As we work through bugs associated with CTH 2.0 launch, consider this a thread to provide information, report user issues, ideas and concerns. Please read the information provided below as it might answer many questions in advance.
Again, my sincere apologies for any site disruption and/or user issues you may have encountered or might be continuing to encounter as we level the ship.
The majority of major site issues have been reconciled over the past 36 hrs. CTH 2.0 is flying even and stable.
The DNS issues are resolved, and all inbound links to TheConservativeTreehouse.Com should now be landing on the correct and most recent homepage. There was an issue with dual cache conflict between our new server host and a mid-way cache service intended to assist with the overall site demand. That was causing older pages to propagate upon user entry. That problem has been resolved.
Given the short time-window we were operating with; and considering the objective of Big Tech Automattic to disrupt an ongoing conversation adverse to their interests; we succeeded in keeping the CTH community voice in the fight. Trust me, this was no small effort to achieve and is cause for much appreciation and celebration in the big picture.
The rebel alliance is alive, well and we have made new ‘rag tag’ misfit friends. Your support was/is critical in achieving that objective. We are humbled and thankful.
Now that we have an essentially fully-functioning architecture in place, we are able to start a slow and methodical process to enhance the features most important to our community.
Each feature must be installed, applied and evaluated for downstream issues. It is a painstaking process and takes a little time to ensure we don’t attach a feature that creates an imbalance or impact upon the essential functions of the site.
CTH is modeled on an eleven year-old platform theme. It is reliable, but it is also clunky, heavy and not as streamline as modern tech can provide. As described, CTH is a heavy data-tank on a highway with the ability to collapse the road. We need to modernize and get faster while retaining the depth and purposeful mission priority.
To the details:
♦ 50% of site traffic comes from desktop/laptop computer use, and 50% comes from mobile devices (phones, pads etc). This is one of the issues with our older theme still in place, and a team is working on it right now. When CTH first launched mobile platforms were in their infancy, in the modern era mobile devices are now the norm.
We need to change our theme platform to be responsive to the type of device you are using making it easier to navigate the site from phones and iPad type devices. The engineers are working on a proposal, and a test site is experimenting. The good news is our site content is not complex and the modernization should not be too difficult. In essence, CTH presents itself differently, more user friendly, depending on the type of device you are using.
♦ One of our priorities right now is establishing an email notification system where you can subscribe to automatic notifications of new posts etc. As with almost all systems of this type (there are many) it involves the use of a third party email transmission process. Y’all are aware that privacy is a CTH priority, so we are being very careful about vetting the service and setting up this notification system to protect CTH users.
CTH does not compile user information, does not engage in the manufacture of processes that assemble lists of users or any user data. We are working to ensure we do not end up creating an external list of subscribers that would be vulnerable to exploitation. Your privacy in all matters related to CTH engagement is my priority.
♦ Next, we are working on a return of the “like comments” feature in some manner or form. The issue with a like feature is a direct all-time link between the user engagement and the host server. In essence, to have a “like feature” there is a continual feed every millisecond attached to the server. That is ok, but as with all things in tech world can create a draw -own of site performance given the scale of our assembly.
Don’t worry about “likes” being off-the-table, they are not. This function is actually important to me, and we will restore them because that engagement is actually a precursor to something else, something unique, that I want to see on the site. A sidebar on the page drawing attention to the top ten highest-rated comments in a real time feed. You click on the user name, or perhaps the avatar, and it takes you to the comment.
♦ Another new feature I want to execute is a “most liked articles” widget. Similar to most liked comments, this would be a real-time propagated graphic showing the articles that users are most following or reading on other sites. Instead of me aggregating the information and/or directing attention to interesting external articles, this awesome community of smart commentators can do that themselves.
In essence, you share links to important external articles or content in the comments, and the top five articles (as clicked/read by commentators) automatically shows up in this sidebar feature: “Hot Topics and Articles.” [This is a little challenging, but the technology exists to accomplish it.]
♦ The team is also working on restoring a system that will allow embed pictures, tweets and videos to populate in the comments section. This is a process/system called “OEmbed Comments”. We needed to reconcile the scale of server use/demand by the commenting system before we could contemplate this feature.
