Multiple posting.

October 4, 2001 12:16 PM

Today, a user posted SEVEN identical posts on the front page (here's one). It doesn't appear to be spam. I guess the user doesn't understand how to post threads (You may have to wait a while after hitting the Post button). If I were Matt, this is the kind of idiocy that would make my job suck.

posted by ktheory to etiquette/policy at 12:16 PM (8 comments total)

I know there are other threads suggesting ways to improve the community, but today's sextuple post is yet another problem of Metafilter's growth.

I think we need ways to prevent users like this from wasting Matt's and every user's time. For example, only allowing users to post one or two front page threads per day. And, put a message next to the post button that you only need to click it once.
posted by ktheory at 12:23 PM on October 4, 2001

When the server is having trouble responding, like now, you have to remember that there are things going on in the background that you're not aware of. Pages hand off to other pages.

First a post goes to a posting script for insertion into the database. Then the browser is redirected back to the page with the comments listed. If the redirect times out, but the original post was inserted, the user thinks the whole thing failed and resubmits.

It's hard to tell that this is happening since you never see a page saying, "Insert done, redirecting you to the main page."
posted by perplexed at 12:23 PM on October 4, 2001

I think we need ways to prevent users like this from wasting Matt's and every user's time. For example, only allowing users to post one or two front page threads per day. And, put a message next to the post button that you only need to click it once

The server is getting far too much traffic, and until I finish a transaction system that doesn't allow multiple posts no matter how many times the post button is pushed, it'll continue to happen.
posted by mathowie at 1:17 PM on October 4, 2001

I remember in the past you changed the value of the post button after it was clicked to say something like "Please Wait", but I don't think it does that anymore (or I haven't noticed, I don't post to the front page often, and haven't recently).

Why use a similar technique, but only this time put the "Post" button inside a div, then change the div's visibility to hidden after it's clicked the first time?
posted by tomorama at 2:14 PM on October 4, 2001

*Why not use a similar technique...

D'oh. My fault for not previewing my post first. To expand on the thought, you could hide the form buttons and replace them with a "Publishing Your Link, Please Wait..." message.
posted by tomorama at 2:16 PM on October 4, 2001

matt, should we start a drive for another server? that's more than fair, I'm sure lots of people would make a contribution.

if you want to, keep track and if mefi pro comes out within the next year, give all those who have contributed $30 or more a free year.
posted by rebeccablood at 2:45 PM on October 4, 2001

matt, should we start a drive for another server? that's more than fair, I'm sure lots of people would make a contribution

I've been thinking about this, but frankly I don't want another server. This one is getting to be "full" and it's enough work as it is. I just shut off new user signups, and the front page is static, and the server is still ultra slow.
posted by mathowie at 2:59 PM on October 4, 2001

perhaps a further warning on the posting page to the effect that multiple posting is not smiled upon, gets you a black mark by your name and is killing metafilter.
a link to the (google) search before going to post, to check the originality of the link? would that ease traffic at all?

ok, i admit it, it's my fault. i have spent far too much time on meta filter since i joined. perhaps if i spent only 10 minutes out of every 15 on mefi you'd have a much smoother operating server.
posted by asok at 9:55 AM on October 5, 2001