Sam Wilson - Recent changes [en-gb]

Evening in Frankfurt

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:07:36 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-05-26 21:00 +0100 | location = Frankfurt | timezone = +1 | keywords = Frankfurt; sunsets }} Sunset in Frankfurt: 800px|center 800px|center {{post footer}}"

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-05-26 21:00 +0100
| location = Frankfurt
| timezone = +1
| keywords = Frankfurt; sunsets
}}

Sunset in Frankfurt:

[[File:SAM00412.JPG|800px|center]]

[[File:SAM00410.JPG|800px|center]]

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File:SAM00412.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:06:56 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00412.JPG {{photo}}

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File:SAM00410.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:06:52 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00410.JPG {{photo}}

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Boat tour of Frankfurt

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:55:57 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-05-29 18:00 +0100 | location = Frankfurt | timezone = +1 | keywords = Frankfurt; Germany; rivers; boats }} <gallery> File:SAM00419.JPG File:SAM00420.JPG File:SAM00421.JPG File:SAM00425.JPG File:SAM00426.JPG File:SAM00427.JPG </gallery> {{post footer}}"

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-05-29 18:00 +0100
| location = Frankfurt
| timezone = +1
| keywords = Frankfurt; Germany; rivers; boats
}}

<gallery>
File:SAM00419.JPG
File:SAM00420.JPG
File:SAM00421.JPG
File:SAM00425.JPG
File:SAM00426.JPG
File:SAM00427.JPG
</gallery>

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File:SAM00427.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:50:58 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00427.JPG {{photo}}

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File:SAM00426.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:50:51 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00426.JPG {{photo}}

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File:SAM00425.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:50:44 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00425.JPG {{photo}}

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File:SAM00421.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:50:35 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00421.JPG {{photo}}

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File:SAM00420.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:50:26 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00420.JPG {{photo}}

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File:SAM00419.JPG

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:50:18 GMT

Sam uploaded File:SAM00419.JPG {{photo}}

New page

WA Military Digital Library

Sam — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:08:52 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-06-14 11:01Z | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = MediaWiki; military; history }} I'm glad that the WA Military Digital Library ([https://www.wamdl.com.au/ wamdl.com.au]) uses MediaWiki. For example, a [https://www.wamdl.com.au/WAMDL/index.php?title=HODDY,_Leslie_Harry_-_2582,_WX5778&action=history recently modified] page of theirs is for [https://www.wamdl.com.au/WAMDL/index.php?title=HODDY,_Leslie_Harry_-_2582,_WX577..."

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-06-14 11:01Z
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| keywords = MediaWiki; military; history
}}

I'm glad that the WA Military Digital Library ([https://www.wamdl.com.au/ wamdl.com.au]) uses MediaWiki. For example, a [https://www.wamdl.com.au/WAMDL/index.php?title=HODDY,_Leslie_Harry_-_2582,_WX5778&action=history recently modified] page of theirs is for [https://www.wamdl.com.au/WAMDL/index.php?title=HODDY,_Leslie_Harry_-_2582,_WX5778 Leslie Harry Hoddy] (aka John Leslie Harris) who enlisted aged only 16, in 1916. I wonder what their backup regime is, and how they plan for the future running of the site. I always imagine that military history types are good at planning.

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CircusWA gone

Sam — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:15:07 GMT

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	The circus tent ({{wdl\|Q135214430}}) has gone, leaving only the frame of the old outdoor cinema ({{wdl\|Q137206006}}):		The circus tent ({{wdl\|Q135214430}}) has gone, leaving only the frame of the old outdoor cinema ({{wdl\|Q137206006}}). The circus hasn't gone far, just around the corner.

	[[File:20260613_124829.jpg\|1000px]]		[[File:20260613_124829.jpg\|1000px]]

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Brad's barber, or the Princess Hairdressing Salon

Sam — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:40:37 GMT

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	\| timezone = +8		\| timezone = +8
	\| keywords =		\| keywords = Fremantle
	}}		}}
			[[File:20260613_163507.jpg\|thumb\|right\|This seagull was pondering coming inside.]]
	~~Brad's B a rner~~[[File:20260613_163507.jpg\|~~400px~~]]		"Brad's Barber'" is the new name of what was Princess Hairdressing Salon, on the corner of Leake and Market streets (part of {{wdl\|Q56352561}}).

