Website Update (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
As Patterico mentioned recently, his website changed hosts and I think we’ve all noticed an improvement in performance. However, you don’t need me to tell you that there were problems yesterday because one of Patterico’s posts generated significant traffic from several big links.
Fortunately, the new website host took these problems as a challenge and is working diligently to resolve them. The changes they already implemented made a big difference on the administrative side, and I think the website loads better overall. Now we’re down to dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.
Once again, we’re calling on you for help in this process. Please use the comments to list problems you are having now — not yesterday’s or prior problems, but current problems or things you notice in the coming days.
And thank you very much.
– DRJ
UPDATE: I forgot to mention the timeframe for this post. The host will be working on these issues between now and Tuesday or Wednesday. Thus, you may not see improvements until next week but they are working on it.
Ok today.
Comment by Mike K (67e8ce) — 5/29/2010 @ 2:46 pm
i’ve been able to either read or post today, but not both. if i post, i’ve had to close the tab, delete cookies and reopen the tab in order to read.
if i don’t do that, i get older pages without the most recent posts. we’ll see in a moment if that is still happening.
Comment by redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/29/2010 @ 2:46 pm
“Next page” leads to http://patterico.com/page/2/ which is stuck on 5/17/2010; the comments link there appears to be from that date.
I see comments I’ve left noted as such, but don’t see them even with a page refresh, or starting over from the top. Comcast, if that makes a difference; they’ve implemented “helpfulness”, which has frequently been a pain.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 2:53 pm
white screen of death on posting, go to main page and my post (and another) shows in “recent” area, but here where i am typing this, it says “no comments”…
even opening a new page from a link in recent posts gets an old page.
FF3.6.3 on a vista pc with Java running and RSS feeds off.
Comment by redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/29/2010 @ 2:53 pm
Well, the “Top Kill Failed” post indicates 16 comments, however only 3 come up.
Comment by Old Coot (f722a6) — 5/29/2010 @ 2:53 pm
The site has been working fine for me for the past couple of days. I haven’t been around as much recently, but that’s because I’ve been hugely busy at work, not any dissatisfaction with the site.
Comment by The computer-illiterate Dana (474dfc) — 5/29/2010 @ 2:54 pm
For everyone who gets a blank screen or can’t see all the comments, does anything help — e.g., does it help to refresh the page, close your browser, or block/clear the cookies? Also, if you don’t mind, please note whether you use IE, Firefox, etc., and your operating system. It won’t help me but it might help the computer folks.
Comment by DRJ (d43dcd) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:00 pm
Also, just so no one feels mistreated, I get a blank screen after I comment or post, but it resolves if I refresh the page. I’m using Firefox and Windows 7.
Comment by DRJ (d43dcd) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:01 pm
Testing.
Comment by nk (db4a41) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:03 pm
On a couple of articles, I see that there are many more posts alluded to that I can “see.” Hmm.
I know that everyone is doing what they can to make the site work!
Comment by Eric Blair (0b61b2) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:05 pm
Looks ok, now. I’m using IE8 with Windows 7.
Comment by nk (db4a41) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:05 pm
No, it’s not ok. If I leave a comment, that’s the last comment I see unless I go home and delete cookies. The glitch seems to be in the comment/id cookie.
Comment by nk (db4a41) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:08 pm
Home page lists one number of comments on a post, but clicking on the link to the comments reveals a smaller number.
If I make a comment, I can see that comment, but if I make a subsequent comment without leaving the thread, I can’t see that one.
Clicking on next page at the bottom of the home page takes me to posts from May 18.
Using Firefox and XP. Tried it with IE8 and got the same results.
Comment by daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:18 pm
At times it’s been OK, other times needed to clear, including cookies. I once had the same screen as comment #3.
Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:19 pm
I updated the post to add that they will be working on this for several days, so don’t give up if it doesn’t resolve immediately.
Comment by DRJ (d43dcd) — 5/29/2010 @ 3:27 pm
Not seeing previous post, so posting again, to see if that bumps it.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:01 pm
The buggy behavior about comments still there for me. It appears to be related to the website’s handling of its own cookies, since removing patterico.com cookies allows me to see comments that otherwise are hidden from me.
Comment by SPQR (26be8b) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:11 pm
Firefox (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.9.2.3) Gecko/20100401 Firefox/3.6.3) that’s win2k, thinkpad 600x this time.
Zapping cookies (I did a bunch, not just Patterico) finally restored normal comment display functioning.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:13 pm
Back to not displaying; removing the Patterico cookies seems to have fixed it again, but I doubt I’ll see this one.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:17 pm
Hmmph. Not only not seeing that comment, but only seeing the first three, where there used to be 18; this should be number 20, since #19 is the one I don’t see. (numbers higher than 18 may be off by others postings.) Later!
