text:
United Mining Exploration Commission: A group of friends playing
-- "a MMORPG that launched smoothly, breaks from fantasy character setting, emphasizes PvP, and is the first persistent world space simulator that nobody talks about." ~Scorch
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
Massivly Multiplayer Persistent Space Games.
Goto page
UMEC Forum Index
News, Reviews & Articles
View previous topic
View next topic
Chief WO2
Joined: 22 Mar 2002
Posts: 205
Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2002 6:58 am
Post subject:
... ... ... ...oh sorry i was drawn in by 8Ball's avatar :eyespin:
"Smile . . . your post has been deleted"
Back to top
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2002 3:13 pm
Post subject:
Holy carp, batman! Eye candy very nice (totally blows JG away). But it is single-player.
If this is as good as the offline version, JG may have EU people leave in droves! I have a feeling this is similar to what JG is meant to evolve into.
PC Zone reviews X˛.
Back to top
Test Pilot
Joined: 25 Oct 2001
Posts: 566
Location: The sticks!
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2002 4:50 pm
Post subject:
JG or something new?
After reading that FAQ, I'm wondering what the difference will be between the two? Actually, it sounds like X˛OL is going to be more like what JG wants to evolve into (minus the factions?) - a persistant (unlimited) universe with many pilots out there that fly their ships (with their own skill?) and set up mining operations, factories, etc... You can set up "groups" and "you can join or leave a group."
Beta signup
if anyone is interested. :D
Back to top
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 6:11 pm
Post subject:
Earth and Beyond Review
Just read this review for Earth and Beyond from The Entertainment Depot:
Haven't played it but here's one quote from the review:
While buying better weapons and leveling up combat will lead to more power and better accuracy, a part of me yearned to take the reins for myself and do some Jump Gate hands-on action.
Good to know that JG is still acknowledged as the leading first person space sim.
Back to top
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 28
Location: Nowhere near a f*#&ing source of radioactive ore
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2002 9:42 pm
Post subject:
I still prefer Tachyon's engine for PvP combat. Oh for reverse and lateral thrusters.
Back to top
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 2:07 am
Post subject:
Adrenaline vault article about the new PvP in Earth & Beyond
not so much interested in the content, but the actual introduction of ANY pvp into a mainstream MMOG (ie. hyped by major corps) is intriguing, especially the way they water it down.
Back to top
Warrant Officer
Joined: 04 Nov 2001
Posts: 162
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 3:57 am
Post subject:
Interesting concept, I guess there will be no actual "greifing" in the game. I just bought Star Fleet Command III and am about to head into the Dynaverse (and I assume get my @ss handed to me through me shuttle port 8P )
Question: Has anyone played E & B that we know and liked it? What kind of online numbers are they getting. I've been toying with downloading the demo just to see what it's like, but I'm trying to play too many games right now as it is. :E
Back to top
Sgt 1st Class
Joined: 05 Dec 2002
Posts: 52
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 10:34 am
Post subject:
E&B is nice... for a while. There is no diversity at all. Some might disagree, but overall it's true.
There's three things you can do: Shoot monsters, fly pointless traderoutes, explore the map.
Shoot Monsters: This is fun. Get the biggest gun and the biggest shield and shoot stuff. I kinda like shooting stuff, so this is what I usualy do. It does get boring after a few thousand kills though...
Trade: There is no economy in E&B. All trade is "bring this package to station X, plz". There's a few trade routes that pay more $$$ and more exp than others, no naturaly the whole galaxy fly this route.
Explore: Fly to all waypoints you can find. Fun, until you run out of waypoints. Also, huge monsters tend to camp waypoints away from main routes - warp in, see monster, think "oops", die.
You can also mine ore (they call is "prospect" but it's still mining). Doesn't pay much, but you can get goods to build weapons and stuff. Oh yeah, you can build your own equipment. That's pretty fun, but very expensive.
There are events now and then in the above categories. For example, a pirate capital ship warps in close to some station and everyone rally to shoot at it. While it's pretty fun to see hundreds of ships shooting at this huge ship that can blow you away with one or two hits, it only lasts for a few mins. The high level guys that can actually withstand a couple of direct hits, have huuuge guns/missiles that do massive damage to the cap ship. Since these events are somewhat rare, all these people tend to go there and blow the crap out of the poor pirate.
Conclusion: Try it! It's really nice! However, do not think it will last. You can of course play many characters at once (one account = 5 pilots), but it's the same shit but a diffrent name...
Back to top
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 6:07 am
Post subject:
RazorX wrote:
RazorX's EnB review:
After I created an avatar and drooled over the ship customization process, I ruined it by actually "flying" that pretty ship around. Endless and Boring, anyone? The huge "monsters" in space reminded me too much of all the worst Star Trek episodes where they were running from some blob.
The one thing I did like was the tutorial. Learning curve was almost zeroed out.
hmmmm...sure does look mouth watering, all except for the reviews. i doubt i'll bother playing the demo, just like Neocron i'm going to avoid wasting my time...for the moment.
Last edited by MajorFreak on Fri Jan 24, 2003 2:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
Ex-Assistant GM
Joined: 25 Feb 2002
Posts: 158
Location: Yorktown, VA
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 10:03 am
Post subject:
Played Neo. It's very boring.
Played EnB, still playing, at least till I get Eve. EnB lacks persistence much in the same way JG does, just from the opposite end. I also hate the constant flying around, but am in a Guild, so they keep me company.
Perhaps Eve will bring balance :)
Back to top
Warrant Officer
Joined: 04 Nov 2001
Posts: 162
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 11:43 am
Post subject:
Great info, I just got the E&B Demo disc from PC Gamer but believe I will stick with JG.
I just got billed for my first month of Neocron, but haven't played past the initial experience. I did just read an interesting review here:
. I believe it is the 3rd response (from Kent Peterson, an Ex JG'er) is very interesting. Better overview of the game in this web page than the entire Neocron site and manual combined.
Some Neocron ramblings
Neocron is the second MMOG that I've played to any great degree, after Jumpgate (and excluding MUDs). I'm going to be comparing the two a lot, mainly because it's the only real basis for comparison I have.
You start the game in your apartment, which you get for free. The location depends on which faction you choose (if you start with Fallen Angels, Twilight Guardians, or CityMercs, you get an apartment in one of the three major settlements outside Neocron itself). The apartments are pretty nice, particularly the ones in Via Rosso. You can't decorate them to your taste, but they're well-decorated already (unless you get one in the Outzone or a bad Pepper Park one). You can buy new ones, larger and better furnished, in the various city districts, for yourself or for your clan. They're secure, and have cabinets where you can store items permanently (the more cabinets an apartment has, the more useful it is, particularly for us packrats).
Something that should be in a FAQ somewhere: the access code in the elevator for getting into your apartment is your character's name.
When the sun rises in-game, it shines right in my apartment window. Beautiful sight.
Neocron has an in-game email system and an in-game set of message boards - both of which are accessible from practically anywhere. You walk up to a terminal in the game, click "Mail", and there's your mailbox. Click "Forum", there's the list of boards. This is a game made by people who understand some pretty basic things about online behavior, and contrasts starkly with Jumpgate, where players have been asking for the (absolutely critical) JOSSH webpage to be integrated into the game so they don't have to switch tasks to check it since the early betas. Chat is easy and obvious to use, and has all the regular features (including ignore).
Levels and experience are handled somewhat differently in Neocron from most games of this sort. You have five stats: Str, Int, Con, Dex, Psi. Experience you receive is targeted towards one (or a few of these stats) - it isn't a one-size-fits-all pool that you can apply to anything. Hack an access panel or research a blueprint, you'll get Int points. Shoot at something with a pistol, you'll get Dex. Beat things over the head with a baseball bat, you'll get Str. Recycle monster parts into useful chemicals, you'll get a little Int and some Dex. And so on. Once you get enough points for a given stat, it goes up to the next level, and you get five skill points to assign to a subskill in that area. This allows for very flexible character customization - pretty much anything you can think of wanting to do, can be done; the only thing that CAN'T be done is to do everything at once. If you want a master researcher, a master constructor, a master warrior, and a master hacker, you're going to need four different people. You can be "good enough" in several areas at once, or pick one thing to focus on.
Missions are available from NPCs or (the better source) from the various computer terminals. They're for the most part self-explanatory, and new random ones are generated whenever you go to look for one. Missions are available both for single players and for groups. All types of activity are there, from simple FedEx deliveries to killing a certain number of baddies to researching or constructing items for your faction - which is a subject worthy of a good deal of discussion.
Building Things
You can buy practically anything in the shops. However, it's always hugely expensive (unless you have a good barter skill), and always in very very poor condition. Practically anything player-built will be better than what comes out of the NPC shops or monster loot, so it's important to know your way around the tradeskill system.
Neocron has one of the most complicated and arcane systems for building things in any game I've ever seen (and this is after playing Jumpgate, where there actually IS a game economy). There's five basic types of "tech-tools" you may end up using: Research, Construct, Recycle, Repair, and Salvage. Taking them in reverse order: Salvage lets you recover stuff from an item that has been worn down to worthlessness (for instance, if you've added a mod to a weapon, you can try and get it back). Repair is for fixing up an item that's been worn down and making it effective again. Recycle involves taking various bits of junk and monster parts (poison glands, chitin, metal plates, that kind of thing), combining them in certain ways, and processing them to produce useful raw materials like Tiberal or Solantium. Once you have the raw materials, you use the Constructor tool to turn them into components - weapon components, ammo components, drug components, vehicle components (!), whatever you have a blueprint for; and once you have the components, you can then use the Constructor on them to actually make the object (again, if you have the blueprint). Blueprints, of course, come from Researching whatever object or component it is you want to build.
Recycling, Constructing or Researching anything requires that the relevant skill be equal to or greater than the tech level of the item in question; the greater your skill, the easier it will be.
