| Frank4 |
| (Master Blogger) |
| 08/27/05 06:26 AM |
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New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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FYI, a new version (3.0.0529) of Google Earth is out. You can read about it here and here.
This version has the new "Share with Google Earth Community" option. It allows you to share a placemark by posting it to the BBS. There doesn't appear to be any filtering or warnings to prevent duplicate entries - so the clutter problem will get even worse. Unless you're going to do some filtering of new submittals, I don't like this feature at all.
And, even worse, it uses Internet Explorer only to post instead of your default browser! Egads! You guys need to fix this!
| Hulk |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/27/05 06:55 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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And as usual the check for update feature is behind.
Also, there is a bug, if the placemark contains "other letters" it ends up screwd. I tried with "Damhus Søen", and the "ø" gets change to a weird letter when it jumps onto this BBS.
| Latitude64 |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/27/05 07:33 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Quote:
There doesn't appear to be any filtering or warnings to prevent duplicate entries...
[...]
And, even worse, it uses Internet Explorer only to post instead of your default browser! Egads! You guys need to fix this!
How do you propose the warning for duplicate entries gets triggered?
Since GE runs on Windows, it is safe to assume that most all users will have IE installed and operational (save the few hardcore users who try to make some sort of statement in disabling IE while still using a MS operating system). Anyway, opening IE guarantees that the posting process works, regardless of what exotic browser the end-user has installed.
PenguinOpus
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| (Sysop, Emeritus) |
| 08/27/05 08:31 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Frank4,
My fault for not posting the notice earlier. In general, I want to make sure that nothing bad is discovered in the first few hours of use before I start promoting it as an upgrade on the BBS. Same goes for check-for-updates.
Regarding the BBS posting wizard (as we call it). It uses the internal browser correctly, but you have discovered a bug in its use of the external browser. It definitely should have respected the setting, but appears to use IE anyway. We will fix that in the next installer.
The goal of the wizard is to capture the specific act of posting kml/kmz to the BBS and to offer up as much feedback during the process to help improve posting quality. We are working on ways to flag potential posts as duplicates before they get posted.
BTW, very nice blog!
| jmc777 |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/27/05 09:37 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Quote:
This version has the new "Share with Google Earth Community" option. It allows you to share a placemark by posting it to the BBS. There doesn't appear to be any filtering or warnings to prevent duplicate entries - so the clutter problem will get even worse. Unless you're going to do some filtering of new submittals, I don't like this feature at all.
The idea of users being able to add placemarks is an awesome feature, but I cringe when I see this kind of thing, or placemarks that say "What's this?" or something similar.
| FuNkY_CaPrIcOrN |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/27/05 10:46 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Quote:
The idea of users being able to add placemarks is an awesome feature, but I cringe when I see this kind of thing, or placemarks that say "What's this?" or something similar.
What is that anyways?Give me the Placemark please.
Nevermind I found it.
| Frank4 |
| (Master Blogger) |
| 08/27/05 11:52 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Quote:
Regarding the BBS posting wizard (as we call it). It uses the internal browser correctly, but you have discovered a bug in its use of the external browser. It definitely should have respected the setting, but appears to use IE anyway. We will fix that in the next installer.
Does this mean that if I install again now it will fix the feature, or not until the next beta release (>0529)?
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PenguinOpus
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| (Sysop, Emeritus) |
| 08/27/05 11:54 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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next beta after 0529.
| johnny77 |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/27/05 12:19 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Quote:
Regarding the BBS posting wizard (as we call it).
The goal of the wizard is to capture the specific act of posting kml/kmz to the BBS and to offer up as much feedback during the process to help improve posting quality. We are working on ways to flag potential posts as duplicates before they get posted.
What do you think of my suggestion here to offer a Wikipedia like facility where others, could edit existing placemarks.
john
| Hulk |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/27/05 04:39 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Quote:Quote:
Regarding the BBS posting wizard (as we call it). It uses the internal browser correctly, but you have discovered a bug in its use of the external browser. It definitely should have respected the setting, but appears to use IE anyway. We will fix that in the next installer.
