https://johnyorks.tumblr.com/post/160065398228/the-upsides-to-the-end-of-net-neutrality

The magician was late for the ball

This is my latest krita creation. Called, "The Magician Was Late For the Ball."

another test of a different audio source(music album)

This, if I am successful, will be a test of using bandcamp as a source for html audio. Hmm...it seems to be a timed thing, just as with using Google Drive as a download link. So, rather than waste this space, I'll put some other music here. I'm trying not repeat songs I've already posted.

song: propagandistic media

Since this is the blog that I have tended to post this format and type of audio, I'll post this one here now. This is actually an older song that I realized never got recorded. So, since I still remembered how to play it, I made a version of it using nylon string guitar and vocals.

Flower Power Audio

Here is some music created with lmms that I used as a soundtrack for a short animation. Since this is the blog where I experiment with html and things, I thought I'd attempt to play with the design a little. Perhaps, it will be noticeable, but maybe not.

flowerpoweraudio

❀

The text/special characters

I've decide to go with a simple font in the hopes of being read more.

☺

 Arial seems the most standard. Ha, I learned a new trick with html/css. The hardest part was changing the size. Here is a list of special characters to use. Here is a way of changing the size of the character. As far as what browser will do what with it, that is something I'll have to test out.

Firefox Browser not what it used to be?

Well at this point, I would have to wonder if Firefox has gone downhill? No offense to them, but code and embeds that work on Chrome, simply will not work on Firefox. It could be that the version is in need of an update, or it could be a problem specific to Linux, I don't know. But my recent experience has been that Chrome (with the possible exception of flash, which should be a technology on the way out, but isn't- which is another blog post) works far better than Firefox currently.

Another experimental attempt

Might as well try this here as well, since it half worked on another blog space. Of course, I should keep in mind that this is where I try out new ideas first. It is a link to some music. So far, it seems to work best using Chrome, but not at all in Firefox or Opera Here is the link. the only thing I can say is use Chrome, not Firefox or Opera, or any other browser.

Some notes on Linux distros

There are times when I really would like to have several desk top computers set up. I don't. Or, at least have two, one to use and one for experimentation with different Linux distros. I do have Virtual Box, but that is not the same as having a distro installed on a computer.

For stability, I have to say that I believe Linux Mint is the best. Or, perhaps I think that because it is easy to use. There is very little to do after installing Linux Mint, whereas other distros require a bit of work to set up after installation.

But, there certainly are times when I like the idea, perhaps a bit romanticized, of Debian. Debian is the polar opposite of Mint when it comes to ease of use and set up. There is a lot that has to be done after installation generally. I suppose it could be used as is upon installation, but there are things that one might want from an OS that have to be gotten after the installation process with Debian.

And then, because I am a person who like to attempt to create various types of art I suppose, whether being visual, video, or audio - there is one of my favorite distros, Ubuntu Studio. There is always something more that could be added from the repos, but the software is pretty much there to create art upon installation of Studio.

Of course, any distro (although I prefer Debian based ones) can be made to suit the needs of the individual user. It is just a matter of taking the time to set things up, and finding the right software in the repos.

For multi-media uses, one could argue that Windows is superior, but I don't think I would like to go back to Windows anymore. I prefer Linux instead.

Song:Trouble in district 13

This is from a while back, but I still think it came out well enough. Steel String acoustic guitar and vocals, with overdub lead acoustic guitar as well. So far, I believe this way of doing it only works using Google Chrome.

audio, video, and html code - too many choices

Now that I know several ways of posting audio or video, using html audio or video tag, or various ways to embed either audio or video, I can't really decide how it should be done. I suppose I could use various sources, doing a little of each method at different times. Is it best just to use YouTube or Vimeo to embed video? Should i always use html audio or video tag to do it? should I use an embed code? Which source am I most comfortable using?

These are all questions to be answered to if I wish to continue posting, but likely I'll still use this blog to practice whichever way is hardest for me to accomplish, and do what is easier on other blog spaces.

Out of curiosity, a video attempt the same way

Since it has been so long since I've tried to embed or share a Google Drive video, I'll attempt to re-learn the process here. From what I remember, Google made that quite easy to do, unless something has changed. It is especially easy on a Google sites, if not as easy on blogger. It might be as simple as having the link. One thing to keep in mind is that the links have to be set to share on Drive itself. this can be done in the Google Drive settings. Let's see...



So far, it appears to work. It was harder than just having the link. The embed code is still needed.This one of my songs called, "Little Bird Fly Away." Sorry for being at all commercial on this blog, but I feel like I have to use my own music mostly because of copyright issues.