All of these actions, of course, grant you XP (usually in Int and Dex, some in Str too). You can pretty much make a living doing this kind of thing, level at a decent rate, and have it be fun, too - many players do just that, and there's usually a crowd of players with high-level Research, Construct, Repair, and Implant skills hanging out in the central Plaza, hawking their abilities. I've mainly been playing a combat guy, but I've gained a number of Int and Dex levels just sitting in my apartment, researching stuff I've found, putting together raw materials and components, and building myself a few guns - good ones, too.
If the player building a weapon has a particularly high Construct skill (as compared to the tech level of the gun being built), there's a chance that some extra slots will be present on the gun when it's done, to which special weapon mods can be added. These include things like laser pointers, scopes, and silencers; but also large-clip adapters, improved gun barrels for longer range and better damage, energy matrices for improved performance on the laser weapons, and dozens of other things that you'll run into playing the game. All in all, this whole system is an extremely worthwhile pursuit, and a good deal of fun besides.
For further details, the "Neocron Player Guides" (under CityCom) section of the Neocron Forums has a number of good articles on these things.
Game Economy
Looks pretty solid. There's even a stock market where you can buy and sell stocks in various Neocron companies (and presumably make money that way). Money is very much an "easy come, easy go" sort of thing - spend a few hours focused on money making, you'll rack it up; and then you can spend it just as fast on new equipment or drugs or components. Most objects used by players seem to be player-made, and the people making them often ask just for tips as payment. Dupe bugs have been known to occur - I ran into an erratic one myself with datacubes - but seem to get squashed reasonably quickly. The shops buy stuff for about 10% (or less) of what they sell the same item for, which does contribute to taking money out of circulation.
There is a grouping system. I haven't tried it yet (haven't needed to).
Killing Stuff
Neocron bills itself as the first real massively multiplayer FPS, and it pretty much is. "Pretty much" because given the number of players involved, and the nature of the net and of lag, you can't have the exactitude of targeting and body-damage-modeling found in, say, Counterstrike - no head shots in Neocron, just the regular wear-down-the-hit-points routine; and as long as your gun is relatively on target, and your Deus Ex-style reticle has shrunk reasonably, you'll probably hit what you're shooting at. That said, it does feel much more like an actual FPS than an Everquest or Earth & Beyond style start-the-attack-routine-and-wait system - you have to point the gun at what you're shooting at, if you're firing a burst and the gun goes off target (from recoil, for instance) you'll miss, and you can dodge enemy shots. Shooting, then ducking back behind cover to avoid the counterfire, is an essential tactic. Area-of-effect weapons work well - for instance, there's a plant in the sewers that spits poison clouds. These will hit not just you, but any roaches, rats, and other plants nearby - including the firing plant if you're close enough to it. Assuming you're tough enough to survive, all you have to do then is wait while everything around you convulses and gradually dies. Explosives like grenades also have significant area-of-effect damage - don't go running out into an area where another player is tossing grenades or firing explosive rockets, you won't like it.
There's a good variety of weapons - pistols, rifles, energy weapons, and heavy weapons. They all have stat requirements for use, resulting in another sort of level treadmill much like Jumpgate's system, where every player is always flying the highest-level ship available to them, instead of the ship that might theoretically be best for what they're doing. (The only real exceptions are tows, for massive cargo hauls, and scouts, for maxed-out speed.) This is something I think is really not necessary, with more downsides than good, and in particular takes away the whole idea of choosing your weapon based on what you need it for and what you can afford, rather than just following a straight-line upgrade course. I keep thinking of Fallout, where I used the gun that was coolest (Desert Eagle, baby!) and damage depended on my character's skill at doing head shots (or leg shots), not so much on the weapon itself. But this verges back into the area of targeted shots and body-damage-models and precision that is difficult to achieve with a true MMOG.
There's plenty of places to fight - dozens of trapdoors in the city itself leading to various sewers, abandoned cellars, abandoned housing areas, and so on. Most of the ones of the same type have variations on the same layout - for instance, all the sewers tend to look the same - and monster spawning seems to be calibrated to maintain a steady population, regardless of whether nobody's cleaned it out in the past few hours or not. Then there's the wasteland. I haven't been very far out there yet, but what I've seen (and heard) is impressive.
Neocron is one of multiple games on the market or entering it where PvP is a major part of the game. I've seen a lot of commentary from rant sites and similar sources (particularly on LtM) to the effect that "UO tried to make PvP work and couldn't, EQ and AC's successful servers are the no-PK ones, so obviously PvP is something people don't want!" This has always seemed to me to be a nonsensical argument (as none of the games mentioned did anywhere near a creditable job of implementing PvP sensibly); and also seems to be coming mainly from people who were so scarred by bad experiences with UO's PvP that they're incapable of thinking rationally about the subject. I'm therefore very glad to see games continuing to experiment with this very basic component of the multiplayer concept, and Neocron does a pretty decent job of it.
Neocron's implementation of the PvP switch is simple enough: an implanted Law Enforcment chip in your character's head. As long as you keep the chip installed, you 1) can't be attacked by any other players, 2) can't attack any other players, 3) need 25% more skill (or relevant stat) for anything requiring a skill check, 4) get 25% less experience for any kills or quests you do. So if a gun needs a Dex 9 to wield normally, you'd need Dex 11 to wield it with your LE chip. The choice is clear enough: a safe game, where no one bothers you, but any achiever instincts you may have will be chomping at the bit. Or, a game where things move faster, but are inherently riskier. And both types of players on the same server (although there is one no-LE-chip server - all-PvP - mixing PvP and no-PvP seems to be the current standard). Jumpgate's PvP switch was/is far less distinct, much like UO's original system (you can attack anybody, but punishments differ depending on the status of the target), and much like UO, it has been progressively revised over time to make the punishments more and more severe and the list of "who it's ok to attack" much more restricted. This was one reason I stopped playing JG - there was no gameplay basis in the restrictions, they didn't add anything to the game, it was just an attempt to cater to the carebear "massively single-player with chat" market.
I kept the chip to level 13 or so, when my Dex was 20 and I was eyeing the SMG I'd be able to use fine if I took it out ... but would have to wait till Dex 25 if I kept the chip. Greed won, and I took it out. The gun was worth it. Particularly since I then built one of the same type myself of much better workmanship.
The whole issue of PvP brings up a lot of associated issues - griefing, meaningful combat, storyline, and so on, which are best discussed in the context of Neocron's Faction system.
One of Jumpgate's biggest disappointments, to me, was that the game universe always hovered on the edge of all-out faction-vs-faction warfare, never really going for it, and never really resolving it for any length of time either. Some of the Oct-vs-Sol fights came close, but the lack of faction unity and team spirit on both sides restricted it to being a series of retaliatory raids against the nearest enemy station. The total lack of leadership on any side (except maybe the Octs, who at least tried), coupled with the total lack of any kind of encouragement one way or the other from the dev team, left the game with a sort of aimless feeling of steady-state chaos where the only things that counted were keeping stations stocked and fluxing your way to the next level.
I haven't played JG for nearly a year, and haven't been keeping up on it too carefully, but from scanning the boards occasionally, my impression is that since the Themis takeover of player relations, the threat players are supposed to be worried about now is the Conflux, instead of other factions. This is just bad storytelling. As a player, I don't care about the Conflux. I'm not scared of them. I don't give a damn what they're supposed to be planning, I know perfectly well we'll kick their asses and then go back to whatever we were doing before. It's "whatever we were doing before" that holds my interest - because THAT's going to involve player rivalries, faction rivalries. THAT's a conflict, a story, that can get and hold my interest, because it's other players, who are completely unpredictable, and ambitious in ways AI-driven NPCs can never be.
So, in Neocron, when I hear that the Twilight Guardians (the rebel faction) are mounting an attack on Pepper Park (Neocron slums and red-light district), that's important. It gets my attention. It's PLAYERS doing this. It's other players trying to disrupt the city I live in, and who knows what might happen if we just shrug and let them do it? When the Tsunami Syndicate and Black Dragon Clan gang warfare erupts out onto the streets, that's important. It's players fighting players for control of an area where guns do rule the streets. When two player clans battle for control of a wasteland outpost, that's important, because it means both power and prestige for the winner. As a Tangent Technologies agent, when I see BioTec Industries people around, I keep an eye on them, make sure my gun is loaded, and don't pick any tough fights with mutants. Maybe they won't try anything; but maybe they will. These are things that matter. They make the world, and its rivalries, its conflicts, its story, real.
Killing monsters in the sewers keeps one's attention only so long; any high-level game needs to be substantially different, and not have the "level to the top" goal that's been predominant till then. Fighting other player factions and competing with them for power fills this role admirably - particularly when the game is set up to encourage such behavior and make it worthwhile. Jumpgate, for instance, never had any in-game side effects from a crushing Solrain victory at Outpost, or an Octavian sweep at Wake - there'd be some bragging, and everything would keep going same as before. I don't know enough about Neocron to know for sure if there are serious consequences to player victories (this may also depend on what type of victory - whether a wasteland outpost fight, or a city district fight), but there is certainly the potential, and what I've seen of Reakktor's attitude in general is encouraging. (In particular, I haven't seen ANY complaints from players that clan PvP doesn't matter - as opposed to, for instance, Dark Age of Camelot. Controlling the wasteland outposts seems to be high on everyone's priority list.)
The subject of grief-killing does, of course, come up. I haven't personally encountered any griefers yet. I expect I will - there are periodic threads aobut such people, both on the web boards and the in-game forums. It isn't something that worries me, and mainly this is because of how Neocron handles death. Essentially, the only death penalty is monetary - when you die, you can activate a clone at a Gene Replicator somewhere, and pay a fee to regenerate your inventory as well. Skills and stats start off with a temporary 30% penalty right after death, but that gradually wears off after 10 minutes or so. So, for instance, when I walked up to a STORMBot - one of the automated police-protector creatures - with a gun in my hand (because this damn bat wouldn't leave me alone) and he blows me away with a single shot (STORMBot: "Drop that weapon!" Me: "C'mon, c'mon, stop flitting, you stupid -" STORMBot: *Blammo*) - well, grief kills are essentially the same kind of random unfair death. All it amounted to was a 1900-credit teleport from the city gate to my apartment. It's annoying, but little more than that - and even so, the best-known nasty group of PK'ers ("Malevolent Crackheads") seems to do a decent job of generating posses that go around attacking them on sight.
