Talk:Strong Bad Email

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Revision as of 22:30, 22 July 2006

Strong Bad Email Talk: Current | Messages 1-20 | Messages 21-33 | Messages 34-50 | Messages 51-75 | Messages 76-100 | Messages 101-120

Strong Bad Email is a featured article, which means it showcases an important part of the Homestar Runner body of work and/or highlights the fine work of this wiki. We also might just think it's cool. If you see a way this page can be updated or improved without compromising previous work, feel free to contribute.

new menu

When the new rap came out, the email geddup noise is new again, and the emails newer than that aren't there. --Nckinfn04 ^Talc! 20:31, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

Even odder: I'm trying to load it, and NO emails are listed, and the "random.bat" button leads to this (404'd) page (that is, "undefined", without even so much as a ".html".) highschool works fine though... when linked from the Main Pages or externally. --Jay (Talk) 02:30, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

Most works for me... The only glitchy thing is random.bat. It works fine; it just doesn't scroll. I mean, you click it and the screen stays in place, instead of following the cursor. --DorianGray

I get Jay's error. Very strange Username-talk

Me too. When I pressed random, it went to undefined but when I pressed it again, it caused my computer to run very slowly. Odd. - _talk Sahm ^ribs

I'm having similar problems. Yesterday I couldn't see any emails listed (and I got a warning dialog saying that Flash was running slowly and was making my computer slow); today the newest one is geddup noise. — Bill 16:03, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

For me the entire site has been running very sloooooolyyy (I just checked and the site is back up to 100% speed! I wonder if they were getting a DOS attack or just every desparate H*R fan was hitting the site all at once!). This would explain your problems: the flash files are unable to load the new versions of the .xml files and therefore will either present an error or load an older, cached version. (I too was getting emails up to geddup noise and thought that might be the problem. I didn't use rando though). --Stux 16:38, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, the menu is working just fine now (and doesn't seem to be Moving Very Slowly... very, very slowly... any more.) If it was loading older .xml files from cache, that might explain why I was getting nothing - I keep my cache as small as possible at all times (hit to loading times, but I have a fast enough connection that it's not that bad, and it helps pages refresh faster.) --Jay (Talk) 23:48, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

Fixed it. Just clear your cache. How?

I cleared the cache but it still doesn't scroll. Salty^Talk! 02:10, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

roulette

On the menu, the roulette dosen't move around, and it doesn't pick a random email. --Nckinfn04 ^Talc! 21:53, 16 January 2006 (UTC)

See the conversation directly above this one. --DorianGray

Of which you were a part of... ⇔Thunderbird⇔ 02:23, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

External links template

I can never remember the verbiage for the external links, and it occurred to me: why don't we have a template for it? So I made one and applied it to the most recent email:

{{sbemailextlinks|142|6836}} produces this:

• watch "secret identity"
• view the Flash file for "secret identity"
• forum thread re: "secret identity"

There are a few special cases where the Flash file is different from the HTML file, and the early emails don't have forum threads, so we could also make sbemailextlinks2 and -3 if we wanted. I don't know that it's necessary to convert all the old ones, but it should be helpful on the new ones. — It's dot com 17:47, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

Is it worth it to make it more complicated? I've thought about it before for the info at the top of emails too, but then always talked myself out of it because it seems like it would confuse some for only a small gain (at least for the stuff at the top, this is a better scenario). We could make lots of things easier by using complicated templates, but then the learning curve would increase. I like the idea though, and if others like it too, I wouldn't be against using it. -- Tom 03:23, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Well, it saves having to type the name of the toon three times, and I can never remember the wording without looking it up. At the very least, it could be a tool that could be subst'd on each new email. Maybe it could be tweaked (or a "toon" version created) to handle all toons. — It's dot com 03:26, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

At the *very* least it can be used as a subst: template. If you know about it, you use it, if not you don't. --Stux 04:12, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

All emails?

Does this number take into account DVD emails or no? I think that information should be explicit. --Stux 18:08, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

I think so, I don't see why they wouldn't count those. Salty^Talk! 04:15, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Floppy Disk Container

This discussion was originally on Talk:secret identity.

