i.e. the power to allow these things to flow through an employer in some way.


Is the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 brick waterproof?

Question: I am trying to build a ROV (Remotely operated underwater vehicle) with LEGO Mindstorms Ev3. Is it waterproof?
Answer: No, the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 is NOT waterproof. Any electronic product that is capable of being immersed in water will clearly state in the packaging/manual the level of water protection provided. This may be in the form of an IP Code:

Ingress Protection Marking, classifies and rates the degree of
  protection provided against the intrusion (including body parts such
  as hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water by
  mechanical casings and electrical enclosures.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
However, it is possible to contain the EV3 brick within a waterproof case, there are already many cases available suited to Smartphones, Tablets, Cameras and other Digital devices.

If your remotely operated underwater vehicle requires some form of propulsion (perhaps from a propeller powered by a EV3 motor) then you may required to make some alterations to the case. Any physical alteration will compromise the waterproofing and safety of the protective case. Do so at your own risk.
Comment: If you intend on building a NXT submarine, check out these projects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYT3hTpNT4E and http://hackaday.com/2012/08/14/lego-rov-without-a-tether/


How to finish wood in the winter?

Question: If you want to stain and varnish indoor wood furniture during the winter, how do you do it?
It's below freezing outdoors, but I don't want fumes to accumulate in the house.
Answer: In the past what I have done is to isolate 1 room, generally in the basement, increase the heat to that room and open the window while running a fan.  In general, once I've closed the can and am only waiting for the piece to dry the fumes tend to get much less noticeable and I can start closing the window.
This method doesn't prevent fumes from reaching other rooms, since they can travel through the ducts or even under the door, and so on, but you can reduce those fumes by closing the house ducts to that room, putting a towel over registers/returns/bottom of door.
With this method you'll want a heater for the room.  I've used electric oil filled heaters but you'll just want to keep in mind that the fumes can be flammable, so keep your venting method running.
Comment: I have seen people use box fans with furnace filters as well in this scenario.
Answer: I usually stain or apply brushed or rolled on finishes inside. Spray finishes I do in the garage, but quickly, then I immediately bring things inside to dry in an isolated room (usually the master bedroom, which has an attached bathroom.) I leave the fan on in the bathroom, which pulls the fumes out. If you're spraying from rattlecans or a gun, it's important to keep the materials inside until you're ready to spray, or they'll go on strangely because they're cold and sluggish. Your compressor needs to be outside though or you'll get serious amounts of condensation in the air lines.
Answer: I have a huge problem with paint and stain fumes. I love these projects but the fumes really get to me.
Today I found a good solution. I am very proud. Like said above, put the done woods in a closed room and close off the heater vent in that room. Use a fan and open a window. What I did was add a fragrance oil burning kit. The room will smell pleasant.
Note: always wear protective glasses and mask when painting + staining. You will be less dizzy than me when you are done.
Comment: Probably not a good idea to have a naked flame in a closed room with those fumes coming off the wood.

How to finish wood in the winter?


Is there a tool that can convert a huge .xml file to its corresponding YANG model?

Question: I have a huge .xml file with millions of rows and I want to transform it to a YANG model. Is there a tool that can solve this problem?
Answer: YANG has an XML representation, so you're transforming one XML vocabulary to another and the typical tool for that is XSLT. How difficult it is depends on how much difference there is between the two vocabularies. "Millions of rows" sounds like it might be less than 100Mb in which case conventional XSLT processing is quite feasible; if it's more than that, then you might be able to use streamed XSLT processing (requires XSLT 3.0) but whether that's feasible depends on the complexity of the transformation.


Traveling with a lot of luggage at Heathrow - getting help?

Question: I will arrive with 5 suitcases at Heathrow airport, I am alone, how do I get help to transport it all through customs?
Comment: There's been some [discussion](http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/45652/traveling-with-a-lot-of-luggage/45662?noredirect=1#comment86496_45662) about the intent of your question; specifically, whether you'd like the *help* of a porter, or whether you'd like some tips on carrying a bunch of bags. If you would be so kind as to [edit] your question to clarify your intent, that would be awesome. Have a great flight!
Comment: @Lohoris Why? Many people working abroad go back to their country of origin with a huge load of presents.
Comment: Related: wouldn't be carrying 5 suitcases sound suspicious? What could be done to avoid it? Might be worth asking this question.
Answer: There is a Heathrow Porter service for luggage:

Heathrow porters are at your service to help with luggage. The service
  costs from £9 for a standard amount of luggage.
Porters are available on terminal forecourts and in baggage reclaim
  halls.
On your departure they will meet you and your party on the forecourt
  and escort your luggage to the check-in desk.
On your return journey they will meet you and your party by the
  carousel and take you and your luggage to a point of transport or a
  waiting relative.
Contact us and booking
Website: heathrow.com/upgrade
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Telephone: +44 (20) 8745 6011

You can book one directly on that site.
Comment: They wait in a roughly central place in the baggage claim hall, by the carousels, before customs. They are definitely in a customs controlled space. They wear red and are fairly easy to spot when you descend from passport control
Comment: I'm suspicious of that "at the carousel" statement - is that intended to be for international incoming flights? - where you'd still be in custom controlled space?
Comment: @RussellMcMahon it's a quote from their site, I can't tell you more than that :/
Comment: Although from memory, it's in the secure area, so they may have clearance. Wouldn't be the first airport I've seen that happen.
Comment: That's what those guys wearing red are doing!
Answer: You could pay for a porter, like Mark Mayo suggested, but I would personally rather use a baggage cart, or trolley, even if I had to pay for one. According to Heathrow's website, they're free to use in Heathrow airport.

Baggage trolleys are provided for your use free of charge in key areas
around the terminal buildings.
Arriving passengers will find plenty of
trolleys in baggage reclaim, and these can be taken to the car park,
bus station or rail station access points.
Trolleys are also provided
on the departures concourse. Please note that they can't be taken
through security control.
In the interests of safety, please don't let
children ride on the trolleys.

They should look something like this:

(from Wikipedia)
Depending on the size of your bags, you should be able to fit all or most of your bags on the cart, if you're careful; the one or two that don't fit can either get their own cart, or can be towed by hand. Done!
Comment: @BurhanKhalid To me obtaining a cart sounds like a lot of *help* compared to carrying five suitcases on my own.
Comment: @BurhanKhalid I don't understand why you can't pile 5 bags on a trolley, if you're careful...even 3 or 4, and wheel the rest with the other hand. That's what I'd do...or am I missing something else? I don't see what being alone has to do with the problem.
Comment: I think you forgot this key part of the question *how do I get help*
Comment: It may be that the person is not physically capable of moving the luggage (for example, they may be suffering from a bad back); it may be that they need help because they are traveling with little children or any number of reasons. The point is the person is specifically asking for **help**.
Comment: I see your point now, @BurhanKhalid ....I saw an earlier revision of your first comment. I think you have a good point....though the OP's intent is still a bit unclear. If they'd like to edit their question to include what their problem is (*likely not little children, if they're travelling alone*), then we'd be in a better position to judge the worth of my answer. I won't delete it just yet, in case it's of use to the OP anyway. Thanks!
Answer: Two people have suggested that porters are available AT the luggage carousel.
But I'd be surprised if porters are allowed t be in the customs controlled area for international flights.
If so, problem solved, if $ cost is OK.
However, I'd strongly expect that a lady travelling alone who could not manage to fit all bags on one trolley, would attract offers of assistance from a number of people if seen struggling to push two carts at once. You'd get my help (as would anyone in that situation) and I'd expect an adequate number of equally helpful people on most flights.
Failing that - I suspect that asking the cabin staff at point of departure from the aircraft would result in some sort of assistance.
I know I could fit 5 bags of any size on any trolley - but most people stand clear
when they see me coming at the best of times :-). If I knew I HAD to do this I'd take a roll of parcel tape (which I usually carry anyway) to assist me in fitting 5 bags on one trolley. It would look unusual, but it would work if they did not fit stably by themselves. I also use tape with "ocean jumping bags" as required - see below.