Now that we have a dual library system in place for the 7.5 million comments, we can start the process of evaluating server capacity for OEmbed functions. It is not a matter of “if” this will happen, it is simply a matter of when those functions return.
When you write a comment it creates a metadata file. Each comment is a unique url. Your unique id is part of that metadata, your gravatar or avatar is part of that metadata, the content of your comment (what you write) is part of that metadata and any article links, citations, pictures, gifs, or tweets -each carrying a unique url- is part of that metadata.
The average number of lines of unique metadata in one comment is six to ten lines of code, regardless of the length of your comment. Your comment creates a mini data-file with its own unique id (the url). The library of pre-existing comments was 7.2 million. Multiply that by the lines of metadata and you get well over 40 million lines of code in the pre-existing comment file alone. (more)
Again, it is important to remember much of this server capacity exploration is in uncharted territory on a non-social-media platform. Fortunately, we have the ability to scale-up; our server hosts are just trying to figure out the actual scale we need.
Thanks again for bearing with us as we work through some technical issues, search for optimal solutions, and fiercely retain the original values and mission priority of the Treehouse. The Truth Has No Agenda
Myself and the incredibly hardworking site admins consider ourselves stewards to this community. YOU are what matters. Your ability to analyze, discuss and provide your comments on the subject matter is what makes CTH home. We will NEVER remove a commenting function from our website.
In fact, it is the crowd-sourcing work we have done as a community that has been the most thrilling and brilliant part of our work together. I will never lose that focus. The key to Treehouse 2.0 is recognizing we have built something within a system that wants to see us removed. By being proactive we have avoided some serious challenges and that makes us better stewards for our conversation.
Remember, YOU are the important part.
Without you CTH doesn’t really have a purpose. Individually we could stand outside shouting at trees with no impact; but together, sitting on the figurative cyber-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.
♦ Taking all of the above into consideration, if you are still experiencing issues with the site in general or specific terms, feel free to drop your feedback in the comments and we will review to see of we can intercept and/or correct any issues.
Love to all,
~ Sundance
Try to avoid a fight. Never be the first one to start a fight. However, when it does come down to the fighting, you need to fight like the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s ark…
…and brother, it’s raining !
Having managed systems implementations and data migrations in my past career, I have sympathy for what you have gone through. It looks like you have come out the other end with 1) a functioning system and 2) some independence from the de-platform fascists. Great job and thanks for everything you do!
???
You and your team have done a tremendous job. Well done.
I don’t think anyone can say that enough! Outstanding job. thank you for saving this precious community!
Great job Sundance and team!!!!!
To those seeking email notifications, there are alternatives, both of which are working fine for me. (1) Put CTH in an RSS reader, and (2) for those with Outlook and twitter, install TwInbox.
Greek to me
Me too!
Great job!
I am going to see if this will post.
For me it seems that the comments stay fixed in number for periods of time and suddenly there is an update (often hours later).
Thanks for all that you do Sundance!
Sundance,
As someone who has almost 40 years in software development, most of it involving web applications and infrastructure, I’d judge that you have chosen folks that know what they are doing, and who have done a fantastic job. Very few projects of this scope and magnitude go as smoothly as this has. Thanks to everyone involved in what has been a relatively painless (for us in the peanut gallery) transition.
Like
Ditto!
Love reading here. Great work Sundance.
Excellent work, Sundance. Bringing back the “like” feature is good news as are your other wish list items. Well done!
While your at it, any chance the like feature could be made to work without logging in – like when you just supply a screen name and eMail addy to comment.
Baby El,
I would guess.. (Like you, I couldn’t “Like” before) your suggestion would add significant “continual feed every millisecond attached to the server.” (Perhaps, if not logged in, maybe not..dunno
Would be “The Berries” if this would still be “OK””.
Great Suggestion
Logging in?
I don’t need to ‘log in’ — and really never have.
I just click the bookmarked CTH link — and presto!
Why do you need to log in?
Liberty forge – maybe I’m more dense than most, but how would ‘likes’ and ‘comments be attributed without ‘logging in’? As great as the staff here are, I doubt that they are clairvoyant.
