Reason.com Server Tonight

We are upgrading our website platform tonight (Sept 30) between 11 pm and about 2 am eastern. During this period, you may experience difficulties in viewing pages or commenting on articles. Any comments posted during this timeframe may be lost. Thanks for bearing with us through the transition. 

Comments

[Ska]

If you add an edit button, it will all be worth it.

[adam]

No edit, it seems, but I love threaded comments!

[CaptainSmartass]

Agreed. It's about time that Reason.com had such groundbreaking technology. I mean, threaded comments have only existed for about 25 years, so it's understandable that they didn't immediately add them.

Better late than never, I guess.

[Seward]

You should add a "are you sure you want to post this?" feature.

[Nipplemancer]

i'm tired of orange. thanks in advance.

[Jiffy Park attendant]

We ask that you please bear with us.

[FrBunny]

Any comments posted during this timeframe may be lost.

"OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life."

[Attorney]

You know what I would really like? The option of paying money to Reason in order to get access to H&R without all the ads. That would be worth $20 a year to me. Maybe even more.

[FrBunny]

You can give me money and I'll link you to Firefox.

"Any comments posted during this timeframe may be lost"

Like so much climate data.

"And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life."

Got a YouTube link?

[Joe M]

This transition is racist and fascist.

[Beavis Jones]

Oh wow, that is major cool dude! Upgrades ROCK!

RT
http://www.total-privacy.net.tc

[Warren]

So, 2010 till the bugs are worked out and the squirrels are up to speed then.

[Mike]

I knew I should have disabled comments when I posted this entry...

[Paul]

You can give me money and I'll link you to Firefox.

Or get a decent firewall/router and block adsource url's.

[Paul]

So... Reason's got a new boyfriend named Upgrayedd?

[R C Dean]

Please, if you could see your way to adding format buttons (even just a link, italics, and indent, but bold and strike-through would be nice, too), I might just renew my subscription.

You could probably even do a whip-around of the regulars to pay for the extra squirrel.

[Jason]

So you're giving up Apache for IIS?

[PapayaSF]

How about threaded comments? You could plug in the Disqus system and have 'em. Or Slashcode.

[JW]

No, no, the upgrade is so when our trusty house-liberals post, they actually sound rational and reasoned.

And please, somebody, get the vodka and those diet pills away from Bunny! She's quoting The Goonies for pete's sake!

[I, Kahn O\'Clast]

As long as the squirrels don't come back I am fine with whatever. Although, a nice "lobster girl" background would to wonders for traffic.

[I, Kahn O'Clast]

It looks too slick and cold and impersonal... It's perfect!

[Fist of Etiquette]

How will I express my late night outrage at Sarah Palin and/or the MSM treatment of Sarah Palin?

[Jeff P]

Upgrades weren't so inconvinient when Postrel was editing...

[Attorney]

You can give me money and I'll link you to Firefox.

Or get a decent firewall/router and block adsource url's.

Well, y'know, it's not so easy if the computer you're using is located in a place other than your home, if you catch my drift.

[J sub D]

"Any comments posted during this timeframe may be lost"

Like so much climate data.

Props to Clint Eastwood.

[Pro Libertate]

Jeff P,

Yeah, but they literally were employing squirrels to operate the servers back then. Remember treble posting?

The Urkobold wants the blink tag in the comments section, I've been compelled to note.

[Jake Boone]

Yeah, but they literally were employing squirrels to operate the servers back then. Remember treble posting?

Treble-posting never happened to me, because I properly propitiated the squirrels. It's like you guys didn't even realize the squirrels could always see you.

[Seymour]

And the new server will include a state-of-the-art IP quarantine system, where the trolls will be held in place by magnets.

[Pro Libertate]

I fear the squirrels and their creepy little handsesss.

[Hugh Akston]

I didn't notice anyone complaining about upgrades during the Bush administration.

[Boston]

I didn't notice anyone complaining about upgrades during the Bush administration.

Nice one.

[Mike]

To clarify: Tonight's upgrade mostly involves the site server and administration. Things won't change that much on the front for now (although we will have comment threading).

All of these and other suggestions for new features are appreciated.

[Paul Krugman]

Can I still post as Lefiti?

[J sub D]

How about threaded comments? You could plug in the Disqus system and have 'em. Or Slashcode.

You know who liked threaded comments?

That's right, Hitler.

[Warty]

Threading smacks of organization. You leave Bartertown the way it is, fuckface.

