First things first… Again, my most sincere appreciation to all those voices who have called, written and contacted us expressing support. The level of support during this effort to silence our voice is overwhelming and very much appreciated.
The people at WordPress open source software are apologetic, and they point to the people at WordPress.com/Automattic (the business) as the issue; two different groups.
On the technical side of the equation, there is a team of independent website engineers, platform designers and exceptionally skilled technology folks working to assist us. They are working brilliantly on this process, and our CTH community would be lost without their diligent efforts.
We are blessed to have brilliant people on task, focused and executing. To say this is a considerable task would be an understatement. It is very time consuming.
At first blush, the migration seems a simple process of exporting and importing the current CTH data…. until you realize the sheer scale of data involved. There are approximately 35,000 research articles and more than 7,200,000 comments in our decade-long archives each with an independent url to handle. The first step to secure the research library resulted in an export base of 60 files, each file holding massive amounts of data for transfer.
Ten years of graphics, pdf’s, charts, images, videos and millions of internal citations within that library equates to a lot of data. Combine that with a customary 10,000 to 20,000 word daily output of analysis, and then thousands of daily unique comments, and the server space needed for file transfer (as well as the import time) was a seriously unknown variable.
So, the team built a temporary site to see how long the transfer would take. After initial efforts, the engineering realized they could not auto-run the import. Simply the issue was overloading server capacity and few systems could handle the load.
The result is the 60 files can only be loaded in batches of five at a time. Each file takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to import. The test run took place over two+ days, and we identified a total import time of 30 to 60 hours.
By taking this painstaking approach, we are ensuring that all internal links do not result in a “404” dead link notification. Meaning the library will remain intact, and all external links that lead to the CTH library will be able to find them. Additionally, and/all citations within the CTH library will be retained, and people will be able to use all the embed links; and also importantly, all prior links to your previous comments are retained.
After we knew the architecture and data import would take approximately two days; and adding the anticipated scale of bandwidth to foresee; we have signed up for host data services with an organization that should be able to handle the volume. We are soon to transfer the data from the temporary site into the permanent site on permanent servers.
NOTE: During the transition and data transfer we will need to shut down commenting function for CTH (WordPress) until CTH 2.0 launches. The mirroring of the site during this process will take (based on the test run) approximately 40 hours +/-. As a result, it is highly likely comments will be closed for around two days. Unfortunately, there is no other way to pull this off; it is simply a matter of volume and scale.
We will continue to post new articles and you will be able to see them, you just might not be able to comment on them until the full data transfer to Treehouse 2.0 is complete. Likely, I will have to cross-post to both websites during this transitional phase.
[Remember, the articles from CTH/CTH 2.0 cross-post onto Twitter, and you can also comment there. Or use the Twitter link to return to the CTH 2.0 article when live]
On the good news side… the functionality of the new site should be similar to what you are currently experiencing. There will likely be quirks after the launch that will need to be worked out, but the user experience will hopefully remain (essentially) as it is now, albeit you will not need a WordPress account for functionality. We are using the WordPress open-source software, so most of the current site functions should transfer.
There are some proprietary WordPress.Com features that will not transfer; however, we will immediately begin a priority process of building-in those features via plug-ins where possible…. there are a variety of add-ons that can enhance the new site and even make it better. We will use those features when feasible, and when possible in our budget.
♦ Some exceptionally kind people have requested a subscription platform; however, it has always been my mission to provide the raw and cited details, with an opinion toward what it means, totally free for everyone to use as they choose.
I do not consider my finished products proprietary, because they can always be made better by smart researchers who can find even more details for a bigger story, and make it even better. The site openness and accessibility is as important to me now as it was when The Last Refuge of misfits first assembled 10 years ago. CTH will never charge for access to the truth as we can discover it.
Just as many generous people had excellent suggestions for website hosting; however, many of those were disqualified simply because they cannot handle the volume of CTH traffic without major upgrades and CTH would be paying for those upgrades. The results of the test site disqualified a lot of hosting options. We simply have a ton of data and a great deal of bandwidth use on a daily basis. Our selected host has the capacity (fingers crossed) to handle the scale we need.
♦ The domain name will remain the same: “TheConservativeTreehouse.com”, and should be seamless in transition to the new website. However, after CTH 2.0 launch you may need to clear your browser “cookies” and “cache” so that your search or bookmark reaches the new servers accurately.
