Upcoming Site Changes and Downtime

Jeez. Just checking out my blog I see it has been about a month since the changes to blog entry submissions. I had not intended it to take as long as it has, nor did I intend for us to be in the position of approving/rejecting blog entries this long either. I am sure that we have pushed some buttons in playing this role, or for making people feel rejected, etc. - so to anyone who has had a blog entry not approved I would like to apologize. I have probably upset quite a large cross section of users across a gamut of reasons so again, I am sorry. As I stated a little over a month ago it is my intention to put the blog moderation into the hands of the community, and not the team members of this site alone. Putting the moderators of this site into the process of blog submissions was unfortunately necessary given a number of shortcomings to the initial implementation. I'd like to say thank you to the majority of users who have given us the benefit of the doubt, and to those that didn't, well I'm sure I'll hear your complaints over the new system as well ;)

In any event, tonight I laid out the steps necessary for deployment of the new site changes as related to blog entry moderation. The test run of implementing these changes took somewhere around 4 hours tonight on my local test machine so I would expect at least that long as well for when the changes are implemented on the live server. In other words, expect some downtime once these changes roll out. I had hoped to get enough done to roll out these changes tomorrow (Tuesday) night, but I will probably end up holding off another night or two so that I can figure out a few more issues related to the changes before I commit.

So, here is a brief run down of what changes are coming. I probably should spend a whole night writing up this list - explaining why we are doing it this way and not that way, or what all the benefits/drawbacks are, etc. - but rather than do that I'll just go over what you can expect and we can go from there. I can assure you I have racked my brain for the last month in trying to come up with the best solution for all, and that I have probably considered just about anything that will be thrown at me.

Goals/Considerations

  • users should be able to have their own blogs that are submitted immediately and evaluated by the greater 9/11 community
  • well rated blog entries should be treated as such and not buried under the rather large number of blog submissions which typically go unrated
  • blog entry topics should not have to be widely accepted in order to be posted to a user's blog
  • blog entries rated poorer than normal by the community should not be given the same weight as blog entries which are rated higher than normal by the community

Changes

  • blog entries are no longer moderated by 911blogger.com team members, but by the community itself
  • blog entries are now instantly posted without the need for delayed moderation
  • default view for the blog section is now a 'recent top rated' page which shows the top rated blog entries for the last XX days (currently 5 days)
  • anonymous users now see 'filtered' blog entry section which contains blog entries above a given community rating
  • registered users now see 'filtered' and 'unfiltered'(all) blog entry sections
  • star based voting system is now replaced with the digg style vote up/down widget (existing star ratings will be converted to up/down - see more below)

I know it doesn't sound like much, but after playing with the new site a bit tonight I am pretty psyched - mostly because the blog entries which receive the highest ratings across the community are no longer buried within a day.

As for the switch from the star based system to the vote up/down system.. I had initially gone with the star based system with the thought that the majority of users would vote an average blog entry with 5 stars, a decent one with 7 stars, a poor one with 3 stars, etc. - but the reality is quite different. As it stands right now 87% of the blog ratings are either a 10 or a 1, and 95% of the blog ratings are 8+ or 3-. What was happening with the system is that users typically wouldn't vote on a blog entry unless they really liked it, or really disagreed with it - there was little to no voting in between - perhaps in part due to the overall lack of meaning to the rating. So, the vote up/down system actually fits in better in this instance in that 95% of the votes were either very high or very low anyway. By making this switch it facilitates us to do moderation and rankings that otherwise wouldn't be possible with the existing star rating system.

With that out of the way, here are a few random site notes..

We are continually receiving invalid requests to the site, requests for pages which have never existed, and don't exist, in some form of basic denial of service attack. At first I though perhaps it was just some robot that was continually scouring our site for some invalid link that was listed on someone else's page until I noticed that these requests were making up more than half of our server requests, and were only originating from 96 different IP addresses in the same IP subset (ex: 123.123.123.XXX). In other words, 96 different IP addresses were requesting the same invalid pages over and over again. These requests were causing major overhead to the site as some of the requests were specifically to pages on the site with the largest overhead. As such the search abilities on the site have been changed such that anonymous bots can no longer continually post invalid search requests to the site to gradually bring the server to its knees. Since I first noticed it these same automated D.O.S. requests have popped up again, but at least this time I know what to look for.

I have gotten a couple of requests from users for images/banners for the site to use on forums, myspace, etc. I have promised to have these done after I have the blog moderation changes done, but that has taken longer than expected. If anyone would like to work on such banners/images please feel free to contact me.

I have received about a dozen emails regarding the activism page I put together a couple of weeks ago. I will be taking a look at these in the coming week, and would encourage people to check it out if you haven't already. What I could use most is people willing to take up a section and build up the content. If you sent in a suggestion I may ask you for your help in this area as it would be a big help. Thanks to those who have already submitted suggestions/content, I will try to update the page to reflect some of the suggestions soon.

