Help, my AskMeta post broke the front page February 2, 2007 12:33 PM Subscribe
Oh crap, I broke metafilter, again =(
That's impressive. I thought I was going nuts and refreshed my browser a bunch of times.
posted by generichuman at 12:40 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by generichuman at 12:40 PM on February 2, 2007
i ask a perfectly good question and you have to go ruin it with an inconsiderate answer ;)
posted by grex at 12:41 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by grex at 12:41 PM on February 2, 2007
How did you do that?
<a href='http://www.well.com/~neal/cypherFAQ.html" ">
There's the demon: mismatched single and double quotes.
posted by cortex at 12:53 PM on February 2, 2007
<a href='http://www.well.com/~neal/cypherFAQ.html" ">
There's the demon: mismatched single and double quotes.
posted by cortex at 12:53 PM on February 2, 2007
Note to Jessamyn: See how I'm not duplicating the problem? I think I've grown.
posted by Plutor at 12:54 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Plutor at 12:54 PM on February 2, 2007
Attaboy, Plutor.
It's interesting to see what a different degree of havoc an unclosed ' wreaks compared to an unclosed ". With a double quote, at least someone else can fix the thread with a matching quote—when we've got an unmatched single quote, it breaks the rendering of the comment box itself! No ducttape for you!
posted by cortex at 12:55 PM on February 2, 2007
It's interesting to see what a different degree of havoc an unclosed ' wreaks compared to an unclosed ". With a double quote, at least someone else can fix the thread with a matching quote—when we've got an unmatched single quote, it breaks the rendering of the comment box itself! No ducttape for you!
posted by cortex at 12:55 PM on February 2, 2007
Well, Metafilter's broken. Looks like I'm leaving work early today.
posted by jefbla at 12:56 PM on February 2, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by jefbla at 12:56 PM on February 2, 2007 [2 favorites]
Quote With endquote a quote double quote endquote, at least someone else can fix the thread with a matching quote quote endquote—when we've got an unmatched quote single quote endquote, it quote breaks the rendering of the comment box itself endquote!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:01 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:01 PM on February 2, 2007
Was that supposed to impress me, Flo? Because it was actually rather quotidian.
posted by cortex at 1:03 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by cortex at 1:03 PM on February 2, 2007
such is the status quo
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:05 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:05 PM on February 2, 2007
A good rule of thumb—and I say this as a headstrong non-Previewer:
Always do a Preview for a comment including links. Always.
Saves you from the minor annoyance of typographically broken links (if you test them, natch), and makes it functionally impossible to post a thread-breaker like the one we've got here.
posted by cortex at 1:10 PM on February 2, 2007
Always do a Preview for a comment including links. Always.
Saves you from the minor annoyance of typographically broken links (if you test them, natch), and makes it functionally impossible to post a thread-breaker like the one we've got here.
posted by cortex at 1:10 PM on February 2, 2007
hal9k: You broke the President!
posted by JeremiahBritt at 1:10 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by JeremiahBritt at 1:10 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
Goddamit dios.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:12 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:12 PM on February 2, 2007
shit, and quality farm and fleet is all out of pitchforks ... what lousy timing
posted by pyramid termite at 1:18 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by pyramid termite at 1:18 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
For the benefit of those who drop by after the Gods have cleaned up after our misbehaving porpoise, the second comment in the thread now reads:
The perl-script/playing cards
B I link
Preview
Live Preview:
note: Ask MetaFilter is as useful as you make it. Please limit comments
to answers or help in finding an answer. Wisecracks don't help people
find answers. Thanks.
posted by languagehat at 1:35 PM on February 2, 2007
The perl-script/playing cards
B I link
Preview
Live Preview:
note: Ask MetaFilter is as useful as you make it. Please limit comments
to answers or help in finding an answer. Wisecracks don't help people
find answers. Thanks.
posted by languagehat at 1:35 PM on February 2, 2007
grex - sorry, I was trying to add an answer.