Another test of different source for embed code

This is yet another test. I have been interested in what will work as a source for html audio, or in this case, even just an embed. I've been interested to see (as of yet it only works for a time, then stops) if Google Drive can be used as a sufficient host for an audio (I know it works in various scenarios with video) when used as html directly, or an embed. So, I'll yet again make an attempt.




So far, this seems to work. I can't take credit for figuring this out. I got it from here. the song is mine, done with uke and vocals. Called, "Dusty uke." Update: hmm...after a certain period of time, it seems to stop working just as the audio tag with this source does. Still works when brought up as a "pop up" player. Update 2: It seems to work again once refreshed, or more perhaps it is a random problem.Update 3: Doesn't seem to work in Firefox, or perhaps it is an authentication problem, I don't know.

Public DNS servers

To Expand on my post where I discovered there are other DNS servers besides the one your internet ISP provider sets up for you, I have found out that there are actually many public, free to use, DNS servers besides Google Public DNS which I covered in a previous post.

The reasons why a person might want a different DNS server than the one provided by the ISP internet provider vary. Perhaps, it is simply a matter of speed. In many cases, the standard resolver is too slow. Others might believe the internet is too insecure, and wish to prevent harmful sites from infecting their computer. Others might want to avoid the more adult oriented sites, as they want a family friendly experience.

It all depends on what you are looking for, partly based on your world view. For instance, DNS watch is a smaller free DNS that purports to be for those who value freedom and privacy. For the security minded there are many, such as Comodo DNS.  And those are just a few. There are at least several more that can be easily found online.

Some are more like a service on top of being a dns, like Open DNS.  This company offers more of a internet security service, along with other tools. They have a free plan and a paid one. Again, it all depends on what you want and how you see the world.

It isn't hard to do, depending on your system. It is simply a case of learning how to point your internet connection to the proper address, or to simplify, the right numbers that signify a certain server. Many of these sites explain the procedure to set up a device to use the particular DNS server.

Of course, if one is happy with the DNS they have, there is no reason to change it.

Many blogs or one

It is an old question among bloggers. For now, I think I'll stick to maintaining my several blogs. Here are a few that I will link in this post: Jymediablog    johnyorks blog  soundblogbyjy

Something with Google html error message tonight

This is just a test post with some html in it, as I want to see if I did somehow disturb the code of my blog too much, or if that last post's html message was a fluke. The song is called, "Care" Something odd is going on with the html tag warning of Google tonight, but I hope it is just a temporary bug.

cleaner blog look?

Maybe I'll take out some of the CSS, and go for a cleaner look? Cleaner look is in they tell me. I'll have to think about it though. I've gotten used to it this way, and change can sometimes not be good. (Sometimes it can, it depends on the circumstance.)

Really? Check your page and connection?

Update:  (See after the jump for what this update refers to.) Oh, my bad. Really, it might not have to do with Google at all. It might be a problem with the ISP if this ever happens to you. At least I learned some more stuff from this (likely stuff many others already knew quite well). There are options for getting around an ISP anyway, which I don't know if I'll do it. Although, both of these options claim to make the internet faster, but one seems more difficult than the other. One is run by Cisco, and is called, Open DSS.  The other is Google public DNS. This actually seems harder to set up. Google also offers something called, Cloud DNS. The information is on the same page as Google Public DNS. I don't know if I am technologically capable enough to venture into either one of these projects, but when I get DNS error messages, I'm inclined to do it.



People wonder why I am sometimes overly paranoid about security and avoiding malware on the internet. When I get a message telling me that I can't visit my own page because of DNS connection or some such thing......and being signed in too. Really Google? This happens even still with the Google in charge? Now, I'll be keeping track of things way too carefully just because Google is not as all mighty as one might think. Is it blogger? Is it all of Google? Is it really the internet in my location? Who knows.

And now, "An error occured while trying to save...." Really? Come on Google.

Link color test

Just atest to see how I designed the link colors after all. Test

The Meaning of Google Search Console

Oddly, I am nerdy enough to look at my sites with Google Search Console tool. Maybe, that isn't so odd. Still, it is a mystery how the Google indexes, and decides the fate of each blog or site. Crawl errors? Really? And why does one site get indexed far more than another? Mysterious.

So far, for some reason beyond my understanding, this blog is doing well in the all-mighty Google Console tool. Yet, others don't. Hmm....

Even if I could comprehend how to fix crawl errors (and other such problems Console has informed me of), I don't know if I would want to spend the time struggling with it. It seems a great effort to fix a few errors. Oh well, continue on I guess.