New FP Room software....

[Fairlight]

Is it just me, or did John Esak say:
> Problem is the new version will cause your iv4: shortcuts to malfunction.
> Actually, it just brings up the message mismatched version. You then need to
> go to the public room address of ZZZ.ZZZZZZZ.ZZZ/97y9u and the new client
> will be instantly downloaded... or drudgingly downloaded should you be
> running the firewall stuff which asks you a zillion questions. :-)  Once the
> new client is installed, any shortcut you have directly pointing the page
> with your desired login-name will work again. (The iv4: protocol is
> respected by all browsers and gets you into the room in under a second with
> good colors. (which you can of course change.)
> 
> Anyway, if you get the mismatch message, until I cn figure out how to pint
> to the new-download page automatically, just go to the URL shown above and
> it will all be done in a moment for you.

Couple things:

The page you pointed to actually doesn't automagically download it and
install it for you.  It was a login page with a link to "Install Plugin".
That link shows that the URL to which you should point is:

     http://12.44.56.168/ivocalize/iVocalize4Setup.exe

If you want to make a smaller URL to that, be my guest, but I didn't want
to have to approve my own message, and any mail with the URL-shortening
host's name in it automatically delays distribution until manual approval.
This is the direct link to obtain the client though, and it's not
extravagantly long.

The iv4:// URI is not so much "honoured by all browsers" as it is a case of
a URI association in Windows.  You know how you can say "start file.jpg" or
even "start http://www.valar.com" and the appropriate programs start?  Same
thing.  It's the URI equivalent of file extension associations.  Firefox
knows nothing about it--it's Windows that handles it.  This is also how we
get insane URI types like unreal:// and such for accessing Unreal games and
the like--companies haul off and create non-standard URI types.  Convenient
though it might be, it's entirely unregulated, and therefore probably a
Bad Idea[tm].  I've been against this practice -since- I saw Unreal doing
it some five or so years ago.  As far as I know, there are only a limited
number of "official" URI types: http, https, gopher, ftp, telnet, one for
news (can't remember if it's nntp or news...I think news, as the mechanisms
say the client should know about the actual transport), mailto (without
slashes) for SMTP, and wais (which I've never used).  Ones like irc:// and
jabber:// are other gems of non-standard URI's implemented by people that
should have known better.  Drives me nuts. :)  This is the confusion you
get when something "just works" and 99% of the public has no idea
why--developers freely abuse it.

ANYWAY...

I downloaded and installed the new client.  Tested it, and it runs at
least.  I was in a hurry so I didn't say hi.  Hi, btw.  :)

At least you have the direct URL to the installer now.  Sorry for the
mini-lecture on URI's.  Not your fault of course, but it's one of those
popular misconceptions that, as a pet peeve of mine, makes me feel a need
to set the record straight.  No offense intended.

mark->
-- 
There is no "I" in TEAM.
This would be the primary reason I've chosen not to join one.