One other issue which is still sort of up in the air is whether or not to continue to allow anonymous commenting. I have been an advocate for anonymous commenting for quite some time. There is nothing more annoying than seeing some blog write up a story about the 9/11 community only to find out that I have to register to post a response to it. Unfortunately anonymous commenters are causing issues on this site in a variety of different ways. Most notably some in the community always get a negative tone with any anonymous commenter. This is not a good thing being that the majority of the anonymous comments we get are not from intentional disrupters - people here need to stop associating anonymous commenters with provocateurs, they are not one in the same. However, I have also noticed on a couple of occasions now where the same anonymous poster will post comments on both sides of an issue, in essence hatefully arguing with themselves, as a way to provoke internal feuds. Likewise I have seen some of the now infamous shills (like Ernie) turn around and take sides on internal feuds as a way to instigate arguments. This trend is unfortunately growing it seems. So, if you have any thoughts/opinions on whether or not to discontinue anonymous comments please feel free to voice your opinion. There may be more to come on this in the future..

With that said, I'm off to sleep. If you'd like to vent your complaints about the site, or post constructive suggestions, etc. please feel free to go for it. I can't promise I will be able to respond in any timely fashion, but I will at least try to catch up with them in the evening.

Best wishes all.

Nice list of changes, dz

I'm looking forward to them and hope they'll bring our community together

That would sound amiable

if your part of the community wasn't about promoting nonsense.

Show "a comment like that is damaging to the Truth Movement." by CB_Brooklyn

I appreciate this post DZ

I had submitted 3 blog posts in the last couple of days and NONE were posted. My last one was one on the crater in Shanksville that took me an hour to make, but apparently that all went to waste if those were erased.

This is making me feel like I'm unfairly being censored because some don't like some of my theories.

911blogger has really gone downhill IMO. I hope it starts to go back up with your new rules.

if you'd like the content of

if you'd like the content of your blog entries so that you could repost them i should be able to help you out with that.

as for feeling censored, as i said i didn't approve a large cross section of entries for a variety of reasons, so i wouldn't assume it was just because of you. although i will say one of your submissions directed at a certain person really doesn't have a place here, but i'll leave that up to the community to decide in the future if you were to choose to repost it.

911Blogger Rocks Bigtime :)

Hey DZ, SBG and the rest of the 911Blogger crew...

This site is definately going the RIGHT-WAY and the proposed changes will keep it on track.

Good luck all and thanks

Very sensible changes, dz!

Well, what more can I say? Keep it up, it's much appreciated!

Concerning anonymous posting, how about showing IPs to at least complicate multiple impersonations? Of course, it'd still be relatively easy to circumvent.

I wouldn't mind disallowing anonymous content altogether - for passersby it'd be a little aggravating, which is unfortunate, but cutting down on the trolling might make registering more attractive, too. Well, I don't know...

POLL: Disallow anonymous posting?

Vote up: Yes - Vote down: No

If something ain't broke, then don't fix it.

.

It is broke

Don't be such a wuss. Just register for an account like everyone else.

Show "NSA-types would love you to ban anonymous posting" by Anonymous (not verified)

While that is true,

if we were going to be intimidated by this prospect, we had stopped voicing dissent altogether already.

Show "Plenty of disinfo agents/artists register & use names on this" by Anonymous (not verified)

Why do you not want to register?

It's especially irritating when unregistered posters won't at least choose a fake name to use consistently, because it's hard to keep track of who's saying what in any thread that becomes a complex dialogue with multiple anonymouses.

Not really, and

You're not supposed to be having 1-to-1 converstions on the blog anyway, one addresses a group.

I prefer to remain aonymous.

Non sequitur

Nothing in what I said is about one-on-one conversations.

You prefer to remain anonymous. I would prefer that it was not possible to post anonymously. There you have it.

If I'm addressing the group as anonymous, then you need not

respond to me, if you wish not to.

You want to use a code name, then use one. Why must I do the same as you?

anonymice

but I agree. PLEASE shills, make up a name and stand by your work. This will also make it easier for your paymeasters to determine who gets bonuses and who gets reassigned back to DailyKos duty!

____

Real Truther a.k.a. Verdadero Verdadero

WTCdemolition.com - Harvard Task Force

 

now THAT was funny :D

now THAT was funny :D

Why is being anonymous = being a shill?

Don't equate being anonymous with being a shill. Furthermore, maybe people who push the envelope wish to remain anonymous.

Multiple identities

I think the fact that anonymous posting enables some individuals to assume more than one identity -- or for registered posters to assume an "undercover" identity -- is reason in itself to disallow it. My opinion.

Do you think hardcore shills, NSA, CIA, etc. can't get around

the registration process??? Mandatory registraion will mostly harm regular users who don't want their posts to be easily tracked, put into a database, whatever.