[Pro Libertate]

Do I like threaded comments? That sounds like change, and I fear change. Especially now, when all change seems bad.

Except for cool technological change. That's awesome.

[Bronwyn]

But change is good, especially when it comes with a heapin' helpin' of HOPE!

Despair not!

so, can I marquee now?

[Bronwyn]

That would be a no.

[P Brooks]

Will threaded comments eliminate the disorientingly randomized, intertwined "conversations" which make this the coolest place evar??

That would suck.

[heh2k]

Where's the journalism? I want to know the OS, web server app, db backend, languages involved, and how it will affect my health insurance!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Two men enter comments; one man leaves comments.

[P Brooks]

How will threaded comments affect the Polar Bears?

Huh? Huh?

Did you think about THAT, Mister Know-It-All?

[Warty]

How will threading move us toward transhumanism? That's all I fucking ask.

[jester]

Will there be a 'Shut the fuck Lonewacko' button provided in the upgrade? If so, which spelling will it use?

[jester]

up. That's why some of us fucks need that button.

[Warty]

If there is to be a 'Shut the fuck up, Lonewacko' button, I expect to be properly credited, and to have a bronze equestrian statue of me in conquistador garb installed in the Reason offices.

[Kool]

Will threaded comments eliminate the disorientingly randomized, intertwined "conversations" which make this the coolest place evar??

That's totally the charm! And half the reason I send my non-libertarian (althought they are, they just won't admit it to themselves) friends links to here.

Also, how else will I be mocked for my reading selections?

Threading sounds like some sort of order. Sounds non-libertarian to me... A true scotsman would never yadda yadda yadda...

Seriously, all I ask for is magnetized squirrels to throw at trolls.

[Kool]

Every once in a while I feel bad for Lonewacko.

Then, I don't.

[Nipplemancer]

threaded comments are racist

[Flex Nasty B.I.G.]

Mike,

Since you're apparently following this thread, here's another suggestion: Search-engine-friendly URLs for the blog posts. You should get a slight bump in traffic from it. Just make sure the old URLs still work as well, so it doesn't break any links already posted on other sites.

[Rich]

Thanks for bearing with us through the transition.

What's a few hours of platform upgrade compared to what the country's going through?

Thank *you*.

[Episiarch]

Threaded comments will prevent me from threadjacking boring same-old-same-old arguments with Star Trek and BSG references. I do not appreciate your interference, Mike.

[PapayaSF]

Threaded comments are voluntary, self-organizing order! How can libertarians not like them? You can always just tack your comment at the bottom like before.

[John C. Randolph]

Yeah, but if you do you'll look like a fool.

-jcr

[Warty]

Your +1 charisma cape will do you no good anymore, Epi.

So I guess I can kiss this commenter name goodbye

Smilies! I want smilies!

[MikeP]

Unless there is some magic formula I am missing, threaded comments make it harder to follow what is going on rather than easier.

They use Disqus at Econlog and the few times I comment there, it becomes a serious pain to look at all the little cul-de-sacs formed by the threading where replies might be found.

Don't even mention paginated comments a la Marginal Revolution.

The unthreaded nature of Hit&Run makes it the easiest place to follow multiple posts. Put one post in each tab, resting at the bottom. Refresh the tabs. Those with new text are those with new comments. Simple.

Now, if there was a checkbox that gave the choice of showing comments chronologically or threaded, that would be the best!

[Warty]

Allow us to post more HTML. I WANT FUCKING BLINK TAGS, SHITASS.

[Mike]

Flex Nasty - Thanks. Text URLs are part of the upgrade and should be in place tomorrow.

[Mike]

Warty - Thanks. Blink tags are not part of the upgrade and will not be in place tomorrow.

[hotsauce]

Another vote for keeping comments the way they are. Everywhere I go with threaded comments I leave almost immediately. Too hard to follow.

For a magazine called Reason...

damn, it's not blinking

[Marshall Gill]

They use Disqus at Econlog and the few times I comment there, it becomes a serious pain to look at all the little cul-de-sacs formed by the threading where replies might be found.

The unthreaded nature of Hit&Run makes it the easiest place to follow multiple posts. Put one post in each tab, resting at the bottom. Refresh the tabs. Those with new text are those with new comments. Simple.

I completely agree. On the threaded message board I might not have to read every response to see if anyone talked shit to me or not. If this racist threaded thing happened I might not stumble across Sweet-n-Low's latest installment of "Love Crimes".

Oh, and a "shut the fuck up, Lonewacko" button would totally rock! Any chance we could get a "shut the fuck up, Dick Hoste" button too?

