hi.

when i first signed up for onedrive, i was very explicitly looking for a way to convert .doc files (that is, office 2003 files, specifically) to .pdf files in a way that maintained formatting, including hyperlinks. so, a pdf printer would not be good enough, i need full conversion.

your competitors (google, adobe) kept breaking the formatting, so i tried here on a lark, hoping that office would be best at converting office. and, it did actually work - i was able to effortlessly convert up to 1600 page word 2003 documents with flawless formatting. i was impressed.

unfortunately, something changed over the last two weeks that has broken the conversion, and it appears to be specifically that the server is now forcing an extra conversion step to .docx. when you converted directly from .doc to .pdf, your results were flawless. but, the introduction of the extra conversion step has left your results about the same as your competitors, indicating that the issue in conversion is probably xml related.

i don't want to use the .docx format, or the underlying xml architecture. i want to be able to convert directly from .doc to .pdf.

there is a workaround in uploading as .doc and then viewing the version history, which allows for a direct conversion, but this seems unnecessarily awkward.

i believe that the reason i was able to directly convert initially is that the server was opening the files in protected mode. for some reason, it is no longer opening them in protected mode, and is now defaulting to the conversion step to docx "so i can edit the files". but, i don't want to edit the files, i want to convert them directly to pdf, in a way that bypasses the conversion to docx step.

it would be very useful if i could tell the server to always open all office files in protected mode, by default. i do not believe that this is currently possible. if it is possible, i would appreciate some guidance. if it is not, please accept my feature request.

so, this is what i think happened.

i think that when i uploaded the files to the server last week, they were initially interpreted as coming from an unsafe source and sort of quarantined as read-only, and opened in 'protected mode'. this allowed me to convert the files to pdf without having to deal with the conversion in between to docx.

now, the server is no longer interpreting the files as dangerous, and automatically converting them to docx for editing, which is actually the default behaviour.

but, the conversion to docx is breaking the formatting and needs to be avoided altogether. so, i actually want it to default to the quarantine.

there is a work around, which involves opening up the file's "version history". this converts it directly from doc to pdf.

i'm actually going to send them an email requesting default protected mode as a feature. and, it might exist in the paid version. but, like, i'm not paying for it...

i think it was opening it in something called "protected view". that's actually what i want. but i can't figure out how to make it default.

*sigh*

it seems to have been previously logging me in as a "guest user", which is actually what i want it to do. now, it's recognizing me and trying to convert the file for me.

at least it works, though. i just have to stop the conversion.

ok. moving on to the html5 frontend. maybe they'll even unbreak it for me.

so, opening up a new account didn't undo the forced conversions to docx to "edit" the file.

i don't want to use the service to edit documents, ever. i strictly want to use it to convert .doc files to .pdf. so, it's not necessary to convert the file to edit it because i don't actually want to edit it. in fact, converting it seems to run the risk of breaking the formatting, and that's why i've come here for the conversion in the first place, because this system is better at converting .doc files to .pdf (so long as it doesn't try to convert them to .docx files first).

it would be very useful if i could tell the server to open everything read-only, and never convert to docx. if microsoft changed something for my supposed benefit, it backfired and i would appreciate it if they would change it back.

i don't seem to be able to turn off the automatic conversion, but i can get around it by opening up the version history instead of launching the file directly. that did actually fix it.

it's typical microsoft, though. i point out that their service actually works, when google's and adobe's both don't, and they promptly break it by trying to force a proprietary format that i don't want on to me. fuck.

i'm actually going to delete the account and start again and hope it undoes the unwanted forced conversions.

so, it was the conversion from doc to docx at the server (something that didn't happen on my first dozen conversions.) that introduced the typset error.

and, i seem to be able to avoid it by going out of my way to avoid the conversion to docx at the server...

the original file seems to be fine.

this docx format has been nothing but disasters for microsoft, and i really wish they'd just get their head around the reality that there is going to be a subset of users that just refuses to migrate to it, ever.

but, let's see if it's fixed. if it is, i can move on to the html5.

ok, the machine is back up.

i'm going to try to work through this.

i'm going to have to reupload tonight because the file appears to be out of alignment. that's fine. let's hope it gets done pretty quick, and the testing process is smooth.

i'm going to take another nap...the nap this morning was kind of short....

there has been a rank smell in here over the last few days and i don't know the source of it. i have smelled this smell before, but i'm not sure exactly what it is. it might be straight up pollution from outside. if so, it's kind of curious that it set back in immediately after i cancelled the hearing.

if i'm able to tie it to something upstairs...

for now, i can't do anything about a smell that i can't entirely identify the source of. i don't think it's from below me, though, i think it's from above me.

*shrug*.

let's try to get back up again for around 17:00-18:00.

first liner note release for inri015

it took eighteen years and multiple attempts at a construction, but this record is finally permanently completed as an instrumental electronic work and i am finally proud to refer to it as my first record.

while most of these songs have defined concepts underlying them, i have ejected these concepts from the final recording and left them in a series of singles. i would prefer that this album be understood solely as the instrumental recording of electronic music that i am presenting it as.

written and demoed in multiple stages from 1994-1998. initially constructed in this form in june, 1998. a failed rescue was attempted in 2013. reconstructed and resequenced jan 6-10, 2016 from parts that were rebuilt over 2013-2016. re-released on jan 10, 2016. audio permanently closed on aug 10, 2016. finalized as lp001 on oct 10, 2016. first liner note release added on feb 6, 2020. this is my first official record; as always, please use headphones.

this release also includes a printable jewel case insert and will also eventually include a comprehensive package of journal entries from all phases of production (1996-1998, 2013-2020). as of feb 6, 2020, the release includes a 125 page booklet in doc, pdf & html, with an html5 audio & video frontend, that includes journal entries from the remastering process over sept-dec, 2013, as well as the video for inertia, from dec, 2013 .

credits

released June 20, 1998

j - guitars, effects, bass, synthesizers, drum programming, orchestral & other sequencing, sampling, vocal relics, cool edit synthesis, windows 95 sound recorder, found sounds, strategies, soundraider, hammerhead, sound design, metronome, digital wave editing, production

the rendered electronic orchestra includes piano, organ, electric guitar, orchestra hit, pizzicato strings, synth pads, violin, viola, cello, contrabass, electric bass, sitar, tubular bells, tinkle bells, synthesizer effects and flute.

https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inri-3

i'm just trying to figure out if i should date the inri015 liner note release to today or not, and i'm going to, even if the html5 update doesn't get up until tomorrow morning.

i've got the pc off altogether, but i'm hoping i don't have to reimage tonight, and, if i don't, it might be fairly quick.

so, i'm going to get that all in order. and i may have to test overnight.

i didn't get as much done as i wanted to last night, partly because i passed out around midnight, but i have to stop now to shut down. i hope to be back at it close to 19:00.

i at least finalized the actual notes. so, there is a 125 page booklet in doc and pdf uploaded to the bandcamp site.

i will need to finish the html5 frontend for it tonight and get it up by tomorrow.

so, the content is done. i'm just missing the third format.

https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inri-3