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Brad's barber, or the Princess Hairdressing Salon

Sam2 — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:37:25 GMT

Created page with "{{po st | date = 2026-06-13 08:35Z | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = }} Brad's B a rner400px {{post footer}}"

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Brad's B a rner[[File:20260613_163507.jpg|400px]]

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File:20260613 163507.jpg

Sam2 — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:37:12 GMT

Sam2 uploaded File:20260613 163507.jpg {{photo}}

New page

CircusWA gone

Sam — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:14:44 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-06-13 13:00 +0800 | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = Fremantle }} The circus tent ({{wdl|Q135214430}}) has gone, leaving only the frame of the old outdoor cinema ({{wdl|Q137206006}}): 1000px {{post footer}}"

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{{post
| date = 2026-06-13 13:00 +0800
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| keywords = Fremantle
}}

The circus tent ({{wdl|Q135214430}}) has gone, leaving only the frame of the old outdoor cinema ({{wdl|Q137206006}}):

[[File:20260613_124829.jpg|1000px]]

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File:20260613 124829.jpg

Sam — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:11:35 GMT

Sam uploaded File:20260613 124829.jpg {{photo}}

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Buffalo speakers, they fell off the wall

Sam — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:43:56 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-06-13 07:28Z | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = Buffalo Club; Fremantle }} The speakers for the upstairs stage fell off the wall. (Well, that's the story.) They're being reattached with much longer anchors: 1000px|center {{post footer}}"

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{{post
| date = 2026-06-13 07:28Z
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| keywords = Buffalo Club; Fremantle
}}

The speakers for the upstairs stage fell off the wall. (Well, that's the story.) They're being reattached with much longer anchors:

[[File:20260613_151347.jpg|1000px|center]]

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File:20260613 151347.jpg

Sam — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:43:19 GMT

Sam uploaded File:20260613 151347.jpg {{photo}}

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West Australian article dates

Sam — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:02:20 GMT

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	\| location = Fremantle		\| location = Fremantle
	\| timezone = +8		\| timezone = +8
	\| keywords =		\| keywords = newspapers; Freopedia; Fremantle
	}}		}}
	It seems that The West Australian has been doing something weird with its article dates and times.		It seems that The West Australian has been doing something weird with its article dates and times.
	[https://thewest.com.au/news/offbeat/buffalo-herd-thins-but-welcome-mat-stays-out-ng-ya-384164 This article] says it was published at 5:59AM on 23 January, but it [https://archive.is/pXQe9 was archived] on 6 December 2025 and at that time it said it was published at 9:59PM on 22 January.		[https://thewest.com.au/news/offbeat/buffalo-herd-thins-but-welcome-mat-stays-out-ng-ya-384164 This article] says it was published at 5:59AM on 23 January, but it [https://archive.is/pXQe9 was archived] on 6 December 2025 and at that time it said it was published at 9:59PM on 22 January.

	[[File:Buff article archived.png~~\|left\|thumb\|Archived version.~~]]		[[File:Buff article archived.png]]
	[[File:Buff article live 2026-06-12.png~~\|right\|thumb\|Published as at 12 June 2026.~~]]
	~~{{clear}}~~		[[File:Buff article live 2026-06-12.png]]

	Those times are 8 hours apart, and so it would seem that they are storing the times in local Perth time (UTC+8) and they used to know this and displayed them correctly, but sometime recently they've starting assuming that their stored times are UTC and so are adding 8 hours when they display them.		Those times are 8 hours apart, and so it would seem that they are storing the times in local Perth time (UTC+8) and they used to know this and displayed them correctly, but sometime recently they've starting assuming that their stored times are UTC and so are adding 8 hours when they display them.

West Australian article dates

Sam — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:34:45 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-06-12 03:41Z | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = }} It seems that The West Australian has been doing something weird with its article dates and times. [https://thewest.com.au/news/offbeat/buffalo-herd-thins-but-welcome-mat-stays-out-ng-ya-384164 This article] says it was published at 5:59AM on 23 January, but it [https://archive.is/pXQe9 was archived] on 6 December 2025 and at that time it said it was published at 9:5..."

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-06-12 03:41Z
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| keywords =
}}
It seems that The West Australian has been doing something weird with its article dates and times.
[https://thewest.com.au/news/offbeat/buffalo-herd-thins-but-welcome-mat-stays-out-ng-ya-384164 This article] says it was published at 5:59AM on 23 January, but it [https://archive.is/pXQe9 was archived] on 6 December 2025 and at that time it said it was published at 9:59PM on 22 January.