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:19 pm
It is a cookies issue. I experienced the same issue – front page sez 20 comments, for instance, I click to the comments and only see 15, for example. I clear my cookies and voila all is well
Comment by Enoch_Root (174a66) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:29 pm
I have noticed the site being faster and stuff so any previous complaints or comments about problems I’ve encountered have always been to inform the powers that be that something isn’t working quite correctly. This comment here is to establish that some problem with the cookie information is being written incorrectly (I think that’s what’s going on) is still a problem or not. I will make an additional comment later on this thread about whether it is still happening or not.
Quick recap; after commenting, I found that revisiting the post would show a page that only had the comments present when I commented. I discovered that deleting the patterico.com cookie would solve this problem so I assume it’s some problem with the reading or writing of the cookie after a comment is submitted. so I will now click submit and report what’s happening.
Comment by jakee308 (ace517) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:31 pm
Says there are 22, shows 2. Deleting cookies.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:34 pm
Cookies are definitely involved. I can try deleting particular single cookies, and report results, but that would work much better with the fixing crew watching.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:38 pm
Just noticed DRJ’s request for system info.
I am using firefox 3.0.1.19 on a windows pc.
The behavior with the cookie started after the changeover and it appears to happen to others. For and accurate advisement about the problem, I believe someone has to comment after my comment for me to see a change. If this follows 22 then the problem may not show up. I will check this and wait for awhile before revisiting to allow another commenter to add to the comments.
Comment by jakee308 (ace517) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:39 pm
Says there are 25 comments, 23 show, and that’s after deleting cookies and history.
Same old, same old.
Comment by AD - RtR/OS! (36a650) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:42 pm
But, when it posts, everything shows, which is an improvement over yesterday and this morning.
This should post as #27 or more.
Comment by AD - RtR/OS! (36a650) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:44 pm
personally, i blame Obama: we never had these problems when Bush was in office.
Comment by redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:46 pm
Did a cookie/history delete, and came back & it says there are 27 comments, but only 23 show.
Very inconsistent performance.
Well, tomorrow’s another day.
W-7, IE8.
Comment by AD - RtR/OS! (36a650) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:47 pm
I’ve now deleted and blocked cookies from patterico.com; let’s see if this posts.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:47 pm
Ok. The problem still occurs. I commented at 22 and that would show up. when I came back that comment still showed up so I commented at 25 and all comments after my previous comment did not show. I then deleted patterico.com cookie, refreshed the page (now without my info prefilled in the commenting box at the bottom of the post) and all comments show up.
Apparently the cookies (there are more than one) contain my name and email addy and also stats about the state of where I commented last. When this is written or when it is reread is most likely where/when the problem occurs. Perhaps some other data that got added with the new site host is now corrupting the cookie. This reminds me of what happens when using arrays. Programming arrays normally start at 0 not 1 but when reading them and presenting them, it is convention to number them starting at 1. If the programmer doesn’t include an offset, the array will always be read out incorrectly and with missing elements. (sorry, I’m just trying to convey the feeling that I have about what’s going on and the common array glitch comes to mind as one case that would cause data written to not be read back correctly.
Check the cookie writing/reading routines and if any new field(s) are being written since the new host changeover.
Comment by jakee308 (ace517) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:49 pm
That seems to work well, so far.
In FireFox, Tools>Options>Privacy>Exceptions type in patterico.com in the website address box, select “Block”. Later we can change that to “Allow” or just delete the entry there.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:50 pm
I’m getting a lot of partial page loads–will get something, then it will stop loading in mid word. Behavior is the same in comments or on the main page. Hitting refresh usually fixes it, but it’s only noticeable on patterico.com. Have not messed with cookies. Firefox 3.6.3 with .NET CLR 3.5.30729) on Win XP SP3. Dataline is a nominal 56K that really runs at half of that. We don’t get no stinkin’ broadband (or not much) out here.
Comment by Red County Pete (557972) — 5/29/2010 @ 4:50 pm
Still showing 23 comments
Comment by ian cormac (ee040c) — 5/29/2010 @ 5:05 pm
Cookies are bad for teeth, fattening, and have lots of butter and sugar. Bad, bad cookies!
(and yeah, I am having the same comments problems others are reporting. IE8)
Comment by elissa (1779d1) — 5/29/2010 @ 5:26 pm
Having cookies blocked fixes the “next page” problem (that is, it now delivers the immediately preceding posts, rather than the page from 5/17/2010.
Comment by htom (412a17) — 5/29/2010 @ 6:38 pm
Still not OK; says 36 comments, but I’m only seeing 2. I’m using Firefox and, forgive me, don’t have time to be screwing around with cookies and other scary parts of the intertubes.