Have you possibly somehow set something that keeps you logged in with your browser? Or something in the bookmark? Sounds too good to be true, if so!
owl — I really don’t know how to answer your question — other than to describe what I do here.
I find CTH via a hyperlink. I don’t need to go thru any sort of ‘log in’ process in order to post a comment. I never have.
CTH appears in its own window, and I can either create a new comment using the ‘box’ at the bottom of the page — or — I can reply to someone else’s comment by clicking the ‘reply’ link at the end of their comment.
So, no log in. My screen name automatically populates.
If something is going on ‘behind the scenes’ that allows me to not have to log in, I’m not aware of it.
Ha! That was really a convoluted answer to your question, that was really a ‘non-answer’ — or basically saying “I don’t know”.
Liberty – Thanks for the ‘non-answer’ :-)! You’d have to explain a ‘hyperlink’ to me for me to comprehend…
These infernal machines are, on the bottom rung, machine logic, so I try to use logic when dealing with them. That tells me it HAS to know who you are before you can post. Maybe something in your rig keeps track of your URL? I’ve never been on a comment board that I didn’t have to sign in before doing anything other than read. Am. Thinker will keep me logged in forever if I don’t reboot, so I can see your possibility happening, too, just don’t unnerstand how it works.
The first phones I ever used were candlesticks, so that might give you a clue as to why I’m this way? ???
Ah, you’re cute!
A hyperlink is the ‘highlighted word’ you click on within a page that takes you to somewhere else.
A hyperlink — links — places on the internet together as you ‘hop’ around.
So, for example — from Sundance’s Twitter page, if you click on the highlighted ‘theconservativetreehouse.com’ (hyperlink), voila’ — you’re here!
And not to worry, I still use a flip-phone.
The former WordPress Automatic required some of us to log into them in order to like or post in The Conservative Treehouse. I had to using my iPad but now WordPress atomatic is no longer servicing us. Yeah.
I deleted wordpress from my iPad and good riddance. It was terrible to only give a 2 week notice for such a large client. I bet they didn’t expect Sundance to succeed
Glad to hear the CTH team is making progress.
I miss the like buttons.
Overall, it’s been working great for me.
Yes, missing the “like” buttons, too. Hoping they bring that back eventually.
@zephyrbreeze – “I miss the like buttons.”
LMAO! I “instinctively ” went for the LIKE button to like your comment – muscle reflex …
Right ! LOL !!!
???
Deep gratitude to Sundance and the team. I am in awe of what has been accomplished.
Thanks for keeping this up, I read the analysis and comments here all the time. Great work and full steam ahead…
Thank you Sundance and crew…
I’m not very concerned whether I have the ability to “Like” comments because I can just “Reply” to comments that I like.
BUT… what I DO WANT is an on-site (NOT email based) notification system like WordPress had that tells me when someone REPLIED to one of my comments or replies.
Again, I DON’T want an email notification… I ALREADY spend too much time cleaning out my email inbox.
I want my “Notification Bell” back!
Agree… I miss the Bell, as well as being able to track likes — that is how a lot of great interaction has happened here. Right now, when I post a comment or a reply, it’s often hard to physically track it down again or remember where in the pile it was a day or two later to see if anyone responded to it. I feel lately like I’m doing drive-by commenting.
A bell? Who knew? Didnt even know about that!
Agree.
Agree, the ability to go back to conversations when people reply (and knowing you got a reply) would be very good. It’s hard to engage in a “conversation” when you make a comment, they respond, but you never know.
This is what I am missing the most as well, some type of notification bell we can access to navigate us back to that comment thread, often it will be just one person likes it, I might have forgot what that comment I had made was, so will click on it and discover underneath that like may be a string of comments not specific to the one that was liked but on the same topic, and have found some great new rabbit holes to follow from those.
“like” all the 4 or 5 comments above, and agree 103%.
Don’t require the exact same thing, but the functions in some form would be great! (AT uses a number (for likes and replies) adjacent to your icon in the ‘post comment’ box.)
LIKE!!!
Test
test 1 2
Thanks Capt!!
The fonts are too small and if I increase the font size the text runs off the right side of the screen.
May I recommend that you program your webpages to maintain a constant screen width when the font size is changed. For example https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/ allows me to increase font size and still maintain the text on the same page.