The one complaint the massively-single-player types can arguably make is that they're being punished (by the LE chip) for their playstyle. The thing is, nobody gave them a charter guaranteeing them their playstyle in any game they'd ever choose to play. Hopefully Reakktor isn't hurting for players so much that they'll feel the need to cater to this particular niche the way Jumpgate did - or, if they do, they'll do so with better game design than JG did. (Yeah, I'm bitter.)
Supposedly there is one. I haven't noticed anything that could pass as such in-game yet.
I swore that I'd never play a levelling treadmill again after JG, but this one isn't bugging me - perhaps because it leaves me with plenty of freedom to choose HOW to level. The game atmosphere is good. A week into the game, I don't feel like I've done anywhere near everything there is to do (which is a feeling both Jumpgate and Earth and Beyond left me with after similar times in-game). The city feels real. The world feels believable. The graphics are good. The gameplay is fun. The playerbase is generally distant but not unfriendly (about what you'd expect in a real big city). Levelling isn't a grind. I don't feel ripped off. What can I say? I like the game.
Starfleet Command III
is going to be a great game....once the d*mn thing gets patched. Played it hard for a week and really enjoyed myself in Multiplay using the Dynaverse, but OMG the thing was buggy. First patch has over 100 planned fixes :headbang: . The Dynaverse has many servers and you want to find one with 2 things, a decent amount of humans and a slow reset time. The Activision C server resets every couple days, so you have to start AGAIN with your basic frigate which really sucks. The AI players are less than impressive, but they're nice to have with you to fill out your fleet. The game shines in PvP with Humans. Wow are the battles intense! There are such a variety of tactics that it really makes it a challange to kill someone without suffering that fate first. The game makes it fairly easy to run and not lose "Prestige points", so even if your pounded you can usually run...unless they've got you in a tractor beam, targeted your warp core or hit you with a Tacyon Beam. I had a really intense 3 v 3 battle, 2 humans 1 AI per side. We were Borg in Spheres (Cruiser class vessels) (Up on Netmeeting voice) and they were in a Federation Galaxy class and an Intrepid. Dunno why, but we shredded that Intrepid like paper within a few volley's, but that Galaxy kept warping around, knocked out our AI and had me and my bud below 50% armor. What saved our tails was that Borg ships regen and he just couldn't kill us. He eventually ran after about a 10 min battle, really great fun. Patch should be out 2nd half of Jan if you want to try it.
Back to top
Ex-Assistant GM
Joined: 25 Feb 2002
Posts: 158
Location: Yorktown, VA
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 11:53 am
Post subject:
It shines in multiplayer tactics. Especially with the borg. AI help doesn't coordinate with you. Two borg characters can really wreak havok if they are coordinated. ie Remove shields, and pound, tractor, rinse and repeat. Borg can afford to take hits while concentrating on one opponent :)
Back to top
Offical GM
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 15
Location: Feck knows...If you see me let me know
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 4:00 pm
Post subject:
on EnB what a waste of a good game
get a job warp to gate rinse repeat
Ive a level 150 Progen Warrior
and 4 other clases over level 40 and I am so bored I have started licking the paint of the walls.
Back to top
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2003 2:14 pm
Post subject:
crosslink to Neocron thread
looks like someone put up a review at
(my #1 gaming news site)
crosslink to Freelancer thread
apparently this one was
to be a successor to the failed "Privateer: online" MMOG but it's gone SP and point and click (i think)
Back to top
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 3
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2003 12:26 am
Post subject:
For a flight sim type try
, it is still beta, however thier test server is currently not open to the public as they are trying to get the latest patch running before opening it up for a 2 day beta sigh-up.
Back to top
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2003 1:56 pm
Post subject:
GM-Nibbles wrote:
on EnB what a waste of a good game
looks like EA games nuked Westwood studios (the developer of Earth & Beyond. (see
the spindoctors assure the public that EnB will continue under new management, but you've GOT to be kidding. lol
Back to top
Test Pilot
Joined: 01 Oct 2001
Posts: 10
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2003 7:03 pm
Post subject:
MajorFreak wrote:
GM-Nibbles wrote:
on EnB what a waste of a good game
looks like EA games nuked Westwood studios (the developer of Earth & Beyond. (see
the spindoctors assure the public that EnB will continue under new management, but you've GOT to be kidding. lol
[impression type="Cosby as Noah"]Riiiight...[/impression]
Admittedly, I'm still somewhat bitter about Origin's fate, though... :p
Just another nohbody
Back to top
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:35 am
Post subject:
Kami wrote:
I don't think they nuked westwood so much as moved westwood closer to corp HQ. Mayhaps the same thing.
No loss, either way, Westwood needs some new blood or inspiration. Their games are sequels of an original hit(s), and EnB is .....a great community type game, but otherwise very boring. It's also one of those levelling treadmills, however - the rewards keep coming if you stay on it, at least till level 150 is it?
I have a level 42 JD on one of their servers. I do so like the idea of ambushing mobs that can't see me.
See Munster ----> Combat Cloak ---------> Teleport Munster to you.
ZAAAAAAAAAP (it either dies or kicks your ass - very little in between)
Or we group together and let the heavy guns go in and wade through the muck and summon them to us when their shields go below 25%.
I run as soon as my psi shield gives. I'm a wuss, and supposed to be a warrior class. My ship is woefully underpowered, considering the abilities I use and the amount of energy they require. Be a psionicist sucks. hehe
Still awaiting Eve....Which is entering Beta 6 (final phase) this week.
Back to top
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:53 am
Post subject:
Adrenaline Vault Article
Apparently, World of Warcraft just got an update.
Back to top
Sgt 1st Class
Joined: 13 Jun 2002
Posts: 54
Location: Muffy went off on somebody and all i got was this lousy T-Shirt
Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2003 8:43 pm
Post subject:
Freelancer is both SP and Multiplayer Non-Persistent Server (ala NWN) at last reports. Looks to be mildly interesting and I may download the demo.
Jesus saves, the rest of you take 5d20 damage.
Back to top
Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2003 1:25 am
Post subject:
:urstupid: thread topic is MMOG, yes? SP/MP no. bad, RazorX!
Back to top
Master Sergeant
Joined: 06 Dec 2002
Posts: 67
Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 3:54 am
Post subject:
Well I have to admit I am not impressed with Eve at the moment. [
Disclaimer, I KNOW its a beta
] Sure it looks absolutely gorgeous but it has the steepest learning curve of any game I have ever played.
I deliberately approached it as an out and out Noob player, interested yes, but not going straight into =MA= or one of the other JG squads that have offered me help just to see what I could achieve on my own. In short it is going to take a lot of willpower to get me back into the game as it stands at the moment.
The website is a mess, the manual is nigh on useless and if, as seems to happen to many, you nerf the Tutorial (or the server crashes on you) then you really are in trouble as it tends to respawn you miles from anwhere with you essentially being clueless.
An AI bot did offer me a mission which I can apparently go back to, but I have yet to find out how to do this and the only other way of getting money (you start with nothing but a ship anda couple of lasers) is to go mining. However you need 1000 units of anything before you can refine it which can take you upwards of 2 hours to extract on default kit.
If you can get past this and actually find some of the rocks that actually pay decent money then it does actually look like there might actually be quiet an impressive economic structure behind the game, but factor in the bugs which require you to reinstall the client every now and again (and hence download the patches all over again) and what enthusiasm I had for it is rapidly dwindling.
I think I'll take another look at it in a couple of weeks and see if they have actually added "stuff" that a lone pilot can do because it is currently a very lonely, monotonous experience point and clicking your way through Eve.
Back to top
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:41 pm
Post subject:
MMORPG site's list of games
oh, BTW, there's some funny shiite going on at SWG fanboi forums...
When this game was initionaly announced a lot of the stuff that was pulled was at the top of things that they were using to sell the game. In addition a lot of the features that they pulled are never going to be in the game. They have been pulled permanetly. One of the key selling points of this game was PLAYER RUN CITIES. This was in a nutshel the HOOK for the game. For those designers out there, its one of the most important parts of a game pyramid. Its what you use to create the game and all its features. They yanked it and turn SWG into Everquest in space, which is in a nutshel what this game is turning out to be, delays, bugs and all.
fanboi wrote:
Not dumped. Postponed. Do you know why player cities were picked to be postponed? Because by the time enough people have made enough money to buy enough houses to constitute a city, the code will have been put in place. You cannot build a player city the moment you log into the game. Therefore, it is an unnecessary feature for launch.
critic wrote:
Nice try Tjaden, but explain then why I can't even pursue the required profession to run a player city at start up? Politician was pulled. So, was a nice thought, but doesn't hold water. I won't bother to go into more.
fanboi wrote:
Just a couple of comments I feel like making. First, player cities, vehicles, and Dark Jedi, hardly constitute half the content. You might have a point if they had said all non combat skills had been removed or something.
fanboi wrote:
Wit, politican was postponed because player cities were postponed. You're answering your own question by asking why you can't be a politican whose express purpose is to be able to take charge of a gamelay element that won't be present at release. It would be like asking why you can't engage in any activity requiring a space ship.
critic wrote:
DARK JEDI ARE OUT?! DOH, that MAJORLY sucks. I wouldnt say Jedi will only be .01% of the content, but I think Jedi will be at LEAST 65% marketting power. Same with player run cities. Maybe 3-5% content max, but triple marketting power...
fanboi wrote:
Delayed, not out, which is something that much of this board has some difficulty understanding. Jedi are still in just Dark Jedi skills are delayed.
critic wrote:
I am not flaming and really look forward to playing the game but with the Dev's poor track record of estimating how long any feature will take do you really think that the cut features will be back in the game soon after launch. I am planning on not worrying about it and setting myself up for disappointment because I think 6-9 months is a fair estimate. Take any Dev post on a date projection and triple it... Sorry but thats been their track record to date...Most of the team will split at lauch some going to live team, some going to SE and some leaving... Be prepared that the features that don't make it into launch may not come back for a long time. The first priority will be bug fixes, play balance, nerfing and stability.
