Problems with member page

[NotWise]

I just submitted a new story. Been a while since I done that. None of the links worked for me.

For me the site is broken right now, and it looks like other people feel the same way. I don't imagine that Laurel or Manu wants to create that impression but maybe they don't realize how bad this make them look--well at least to authors, who are a tiny (but probably important) part of their business.

 

[SamScribble]

Mine is now loading - and tells me there's nothing there!

 

[sr71plt]

Mine's still fine. (Not doubting that others are having trouble--just establishing that some are and some aren't.)

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It's not working for me. I still have to work with the old one for now.

Huh?

ETA: New control panel still isn't working ... 2:46 am.

 

[Green_Knight]

The old control panel's been fine for me throughout so it can't be a data problem, simply one with the new-fangled gizmo. The acronym KISS comes to mind.

Fortunately I only ever use the new control panel to check on what my favourite authors are up to. It's the only plus feature of the NCP and there's no reason why it couldn't have been added to the old one.

And, of course, the old one works. There must have been something fairly seriously wrong with the new one for it to be broken for such a length of time.

 

[lovecraft68]

And, of course, the old one works. There must have been something fairly seriously wrong with the new one for it to be broken for such a length of time.

You do realize you're talking about a site that has several features that have been broken for over a decade, right?

If you look at some of the author top lists there's one-I think most prolific- that has a feature at the bottom "In the spotlight" well the in the spotlight stories have barely changed in years and feature stories by people that haven't posted anything in years.

And its no coincidence the biggest troll in AH history has one of his there 24/7 despite not having posted anything new since 2012.

And I agree as far as the NCP, its just been updated to make the young crowd happy because its what they're accustomed to seeing on twitter feeds etc...for functionality the old works best. Perfect example of fixing what isn't broken while leaving the broken in shambles.

 

[ChloeTzang]

.....as far as the NCP, its just been updated to make the young crowd happy because its what they're accustomed to seeing on twitter feeds etc...for functionality the old works best. Perfect example of fixing what isn't broken while leaving the broken in shambles.

Not going to bitch here, but I agree on that one. I find the new NCP fonts unusable on my mobile (bad eyesight and I can't adjust the size the way I could on the old one) and it's a strain even on my monitor so I've just stuck with the old control panel, which is fine for me. I'd have to agree on the fixing what isn't broken....

And they shouldn't be uploading new software that hasn't been tested enough to at least work. Why not just roll back to the previous version? Seen that at work a couple of times. Shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[Green_Knight]

You do realize you're talking about a site that has several features that have been broken for over a decade, right?...

At least the old one displays something and most of what it displays is useful. A screen which is blank except for 'Loading...' for many hours on end has no use at all except as a soporific. Maybe Lit's trying to challenge Slow TV!

 

[ChloeTzang]

At least the old one displays something and most of what it displays is useful. A screen which is blank except for 'Loading...' for many hours on end has no use at all except as a soporific. Maybe Lit's trying to challenge Slow TV!

What bugs me is, this isn't rocket science. If they messed up, just roll back to the previous version for god's sake. No biggie. The IT guys at work do that. I was going to say "all the time" but that'd be slandering them. Every now and then.

 

[Green_Knight]

What bugs me is, this isn't rocket science. If they messed up, just roll back to the previous version for god's sake. No biggie. The IT guys at work do that. I was going to say "all the time" but that'd be slandering them. Every now and then.

Exactly. Back in the days when I worked in software development, you assessed a problem pretty quickly into one of three levels. Bugs tended to be either small, obvious, and usually stupid, or a bit more complex, or they were real buggers. The first category could often be dealt with by applying a quick fix to the live environment – which was a risk but we were supposed to be skilled enough to manage that. Downtime was measured in minutes, if not seconds.

The second category needed a thorough test just in case the fix damaged something else, so a rollback was inevitable. The third category needed both investigation, fixing, and in depth testing – and the fix might be more a case of redesign (and probably resign) than mending. A rollback went without question.

In this case, the data and its structure clearly hadn't changed because it's still accessible via the old control panel, so a rollback should have been quick and simple. Sounds to me as if someone thought they could make a simple fix and it didn't work. A dangerous mistake no proper software developer should make.

I do hope they've learned from this and won't be switching off the old control panel any time soon.

 

[NotWise]

The new user control panel worked right off this morning, which is mostly when I needed it to work. Thank you, Laurel and Manu.

 

[legerdemer]

Indeed. It's a little amusing how desperate we get when our toys get broken. Really, 24 hours without having my fix of looking at the new CP was quite manageable.

I appreciate Manu's and Laurel's improvements. I like both CPs for different reasons, and hope they don't have to turn off the old one any time soon.

 

[Green_Knight]

The new user control panel worked right off this morning, which is mostly when I needed it to work. Thank you, Laurel and Manu.

I'm intrigued. Is there something you can only do on the new user control panel?

 

[RejectReality]

I'm intrigued. Is there something you can only do on the new user control panel?

