GOGSoc Episode V: The GOG Strikes Back

OP

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Anyone here any good with laptops? Specifically Macs? I can't download PDF files from the Internet and I've no idea why I can't :no:

Into Abobe? Had that very problem yesterday. Are you using firefox by chance? If so, go to tools, add-ons, plug ins and disable ' adobe acrobat NPAPI Plug-in'

ETS and make sure you do a software update to get the new Java :smile:

Reply 2622

Feefifofum

Original post by evantej

I use quite a few different subject areas at the Robinson Library (English, history, linguistics and Russian), some of which the university does not even teach (Russian), so I think that is a reasonable sample to judge a university library by in terms of stock. (And I have used a lot of libraries so I make judgements about other things like online resources, staff, layout, opening times, ease and cost of becoming an external member etc., etc..).

So far as classics is concerned, I suppose my question would be why you applied when you knew the library was so poor? :confused:

I wasn't casting aspersions on your qualification to judge Newcastle, just pointing out that it varies by subject. I've used other areas too (the theoretical stuff is all in the social sciences areas of the library, for example).

There's quite a hostile attitude in your post - perhaps I'm reading that in, but surely there are other reasons why someone might choose a university than the library facilities - my supervisor here is the only person who could have supervised my project, for example, and I had to be up here with family for personal reasons. Plus, I've already explained just a few posts up that we have Durham reading rights, can call books from other libraries, and I have Oxford alum reading rights.

Reply 2623

Feefifofum

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Anyone here any good with laptops? Specifically Macs? I can't download PDF files from the Internet and I've no idea why I can't :no:

What are you trying to do? Download PDFs, or view them in safari?

Reply 2624

Original post by apotoftea

Into Abobe? Had that very problem yesterday. Are you using firefox by chance? If so, go to tools, add-ons, plug ins and disable ' adobe acrobat NPAPI Plug-in'

ETS and make sure you do a software update to get the new Java :smile:

Genius!

Original post by Feefifofum

What are you trying to do? Download PDFs, or view them in safari?

View them in Firefox. Think all is sorted now. Thanks though! :hugs:

Reply 2625

*Corinna*

Original post by evantej

I use quite a few different subject areas at the Robinson Library (English, history, linguistics and Russian), some of which the university does not even teach (Russian), so I think that is a reasonable sample to judge a university library by in terms of stock. (And I have used a lot of libraries so I make judgements about other things like online resources, staff, layout, opening times, ease and cost of becoming an external member etc., etc..).

So far as classics is concerned, I suppose my question would be why you applied when you knew the library was so poor? :confused:

I am sorry, but I have to ask. Why did you apply to your undergrad university if the library was so poor?

Reply 2626

evantej

18

Original post by Feefifofum

I wasn't casting aspersions on your qualification to judge Newcastle, just pointing out that it varies by subject. I've used other areas too (the theoretical stuff is all in the social sciences areas of the library, for example).

There's quite a hostile attitude in your post - perhaps I'm reading that in, but surely there are other reasons why someone might choose a university than the library facilities - my supervisor here is the only person who could have supervised my project, for example, and I had to be up here with family for personal reasons. Plus, I've already explained just a few posts up that we have Durham reading rights, can call books from other libraries, and I have Oxford alum reading rights.

No hostility whatsoever. I just disagreed with your suggestion that the Robinson Library is "dire in every way - poor collections and holdings, dreadful working environment [...], insufficient facilities [...], and staff that are not willing to enforce any of the few rules that do exist". I have never encountered any of the non-stock related problems you have mentioned either. And used my experience of other libraries to put this into context.

Of course, I was also playing devil's advocate with regards to doctoral research.

Reply 2627

evantej

18

Original post by *Corinna*

I am sorry, but I have to ask. Why did you apply to your undergrad university if the library was so poor?

I am sure you think you are being funny, but you are just being snide. I did a year of a computing/mathematics degree before switching to English, and library access was the least of my worries at that time.

Clearly your parallel was reasonable though: an uninformed undergraduate student versus an informed graduate student, requiring specific material for their research... (Yes, I am being hostile).

Reply 2628

Clearly the distraction of my Mac ineptness was too short lived :sadnod:

Reply 2629

OP

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Clearly the distraction of my Mac ineptness was too short lived :sadnod:

What you done now?

-------------------------------

Guys, a question - have any of you rearranged a supervision meeting for a personal reason AND been openly honest about it? (if anyone wants the reason why I'm asking I'll happily pm, just don't want it on an open forum) :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2630

Original post by evantej

Most of you would die if you used my undergraduate library (small 'rural' campus with maybe a couple of shelves for each subject)!

Er no, we'd get used to it. That's what humans do.

Original post by *Corinna*

Not even Chuck Norris can borrow from the Bod. Haha. I hate the Bodleian anyway, the Upper Reading Room is good, but that's for english lit. The classics section is terribly hot and there is a stupid buzzing noise coming from the lights. I would expect that if they don't let us borrow books they would at least create decent studying environments.

You're not going to like the UL :no:

It looks and feels like a prison. Buzzing lights, aplenty. And its closed on Sundays :p:

However I barely used the UL at undergrad. College and department libraries were well stocked. Also I never had the issue that obi mentioned with not having access to books for my undergraduate dissertation: if the UL didn't have it, my college library ordered it for me.