critic wrote:
And everyone complaining about whiners, you need to find someone who was active on the EQ boards when the warriors, druids, monks, rogues, paladins, clerics, shadow knights, shaman, bards, magicians, necros, enchanters, and wizards where going through thier various class ballancing fits and ask them about whining.
wynar (anti-fanboi) wrote:
I'm so sick of all your whiney little rants. Who cares that it got delayed again. It happens. It has happened to ALOT of games, and people waited and bought the games. How long was Diablo 2 delayed? Look at Ultima X *i think thats the one*, there was so many bugs in that game because it was rushed. If they did bring it out now, you'd be whining, oh you shoulda kept it in beta longer i can't play because of all the bugs you didn't find. You guys just never give up. *sigh*
critic wrote:
Everyone here posting about "having a polished game later, rather than a buggy game in April" must have never played MMO games. Read some of the other MMO game sites to see how much they patch their respective system to fix bugs that's been in their program for years. Then after they fix that, they patch again because it broke something they didn't take into consideration. It's a vicious circle that goes on seemingly forever. It will not change. Coders aren't perfect... and worse yet, they don't get paid to be perfect. A MMO game takes years to be polished... AFTER release. Not during beta's. Get a clue please. Especially when you jump on someone for speaking their mind or for getting pissed off. I certainly don't feel the least bit bad for the beating the devs are getting on the boards since the announcement. They're professionals, they can handle it. Think they give a rats ass about BobbyJoe & PeggySue that kiss their ass when they're told the game's delayed AGAIN & that the extra time WILL NOT help them implement the subtractions of content they announced prior? They deserve the ribbing IMO. They need to get their **** together & make a few GOOD decisions for a change.
fanboi (WARNING! MASSIVE SUCKING SOUNDS!) wrote:
Developers I think we owe you alot of thanks for not giving in to pressure and realeasing shotty merchandise just too satisfy a minority of consumers. Its a shame that we have to wait for this game, but it would be far worse to have our expectations of a great experience crushed by sub-par material. I personally am very gratfull for this postponment in order to ensure quality.
lmao rofl "hardly constitute half the content." It's funny, it looks like all the DynamicRealContent is being nerfed. I do love the counter-counter-semantic-clarification going on...That much loved wynar mode used by the Devs to justify nerfage of anything remotely like DynamicRealContent into "cookie-cutter levelling treadmill"
misplaced concept wrote:
SOE didnt loose any customers today. If there's one thing Sony has learned from EverCrack it's that evreybody will turn up when they turn the taps on, and beg to be watered.
I think the point is that Sony could publish a total stinker of a MMOG, just like EQ, and people wouldn't care because they knew about the game from the massive media blitz Sony did, and stayed because of the massive community thus produced. (not to mention the pkswitches)
proof that DynamicRealContent takes a major backseat to stupid amounts of hype, nerfs and pkswitching
critic wrote:
Got to love those naive people out there thinking the cut features will be given to us in a couple of months after the game is release. You people are so naive particularly because you guys probably never played a single MMOG in your life and also have no idea how marketting plays a great role in these games. Those features that are supposed to be in the game are just broken promises. It could take a year or two before they even implement it. They might not even implement it at all. As long as you don't see it in the game, don't count too much on it.
oh, they'll keep their promises. they'll add all those "delayed" features, but they'll be nerfed to hell and back.
critic wrote:
Oh, yes. Joy. Yay. Thanks for nada.
Stock value in SNE (Sony Corp)
has gone from 59 to a whopping 36. Yippee for Sony and it's investors. Yes, the SOE branch is really producing. Wow. Check the pitiful decline in the past 12 months - they were really counting on this one, and I am sure - still are. I hope to sell ASAP and wait for it to bottom out. Jeez, and I felt a little good this morning when it gained a few pennies. Yippee.
please note the idiot decided to imply SNE's future depended on SWG in any shape or form. uh huh. riiiiight...i'd say it was the opposite: SNE's stock price dropping equates to corporate axemen slashing funds and putting the heat on things that don't meet deadlines, eh?
click on that pic for sony PR interview
Back to top
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2003 3:17 pm
Post subject:
Earth & Beyond has everything that for years we've had to listen to people asking for in Jumpgate, such as 3D stations that you can run around in, being able to autopilot across sectors, one-click insta-docking, planetary atmospheres that you can fly through, pretty graphics, etc. By incorporating all these things, they have manged to make E&B two things:
1) Laggy as hell.
2) Boring as hell.
The game is a whole lot of clicking, followed by a whole lot of waiting. Lather, rinse, repeat. Oh and everybody whines on those boards, too.
MirageHawk wrote:
well, it is just different
I have played JG for a while (dont look at my stat I just reset) and I am also beta testing EVE. I did beta test EnB and I think it is just different from JG. There are lot of people who like EnB more than JG if you check their forums. Also, EVE it is different from EnB and JG but I can talk about it because I still beta testing. If you want to download manually go to EnB forums and check technical part. You may find the instructions there.
Yes, and water is wet. thxmuch
Back to top
Display posts from previous:
All Posts
1 Day
7 Days
2 Weeks
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Oldest First
Newest First
UMEC Forum Index
News, Reviews & Articles
All times are GMT
Goto page
Jump to:
Select a forum
General Discussion
Free Database (Eve-Online)
Free Database (JumpGate)
Flame War
Comic Relief
OPERATIONS (JumpGate & Eve)
Roleplaying Events & Storyline Posts
Public Relations
Multimedia Gallery
CURRENT AFFAIRS (JumpGate)
News, Reviews & Articles
Gameplay (ie. Content)
Official Storyline
Website/Forum Discussion
ARM projects & Homeworld forum
EvE ONLINE
Eve Public Forum
post new topics in this forum
reply to topics in this forum
edit your posts in this forum
delete your posts in this forum
vote in polls in this forum
Space Pilot 3K template by
Jakob Persson
Powered by
© 2001 phpBB Group


text:
Industrial Boiler MACT Rule
Reading the article on the Industrial Boiler MACT Rule ("Understanding the Industrial Boiler MACT Rule," June 2010, http://bit.ly/d1jFga) leads me to this question: Do we need to be addressing our boilers for compliance? I work for a rural hospital with three locations. We have a variety of boilers dating from 1957 to our newest, installed last year with NOx- (nitrogen-oxide-) measurement devices. Can you give me any guidance?
David Schairbaum
Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers
Bryan, Ohio
Author's response:
The first criterion for Boiler MACT applicability is that your boilers must be located at a facility that is a major source of hazardous air pollutants (HAP). A major source of HAP is any facility with the potential to emit (PTE) more than 10 tons of a single HAP or more than 25 total tons of HAP in a single year. If your facility is not a major source, then your boilers are not subject to the rule. Typically, a major-source facility is one that contains coal-fired boilers, oil-fired boilers, and/or manufacturing processes with air emissions in an amount that trip the HAP PTE thresholds.
I assume your hospital has only relatively small natural-gas-fired boilers and no other air emissions. Therefore, I do not believe your facility is a major source of HAP. Also, in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's database of approximately 1,500 Boiler MACT-affected facilities, there is only one hospital.
Don Wolf, PE
Burns & McDonnell
Chesterfield, Mo.
Sustainable Shaft Grounding
Thank you for publishing the article "Extending Motor Life With Sustainable Shaft Grounding" (by Adam Willwerth, May 2010, http://bit.ly/ceTEi4). It was very informative and to the point. It summarized very briefly all of the factors contributing to motor-bearing failure. I have some experience with large-motor-bearing failure and variable-frequency drives. My research found conflict causes and several solutions. After reading this article, I feel confident that my solution was the correct solution.
Anthony J. Zabloudil
Luckett & Farley
Louisville, Ky.
Letters on HPAC Engineering editorial content and issues affecting the HVACR industry are welcome. Please address them to Scott Arnold, executive editor, at [email protected].

subset: commoncrawl


text:
< Features
- 1 Handwriting Recognizer
- 1.1 Summary
- 1.2 Owner
- 1.3 Current status
- 1.4 Detailed Description
- 1.5 Benefit to Fedora
- 1.6 Scope
- 1.7 Test Plan
- 1.8 User Experience
- 1.9 Dependencies
- 1.10 Contingency Plan
- 1.11 Documentation
- 1.12 Release Notes
- 1.13 Development history
- 1.14 Development Plan
- 1.15 Contributions
- 1.16 Feature Requests
- 1.17 Comments
Handwriting Recognizer
Handwriting Recognizer writrecogn allows users to input Chinese characters used in Chinese, Japanese and Korean with a mouse or tablet.
- Name: DingyiChen
Current status
- Targeted release: N/A
- Last updated: 2008-03-25
- Percentage of completion: 70%
- 0.1.8 Released
- [TODO] Need to connect to SCIM
Detailed Description
Handwriting Recognizer recognizes Chinese handwritten characters for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) and will interface to input methods such as SCIM. Unlike some implementations which require to build a huge set of character recognition rules, we recognize radicals of Chinese characters, i.e. the word root of the character, then use a character-structure-based input method to search for the word. This saves us from writing recognition rules for tens of thousands of CJK characters. This should provide better recognition accuracy than current open source handwriting recognition libraries, like tomoe.
The main program which provides the GUI is
WritRecogn and there is a commandline character data maintenance program
Other features include:
- Stroke editor: users can input new characters for the recognizer to learn.
Benefit to Fedora
- Enable users who have little knowledge of CJK input methods to write Chinese characters.
- Suitable for keyboardless handheld devices.
- Technique can be extended to OCR.
Currently recognizes Chinese characters as used in Traditional and Simplified Chinese hanzi, Japanese kanji, and Korean hanja.