Sorry everyone, I'll condition myself to do an actual preview before posting comments from now on out.
posted by porpoise at 1:38 PM on February 2, 2007
Sorry everyone, I'll condition myself to do an actual preview before posting comments from now on out.
posted by porpoise at 1:38 PM on February 2, 2007
It's not quite as glorious as the full-monty brokenness of an actual posted, threadbreaking comment, but this is an image of an unmatched single quote comment, post-Preview.
posted by cortex at 1:46 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by cortex at 1:46 PM on February 2, 2007
Managed to beat the clock this time. Usually by the time I Alt+PrtScrn; open photoshop; paste clipboard new; save for web; open WinSCP; sync; write MetaTalk comment; and finally post the thread has been closed.
posted by Mitheral at 1:54 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Mitheral at 1:54 PM on February 2, 2007
Wow, he pushed it hard enough and it fell down.
(Firesign geeks in the hizzouse!)
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 1:56 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
(Firesign geeks in the hizzouse!)
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 1:56 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
porpoise: "grex - sorry, I was trying to add an answer.
Sorry everyone, I'll condition myself to do an actual preview before posting comments from now on out."
Hey, whoa-- don't worry about it. We like giving people hell, but it's no big deal. Not in the slightest.
Certainly not your fault. I have a hard time figuring out how it could be your fault. I mean, if there are ways for people to purposefully bork the site, that should be fixed, no?
posted by koeselitz at 2:02 PM on February 2, 2007
Sorry everyone, I'll condition myself to do an actual preview before posting comments from now on out."
Hey, whoa-- don't worry about it. We like giving people hell, but it's no big deal. Not in the slightest.
Certainly not your fault. I have a hard time figuring out how it could be your fault. I mean, if there are ways for people to purposefully bork the site, that should be fixed, no?
posted by koeselitz at 2:02 PM on February 2, 2007
that should be fixed, no?
Hey, Matt, can you feed some hay to the check-for-mismatched-quotes pony?
posted by cortex at 2:05 PM on February 2, 2007
Hey, Matt, can you feed some hay to the check-for-mismatched-quotes pony?
posted by cortex at 2:05 PM on February 2, 2007
You just wait till mathowie gets home young man!
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:05 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:05 PM on February 2, 2007
Certainly not your fault. I have a hard time figuring out how it could be your fault. I mean, if there are ways for people to purposefully bork the site, that should be fixed, no?
While I don't see any harm in his actions, I don't see how it could not be his fault. He posted the link and borked it, seemingly without proper preview action. That doesn't mean anything negative will or should come of his actions, but whose else fault would it be?
posted by jmd82 at 3:07 PM on February 2, 2007
While I don't see any harm in his actions, I don't see how it could not be his fault. He posted the link and borked it, seemingly without proper preview action. That doesn't mean anything negative will or should come of his actions, but whose else fault would it be?
posted by jmd82 at 3:07 PM on February 2, 2007
Could it be that something happened and it was no one's fault?
Not in America, no.
posted by tkolar at 3:32 PM on February 2, 2007
Not in America, no.
posted by tkolar at 3:32 PM on February 2, 2007
jmd82: "While I don't see any harm in his actions, I don't see how it could not be his fault. He posted the link and borked it, seemingly without proper preview action. That doesn't mean anything negative will or should come of his actions, but whose else fault would it be?"
So now we're required to do "proper preview action?" What the hell does that even mean?
And how, exactly, do you do whatever it is porpoise did? I don't understand what exactly he did. Do you even know what he did? So how exactly can he be expected to know?
tkolar: "Could it be that something happened and it was no one's fault?"
Oh, of course not.
posted by koeselitz at 3:56 PM on February 2, 2007
So now we're required to do "proper preview action?" What the hell does that even mean?
And how, exactly, do you do whatever it is porpoise did? I don't understand what exactly he did. Do you even know what he did? So how exactly can he be expected to know?
tkolar: "Could it be that something happened and it was no one's fault?"
Oh, of course not.
posted by koeselitz at 3:56 PM on February 2, 2007
k, it is clear what porpoise did—I've discussed in detail what he did in this thread—and jmd82's comment, while (adorably!) pedantic, wasn't remotely hostile.
And yes, previewing posts that contain markup is a pretty good idea. I've been bitten on the ass more than once by headlong posting, and I consider myself both savvy and careful in my use of inline styling here.
posted by cortex at 4:22 PM on February 2, 2007
And yes, previewing posts that contain markup is a pretty good idea. I've been bitten on the ass more than once by headlong posting, and I consider myself both savvy and careful in my use of inline styling here.
posted by cortex at 4:22 PM on February 2, 2007
THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR: PORPOISE IS A DIOS SOCKPUPPET. HIS THREADSHITTING HAS TURNED INTO THREADBREAKING! HE MUST BE STOPPED.
posted by Kwine at 7:04 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Kwine at 7:04 PM on February 2, 2007
I love improper preview action, makes me feel *so* baaad.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:22 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:22 PM on February 2, 2007
Stepped out of the office, and cortex basically covered it. Yes, we know exactly what porpoise did to bork things up.