Corinna

I don't mind the eating part though. If people want to eat their sandwich, why would I mind? It is really annoying that we can't even take a snack in the library and we have to keep going out. I realise of course that most libraries don't allow food, but what I loved about RHUL was that I could literally take whatever. My food, my coffee, anything. It was perfect.
Eugh no! If people would be considerate and careful, food would be fine. But I would hate to go into a library only to find that all the spare desks were covered in splashes of wet kinds of food, or even just crumbs. Most bought coffee stinks really badly (because most coffee in this country is apalling) and any hot food stinks too. No I definitely don't want people eating in libraries.
I think UEA's library has it about right: they have a special floor where eating is permitted.

Reply 2631

Original post by apotoftea

What you done now?

I haven't done anything! (Yet :ninja:

) I could have asked various different Socs for Mac help but chose this one to try and lighten the mood from the whole libraries antagonistic discussion :yes:

To distract you all further: what colour saree should I wear to my graduation tea? Choices are:

- pink
- green/bronze
- white with multicoloured spots
- pink/leopard print
- multicoloured leopard print

:ahee:

Reply 2632

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

To distract you all further: what colour saree should I wear to my graduation tea? Choices are:

- pink
- green/bronze
- white with multicoloured spots
- pink/leopard print
- multicoloured leopard print

:ahee:

To the ones in bold, so that leaves pink or green and bronze :wink:

Original post by apotoftea

Guys, a question - have any of you rearranged a supervision meeting for a personal reason AND been openly honest about it? (if anyone wants the reason why I'm asking I'll happily pm, just don't want it on an open forum) :smile:

Yup.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2633

sj27

14

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

I haven't done anything! (Yet :ninja:

) I could have asked various different Socs for Mac help but chose this one to try and lighten the mood from the whole libraries antagonistic discussion :yes:

To distract you all further: what colour saree should I wear to my graduation tea? Choices are:

- pink
- green/bronze
- white with multicoloured spots
- pink/leopard print
- multicoloured leopard print

:ahee:

You get leopard print sarees?? Er, if this is a serious question :biggrin:

I'd go with green/bronze. (disclaimer: neither a fan of pink nor leopard print :colondollar:

)

Reply 2634

OP

Original post by Craghyrax

Yup.

I saw your edit :wink:

This one's meant to be the first one of the summer term as such.

Hmmm.

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

I haven't done anything! (Yet :ninja:

) I could have asked various different Socs for Mac help but chose this one to try and lighten the mood from the whole libraries antagonistic discussion :yes:

To distract you all further: what colour saree should I wear to my graduation tea? Choices are:

- pink
- green/bronze
- white with multicoloured spots
- pink/leopard print
- multicoloured leopard print

:ahee:

What's a graduation tea? My sensible hat would be to say where a colour/print that won't clash with your gown & hood :wink:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2635

Original post by Feefifofum

surely there are other reasons why someone might choose a university than the library facilities - my supervisor here is the only person who could have supervised my project, for example, and I had to be up here with family for personal reasons. Plus, I've already explained just a few posts up that we have Durham reading rights, can call books from other libraries, and I have Oxford alum reading rights.

Quite. Its rather a luxury to be thinking about library resources when applying for PhDs. If you get funded at more than one place (if at all) then one might think about it...

Reply 2636

Feefifofum

I vote for green and bronze as well - though I also vote that we get a picture of the sarees so we can judge properly :awesome:

Potty - yes, twice, but once when I was ill, and once when I split up with my ex, so both were things that were real reasons I wasn't up to a supervision/something he needed to know about anyway.

Reply 2637

Original post by apotoftea

I saw your edit and was going to say on average I'd had about one every 10 days or so so far. This one's meant to be the first one of the summer term as such.

Hmmm.

In the context of the recent discussion on here I thought it best removed :p:

But yeh... with 2 a week or so for 3 years there were lots of times where I needed to rearrange due to a whole range of problems.
On the PhD so far... yes I've moved one or two supervisions.

Reply 2638

Original post by apotoftea

Guys, a question - have any of you rearranged a supervision meeting for a personal reason AND been openly honest about it? (if anyone wants the reason why I'm asking I'll happily pm, just don't want it on an open forum) :smile:

I can't think of an instance where I have but given my disastrous health in third year, I almost certainly would have. Presumably had it caused chaos or the end of the world, I would have remembered it :yes:

I did once arrange to have a tutorial on a punt and then refused to do the tutorial work, on the grounds that I couldn't do the work AND make the picnic food and thus had to opt for the more important task :ahee:

A graduation tea is a high tea thing held at Woosta, on the day of my graduation. You get to take 5 guests. My friends have realised we don't have to wear sub fusc for it and so they want to wear pretty dresses. I don't do pretty dresses though, so I opted for a saree :bhangra:

Original post by Craghyrax

To the ones in bold, so that leaves pink or green and bronze :wink:

You don't like spots? :sad:

OK, the leapord ones are a bit dodgy (they're very me though :biggrin:

) but the white with dots one is nice. It's like Twister on a saree but with smaller blobs :woo:

Original post by sj27

You get leopard print sarees?? Er, if this is a serious question :biggrin:

I'd go with green/bronze. (disclaimer: neither a fan of pink nor leopard print :colondollar:

)

You do indeed get leopard print sarees. Animal print sarees are quite fashionable. Or if not that, they're very popular nonetheless :biggrin:

You don't like pink? :puppyeyes:

The green and bronze one is very nice :yes:

My mum doesn't like it though :cry2:

Fee: will try and take pictures tomorrow :biggrin:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2639

OP