Tuesday 20 January 2015

Technical message


Due to the fact that our Comments system is absolutely dreadful and that quite a lot of comments appear to have vanished into cyberspace, we're in the middle of moving over onto the famous Disqus system. The move began about 15 minutes ago.

Neither Sue or I have the foggiest idea what we're doing with this techie stuff, so this could be a complete and utter disaster. I'm just following some barely accurate advice from some blogging blog. 

At the moment, all the existing comments seem to have vanished but are, hopefully, migrating over onto the new system (legally, and not in the back of a lorry) and should arrive safely within the next 24 hours.

I thought it best to let you know. I will now go back to being a gibbering wreck until it's worked (if it works).

Oh Gawd, please let it work!

Update: Well, it looks as if Disqus works for new comments (thanks, Alan), so Phew! to that. We just need the existing comments back now.

So to repeat...Oh Gawd, please let it work!

Update 21:30: Grrrr! Time to sleep on it and hope the old comments turn up tomorrow.

(Of course, I could always uninstall Disqus and revert back to normal but, given the way thinks are going, I'll probably end up deleting the whole blog in the process, #whatapessimist)

Update 21/1 - 17:45: Thanks for the feedback so far.

I didn't realise until recently just how hard it must have been to comment here before. (I was wondering where you were, Grant). We had what looked like a completely open access comments system before - no annoying word verification or moderation and you could post anonymously if you fancied. The downside was, it turns out, that for many of you it was pure pot luck if your comment ever got through in the first place. So apologies for that.

I didn't realise there was going to be a voting up and down function with this new system. I should have known really as every other site that uses Disqus seems to have such a thing.  I've never much liked that function, but as I can't work out how to get rid of it (and I have tried) it looks as if it's going to stay. (Darn it!)

All that remains to happen is for the old comments to come through. The 24 hours is not yet up, but I'll admit I was hoping to see that everything had migrated successfully by the time I got in from work tonight. I hasn't yet, though. My fingers remain firmly crossed.

Update 22/1 - 20.15: Well, so much for the original comments migrating over. At this rate they're going to have to scale the fences at Calais and come across in the backs of lorries.

I will keep trying.

Update 23/1 - All ye Bloggers you enter Disqus without a clue, abandon hope! - especially if the "easy" process of transferring existing comments onto the new forum turns out to be anything but easy.

All the old comments are still there. The snag is that only me and Sue can see them. Grrr!

8 comments:

  1. It seems to work for me

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  2. Craig, it is one of the reasons I have not been commenting ! Grant

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  3. Yes it's definitely easier with Disqus but then it's also easier for the antisemitic flokkers like Opit on the Teresa May thread below. Careful what you wish for!!

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  4. So far so good!


    Not sure how my 'blackbird' avatar from WordPress came to automatically appear here, but it can stay.

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  5. Yes, we'll have to keep our eyes peeled.


    Oh, my 'blackbird' avatar's gone.

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  6. Oh 'eck! What the Disqus system giveth etc etc :-) I suspect that you're in for hours of fun but it's in a very good cause.

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  7. I've visited this site almost daily since you and Sue set it up but I am computer illiterate and could never work out how to comment. Glad to see you on Disqus.

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