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Scott Tichenor
Dec-03-2009, 10:47am
Not really. Thought I'd post a note about this account since I keep seeing people trying to ask it questions. It's kind of shy, doesn't talk much :).

This is an automated task run by the server (Unix cron job) and is part of the foum software. It's not human, and although I can control what the account does by providing minimal instructions, I don't monitor it most of the time. It pulls in news feeds, RSS, Podcasts, etc. from all over the web, meaning what is pulled in is dependent upon what the other site entered as information. By example, this pulls content available as news feeds from JazzMando.com, Mandolin Archive, Cybergrass, mandolin.org.uk, Bluegrass Blog, Flickr's Mandolin and Bluegrass groups, Mel Bay's New mandolin products feed, Cafe MP3 podcast, and many more.

Now you know.

kalenh
Dec-03-2009, 5:39pm
Not really. Thought I'd post a note about this account since I keep seeing people trying to ask it questions. It's kind of shy, doesn't talk much :).

This is an automated task run by the server (Unix cron job) and is part of the foum software. It's not human, and although I can control what the account does by providing minimal instructions, I don't monitor it most of the time. It pulls in news feeds, RSS, Podcasts, etc. from all over the web, meaning what is pulled in is dependent upon what the other site entered as information. By example, this pulls content available as news feeds from JazzMando.com, Mandolin Archive, Cybergrass, mandolin.org.uk, Bluegrass Blog, Flickr's Mandolin and Bluegrass groups, Mel Bay's New mandolin products feed, Cafe MP3 podcast, and many more.

Now you know.


Are you sure this account isn't more or less as you say it is? ;)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/member.php?u=13446)

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/member.php?u=13446 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat)

:grin:

grassrootphilosopher
Dec-04-2009, 8:13am
Just to get an understanding. If I would see the News Fetcher as a divice that does point me towards interesting topics and I would "respond", meaning I would post in the "News Fetcher thread", would that be impropriate. It may cause others to post too, generating a discussion about current topics that others might find interesting too...

What´s the opinion?

kalenh
Dec-04-2009, 3:09pm
Just to get an understanding. If I would see the News Fetcher as a divice that does point me towards interesting topics and I would "respond", meaning I would post in the "News Fetcher thread", would that be impropriate. It may cause others to post too, generating a discussion about current topics that others might find interesting too...

What´s the opinion?

I think what he means, is that people are sending that account private messages. But since that account is really just a collection(guessing) of scripts it can't really respond.

Replying to a forum post about an interesting topic and hoping to generate discussion is what "I believe" newsfetcher's purpose is. Pulling in data or resources from many far flung places that might be tedious, boring, or just plain impractical for a human operator to do by hand.

:mandosmiley:

fredfrank
Dec-04-2009, 3:14pm
Just to get an understanding. If I would see the News Fetcher as a device that does point me towards interesting topics and I would "respond", meaning I would post in the "News Fetcher thread", would that be inappropriate. It may cause others to post too, generating a discussion about current topics that others might find interesting too...

What´s the opinion?

I think the point is Scott wanted to let you know that you shouldn't ask him questions in these threads since he doesn't monitor them. And yet . . . people continue to ask 'em.

Of course, if you want to discuss the news contained herein with other cafe members, go for it!

Scott Tichenor
Dec-04-2009, 3:24pm
Correct responses. To pull in news feeds, the task needs to be associated with an account, which is why it has its own, and it says as much in the account's signature. Asking it questions isn't going to get you an answer from NewsFetcher because there isn't a human actively monitoring the account.

journeybear
Dec-05-2009, 9:09am
I think the point is Scott wanted to let you know that you shouldn't ask him questions in these threads since he doesn't monitor them. And yet . . . people continue to ask 'em.

Of course, if you want to discuss the news contained herein with other cafe members, go for it!

Actually, I think Scott was pointing out that you shouldn't ask NewsFetcher questions, as there is no Mr. Fetcher, per se. It's an automated functon with set parameters, as its byline says: I just fetch news.

If someone is interested in discussing a topic gathered and presented via this method, it might be better to start a new thread. My 2¢ ... ;)

Scott Tichenor
Dec-05-2009, 10:02am
It's fine to post in threads started by this function. Just don't expect an answer from NewsFetcher if you ask it one.

Matt DeBlass
Dec-05-2009, 1:31pm
This automated feed is to be confused with the late Leroy M. Newsfetcher, the famed mandolin historian who previously compiled mandolin-related information from the far corners of the web before suffering his untimely demise in a tragic accident involving an Intellitouch tuner, a can of warm soda and a plastic spork...

ok, I'll stop now :whistling:

But it seems reasonable to me to reply to a NewsFetcher-generated thread to discuss the content in the thread, it's just a bit silly to expect NewsFetcher to respond personally.