Preventing duplicates

January 6, 2008 11:38 PM

New post form's URL search is broken.

I made a double post yesterday. I searched for the URL in both the normal and printer friendly versions, using MetaFilter's new post form. In fact, if I go to the New Post form right now, and copy the link from Malor's original post, it reports: "The URLs you entered were not found in previous threads. You might want to check the search page for duplicates, just to be sure."

Of course, I did some additional searching, like using Google's link: feature (along with site:metafilter.com) which also turned up nothing. I also tried clicking on my tags, but apparently Malor and I have different taste in tags.

Summary: It's hard to avoid posting a double.

posted by knave to Bugs at 11:38 PM (19 comments total)

Weird, it appears that Malor's post doesn't show up, likely because the double post search might not be searching for exact URL matches in the link_url field (It appears it is searching the link_description field).

I can do a search to find two mentions of that issue of wired in old posts (one is yours), and I can do a search to reveal Malor's second supporting link, but not his first. Probably a small programming bug on the double post search that I'll alert pb to.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:47 PM on January 6, 2008

The URLs are different.

Malor's: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/esp.html
knave's: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/esp_pr.html
posted by Plutor at 4:48 AM on January 7, 2008

That's what you get for being tricky and using the print version.

And really, the system works well enough. We have a very effective way for finding duplicates: many thousand of people's memories. They can detect a duplicate through page moves, cut & pastes, domain name change. It's amazing and way better than any technical solution.
posted by smackfu at 5:41 AM on January 7, 2008

No, it's not what I get. Re-read what I wrote.
posted by knave at 5:45 AM on January 7, 2008

I read Plutor's comment, that's good enough.
posted by smackfu at 5:47 AM on January 7, 2008

But yeah, I missed that line in your post. Sorry. But I don't really understand why people take it so seriously when they post a double. It's not like there's a penalty, and no one holds it against you.
posted by smackfu at 5:49 AM on January 7, 2008

It's more work for the admins. I wouldn't have posted if there wasn't an actual bug to report though.
posted by knave at 6:10 AM on January 7, 2008

Whup. I missed the line, too. But I'll echo what smackfu said. Doubles aren't a huge deal. I've had at least a couple myself, and I sleep okay at night. And what with flagging, I bet it's almost zero work for the admins: "Oh look, this post has a few double flags. Oh, look, the first six comments all link to the original post. [click]"
posted by Plutor at 6:16 AM on January 7, 2008

Yeah, they really aren't a big deal. If people are making a reasonable effort to search first and then still goof up now and then, that's...pretty much exactly how it works, practically speaking.

Gameplan:

1. Use internal/external search functions to try to make sure it's not a double.
2. Oops, it's a double. We deleted it, and it's no big deal!
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:58 AM on January 7, 2008

I'm still trying to figure out at what point knave made the "huge deal" out of this that everybody is referring to.
posted by phaedon at 8:35 AM on January 7, 2008

I don't think he did make a big deal out of it. Folks are just trying to underscore the not-big-dealness of it, for the benefit of other readers.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:38 AM on January 7, 2008

A: "Whoops, I spilled my milk."
B: "Don't worry, not a huge deal."
C: "HE NEVER SAID IT WAS A HUGE DEAL. LAY OFF HIM, GHUYS."
posted by Plutor at 8:41 AM on January 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

note: Everyone needs a bug.
posted by phaedon at 8:41 AM on January 7, 2008

IT'S NO BUG DEAL
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:44 AM on January 7, 2008

Spilled Milk: It's not like there's a penalty, and no one holds it against you.
posted by phaedon at 8:49 AM on January 7, 2008

I want the milk to be banned for having the temerity to be spilled.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:53 AM on January 7, 2008

was the milk both poured and spilled from the same ip address?
posted by pjern at 9:04 AM on January 7, 2008

c-c-c-combo breaker!
posted by knave at 9:19 AM on January 7, 2008

knave: "c-c-c-combo breaker!"




[deep inhale] BWAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAAH....HA [exhausted wheeze]

Dude you win ten internets. I haven't laughed that hard all week. Thank you.
posted by lazaruslong at 11:25 AM on January 7, 2008