Test Plan
- test that it is possible to input Chinese characters smoothly
- make sure that window focus and input to other applications works correctly
- profiling to check performance
User Experience
- User can input Chinese characters by handwriting.
writrecognpackage needs to be reviewed, accepted and built in Fedora.
- Need integration with SCIM.
Contingency Plan
None needed: it is a new package. Tomoe and conventional input methods for Chinese characters will still be available.
None yet.
Release Notes
writrecogn is a new handwritten input system for Chinese characters written by Ding Chen.
Development history
- 2007-05-07: Development started
- Some milestones:
- GObjectize RawCharacter, RawStroke, CharacterMatcher, StrokeRecognizer, StrokeNoiseReducer
- SQLite backend
- Can import from SCIM Tomoe XML data base.
- 2008-01: registered project on SourceForge as writrecogn
- 2008-01-21: initial release of version 0.1 on SourceForge
Development Plan
- Public Release as beta version if the recognizer recognize level 0 radicals (strokes).
- Gather and merge the community contributed stroke data and recognition hypotheses.
- Release the revised stroke data and recognition hypotheses, receive feedback and comments, goto 2. if necessary.
- Ver 0.2
- SQLitize Raw Character List (The list that hold all character).
- Implementation of Relative Radical Bounding box.
- Ver 0.3
- A brief document about Relative Radical Bounding box and "Radical Textbook".
A radical Textbook is a collection of characters and their corresponding sub-radical combinations, which are represented as set of relative radical bounding box .
- Radical Textbook importer (TUI)
- Radical Textbook editor (GUI)
- Ver 0.4
- Convert the stroke-sequence to Radical Textbook, so user does not need to know the exact sequences.
- Character Matcher that can handle the Radical Relative Bounding box.
- Ver 0.5 (Alpha)
- Link to SCIM
- Fuzzy Character Matcher (error tolerence)
- Pack as RPM
- Ver 0.6
- Incremental learning machine (apply incremental SVM or other algorithm)
- English characters recognition.
- Number recognition.
- Commonly used symbol recognition.
- Ver 0.7 (Beta)
- Make Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean Radical Text book.
- CJK synonyms (The character that share the same meaning).
- CJK I/O switch. For example, user might input simlified Chinese but wish to output Traditional Chinese and vise versa.
- Ver 0.8
- Evaluation framework
- Plugin framework (such as Stroke Noise Reducer, Stroke Recognizer, Character Matcher)
- Ver 0.9
- Research paper about this project.
- Help documentation.
- Ver 1.0 (Official release)
- Improve stroke editor/trainer interface.
- Double writing canvas
- Hot keys.
- Ver 1.1
- Transparent canvas
- Frameless window
- Other
- UniHan support: Show the character information from UniHan
Help is always welcome, several things need to be discussed and done: 1. Algorithm Plugins (such as Stroke Noise Reducer, StrokeRecognizer, CharacterMatcher) 2. UI 3. Radical Textbooks 4. Help documentaion (User and developer) 5. Feature ideas. Please join the writRecogn project on SourceForge, your efforts will be appreciated.
Feature Requests
Please put your feature request here.
- MatthiasClasen: Sounds pretty interesting. What is the package that need to install to play with this ? Or, if it is not packaged yet, do you have some screenshots ?
- I think the bullet points currently in "Contingency Plan" should be moved to a new section with more detailed plans covering the remainder of the project.
- JeremyKatz: Could this be extended to also work for non-CJK input? On the English side, I've been playing with cellwriter on my tablet and it works reasonably well, but more options are better
- PeterGordon: I would love to see this feature worked-on. As a beginning Japanese student, I think it would be incredibly awesome to be able to draw Kanji/Kana on my Wacom and have it automagically recognized and inserted. Tomoe is good at recognizing the characters, but its UI is far too cumbersome for me; and CellWriter seems great at "learning" how I write, but having to train every single Kana and Kanji (thousands) would be so extraordinarily tedious. :o (And about the cumbersome Tomoe UI, I just want an entry pad and a list of candidates that doesn't block the focused app.) What can we do to help? :)
- BillNottingham: I'm leery of pushing this as a 'HandwritingRecognizer' feature when
- Fedora already includes at least two others (tomoe, cellwriter)
- this only appears to at this stage support Chinese
- DingyiChen: The project preview is put on sourceforge as writRecogn.
MatthiasClasen, the source code and screen shots is at the website.
JeremyKatz, the Alphanum support will be available in 0.6. The support of language other than CJK and English depends on request. They will like be implemented after 1.1
PeterGordon, I haven't thought much about UI yet, but come to think of it, how about transparent canvas (without frame, perhaps).
- JasonTibbitts: Could you clarify whether this is intended to support kana and/or hangul, or just the ideograms? It's tough to say we have anything more than very limited Japanese or (especially) modern Korean handwriting recognition without them.
- DingyiChen: Jason, it will support kana and hangul, if someone is willing to edit the "textbooks" of them.


text:
Flyersman needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 16 designs submitted by 8 freelance designers.
I am someone marketing out this product
I need a page like:
used for the coloflush product here: http://www.coloflushtrial.com/
This page:
Did the same thing, based there design off the HealthyOnlineLiving one but changed it a good amount so it is not a copy. I want a page similar in style to them but not at all a copy. It needs to use the ColoFlush name and bottle of course.


text:
When deciding to undergo nose surgery, choosing a top rhinoplasty surgeon with the necessary training, experience, and skill is essential for obtaining the best rhinoplasty results. Dr. Cochran has repeatedly been selected as one of the "Best Doctors in Dallas" by D Magazine.
C. Spencer Cochran, MD is a rhinoplasty specialist and founder of the Dallas Rhinoplasty Center. He is one of only a handful of surgeons across the US and the world whose practice is limited exclusively to rhinoplasty and rhinoplasty-related procedures such as chin augmentation. Dr. Cochran is extensively trained and highly skilled in all aspects of nasal surgery.
Rhinoplasty is not only Dr. Cochran's area of expertise – it is his passion. Dr. Cochran is Board Certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and is a member of The Rhinoplasty Society, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and many other prestigious medical organizations. Dr. Cochran strives to provide the best rhinoplasty results by combining time-tested rhinoplasty techniques with the most advanced innovations available in nasal surgery. His extraordinary level of experience and credentials have paved the way for him to become an immensely talented and skilled rhinoplasty specialist.
"Rhinoplasty intrigues me because of its inherent degree of difficulty. To be extraordinary, you must develop a keen aesthetic eye, a deep understanding of anatomy, and incredible technical proficiency. You must also commit to it as a specialty because rhinoplasty is challenging to do well if you are not doing it all the time."
Rhinoplasty differs from other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in that it involves correcting both form and function. "Striking the perfect balance between meeting a patient's aesthetic goals and correcting a functional problem is very important – a great looking nose must also work well. I never settle for anything less than my personal best. This is the only thing I do, and it will be done right."
Dr. C. Spencer Cochran received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he graduated with honor. His interest in rhinoplasty led him to pursue a career as a nasal surgeon and rhinoplasty specialist, training at the world-renowned University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. During his residency, he served as Chief Resident of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Dr. Cochran continues to teach rhinoplasty techniques to other surgeons as a Clinical Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Dr. Cochran studied the art and science of rhinoplasty directly under Dr. Gunter, observing and assisting him in surgery. Dr. Gunter was impressed with Dr. Cochran's talent and enthusiasm for rhinoplasty and later asked Dr. Cochran to join his practice. "We feel very fortunate to have Dr. Cochran at our center. He is a rising star in the field of nasal surgery. Upon Dr. Gunter's retirement in June of 2014, he entrusted Dr. Cochran to continue his practice. "My patients truly benefit from all I have learned from Dr. Gunter. His meticulous attention to detail is remarkable. Having worked beside him over the past 10 years has made me a better doctor."
Dr. Cochran believes in giving every patient the luxury of time. During each in-person consultation, Dr. Cochran carefully explains what patients can expect before, during, and after surgery. Because each individual possesses unique facial characteristics, Dr. Cochran designs a specific surgery for each patient. "The nose should never detract from the face or become a focal point. It is a unique operation every time."
Dr. C. Spencer Cochran has become one of the most respected rhinoplasty surgeons in the nation thanks to his experience, training, and skill. Schedule a consultation at the Dallas Rhinoplasty Center by contacting us today, or visit our Are You a Candidate? page for information about completing an Internet Consultation.
[ Back to Top ]


text:
They'll tell you if you're onto the Next Big Thing.
Crowdfunding platforms – raising funds through online crowdsourcing – holds promise for entrepreneurs, artists, game developers and nonprofits alike.
"If the crowd believes you have a worthwhile idea, it will support you," said Venkat Kuppuswamy, a strategy and entrepreneurship professor. "If it doesn't, maybe you have an answer that has saved you a lot of trouble."
Crowdfunding sites, such as Kickstarter, provide platforms for entrepreneurs to post information about their projects, fundraising goals and deadlines. Small investors pledge an amount, and if the goal is met by the deadline, investors' credit cards are charged. If pledges fall short of the goal, investors aren't charged, and the entrepreneur receives no funding.
Kuppuswamy's earlier research delved into how firm strategy adapts to financial constraints and the benefits of diversification for firms operating in poorly functioning capital markets. In his crowdfunding research, he examines how investor behavior changes over the funding cycle of a project.
Kuppuswamy scraped data from Kickstarter for all projects that had even one backer, dating from Kickstarter's inception in 2009 until the data were no longer publicly available in early 2012. He assembled a panel data set for each project and conducted an analysis of contribution behavior over time.
He found that several things can influence the success of a crowdfunding capital raise. The size of the crowd affects investment behavior through the bystander effect. The larger the crowd, the less pressure any individual feels to commit to funding. In a smaller crowd, individuals feel more onus to contribute. While a large crowd indicates past support, raising too much too soon will reduce motivation, over time, to invest.
"Ideally, you want a steady increase in the size of your crowd," Kuppuswamy said.
