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 !
I’m having difficulty getting a reply to my questions.
I can’t start a comment. I can only reply
Same here. Reply only for me.
The Twitter shortcuts would be nice to see back but the last 2 days have been problem free be it computer or cellphone attempts.
Just do your thing Sundance and team. You know what needs to be done.
So far so good. : )
Still having problems with older comments. Only 1 or 2 comments shown.
Thank you for getting us connected again. Whew!
I have the same problem. I click on older comments and only one comment is shown, with the reply box.
For me as a multiple daily user I like the retro simplicity of the site. It affords me quick and easy access to any new article without hunting. Commenting and being able to share content in those comments is paramount. While images can be abused I still like them. It’s rare to be able to share images these days. In addition to be able to share and see a preview of a tweet or other social media content is important to me. I never was able to see any type of tiny editor or get any type of code to work.
Please remove post with my name thanks.
Still having issues with Older Comments.
*FIFY…Ad rem…
Thank you! You are the best. Now signed in so see all posts. 🙂
Seemingly faster loading, all comments display, newer and older links work displaying all comments, and reply function works.
Brave browser for Android tablet.
It’s downright amazing how much work, effort, and thinking has gone into migrating this necessary site from enemy occupation to friendly territory.
I have one basic question: Previously, I was commenting via my WP identity, L4Grasshopper….which I set up solely to be able to do so here.
I’m posting this by logging in with my screen name and email address.
So: what is the best/easiest way to log in to be able to comment? And to be able to have my old avatar displayed?
Thanks you!
I should have added my wish list 🙂
— Ability to edit posts after posting to correct errors or supplement into
— Ability to “like” posts
— Ability to post photos, tweets, etc
Thank You!
All good here. You never have to apologize to me. Appreciate all you do.
Good to have you back, Sundance. Kudoes to your entire team, and thanks for keeping the classic spirit and crowd-sourced openness of one of the best-ever Internet projects.
Sundance, first, there is no need for an apology. YOU and your team have been an immense blessing to us. I found your site via conservatives4palin.com. I read for about two years before ever commenting. I’m so impressed by the quality of those who comment to your posts. I learn from them, as well as you. Except for a few comments here and there, I feel my comments don’t really add much to the conversation.
As to my experience with the new platform, I have noticed that the one time I commented, I could see my comment post, but when I went back to continue reading, the comments seem to stop with mine. When I went back to Older Comments, there was only one comment per page, no matter how many Older Comments I clicked on. I just figured that eventually these bugs will be worked out. I just Xed out of CTH and then went back and all seemed to be normal.
I’m not worried at all. I’m just so very grateful to be able to read your wonderful posts again. Thank you for all you have done, all you are doing and all you will do. It’s a blessing to be here.
just testing here (again)
I don’t get a mobile version of the website when I visit.
I’m going blind trying to read comments.
Grateful for what is available. I have faith that full functionality will happen soon. Until then…and
Love y’all back Sundance and crew.
Hi boss, the older comments function is not working properly.
Thanks for everything your team is doing and God bless us all.
With love, MIKE
test
I’m curious if everyone sees mainly the sideways “G” next to every name? Hoping it’s not specific to my Mac laptop.
Thx.
Nope, your not alone sunnydaze, we’re all ‘Blue Gees’ here now unless you select a different avatar.
Thankyou, Rhi!
I’ve asked the question several times, but can never find where my old post is because everyone’s got the same “G”.
Now I know the answer!
I can now quit asking. haha.
Now I am curious to see if my old WP Avatar transferred over to the new site…
Yep, it looks like it did….I do not like WP but I am rather fond of my contented kitty picture!!
Thank you to Sundance, Ad Rem, Stella, and everyone else for all of the amazing work you have put in to make this happen! I am looking forward to having “Likes” back and do miss the little bell notifications as it was a great way to facilitate conversations around the Treehouse but for right now, I am just thankful for what we have and will wait patiently for new updates, as time and technology allow!
Where or how does one select a different avatar?
My old WP avatar did not transfer over, but my Google (Y-Tube) avatar did (my replies never showed the “blue gee’).
Today I changed my Google avitar to my old WP avatar.
This is my first CTH post since I did that and am curios to see if my post will show that change.
