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Author Topic: Random? Really?  (Read 29300 times)

Carl-E

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Random? Really?
« on: 11 Nov 2011, 13:29 »

OK, this has officially become a hobby...

pwhodges (Paul) has a randomly served avatar, I think we all know that.  But there are times when the random image just lines up sooo  well with the post, that, even as a mathematician who understands machine-generated randomness, it makes me wonder...

I've shared a few of these gems in the past, but I had a couple more and thought I'd like tio put them in a localised spot.  Feel free to add to them...

Edit:  They're being trimmed, so they're hard to read.  I'll just link...


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6098/6334951315_fbc0cef16f_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6227/6334948973_eee621ddbf_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6225/6286851402_a75135be5a_b.jpg
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Barmymoo

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #1 on: 11 Nov 2011, 15:05 »

Haha that is great! I have noticed some good ones but never taken a screenshot, I'll start looking out for them.
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #2 on: 14 Nov 2011, 08:29 »

I just thought he changed his avatar a lot.
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #3 on: 14 Nov 2011, 08:58 »

Oh man, I never thought about how many different post/av things Paul could have. Awesome.
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #4 on: 14 Nov 2011, 16:54 »

There are well over two dozen options, and the randomness is applied each time a browser requests it - so not only does it change each time, but that selection is also independent for each person; tell your browser to refresh, and it will change.  The implementation is only a couple of lines in the Apache configuration file, as there is a built-in function for the purpose!  When I fancy a new avi, I just add it to the list, which is now around three dozen (and there are a few others I have removed as well).  Because they all have to be the same type, and I happened to choose jpg not gif or png when I set it up, there can't be any dynamic ones - which is fine by me.  I do the same at PocketJury, but the list is smaller (for my own reasons).

Here, there are pictures of me at all ages, my pets at various times (five dogs and a horse), a house-sized graffito in Hackney (East London), some other photos I have taken, a couple of Jeph's doodles (cat, frog, and one from QC), Johann from Anders Loves Maria, Shinji from Evangelion, Kintaro Oe from Golden Boy, and (the largest number) Scott Pilgrim - not all from the books, some are from convention sketches.  It generally seems to be the Scott Pilgrim ones that are most directly expressive of a simple mood, which is why there are the largest number of them, and also why they seem to give most of the post/avi coincidences that are pleasing (Shinji works quite well, too).
« Last Edit: 14 Nov 2011, 16:59 by pwhodges »
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #5 on: 24 Nov 2011, 07:49 »

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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #6 on: 24 Nov 2011, 10:17 »

My wife asked what I was laughing at. 


It would take too long to explain...
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #7 on: 05 Oct 2012, 09:08 »

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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #8 on: 04 Jan 2013, 15:12 »




And a few I've been saving for a little while...






« Last Edit: 04 Jan 2013, 15:19 by Carl-E »
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Cambyses

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #9 on: 04 Jan 2013, 15:42 »

Wait, where is the Marigold mouse avatar image from?
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #10 on: 04 Jan 2013, 15:48 »

I guess you mean this.
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"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Cambyses

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #11 on: 04 Jan 2013, 15:50 »

Ah, I see, it was a Skrillex mouse. Me and my dumb eyes.
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Patrick

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #12 on: 04 Jan 2013, 17:34 »

I don't believe you, Paul. I personally think you invented AI and are using it for lulz. How do you get it to play along so well?
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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #13 on: 05 Jan 2013, 09:03 »

That's the beauty of a finite random set in an infinite (well, large and open ended) system.  Someone, somewhere is getting the perfect avatar for any given post! 
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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #14 on: 05 Feb 2013, 21:12 »

Too good to pass up...






I'd vote for you, Paul! 


We get to vote for dictator, right? 
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snalin

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #15 on: 06 Feb 2013, 08:41 »

Sure! It's voting against the dictator that's not allowed.
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #16 on: 07 Mar 2013, 02:32 »

Got a nice match myself just now:

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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Loki

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #17 on: 17 Apr 2013, 04:20 »

So, I don't know for how long it has been like this, but I just got this:

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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #18 on: 18 Apr 2013, 06:30 »

In a conversation about pastry...




Something about that face just made this a forehead slapping "D'OH!" moment for me!
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ankhtahr

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #19 on: 04 Sep 2013, 13:56 »

Sorry to dig this thread up, but the avatar I got in the photo thread today was fitting I think:




:mrgreen:
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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #20 on: 05 Sep 2013, 07:32 »

And just in time!  I got this; 




I shall call him twitchy. 