The urgency that builds as the deadline approaches can help reduce the negative influence of the bystander effect. After all, the project disappears if it fails to meet its goal, and investors not only want the reward they will receive if the project goes forward, but they also derive satisfaction from being the savior. Moreover, updates and engagement with the crowd through social media become particularly critical to drumming up support when the entrepreneur is battling the bystander effect.
"In the last election, we heard how small businesses were the engine of the economy," Kuppuswamy said. "One of the biggest challenges facing new businesses is raising funds. Crowdfunding, done right, is one solution."
Venkat Kuppuswamy is assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at UNC Kenan-Flagler.


text:
Little Big Kech 9
The photographs from the Little Big Kech series are produced using the Tilt-Shift technique. This photographic process consists of creating an artificial depth of field that affects our perception of the scale of the scene being photographed, perceiving it as a miniature. This results in a sequence of perplexing images of Marrakech.
These ship in a cardboard tube, unframed on high quality paper.
Inkjet prints UltraChrome K3, on glossy paper 285gr. Light resistant.
Prints are signed and numbered.
Large format/ 50
Small format/ 100
And don't forget to read our article about the artist Simon Sailot – Seeing Small, An Artist Profile.


text:
0 Items in Your Cart
Vault Guides are THE source for insider insight on career information and employer reviews. Shop Vault Guides
Phil Stott
January 29, 2014
President Obama's State of the Union speech last night focused to a large degree on jobs and, specifically, on two key planks related to labor: the need to create more jobs, and raising wages for those at the bottom of the compensation ladder. Here are the main takeaways from the speech on those issues:
Setting the scene
No State of the Union speech would be complete without a progress check. Here is the President's take on how we've been faring of late:
"The lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector that's adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world – the first time that's happened in nearly twenty years. Our deficits – cut by more than half. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world's number one place to invest; America is.
That's why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth."
Income equality
Judging from responses elsewhere in the commentary sphere, two issues from the speech stood out as most likely to be at the center of ongoing partisan debate for the foreseeable future: the minimum wage, and unemployment insurance.
On the first issue, the President appears to have concluded that voluntary action has a much greater chance of succeeding than any sort of federal mandate:
"Tonight, I ask more of America's business leaders to […] do what you can to raise your employees' wages. To every mayor, governor, and state legislator in America, I say, you don't have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks, I will issue an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour – because if you cook our troops' meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn't have to live in poverty.
Of course, to reach millions more, Congress needs to get on board. Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about twenty percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. Tom Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesn't involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise."
Piecemeal incrementalism isn't an option when it comes to unemployment insurance, however—a fact that likely lay behind one of the more direct requests that the President issued to the House:
"I'm also convinced we can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming unemployment insurance so that it's more effective in today's economy. But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you just let expire for 1.6 million people."
The Gender Gap
The President was equally direct when it came to recognizing that pay inequality for women still an all too common fact of life:
"Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it's an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship—and you know what, a father does, too. It's time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a "Mad Men" episode. This year, let's all come together—Congress, the White House, and businesses from Wall Street to Main Street—to give every woman the opportunity she deserves. Because I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds."
Tax reform as engine of job creation
The shift towards "insourcing" manufacturing has been ongoing for a while—we covered it here in 2012—and is clearly an area that the White House believes can be used to stimulate job growth, if companies are given the proper "incentives".
"With the economy picking up speed, companies say they intend to hire more people this year. And over half of big manufacturers say they're thinking of insourcing jobs from abroad.
So let's make that decision easier for more companies. Both Democrats and Republicans have argued that our tax code is riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes that punish businesses investing here, and reward companies that keep profits abroad. Let's flip that equation. Let's work together to close those loopholes, end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for businesses that create jobs here at home."
No discussion of the difficulty of getting ahead in the current economy is complete without considering the issue of training—even at the governmental level. After invoking an example of a successful training-to-work initiative in Detroit, the President noted the following:
"I've asked Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of America's training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now. That means more on-the-job training, and more apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill their specific needs. And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs."
While it's good to see rhetoric about solving the employment crisis at the heart of the State of the Union address, questions obviously remain about how much of this agenda is doable—or, indeed, desirable—in the coming months and years ahead. With many in Washington believing that the government has no role to play in job creation, acceptance of the agenda is by no means a given; neither is success, even if the agenda does get pushed forward. Under those circumstances, the question of where we'll on the employment question come the next State of the Union address is anyone's guess.
What's your take on the proposals outlined in the speech? Have your say in the comments section below.
Vault Launches Redesigned Website
May 30, 2013
Filed Under:
Job Search
Salary & Benefits
Workplace Issues
Vault.com encourages you to express your opinions and engage in discussions with one another by leaving comments on our site. While we promote an open forum, please follow these guidelines to ensure an enjoyable and welcoming environment for all our readers. Vault.com does not review or moderate all comments but we reserve the right to remove or edit content once posted.
Respect one another. Debates are great, but attacks are not. Please refrain from posting offensive, obscene, threatening or abusive comments. If you personally attack other readers or writers, your comment(s) and responses to those comments may be removed from the discussion. Attacks create a hostile environment that discourages discussion. You are fully responsible for libelous or defamatory comments.
Hate-speech will not be tolerated. Comments containing racism, homophobia, sexism, or any other form of hate-speech have no place on our site.
Keep your language in check. Vulgar posts may offend other readers. Our filters are fairly tolerant, allowing for quite a bit of colorful/questionable language, but too many obscenities may prevent a comment from posting. In addition, in some cases, if a post is still too vulgar, a moderator may later remove or edit it.
Please note that comments may be edited by the moderator for any reason, including but not limited to language.
Stay on topic. Comments should be related to the topic discussed in the associated article or blog post. In order to keep the conversation relevant, off-topic comments may be edited or removed.
Don't impersonate someone else. You may not use a false e-mail address, impersonate any person or entity, or otherwise mislead as to the origin of your comments. If we believe you've impersonated someone else, we reserve the right to remove the comment.
Spam and commercial content will be removed. We do not welcome comments containing copy used for commercial purposes or for soliciting funds. If we see them, we reserve the right to remove them.
Readers may "report" concerns about other reader comments. Please use the "Report Abuse" link to flag inappropriate content. If a reader reports a concern, moderators will try to review that concern as soon as possible. This may take a few days although we hope to review comments more quickly. We do not remove every comment that has been reported and we cannot respond individually to every report.
Stop and think before you comment. We won't remove comments because a reader or writer regrets a post. Please remember that these comments are searchable and a comment history has a long life on the web.
Don't include personal information in your comments. We strongly discourage readers from posting personal information about themselves (ex. address, telephone number, workplace) and reserve the right to remove any comments we find with personal information about other people or that violates a third party's right to privacy.
Complaints about removed comments. We reserve the right to remove comments left to protest a removed comment. Please contact us if you have any complaints about deleted comments.
Repeated abuse of our guidelines may lead to commenting privileges being suspended. If you think you've been banned by mistake, let us know.
For further questions and comments regarding commenting on Vault.com, please contact us.
Get tips on interviewing, networking, resumes, and more directly to your inbox.
No Thanks
Free sample resumes and expert advice
Free sample cover letters and expert advice
Sample interview questions and expert advice
Get networking tips and expert advice
The Vault Guides to Jobs series provides essential...
An increasing number of people are investing their money to help pay...
Case interviews are a crucial part of the hiring process in the...
It takes more than a solid résumé and cover letter to make...
The Vault Guide to Finance Interviews, Ninth Edition is a must-have...
Practice Perspectives: Vault's Guide to Legal Practice...
The Vault Guide to Top Internships rates more than 120 internship...
Opportunity is definitely knocking for information technology...
In the United States alone, roughly 87 percent of the population use...
About Us
Get Involved
Helpful Resources


text:
Triverse writes, "In today's mobile gaming market there seems to be a rift growing within the gaming community between gamers that want games to stay as close to free as possible and game publishers wanting to make as much money as possible off of their hard work. Many would argue this rift has been there since the dawn of time but, for the sake of this editorial we will just act like it is now rearing it's ugly head (when else in gaming history have games been so cheap?)."
The article made no mention of games such as Reckless Racing 2, Dead Trigger or Osmos HD, which are both cheap and very good.
Calling mobile gamers cheap is like calling handheld gamers stupid for paying up to $49 for some games.
no, devs are spoiled by $65 games that aren't worth $15
most games need to be cheaper, very, very few are worth $65
For starters 'mobile gamers' aren't gamers. They are people going to work on a subway. It's just a convenient way to pass time.
They didn't purchase their phone their phone to game, nor did you purchase your PC or console to chat with friends.
Just stay out of our gaming business, all of you. Look at what this 'casual' bunch is doingf to our precious consoles.
Nintendo now has a controller that costs probably between 150-200 dollars. The xbox has abandoned it's hardcore gamers to lure in these idiots who just want social connectivity and fleeting fads.
Go away!


text:
Annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice Begins Wednesday
Panel discussions, lectures, performances and other activities to help eliminate social inequality are scheduled during the 17th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice April 3-6 at the University of Wyoming.
The symposium promotes dialogue on issues related to social justice, particularly within the context of public education. The symposium has expanded its focus so that participants from throughout the community, state, region and nation have presented on social justice issues within a variety of arenas. This year's theme is "Counter Narratives: Advocacy at the Intersections."
Concurrent sessions on subjects ranging from adult autism to multiculturalism and community mental health will be presented. Wednesday's program features "This Land is My Land," a panel presentation by UW faculty members and GLARE, a gay rights advocacy group from New York's Brooklyn College, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom.
Zach Wahls, an Iowa teenager who stood up for the rights of same-sex couples and later wrote a book about his own two mothers, gives a keynote talk at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, in the Wyoming Union Yellowstone Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
Writer Samuel G. Freedman will speak Thursday, April, 4, at 4:30 p.m., Yellowstone Ballroom. Freeman writes the "On Religion" column for The New York Times and, before that, the "On Education" column. He was a staff reporter for the Times from 1981 through 1987.
For a complete symposium schedule, visit the website at http://shepardsymposium.org/.
