Slashdot

http://www.wondertouch.com/

The low-end particle software mentioned at the animation talk last night. It actually looks pretty cool, and the introductory version (with student discount) is only $60. The speaker described it as the "Poser of particle effects" (Poser being the simplified animation software for animating people).

        When despair for the world grows in me
        and I wake in the night at the least sound
        in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
        I go and lie down where the wood drake
        rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
        I come into the peace of wild things
        who do not tax their lives with forethought
        of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
        And I feel above me the day-blind stars
        waiting with their light. For a time
        I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

                                                                -- Wendell Berry

        For the raindrop, joy is in entering the river--
        Unbearable pain becomes its own cure.

        Travel far enough into sorrow, tears turn to sighing;
        In this way we learn how water can die into air.

        When, after heavy rain, the stormclouds disperse,
        Is it not that they've wept themselves clear to the end?

        If you want to know the miracle, how wind can polish a mirror,
        Look: the shining glass grows green in spring.

        It's the rose's unfolding, Ghalib, that creates the desire to see--
        In every color and circumstance, may the eyes be open for what comes.

                                                        -- Ghalib
                                                        (Translated by Jane Hirshfield)

This won't significantly affect most of you, but we have been working on some meta mod changes. The most user visible change is that the UI we used to use was thrown out, and instead we are using one based on the firehose. Subscribers will see it when they go to the old metamod link although users can see it by going to this version of those hose

The first real change is that we've changed the meanings of the UI around. The old system is 'Fair' and 'Unfair' and the new system is '+' and '-'. The meanings are subtly different. You are no longer rating individual 'Insightful' or 'Troll' or whatever... you are now stating basically "Is this comment good or bad for you". Personally, since I find very few Score:5 funny comments to be actually really funny (and not just cliche memes) I '-' most of them. You are encouraged to be harsh if you don't actually think something is insightful or funny, call it such. The system encourages more of what you + and less of what you -.

You are also welcome now to do more than 10 m2 per day... however we internally have diminishing returns after 10, so you can do more, but they start to matter less and less.

There will undoubtedly be bugs so feel free to email me or vroom at slashdot if you find them. Probably next week or so we'll move this out to everyone, so your assistance is appreciated.