Never mind – I went to gravatar.com and changed my avatar…
test
That “G” I think is because it is the default generic Avatar from en.gravatar.com
A hold over from WordPress and if you still have a WP account, you can associate your old avatar (or create a new one) with the email account you use to log in here that is also registered at gravatar.com. I don’t think you have to have a WP account to use but not sure.
Do you know how to tell a Republican from a Democrat? I’ll tell you, If they are attractive and look like a nice person, they are Republicans. But if they are homely and look mean, they are definitely Democrat.
If they are wearing all black and setting fires, they are Dimocrats.
If they are standing in a road holding up traffic, they are Dimocrats.
If they are assaulting innocent people dining, they are Dimocrats.
If they are men trying very hard to menstruate, they are Dimocrats.
If they are looting a business, they are Dimocrats.
If they are cheating in an election, they are Dimocrats.
If they are hitting elderly people from behind, they are Dimocrats.
If they are ignoring the Constitution, they are Dimocrats.
I could go on, but I have to eat dinner!
? ? ?
I just want to thank you for all you do!
Merry Christmas, Ad rem!!!
Good thing I wasn’t sipping my coffee, it would have been everywhere! Thanks for the great laugh!!
Thank you SD and team! Bravo!
To your point about mobile devices- I have seen improved performance regarding access and commenting from my iphone.
Applaud your vision for functionality enhancements! I would respectfully request as an end user functionality to edit comments however that prioritization falls into your development roadmap for the site.
What has truly amazed me is how quickly you and your team have been able to diagnose and resolve issues given the enormity of the data that was migrated!
Much gratitude for you and your team!
Thank you for all that you do, Sundance et al. You are a beacon in the rocks.
I love that you broke Word Press’s business model. That still makes me laugh.
Crtl and F5 is no longer working consistently for me. I get “older comments” pages with one comment per page, reload doesn’t change it and Ctrl+F5 doesn’t change it until I go back several pages. Going to the very last page from a posting also seems to leave out most of the comments – a handful will show. Then by going back via “older comments”, 2 pages, then Ctrl+F5, and working my way forward I eventually get all the comments on the last page to show up.
I can’t see older posts on both my laptop and my phone. Hopefully this will resolve itself in the near future. I just read on phone during the day, when I have an odd minute at work.
Thx.
Fantastic job by everyone on the CTH 2.0 launch. Thank You to the entire team.
Is there any chance that CTH 2.0 can get a ROLCON filter? It seems the screen door was left open for a couple of days during the switch-over……..
Test
Testing reply.
I am having the same issues that other posters have mentioned. I click on the previous comments link and it will only show one. I click it again and it will post an older comment, but still just one.
perfect, better than ever.
I still don’t know if my comments are getting through – i don’t see them and weirdly i cannot look through the older comments pages. When i click on the “older commemts” all of the comments disappear completely. And the only way i can get them to reappear is to go back to the homepage and clock on the article again… but then i only see the most recent commemts. So Sundance, there are still issues.
I’m using an iphone with DDG as my browser.
Luke Dewig
Hey! There is another. I believe this one also uses the dead yahoo account. So the comments are going through, they are just slow to register. And after posting, all the comments vanish (except for the first post by wolvybat above for some reason. Only way to get comments to show up again is to go back to the home page and then click on the article again, or close out my broussr and come in fresh. Maybe its DDG? Or my security settings? Ad blocker? I don’t know.
test post. The last 4 posts I’ve tried have failed- didn’t post. We’ll see what this one does.
(I’m waiting and still patient. Technology murders me so I have huge sympathy for those suffering bugs. And especially for y’all dealing with an undertaking like you are.)
I get CTH via a 2 yr old MacBook Air, most basic version. My internet is via tether to an Android phone using PureTalk. I’m not currently commenting anywhere else, but no issues, currently, with any of the places I go. I clear my cache and cookies every time I shut everything down (3 to 7 times over the course of a day).
Also. I’m getting only the latest page of comments if I get comments at all. If I click on ‘older comments’, there’s only 1 comment. I haven’t seen a ‘newer comments’ in a couple of days.
Do nearly all the posts have the Sideways “G” next to commenters name on yours?