Portable self help: When making international hops and luggage refuses to tidily fit into 'normal' cases my family uses what we term "Ocean Jumping bags". That's just a fun name for 'anything cheap light and BIG that you can rapidly fit lots and lots of stuff into" - so these can be anything that works, BUT ours usually look like this the picture below.
In many countries you can buy large flexible polyester (I think) zipped bags that are "strong enough" but which provide minimal protection for contents by themselves. However, you can fit two or maybe three largish "ordinary bags inside one of these and push various bits and pieces around the bags - which makes fitting things on trolleys and keeping them together that much easier. I may tape the filled bag with parcel tape as required to stop it being too floppy. Pretty they are not - but they serve the need very well indeed.  You can even, if you really have to, drag one of these along a floor or even smooth concrete without damage to the bags inside. (Don't overdo it).
I have described ocean jumping bag use in more detail in my answer to this question - but this is what typical ones look like.

Larger version here
Comment: I would be cautious about accepting help from a random person for any distance, due to the possibility of theft.  In some areas (Chicago's airports, for example), this is expressly illegal (while they probably wouldn't say anything for someone just helping with bags for a second, it is illegal to offer, technically) for this reason.
Comment: Porters at Heathrow are inside the customs area (wearing red, with trolleys, and with ID badges)
Comment: Hmmm. The phantom downvoter strikes (~= May 8th). They obviously have an 'interesting' view of what constitutes "useful".


Is it possible to group several objects and then manipulate them (scale, rotate, translate) as one?

Question: I've never been quite able to figure out how groups work in Blender (at least not since 2.5/6x). Is it possible to group several objects and then manipulate them (scale, rotate, translate) as one?
Answer: Groups in itself are not that useful. You cannot directly manipulate a group of objects as one object. Although groups make it easier to select objects with Shift + G.
The real power of a group comes from instancing and dynamic linking. Which I will explain:
Instancing:
Once you've created a group, you can instantiate this group elsewhere in the scene by Add>Group Instance. This saves you the trouble of creating literal duplicates of your objects. Consider a city scene, I might have a number of objects that makes up a car model. By grouping these objects into a group, I can place a car group instance anywhere in the scene with very little overhead.
Dynamic Linking:
In many ways, dynamic linking is an extension of instancing. The only difference is that we are using a group from another blend file(often called a library). Dynamic linking is a very useful feature in a large production, because it allows larger scenes to be broken up in smaller chunks. (managed by different people)
Comment: This does not answer the question. It alludes to useful methods but does not actually say how to transform multiple objects together.
Comment: Oh cool. The only use i'd found for groups is batch exporting different sets of objects to different fbxes for build stages and variants; missed all the in-blender uses of them.
Comment: Which menu/keyboard commands are used for dynamic linking?
Answer: Grouping in Blender doesn't work like it does in many other apps. See Mike Pan's answer.
Manipulating:
To "group several objects and then manipulate them (scale, rotate, translate) as one", Just select them by selecting one of the grouped objects an pressing ShiftG> Group, then manipulate them.
Note the different Pivot point settings will change the way this behaves:

Active element: Transform around the active (last selected, with a yellow outline) object center.

Median point: Transform around the center of all the selected object centers. (This is most likely the behavior you are looking for, treating the selected objects as one object)

Individual origins: Transform each object separately around it's own center origin.

3D cursor: Transform the selected objects around the 3D cursor.

Bounding box center: Transform selected objects around the center of the bounds of all the selected objects.

Parenting:
To "group" object as in "the other apps" you can use parenting.
Parent them to an empty (CtrlP). It can be practical, but it is not an orthodox use and can cause some problems, for example in animation.
Joining:
You can also join multiple objects to make a single new object (CtrlJ), but keep in mind it can be unpleasant to separate them later if you connect them with edges or faces, otherwise you can use P> By loose parts.
Comment: It seems like virtually every well established concept is somehow fcked up in Blender
Answer: Yes, it is possible.  As Mike Pan wrote, making a group itself is not useful to transform several objects as one object, but if you make a group in a separate scene (or a separate blend file) and add an instance of the group to the current scene, you can transform these objects as one object.  That is, you do not transform a group as one object, but you transform a group instance as one object.
But it may be more convenient to use parenting than a group instance if the sole purpose is to transform several objects as one.  For example, add an empty and set it as the parent of the objects you want to treat as one.  Then transforming the parent will transform its children together.  The difference from instantiating a group is that it is easy also to edit individual objects if you want to, because the individual objects are also in the same scene.
Answer: When all group parts are selected (e.g. select one group member, press ShiftG select 'Group'):
Use the hotkeys for grab/move G, scale S and rotate R to apply these modifications to all of the group parts at once.
Answer: Ctrl + P and parent, very useful thing that I use to group objects like lamps
Comment: Parenting was already mentioned. however if you want more info about parenting read [my answer here](http://blender.stackexchange.com/a/26109/2217).


Which download do I choose to install VirtualBox on Linux Mint?

Question: I want to install VirtualBox on my Linux Mint machine (so that Mint is the host), but on the downloads page I don't see any distributions for Mint. I know Mint is Debian-based, but not sure what to do. Does VirtualBox not exist for Mint? If so, why?!? If it does exist, why don't I see anything for Mint on that downloads page?
Answer: The easiest method is to use the Package Manager built into Mint.  The icon is a 4 pointed yellow star (well, in v13 it is) in the menu.  Start up Package Manager and type VirtualBox into the search, and you will see it.  This will not necessarily install the most current version of VirtualBox, however it will install the latest stable release - which is probably all you need.
Answer: Like you said Linux Mint is derived from Debian and has a ubuntu edition and a debian edition based on debian test engine. You are good to download either ubuntu or debian links because mint is with debian packaging system dpkg. Downloads on websites may not specify linux mint.
To find out which release you are in, you can try this in your terminal.
<code>cat /etc/*-release
</code>


Honda Tyre Size and Numbers

Question: I have just purchased a used Honda Accord Euro 2005. I did not check the tyre number while purchasing. Yesterday one the tyres was bursted. Then I matched the tyre number mentioned in the door of the car and actually installed tyres. The recommended tyre numbers on the door were 205/55R16 91V ans 225/45R17 91W however, the tyre number of installed tyres was 215/40zr17. What do you recommend? Should I install 215/40zr17 or should I change all the four tyres? Additionally please let me know what is difference between 91V and 91W on tyres number. Thanks
Answer: You should check the rim size, which I would assume to be 17".
The previous owner fitted a tire which was slightly narrower than specified - this will not usually make a difference.
The 91V and 91W are speed and load ratings - there are many tire shops etc detailing these details, but you should match what is fitted on the vehicle.
Here is but one site showing that information :
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35
Comment: The side profile is also smaller than the spec from the door jamb sticker. This means that overall, his wheels + tires are smaller than those sizes. But, I still agree, OP should just get another tire that is the same size as the current ones. If he has extra money to spare, he could get a new set of 4 that comply with the 225/45R17 spec.