 :-D
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #21 on: 05 Sep 2013, 10:35 »

For those who don't recognise him, that's Naota Nandaba from the manga version of FLCL.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Pilchard123

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #22 on: 05 Sep 2013, 12:04 »

I shall call him twitchy. 

And he shall be mine, and he shall be my Twitchy. Come here Twitchy! Come here little Twitchy! Come here *babble*

*zap*

OW! Bad Twitchy!
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #23 on: 05 Sep 2013, 12:20 »

Careful - you don't want Naota to get annoyed: 
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #24 on: 04 Oct 2013, 18:53 »

Too good to pass up...

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Sorflakne

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #25 on: 04 Oct 2013, 21:02 »

Quote
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6227/6334948973_eee621ddbf_b.jpg
Wait, what?  Padma is supposed to be Indian??
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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #26 on: 04 Oct 2013, 23:36 »

Yes, the name Padma is from the Sanskrit for "Lotus". 

It's also the name of a river in Bengal. 
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Sorflakne

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #27 on: 05 Oct 2013, 00:12 »

Hm, never woulda guessed...
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #28 on: 10 Nov 2013, 18:55 »

My response to the revelation of my part in the sound engineering of the QC film had Jeph's DJ image:

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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #29 on: 11 Nov 2013, 05:01 »

So... you're a secret DJ rat, not a secret beetle? 
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GarandMarine

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #30 on: 11 Nov 2013, 05:02 »

DJ Squeekz layin da beetz!

Be cooler if he was a secret DJ pony though
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Pilchard123

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #31 on: 16 Dec 2013, 10:49 »

It appears that the avatar is no longer random! D:
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #32 on: 16 Dec 2013, 10:53 »

Still seems to be random to me, it's just mostly (entirely?) anime characters now.
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Pilchard123

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #33 on: 16 Dec 2013, 10:58 »

So it is. Must have just been caching it for some reason.
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #34 on: 16 Dec 2013, 14:31 »

There are still more Scott Pilgrim than any other single character; then Shinji Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion); then a load of other anime characters (and Marten), and just a few random things, including a couple of pictures of me and photos by me.  As the total is now several hundred, any particular character may take a while to come up - and the randomness of the routine I use that's built into Apache is very suspect as well.

I have in mind to reduce the number of images to about 100-120, keeping all the characters (and there are a couple more to add), but less of each.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Loki

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #35 on: 30 Dec 2013, 12:54 »

Oh this look of scorn:

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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #36 on: 20 Jan 2014, 02:58 »

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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #37 on: 22 Jan 2014, 09:28 »

How meta! 



(fixed link)
« Last Edit: 22 Jan 2014, 15:26 by pwhodges »
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GarandMarine

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #38 on: 22 Jan 2014, 11:04 »

Broken link Carl
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Carl-E

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #39 on: 23 Jan 2014, 02:02 »

Oops!  thanks, Paul! 
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #40 on: 06 Apr 2014, 08:58 »

Paul is looking a little burnt out..
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #41 on: 06 Apr 2014, 09:29 »

And that character is a cook - but I guess you knew that.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #42 on: 06 Apr 2014, 09:55 »

I didn't!  :laugh:
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pwhodges

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #43 on: 06 Apr 2014, 10:26 »

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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #44 on: 06 Apr 2014, 18:47 »

This thread is epic, but it poses the question: Am I the only one who uses the *light* theme here?
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #45 on: 06 Apr 2014, 19:22 »

No. I use QC-light. I hate light on dark backgrounds.
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #46 on: 07 Apr 2014, 00:20 »

It's hard to tell from the figures the forum software gives me, but they suggest that 4% of active users have selected the light theme, and 2% have selected the old theme.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #47 on: 07 Apr 2014, 00:59 »

I use QC-light too.
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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #48 on: 07 Apr 2014, 05:10 »

As do I! I almost never use another computer other than mine where I'm always logged on or Tapatalk on my phone, so on the rare occasion I do and see the standard theme before logging in I get thrown off for a second.
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snalin

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Re: Random? Really?
« Reply #49 on: 07 Apr 2014, 09:28 »

The darker the background, the better. I don't need the screen to be a glaring window of super-brightness when I'm looking at it 10+ hours each day. QC light is horrendously bright.

Programmers get this - all kinds of text editors and terminals all come with white text on black backgrounds as standard or as an easy-to-find alternative. Office applications, on the other hand, insist on representing what the page will look like printed, and is a horrible, white wall of light. Dear office, I don't give a shit about how it looks like printed, I haven't printed a thing for five years, please stop!
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