[[File:Buff article archived.png|left|thumb|Archived version.]]
[[File:Buff article live 2026-06-12.png|right|thumb|Published as at 12 June 2026.]]
{{clear}}

Those times are 8 hours apart, and so it would seem that they are storing the times in local Perth time (UTC+8) and they used to know this and displayed them correctly, but sometime recently they've starting assuming that their stored times are UTC and so are adding 8 hours when they display them.

Or some other timezone stupidity or other, of course (there are many ways to stuff it all up).
But yeah, I'm not going to trust the dates on their articles any more!

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File:Buff article live 2026-06-12.png

Sam — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:29:01 GMT

Sam uploaded File:Buff article live 2026-06-12.png

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File:Buff article archived.png

Sam — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:28:21 GMT

Sam uploaded File:Buff article archived.png

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MediaWiki Feeds revisited

Sam2 — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:56:08 GMT

Sam2 moved page Mediawiki-feeds revisited to Mediawiki-feeds revisited

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-06-09 06:18Z
| location = Murdoch
| timezone = +8
| keywords = mediawiki-feeds; RSS; Toolforge; Wikimedia
}}

Yesterday someone [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User_talk:Samwilson#c-কল্কি-20260608165200-Slim_Application_Error_on_https://mediawiki-feeds.toolforge.org messaged me] about an issue with a wonky little tool [[New tool to create RSS feeds for MediaWiki categories|I wrote]] ten years ago. I actually the thing, because it creates feeds for a couple of things I follow on wikis, but as is often the way with RSS-related code I'd forgotten all about it — it just keeps working and doesn't need any changes.

But I fixed it up a bit to sort out their issue, and in doing so also upgraded a few bits of it and moved the code to GitLab. It also seems that on 22 March this year it got popular for some reason: twenty-two thousand hits in a day. I guess it was stupid scrapers, but I'll look a bit closer and also try to sort out some more aggressive caching.

[[File:Mediawiki-feeds traffic year to July 2026.png|thumb|center|Traffic to the tool over the last 12 months. (I'm not quite sure how to make the [https://lp-tools.toolforge.org/toolviews/ toolviews tool] show with more contrast; there are actually axes in this image!)]]

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Mediawiki-feeds

Sam2 — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:37:09 GMT

Created page with "{{Keyword}}"

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MediaWiki Feeds revisited

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:31:24 GMT

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	\| keywords = mediawiki-feeds; RSS; Toolforge		\| keywords = mediawiki-feeds; RSS; Toolforge; Wikimedia
	}}		}}

	Yesterday someone [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User_talk:Samwilson#c-কল্কি-20260608165200-Slim_Application_Error_on_https://mediawiki-feeds.toolforge.org messaged me] about an issue with a wonky little tool I wrote ten years ago. I actually the thing, because it creates feeds for a couple of things I follow on wikis, but as is often the way with RSS-related code I'd forgotten all about it — it just keeps working and doesn't need any changes.		Yesterday someone [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User_talk:Samwilson#c-কল্কি-20260608165200-Slim_Application_Error_on_https://mediawiki-feeds.toolforge.org messaged me] about an issue with a wonky little tool [[New tool to create RSS feeds for MediaWiki categories\|I wrote]] ten years ago. I actually the thing, because it creates feeds for a couple of things I follow on wikis, but as is often the way with RSS-related code I'd forgotten all about it — it just keeps working and doesn't need any changes.

	But I fixed it up a bit to sort out their issue, and in doing so also upgraded a few bits of it and moved the code to GitLab. It also seems that on 22 March this year it got popular for some reason: twenty-two thousand hits in a day. I guess it was stupid scrapers, but I'll look a bit closer and also try to sort out some more aggressive caching.		But I fixed it up a bit to sort out their issue, and in doing so also upgraded a few bits of it and moved the code to GitLab. It also seems that on 22 March this year it got popular for some reason: twenty-two thousand hits in a day. I guess it was stupid scrapers, but I'll look a bit closer and also try to sort out some more aggressive caching.