[jester]

'Don't even mention vaginated comments a la Vaginal Revolution.'

Yes, it's going south. Most of us go elsewhere for that.

[hmm]

I will be prorating my payment accordingly for the lack of service.

[Episiarch]

The unthreaded nature of Hit&Run makes it the easiest place to follow multiple posts. Put one post in each tab, resting at the bottom. Refresh the tabs. Those with new text are those with new comments. Simple.

I agree with MikeP.

Please tell me, Mr. Alissi, that you had the foresight to make threading optional/mode based.

[Suki]

RCD,

Please, if you could see your way to adding format buttons (even just a link, italics, and indent, but bold and strike-through would be nice, too), I might just renew my subscription.

YOU ARE SO GAY! Learn the tags, i, blockquote, b, s. DUH DUH DUH f*ing DUH!

[Suki]

Why is this thread so much longer than Radley's Indiana Architecture thread?

[Mike]

The threading is an experiment. Yes, it's optional. And will only be noticeable if a lot of people choose to use it. Chaos and order will coexist. Or fight it out.

[Pro Libertate]

Mike,

No blink tags? I bet that would be an Internet first. Be on the cutting edge of commentary. Take libertarianism to the next level of obnoxiousness. Empower the troll.

[dbcooper]

The first person to use a blinking Watryism would be quite a legend. I wouldn't even PutItPast old Lonewacko himself.

[Hugh Akston]

If there is to be a 'Shut the fuck up, Lonewacko' button, I expect to be properly credited, and to have a bronze equestrian statue of me in conquistador garb installed in the Reason offices.

Hey Mike if you guys need a sculptor I work cheap. Warty, do you want to behind the horse or under it?

[Hugh Akston]

ahem "be behind the horse or under it?"

Thank you, I'll be here all week.

[Warty]

I dunno, I'd kind of prefer to behind the horse, ifyaknowaddimean.

[Mister DNA]

Why is this thread so much longer than Radley's Indiana Architecture thread?

Suki,

No one was tazed and no dogs were shot. Considering Radley Balko wrote the piece, I think it's left readers speechless.

[Joe M]

The button needs to say "Shut the fuck up..." and then have a drop down menu with "LoneWacko, Tony, Dick Hoste," etc.

[Hugh Akston]

Warty: Behind the Horse.

It'll make a grand title for both the statue and the VH1 documentary chronicling your effulgent rise to stardom and your spectacular descent into drug-fueled equine orgies with Nick Nolte.

[Episiarch]

I dunno, I'd kind of prefer to behind the horse, ifyaknowaddimean.

Sex with animals?!? There's no time, man!

[Mister DNA]

Instead of a blink tag, I'd settle for a Sparkly Glitter Font option like the most obnoxious MySpace pages. That would bring trolling to the next level.

Plus, "Shut The Fuck Up, LoneWacko" would look rad in a red/white/green glitter font scheme.

[Warty]

You're right, Epi, there's no time...like the present.

[Episiarch]

You know, Warty, the only thing bull semen has ever done for me is activate my gag reflex.

[Hugh Akston]

Mike | September 30, 2009, 5:38pm | #

I knew I should have disabled comments when I posted this entry...

How you feeling now Mike?

[ObamaCare (turn your head and]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday adopted a measure aimed at rewarding healthy behavior in a sweeping healthcare overhaul sought by President Barack Obama as lawmakers pushed to complete the legislation.

The Senate Finance Committee voted for an amendment offered by Republican Senator John Ensign and Democrat Thomas Carper that would allow health plans to provide financial incentives for people to quit smoking, exercise more and engage in other healthy activities.

"I believe that the key to achieving savings is to provide rewards for people who engage in healthy behaviors," Ensign argued. The measure passed on a 18-4 vote despite concerns expressed by some Democrats as well as committee Chairman Max Baucus that it could raise insurance premiums for people who do not participate in wellness programs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091001/pl_nm/us_usa_healthcare_2

[Paul]

You know who liked threaded comments?

That's right, Hitler.

Win to J sub D.

[Warty]

Dr. Krug Hitlerman, Ph.D won a Nobel Prize for his work on evil threading. Be cautious.

[cgee]

See? When people try to tell me that libertarians are humorless Randroids, I can point them to this meta-thread as evidence to the contrary.

Do you think that you'd ever see such a response to a server upgrade on Feministing? No, they would merely prattle on about how the "upgrade" was the inevitable culmination of the influence of the patriarchy, ageism, and the beauty myth on the poor downtrodden old server. Wah wah wah.