So now we're required to do "proper preview action?" What the hell does that even mean?
That means clicking the "Preview" button. I never even insinuated it ought to be required. All I said is his failure to use it places the blame squarly on his shoulders. Once again, I also repeat that blame has no correlation with negative connotation in this context.
Could it be that something happened and it was no one's fault?
Not in America, no.
Huh? This has absolutely nothing to do with America, and everything with the fact, IMHO, fault is easy to place in this scenario. I think people are automatically associating blame/fault/etc with BAD BAD BAD.
And, this is this first time my pedantry has been associated with being adorable! Hurry!
posted by jmd82 at 7:32 PM on February 2, 2007
So now we're required to do "proper preview action?" What the hell does that even mean?
That means clicking the "Preview" button. I never even insinuated it ought to be required. All I said is his failure to use it places the blame squarly on his shoulders. Once again, I also repeat that blame has no correlation with negative connotation in this context.
Could it be that something happened and it was no one's fault?
Not in America, no.
Huh? This has absolutely nothing to do with America, and everything with the fact, IMHO, fault is easy to place in this scenario. I think people are automatically associating blame/fault/etc with BAD BAD BAD.
And, this is this first time my pedantry has been associated with being adorable! Hurry!
posted by jmd82 at 7:32 PM on February 2, 2007
You know, I saw that and flagged it, and thought to myself "Should I post a Meta to let folks know a question got borked?"
Now I know.
posted by solotoro at 7:42 PM on February 2, 2007
Now I know.
posted by solotoro at 7:42 PM on February 2, 2007
Usually it's best to just email jessamyn or me directly. Then I can fix it instantly and I don't have to wait for my every hour or so metatalk crawl.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:53 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:53 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
Usually it's best to just email jessamyn or me directly. Then I can fix it instantly and I don't have to wait for my every hour or so metatalk crawl.
But then what would entertain me on Friday nights?
posted by jmd82 at 8:14 PM on February 2, 2007
But then what would entertain me on Friday nights?
posted by jmd82 at 8:14 PM on February 2, 2007
This word "fault", I do not think it means what you think it means.
posted by tkolar at 8:21 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by tkolar at 8:21 PM on February 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
Yay, tkolar! Now do priggish!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:38 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:38 PM on February 2, 2007
and I don't have to wait for my every hour or so metatalk crawl.
well, it's not like a person can walk through here ... although some of us have learned to hang from the ceiling like bats
posted by pyramid termite at 9:12 PM on February 2, 2007
well, it's not like a person can walk through here ... although some of us have learned to hang from the ceiling like bats
posted by pyramid termite at 9:12 PM on February 2, 2007
Or voyeuristic cats...
posted by BigLankyBastard at 9:22 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by BigLankyBastard at 9:22 PM on February 2, 2007
. . . Or lemon-colored, syncopated, off-rhyme–quoting prats.
posted by cgc373 at 12:08 AM on February 3, 2007
posted by cgc373 at 12:08 AM on February 3, 2007
I like the sound of this 'blame squarly".
posted by flabdablet at 12:31 AM on February 3, 2007
posted by flabdablet at 12:31 AM on February 3, 2007
I picture it as looking something like a centipede, only cute and fluffy and with cheeks stuffed full of mismatched quotes.
posted by flabdablet at 12:34 AM on February 3, 2007
posted by flabdablet at 12:34 AM on February 3, 2007
I'll take the second meaning of fault:
Responsibility for a mistake or an offense; culpability. Particularly the former, as it was a mistake.
posted by jmd82 at 8:18 AM on February 3, 2007
Responsibility for a mistake or an offense; culpability. Particularly the former, as it was a mistake.
posted by jmd82 at 8:18 AM on February 3, 2007
...my every hour or so metatalk crawl.
Good god man, I hope you wear gloves!
posted by dg at 3:03 PM on February 4, 2007
Good god man, I hope you wear gloves!
posted by dg at 3:03 PM on February 4, 2007
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posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:36 PM on February 2, 2007 [3 favorites]