I’m on the same comp.
The sideways G is because you have not set up an avatar. Everyone with a G is because they were using a default avatar generated by WordPress.
I set mine up (with a pic, not generic) when I joined via WordPress years ago. I imagine you can still do it if you have a WordPress account. Nothing changed for me with CTH 2.0, my avatar came with me with no added effort.
If don’t set it up via WordPress, I don’t know.
https://en.gravatar.com/support/what-is-gravatar/
An “avatar” is an image that represents you online—a little picture that appears next to your name when you interact with websites.
A Gravatar is a Globally Recognized Avatar. You upload an image and create your public profile just once, and then when you participate in any Gravatar-enabled site, your Gravatar image and public profile will automatically follow you there.
Gravatar is a free service for site owners, developers, and users. It is automatically included in every WordPress.com account and is run and supported by Automattic.
Thank you.
Test again… yahoo account
Hey! There it is! Apparently my yahoo account email works. Unfirtunately, that email account is dead. Why won’t my reagan email work?
Test
I wonder what percentage of WP’s bandwidth and server space was CTH. Just curious ?
MicD – LIKE 1000%
btw … LOVE to Sundance + Admins….
PHENOMENAL JOB/WELL DONE.
FYI
I posted two tests above. Each time after submitting I’m brought back to this page but it only shows the first comment by Wolvybat above. It also shows a link to older comments and if I click that I don’t see any comments. If I close my browser (Safari on an iPhone) and come back to the treehouse I see all comments with the ones I submitted. Hope this helps.
Not sure how to update profile. Do we go to WordPress?
I don’t think this site uses profiles. I Just log in using a email account and selecting a username. If you subsequently try to log in using a different email account, your post goes to moderation. At least that’s what happened to me.
It’ll be nice when the bottom of page link back to Homepage comes back- instead of having to scroll back to the top to click it.
Didn’t realize how convenient that was until it’s no longer there. LOL.
Rats. Sorry about the double post, but I noticed that when I go to older comments and there is only one on the page, the count in the heading above drops by like 250-300. Also no tag forward to newer comments at the bottom of the page.
On the upside, we can still post/read comments which is icing on the cake.
You’re doing great work. Considering the scope of what has to be handled, all is going very well from what I can see.
An immense undertaking and a short time frame, yet Sundance and his amazing team pulled it off. Yes, there were some inconsequential bugs, but someone show me a new program, system or new anything without some bugs and I’ll show you a cow who plays the French horn. Kudos Sundance.
Well, it’s dark here, I’m sweating, MOSTLY from humidity, but I really was Working to better arrange large limbs and trunks from a tree I cut down. That said–
I walk in the house, log in, and see SD apologizing. For Pete’s Sake man!!
You have NOTHING to apologize for …
I need a glass of COLD grape juice and a couple hunks of bread.
Look at CTH lookin’ so cute … but don’t be fooled by our cute looks, for soon CTH will stop crawlin’ and will be runnin’ into all its old mischief, digging into the liberals cookie jars …
*LIKE*
Sundance, you are truly a remarkable individual! Kudos to you, your working staff and the caring admins for nurturing this site. I have no complaints, only heartfelt gratitude that you CARE for us and are willing to work your butt off to keep this wonderful tree growing. Thanks to all!
Wonder if Ad rem could take a look at this please, which comes up when I, or anyone else for that matter, clicks on my name in the comments thread? …
This site can’t be reached
http://www.dennisghurst.com%20…%20the%20not%20so%20gentle%20muse’s server IP address could not be found.
Try running Windows Network Diagnostics.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
Your input would be welcome, but I suspect that my website being on WordPress has something to do with it?
Thanks in appreciation !!
I am so thankful for this site. Sundance and crew are quite fantastic and incredibly smart. I depend on this site so I can share what everyone needs to know. Thank you Sundance!
All I want is an easy to use mobile version of CTH. I ask for so little. ?
The desktop version just doesn’t format well on an android.
So far so good…
I appreciate all of your hard work so that all of us have a gathering place.
In all honesty, I think the first thing I’d like you to do is monetize. It helps you help us. I can’t directly provide much financial help right now. But by golly I can click on ads, which I did frequently on CTH 1.0.