MediaWiki Feeds revisited

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:28:22 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-06-09 06:18Z | location = Murdoch | timezone = +8 | keywords = mediawiki-feeds; RSS; Toolforge }} Yesterday someone [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User_talk:Samwilson#c-কল্কি-20260608165200-Slim_Application_Error_on_https://mediawiki-feeds.toolforge.org messaged me] about an issue with a wonky little tool I wrote ten years ago. I actually the thing, because it creates feeds for a couple of things I follow on wikis, but as..."

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-06-09 06:18Z
| location = Murdoch
| timezone = +8
| keywords = mediawiki-feeds; RSS; Toolforge
}}

Yesterday someone [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User_talk:Samwilson#c-কল্কি-20260608165200-Slim_Application_Error_on_https://mediawiki-feeds.toolforge.org messaged me] about an issue with a wonky little tool I wrote ten years ago. I actually the thing, because it creates feeds for a couple of things I follow on wikis, but as is often the way with RSS-related code I'd forgotten all about it — it just keeps working and doesn't need any changes.

But I fixed it up a bit to sort out their issue, and in doing so also upgraded a few bits of it and moved the code to GitLab. It also seems that on 22 March this year it got popular for some reason: twenty-two thousand hits in a day. I guess it was stupid scrapers, but I'll look a bit closer and also try to sort out some more aggressive caching.

[[File:Mediawiki-feeds traffic year to July 2026.png|thumb|center|Traffic to the tool over the last 12 months. (I'm not quite sure how to make the [https://lp-tools.toolforge.org/toolviews/ toolviews tool] show with more contrast; there are actually axes in this image!)]]

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File:Mediawiki-feeds traffic year to July 2026.png

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:21:49 GMT

Sam uploaded File:Mediawiki-feeds traffic year to July 2026.png

New page

The Most Predictable Edit in History

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:18:07 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2026-06-07 09:00Z | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = }} Another article from Jake Orlowitz, this time about the Wikimedia Foundation "owning the ground" on which the Wikimedia movement is built. [https://medium.com/regarding-wikipedia/the-most-predictable-edit-in-history-967956076b11 The Most Predictable Edit in History]: {{quotation|The keeper, the Wikimedia Foundation, is a cathedral. It has officers and budgets and..."

New page

{{post
| date = 2026-06-07 09:00Z
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| keywords =
}}

Another article from Jake Orlowitz, this time about the Wikimedia Foundation "owning the ground" on which the Wikimedia movement is built.

[https://medium.com/regarding-wikipedia/the-most-predictable-edit-in-history-967956076b11 The Most Predictable Edit in History]:

{{quotation|The keeper, the Wikimedia Foundation, is a cathedral. It has officers and budgets and quarterly plans, and must make decisions that look defensible to donors and boards. It is built to coordinate and move with one voice. The tension between the bazaar that does the work and the cathedral that keeps the ground is perpetual, the condition of an institution that stewards a community it did not create and cannot replace.}}

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New tool to create RSS feeds for MediaWiki categories

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:12:49 GMT

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	[[File:Feed-icon.svg\|right\|~~thumb~~]]		[[File:Feed-icon.svg\|right\|330px]]
	I have been working on a small tool for MediaWiki wikis that produces [[Wikipedia:RSS\|RSS feeds]] of members of particular categories. The really different feature of this tool is that, for the publication date of items in the feed, it looks ''within'' the page text for a <code><time></code> element. This means that pages can define their own publication date, and subsequent edits to the page will not bump these pages to the top of the RSS feed.		I have been working on a small tool for MediaWiki wikis that produces [[Wikipedia:RSS\|RSS feeds]] of members of particular categories. The really different feature of this tool is that, for the publication date of items in the feed, it looks ''within'' the page text for a <code><time></code> element. This means that pages can define their own publication date, and subsequent edits to the page will not bump these pages to the top of the RSS feed.

New tool to create RSS feeds for MediaWiki categories

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:10:16 GMT

Created page with "{{post | date = 2016-06-26 17:00 +0800 | location = Fremantle | timezone = +8 | keywords = MediaWiki; RSS; feeds; mediawiki-feeds }} right|thumb I have been working on a small tool for MediaWiki wikis that produces RSS feeds of members of particular categories. The really different feature of this tool is that, for the publication date of items in the feed, it looks ''within'' the page text for a <code><time&gt..."