This is important to me because I’m old and need a larger font to be able to read and enjoy the site.
I still have problems viewing all comments. I can see some, but can never seem to access them all.
Long time reader. New poster.
My primary access is through my IPad using Safari. Works very nice!
This group is like no other. I feel fortunate to have encountered this site a few years ago.
“The Truth Has Consequences”
Exactly what I was scrolling down to write myself.Definitely glad I’ve been referring people here.
In the previous version while reading a thread, I could:
1) Hit “older comments” button and a list of the older (previous) comments would show up. I could keep hitting that button and, eventually, get to the start of the thread.
Now, when I hit that “older comments” button I no longer am returned to the list of older comments. Instead I’m returned to, what appears to be, some random responses.
2) When I got to the bottom of a thread, there used to be a button which, when depressed, would take me to the sites main page. A kind of convenient short cut to the site’s main page..
Now, that button is gone.
Thanks
Now, that button is gone.
Johnny, I have a similar problem. I generally look at the Presidential story first at 5:00am. Usually about 100+ posts. I read them all. When I come back midday, there are generally about 800-1000 posts. I hit older comments and it takes me to the previous page and it only has one comment. I get that repeatedly until I get to the initial page from 12:30am or so, but there is no “newer comments” tab to move forward.
Just an observation; I’m sure others have noted this. Hope this is a “Kracken” weekend!!
yep this is exactly what I get. Just happened on the presidential thread. I have made three comments today and none of them are showing. Also when I post my comment the page goes to the top of the page instead of showing my comment.
I don’t know if this observation will help but it is what it is.
Wait a minute,
That is what happens to me also. Also have to keep hitting Ctrl+F5 to see new comments.
The 1) older comments problem is happening for me too. (I’m using noscript on a Linux PC, but I push the “set all on this page to temporarily trusted” button before I try to navigate.) Beyond that, everything is working ok for me.
Congratulations on your amazing success with the moving project, and thank you for the best site on the web.
Blessed Advent to you all.
I am just thankful to have the Treehouse and all the Treepers therein. I feel as though I know so very many on here personally and also sleep well at night knowing that a group of such wonderful, patriotic Americans have the same goals and ideals as I have.
Thanks Sundance. The Treehouse would not be the source of inspiration and voice of sanity and reason that it is without you perched atop. We are all so very lucky to have you and your associates to help us navigate the swampy woods of this country. God bless you all as well as all our fellow Treepers. May you each and every one have the merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years. Live your best life one moment at a time. Many thanks for the hospitality, comaraderie, wisdom and faith of those who spend time on the branches herein.
Can’t ‘like’, but how about ‘LOVE’?
I agree with the comment by RSM above (“For me it seems that the comments stay fixed in number for periods of time and suddenly there is an update (often hours later)”).
I never had issues posting on the “old” site, comment display was delayed but the new comments immediately appeared when clicking on “reply”. Now it’s a mess and that’s highly frustrating for the users because they have to assume their posts are lost.
As far as the “like” option is concerned, I regard this as a Facebook-like gimmick. People will hit “like” when you post a Tweet by President Trump, because they do like him. A long insightful post will get fewer likes because fewer people will read it. However, I am fine with it being restored.
Embedding content is very important because it’s a great way to share information. But I would support measures to prevent clutter and spam. Perhaps users should have to wait three to ten minutes before making another post, unless it’s a reply to their own post or the post of another user. I often try to keep my own contributions organized in a thread-like structure and find it frustrating when people flood the comments with public Tweets by the President. I do not argue in favor of preventing them to post what they like, but I’d love to reduce clutter.
If you want to comment on another’s post and you want them to be sure you’re not being sarcastic and that you really do like their comment … “Like” clears that right up.
To “Like” a post about a horrible subject seems to put some folks off. If you’re reporting a baby’s death and I “Like” your comment or link, rest assured, I’m liking your effort to bring it to our attention and not the death of a child. It goes against our grain to “Like” a comment like that but I like to reward someone’s effort if it’s for all our collective good.
“Zel” … I “Like” your comment!
