Solving technical problems on line
May. 22nd, 2019 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nancylebovSome of you will find this obvious, but it took some time for me to figure this out, starting from "My computer doesn't work!" and gradually acquiring enough calm and knowledge to solve simple problems.
I have no doubt that this is incomplete, and advice for improving it is appreciated. Insults about how people ought to know this sort of thing are *not* appreciated.
I posted recently about making the captions on youtube more legible.
I didn't mention that I had almost finished a request for help when it occurred to me that I could look it up myself-- and eventually that I should write a post about how to find that sort of thing.
Sometimes the hardest part is finding out the name for a thing. It's rather like magic. Know the name, get power.
In this case, for some reason I was thinking of the words at the bottom of the video as quotes. but they're actually called captions.
If you don't know the name, search on other words related to your problem. With a little luck, you'll find someone talking about the thing you need to know.
How-to videos on vaguely related topics may also be helpful.
Also, it wasn't important in this case, but be specific about what you're using. What operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux) and which version. What model of computer or device. That sort of thing.
Companies that make computer things generally have help pages and manuals are available online.
No guarantees that any particular source will have the solution you're looking for.
I had a miserable time trying to find out how to open my HP OfficeJet Pro 6968 printer. It turns out that you can't lift the glass screen to get at the printer cartridges *unless* the feeder is down. No one explained this. I think I found out by watching a video.
Sometimes there's useful information at reddit.com. I think of reddit as pretty low information density, but they've got search.
Sometimes there's a app which will solve your problem. Search on terms related to your problem with app added.
If you're stuck, it's alright to ask questions. If you've got a solution, there's something to be said for posting about it. Sometimes people just put up with things because they haven't realized they're solvable problems.
****
How to make the captions on youtube videos relatively legible
It turns out that you can adjust the captions on youtube in a number of ways.
You click on the gear in the lower right corner and and hit subtitles, then options.
It turns out that the font colors are different from each other, but pretty faint.
I was able to make them readable by increasing the size.
I have no doubt that this is incomplete, and advice for improving it is appreciated. Insults about how people ought to know this sort of thing are *not* appreciated.
I posted recently about making the captions on youtube more legible.
I didn't mention that I had almost finished a request for help when it occurred to me that I could look it up myself-- and eventually that I should write a post about how to find that sort of thing.
Sometimes the hardest part is finding out the name for a thing. It's rather like magic. Know the name, get power.
In this case, for some reason I was thinking of the words at the bottom of the video as quotes. but they're actually called captions.
If you don't know the name, search on other words related to your problem. With a little luck, you'll find someone talking about the thing you need to know.
How-to videos on vaguely related topics may also be helpful.
Also, it wasn't important in this case, but be specific about what you're using. What operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux) and which version. What model of computer or device. That sort of thing.
Companies that make computer things generally have help pages and manuals are available online.
No guarantees that any particular source will have the solution you're looking for.
I had a miserable time trying to find out how to open my HP OfficeJet Pro 6968 printer. It turns out that you can't lift the glass screen to get at the printer cartridges *unless* the feeder is down. No one explained this. I think I found out by watching a video.
Sometimes there's useful information at reddit.com. I think of reddit as pretty low information density, but they've got search.
Sometimes there's a app which will solve your problem. Search on terms related to your problem with app added.
If you're stuck, it's alright to ask questions. If you've got a solution, there's something to be said for posting about it. Sometimes people just put up with things because they haven't realized they're solvable problems.
****
How to make the captions on youtube videos relatively legible
It turns out that you can adjust the captions on youtube in a number of ways.
You click on the gear in the lower right corner and and hit subtitles, then options.
It turns out that the font colors are different from each other, but pretty faint.
I was able to make them readable by increasing the size.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-22 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-05-22 09:18 pm (UTC)For me the tricky part can be knowing what question to ask. Once I have that, it's usually straightforward.
Of course, implementing the solution once I've found it is a different matter. :)
no subject
Date: 2019-05-23 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-05-23 11:45 am (UTC)Yesterday, both Firefox and Thunderbird updated. Now if I open Firefox with my desktop shortcut, clicking links in Thunderbird creates an error saying Firefox isn't responding. If Firefox is not open, clicking a link will cause Firefox to load with the link, and additional links also work (but seem slower than normal).
Google keeps directing me to pages (often several years old) about Firefox or Thunderbird not opening, and the only advice remotely relevant said to go to Options->Attachments and remove/modify the lines for HTTP and HTTPS. But I don't have those lines, and don't see any way to add them.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-23 01:28 pm (UTC)However, you can restrict google to recent results. Go to settings (towards the right of the search box), then advanced search, last update.
Damnit, google used to have an actual date range search which was easy to find, and now it's gone.
However, the last update should be enough for what you're doing.
It looks as though your problem is recent and somewhat rare, so that there isn't material up about how to solve it. I recommend asking in public places.
Stackexchange.com and ask.metafliter.com might be good places to ask. Stackoverlow.com might be a good place to search, but probably isn't a good place to ask.