New page

{{post
| date = 2016-06-26 17:00 +0800
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| keywords = MediaWiki; RSS; feeds; mediawiki-feeds
}}

[[File:Feed-icon.svg|right|thumb]]
I have been working on a small tool for MediaWiki wikis that produces [[Wikipedia:RSS|RSS feeds]] of members of particular categories. The really different feature of this tool is that, for the publication date of items in the feed, it looks ''within'' the page text for a <code><time></code> element. This means that pages can define their own publication date, and subsequent edits to the page will not bump these pages to the top of the RSS feed.

My motivation for this tool was to be able to get a feed out of Wikiversity of, [https://tools.wmflabs.org/mediawiki-feeds/feed.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikiversity.org%2Fw%2F&category=Category%3AWikiversity+Journal+of+Medicine&num=10 for example], new items in the [[wikiversity:Wikiversity Journal of Medicine|Wikiversity Journal of Medicine]]. (This isn't perfectly possible yet, because there's currently no subcategory of [[wikiversity:Category:Wikiversity Journal of Medicine|Category:Wikiversity Journal of Medicine]] that just contains articles, and so the feed currently includes pages that it shouldn't.) Or it can be used to get a feed of [https://tools.wmflabs.org/mediawiki-feeds/feed.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikiversity.org%2Fw%2F&category=Category%3ABlog+posts&num=10 all recent blog posts] (i.e. pages in [[:Category:Blog posts]], which I just created).

It also works on other wikis (anything powered by MediaWiki). It's main limitation is that the <code><time></code> element, that records the publication date, needs to be present in the wiki pages in order for the feed to show anything other than the most-recently-modified pages.

'''The tool homepage can be found here: https://tools.wmflabs.org/mediawiki-feeds'''

If you have any comments please let me know!

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Back to the bench (and a bit of code)

Sam — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 01:37:39 GMT

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	[[Category:Workshop]]		[[Category:Workshop]]

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My Shed

Sam2 — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:04:31 GMT

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	[[File:191.jpg\|center\|800px\|My little shed, one morning in the sun.]]		[[File:191.jpg\|center\|800px\|My little shed, one morning in the sun.]]

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‘refute’ neq ‘deny’

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:52:40 GMT

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	{{blog post \|date=2013-06-21T13:41:47+00:00}}		{{blog post \|date=2013-06-21T13:41:47+00:00
			\| keywords = Guardian; reading
			}}

	It would seem that Sir Humphrey Appleby is alive and well on the Guardian’s comment threads:		It would seem that Sir Humphrey Appleby is alive and well on the Guardian’s comment threads:

	~~<blockquote cite="http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/24465368">~~		{{quotation\|
	~~<p>~~		Those who rebut often claim to refute, often because they seek to refute with their rebuttals. They may believe their rebuttals to be successful, to refute that which they deny, and so refer to those rebuttals as refutations. This can give the impression that "refute" means "rebut", or even just "deny". And then the word "refute" gets used that way. But, while the rebutters certainly rebut, they might not refute. To agree that they refute is to draw a conclusion, to take their side on that point. To refer to the rebuttals as rebuttals is to leave such conclusions for others to draw.
	~~<pre>~~Those who rebut often claim to refute, often because they seek to refute with their rebuttals. They may believe their rebuttals to be successful, to refute that which they deny, and so refer to those rebuttals as refutations. This can give the impression that ~~&#8216;~~refute~~&#8217;~~ means ~~&#8216;~~rebut~~&#8217;~~, or even just ~~&#8216;~~deny~~&#8217;~~. And then the word ~~&#8216;~~refute~~&#8217;~~ gets used that way. But, while the rebutters certainly rebut, they might not refute. To agree that they refute is to draw a conclusion, to take their side on that point. To refer to the rebuttals as rebuttals is to leave such conclusions for others to draw.~~</pre>~~
	~~</p>~~
	~~<p>~~
	~~<pre>— <a href="http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/24465368">NotProperty 20 June 2013 12:35pm</a></pre>~~
	~~</p>~~
	~~</blockquote>~~

	[~~[Category~~:~~Reading]~~]		— [http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/24465368 NotProperty 20 June 2013 12:35pm]
			}}

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Twitter

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:50:14 GMT

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	{{blog post \|date=2013-06-21T07:19:28+00:00}}		{{blog post \|date=2013-06-21T07:19:28+00:00
			\| keywords = Twitter; RSS; APIs
			}}

	No, it’s rubbish. I can’t do Twitter. Bloody controlling everything, and now they’ve done away with RSS feeds too.		No, it’s rubbish. I can’t do Twitter. Bloody controlling everything, and now they’ve done away with RSS feeds too.