Not buying it.

Specifically, not buying that that's a reason to allow anonymous participation. And did you notice that my post SPECIFICALLY concerned "regular users" who post anonymously, including registered regular users who like to have more than one identity here.

I'm sure that just participating here gets you into a database. I doubt that they're particularly interested in the content of your posts. I could be wrong.

Anonymous

Are you really that chickenshit? That's not what we need in this movement.

Show "Perhaps everyone should be issued a 9/11 Blogger ID card" by Anonymous (not verified)

Thanks for all your hard

Thanks for all your hard work!

I don't know if you saw this fantastic article on Common Dreams, laying out the entire Bush foreign policy, with 9/11 truth smack in the middle. Man, does he connect ALL the dots, and it's excellent to pass on to newbies. I thought it would make a good blog entry.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1203-21.htm

Incredible article, LEH

You should definitely write a blog about it. Thanks.

Casseia, I just did, but I'm

Casseia,

I just did, but I'm not terribly savvy with the process. I may need to redo it if I effed it up!

I'm thinking about printing it out and using it in place of a horrible family Christmas letter :) It is both comprehensive and succinct, and fits 9/11 truth into the larger picture without slamming the reader upside the dunderhead.

I will, no doubt, horrify and piss off the hypocritical "Peace on Earth/War on Christmas" crowd. Ah, well, whadda ya gonna do?

Damn, that would make a FINE Xmas letter!

Your blog turned out just fine!

This article is a great find, and the fact that Common Dreams posted it gives me some hope that the Left's head is not irretrievably up its ass.

Btw, who does the points system around here?

Are they brave enough to give a user ID?

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

What do you mean?

Can you clarify what you mean by this?

Who scores the point system on the comments?

just curious who's behind it all.

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

Are you asking which registered users

use the uprate/downrate toggle?

I do.

Ah, is that how it works?

Then I must apologize to the the people who run 911blogger in which I assumed they were the only ones able to rate comments.

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

+1 and -1 points can be

+1 and -1 points can be given by any user registered here. you should see such a widget to the left of each comment if you are logged in. if you don't please contact me with info on your browser/version, etc.

and thanks for appologizing, try not to assume the worst of the people running this site in the future.

So what about banned members?

Don't tell me none were banned for political reasons.

And what about some members who just insult and curse at other members like Dem Bruce only seems to do?  They are not banned, but others are?

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

out of about 1200 registered

out of about 1200 registered members only 10 accounts are currently blocked, half of which are accounts which were used to post pr0n spam. no users have been banned in over a month, and if anyone were currently blocked and wanted that changed all they would have to do is email me.

as for your suggestion that we ban users for 'political reasons' that is totally laughable, and i don't appreciate the suggestion.

"all they would have to do is email me"

Ok, I'll hold you to that.

And I know some of what I say about this site sounds harsh, but look at it in my shoes. A couple of those 10 people blocked I know (and I really doubt they posted porn), my blog posts don't get submitted anymore, and I relentlessly get attacked by immature jerks on here who never seen to get banned.

I'm hopefully the new steps you will be undertaking will improve blogger and look foward to the changes taking place.

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

One more request?

Enforce your existing rules?...

  • Do not post entries that are abusive, offensive, contain profane or racist material, or resort to attacking other users
  • Post useful information and commentary, not ad-hominem attacks or insults
  • Try to respect others who may have differing opinions, posts which are purely abusive will be removed

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

Tactics of an Enemy Within ?

Playing the old "politically correct" card... are you an attorney ?


ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS


Do not post entries that are abusive, offensive, contain profane or racist material, or resort to attacking other users

Your hypocrisy STINKS



Post useful information and commentary, not ad-hominem attacks or insults

Yes please conform... Your hypocrisy STINKS



Try to respect others who may have differing opinions, posts which are purely abusive will be removed

Hi Pot, meet Kettle... I find all your posts abusive to my mind and intelligence, and would like all your group of California dreamers and fakers removed.




The sooner that everyone realizes you and your groups "true agenda" the better... Go and ask your boss if you can retire early, I'm sure they have an excellent retirement package for ya.

911blogger administration team

Please enforce your own rules:

 

  • Do not use the site to continue arguments with other users from thread to thread
  • Do not post entries that are abusive, offensive, contain profane or racist material, or resort to attacking other users
  • Post useful information and commentary, not ad-hominem attacks or insults
  • Try to respect others who may have differing opinions, posts which are purely abusive will be removed

--------------------------------------------------------

Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.

I expect 911Blogger to discipline Jon Gold

for this extremely inappropriate (not to mention untrue) post

 

http://www.911blogger.com/node/4865#comment-95949 

When is the 911blogger admins

Going to enforce these rules, or are these rules not worthy "the paper it's written on"?

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Focus on the botched crash scene at Shanksville.