Honda Tyre Size and Numbers


Connect my mobile phone as modem?

Question: I have mobile phone "Sony Ericsson C510", i can connect the phone via cable as modem and through Windows7 i can make it connect to internet via phone connection.
Can i do that in Ubuntu?
notice my phone have option when i connect them called "Other OS E.g Mac, Linux"
Comment: Can't you see somewhere (on your phone, Windows, manual, ...) what protocol it uses to connect?
Answer: If the phone is supported as-is (which it should be, given that other people tried the same thing a while ago, when you connect the phone it should be possible to configure it as a modem.
It's possible that Network Manager will detect the phone, and give you an option when you left-click on its icon in the system tray. Otherwise, you could try right-clicking, click "edit connections", choose the "mobile broadband" tab, and click Add. If your phone has been detected it will show up in the list, then you just need to enter the settings specific to your provider.
Answer: If you can configure the phone Connection type, set it to Data Connection. THe phone will be detected as a Mobile Broadband Device. Then right click the Connections, browse to the mobile connection, edit it, and enter the username and password.

Connect my mobile phone as modem?


What reasons make enthusiastic members not being active?

Question: I am a novice in community building, and am managing a group of ~8 volunteers for a nonprofit plan that I initiated. The group is running via Facebook chat. I understand that leader should be active, but what I don't understand is why enthusiastic members aren't active at all. Because they express that they really like to join the plan, they should be active as well? Or is it really necessary to ping every individual member to get their response? Why can't their enthusiasm replace my individual pinging?
Comment: Keep in mind, although a user might support your ideals and plan, they also have real lives, places to be in the real world. They cant be on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to reply to you. I'm managing a 200+ user community for a nonprofit fangame, and Its successful because we respect each users culture, time zone, ideals and activity, which includes the amount of time they are online. Giving your community members their own freedoms is very important.
Comment: I understand. This is why I ask this question. There are surely successful volunteering projects that no one is paid? Or it's all come down to the number of volunteers?
Answer:
I understand that leader should be active

Yes, however beware of your activity. For nonprofits over 200 volunteers and various projects, it is impossible to handle every detail. Therefore it is important to have middle management reporting to you.
Communication is key and it should be adjusted to the various levels of the organisation.

why enthusiastic members aren't active at all

There are only 24 hours in a day and people have lives outside their projects.
Projects where people don't benefit financially from it are harder to manage the various types of commitments.
If one was paying for 8H/Day one would already know that one could expect. In nonprofit's it is different, specially on the beginning when one doesn't have room for hiring hands.
And for that, communication is key. Talk with each member and understand their commitment, how much time can they commit to the organisation/project weekly/daily (not that this may also vary, but it serves as baseline).
Finally, I suggest you to be patient and appreciate every help people give.
Answer: In my experience, people are seeking leadership, organization and delegation of work, at least initially, to build motivation and momentum to start experiencing success as a group. Help them see the value of investing a wee bit of Individual effort and subsequently experience some collective success as a team.


2002 Mercury Mountaineer V8 4.6 2W Drive

Question: While driving on freeway going 75 MPH using cruise control, my engine stops running. I still have lights and power but no power steering or power brakes because engine was off. I put it in neutral and coasted off freeway and into gas station. Tried to start it but it would only click once. Took out the alternator had it tested and it failed, so I replaced the alternator. Tried to start it and only hear a click, even with jumper cables it would not turn over. Any ideas what might be wrong?
I had my battery tested it is good.
Comment: The alternator being junk caused the car to kill the battery, so when you tried to jump start it you blew out one of the cells, test the battery. If it reads less than 10 volts. Chances are the battery is junk... only charge a dead battery... jump starting a battery with <80% charge is risky
Answer: @hellomoto is right with his comments: with the alternator gone out, the battery was run down to the point where it's not going to start the vehicle, let alone run it.
Whether or not the battery is a complete waste is yet to be seen. What you need to do is get the battery onto a charger (2A charge rate) and see if it will take a charge. Running a battery down to where it won't run the vehicle is not good for it, and will have shortened its lifespan. Putting a charger on there is going to either give it the charge or it won't. Before you lay out the cash for a new one, this is the right first step.


If the husband is fasting for Ramadan and the wife is not fasting, is it permissible to have sex?

Question: If the husband is fasting for Ramadan and the wife is not fasting, is it permissible to have sexual intercourse without ejaculation? If anyone did like that due to misguidance, what is the rule in Islam?
Answer: Three points must be considered:

If there has been intercourse with penetration then that would invalidate fast no matter if there was an ejaculation or not as it is haram (by Quran and sunna which explains why this verse have been revealed) to have intercourse (with penetration) while fasting.
If there was only fondling or any kind of intimacy without penetration then the fast is valid, as long as there is no ejaculation (See for example this fatwa).
If he didn't know it is/was haram or forget that he was fasting, then according to this fatwa in Arabic he should complete his day and there's nothing to do for him except repenting. This fatwa is based on qiyas on people who ate or drunk forgetfully while fasting according the sahih hadith or on the more general statement of this hadith.
Note that if  any of them were fasting and knew the rule and did this bad deed by intention, they would need to re-fast that day and perform a kafara (freeing a Muslim and if this isn't possible to them, fasting two consecutive months, or feeding 60 poor Muslims if they couldn't fast two successive months).

And Allah knows best!
Answer:
Husband in fasting and wife is not fasting, then is it allowed to do
  sexual intercourse without ejaculation.

In this case, the husband's fast will be broken. Sexual intercourse during the day in Ramadan (while fasting) is haram. The fast is broken even if he didn't ejaculate.

If any one did like that due to misguidance, what is the rule in
  Islam.

There is no sin on him. If someone commits a sin without knowing that it is a sin, he will not be accountable for it.
Answer: If husband/wife is in fast then only his/her fast will be broken. But the patience will be beneficial. If you can't then the fast of that person will be broken.
If a you did it in any misguidance then you have not done any sin because it is clear in Islam that "if you do something wrong and you don't know about the sin then it is not sin but if you know that it is sin and you do it then you have done sin"
Answer: Praise be to Allah.
Intercourse during the day in Ramadaan is haram for men and women alike, who are obliged to fast during the day.


