denise: Image: Me, facing away from camera, on top of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome (Default)
Denise ([staff profile] denise) wrote in [site community profile] dw_news2009-11-09 11:13 pm

Weekly Update: 9 November

My cat wants you all to know that he is being neglected. At least, that's what I think he means by trying to walk across the keyboard while he's lecturing me.

Sorry about the delay this week! I forgot it was Monday until someone reminded me, and then I got distracted. I'll try to behave better next week. Now that I've remembered, it's on with the update! Short and sweet one this week, but we've got some interesting bits anyway.




1. Development



Development this week was pretty active, with 43 bugs RESOLVED/FIXED. You can see the full list of this week's efforts in this week's code tour.

Highlights this week include bug fixes, new themes, display fixes for existing themes, a whole bunch of code cleanup to remove old things we don't need, and a few new features: comments on the Manage Comments page will display a * if they have replies, comments in threads will have a link to the comment that started the thread, there's a new display property setting that will let you decide if you want your Inbox to respect the <cut> tag in entries, the Inbox count in the site scheme menu will dynamically update, unclosed <cut> tags will be automatically closed in crossposted entries so the footer will display properly on the journal view on the remote site, and the comment count image in the crosspost footer has been changed around a bunch so all of the images are the same size (and can therefore have height and width properties defined).

Some of those fixes are live, while others won't be live until the next code push. Watch [site community profile] dw_maintenance for code push announcements.


2. Bug Reporting



Support would like to remind everyone that if you're having an issue with Dreamwidth or have a question about how to make something work, no matter how minor you think it might be, they want to hear about it! If it's a bug, they'll make sure it gets logged into our bug reporting tracker; if it's a suggestion, they'll make sure you get pointed in the right direction to make it; if it's a question about how to use the site, they'll make sure to teach you and then work with the docs team to get the FAQs updated.

We've seen a bunch of people saying that they don't want to bother Support with problems or questions, and it really isn't a bother at all. (Support likes having questions to answer.)

We've also seen people wondering if something is a known issue. If there's something that's affecting the whole site, we'll post about it in [site community profile] dw_maintenance and update the Dreamwidth offsite Twitter status page. If something's not listed there and you're having a problem with it, let Support know!


3. OpenID



This week, we upgraded our OpenID support to OpenID 2.0, so sites that only support version 2.0 of the OpenID protocol will now work to log in on Dreamwidth. As always, let us know if there are any problems.


4. Antispam



The antispam team has been doing a kickass job with handling spam reports! They ran a few numbers this week, though, and discovered that 65% of last week's volume, and 60% of the whole month's, has been invalid reports of comment trolling being marked as spam. Just a reminder that the "delete and mark as spam" option is for unwanted bulk comments -- advertising, pagerank boosting, and other forms of automated abuse. If you're having problems with comments that are unwanted, but not spam, you can delete the comments, log IP addresses, and/or limit commenting to registered members/people on your access list only.


5. Communities of the Week



This week we bring to you two more of the interesting communities you can find on Dreamwidth:

[community profile] metaquotes: For the posting of amusing, insightful, witty (etc) things said on Dreamwidth. The community rules can be found in the rules post

[community profile] singularity: Singularity is a fan fiction community welcoming het, slash, femslash, and gen, serious fic and crack fic dedicated to Star Trek (2009) and its universe; whether you want to post a fic about Kirk and Spock's first voyage as captain and XO of the Enterprise or how Janeway's life is different because of the alternate timeline, this is the place for you. Community rules can be found at the mod post tag.


6. Layout Poll, part 2



Last week's default layout poll was a near-tie between Skittlish Dreams and Transmogrified. Because it was so close -- only one vote's difference -- we'll include both layouts' themes in this week's poll.

Please vote for the theme you'd like to see as the default for new accounts for the next few months:

Poll #1667 Default Layout
This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 274

Pick one:

Blue
52 (19.0%)

Cyan
20 (7.3%)

Green
18 (6.6%)

Orange
13 (4.7%)

Pink
3 (1.1%)

Red
43 (15.7%)

Violet
6 (2.2%)

Black Eye
3 (1.1%)

Black or White
16 (5.8%)

Cotton Candy Dust
7 (2.6%)

Earth and Sky
15 (5.5%)

Golden Ticket
9 (3.3%)

Ocean
27 (9.9%)

Pale Jewels
7 (2.6%)

Subtle Almond
16 (5.8%)

Basic
18 (6.6%)

White or Black
1 (0.4%)




7. Follow Friday



A few weeks back, [personal profile] damned_colonial decided to bring Twitter's "Follow Friday" over here to Dreamwidth: every Friday, post about interesting people and communities you read on DW. We've set up a followfriday tag on the Latest Posts feed, so anything you post with that tag (I believe 'follow friday' will also work) will get added to the feed. Check it out for interesting things to read!


8. Life, the Universe, and Everything



A few random facts that don't fit anywhere else:

* After our discussion about invite codes, I asked Mark to check on how many codes have been used over time and how many are still available. As of 11/3, when he pulled the stats, it was 124,860 unused codes out of 171,836 issued. If you've got some of those codes and want to offer them up, [site community profile] dw_codesharing is the place to do it.