Absolutely no problems. I refreshed my bookmark, as suggested, and have had no problems looking through and around CT 2.0
Thank you for all the hard work and though I’m a silent Treeper I have supported, loved this learned from this site for a very long time. So happy for you and yours!
Little Old Lady in the Ozarks
Test.
When reading a thread it defaults to the last page with the most current comments which works fine.
It is when you click older comments you go back a page but typically only one comment shows up.
As you know some threads are 5-8 pages deep with comments and it is great to read the most current but also click back through the earlier pages to read them all.
The posting of Twitter links only shows the link and not the image like they use to.
And finally I liked the old icon identifiers for each person and hope those might be able to come back as well if possible.
Other than these three, I’m very happy and grateful to be away from WordPress.
We have been so spoiled. Thanks for going above and beyond. I do believe CTH and members have played a huge role in the collective Trump era.
Each day gets me closer to real time threads and comments (Laptop). I still can’t scroll back on each thread to read comments. The page turns , but the comments for the most part are not. Was used to making a comment before I exited, then next time I was able to read more I would start from where I left off. Reading all (almost) comments before I commented is ingrained my habits of small CTH. : )
testing testing…again …..
I can see your post. Hope this helps
We see you!
Quite a job getting all of this from A to B. I have to admit that I went through a bit of temporary withdrawal symptoms during the process. Thank you SD (and AdRem) for the good work. I would like to see an edit function. I cannot remember the site but the site allowed edits up to a fixed number of hours after the post or comment. I’d love that feature. And I wouldn’t care if it was only for 20 minutes.
? Thank you for your kind remarks. As for the edit function, I think that’s still up for debate. Allowing people to alter their remarks, perhaps hours after their initial posting, could also allow for some comments to evade our curation. However, I know that the overwhelming number of Treepers have only the best of intentions.
Ad rem, I think the biggest common gripe of all on the WP site was the lack of an ‘edit’ function. You remember the old Ben Gay gremlin? Well, he lives in comment boards!
I have a ‘C’ key that doesn’t register with a normal tap. Always have to go back and carefully proofread before hitting ‘post’. Then still miss some!!!
Yes, PLEASE, an edit function! Five-minute window would suffice, and avoid the other problems.
signed
Fat-fingered commenter
Addendum – I used to hang out on AT a lot, until the trolls got out of hand, and DID see a lot of changed posts after the clowns got dinged!
So I do see the need for a time window.
I prefer comments not being editable for the following reasons;
1) We are not spelling, grammar or punctuation Nazis.
2) Comments can be revised by appending a reply to a comment.
3) Editing usually does not show what has been edited which leads to arguments about whether or not a comment has been edited.
4) Not being able to edit gives some of us pause before posting.
5) Not being able to edit actually increases cordiality in that replies questioning if the commenter meant “this” instead of “that” are often followed up with gratitude for pointing out the error or a laugh over a funny typo.
Sundance,
I just finished reading the explanation of why WP dumped us and want to say thank you for letting us know. It finally makes sense.
I’m doing fine with 2.0 but missing the reply notification and the like button – but still I’m so happy we’re back in business!
My #1 comment was going to be to make the site mobile-friendly. But, you addressed that in your first bullet — proof that you’ve got your finger on the pulse of what’s needed. 😉 Keep up the great work and thanks for the constant updates on site migration!
how am I supposed to post issues in the Comments when my comments disappear ?
Sundance,
Being able to come here and read comments is GREAT,
The one issue, that is annoying (Have a work around), Is the pagination of the comments. Can go to older comments,
First back, gets one comment, next back gets a whole page. Unfortunately, Can Not GO forward to Newer comments. Have to go Home, Refresh Browser window, and select the article again.
This is my work around having an Android OS and a Samsung galaxy notepad.
GREAT GETTING MY FIX OF NEWS.????
Testing
Hmmm, so far so good!
It looks like posting is back on the menu. (stolen line from an Orc).
Like!
Crisp, Clean and zoooooming fast on my end… Gratz on the successful site swap Sundance… /Salute.
I’m just glad the website is back. I will not complain since everything seems to be in working order well enough to keep my lifeline and sanity. Thank you for all you do at CTH.