Comment by Old Coot (f722a6) — 5/29/2010 @ 7:33 pm
“Please use the comments to list problems you are having now . . . ”
My 401k remains too low for comfort, I have this weird rash on my left knee, I’ve lately been brooding on some career-based “maybe I should have gone to ___ school” angst, and I’ve never really come to a personally satisfactory decision on the whole “boxers or briefs” conundrum.
Comment by bobby b (4baf73) — 5/30/2010 @ 2:21 am
Hmm, the partial page load issue seems to be general with my creaky connection today. Not a patterico problem.
I have had no problems with comments, with respect to cookies (on FF 3.6.3) I allow them, but they only last until I close the browser. FF remembers my login (mostly, I have to type a couple of letters), so it’s no hassle.
Comment by Red County Pete (34928e) — 5/30/2010 @ 8:30 am
Interesting, the cookie issue showed just after my post 39, but it went to my post 33. Closed and reloaded and back to 39.
Comment by Red County Pete (34928e) — 5/30/2010 @ 8:38 am
Using Firefox 3.6.3, I concur with htom about blocking the cookies.
Comment by jeff (d629fd) — 5/30/2010 @ 10:30 am
I have more of an issue with the blog’s format than technical problems. I notice previous blog entries don’t extend too far down on the first page—perhaps to keep the page from taking too long to open up in a browser? And then there are so many new blog entries per day/week that previous blog entries get quickly lost in the shuffle. It ends up being like the opposite extreme of those blogs managed by owners who are so lazy that very little updating occurs over a period of time, so that the most current entries end up sitting around for days and days.
Comment by Mark (411533) — 5/30/2010 @ 10:47 am
On the Kagan post, I see below it in parens that there are 33 comments, however when clicking on that 33 comments link, only 7 appear. When clicking on the newest comment on the right hand side, only 7 appear also….
Comment by Dana (1e5ad4) — 5/30/2010 @ 11:48 am
Congrats – A lot more posts appear on the front page this morning and the first page scrolls into page two chronologically instead of back to May 18.
Still have to clear cookies to see all the comments on a thread, but progress is clear!
Comment by daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 5/31/2010 @ 7:00 am
Newest article in RSS feed is 9/5/2009
RSS FEED
[note: fished from spam filter. --Stashiu]
Comment by Naught (b34407) — 5/31/2010 @ 1:13 pm
If I remove the cookie from the Firefox file I can read all comments normally. As soon as I comment the site goes to hell again.
I read the top story (Major New Story from O’Keefe Tomorrow) last night when there were two comments. This morning when I reloaded it There were still two showing although the main page showed 18. I killed the cookies and read comments. I just posted in one of the O’Keefe threads and when I refreshed the New Story thread it went back to just the first two comments.
So either the server knows how many comments were there when I first read it or the system is somehow resurrecting my deleted cookie.
Comment by Have Blue (854a6e) — 6/1/2010 @ 10:24 am
Possibly similar to #46, I very recently commented successfully on the Rachel Corrie post … and I currently cannot see *any* of the comments on that post – including my own …
I’m using IE – haven’t done anything with cookies …
Comment by Alasdair (e7cb73) — 6/4/2010 @ 2:43 pm
After successfully adding comment #47, which I can see from the refresh, I now wonder if this additional comment will be successful … and if, once I exit the posts’s comments, will I be able to see the ones I just posted …
Here goes … !
Comment by Alasdair (e7cb73) — 6/4/2010 @ 2:45 pm
After the refresh, I can still see #47 – but not #48 … hmmmmm … and that’s before exiting the comments section …
Comment by Alasdair (e7cb73) — 6/4/2010 @ 2:46 pm
I closed the IE session completely, opened another, went to a completey different website, commented there successfully, then came back here …
On entry to the blog, I can see I comment three times on this post, but *I* cannot see comments #46, #47, or #48 … I can see #46 and back, at the moment …
Comment by Alasdair (e7cb73) — 6/4/2010 @ 2:56 pm
OK … some progress … some Obamadvancing, however …
As long as I delete cookies *EVERY* time I comment, I can read current comments … (Note: I do my best to stay away from words like “every” – here, it’s appropriate, however) … so that’s sorta progressive progress …
The Obamadvancing is due to the new feature which no longer shows the preview of the comment currently being created …
I wonder if the two might just could kinda sorta be related ?
Comment by Alasdair (205079) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:40 pm
They are still working on the comment issues, hopefully as we speak. But rather than deleting cookies, I suggest everyone use the website the way you normally would and record complaints in the comments or by emailing them to Patterico.tips-at-gmail.com. That way we can get a realistic idea of how many people are being affected.
Comment by DRJ (d43dcd) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:43 pm
FWIW – we probably notice emails more than comments.
Comment by DRJ (d43dcd) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:43 pm