How you can tell – If you find yourself only finding older articles when you visit CTH this will be the problem. Clear your “cache and cookies”, search or use your bookmarks for CTH again, and your browser should redirect you to the correct website.
We are up against a deadline of December 2nd – As a result, the graphic design of CTH 2.0 should not look much different. The site will (should) appear the same to users until we go through a process of modifying the design but retaining the theme. Our website theme is over a decade old; we are keeping it but will be refreshing some of the aspects (like the blogroll etc). On an independent site we will have options to add enhancements and make the site carry more features. That part should be fun.
When the comments go live again, please be patient if you get hung up in a moderation cue. One of our challenges will be the absence of Askimet spam filtering. It may take time to release some comments if they are hung up in moderation. The site admins do a great job with comment moderation and release so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue; and quite frankly, there are likely to be benefits from not having the WordPress software filtering through the comments as they post. Spam removal will be a priority.
Please bear with us as we work through some of the challenges of comment moderation in our new platform. It should be seamless, but just in case… well, patience is appreciated. Be assured we will work diligently during this go live phase to deal with any comment issues as rapidly as possible.
♦ Random Stuff – You may not notice, but your user experience is a top priority to us. One of the ways we do this is through opening links in a new window on your browser. As you click on any citation in a CTH article that action opens a new window in your browser; and when you “x” out of that window you return to your original place in the article. This was always a standard convenience approach a decade+ ago on websites.
However, as people started monetizing their sites they realized if they forced the person to exit and come back they could inflate their clicks or impressions. 80 percent or more of websites today push you out of the article when you click a citation and force you to return to finish reading. CTH never subscribed to this inconvenient approach, and we don’t intend to do it now. Each link will open a new page in your browser. We will not inflate our statistics by forcing you to go back and forth just to read citations or more info.
Everything is essentially ready to begin the site changeover. As soon as I know when that process will initiate, I will let you know. Once activated the ability to comment will be closed for approximately one-to-two days (30-50 hrs), though we hope to make it as quick as possible. As soon as the changeover is complete, the commenting function will return to normal…. and you will be on CTH 2.0
Any questions feel free to ask below.
Again, thank you all for your support, this is your community. All of the Treehouse admins are stewards for this place, this Last Refuge, where you are what matters.
The key to Treehouse 2.0 is recognizing we are building something within a system that wants to see us removed. Being proactive will hopefully make us better stewards for our conversation. Remember, YOU are the important part.
Without you CTH doesn’t really have a purpose. I could stand outside shouting at trees with no impact; but together, sitting on the figurative porch, the conversation is rich with unique skill-sets, subject matter experts, and life-long experiences that make discussion so much more valuable. Myself and the CTH admin team cherish the value you represent.
Love to all,
~ Sundance
…Never fight until you have to. But when it’s time to fight, you fight like you’re the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s Ark… and brother, it’s startin’ to rain.
God bless you and yours, Sundance. Will follow wherever you lead and happily perch on a newfound branch of your universal tree of knowledge, truth, and good. Thanks for the refuge.
Vicky that is beautiful and profound.
Thank you Sundance for educating me for the last four years and I look forward to more learning in the future.
God Bless you.
Thank you, Sundance and all the Moderators for everything all you do!
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a not an act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle, the Greek philosopher~
“Please bear with us as we work through some of the challenges of comment moderation in our new platform.”
Dear Sundance. I don’t think I speak alone but you didn’t have to ask. We understand and we appreciate all you and the admin team are doing. CTH is on my list of things I thank God for. This truly is a refuge. God bless and keep you all. Prayers and thanks for all you do.
Thank you Sundance , admins, and IT folks who are assisting. I appreciate my little branch very much and look forward to the CTH2.0. Thank you for all you do ! ❤??
Saving comments is nice, losing them would be a loss, but if you are saving them, I would love to be able to search for comments by author — to get a better understanding of different Treepers, and also to retrieve some of the things I have written, but cannot find. Is this possible?
Agreed Country Doc! It would be helpful to search comments by author.
Many times I have found myself wanting to go back to a comment or question of mine and struggle finding it. It used to be easier when articles had fewer comments, like the Daily Thread, but now it can be over 1,000 or more comments to look for instead of a few hundred, which renders the scrolling through most time-consuming.