Does this mean that if I install again now it will fix the feature, or not until the next beta release (>0529)?
Come now Frank, how many placemarks do you need to post in the near future?
| MightyPete |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/27/05 05:55 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Well not only can we blame IE users for the flood of exploits that are on the web we can also blame them for Duplicate Placemarks ! I don't have IE guess I can't use that feature.
What would be interesting is what will happen if I did try?
I guess I'll have to try.
Well can't blame me for dupes, it's busted. Nothing happens. Browser well it never gets the link and I can't log in in the one inside Google earth. No biggy, it a feature that should be abandoned anyway. Who exactly requested it anyway? I don't recall ever reading a request for such a feature. On the contrary there is tons of posts how to get people to stop posting duplicates.
| Periboob |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/27/05 11:49 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Never thought about it in those terms Pete... But with 100K + users it may be valid to ask just how easy it should be to post on the forum. Those who cant figure out how to post the old way... What sort of placemark are they likely to post. Possibly have never read a single message on the forum.
And I dont know how to test, but what happens to someone who is not a community member, when they try to "Share with Google Earth Community"? Do they get made a member? The membership was already doubling every 10 days? In the long term it would be nice to have a simple way to post, but for the short term, I keep thinking thought like:
| MightyPete |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/28/05 12:30 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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New users are asked to sign up, Now I did login by hacking the url and told it to remember those settings but it don't help if I again try to upload one I get the default not loggin bbs page. Don't get me wrong this is perfect, This feature should be killed anyway.
For all or to all those people that use IE I say go for it. I personally never used it. I've always managed to uninstall it somehow. It's the biggest bug in the operating system so it's first to go. Where do you want to patch today? I can't be bothered, I don't have to patch all that and more cause it's gone. Computer works just fine. Firefox is the only way to fly.
Now if we can just convert the masses.
BTW there is several popups there for you to close so get busy.
I'm still wondering who asked for this feature? It seems to be counter productive in the long list of features people have requested.
| Hulk |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/28/05 08:34 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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'well, I think Firefox sucks, so I guess I'm not one of the masses
But I too find it odd they have added this, seems like a mostly useless feature when there is so much more worthy things one could have added. Of course its small a quick thing to add, perhaps thats what dictated it.
| FuNkY_CaPrIcOrN |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/28/05 09:02 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Yeah they could of at least added a Musical Note for an ICON.
Need more Icons.And nobody come in here and say make your own(we already went threw that in another Thread).I want an Official Musical Note ICON.
| Periboob |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/28/05 09:06 AM |
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Re: firefox
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Quote:
'well, I think Firefox sucks, so I guess I'm not one of the masses
...
You are right, "Firefox" is pretty weak, probably because it was designed as a lean mean minimal browser that had only features that just about everyone on the planet would want.
But "FIrefox+Extensions" (what are there a few thousand now?) rocks.
FIrefox must be thought of as a tired old Volkswagen beetle. A bit like this
Of course, if you dont want to bother, or dont know how, to use a wrench, you are stuck with a tired old Volkswwgen...
| Frank4 |
| (Master Blogger) |
| 08/28/05 11:13 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Heh. I was more concerned with being forced to use IE instead of my favorite browser Firefox.
I can always just post to the forums manually. It doesn't really save that much time. It just makes it easier for the non-forum-aware types to put yet another link to the National Monument, the Eiffel Tower, etc.
| Periboob |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/30/05 01:09 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - and a worrisome new feature
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Another worry--this Sharing feature trains every new poster to share by starting a new thread, rather than looking for an existing thread that he could contribute to. Isnt the "Corporate Logos" thread much more interesting than just scattering a bunch of new posts all through the Community?