SPI Interfacing of MCP3903 with Raspberry pi Python Library

Question: MCP-3903 is a 6-channel synchronous 16-bit ADC.I have done the wiring of MCP-3903 i.e connected SCK,SDO & SDI with SPI_CLCK,SPI_MISO , SPI_MOSI of R pi, now I wanted to write a python program to read data from this 16-Bit ADC. Kindly help in finding the appropriate Python library for SPI interfacing of this IC.
Comment: What's wrong with the plain 'ol [spidev](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/spidev)?
Comment: Thanks, nothing is wrong with it. Actually I am new at Python so I didn't know that this library is available in python..
Answer: There doesn't appear to be a great deal of choice on the Pi.
The Python spidev module is the obvious choice for Python.  https://github.com/doceme/py-spidev seems to be the one mainly used on the Pi.
The only other choice I'm aware of (apart from bit banging) is my own pigpio Python module.  See spi_open.
An advantage of my module is that it supports both the standard (2 channels) and auxiliary (3 channels) SPI peripherals on the recent Pis, and it works over the network.
Answer: There are two popular approaches to using the Raspberry Pi to drive a SPI interface: you can either use Hardware SPI, or you could use bit-banged SPI.
MCP3903
No matter whether you use Hardware SPI or bit-banged SPI, you'll need to connect some pins of the MCP3903 to your processor.
As you've probably already figured out, you need to connect several pins of that chip to the Raspberry Pi:

MCP3903 pin 17 and pin 18 to Rasp GND -- "AGND ... must be connected to the same ground as DGND"; p. 15.
MCP3903 pin 26 SDI to Rasp SPI_MOSI
MCP3903 pin 25 SDO to Rasp SPI_MISO
MCP3903 pin 24 SCK to Rasp SPI_CLK
MCP3903 pin 23 nCS to some Rasp GPIO pin, perhaps "CE0_N" (some SPI devices work with their nCS tied to ground, but it appears that at least some features of the MCP3903 require a processor to drive the nCS high and low at the appropriate times)
MCP3903 pin 28 DVDD to Rasp 3V3 (or some other 3.3 V power)
MCP3903 pin 1 AVDD to Rasp 5V Power (or some other 5 V power) -- "Proper decoupling capacitors (0.1 µF ceramic and 10 µF tantalum) should be mounted as
close as possible to the AVDD pin" p. 28
MCP3903 pin nRESET to some Rasp GPIO pin (it is unclear if tying this pin to GND will work)
(optional) MCP3903 pin 18 nDRA to some Rasp GPIO pin to detect the data ready status (apparently you could leave nDRA unconnected, and read the same status bit through SPI communications).

You'll want to read the MCP3903 datasheet to see if I got any of the above wrong, and for many other tips.
Hardware SPI
In principle, any one of these tutorials should have all the information you need.
In practice, different people find different tutorials more or less understandable.

"Simple SPI on Raspberry Pi"
"Enabling The SPI Interface On The Raspberry Pi"
"SpiDev Documentation for Raspberry Pi"
"Python, SPI and spidev"
"Introduction to Raspberry Pi: Serial Peripheral Interface"

While it's far more complicated than what you need, you might like to check out how people drive other SPI devices using Python on a Raspberry Pi -- many programmers find it easier to start with code does a lot more that more than they want, and then trim it down:

"SSD1306 OLED Displays with Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black" and in particular the SSD1306.py source code
"User-space SPI TFT Python Library - ILI9341" and in particular the ILI9341.py source code

Bit-banged SPI

bit-banged SPI in Python for Raspberry Pi

related

" How to access SPI on Raspberry Pi B+ "
"How to Increase SPI Clock Speed in Python for the Raspberry Pi"


Picklist value available for selection on change of record type

Question: There is a custom object "XYZ" which has a picklist field "F1" with values 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13. There are two record types "A" and "B". For A, F1 has 1,2,3 set and for B, F1 has 11, 12, 13 set. User A creates a record R1 for XYZ with record type A and the value for F1 is 1. Now, the admin changes the record type of record R1 to B and then he sees the value 1 still in the picklist F1 while the available values should be 11, 12, 13. Is there a way so that the inapplicable value is not shown on record type change?
Comment: Are you asking if the value should be changed automatically or if it should stay the same, but just not show up in the picklist?
Answer: Actually you have two options to prevent situations as you have described.
First option is to create validation rule on XYZ object that will check is value in picklist is related to record type. Follow the example:
OR(
AND(
    RecordType.Name = 'A',
    OR(
        ISPICKVAL(F1__c, '11'),
        ISPICKVAL(F1__c, '12'),
        ISPICKVAL(F1__c, '13')
    )
),
AND(
    RecordType.Name = 'B',
    OR(
        ISPICKVAL(F1__c, '1'),
        ISPICKVAL(F1__c, '2'),
        ISPICKVAL(F1__c, '3')
    )
)

)
Second option is using Workflow Rule that will run everytime when user changes record type of XYZ object.
Follow the rule criteria:
ISCHANGED(RecordType)

This workflow should execute field update that will set picklist value. It is very easy to create it. During creation of workflow you should add new action, choose field update as a action type and select field to update (your picklist F1). You should be able to set this value to '-- None --'.
If you want set it to first value that is related to record type, you have to create workflow rules for each record type. Each of them will be fired when user changes record type to value that is handled by workflow.
Answer: A validation rule could prevent the recordtype change if the picklists are not changed to applicable values.
This works as long as you keep the validation rule updated on every recordtype & picklist modification.
Answer: I think that only way is to update this field either by workflow or by trigger.
That's because picklist is in fact some text field.
You could think about 2 field set, one for each recordtype, and check in trigger if current value belongs to recordType if it doesn't put for example ' ---- None --- '.
This solution allows you to change record Type without causing any error.
If you don't mind force user to set proper value you can use validation rule or validation in code.
Answer: For these cases, my advise would be to empty these fields on-change of the record type.
You can do this through a regular workflow that's triggered on change of the record type.
This is offcourse only possible if you don't have any validation rules in place that make the field required.
Another option that I would think of is to streamline the process of changing the recordtype through a visual flow.
There, you could make the user who changes the recordtype aware that he also needs to update this picklist field value.
Answer: One suggestion, in the success community, is to use a custom button to change your record type, set the fields to --None-- and then take the user to the edit page.
https://success.salesforce.com/answers?id=90630000000hYosAAE
Answer: Use Priorvalue function in validation rule.
Here is the example of formula,
AND(IsChanged(RecordTypeId), TEXT("field_api_name") == TEXT(PRIORVALUE( "field_api_name" )))
You can use multiple picklist values in this formula.


What is the most lucid, intuitive explanation for the various FTs - CFT, DFT, DTFT and the Fourier Series?

Question: Even after having studied these for quite sometime, I tend to forget (if I'm out of touch for a while) how they are related to each other and what each stands for (since they have such similar sounding names). I'm hoping you'd come up with an explanation that is so intuitive and mathematically beautiful that they'll get embedded into my memory forever and this thread will serve as a super quick refresher whenever I (or anyone else) needs it.
Comment: Probably should start with the Fourier series
Comment: Are you familiar with Pontryagin duality?
Comment: "Steve on Image Processing": [Fourier transforms](http://blogs.mathworks.com/steve/2009/11/23/fourier-transforms) addresses exactly this question.
Comment: I don't when to rewrite an answer here (unless required to). Yet, a possible answer is given in [Can I study continuous time Fourier Transform and treat the rest as special cases](https://dsp.stackexchange.com/a/34739/15892) following the  Pontryagin duality track proposed by @LoremIpsum
Comment: @yoda - No. Could you please elaborate or point me to some good references? [I'll of course google it out.]
Answer: I wrote this handout as a complement to Oppenheim and Willsky. Please take a look at Table 4.1 on page 14, reproduced below. (Click for larger image.) I wrote that table specifically to answer questions such as yours.