[Mister DNA]

Yep. Plus, there'd be a lot of bitching about how the word "server" is somehow offensive, as it implies servitude.

[John C. Randolph]

Funny you should mention that. There was a story on slashdot some time back about an idiot getting bent out of shape because some IT guy had mentioned a "slave system" in an e-mail.

-jcr

[Warty]

<blink>THIS SHOULD BE BLINKING</blink>

[Art-P.O.G.]

Warty: Behind the Horse

Brilliant.

[Timon19]

I'm sure this isn't novel at all, but every time I see Feministing, I really see "Fisting".

[John C. Randolph]

So does everyone else. They thought they were being cute when they picked that name.

-jcr

[Episiarch]

It is blinking, Warty. Your brain is merely stroking in perfect rhythm with it. This is why you can't watch Japanese cartoons, remember?

[Ebeneezer Scrooge]

This new website sucks the big one. In case anybody cares.

So what, is this "reply to this" going to fragment every thread from here on out? Great, why bother when I can't see everything that gets posted without spending a freaking decade digging through sub-threads (ain't gonna happen).

And the list of posted threads is not long enough to put an entire day's worth on at once (right now it ends somewhere in the middle of Sept 30).

Doing things that force the user to open more and ever MORE AND MORE AND MORE pages and tabs is incredibly inefficient and wastes time. No matter how many other idiotic websites out there do it (I don't read many of them because they are stupid designs).

[Art-P.O.G.]

Did the "Preview" button disappear or have I finally lost the plot?

[Luke Johnson]

Where'd the button to move between the posts go?

[Art-P.O.G.]

That button never existed, Luke. Perhaps you dreamed it.

[Luke Johnson]

You know, you'd read the post the writers put up, and then there'd be three buttons below that? One went to the previous post, then one went to the main blog page, and then one went to the next post? It was right there...

[Luke Johnson]

Other than that, no real complaints, though. Maybe some more orange, but nobody ever used the preview button.

[Art-P.O.G.]

I did think the "Shut the Fuck Up" button idea was novel. Rather than banning people, you could add them to the name (Lefiti, LoneWacko, Dick Hoste, etc.) drop down menu next to the "Shut the Fuck Up" drop down tab.

[Squirrel]

Thank you for your input.

We've still got a few more deployments that we'll be pushing out tonight and a number of your concerns will be addressed.

[Art-P.O.G.]

Thanks, Squirrel.

My guess is that the STFU Button won't be one of them? Awwww....< /Zoidberg>

[Episiarch]

Mike, I posted this on the 1.65 trillion Tim thread, but thought I'd add it here:

I think the site looks good, and change is good. However:

1. The site is not retaining my commenting info. It is highly annoying to have to re-enter my nick and email every time.

2. The site is not attaching email info to my nick.

3. The blog post's author's name on the front page is not hotlinked to their contact/reason info, though it is when you click through to comments.

4. Where is the preview button?

I'll note anything further that I find as I find it.

[Mike]

We really appreciate the useful and specific feedback. All four issues will be addressed. Thanks.

[Episiarch]

No problem. I know what it's like: I was at work until 9PM doing a site upload (and not succeeding) for the last two nights (we have a huge database).

Another issue: the front page comment totals are not staying current.

[Fist of Etiquette]

If I'm sitting on the Death Panel, this upgrade gets the thumbs down. Death Panel doesn't like change.

[FrBunny]

Also no font-color change on the main blog page for comment links I've followed.

[John C. Randolph]

Count me as one vote against the itty-bitty font.

-jcr

[John C. Randolph]

And one vote in favor of threaded replies! About time, I might add.

-jcr

[Fist of Etiquette]

The little lights aren't twinkling.

[Nooge]

Posting in the upgrade thread, because I'm not going anywhere near that John Edwards thread.

[Anonymous]

This is just a test of the emergency threading system, which critically lacks a preview feature.

Beep.

This was only a test.

[dbcooper]

What, no more MS Paint Hit&Run; logo?

[Suki]

Epi,

Chrome will remember your info, if you like that browser.

The day star is out. I must work.

[Suki]

Note to Suki: it is the only website on earth that Chrome can't remember field entries in.

[Bronwyn]

Thanks for saving me the trouble, I was about to check.

[BakedPenguni]

,blockquote>nobody ever used the preview button. I used that buton! Al the fcuking time!

[BakedPenguin]

Seriously though, Mike - is there a reason the preview button had to go?