I’m not talking about overwhelming ads like GP – they’re so bad over there I tend to stay away. What you had at 1.0 was perfect.
Admins, can proton mail help with the email notification system? They do not save or sell your info. Plus they are encrypted in both directions. I’m happy with them for email and don’t get junk or spam.
Keep The Faith.
Defend The Republic.
The feature I will miss the most is being notified that there was a reply to a comment you’ve made.
The way it is now you make a comment and just move along since you have no way of knowing that someone responded directly to you. Being able to converse was a really nice feature.
It’s always nice to acknowledge a person who has taken the time to “reply” to you.
Here’s an example:
Should an administrator respond to me in this instance, I will have no way of knowing that they responded to me with advice.
I miss the link at the bottom of the page that takes me back to the home page. I have to scroll back to the top and click on home.
Also, I like that you keep apologizing but in my opinion, there’s no need. When they de-platformed you, you could have just called it quits. I for one and so grateful that you did not! From the bottom of my heart thank you! This site is what keeps me from going full-on depressed over the situation with our country.
You are way cool in my book. Keep up the great work. Kudos to you and your team.
And as always, may God Bless and keep you all safe.
Yes! The link at the bottom to return to the home page!
LIKE !!
Ditto. Easy fix usually.
FYI, you can also click on the Logo.
No matter where you are, when you click on the CTH logo (web name: The Last Refuge) at the top of the page it automatically takes you to the CTH Home page. Most websites operate the same exact way, and generally wherever you find their logo.
I believe that if you copy that logo and the instructions/script it follows when you click on it, paste it into your Page Footer space below the line, that will take people Home as well.
Just a test
I see my comment is awaiting moderation, I just want to tell you that some one hacked the physicians group is use, and got a whole lot of my information. The physicians group has provided a year of Kroll Idenity monitoring service but not before some damage was done. I have had to change my email address but it is still me. My avatar was a pissed off stalking eagle. I don’t know how to add it here, or if I can even find the image again.
I hate when that happens. Happy you made it back!
Thank you.
Betty, I remember you and your pizzed off eagle, ha!
If your avatar was through Gravatar, then you just need to use the name and email you registered with them in the reply fields. Your eagle will appear.
You can then go back to Gravatar, and change to your new email addy there. (Then be sure to use the new email here afterward.)
Thank you, I will do that. I have been working till my eyes are blearry and I am puzzled. The way I caught the fraud was the day before Thanksgiving when my debit card got declined at the grocery store. I took some cash and went to the bank to cover and find out what was going on. It was Amazon, they managed to get control of my Amazon account.
I could see all the withdrawals from my checking account but when I went to my Amazon account to look at the orders nothing showed up. During that time my email in box went to freakish numbers and variety languages.
They must have an app that lets them sign you up for anything in the world a person can sign up for – I assume it was so that my eyes would roll back in my head at the sight of my in-box and I would never see any conformation e-mails from Amazon.
My daughter came over and helped me block all access to my checking account (even me) and to begin sorting out Amazon.
Did you know that instead of rejecting an order when they try to get paid and there is no money , they just make them pending – and holy moley what a line up they had ready for when my pension check direct deposit on 12/01.
It wasn’t until Friday that I got the letter from my physicians group telling me what information the hackers might have got.
Anyway here is the odd thing I found today. All the small purchases were delivered to different people all over the country. And the things were odd little things, hair bands, wooden spoon sets, grit for a rock polisher. I don’t know what to make of it. If it was one person how are they making a profit from their theft?
Part of me thinks it was an Amazon screw up but no because all my authorized purchases showed up on my account – there were only 8 and three of them were 5 pound bags of White Lily flour that I sent to my sisters and daughter so they could make good southern biskets for Thanks giving.
Well I am rambling, but it has helped me unclench my teeth so maybe I can sleep tonight.
Betty, Have you reported this to the police? To a local news station? To your state AG?
Also, here:
https://www.identitytheft.gov
One of these, maybe…? https://www.google.com/search?q=angry%20stalking%20eagle&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CaY59re_1bBiEYTVwQNpv4xkL&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CAIQrnZqFwoTCPidycOOuO0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAG&biw=1691&bih=822