Blog/March 2023/Mar 10th

Mar 10th

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Among other things this week, I decided to finally do some upgrades to the “Mechon Mamre” site, of which I am currently the maintainer. There was a lot to be done, and there remains much more yet to be done. While I haven’t made any modifications to the main texts, I did make a couple changes which have engendered some opposition.

First, the site was originally created in the mid 1990’s, and the HTML (the “source code” of the pages) was very out of date and incorrect for modern browsers. So as I edit files, I fix those bits. That’s not controversial.

But then I also updated the CSS (the visual layout control) so that better fonts are being used. You can compare the new with the old and see how the content is the same, but is presented in what I think is a more pleasant format, and is also a bit easier to use (e.g. the chapter navigation is more spaced out).

I hadn’t thought any of this was particularly controversial, but I’ve received a few emails from people complaining of various things: “don’t use modern fonts!”, “I can’t copy-and-paste!”, “the navigation doesn’t work!”. I’ve asked them for details about what specifically isn’t working, or what font’s they would prefer, with details on their specific computer environment (browser, etc) so I would have a chance to address their issues.

So far, nobody has answered with any details, which is frustrating, because I can’t begin to understand and address their issues until they’ve actually told me what the real problem is.

For the record, none of the changes I’ve made should have affected copy-and-paste, and the navigation works better than before, in fact. But I’m happy to hear and try to address issues as they’re raised.

But it seems that people got used to an ugly interface for the past 20 years, and are loathe to change even minimally.

Things:

• Prof Hossenfelder gives “facts and numbers” about Marijuana.
• A Twitter thread on the Israeli judicial reform and how a lack of nuanced discussion is affecting people.
• It doesn’t help that some US taxpayer funds are flowing to an anti-Netanyahu group behind the protests.
• A long but interesting article by evolutionary biologist Heather Heying on reality vs. identity in the 21^st century.
• And Holly opines on “insensitivity readers”

We celebrated Purim this week, fairly quietly. Our usual meal-at-our-friends’-place was pleasant, with congenial company and sufficient booze. We contributed a couple home-made bread loaves. Now we’re saddled with the “Purim gifts” given us, which are almost always the sorts of snack items we try to avoid. But one must soldier on…

The weather this week was pleasant, and will stay pleasant over shabbat.

We’re going simple this shabbat:
homemade ḥalla, pot roast, cauliflower couscous, zucchini pashtida, Asian coleslaw, tabbouleh, fried eggplant, various salatim, and Purim treats

Until next time,
shabbat shalom!

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