Thank you for all you do Sundance and Crew! Living my best life and trying to capitalize on the crazy world opportunities, like working from home and taking time during odd parts of the day to be prayerfully in the yard. Most importantly having no leaves remaining on the manicured grass heading in to winter, a leaf-filled tree lawn in time for our awesome city guys to take them all away before the December 1 deadline, and no yard waste bags filled with leaves in the spring! It’s the little stuff within my control that helps make the bigger ugly stuff seem less significant! God bless all you Treepers!
“Saving comments is nice, losing them would be a loss, but if you are saving them, I would love to be able to search for comments by author — to get a better understanding of different Treepers, and also to retrieve some of the things I have written, but cannot find. Is this possible?”
Yes, this please! If possible.
We, your Treepers, would like to parrot Tiny Tim and say God bless you every one to Sundance and all of your magnificent staff. We are honored to follow you and are thankful that we have access to you, even in the time that the deplatformers have decided to work their evil. Light prevails over darkness; good over evil, and the Treehouse over the swamp creatures!!
Sundance sez:
“♦ Some exceptionally kind people have requested a subscription platform; however, it has always been my mission to provide the raw and cited details, with an opinion toward what it means, totally free for everyone to use as they choose.
I do not consider my finished products proprietary, because they can always be made better by smart researchers who can find even more details for a bigger story, and make it even better. The site openness and accessibility is as important to me now as it was when The Last Refuge of misfits first assembled 10 years ago. CTH will never charge for access to the truth as we can discover it.”
me: Again, I cannot express my sincere appreciation for your exemplary transparent and WONDERFUL attitude and principle about YOUR WORK. It IS your baby, make no mistake about it (for others to notice, and act).
You continue to inspire millions of people, many of whom will never actually visit your work directly, but have and WILL CONTINUE to benefit from your extraordinary work through friends in the media, friends and family, and through social media.
We have all been blessed by the spirit and accuracy and plain common sense context in which you have rendered.
I am but one person, but I have found family…a bond and kinship of like minded american citizens, patriots, warriors and others.
I pray daily for you and that this website project continues to produce the truth that it seeks.
I pray daily that God Willing, american citizens far and wide not merely appreciate the truths revealed here, but act in good faith in not only their self interest, but to a loyalty to a principle and tradition firmly established and time worn to win this country back…TO GOD.
I salute you, I appreciate you, and I stand witness to the BEST INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM OF OUR TIME.
Keep up the great work.
This nation needs you.
Never back down, never retreat, stay frosty.
and you also my good friend, live your best life.
In Peace,
regitiger
I would also like to acknowledge the awesome administration of this comment board and very much appreciate the moderators who work tirelessly to assist each day to make this a good steady and reliable honest and open platform for people who can express their minds without fear or reprisal and censorship.
In a world gone sideways, this is particularly a blessing.
So thanks YOU MODERATORS. You are the glue that makes it all work out right.
One day, I’ll meet you all.
may you all have the best thanksgiving tomorrow.
God Bless
regitiger
Nicely said — Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Agree with all that regitiger! And amen!
Thank you Sundance Ad mins and all the wonderful treepers! God bless you all! ?
Thank you Sundance and all who are working feverishly to make the move. I look forward to the new Treehouse and all who will journey to the new branch. God Bless CTH and all the Patriot Treepers – you keep me steady, sane and hopeful. Be blessed this Thanksgiving and every day going forward.
Biden Cheated!
https://twitter.com/carterzest/status/1331049599792947202?s=20
see you all on the other side.
#WOLVERINES
We are now finally seeing what a QUID PRO CHINA JOE BUYDEN Administration is going to look like and what POLICIES he will IMPLEMENT that he did not want to tell you about before the Election.
OPEN BORDERS
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AMNESTY
GREEN NAZI INSANITY
CHINA LOVING
EU LOVING
UK HATING
FREE MEDICARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
MILITARY DRAWDOWNS CANCELLING
LOCKDOWNS EVERYWHERE
SCHOOLS NEVER OPENING
The only thing better than the “new” CTH will be when President Trump takes the oath of office on January 20, 2021! Praying each is successful!
Many Thanks Sundance for all you do for us on a daily basis.
I’m packed and ready to move to a new branch whenever you say ‘go’.
We got this.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Amazing work you are all doing! What a blessing. The two days without commenting will be tough. I’ll miss a lot of news and people to share it with for sure.