[Barack Obama]

It didn't sign up for health insurance.

[dbcooper]

Hey Mike, clicking on the "Hit & Run" logo takes you to the reason.com home page, not to the hit and run section.

[anarch]

Best thread evah!

[John Tagliaferro]

So, all of my questions are already here. Is there an answer page to go with this one?

[Mike]

we are still making a lot of adjustments based on these and other comments (especially involving navigation) so thanks for your feedback.

[John Tagliaferro]

we are still making a lot of adjustments based on these and other comments (especially involving navigation) so thanks for your feedback.

"We had to destroy it to save it." 😉

[MikeP]

Copyright 2008, Reason Magazine

[Jozef]

Very nice new design; I like it. Love the comments to Daily Brickbats, and the ability to reply to others' comments directly. Two small usability things, though:

1. Clicking on the top-left Hit & Run logo on the Hit & Run page takes you back to the main screen, not to a refreshed blog page, as before. I don't know how many people other than me used it to refresh the blog page, but I found it very useful in that regard.

2. Visited links don't show in a different color anymore, making it difficult for me to see what I already read. Re-reading the same stories several times may increase my anguish and despair at today's society.

[Jerk]

Re-reading the same stories several times may increase my anguish and despair at today's society.

Kinda like reading the same bug reports others have already posted.

[Basement dweller]

Can I upvote things in this brave new layout

[MikeP]

I know it might be difficult depending on the infrastructure, but any shot at that checkbox that will toggle between threaded and chronological views?

[P Brooks]

How about a "Is This Comment Really Necessary?" button?

I liked the idea of a "Shut the fuck up _________" with pulldown list. Except I'll have to get a bigger monitor.

[Warren]

No "remember me" no "preview"
What The Fuck ?

[Richard]

What's with the tiny comment text? I use a 26" flatscreen TV for a computer monitor and I have to work to read the comments.

[P Brooks]

The main HnR page seems to have shrun k radically. The list of stories/posts stops some time yesterday afternoon.

And bring back strikethrough, < s >stupid< /s > pleeeeeaaase.

[Basement dweller]

test of <del>

[Basement dweller]

damn

[val]

The article titles on the main H&R page are friggin huge. I think you guys should knock them down a few pixels. That will make them more proportional to the body text size, and we wont have to scroll so much.

[Andrew S.]

I can't comment at all from Firefox. It kicks me right back to the main page. If I come back to the thread my post is sitting in the box, but it won't post.

[FrBunny]

I'm on Firefox w/o issues so far.

[Bronwyn]

Me too.

[MikeP]

FFWFFM

[Charles]

Infrequent commenter here: I need the links to turn blue after I've visited a page. You don't want me to have to read to see where I left off, do you?

[Scooby]

This. Plus get rid of nested reply comments.

that is all.

[Hazel Meade]

Holy shit! Nested comments! Fuck yeah!

[Ravac]

If the threaded / nested comments are gonna stay, is there any way you can collapse / fade what was already viewed? So that in a mega-thread, replies made to middle comments won't get missed?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Preview, gone. Remember me, gone.

And this crew is who you people want to tell me what to think about bailouts, public options and no-knock warrants?

[lunchstealer]

Well, it's worth pointing out that they rarely give advice/criticism on blog technology.

[Tonio]

OK, this is a test post.

[Tonio]

Ugh, I hate the new formatting.

Not a big fan of nesting, particularly when the thread can't be collapsed or un-nested.

Also, hate that it doesn't show your email address when you post. I had always used the email field to either insert a meta-comment, ie [e-mail], or to show who I really was, ie [e-mail], on those rare occasions when I posted as someone else.

[lunchstealer]

Srsly tho, preview and rememberme technology sometimes don't suck.

[lunchstealer]

Remember Me is back!

[Hacha Cha]

for at least the past 6 hours my Reason RSS feed is failing to load. I also had trouble replying to a comment, it just kept loading the main page for reason.com with the URL http://reason.com/#commentform. by the way, I had these problems using Firfox 3.5.3 on Windows XP Pro. I didn't check the RSS feed on Internet Explorer 7, but I was able to post this and my last comments in IE7.

[Taktix®]

Wow, dropped the www and everything. Maybe I'll be able to get H&R at work now.

Although my sabbatical from the insanity has been quite pleasant...

[Taktix?]

Wait, ohhh....

Ahhh, that's better.

[new39]

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[new39net]

39 health network
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[Nike Dunk Shoes]

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Thanks