Thanks for the update Sundance… It gets better each day, so keep moving forward…
Am hoping this comment actually appears. I was able to post comments successfully all day on Wednesday, but yesterday and this morning it would not work for me at all. I saw other people commenting, but nothing would happen with mine. I could type in my comment and name and email address, hit ‘post comment’, and nothing would happen. Comments would never appear. I am on a desktop using Chrome. I appreciate that it takes a lot of work to get a site like this right with users coming from so many different platforms.
When I hit ‘post comment’ in just a moment, I guess I will see if it is okay now or still an problem. If I cannot post comments, I wonder how I can make that known? Here goes…
Okay, it worked this time. When I was typing in my comment, there were thirty some comments already on this page. I hit ‘post comment’ and the page came back saying only there were only three comments and I didn’t see mine. Then I got out and went back to the home page, then to this page, and now there 41 comments including mine. Something is still weird.
I REALLY like this font for the comments! Much easier to read, so thank you for listening to a long-standing irritation.
Add me to those who would like to LIKE a comment!
The upper right-hand button, which showed one’s comments and those who had “Liked” it and who had offered a comment to it, would be most welcome again!
Many thanks!
When previously displayed on a mobile device in the wordpress version it was readable vertically without resizing. New version I have to resize or flip to a horizontal view and still resize although less. Using DuckDuckGo mobile browser.
Thank for all that you do, certainly one of my must have sites for in depth analysis!
Same here, epicurious.
This seems to be the “Full site” layout. As SD mentioned…
“We need to change our theme platform to be responsive to the type of device you are using making it easier to navigate the site from phones and iPad type devices.”
I’m certain an “Optimal” solution will be found..
Resizing… Is a “Drag”!!
LOL
Since our news has been so rotten for so long I thought we could use a little humor.
This clip is about one minute long from the movie “Guide to the Married Man”.
The people in bed represent our news media.
In this skit we are Imogene Coca.
Enjoy.
Like!
I posted yesterday I think and that thread regenerated after I hit the post button and the regenerated page had 3 posts. I hit the “older posts” link and got one post per click several times. I turned off the tab and reentered and my post was there and the thread series was typical. Just thought you would like to know that little glitch happened.
FWIW – My main reason to come to this site is to read truth – not to post. So Thank you for sharing the TRUTH!!!
Exactly.
In my 40 year career in IT…I have been in involved in a LOT of roll-outs. Some were fun, some were dismal failures. Projects like this on big-iron or little-iron can be quite labor intensive.
Your open candidness is what makes the difference. You have provided information, alerts and support for your fans.
We ALL praise the contractors for the work done, for the CTH team, and for the leadership of Sundance.
And your are right….The Rebel Alliance is rising like a phoenix.
Now that CTH has integrated all these technologies, seeming to replace WordPress and possibly other big tech firms, there will be a need to maintain and to continually develop the technology, and this will cost money. Personally, one reason I have not started a blog is because I don’t want to be tied to high-tech companies I don’t agree with. Have you considered establishing a division to provide (conservative) blog hosting services, to help cover the costs of ongoing maintenance, and to help conservative voices to avoid censorship?
Everything is working well for me and I like not having to enter my information when I post a comment. The new site also seems to be better than the WordPress site. Congratulations, Sundance!
I just tried to comment on this page. There were lots of comments. Once I hit post comment it took me to the top of the page and now there 3 comments and no link to older comments. I don’t know where this might end up but here goes.
Congratulations???I love the new site.
testing
Sundance,
Much thanks to you and your colleagues for your great work in moving the Treehouse to a new home.
Also, I love the idea of a Most Liked Article.
Finally, I’m glad we have new members in the Treehouse. Welcome, guys.
Like
Keep up the great work. You have come an amazingly long distance in a very short time at a difficult time of the year. I am sure the remaining bumps will be smoothed out.
If I had to complain about something it would be no “to the top” button or arrow at the bottom of the page. I am so spoiled. lol
Page up/down on keypad (numlock off), ctrl+home/end, ctrl+up/down arrow all do it.
Yeah, you’re spoiled! ????
The page still renders badly on my desktop, everything is dark burgundy and the text isn’t formatting/wrapping correctly.
Looks good on my iPhone.