I don't remember now where i got the comment from, but the original Sam & Max comment had been removed because it's in the Floppy Disk page now. I made the new one more concise and pointed to the floppy disk page. So what is the precedent for it? Do we simply not mention anything about the floppy disk and simply assume readers know about the floppy disk page (and know where it's at) and will go there to find out what the floppy disk says? --Stux 16:03, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I have often wonder why that page is never mentioned on the email page but far as I know, we don't mention the floppy disks on th email page. I R F 16:41, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Yeah...it seems like the page should be linked somewhere on the email page. If it was linked, where would that go? In the remarks section? Or could the link be put in a common location on each email page which features a floppy disk? Trey56 17:05, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

[noting edit conflict due to similarity of ideas] You know, this should be fixed. Floppy Disk Container isn't, as far as I can tell, linked to from anywhere relevant, not even the main Strong Bad Email navigation template. The best it has going for it is that it's in Category:Strong Bad Email. Why not have a one-line mention somewhere in each email that points out what the disk title is and gives a link to FDC? I'm thinking either something in the trivia or up in the stats at the top of the page. — It's dot com 17:12, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I'd go with Remarks/Trivia on each email that features it. - Joshua 17:20, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I like the idea of the stats position at the top of each page. For example this week's would have the following:

Floppy Disk: sam and max

right below Page Title. Trey56 17:21, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Regarding the link to FDC: We should have a standard. How about this: [[Floppy Disk Container#<game name>|<game name>]] where <game name> is the name of the game written exactly as it is on the disk label. Then, we should insert corresponding IDs into the rows of the table over at FDC, like this: id="<game name>". — It's dot com 17:29, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

That makes sense...so that the link goes to the relevant floppy. Trey56 17:32, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Until we decide where on the email page to link, I'm going to just start adding the id's to the FDC page. Trey56 17:35, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps something like...

• The Floppy Disk Container reads sam and max.

And maybe the italized part will... link to the actual section of the Floppy Disc Container page... I don't think it needs a place up at the top, because not all emails have them. - Joshua 17:55, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I give up...I thought I could figure out how to add those invisible ID's, but I need help. Is it literally the text, id="sam and max", for example, or am I missing brackets, etc.? Thanks, Trey56 17:57, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Shouldn't we just go with subheaders within the table, as we do with almost every other table-based page? - Joshua 18:06, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

It looks a little redundant to have the two bold headings though...if we add those subheaders, should we unbold the second occurrence? Trey56 18:17, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Probably. I noticed this, too. - Joshua 18:18, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

What about an invisible tag? To my eye, the current bold text is sufficient as a header... Trey56 18:20, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

How do you make those? - Joshua 18:23, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Personally, I think the standard headers add too much space to each entry. Dot com's done the id thing before but I don't remember what page he's used it at (probably one of the obscure list page thingys somewhere). I'll check and see if i've linked to it at any point. Or if it's in the help pages. --Stux 18:24, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

It would've been here if someone had asked already but it's not. I recommend you post an inquiry in his talk page. --Stux 18:33, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

What, you don't think I would be following this thread? :) — It's dot com 18:50, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Are you kidding? I was counting on you to answer the question like three minutes after Trey56 has posed it! ;) --Stux 19:21, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I should be more patient (sorry). By the way, the current tags all link to the top of the table (see HRWiki:Sandbox#Test), but I'm going to leave this project to somebody who actually knows what s/he's doing. Trey56 19:29, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

You seem to be on the right track. Don't give up. :) By the way, the other pages with IDs are QotW and Weekly Fanstuff. Also, the underscores may be important (I'm not sure) and there are special characters to watch out for (like question marks, etc.), just so you know. — It's dot com 20:26, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

If you need/want help with some of the grunt work, gimme something to do. I am looking for a project. I R F 21:40, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, too many colons. So far, I've added all the tags to Floppy Disk Container, and as soon as we decide where we want the links on the email pages, those need to be added. Trey56 21:46, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I changed the wording in the Trivia section a little. For one, the label on the disk has the writing on it, not the disk container itself. Also, I changed it from italics to quotes. — It's dot com 00:10, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

So, the two main options for adding the links to Floppy Disk Container on the relevant emails follow (please add comments/preferences):

In this case, the title for secret identity would look like this:

Strong Bad Email #142

Chris from Laramie, Wyoming, asks Strong Bad if he has any secret identities. Strong Bad discusses several options.

Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad , The Poopsmith , Homestar Runner, The King of Town, Bubs, Marzipan, Strong Sad (Easter egg)

Places: Computer Room, Bubs' Motor Lodge, Trailer Home, Smoky Office, Marzipan's House

Computer: Lappy 486

Date: January 25, 2006

Running Time: 3:42

Page Title: Lappy 486

Floppy Disk: sam and max

In this case, the Trivia section of secret identity would have the following fact:

• The label on the disk in the floppy disk container reads "sam and max".

Top-of-page statistics

1. I second I R F 22:11, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
2. I third. --Stux 22:34, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
3. I fourth. — Lapper (talk) 00:04, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Trivia section

1. I like this one better. The Floppy Disk Container is more of a "remark" or "real-world reference" than a vital statistic, and a casual reader might not know what Floppy Disk: *a game* means. Homestar Coder 22:48, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
2. I agree with Homestar Coder. It flows better in a fun fact-type location. --DorianGray
3. It's an inside joke. All other inside jokes go in the fun facts, so why should this one be different? - Joshua 23:33, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
4. Y'all are convincing. Trey56 23:57, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
5. I second that notion. — Has Matt? (talk) 00:02, 27 January 2006 (UTC)
6. Heimstern Läufer 00:03, 27 January 2006 (UTC)
7. Sounds convincing, so, for now, I'll abstain by voting twice. --Stux 00:46, 27 January 2006 (UTC)
8. I R F 13:17, 27 January 2006 (UTC) Good arguments, switching my vote
9. — Elcool ^(talk)_(contribs)

Consensus

It looks like the trivia section won out. Trey56 17:17, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Update: they're done. Trey56 20:23, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Where does the period go?

This will probably seem ridiculous to most everybody reading it, but I want to make all the pages consistent. I'm not an English major, so could somebody tell me which of the following is the correct location of the period?

1. The label on the disk in the floppy disk container reads "sam and max."
2. The label on the disk in the floppy disk container reads "sam and max".

Just wanted to get it right before I made all the changes. Thanks, Trey56 01:06, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

The second one. That way there's no confusion as to whether Strong Bad included the period or not. (Of course, if there is ever one with a dot at the end, it would go inside the quotation marks.) — It's dot com 01:11, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the help (and sorry to whoever ends up having to patrol all those changes) Trey56 01:54, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

Okay, folks! Cool new fact: According to the W3C, which wins, ID's cannot begin with numbers. So some of the ID's have to be changed, maybe by the discrete insertion of a "id_" before the name (e.g. id="7th_guest -> id="id_7th_guest"). I realize this makes the id's kinda unwieldy and silly, but as they don't affect the content of the page or its meaning I think this is a good overall solution. Please raise here any objections or proposals for modification to this. Thankee! -- Jweb Guru 03:28, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Count on Jweb to ruin our setup... *Grumble Grumble*. Okay okay, I'll fix it. ⇔Thunderbird⇔ 03:35, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Unreleased Email

When watching Sketchbook (video), I documented all the writings on paper seen in the video. One of the things appeared to be an unreleased email with The Cheat. Here's what it said:

at 3:12

and then as a special treat
I let The Cheat answer
some emails

Dear SB,
Why so glate?
-Deb Stein

Yeah, man. I'll gnaw your
face off.
-Teh C. (repeat)

Oh man, "I'll gnaw your face
off!" every year it gets
funnier! Happy The Cheat
Day Ilko. Here's hopin you
May never get the

Is there anywhere that we could put this?