Note the similarities and differences among the four operations:

"Series": periodic in time, discrete in frequency
"Transform": aperiodic in time, continuous in frequency
"Continuous Time": continuous in time, aperiodic in frequency
"Discrete Time": discrete in time, periodic in frequency

I hope you find these notes helpful! Please feel free to distribute as you wish.
Comment: A great response Steve - I believe this is what the OP is looking for. Short, sweet, and to the point.
Comment: Good summary. Note that the "Discrete Time Fourier Series" referenced in the table above is typically referred to as the discrete Fourier transform (DFT).
Comment: Not a misprint. Both of your statements are true, but I intended to write the first one because that section of the guide describes the basic, axiomatic definitions of the unit impulse. The second statement is then derived from those definitions: $\int_{\infty}^{\infty} x(t)\delta(t-t_0) dt = \int_{\infty}^{\infty} x(t_0)\delta(t-t_0) dt = x(t_0) \int_{\infty}^{\infty} \delta(t-t_0) dt = x(t_0)$.
Comment: To nitpick a little, this answer is indeed a good summary as Jason R says, and something that is worth having permanently on dsp.SE so that everyone can link to it for future reference, but it is not really responsive to the question which asked for an _intuitive_ explanation of these issues (lucidity presumably being an added bonus and not absolutely reqjuired since it is mentioned in the title but not in the text of the question).
Comment: Is it a misprint at the vary bottom of the page 2 of your handout? It's stated: $x(t)b(t-t_0)=x(t_0)b(t-t_0)$. Wasn't it meant $\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}x(t)b(t-t_0)dt = x(t_0)$?
Comment: I upvoted this, but it should list the names of the transforms of the four domain explicitly: • Continuous time, not periodic: **Fourier transform**; • Continuous time, periodic: **Fourier series**; • Discrete time, not periodic: **DTFT** ($z$-transform evaluated on unit circle in $\mathbb{C}$); Discrete time, periodic: **DFT** ($z$-transform evaluated on $n^{\textrm{th}}$ roots of unity in $\mathbb{C}$)
Comment: Hi steve, did you removed the notes because its showing error? Where i can find this?
Answer: For a lucid and correct explanation of these concepts, you would have to go through some of the standard textbooks (Oppenheim-Schafer, Proakis-Manolakis or "Understanding Digital Signal Processing" by Richard Lyons which is a very good but relatively less popular book). But assuming a coffee-table discussion, I will be making some extremely loose statements in what follows. :)
For a general continuous time signal, you wouldn't expect any particular frequency to be absent, so its Fourier Transform (or the Continuous Fourier Transform) would be a continuous curve with support possibly -inf to +inf.
For a periodic continuous signal (period T), Fourier expressed the signal as a combination of sines and cosines having the same period (T, T/2, T/3, T/4, ...). Effectively, the spectrum of this signal is a series of spikes at locations 1/T, 2/T, 3/T, 4/T, ... This is called the Fourier Series representation. There is a theorem that says that the Fourier series representation of any periodic continuous time signal converges to the signal as you include more and more sines and cosines (or complex exponentials) in the mean square sense.
Moral so far: periodicity in time => spiky spectrum
On to discrete time...
What happens if you sample a continuous time signal? It should be clear that for a sufficiently high signal, you wouldn't be able to reconstruct the signal. If you make no assumption about the frequencies in the signal, then given the sampled signal, there is no way you can say what the true signal is. In other words, different frequencies are represented equivalently in the discrete-time signal. Going through some math tells you that you can obtain the spectrum of the sampled signal from the original continuous signal. How? You shift the spectrum of the continuous time signal by amounts +-1/T, +-2/T, ... and add all the shifted copies (with some scaling). This gives you a continuous spectrum that's periodic with period 1/T. (note: the spectrum is periodic as a result of sampling in time, the time signal doesn't have to be periodic) Since the spectrum is continuous, you can as well represent it with just one of its periods. This is the DTFT ("Discrete-Time" Fourier Transform). In the case where your original continuous time signal has frequencies no higher than +-1/2T, the shifted copies of the spectrum don't overlap and hence, you can recover the original continuous-time signal by selecting one period of the spectrum (the Nyquist sampling theorem).
Another way to remember: spiky time signal => periodicity in spectrum
What happens if you sample a continuous-time periodic signal with sampling period T/k for some k? Well, the spectrum of the continuous-time signal was spiky to being with, and sampling it by some divisor of T means that the spikes in the shifted copies fall exactly on multiples of 1/T, so the resulting spectrum is a spiky periodic spectrum.
spiky periodic time signal <=> spiky periodic spectrum (assuming that the period and sampling frequency are "nicely related" as above.)
This is what is known as the DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform). FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) is a class of algorithms to compute the DFT efficiently.
The way DFT is invoked is as follows:  Say you want to analyze a sequence of N samples in time. You could take DTFT and deal with one of its periods, but if you assume that your signal is periodic with period N, then DTFT reduces to DFT and you have just N samples of one period of DTFT which completely characterize the signal. You can zero-pad the signal in time to get a finer sampling of the spectrum and (many more such properties).
All of the above is useful only if accompanied by a study of DSP. The above are just some very rough guidelines.
Answer: I just finished writing an expository note on this topic recently. I hope you would find it useful.
The link between Fourier transform (FT), Fourier series (FS), Discrete-Time Fourier Transform (DTFT) and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is actually hidden in the Poisson summation formula
$$
\sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty} f(x+nT) = \frac{1}{T} \sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty}\hat{f}\Bigl(\frac{n}{T}\Bigr) \mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i} 2\pi n x / T}.
$$
where
$$
\hat{f}(\xi)= \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(x) \mathrm{e}^{-\mathrm{i} 2\pi\xi x} \,\mathrm{d}x
$$
is the Fourier transform of a signal $f(x)$.
I really think the formula deserves more attention in the DSP community. It is much easier to justify rigorously than the approach using the Dirac comb (impulse train) distribution. The following will be a summary of most of the big ideas, but I would suggest you read the notes directly, because I spent way too much time typesetting it :).
The left-hand side of the formula
$$
\sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty} f(x+nT)
$$
is a periodization of $f$ with period $T$. If you are familiar with the Dirac delta distribution, it is the same as convolving $f$ with a $T$-periodic impulse train (can you see why?).
On the right-hand side,
$$
\hat{f}\Bigl(\frac{n}{T}\Bigr)
$$
is a sampling of the spectrum $\hat{f}$ with sampling period $\frac{1}{T}$.
The formula might be very confusing at first, but it should be much clearer when we summarize it into a diagram.