And this approach emphasizes posting over reading. -- What? ME? Read someone elses stuff? No way dude, it is way more ego boosting to just post stuff to get my cool name out there.
| Hulk |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/30/05 06:46 PM |
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Re: firefox
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Quote:Quote:
'well, I think Firefox sucks, so I guess I'm not one of the masses
...
You are right, "Firefox" is pretty weak, probably because it was designed as a lean mean minimal browser that had only features that just about everyone on the planet would want.
But "FIrefox+Extensions" (what are there a few thousand now?) rocks.
FIrefox must be thought of as a tired old Volkswagen beetle. A bit like this
Of course, if you dont want to bother, or dont know how, to use a wrench, you are stuck with a tired old Volkswwgen...
I don't like that it stores its config files in on the c drive in the application data directory (and no you can't move it with profiles, it stores profile info there) instead of the install directory, I don't like that it doesn't support some javascript commands, I don't like that, it allows javascript to open new windows instead of putting them in a tab, I don't like that it keeps telling me that different sites wish to install crap (instead of ignoring it), I don't like it keeps telling me I don't have Flash installed and wouldn't I like to. I don't like that the minimum font setting seems to be ignored on most sites. I don't like that it only makes fonts bigger and not the pictures. I don't like that when you right click on a tab the first menu item isn't "Close" but "New Tab". I don't like that it doesn't have mouse gestures. I don't like that it apparently can do things but people can't be bothered to put it in interface but expect the user to hunt around for info (and functionality) (fine if your are a kid or retired and have nothing better to do, but I do have better to do and don't want to waste time looking for config crap, it has to work out of the box) and finally it annoys me that so many Firefox users seem to be arrogant people who always have to put others down for not using their crappy browser.
| MightyPete |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/30/05 07:00 PM |
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Re: firefox
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Re Hulk. You're right, Firefox is not for you.
| techguydubai |
| (Tourist) |
| 08/31/05 06:38 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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I've looked through the Google Earth Options but I didn't find a way to set my browser from IE to Firefox. I have both on my box. I searched the forums but didn't find any mention of a preference setting. Can you help out?
thanks
| MightyPete |
| (Master Guide) |
| 08/31/05 08:24 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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I think Google Earth uses the default browser so when you start up Firefox and it asks set as default say yes and remember this answer.
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PenguinOpus
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| (Sysop, Emeritus) |
| 08/31/05 08:29 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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In Windows XP sp1 or sp2, you will see: StartMenu->SetProgramAccessDefaults where you can configure the default apps for browsing/email/media/IM/Java.
| Periboob |
| (Master Guide) |
| 09/01/05 12:45 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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And you need to set GE Tools-Options-Preferences-External Browser.
(and why does Firefox fall to its knees when viewing this graphic:
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/92638/page/0/vc/1 )
Taskmanager shows Firefox CPU pegged at 99%
| Frank4 |
| (Master Blogger) |
| 09/01/05 05:20 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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You choose Tools->Options, then select the Preferences tab, then select:
"Show web results in external browser".
It will use whatever is your default browser.
(It would be nice if you could select from a list of installed browsers.)
| Frank4 |
| (Master Blogger) |
| 09/01/05 05:23 AM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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Quote:
...
(and why does Firefox fall to its knees when viewing this graphic:
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/92638/page/0/vc/1 )
Taskmanager shows Firefox CPU pegged at 99%
Firefox 1.06 at least does not have a problem with that graphic. Mine shows 1% CPU utilization. No problem.
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Lrae
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| (Master Wizard) |
| 09/01/05 03:19 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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My Firefox (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.10) Gecko/20050716 Firefox/1.0.6) also likes it...
| Periboob |
| (Master Guide) |
| 09/01/05 09:04 PM |
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Re: New Beta Version - OT? firefox as default 4 GE
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Well, I had been testing some Firefox tweaks found at ExtremeTech ... Thought I had removed them. No big deal, but just seems strange.