Thank you so much. You have become my “go to” for news and updates.
How about adding an ‘edit’ function for our comments.
A spell check would be nice too
I was thinking that “someone” would nail these two items….so, found them and add my wishes to them….
YES…an edit button that also records WHEN/date/time group to the posting…
YES…a spell checker within the “leave a reply” box AND the “edit” box or whaterver.
Open search variables would also be nice – and, a time saver.
To all:… have a safe and sane Thnaksgiving with your family and friends.
BUT…Keep an eye out for “strange happenings”….be aware for your safety.
Check-6 and, God Bless all in this house….
Thanks, Sundance. I was shocked that WordPress is Deplatforming you. It demonstrates how serious a problem our republic is in. It looks like they are trying to shut down all sources of factual information and communication in expectation of a something. Perhaps you will get a similar move from Twitter.
Looking forward to your new home.
Seems like an attempted major surgical strike and timed during one of the most elections and post-elections periods of our Republic, to silence, wound and limit CTH.
Damage so far, two+ weeks distraction time lost for Sundance, and us, on posts and analyses, with 40 hrs(+?) downtime for site comments still coming. Obviously “they” are still hoping for a catastrophic loss (this actually happened to a small biotech company I did some work for years ago).
Well, my CTH comment functioning has been jacked for weeks and its different on each device how non functioning it is. I am looking forward to renewed conversation! Plus I cant wait to delete my WP account in solidarity with Sundance!
Thanks again for such a great site. Glad to hear we will live one. It is part of our DNA now.
Sundance and all who are working tirelessly to move us to our magnificent new tree, we are truly grateful. May everyone take time to be with family and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you so much Sundance for all your work . I wish we could be of more help as we appreciate and love you.
God bless, Sundance! And to all the fantastic commenters and admins on the (hands down) most educational, and on-point, political blog on the internets.
The evil in our beloved nation is emboldened like never before, and the fact they targeted this site tells you in neon how important your voice is. Keep it up, you’re needed more now than ever.
Sadly, this situation doesn’t look like it’s going to be corrected through the channels we all preferred.
Stay strong, patriots. And may God keep light the dark, expose these demons to all the good people still blinded by their dark magic and lies, and help your children prevail in this fight to be free. ??
Thank you Sundance and team, for working hard to move our treehouse and its inhabitants, safely!
Good luck. I appreciate you.
Sundance has a gift.
Even I understood and most of this stuff is far over my head.
“What does not kill me makes me stronger.” — Nietzsche, in “Twilight of the Idols.”
Or if you want the full Fritzi thingy:
Aus der Kriegsschule des Lebens. — Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker.
Out of life’s school of war — What does not kill me makes me stronger.
Vielen dank Christopher! Ausgezeichnet is the caliber of treepers!
Thank you, Sundance, for everything you are doing–and have done–to help save our Constitutional Republic from those that would destroy it; as well as being the premier vehicle for countering the Orwellian propaganda spewed forth in lock-step by the mainstream media.
I first discovered the Treehouse in 2016 when it saved my sanity during the final days of the election. I’ve been an avid reader since then, and I’ve recommended it to a number of others who have become similarly “addicted.”
That said, I don’t have words to adequately express my sincere gratitude for your efforts.
All my very best, Sundance, for your success–both in this endeavor and in your personal life.
And my best wishes for you, your staff, AdRem.and my other fellow “Treepers” for a great Thanksgiving, Holiday Season, and a truly wonderful New Year.
Robert
“One of our challenges will be the absence of Askimet spam filtering.”
There is an Askimet plug-in for WordPress -> wordpress(dot)org/plugins/akismet/
God Bless our Treeper Family, one and all!
Thank you Sundance for your never ending support of good vs evil. We know this endeavor is not free, so fellow Treeper Familes, don’t forget to donate at the top of the page to help off-set some of Sundance’s expenses. It’s the least we can do to support his efforts all these many years!
Sundance, I’m sure you know how important this site is to the insurgent conservative movement. Ideas that first germinated here (the “Spitter strategy” and the “UniParty” come to mind) very quickly entered the conservative lexicon and began showing up in conversations around our nation. All of us who frequent the Treehouse have undoubtedly noticed many ideas discussed and examined here have been found useful and accepted at very high levels of our government. In short, The Treehouse is much too important to American politics to disappear. I mention this because it sounds like making the move to a new host/server is become more labor-intensive. So. If you need a little money to help out, I’m pretty sure this motley collection of Treepers who gather here will be happy to contribute a little money to help out. Just let us know, OK?