Essentially, the Poisson summation formula tells us that, when we take the Fourier series expansion of the $T$-periodization of $f(x)$, the Fourier coefficients we get would be exactly a $\frac{1}{T}$-sampling of the spectrum $\hat{f}(\xi)$ (followed by a scaling)!
I hope you can appreciate the significance of this result. It turns out we can obtain the definition and inversion formula for DTFT just from this diagram. Notice the double arrows connecting the time and frequency domain. What if we switch the interpretation of $f$ and $\hat{f}$?, i.e. treating $\hat{f}$ as the signal in the time domain and $f$ as the signal in the frequency domain? If you are convinced that the formula works if we switch $f$ with $\hat{f}$, $\mathrm{i}$ with $-\mathrm{i}$, $x$ with $\xi$, etc., then we can relabel the diagram and obtain (for $T=1$)

Notice that since (this version of) the Fourier transform is unitary, the upper half of the diagram stays the same, while for the lower half of the diagram, we somehow obtained a frequency representation of a discrete signal $g[n]$. This is exactly how we can derive the definition and inversion formula for DTFT, though as you might have noticed, it's not exactly the same as the usual definition of DTFT.
We looked at the case for $T=1$ first because I don't want the extra scaling factor to mess up your intuitions. Since sampling is the main operation, we will first switch $T$ with $\frac{1}{T}$. Also, we will keep the scaling in the frequency domain by putting the scaling factor on the other side, though it might not be immediately obvious that we can do so. The diagram for the general case looks like this

Notice there is a problem in our current definition of DTFT, if we want to calculate the spectrum of a discrete signal, we need to know the sampling period $T$ first! This is why we need to introduce the concept of a normalized frequency $\omega$, defined by
$$
\omega = 2\pi T \xi
$$
for a frequency $\xi$ and sampling period $T$. This gives us the actual definition of the DTFT
$$
\hat{f}(\omega) = \sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty} f[n] \mathrm{e}^{-\mathrm{i}\omega n}
$$
and the corresponding inversion formula. The derivations would take some space so please read Section 5.4 if you want to learn more about it.
It turns out that we can extend the relabeling trick even further. What if we replace $f$ with a periodic function and replace Fourier transform with Fourier series? Consider the following diagram, which is constructed by directly mimicking the diagram above.

Can you figure out what the "???" should be in the diagram? If you can answer this question, congratulations, you've discovered the relationship between Fourier series and DFT.
Hint:

It turns out that this is not the only way we can obtain the DFT. What if you switch the time and frequency representation of the diagram above?
Hint:

As a summary, FT, FS, DTFT, DFT is exactly connected by a cube, where periodization in one domain corresponds to sampling in the other domain:

Note that there are two routes to go from the Fourier transform to the DFT.
Please read my write-up for more details. It is exactly inspired by this relabeling trick I discovered a while ago. I hope this can be illuminating.
As a side note, what would you get if you take $T \to \infty$ in the Poisson summation formula?
Comment: This looks really interesting and I am looking forward to reading it in more detail, thanks for writing this all up Krasjet!
Comment: Interesting summary of a fundamental formula
Comment: Thanks a lot for the discussion, illustration and typesetting. I enjoy it a lot and learned a lot. As for the ending question, I think taking $T\to \infty$ converts the Poisson summation formula to the inverse Fourier transform.
Answer: Let $x(t)$ denote a bounded function with period $T$, that is, for all real numbers $t$, $x(t+T) = x(t)$.  As a particular example, $\cos(2\pi t/T)$ is such a function.  We want to find the "best" approximation $a_n\cos(2\pi nt/T)$ for this function where we
wish to choose
the coefficient $a_n$ so that
$$\int_0^T (x(t) - a_n\cos(2\pi nt/T))^2\,\mathrm dt,$$
the squared error is as small as possible.  Expanding out the integrand, we have
$$\text{squared error} =   \int_0^T x^2(t)\,\mathrm dt
- 2a_n \int_0^T x(t)\cos(2\pi nt/T)\,\mathrm dt
+(a_n)^2\int_0^T \cos^2(2\pi nt/T)\,\mathrm dt.$$
The leftmost integral is the energy $E$ delivered by one period of $x(t)$ while
rightmost integral has value $T/2$ and so we see that
$$\text{squared error} =  E
- 2a_n \int_0^T x(t)\cos(2\pi nt/T)\,\mathrm dt
+(a_n)^2\frac{T}{2}.$$
Now. for $a > 0$, the quadratic function $az^2 + bz + c$ has a minimum at $z = -b/2a$
(midway between the roots $(-b/2a) \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}/2a$ !!) and so, since
we have expressed the squared error as a quadratic function of $a_n$,
the choice of $a_n$ that minimizes the squared error is
$$a_n = \frac{2}{T}\int_0^T x(t)\cos(2\pi nt/T)\,\mathrm dt.$$
Similarly, choosing $b_n$ as
$$b_n = \frac{2}{T}\int_0^T x(t)\sin(2\pi nt/T)\,\mathrm dt$$
minimizes the squared error between $x(t)$ and $b_n\sin(2\pi nt/T)$.
Thus we see that Fourier series is nothing but a cheap trick to find
the minimum squared error approximation to a periodic function $x(t)$ in terms
of the sine and cosine signals of the same period and harmonics thereof.
Answer: Endolith is correct in that, if you actually start with the Fourier series, and see how it is extended to the Fourier transform, then things start beginning to make a lot of sense. I give a brief explanation for this in the first half of this answer.
A good (perhaps not simple) way to look at the Fourier transform family (by which I mean the 4 you've listed above), is through the Pontryagin duality goggles. It gives you a nice way to remember the different transforms by the original and transformed domains.
For a complex valued function on $\mathbb{R}$ (assuming other necessary conditions for the F.T. to exist), its Fourier transform is also a complex valued function on $\mathbb{R}$. The space $\mathbb{R}$ is a Pontryagin self-dual and you can say that if a transform in the entire family has $\mathbb{R}$ as both the original and transformed domain, then it is the Fourier transform (or CFT, as you called it).
A complex valued sequence of $n$ numbers can be viewed as a periodic complex valued function on $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$, which is a cyclic integer modulo $n$ group (see finite abelian groups for more info). The transform for this sequence also has the domain $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$ (self-dual) and this is the discrete Fourier transform.
The domain of the unit circle, $\mathbb{T}$ (all complex numbers with absolute value 1; also see circle group) and the set of integers $\mathbb{Z}$ are Pontryagin duals of each other. Similar to the first two, a transform between $\mathbb{Z}$ to $\mathbb{T}$ exists and is what we call the discrete-time Fourier transform and the other way round is the Fourier series, from which everything started.
This answer isn't fully complete and I'll perhaps build on this answer to make a few points clear when I have the time, but until then, this might be something to chew on until you get a more intuitive explanation from someone else. Also try reading variants of Fourier analysis on Wikipedia.
Answer: I think the foremost thing is to fundamentally understand why do we need fourier transforms. They are one of many possible signal transforms, but also one of the most useful ones. A transform basically transforms a signal into another domain which may give us insight about the signal in that domain, or or it may be that the domain is mathematically easy to work. Once we are done working in that domain, we can take inverse transform to get to the desired result more easily.
The most basic building block in fourier theory are monotones (sines and cosines). We can decompose a signal into its frequency components(monotones) using the fourier math. So, fourier transform basically transforms a signal from time domain to frequecy domain. The coefficient of each of the monotones in the fourier series tells us about the strength of that frequency component in the signal. Fourier transforms(CFT, DFT) explicitly gives us a frequency domain view of the signal. In nature, sines and cosines are the prominent waveforms. Synthetic signals like square wave, or signals having sharp fluctuations are less likely to occur naturally and not surprisingly compose of infinite range of frequencies as very clearly explained by fourier transforms. People had doubts whether any signal can be wretten as sum of sines/cosines. Fourier showed square waveform(which is far away from sines/cosines) can indeed be. White noise contains all the frequencies with equal strength.
Also, if you are working with fourier series, then the coefficients along with the phase term can be seen as that required to properly superimpose the constituent sinosoidal waveforms so that the superposition is indeed the required signal of which you are taking the transform. When working with fourier transforms, the complex numbers implicitly have the phase terms and the required magnitude of each of the monotones. (integration is roughly like summation. continuous=>integration, discrete=> summation)
I think once you have the understanding of the theme of a concept, rest all are just details that you will yourself have to understand by reading books. Reading about the application of fourier transforms to various fields will give you better perceptive.
Answer: A DFT is a transform of a vector of numbers pairs from one orthogonal space to another.  Very commonly done as a numerical computation.  For some reason, when taking one bunch of numbers from the real world, the 2nd bunch of numbers often turns out to be close enough to something quite useful.
I am reminded of the The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences, especially regarding applying the DFT to many systems the seem to be approximated by various kinds of 2nd degree differential equation, even the sound of the coffee spoon I just dropped.
The other 3 XYZ-FTs make assumptions about the existence of some mythical infinite entities to help symbolic solutions fit on the whiteboard before the coffee gets too cold.  They are the "spherical cows" of signal processing.  The DTFT and Fourier Series pretend that one vector can be extended infinitely at the cost of infinite density of the other entity.  The Fourier Series pretends that both entities can be infinite continuous functions.
Take enough math courses and one might even determine all the definitions and assumptions required to make these fictional entities exact and complete duals in some sense.
Comment: What is meant by "orthogonal space" in your first sentence?  What is the space orthogonal _to_, or what special property does the space have that you are distinguishing it from other run-of-the-mill spaces by bestowing on it the adjective "orthogonal"?
Comment: Maybe "orthonormal" the more correct term for the vector spaces?
Comment: I have generally seen "rthogonal" and "orthonormal" applied as adjectives to _small_ collections of vectors or matrices. $\mathbf x$ and $\mathbf y$ are orthogonal if $\langle\mathbf{x},\mathbf{y}\rangle=0$ and orthonormality requires in addition that the vectors have unit length. A matrix $A$ is called orthogonal if $AA^T$ is a diagonal matrix and orthonormal if $AA^T$ is the identity matrix. Does _orthogonal_ or _orthonormal space_ mean that _all_ the vectors in the space are orthogonal to each other or are orthogonal and have unit length too? If so, can you give an example of such a space?
Comment: The dot product between all sines or cosines that are exactly periodic in a DFT aperture length is zero, except for identical frequency functions.  Even if N is larger than the number of coffee beans in the bag.  Make them unit amplitude for orthonormal.
Comment: Your space is the space of $N$-vectors of complex numbers (since you said "vectors of pairs of numbers").  There are _no_ sines and cosines in the space, only $N$-tuples of complex numbers, and any _orthogonal or orthonormal set_ of such $N$-vectors can contain _at most_ $N$ such $N$-tuples.  I would recommend deleting your comment above, and possibly even your whole answer.
Comment: Sines and cosines in a DFT are just a form of vector or space rotation.