	~~[[Category:Status updates]]~~		{{post footer}}
	~~[[Category:APIs]]~~
	~~[[Category:RSS]]~~
	~~[[Category:Twitter]]~~


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S64

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:41:49 GMT

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Exporting chat transcripts from Signal

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:41:21 GMT

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	This isn't a particularly great export of course, but at least it's something.		This isn't a particularly great export of course, but at least it's something.

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Bentley Library

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:41:07 GMT

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	\| location = Bentley Library		\| location = Bentley Library
	\| timezone = +8		\| timezone = +8
	\| categories =		\| categories = libraries
	}}		}}
	Interesting discussion this morning at Bentley Library about how the Wikimedia movement can fit in to the library's programmes. Thoroughly inspiring! Am looking forward to more.		Interesting discussion this morning at Bentley Library about how the Wikimedia movement can fit in to the library's programmes. Thoroughly inspiring! Am looking forward to more.

	[[File:Bently Library 'Hub' sign on wall.jpg\|center\|500px]]		[[File:Bently Library 'Hub' sign on wall.jpg\|center\|500px]]

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Old decisions about code

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:40:21 GMT

Sam moved page Old decisions about old code to Old decisions about old code

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{{blog post
| date = 2018-11-02 08:25 +0000
| location = Fremantle
| timezone = +8
| categories =
}}
It's really quite relaxing working on existing systems compared to building new ones. There are a bunch of old decisions that have already been made about the basic things, and maybe they're annoying decisions and might be done differently if done today, but at least they're ''done'' and one needn't figure it all out again.
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Old code

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:40:09 GMT

Sam moved page Old decisions about old code to Old decisions about old code

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Old Code

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:39:48 GMT

Sam moved page Don't replace all the old code to Don't replace all the old code

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{{blog post |date=2013-06-05T18:04:18+00:00}}

Programmers love to come up with neat new simple clean beautiful elegant little systems for doing things. It’s the most fun. It makes one feel like the world is actually nice and ordered and will obey rules.

Then, the world intrudes and asks for little tweaks here and there, and we incorporate them — trying to keep them conforming to the original simplicity and rightness, and thinking that by doing so the original integrity is just being strengthened and confirmed. The world wants to fit this system, because the system is Right.

Hm.

Then, the requests for modification keep coming, and the One True System starts bulging in quarters where it was meant to be straight, and not curving so fair elsewhere. The refining starts to feel like compromising. But that’s all okay, because the bones of the thing are pure… maybe all of this new stuff belongs in plugins, anyway?

No. The truth (not the Truth, though) seems to be that the only system that fulfills its purpose (I was going to write ‘its brief’, but there’s seldom any such thing) is one that has grown and been adapted and changed, customised beyond recognition, and tweaked until the tweaks are more than the core… we don’t get to work with beautiful code, but with old code, and it’s old code that needs the love and devotion and acceptance. It’s not going to be replaced wholesale, no matter that Management might thing that’s a good idea.

[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Designing]]
[[Category:Elegance]]
[[Category:Right Ordering]]
[[Category:Systems]]

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Module:Post

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:37:59 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:37, 8 June 2026
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	local prevnext = ''		local prevnext = ''
	local currentPost = mw.ext.cargo.query( 'posts', 'date', { where = '_pageName="' .. currentPage .. '"' } )		local currentPost = mw.ext.cargo.query( 'posts', 'date', { where = '_pageName = BINARY "' .. currentPage .. '"', limit = 1 } )
	if currentPost ~= nil and currentPost[1] ~= nil then		if currentPost ~= nil and currentPost[1] ~= nil then
	local prev = mw.ext.cargo.query( 'posts', '_pageName,date', {		local prev = mw.ext.cargo.query( 'posts', '_pageName,date', {

Old code

Sam — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:49:08 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:49, 8 June 2026
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	}}		}}
	It's really quite relaxing working on existing systems compared to building new ones. There are a bunch of old decisions that have already been made about the basic things, and maybe they're annoying decisions and might be done differently if done today, but at least they're ''done'' and one needn't figure it all out again.		It's really quite relaxing working on existing systems compared to building new ones. There are a bunch of old decisions that have already been made about the basic things, and maybe they're annoying decisions and might be done differently if done today, but at least they're ''done'' and one needn't figure it all out again.
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