For more information, contact Angela Jaime at (307) 766-3991 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Kim and I and the boys and a friend from work went about 45 minutes north of Atlanta to Allatoona Pass. This weekend was the anniversary of the Battle of Allatoona. We didn't know that when we planned to head up and inadvertently walked through somewhat of a reenactment. Guns, tents and people in Civil War uniforms. Pictures are here: http://photos.forgo.net/p119256509


text:
Metafolin® is L-methylfolate, the active form of folate that predominantly occurs in foods and is directly bioavailable. Folic acid, in comparison, needs to be activated before it can be used by the body. The efficacy of these metabolic processes shows high individual fluctuations, which means it is possible that folic acid will not be adequately converted into metabolically active folate forms by some individuals. Metafolin® can be directly used by the body – independent of the underlying genotype of specific folate dependent enzymes (e.g., MTHFR: methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase).
Meeting regulatory requirements
In 2001, the U.S. FDA accepted our new dietary ingredient notification. Metafolin® is approved in key regions and for product categories. Metafolin® is also known as L-methylfolate; L-5-MTHF-Ca; L-methylfolate calcium; L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolic acid, calcium salt; [6S]-5-Methyltetrahydrofolic acid, calcium salt.
Patent information
Metafolin® is protected by a comprehensive set of patents and patent applications on the substance, key intermediates, production processes and its use in specific fields. Therefore Metafolin® can be licensed to selected companies in clearly-defined market segments.
For more information regarding Metafolin®, please contact us.
Botto L & Yang Q. (2000). 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene variants and congenital anomalies: A HuGE Review. Am J Epidemiol. 151(9):862-77.
Gutstein S, et al. (1973). Failure of response to N5-methyltetrahydrofolate in combined folate and B12 deficiency. Evidence in support of the "folate trap" hypothesis. Am J Dig Dis. 18(2):142-6.
Hasselwander O, et al. (2000): 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate: The active form of folic acid. Functional foods 2000, Conference proceedings.
Herbert V & Zalusky R. (1962). Interrelations of vitamin B12 and folic acid metabolism: folic acid clearance studies. J Clin Invest. 41:1263-76.
Kelly P, et al. (1997). Unmetabolized folic acid in serum: acute studies in subjects consuming fortified food and supplements. Am J Clin Nutr. 65(6):1790-5.
Kirke P, et al. (2004). Impact of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism on risk of neutral tube defects: case-control study. BMJ. 328(7455):1535-6.
Lamers Y, et al. (2004). Supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid equally reduces plasma total homocysteine concentrations in healthy women. Am J Clin Nutr. 79(3):473-8.
Levitt M, et al. (1971). Transport characteristics of folates in cerebrospinal fluid; a study utilizing doubly labeled 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate. J Clin Invest. 50(6):1301-8
Lucock M. (2004). Is folic acid the ultimate functional food component for disease prevention? BMJ. 328(7433):211-4.
Noronha JM & Silverman M. (1962) On folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine and forminoglutamic acid metabolism. In: Vitamin B12 and Intrinsic Factor (ed.by H.C.Heinrich), pp. 728–736. Enke, Stuttgart.
Obeid R, et al. (2011). Concentrations of unmetabolized folic acid and primary folate forms in plasma after folic acid treatment in older adults. Metabolism. 60(5):673-80.
Patanwala I, et al. (2014). Folic acid handling by the human gut: implications for food fortification and supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr. 100(2):593-599.
Scott J. (2001). Methyltetrahydrofolate: The Superior Alternative to Folic acid. Nutraceuticals in health and disease prevention, 75-90 [Krämer K, Hoppe PP and Packer L, editors]. New York: Marcel Dekker Inc.
Spector R & Lorenzo AV. (1975). Folate transport in the central nervous system. Am J Physiol. 229(3):777-82.
Sweeney M et al. (2005). Evidence of unmetabolised folic acid in cord blood of newborn and serum of 4-day-old infants. Br J Nutr. 94(5):727-30.
Troen A, et al. (2006). Unmetabolized folic acid is associated with reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity among postmenopausal women. J Nutr.136(1):189-94.
Venn BJ, et al. (2003). Comparison of the effect of low-dose supplementation with L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid on plasma homocysteine: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Am J Clin Nutr. 77(3): 658-62.


text:
A couple or years ago I published what's become know as the 'dkenny' method.
as good as this method is...
I have been working with another bd maker, Biotom, who has been using, not a formula but a fine tuned knowledge combined with a consistent source of lousy oil. If I remember correctly its normally around 10 KOH. Biotom jump in and add details.
we've been working on combining methods.
It looks like the 0.2 multiplier in my method need improvement..Biotom typically get the titration to 1 to 1.5KOH instead of 3 or so. That was happy with. It looks like the new multiplier should around 0.15 - 0.17.. so the formula would be T-3 * 0.17 or T-3 * 0.15.
same amount of methanol 12% of the oil volume.
the Problem??
back in January my oil supplier sold his business.. I lost my source of bad oil..the worst I've is around 5KOH..
So what I'd like to ask for current BD makers that use acid esterification to validate the new multipler. so I need volunteers..
1. take a batch of your lousy oil that you've had good results using the 0.2 multiplier and use 0.17 insted. please post your results
2. I like to the testing in a range of titrations. ideally KOH. less than 10, 10-14,14-18, and 18 and up.
the batch might not drop as far, but it might drop futher??
the range for required draining might change? I think it might shift higher, say 16-20, instead of 14-18.
some other differences
Biotom adds acid to oil, mixes then adds methanol. I'll leave this open if anyone wants to try it this way. after the stuff is all mixed he only run the pump for about 20 mintues then turn it off. leaves it over night. remixes after 24 hrs, checks the titration then start with a base/base process. He's also verified that heat is needed. active heat( might be dangerous, remember the pump is off) or sufficient insulation. Again Biotom, add details..
who's game..
I'd like to use the results to update Richdatech site( make-biodiesel.org) and the CBT.
if anyone wants credit..it shall be given in the update..all I ask is after its released you verify that I didn't accidentally forget you.
Thanks for your time
'84 bluebird school bus, DD8.2L turbo( 4/2011, the bus tranny has died.. 8.23.11 bus driven to scrap yard )
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD - the wife's
99 dodge 2500 5.9l 24v..-mine
everything run B100 when its warm enough
-I have been using acid esterfication for several years now, as Dave stated I have a steady supply of BAD oil T 8 - 10, and had to learn how to make the best of it. Base/base, plus reprocess plus reprocess and so on just wasn't doing it for me. I read here about the fatta method back in 2005, using 1 - 2 ml of acid per ltr of oil, and although this method works , the results weren't consistant so I still had to reprocess often. I experimented whith differing amouts of acid, heat on, heat off, more methanol, less methanol and so on. So, now I do acid base base every batch, and most recently acid base base base. The latter takes longer but the results are very good.
-for the acid treatment, I found .75 ml/ltr of oil and 15 ltr of methanol. 10% (batch size 150 ltr) this results in a T of .75 - 1.7 in 12 - 14 hrs the lower T if 12% methanol is used. HEAT ON
-I use a HW tank immersion heater controlled by the lower element Tstat. set at 140f.
-I use a ph meter to check T solution, and oil sample If starting ph of sample is 1.5 after Treatment. I've used too much acid and will ultimately use 1 -1.5 gr/ltr more koh. the target ph of the sample for me is 2.5
-some of you my have read my posts about the violent reaction I encountered mixing acid into methanol lucky for me water and baking soda were close at hand! I know people do it this way, but I will never recommend it. I find it much safer to handle a small amount of acid to mix directly into the oil. otherwise, I would have to handle 15ltr of very acidic methanol. why take the risk!!!
-I'm not sure what else I can add here, but will answer any questions posted here Tom
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
Hi there Dave Kenny ---- I would not have contemplated trying the acid method if it were not for you and that other knowlegable chap -Antifuel 1. You might remember me asking you questions about my not particularly good reactions when I first tried the acid method & you suggested it might be water in my oil & so I always heat my 150 ltr 'batch'of oil overnight to 220F.My oil then was 7.5KOH but now it is good oil and titrates at between 1 and 3.5 KOH. I realise I am a total novice and I'm told I don't need to use the acid method with my oil being so good but on seeing an article that the commercial producers in the USA use this method down to 1 titration I thought I'd try it due to my finding that the straight KOH method seemed to vary in the fuel quality and especially the clearing of it.
I based my acid calcs on your .2 maths to arrive at a theroretical 0 KOH after the acid is done. I may well be wrong but I don't titrate after I have processed the acid stage for two hours!!!! I then add the KOH stage as if it is new oil at 8 grms per ltr. I process this last stage for two hours. I maintain heat with two 3 KW immersions in series controlled by a seperate adjustible stat and the temp of the first stage is at 140 deg F throughout. I find the temp stays at above 130 even with the heat off as I find the temp increases when I add the KOH and last half of the meth. I have stuck to the 20% methanol total calc since I started back in August last year and just divide it by 2 in each of the acid then alcali stages. I started trying to 'wash' my fuel with water to start with found it quite a chore and decided to try the dry filtering method and I now have 10 micron & 5 & then 1 micron 10 inch filters fastened together in a 'bank'. If I'm careful to not suck up any glycerol this set of filters has done 350 galls of fuel at least. I found with experience that patience is definately a virtue because if after draining off the black stuff I then heated the fuel to 75C to drive off the 3% meth left in the finished fuel I then left it at least 2 more days before filtering it was clear and filtering could be carried out -however I noticed that there was a little fine brown sediment at the bottom of some of my fuel containers so I wonder if indeed there is some further chemical reaction which has taken place in the finished fuel?? If I'm patient,I ask myself can this fine sediment be avoided if I wait longer before filtering????
In conclusion I feel most grateful & appreciative your help and whilst I realise my method is perhapse not as acurate as you method teachings at least I find it works admirably and I find it not a chore at all in fact I quite look forward to the straightforward way I have now got used to.. Thanks a million and regards from Mick Hall in the UK ----- P.S. -- I wonder does the curry powder and other spice additives which I can smell in my oil -have any thing to do with my excellent reactions ??????? (tongue in cheek)
dkenny, biotom, etal
Would you please state the concentration of the acid used when listing the acid amount?