That's part of the script for cheatday. --DorianGray

Well, not the "glate" part, but yeah. --Jay (Talk) 23:26, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

Heh Heh...... Didn't know. That. Thanks for setting me straight. :)-AtionSong 23:35, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

What is wrong with "Crapfully yours"

I don't understand, is he just getting mad about it? It doesnt seem like something one would care about, though I have never sent strong bad an e-mail, I would say crapfully yours.-ken

He's not getting mad, just exasperated at the extremely old joke. --Jay (Talk) 23:16, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

See Crapfully Yours for more information. -- Tom 02:30, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

I personally think that it is awesome, genious, and creative just like trogdor is, but nobody is sayin he's old, although, trogdor is sooo much cooler. If you sit down and think about it, you'll thinks it's hillarious, i mean, crapfully yours, hahahahahaha, say, i am gunna make another section about strong badia in the strong badia section, sooo i'll see you there. But i will still check this out.-ken

Email list: Column length and <autocolumn>

I noticed that not long ago, my editing the lengths of the columns in the email list were reverted, and not long after, I noticed that It's dot com added an <autocolumn> tag. I think that's a good idea, but I don't like how the way it's currently implemented deals with the lengths of the columns. Currently, the first two columns are each one item longer than the second two. When email #149 is released, the way <autocolumn> is set up now, the first column will be one longer than the other three. It seems to me that in any other context, the more usual and more natural method is to have all the columns but the last equal in length, with the last column being shorter. When #149 is released, that would mean the last column would be shorter by three items, but because the others are equal, it looks better than having the first column sort of jutting out at the bottom. (Interestingly, I think I was the first one to convert the list from three columns to four, and it wasn't reverted then.) Gus 23:49, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

To clarify, when 149 comes out, you would rather have columns of 38, 38, 38, 35 than the 38, 37, 37, 37 that the <autocolumn> tag would display? -- Tom 23:57, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

My guess is that you mean to have 37, 37, 37, 38 instead of the 38, 37, 37, 37 which would appear with the autocolumn now. Am I correct Gus? Oops, I think I was wrong and Tom got it right. However I think it looks more even the way it is now. --Stux 00:09, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Tom. Think of it this way: If you think of anywhere else you might see columns of text, you expect each column to go to the very bottom of the page or section or wherever, and have it stop wherever it needs to. Here, though, there is no defined bottom, but 38-38-38-35 gives that effect better than 38-37-37-37. It's more aesthetic. Gus 00:19, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

Also, would I be right to assume that <autocolumn> is programmed into the wiki software, and would require access to the wiki source to change the way it renders the list? Gus 00:24, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

Running along with ze gags!

You know the bit at the top of all the articles about SBemail? like Name: pop-up Characters: Strong Bad and all that? why don't we add a new bit to that with Running Gags: Disconnected phone? --Coach J 14:04, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

Well, it is not so prevolent that it appears in *every single* email so to speak. The Floppy Disk does, but it has its own page and a reference in the fun facts section. That is where that would appear. Moreoever, these should link to the Disconnected phone's page, but it doesn't seem to have one that I know about. --Stux 17:03, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

See Disconnected Telephones. -- Tom 19:46, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

Are Strong Bad Emails actually real?

Is really sent by ordinary people?

Nikolce Kocovski 03:18, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Yes it is. In fact, several emails have been sent by members of the forum, including montage. mile was the only email they ever made up, because "The Cheat made it up". You can even email strongbad yourself at strongbad@homestarrunner.com, by using the link on The Paper at the end of emails. ⇔Thunderbird⇔ 03:22, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

I Happen to know the person who sent japanese cartoon. --Dacheatbot · Communicate 03:24, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

who?

Nikolce Kocovski 06:30, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Whoever it is needs a big cookie! But not as big as kaizer's :) —NFITC1^talk 06:37, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

In fact, I'ved heard that TBC get thousands of emails a day. I forget in which interview they said that. I R F 21:05, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, they get around a thousand a day, on average. ⇔Thunderbird⇔ 03:21, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

It's in the FAQ if you click on Email on the main H*R page. --Collin 21:09, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Probably closer to around a thousand a day, on average.

