wave search cheat sheet

Search Cheat Sheet

This is a quick guide to the operators and restricts supported by wave search.

Google also has some info here. I think this wave is more informative.

Keywords

about:[keyword] -- finds waves which have [keyword] occurring anywhere. Same as [keyword].

title:[keyword] -- finds waves which have [keyword] in the title.

caption:[keyword] -- finds waves which have an attachment where [keyword] occurs in the caption.

Status

is:read -- finds all read waves.

is:unread -- finds all unread waves.

Note: you cannot currently do a search like "-is:read" by itself and get reliable results due to an outstanding restriction on megastore queries

is:mute -- finds all muted waves.

is:unmute -- finds all waves not muted

is:active -- currently the same as is:unread.

is:note -- finds all waves which have you as the only participant and contributor

Participants

from:[address] -- finds waves from the participant identified by the address. Special case of from:me identifying waves from yourself.

by:[address] -- same as from:[address].

to:[address] -- find waves which are a dialogue between you and the participant identified by the address.

with:[address] -- find waves that have the participant identified by the given address explicitly listed.

owner:[address] -- find waves by person, that they created.

only:[address] -- finds waves to which only the participant specified by the given address contributed.

Date Search

Currently, there are a few restricts:

past:[date term] -- finds all waves in the last period.

previous:[date term] -- finds all waves in the period before the last period.

before:[date term] -- finds all waves before a certain period.

after:[date term] -- finds all waves after a certain period.

which can be combined with date terms:

day

week

month

year

So you can have past:week, past:year. There is also support for

past:N[date term]

where N > 0. So you can have past:3days (today, yesterday, the day before yesterday).

Also you can have

past:Ndays

past:Nweeks

past:Nmonths

past:Nyears

Finally, you can abbreviate days, weeks, months and years to a single letter (d, w, m, y). Thus you can write

past:3d

past:2w

Folders

in:[folder name] -- find waves in the folder with the given name. For example, in:inbox.

in:[search name] -- find waves in the saved search with the given name.

is:unfiled -- find waves which have not been moved to a user folder.

is:filed -- find waves which belong to some user folder.

Attachments

has:attachment -- finds waves with an attachment. This changed from "is:image".

has:document -- finds waves with an attachment which is a document. (coming soon)

has:image -- finds waves with an attachments which is an image. (coming soon)

caption:[keyword] -- finds waves with an attachment with caption containing [keyword].

filename:[keyword] -- finds waves with an attachment with filename containing [keyword]. (coming soon)

mimetype:[keyword] -- finds waves with an attachment with mimetype containing [keyword]. (coming soon)

Terri's video for the Red Cross

My wife Terri (terri@thorntoncommunications.com) shot, edited and posted this video for the local Red Cross:

changes for music online

I see more computer problems related to file sharing sites than ever these days. Almost everyone who comes to me with severe virus/trojan/malware problems has had Limewire, EDonkey or the like running on their machine. I think that it's long past the time for people to consider that buying or renting (more later) music is a better option than snitching it.

There has been plenty said about the iTunes Music Store, but it is the main way that people seem to enjoy purchasing music online. The Amazon version of the same thing is a bit less expensive and eMusic is cheaper still although they have just raised their prices in exchange for branching out from their mostly indie roots. This is known, I think, as forgetting to 'dance with the one who brung you.'

All of the above are fine for a quick fix in the middle of the night or when you just can't get out but let me suggest that an actual CD still sounds better by a long shot and, for my money, still provides more enjoyment over all. Of course, I have a really great local music store just a few minutes away Decatur CD (http://decaturcd.blogspot.com/) it would be prudent of all of us to support our local stores like this one before we drive them out of business with our cheapitude and penchant for easiness.

Of course, another great way to get music is to stop by the merch table when you go to a show. The performers are much more likely to make some actual money for their work that way. It is the best rememberance of the show and goes well with your new tshirt.

Listening to music online for free. Pandora seems to be about to have to change their model some. They may have by the time you read this. It is a terrific way to discover new music for free though and is well worth paying for. I've used it happily for years now. One fun thing about them is that movie and other producers sometimes use Pandora to find analogs for the songs they can't afford to put in their movies/tv shows, etc.

Lala.com is another good choice. It used to be a great place to trade cds without cases for about 2$ but I don't bother with that any more. They'll let you to almost any cd or song out there for free once. After that you can continue to stream it through Lala for pennies a song. A great deal for folks who listen at their desks. You can also upload your own ripped CDs to Lala.com and listen to them any time you want. It's like having an iTunes that moves with you from your computer to anywhere you login. They're supposed to be coming out with an iPhone app, too which would make them an even more wonderful choice. For now, get the Pandora app and try a paid app (not much a few bucks) called Simplify Media where you serve up your own files from your machine to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

As far as paid options go... I've heard someone say lately that they don't know why anyone would pay for Satellite Radio. Well, I've considered canceling my subscription but since they added an iPhone application, I'm using and enjoying it more. There are a few stations including Coffee House and The Grateful Dead Channel that I really like. Since Sirius and XM have more or less merged there isn't any choice between the two so I'm happy with XM.


I know this is a discussion of music but I find that audiobooks and podcasts are more interesting to me as I travel these days. Audible.com and the iTunes Music Store are good choices for tons of stuff there. The podcasts are free as a rule.

And finally, as far as iPhones are concerned (lot of other smart phones, too I believe) there are lots of different apps for radio and streamcast listening.

That's about the state of the deal from my perspective. What have I left out that you enjoy?

Wifi Cat/Wimax Dog

At the recent #startup riot there was a pitch about a wifi cat. Presumably one who would wear a techie sort of collar that would provide internet connectivity when s/he was around.


I can see this being useful for those of us who have a pet familiar. One of those cellphone cards with a small wireless router attached. There are such things for use at small gatherings and for carpoolers. What sort of power, though. Solar?

Discussion and hilarity ensued including discussion of a wimax dog or pack of dogs running around as a sort of mobile mesh network.

Of course it was a lark but don't tell that to my pets who have the handles @dobbythecat and @wimaxdog on Twitter, now. In fact, Mini (@wimaxdog) has her own online blip.fm radio station.

recent facebook posts

Great Southeast Music Hall (partial) memories

Thanks to Shannon Williamson for starting the I Have Been to the Great Southeast Music Hall group on Facebook.

Alan Thornton wrote
at 6:34pm on January 12th, 2009
Saw most of the shows with my then sweetheart/now bride Terri Thornton. Also got drunk with John Prine who had lots of beer but kept stealing my Salems. Won a Darryl Rhoades Gong Show competition with my "talent" of comedy mute. He had me on a television show to recreate the character later and the other guests were the B52's and Lester Maddox. The Gov. held the elevator door for me because he thought I was a real mute. Comedy Mute's big finish was to play Turkey in the Straw with his nose on the harmonica while drinking beer through a straw. Messy.

Other great shows there: Doug Kershaw, Willie Nelson, BB King, Thermos Greenwood and the Colored People, Dixie Dregs, Ronee Blakely (Before the Nashville movie or the Rolling Thunder tour with Dylan, I think) Jimmy Reed and Biff Rose (!)

One of the tin beer buckets was an ashtray in my parents' house until everyone quit smoking.

Wii Fit

Our 12 year old Son Matthew bought a Wii Fit with his own money lately. He has shown Terri and I how to use it and is supplementing his Tae Kwon Do and Swimming practice with it. I have to say that it's a pretty good way to get some exercise when it just seems like you're playing.