Not that it matters now, but curios about the deadline of Wednesday, Dec. 2nd. Why that date?
I’ve always thought they picked that date hoping to prevent the Treehouse from being around to provide truth and important discussion during the week before December 14.
Thankfully sundance and the crew have the same fighting spirit as PDJT.
We are so lucky to have this site and will be even luckier to have 2.0.
So many thanks…
Thank you sundance! I have learned so much from you.?
Thank You Sundance and Admins. Goodspeed to you and all my fellow treepers, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING from bear and I :-). looking forward to our wonderful big new tree.
Akismet has a VERY good plugin to use on your independently hosted WordPress site. It’s free and does a very good job. Good luck with the move!
Thank you, God Bless & Happy Thanksgiving Sundance & Team! This past week, as I was doing the books for a 504c organization, I kept noticing, the number 8 kept showing up in various forms. 88,818,888, etc. The number 8 often means “new beginnings!” So, to all who find themselves a new, keep moving forward.
It is impossible to describe how thankful I am for the Treehouse and that you will be working so hard to keep it going.
It seems implausible that WordPress would go to such extremes to try to kill one of it’s best customers. It makes it apparent how much more important ideology is than monetary compensation. But I guess when they treat politics as religion it makes it imperative to remove practicing sinners from the ranks.
I remember first discovering the Treehouse during the Trayvon Martin furor and reading about Purple Drank and Skittles and cough syrup with codeine when MSM was just talking about Skittles. I think I followed a link from FreeRepublic and am forever grateful that I did.
I just looked up Trayvon time. 2012. Eight years I’ve been hanging around this place and it has become an integral part of my life.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Sundance, this Thanksgiving I will not forget to give thanks to Our Heavenly Father for giving you the Grace, the Fortitude and the Perseverance to be a voice of integrity in this time of media mediocrity. I give thanks for all the people who work with you behind the scenes. Their work allows you to focus on what you need to do. I also thank your family for letting you work the way you did and continue to do so in this fast paced, chaotic, stressful albeit exciting, sometimes frustrating times we live in. Last but not least, I give thanks for all the “treepers” whose comments expand my views and at the same time reflect with more insight on the issues that are being written about.
This “tree” will be transplanted, but the roots are strong and will continue to flourish. WordPress thinks that they have cut this tree down. On the contrary, it will bear even greater fruit.
My sincere thanks to you all. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
A share button to Gab would be awesome, probably don’t even need the Facebook and Twitter buttons anymore, so many people have recently been purged off of those platforms. Quite a few have also gotten purged from Parler for posting “misinformation”, whatever that is
Many many thank you’s from London, England for all your hard work in shining a light into the corruption of the world.
Will those of us who receive your articles to our email still do so following the change over to 2.0?
Thank you, Sundance. I’ve been reading here since the Trayvon incident, and used to comment on a semi-regular basis, but haven’t done so in a couple years. It’s enough to read what others have to say. I love it here!
So ‘wordpress’ and ‘wordpress-dot-com automattic’ are two different things?!?? Well lookie there.
May God bless you, Sundance. Thanks for your hard work and comittment to exposing the truth.
Godspeed, Sundance. See you on the other side!
Apreciatecha’
Thanks dogsmaw, very timely Reagan speech. We ARE at the final ultimatum as he stated. And PDJT has stated, “LAST CHANCE!”
Submitting another small donation. CTH is my peep hole to see what is going on in the world. The blinders and propaganda posters are everywhere, it is near impossible to hear or see the truth in everyday life. The lies are deafening and truth must be sought out in little corners of the internet. Our liberties along with our voice is being censored all around us.
It’s like Atlas Shrugged only virtual
Taking adverse actions against a benign communication/information/opinion site like CTH in mindbogglingly offensive. To call this unAmerican and unpatriotic is horrific understatement. There surely must be some recourse against these fascist miscreants.
Yeppers!!!
The CTH is by far one of the very best websites available. In the future, if I see anything associated with “wordpress”, I will avoid it.
from the cheap seats: keep on swingin’ thaks a bunch Sundance
Thank you Sundance and your team of Techies…Looking forward to CTH 2.0…Blessing and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your team…