He works at a EB Games around here--Dacheatbot · Communicate 17:32, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Era labels

Maybe that anonny had a good idea. I put the era labels back, although I did it in a way that is better suited to the autocolumn. Namely, I inserted some special line breaks so that it will correctly number the lines and so that there is never a heading without at least one email title underneath it. I tested it through email 162, and from emails 155 to 158, the three computer headings will be at the top of their respective columns. From emails 159 to 161 it evens the columns out as it starts dividing the Lappy emails, and then beginning at email 162 the second two headers will again be in the middle of their respective columns. — It's dot com 23:01, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

It looks better now than after the first attempt, but it still doesn't look that great. Before the list was clean and unbroken and now it, well, isn't. -- Tom 00:20, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

But that can be a good thing. Sometimes lists can get too long. I think dividing it a little actually improves its legibility. — It's dot com 00:22, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, but ugly isn't good either. If you really want to break it up, then why not just use sections? -- Tom 00:32, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Those look better than what I had. I changed it back to your version. — It's dot com 00:46, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Okay. -- Tom 00:47, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Looks great. And boy is it ever Monday! - Qermaq - (^T/C)  17:17, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Looks great IDC and Tom, I likey. I hate to use such an over-used term such as great joerb, so I make up a Homsar-ish phrase of endearment just for this occassion. aHahahaAA this looks like a modern day birthday card. ' I R F 20:50, 21 March 2006 (UTC) oh, well I tried

Tangerine Dream/Pom Pilot

I put a comment in weird dream about this, but figured the real meat of it belonged here. Maybe it exists unbeknownst to me, but it seems that there out to be a mention of the fact that sbemails are inexplicably accessible through computers other than Strong Bad's own. -BRUCKER

I'm able to access my email from computers that aren't my own... - Joshua 13:57, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

So am I, but not by a single click on a desktop icon, which is essentially what Strong Bad does in both cases. -BBRUCKER

You're right, but it's more of a dramatic device. Other times that we see The Cheat's computer and Pom Pom's Pom Pilot, the email program isn't there. — It's dot com 22:56, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

I think...

We should have a Running Gags bit, like what you said about the statistics about Floppy Disk Container, i think we should do a Running Gags one.--Coach J 11:08, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

No, we already have a seperate page for the floppy disk container. And besides, i just really don't like the idea of it. Sbmaniac

Around his head

I think this is wierd but why does the text go around Strong Bad's head, and if it doesn't then how does he know to space the words around his head? He didn't do this in earlier emails but he does now. Andrew 911

Actually, he did in the earliest emails, I believe... On th' Tandy. --DorianGray

Lets be honest though... If it didn't go round his head, we would get frustrated and want to see what he is typing... Methinks its better the way it is. Anyone else agree?--josh 17:00, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

Please use the forum for conversations like this. ⇔Thunderbird⇔ 17:03, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

NQSBEmails

Uhh, is there Something Better to call the SBEmail Episodes that aren't SBEmails? "Not Quite SBEmail" sound like the name of a Brand of Cream Cheese or something... Pleez help! ~ YOuRmOtHeR182

What would you suggest? I myself have always kinda liked the name. — It's dot com 05:42, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

Email Glut

Does anyone else think that having 150+ emails listed at the bottom of email page is excessive. Prehaps a list of the most recent and a link to this page would look nicer?
A semi regesterd user: Aaron

We had this discussion before at Template talk:Strong Bad Email#Overcrowded. And I actually made the comment in the next section of that page, but remember that the intent of this template has always been to show where in the big world of emails the current email falls. This wouldn't be possible without having all of the emails listed. -- Tom 15:26, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

E-mail Command Lines

Is there a list of all the command lines Strongbad has used to check his e-mail? (IE: sbemail.exe, strongbad_email.exe or run "Strongbad's__email", etc...)

Each of the computers' pages (Tandy 400, Compy 386, and Lappy 486) has a list of ALL the commands used on that particular computer. --DorianGray

A Quick Question...

does anybody know why the title of the sbemail page is "denny's menu"? i looked around, and tell me if i missed anything...-Homsar7^{(Hom · Sar)}