Posting down?

November 28, 2008 6:41 AM

Can't post a comment to the blue. "Error—Comment Timed Out Your comment took too long to add. This happens when the server load is unusually high. Please use the back button on your browser to return to the comment form and try posting it again. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Your comment took too long to add?" Server overload I get (though I thought that had been addressed), but since when does the server care how long I take crafting my precious prose?

Long story short, can't post to the blue.

posted by stupidsexyFlanders to bugs at 6:41 AM (34 comments total)

I don't think it means you took too long to compose it, but that it took the db too long in its attempt to accomplish the addition of the comment and the operation timed out.

We got a bug report earlier that looks like it might actually be a disk space issue on the server. I think I'm the only one up so far, and there's not really a lot I can do to even pry into it, so let's hope that (a) it doesn't get worse and (b) Matt and pb haven't simultaneously lapsed into gravy comas.
posted by cortex at 6:47 AM on November 28, 2008

Probably not helpful, but I've hade the exact same issue despite trying a dozen or so times over a period of half an hour to post a comment. The response is near-instantaneous, so a genuine timeout seems unlikely.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 6:51 AM on November 28, 2008

And yeah, I'm getting the same thing over there.
posted by cortex at 6:52 AM on November 28, 2008

yes, I am getting these errors too.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:58 AM on November 28, 2008

I even gave up posting over my breakfast cereal at home (after many failures) and came to work (the other side of the city).

And even that didn't fix it! Despite the fact I must, surely, now be trying to add a post from the other side of the database!


/deeply technically knowledgable.
posted by Brockles at 6:59 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

The database is secretly judging the worth of your comment.
posted by mandal at 7:14 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

That explains why the Mumbai thread hasn't been updated in two hours. I guess that saves me from being the bearer of more bad news.
posted by oaf at 7:14 AM on November 28, 2008

Something is apparently freeing up little smidges of disk, since I'm going from able to not able to comment in this thread and vice versa.
posted by cortex at 7:21 AM on November 28, 2008

Left Matt a VM. Go shopping!
posted by cortex at 7:26 AM on November 28, 2008

"Your comment took too long to add."

And here I thought a well-thought-out response was preferable over a quick id-fueled riposte. Guess I'll have to go read up on the YouTube school of comments to get into the swing of things.



lol it dun work for me either??? lame
posted by Spatch at 7:26 AM on November 28, 2008

No wonder it was so quiet this morning. I figured all the usually hyper-active Americans were still struggling with a post-feast drowzy haze.
posted by vacapinta at 7:27 AM on November 28, 2008

I am grateful no one tried to hack the site or seriously fuck anything up this year.

-- jessamyn, recklessly giving thanks, two threads down
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:29 AM on November 28, 2008

In this case I think the hack would be "adding content". Pernicious, these blackhats.
posted by cortex at 7:31 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

since when does the server care how long I take crafting my precious prose?

it's a new rule - you can either type, or you can think
posted by pyramid termite at 7:36 AM on November 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

Those little smudges of disk space being freed up is me removing all of my favorites.
posted by adipocere at 8:21 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Those little smudges of disk space being freed up is me removing all of my favorites.

I don't think I really want to know how much space tehloki takes up, then.
posted by DMan at 8:41 AM on November 28, 2008

And here I thought that it was just me and I was stealth banned.

It was okay, though. I'm used to being silenced all my life.
posted by winna at 8:45 AM on November 28, 2008

Hey we could get back some disk space by removing all the unused accounts, AMIRITE?
posted by donnagirl at 8:57 AM on November 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

I want my motherfuckin' $5 back. I ain't gettin' my money's worth on this site.
posted by gman at 9:00 AM on November 28, 2008

Due to the economic crisis, MetaFilter has begun rationing out posts. Everyone please check your user ID number.

If it ends in an odd number, you may post on Mondays and Wednesdays. If it ends in an even number, you may post on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays.

If your user ID number is prime, you may additionally post on every other Saturday, the start of which is determined by a formula that takes into consideration your favorited/favorites ratio.

Everyone is now limited to a single MetaTalk post per account. Make it count, people.
posted by anifinder at 9:26 AM on November 28, 2008

It's the kerning I tell you, the KERNING!
posted by DMan at 9:45 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

The professional white background is taking up too much space.
posted by subbes at 9:53 AM on November 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

Yeah, the slapped together logos were the glue that held the site together. Professionalism has no place on Metafilter.
posted by lukemeister at 10:18 AM on November 28, 2008

Pernicious, these blackhats.

I'm hacking the DB right now. Every word I type is more space that others of you can't use...

***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************

You see that? That is probably bumping some genius comment that would have gotten a thousand favorites! Suck it good guys!

Bwahaha
posted by quin at 10:27 AM on November 28, 2008

In this case I think the hack would be "adding content". Pernicious, these blackhats.

"Hats of color" is the preferred term.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 11:20 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Have we implemented Twitter's load balancing and database optimization?

Because that would explain the constant downtime.

"Your comment[, fool of a took, is] too long to add."
posted by blue_beetle at 11:32 AM on November 28, 2008

Brevity is the soul of wit. In other words, type fast before the site realizes that you are adding another fatuous comment, like this one.
posted by Cranberry at 12:54 PM on November 28, 2008

Yeah, I got this early this morning as well and it was the BEST FUCKING COMMENT EVER and would have been favorited a million times and shit but then I had to go out and I just got back and I can't remember what the comment was now and so, well, your loss, isn't it.

Man, it's gonna bug me now. That comment would have made Metafilter-history and now it's lost forever like a mustard burp on a windy day. Damn.
posted by Manhasset at 2:06 PM on November 28, 2008

All ur disk space are belong to us
posted by SteveTheRed at 2:14 PM on November 28, 2008

What Manhasset said. I mean, exactly. Word for word. Apart from the slightly disparaging bit about mustard. That's just not on.
posted by MrMustard at 1:11 AM on November 29, 2008

Things seem to be working now? I see posts from today, with comments.
posted by philomathoholic at 9:37 AM on November 29, 2008

Yeah, no, we resolved it yesterday morning and should be fine for a while; we're looking into ways to prevent it from recurring in the future.
posted by cortex at 9:58 AM on November 29, 2008

occurring? reoccurring recurring?
posted by lohmannn at 3:59 PM on November 30, 2008

"RECURRING" IS A WORD
posted by cortex at 6:22 PM on November 30, 2008