View your # of and list of followers. See your story favorites in the same place as all your other stats. See when authors you follow have released a new story.

 

[Green_Knight]

View your # of and list of followers. See your story favorites in the same place as all your other stats. See when authors you follow have released a new story.

So, a few 'nice to haves' that could always have been added to the old control panel. Nothing essential or even useful to story writing and submission, then.

The ability to email followers that a new story is about to appear so that they can beat the 1* trolls to it? Much more useful but not there.

 

[NotWise]

So, a few 'nice to haves' that could always have been added to the old control panel. Nothing essential or even useful to story writing and submission, then.

The ability to email followers that a new story is about to appear so that they can beat the 1* trolls to it? Much more useful but not there.

I'd add, the ability to search your story list and to sort it by title (default), date, comments, favorites, ratings and views. I use that ability frequently.

I doubt that your email suggestion would fly. It requires that your fans provided a valid email address, and one that they actually use and check, and it requires that mail from the site doesn't get caught in their spam filters.

I don't have much of a problem with trolling, but I do get the early 1* votes that seem to be from people who don't read the story. They may be categorically 1-bombing everything new in a category they don' like. Regardless of why they do it, they seem to do it as soon as the story goes public. I doubt story announcements are going to have much effect on the early outcome, though they may be useful in the end.

There are authors who keep their own mailing lists of readers who gave them feedback via email and use their own list to make announcements. If you get that kind of feedback then it wouldn't be hard to do.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Just checked, the new user panel is up for me...it now populates.

 

[sr71plt]

I can't get excited over changes to the author's page until/unless they clean up the content of the Web site, which has nothing to do with the presentation or offerings of the author's page.

 

[LesLumens]

Logged in to another pen name and don't feel like switching right now.

That's just the features that are fully realized. Several other features require the other parts of the new site to roll out in order for them to be activated/fully functional.

The most critical part of this update is adhering to new Google requirements about mobile view. Failure to do so would result in a loss of search ranking, which would result in a loss of readership.

So whether you know it or not, you have skin in the game and Literotica is serving your interests as well as their own by replacing the code and infrastructure that's been around since the dark ages of the internet, and is thus virtually impossible to modify to conform to current standards.

So, a few 'nice to haves' that could always have been added to the old control panel. Nothing essential or even useful to story writing and submission, then.

The ability to email followers that a new story is about to appear so that they can beat the 1* trolls to it? Much more useful but not there.

 

[sr71plt]

Logged in to another pen name and don't feel like switching right now.

That's your problem, RR. You should stick to one posting name at Literotica and stop pretending that you are several people who are Web site cheerleaders.

 

[LesLumens]

Of course, your definition of cheerleader is anyone who doesn't attack the site with only the vaguest provocation.

That's your problem, RR. You should stick to one posting name at Literotica and stop pretending that you are several people who are Web site cheerleaders.

 

[sr71plt]

Just to prevent any confusion... as far as I know, I'm no sock puppet of LesLumens, or the other way around. Neither am I related to lovecraft68 for that matter. I might be wrong, but I honestly think there is only one person at Literotica that listens to my typing fingers...

I wasn't confused on that point. You seem straightforward.

 

[sr71plt]

Of course, your definition of cheerleader is anyone who doesn't attack the site with only the vaguest provocation.

Spoken like a true "if you don't just roll over and lick the master's hand for whatever crumbs you get for providing the product the Web site is profiting from, you're a troll" cheerleader.

And this is completely off the topic of you using multiple alts on the forum.

It's also completely off the attention that's being given to just screwing around with the author's control panel without cleaning up the content of the Web site, including taking responsibility for answering emails rather than making the forum users carry the user support functions.

But, what the hey, RR, let's ask Fern what she thinks.

 

[LesLumens]

You feel free to stand on the newly replaced sidewalk, pointing across the street at the part they haven't started on yet, screaming that they haven't done a damn thing.

I'll feel free to wonder when was the last time you visited your optometrist.

Never mind that they're also replacing all the underground electric and telephone wires, gas lines, water pipes, and everything else you can't see, but is far more vital.

 

[sr71plt]

You feel free to stand on the newly replaced sidewalk, pointing across the street at the part they haven't started on yet, screaming that they haven't done a damn thing.

I haven't used the new control panel yet. When it's the only thing there, I'll use it. I haven't complained about the new control panel. It's irrelevant to the Web site cleanup I think should have priority and most of it which doesn't require any systems change at all. You don't seem to be able to get that into your head--actually you are trying to brush right past it.

I'll feel free to wonder when was the last time you visited your optometrist.

In March. Thanks for showing you can be irrelevantly nasty.

Never mind that they're also replacing all the underground electric and telephone wires, gas lines, water pipes, and everything else you can't see, but is far more vital.

Never mind that you're throwing irrelevant flak into the air over my point. None of this is required for most of the Web site cleanup that is necessary or for actually opening the emails that the Web site content tells users to use to contact the Web site administrators.

Now, if you're just going to ignore my points and continue throwing flak up in the air, your attack posts in three or four different names don't require further response.