VPN problem with internal websites

Question: I have installed a VPN server on Windows Server 2008. I can connect to and use it, but when I connect the to VPN I can't browse internal website on my server however I can ping them.
Answer: It appears to be a DNS related issue.
Check
Incorrect DNS server being used when using ISA VPN (Windows XP SP3 built-in client)
Answer: Are you using Internet Explorer as your web browser?
When you click: Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections (tab) -> LAN Settings (button) do you see "Use automatic configuration script"? If so it is probably a web proxy issue.
If not, then perhaps you have a firewall issue whereby a router, or even your web applications, have a list of allowed IPs that may view those websites; in which case you may have to ask your network administrator to allow your IP address access to that web site.
Answer: Plugging in on PP's answer, check if the ip is listed in the exceptions for the proxy. For our site, each local address has to be in the exceptions so the proxy is bypassed for that address to make the website available.

VPN problem with internal websites


How create / generate a coinbase transaction for a new block?

Question: I am coding a miner program with C, and right now I need some info of how create / generate a coinbase transaction to add to the block before submit it to the bitcoin network. Someone can indicate any article / tutorial explaining this (i am searching for this for a while now, and finding nothing useful of this sorts).
Answer: The coinbase transaction is like every other transaction except it has only 1 special coinbase input which you can read about here: https://bitcoin.org/en/developer-reference#coinbase. The outputs must have a value which sum to the block subsidy (currently 12.5) plus any transaction fees in the block. Those are the only stipulations for a coinbase transaction.
Answer: look at core's getblocktemplate RPC call
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Getblocktemplate


Will having too many running programs slow down my Mac?

Question: If I have movies, music, document, Photoshop...running on my Mac. I wonder to know whether they will slow down my Mac. I use Magican to monitor my Mac, it displays the programs are take high CPU usage.
If they will slow down the Mac, should I need to cut down some process?
Comment: You've answered your own question.
Answer: No matter what platform you are on, if you have multiple programs all running at once, they are using resources and therefore yes, will slow down your computer. There is a big difference between many applications running, versus actively doing something.
For example, if you are watching a movie, playing music, and working in Photoshop, all are actively using resources and the system will have to share them.
If you are not actively using something, the a large amount of its resources are given back to the OS, and therefore while still running (and consuming resources), they are not consuming as much. For example - on a Mac you can close all the windows of an application, and most of its resources are released, but it is still consuming 'something'.
OS X Lion (10.7) takes this a step further with a new feature, called Automatic Termination. According to some of the dev documentation:

When an application that supports sudden termination goes unused or
  has no open windows, Mac OS X may terminate it behind the scenes. When
  a user wants to use the application again, it usually relaunches
  instantly. Users who want to quit applications manually can still do
  so, but it is no longer necessary.

With Lion, applications that support this Resume/Automatic Termination feature will quit for you behind the scenes to gather resources back for the system if it starts running low. Preview and TextEdit are two apps I have seen this actually happen too. They won't do this if you are working in them, but if you leave TextEdit running and go off to other stuff, eventually it will quit itself for you.
So, the takeaway is this: Yes, too many processes running will slow down your Mac (and any computer for that matter). This is because resources are limited (obviously more RAM helps you run more stuff, but still a limit somewhere).
Answer: On average, I run 10 to 12 apps simultaneously, all day long.  Photoshop, ScreenFlow, Citrix, Keynote, Dreamweaver, Safari, MS Messenger, Twitter, Illustrator, and iOS simulator.  Also, quite a few utilities.  My Mac runs fine, but it would run even better if I wasn't multi-tasking so much.  In short, get as much RAM as you can 8GB and you will be fine, but less apps means more speed in general.
4 years ago (OS 10.4 Tiger) I posted a video to YouTube that demonstrated my app madness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh8TQr68iaM&context=C39a2431ADOEgsToPDskLtuBrV7mTwMYkeXh-EnOnN


What happened during the Void Century and the name of the KINGDOM?

Question: I'm just wondering about the Void Century in One Piece. What happened during those years? The World Government came to be by taking down the mysterious KINGDOM. I really want to know the name of that kingdom.
Can anybody guess or give me something that would put me at ease?
Answer: The events during the Void Century has not yet been revealed, so for everyone it still remains a mystery, except for the Roger Pirates who have read the Poneglyphs and discovered the true history which the study is forbidden by the World Government.
As for the name of the Ancient Kingdom, its true name is a mystery, as the Gorosei ordered that Professor Clover be shot before he could speak its name.
The only details revealed so far are:

The Void Century is a century-long gap in recorded and archaeological history, the study of which is forbidden by the World Government. These events occurred 800 to 900 years before the current storyline. It was hinted at during the Skypiea arc; the dates were seen in Robin's flashback.
Birth of the World Government
  800 years ago, at the end of the Void Century, the World Government was born and took political control of the entire world, uniting all countries and forming the Council of Kings. For the World Government, the events of the Void Century were better left unknown as information linked to it is considered far too dangerous.
Ancient Weapons
  The three Ancient Weapons are three weapons of mass destruction that are powerful enough to bring ruin to the entire world. They are known as Pluton, an ancient ship capable of massive destruction, Poseidon, a Mermaid with the ability to communicate with and control Sea Kings, and Uranus, the properties of which remain unknown. The Ancient Weapons are the argument used by the World Government to forbid the research of the missing years.

