MetaFilter Feeds Glitch

January 2, 2009 1:30 PM

You might see old MetaFilter posts or comments showing up as new in Google Reader thanks to a new year glitch we fixed today.

Here's the glitch: every post or comment that flows out in RSS feeds has a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) that news readers like Google Reader use to identify items. As part of this identifier, MetaFilter was using the current year instead of the year associated with the original post or comment.

So when the year rolled over yesterday, hilarity ensued. Not quite Zune-levels of hilarity, but enough to be embarrassed about. Google saw the new IDs for these old items and presented the items as new. Sorry about that.

We've had a good number of questions about this and want to let everyone know that 2009 (and beyond) will be filled with permanent, non-changing GUIDs.

posted by pb to bugs at 1:30 PM (23 comments total)

I just want to reiterate the bug is mostly me sticking "current year" in the GUID instead of "year that post was made". That meant a post from two weeks ago (2008) would show up as new today since it suddenly had a new GUID (kinda like a permalink in the xml/rss world) so it seemed new to Google Reader.

Back when I wrote the feeds, the GUID element was poorly documented and barely explained so I misinterpreted it. It shouldn't happen again though, so I think we're good after this initial hiccup.
posted by mathowie at 1:35 PM on January 2

So MeFi GUIDs are neither global, unique, or identifiers?
posted by blue_beetle at 1:47 PM on January 2 [8 favorites]

Dammit, I was going to make a Zune joke.
posted by smackfu at 1:48 PM on January 2

Thanks for this, guys. RSS is about the only way I can keep up with Mefi some days so this is greatly appreciated.
posted by ardgedee at 1:49 PM on January 2

IT'S Y2K+9! EVERYBODY HIDE!

Oh, wait. It's not that serious.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 2:00 PM on January 2

Thank you for keeping us posted, pb.
posted by jason's_planet at 2:04 PM on January 2

Wow, they are as useful as ISBNs!
posted by QIbHom at 2:55 PM on January 2

pb is so awesome. He is awesome like this all the time.
posted by jessamyn at 3:15 PM on January 2 [2 favorites]

I'm so glad I stuck with bloglines through thick and thin.
posted by lukemeister at 5:15 PM on January 2

Dammit, I was going to make a Zune joke.

me, too.
posted by krautland at 5:28 PM on January 2

At last, a perk for Bloglines users. Too bad the service is shit in almost all other ways.

Too bad GReader's limited feature set (and asinine layout) won't let me jump ship.

Oh, and flame away. I know that GReader fans abound. :)
posted by SlyBevel at 5:43 PM on January 2

You mean like about the elephants that Hannibal brought through the Alps in the Second Zunic War?
posted by lukemeister at 5:52 PM on January 2

Yeah I was all like, man people are posting AskMes about Holland in the new year.

Seriously, thanks for the heads-up pb.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:59 PM on January 2

Too bad I used "too bad" twice in the same breath above. Idiot.
posted by SlyBevel at 5:59 PM on January 2

I had been wondering about what was going on. Thanks for keeping us posted.
posted by sveskemus at 6:18 PM on January 2

SlyBevel,

I will join you in Metafilter Users against Google Reader (MUGR).
posted by lukemeister at 6:53 PM on January 2

Dammit, I was going to make a Zune joke.

Too zune!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:24 PM on January 2 [2 favorites]

moon/spoon/croon/tune/moon/June/soon backlash
posted by lukemeister at 7:51 PM on January 2 [1 favorite]

Dammit, I was going to make a Zune joke.

Microsoft beat all of you to that, I'm afraid.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:30 PM on January 2 [1 favorite]

What's RSS?
posted by cortex at 11:32 PM on January 2

Fine, cortex. Since you seem to need the answer so badly: 20$SAIT. Okay?
posted by cgc373 at 11:43 PM on January 2 [1 favorite]

What's RSS?

rec.sport.soccer. It's part of the Metafilter Sports Network.
posted by lukemeister at 9:21 AM on January 3

Hulu seemed to have the same problem.
posted by Jahaza at 4:46 PM on January 3