English: Usual replies to negation questions can be so confusing

Hi all.

So, for my once-weekly post, I decided to talk about English.

Usual replies to negation questions can be so confusing

What do I mean by this?

Well, take this example conversation:

Person A: where are you NOT going?
Person B: somewhere.
Person A: Huh? So, you are not going anywhere?
Person B: No, I’m not.
Person A: What do you mean by that?
Person B: I am staying here.
Person A: Ahhh, I understand now.

Although this problem is not specific to English, this highlights how we should reply to negation questions. We should reply to them in a way that is clear enough so as to not cause misunderstandings or confusion.

- Kyle

What you are not allowed to do on Digg

Hi all.

I was talking to someone (Matt) about a blog post on the Internet that states what you can and can’t do on Digg, and we covered only one thing, #10, which states:

#10 DO NOT Submit the same info multiple times. If it is worthy of beingdugg, it will find it’s way there. Submit it once, that is all.

Submitting the same info multiple times violates the Digg TOS. I will list this and other actions on the list below, mapping to revelant part in Digg TOS:

1. above, Section 3, “User Conduct”, number 9, which states: (including preamble and truncating to revelant part) “By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree not to use the Services: (…) with the intention of artificially inflating or altering the ‘digg count’, blog count, comments, or any other Digg service, including by way of creating separate user accounts for the purpose of artificially altering Digg’s services; giving or receiving money or other remuneration in exchange for votes; or participating in any other organized effort that in any way artificially alters the results of Digg’s services.”
2. “5. Do Post Original content”. Not doing so will violate: Section 3, “User Conduct”, number 2 and number 6, both of which state: “By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree not to use the Services: (…) to contribute any Content that is infringing, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, offensive or otherwise violates any law or right of any third party; (number 6) to violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws);”
3. “6.DO NOT Spam your Digg link every where. People will get pissed and bury it.”. Section 3, “User Conduct”, number 5 and number 7, both of which state: “By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree not to use the Services: (…) to create or submit unwanted email (“Spam”) to any other Digg users or any URL; (number 7) to submit stories or comments linking to affiliate programs, multi-level marketing schemes, sites/blogs repurposing existing stories (source hops), or off-topic content”
4. “7.DO NOT Post in the wrong section. People will get pissed and bury it.”. Section 3, “User Conduct”, number 7, as above
5. “8.DO NOT Steal Content from other sites without crediting. People will get pissed and bury it.”. Section 3, “User Conduct”, number 2 and 6, see #2
6. “9. DO NOT Register for multiple Digg accounts and Digg your own stuff multiple times. Digg will find out and they will ban you. If they do not find out, the members will. They are not dumb, most are rather intelligent and will figure it out themselves and bury you.”. Section 3, “User Conduct”, number 9, see #1
7. “14. don’t admit to getting your friends to digg stuff.”. If you get your friends to digg stuff, it is artifically altering the results of Digg’s services (see #1), and therefore violates the TOS.

If anyone has any comments on this, please comment. I would love to hear from you!

- Kyle

How to make a call using TTYs and Relay

Hi all.

So, I just want to talk about how to use a TTY using TRS (Telecommunications Relay Service), specifically the making a call part.

To make a call:

• Turn on your TTY.
• Call 711 on your phone. (711 is the relay number in many US states and Canada for TTYs)
• Put the phone on the two acoustic couplers.
• Now, you will need to wait for the relay operator to introduce themselves.
• When they have finished introducing themselves (and ended their intro with a “ga”, which means go ahead) respond with the number you want to call, and say “ga”.
• The relay operator will call the number you gave for you. They will tell you when the destination has been reached in some way, so do not worry about this.
• The relay begins…
• What you type is voiced to the person at the number you gave. (You must say ga after each message!)
• What the person says is typed to you. (With the ga included, so please wait for the “ga”!)
• If you want to end the relay call after a message, just type “ga or sk” instead of “ga”. “ga or sk” means “go ahead or hang up”.
• Please allow the “hang up exchange” to happen. It is rude to abruptly hang up on the person.
• The hang up exchange is as follows:
  • “ok well bye i gtg sk”
  • “ok bye bye sk”
  • “bye sksk”
  • “sksk” (do not type “sk” too many times, this may indicate that you are demanding to hang up right now and is rude)
  • *hang up occurs here and only here please*
• When you have hanged up:
  • Turn off your TTY
  • Return your phone to where it was supposed to be.

- Kyle

I have a TTY

Hey everyone.

Finally decided to restart posting to my blog once per week.

So, on the subject of this post, I have a TTY now from CHS as a gift. Cool eh!

So now I can use it to talk with people over the phone. I have called a relative and a friend so far.

I am happy I can talk with people over the phone – I can get my butt off the computer for a while

I will be posting up a how to use a TTY guide for the interested people soon.

- Kyle