You can read more about it here.
Answer: They didn't actually reveal anything yet, but there have been hints in the arcs of Skypiea, Robin's flashback arc, and fishman island.
Comment: Please could you provide links and/or references to support your answer.


Any kind of sensor to detect really fast moving objects with minimum 25 m radius sub 1.000$?

Question: What we are specifically interested in is for our quad-copter to be able to detect and maneuver to avoid (maneuverability is based on our custom algorithms) objects flying towards it with great speeds. A paintball gun projectile for example. Regarding the coverage of all possible directions, we are not concerned whether or not it will be achieved with one or many sensors. What we are interested in is if a sensor that can do that exists and is suitable to be mounted on-board a drone.
Comment: LOL. You're asking for a sensor that can sense a paintball pellet within 25 m for less than $1? I'm hoping that somebody has such a sensor because I'd buy a bunch of them. None of the sensors that I am familiar with can sense something that small and fast at 25 m. None of them can do it at one meter. The closest one that I can think of is a very fast camera.
Comment: @NomadMaker, that number may be a thousand dollars
Comment: @Panteleimon Stamatakis Have you considered [dynamic vision sensors](https://inivation.com/dvs/)? (event based cameras). While as of now, they are above 1000 USD, It is rumored that Samsung is going to come up with cheaper event cameras this year.
Comment: Sorry, I'm used to the comma as the separator for the thousands. I like the dynamic vision sensors. They are considerably above \$1,000 USD, but all technology comes down in price, eventually. I'm wondering if a fast enough traditional camera plus perhaps an FPGA could be bought for under \$1,000? Looking for a fast paint-ball pellet at 25 meters would require a lot of computer power.
Comment: @NomadMaker Yes, I was referring to one thousand dollars. So radar or lidar is out of the question for this kind of stuff then? As far as compute is concerned, we are opting for the nVidia Jetson tx2. Do you think it is under-powered for this particular task?
Comment: I don't have experience with the Jetson boards, so I don't know. I'm sorry about the formatting in my comment. I don't know what I did. To locate a small, fast, object moving against a background requires an extremely fast processing and a fast camera. Maybe a TX2 is fast enough.
Comment: @HighVoltage where should I be looking in order to get informed about the Samsung announcement (supposing it actually happens) ?
Answer:
Consider a pellet going 100m/s, it will cover 25m in 0.25sec, let's say your drone is 0.5m in size, and detection time is zero, you still need to achieve 16m/s2 (1.6G) acceleration instantly to get out of the harms way -- which is a bit unrealistic for the contemporary drones.
Take a 60FOV camera, with 4k resolution, this will give you about 2000 pixels vertically (or horizontally), which @25m become about 12.5mm large (one pixel), which is not enough for the reliable detection. 30FOV camera might work with 6mm pixels @ 25m, but you'll need plenty of them to cover your surroundings. And processing all these 4k images is not going to be cheap or fast.
You cannot detect a fast flying object @25m unless you use high velocity cameras (upward of 100fps), which again drives the processing cost higher.

IMHO, your best bet would be to go either in the direction of creating a large reinforced drone with high redundancy that does not care about pellets and can keep flying after the hit, or creating a fleet of match-box sized randomly moving drones that work as a swarm and don't care if there are a few casualties. Check out this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CO6M2HsoIA
Comment: Really informative answer thank you. The reason why I noted these kind of metrics is due to the relative velocity. The drone might not be still and have targets incoming at it, but might be travelling really fast and try to avoid object in real time by maneuvering (we are opting for a GA approach trained in simulation) and then implementing it through calibration based on the motors. Nevertheless thank you for taking the time to write this, any kind of insight is deeply appreciated.
Comment: @PanteleimonStamatakis I would not undertake such a project. With the current drone technology they have troubles flying around large static objects. From 25m I'll take it down with my bare hands just by throwing gravel with a relatively large shovel =)
Comment: The tech is fine. The software is bad, due to the fact that enthusiasts who do this kind of stuff have no idea regarding complexity and optimization.


MINING AT LOW HASH RATE

Question: I'm very new to digital coin mining and I'm now just exploring this thing. I've got a rather outdated computer, and I'm now trying to mine monero with Wolf Miner. My current hash rate is around 35 h/s, which is, I assume, very low. So, I've got two basic questions:
1. With this hash rate, is it even worth the trouble to mine monero? Electricity does not count, as it is very cheap in my country, but my GPU and RAM become very loaded when I put the miner on, so I cannot do that 24/7, as I need my computer for other tasks. And what I'm worrying about is that if I need around, say, two years to mine XMR0.1, this will be just a waste of time...
2. I've been mining for around 2 days and got 250 shares. Is there any way to figure out how much XMR I have mined so far? I did not get paid to my monero wallet yet, of course, as it looks like I have mined a tiny fraction of a coin, but I still would like to know at least the approximate amount.
Thanks!
Answer: Dont waste your time with this H\s.

MINING AT LOW HASH RATE


MVC 4 membership and role providers what is the most sensible approach nowadays

Question: We are building a new site in MVC 4.  There are some slightly unusual requirements when checking if someone is allowed to login, so a simple check of username, password and enabled would not suffice in this case, (also roles will be checked).
I started by doing the traditional custom membershipprovider class and roleprovider.  MVC4 didn't like me doing this:
This method cannot be called during the application's pre-start initialization phase.

This as I understand it is due to the simple membership provider and oauth stuff, (I do not know a great deal about this area).  A work around seems to be:
<add key="enableSimpleMembership" value="false"/>
<add key="autoFormsAuthentication" value="false"/>

It got me wondering, should I still be doing the membership provider?  My database is local, I have a service layer that has all the logic in to dictate if a user can login or not and which roles and permissions they have.  Should I be looking at oauth / simple membership / some other way, or just as above, turn off simple membership?
If I did turn it off with the appsetting am I then able to intergrate oauth as well at a later stage, (this is just me thinking very broadly and do not have this requirement at the moment).  Is it possible to use multiple authentications mechanisms?
Or is it really as simple as this ,(accountController):
    public ActionResult Login()
    {
        if(logiclayer.CheckAccess("username", "password"))
        {
              var persistCookie = false;
              FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie("userName", persistCookie);
        }
        return View();
    }

So their cookie is set and then the controllers can use the [Authorize] attribute?  This doesn't take into account [Authorize(Roles = "admin")] as this will throw an error if no role provider is setup, which comes back to the original question, on how this should be done.
Answer: There is a discussion about this here
asp.net 4.5 custom membership provider configuration throws strange exception
which seems to solve the problem but as of best practice i guess it still is to use the membership provider but set the enableSimpleMembership = false in the config for custommembership