It helps me to understand the differences/similarities in the various mix ratios.
I have a lot of questions. DKenny says you get it down to nearly 1 after the acid stage. What was your starting titration again? What is the target? What is the multiplier? How do we convert this from KOH th NaOH? Thanks.
My oil is usually not so bad, but I would try it anyway just to try to get it down to 1.
My acid concentration ranges from 93% to 98%. this does have some effect but not much.
Biotom what's yours?
'84 bluebird school bus, DD8.2L turbo( 4/2011, the bus tranny has died.. 8.23.11 bus driven to scrap yard )
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD - the wife's
99 dodge 2500 5.9l 24v..-mine
everything run B100 when its warm enough
Since using and remembering the raw formula off the top of my head was too difficult for me, I made a quick reference sheet a long time ago.
Here would be the new one.
The new curve appears below the curve for the old method. I split the difference and used .16 for the .15-.17 mL acid / L oil range suggested. You can see, the difference between the two methods becomes more apparent for higher titration oil.
Oh, the color change in the line represents the point at which a draining step has been suggested. That could change in the lower curve as more experimentation is done, as dkenny mentioned.
my oil T's at between 8 - 10 althought the last oil was realy good, T 7.5
I will post the results of the testing here, testing was done over a 10 day period, one sample kept hot, the other allowed to cool and stay at room temp. On the last day, the cold sample was reheated and tested I'm sure you will find the results interest as dave and I did.
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
the acid I purchased is 93% Tom
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
Ryan P
I like the graf you provided, now we need people with bad oil to varify this. I'm on the hut for higher T oil Tom
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
The tank full I have sitting at home warm will likely titrate at 9ml, since the batch I made previously from the same tote was 9ml. I'll give it a whirl and see what happens.
this is the result from the first test. note I use 4ml oil in 40 ml IPA
sample 1 (hot)
-start temp 70f
-start ph.............1.3
-add 4ml..............ph7.2
-add 2ml..............ph7.3
-add 4ml..............ph7.5
-add 4ml..............ph7.8
-add 3ml..............ph8.5 Bingo
- acid # = 17 divided by 4 = 4.25
-I don't T the way it is posted on CBT ,I follow T the better way from JTF ( the only good thing I got from that board) this is a surpising result for me , because T is always 1.5-1.7 the only differance was the heat !!!!
sample 2(cold)
-start temp 70f
-start ph..............1.5
-add 4ml...............ph8.3
-add 1ml...............ph8.8
-acid # = 5 divide by 4 = 1.25 gr KOH couldn't believe these test reults so I retested both samples and results were unchanged go figure
sample 3 stock oil from heated holding tank
-start T 70f
-start ph..............7
-add 4ml..............7.2
-add 4ml..............7.1
-add 4ml..............7.0
-add 4ml..............7.1
-add 4ml..............7.2
-add 4ml..............7.4
-add 4ml..............7.8
-add 4ml..............8.6
-acid # 32 divide by 4 = 8gr KOH
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
The following are the results from the last test. 10 days after first sample was Tested
Hot sample
-ph of T solution ......................11.0
-starting ph of hot sample.................1.5
-add 1ml solution...............................ph6.1
-add 1ml solution...............................ph7.6
-add 1ml solution...............................ph8.0
-add 1ml solution...............................ph8.5
Total 4 divided by 4 = 1gr KOH
Cold sample
-starting ph.................................1.5
-add 4ml solution...............................ph7.2
-add 4ml solution...............................ph7.5
-add 4ml solution...............................ph8.1
-add 1ml solution...............................ph8.5
Total 13 divided by 4 = 3.25gr KOH
Cold sample heated for 16 hr
-starting ph..................................1.4
-add 4ml solution...............................ph8
-add 1ml solution...............................ph8.6
Total 5 divided by 4 = 1.25gr KOH
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
Ryan P
I look forward to your results Tom
" I don't know what I don't know until I know"
1994 GMC 6.5 Tubo 2005 Dodge ram 3500, 3 VW's 2000, 2002, 2005.
Ryan P,
please give it a try..
I'm going to try to keep track of all the results and see what comes out.
then update the doc on how to do acid/base processing.
'84 bluebird school bus, DD8.2L turbo( 4/2011, the bus tranny has died.. 8.23.11 bus driven to scrap yard )
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD - the wife's
99 dodge 2500 5.9l 24v..-mine
everything run B100 when its warm enough
Im in. Ill try using a multiplier of .15
Also, as some know, I get some oil that has contaminants in it, and now wash and dry that particular oil before reacting. Once washed, that oil now goes to a titration of 22, so it should be a good test for the higher ranges.
that would be great to try..just what we're looking for some with 'bad' oil not just lousy.
I know with the 0.2 multiplier we can get this to 3 KOH, but can we do better???
please just run your normal acid stage, titrate then stop..when happens next might change from normal. you might need more methanol only, more acid or both??
ps sure wish I had some bad oil to play with as well. but would need a couple of hundred gallons..I don't working in sample sizes.
'84 bluebird school bus, DD8.2L turbo( 4/2011, the bus tranny has died.. 8.23.11 bus driven to scrap yard )
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD - the wife's
99 dodge 2500 5.9l 24v..-mine
everything run B100 when its warm enough
batch of oil(250L) with a T of 14KOH in the processor now with 60% methanol and a multiplier of .15. 2 hr mix, then I will check in the am to see what I have
update: 2 hr mix last night, let sit for 12 hrs. Just checked T and it is 7. Starting temp was 130, is 115F right now.
I am mixing for another 2 right now, then I will recheck T
update#2: mixed another 2 hours. Titrated at 1 hr and at 2 hr. 1hr T was 5, 2hr T was 9????? both T's repeated to verify.
Here's what Im wondering. If the creation of water is a side reaction, will the longer it is mixed, and the higher initial T create more water than a shorter mix time and a lower initial T? This would contaminate the available methanol, requiring more methanol in the acid stage for a higher intital T??? Kinda like the chart that Ryan put up, but also correlating to methanol needed as well as acid needed?
update #3: Just added 10% more methanol(3L)for a total of 70%, with 1ml/L acid and mixing some more to see what that gets me. I like experimenting.
update #4: t is now 4 after 1 hr mixing. Will check again in 1 hr\
update # 5: T is now 1.75 Im going to let it run another 1/2 hour and see how low it gets.This message has been edited. Last edited by: hooknline,
Alright, final T of 1.5 Down from a starting T of 14! Incredible. total of 2.5ml/l and 70% of the methanol instead of 60%. total mix time of 5 hrs, the rest was just time settling and doing its thing, about 13 hrs of no mixing. ending temp 115F. Hope this info helps
|Powered by Social Strata
|Page 1 2 3 4 ... 73


text:
Price incl. VAT,
plus delivery
ScreenyWeeny – the fully functional, deceptively life-like silicone fake penis
"Hello, I am the unique, deceptively life-like and fully functional silicone fake penis
– also known as the ScreenyWeeny. I am so authentic and so easy to use that no one will be able to see or feel any difference between me and your "real" member. In combination with CleanUrin and by using the Push&Piss function, it is easy to "pass water". I am made by hand in Germany and have to go through various quality checks before being packaged with care."
The ScreenyWeeny is the "world's best" fake penis. The unique Push&Piss function makes it ideal for selective use on an important "date" and its one-handed operation means it is always ready for use immediately. The ScreenyWeeny is available in many different varieties, so there's one for everyone: lighter or darker, circumcised or uncircumcised.
Its inventor's aim was to launch the world's best and most reliable fake penis. For inspiration he used the Kalaschnikow, whose solid reliability in the most adverse conditions has made it famous. He used his own member as a template so that as many people as possible would be satisfied.
Facts & benefits:
Guide to warming up the urine sachets:
In the summer leave in the sun for a short while; in the winter warm on a radiator or in a bath of water. The new HeatPaxx heating pads are also perfectly suited to warming up the urine sachets. The thermo-sachet keeps the desired temperature of the urine sachet constant for at least 6 hours.
For DAILY use, we recommend our anti-paranoia pack!
Included: 1x ScreenyWeeny 5.0 "Black" – BEAUTY, 2x 80 ml synthetic urine with different values, 1x empty sachet (for practice or for urine from other sources), 1x thermo-sachet (for maintaining at a warm temperature and attaching), 1x HeatPaxx heating pad, 1x refill-syringe (20 ml)
When the urine sachet is first used or replaced, the tube and the plug must be completely dry and locked together with a little pressure.
* CleanUrin is non suitable for consumption and may not be used to falsify drug tests / checks / examinations etc.
|34.90 € *
|159.90 € *
|0.99 € *
|0.00 € *
Notify on availability
|2.00 € *
|Display accessory details
2 x CleanUrin in a sachet – synthetic urine for use on the go! PEE FREE!
27.90 € / 2 piece(s) *
(25 ml = 13.95 €)


text:
The Second Amendment made perfect for the time when people owned simple muskets, which at the time were the state-of-the-art military weapon and standard issue to the British military.
Some Americans had even more advanced weapons, muzzleloaders ? which had a rifled barrel for greater accuracy.
At that time, those weapons were far more advanced than the clubs, spears and bows and arrows used 200 years prior to that.
With that in mind, I am not advocating relaxing current laws on gun control.
More laws and restrictions are not the solution for failure to enforce the existing ones. We already have appropriate restrictions prohibiting true assault rifles, machine guns, heavy weapons, explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
As all of the perpetrators of horrendous and tragic mass shootings have been mentally-ill or unstable, and none of them have been responsible, law-abiding citizens, the obvious solution is to address the mental health care deficiencies in our society.
We need to develop a society of personal responsibility regarding firearms and stop demonizing and name-calling of law-abiding citizens.
Our country"s founding fathers won our freedom; now it is up to us to keep it.
Doug Kauffman