links.mefi Page Not Updating

July 2, 2004 7:24 PM

I just noticed that my little line in the ginormous Links! Links! Links! page of members' home pages does not reflect changes I made in my user profile some weeks back.
posted by carter to Bugs at 7:24 PM (7 comments total)

Also, the order isn't randomised, at least not between reloads, which must really suck for the guy stuck at the bottom of the list, mathowie (whoever that is).

It's probably a good thing you didn't post a proper link for the list, as everybody like me who has to load every link of a post even if they know what's on the other end loading the list would be a bad thing for the server load.
posted by fvw at 7:35 PM on July 2, 2004

Actually, the bad link was not intentional; I just noticed that that it just doesn't work from metafilter. It does however work from Google. There's actually two links to the page from Google: wwww.metafilter.com/links.mefi (yes 4 w's), and also gopher.metafilter.com/links.mefi.

Also, both those pages never completely load in whatever OS X browser I'm using (Safari, Firefox, Mozilla) and ultimately wind up crashing the browsers.
posted by carter at 7:41 PM on July 2, 2004

The problem with the link isn't the hostname, it's the fact you forgot to put http:// in front of it, causing it to try to retrieve a page named /mefi/wwww.metafilter.com/links.mefi on the server metatalk.metafilter.com.

Also, all domains ending in ".metafilter.com" (apart from a few exceptions) get you to metafilter, there's nothing special about wwww or gopher. This has been discussed at length in the grey, google if you can muster the curiosity.
posted by fvw at 8:12 PM on July 2, 2004

doh!
posted by carter at 8:18 PM on July 2, 2004

I've noticed that about the links page as well - it hasn't refreshed for several months. The newest members aren't even on it.
posted by iconomy at 8:21 PM on July 2, 2004

I forgot to setup the script that creates the static version of that page. Will fix soon.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:18 AM on July 3, 2004

Speaking of new members: Has anyone else noticed that we've had several joiners since signups were closed in early April?

Exhibits:
17530, 17529, 17528, 17527, 17526, 17525, 17524, 17523, etc.

I don't think that they were all the subjects of FPPs, as initial comments by the new users don't seem to be in response to responses to something they've created, so my theories:

1. Matt's extending memberships to new friends. (Supporting evidence: Matt posts an FPP about "electionnightdrinkspecials.com." In the thread, the proprietor of said website comments and via his profile we learn that he signed up 2.5 weeks ago, a while after signups were closed.) I would guess that Matt is trying to test how well the new server setup handles new members without opening the system to a public onslaught.

2. There is a new backdoor.
posted by quasistoic at 1:55 PM on July 5, 2004