* If you have a syndicated feed on your reading list that's changed its source URL, you don't need to make a new feed account for it. Contact Support with the name of the feed account and the new URL, and the source can be changed.

* We had 116 people take the card sort test we posted about last week for the Settings page -- thanks, guys! If you missed this one, don't worry; we'll be taking the data we got and doing another sort next week to test various designs to see which one is most logical.



*

That's it for another week! As always, if you're having problems with Dreamwidth, Support can help you; for notices of site problems and downtime, check the Twitter status page; if you've got an idea to make the site better, you can make a suggestion; if you just want to come and hang out with us, join us in irc at irc.dwscoalition.org, channel #dw. (Warning: studies have shown that #dw causes loss of time and mad laughter in lab rats.)

Oh, and for the record, both Mark and I are doing well at NaNoWriMo: my word count's at 30,493, and his is at 9,799. If you're NaNoveling, we hope it's going well for you, too!

We'll see you next week for our next update.
angelikitten: A sad looking kitty (Sad - Lost Kitty)

[personal profile] angelikitten 2009-11-10 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
Awww, poor ignored kitty *pets*
Edited 2009-11-10 08:39 (UTC)
angelikitten: A happy orange kitty with a halo (Default)

[personal profile] angelikitten 2009-11-10 09:04 am (UTC)(link)
And that's how you know that he's genuinely a kitty!
elizaria: generation kill text foxtrot.uniform.charlie.kilo (catmonster- stare of dooom)

[personal profile] elizaria 2009-11-10 10:31 am (UTC)(link)
Ain't that the truth :D
erilyn525600: (kurt halsey | cat colored)

[personal profile] erilyn525600 2009-11-10 11:41 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for the Inbox <cut> tags. Been spoiled a few times that way.
pne: A picture of a plush toy, halfway between a duck and a platypus, with a green body and a yellow bill and feet. (Default)

[personal profile] pne 2009-11-10 11:50 am (UTC)(link)
comments in threads will have a link to the comment that started the thread

Awesome!

unclosed <cut> tags will be automatically closed in crossposted entries so the footer will display properly on the journal view on the remote site

Hee :)

This week, we upgraded our OpenID support to OpenID 2.0, so sites that only support version 2.0 of the OpenID protocol will now work to log in on Dreamwidth.

That's good, too!

I don't (think I) use v2.0 myself, but it's good to know that something based on LiveJournal code supports the latest version, given that at least some people identify OpenID as "what [those guys at] LiveJournal came up with".
susanreads: my avatar, a white woman with brown hair and glasses (Default)

[personal profile] susanreads 2009-11-10 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Some awesome changes there! Also, thanks for recommending [community profile] metaquotes *subscribes*
cesy: Home is where the <3 is (Dreamwidth) (Dreamwidth)

[personal profile] cesy 2009-11-10 01:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay for lots of cool stuff :)
zarhooie: Girl on a blueberry bramble looking happy. Text: Kat (Default)

[personal profile] zarhooie 2009-11-10 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
(Warning: studies have shown that #dw causes loss of time and mad laughter in lab rats.)

Citation please!

I, for one, am WICKED psyched about the OpenID 2.0 upgrade.

^..^~

[personal profile] babysprite 2009-11-10 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
/\__/\
(='.'=)
(")_(")
Kitty is poised to take over the world.
Edited 2009-11-10 14:47 (UTC)
papercoversrock: (Nate - Thumbs up)

[personal profile] papercoversrock 2009-11-10 03:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I LOVE the Inbox respecting the cut tags. Been wanting that forever, since I track a lot of important things that way so I don't miss them on my Reading page. *claps*

You all never fail to impress. Great job!
triadruid: Apollo and the Raven, c. 480 BC , Pistoxenus Painter  (Default)

[personal profile] triadruid 2009-11-10 09:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Where did you find the setting to enable this? Mine doesn't seem to be active, and I couldn't find it in the Settings' tabs.
papercoversrock: (House - Side)

[personal profile] papercoversrock 2009-11-10 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think it's live yet... I know they mentioned some were and some wouldn't be until the next code push. Unless I'm missing it, too. Regardless, when I get to use it it's going to be so awesome.
triadruid: Apollo and the Raven, c. 480 BC , Pistoxenus Painter  (Default)

[personal profile] triadruid 2009-11-12 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Awesome. I saw some people saying how much they liked it and thought I was losing my mind.
angelikfire: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Sperm Whale and Bowl of Petunias (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: a )

[personal profile] angelikfire 2009-11-10 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
+1 for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference, guys.
ai: (euphie ˟ I GOT AN IDEA)

[personal profile] ai 2009-11-11 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
I'm loving your icon.
angelikfire: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Sperm Whale and Bowl of Petunias (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: a )

[personal profile] angelikfire 2009-11-11 03:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, thank you!
pauamma: Cartooney crab wearing hot pink and acid green facemask holding drink with straw (Default)

[personal profile] pauamma 2009-11-14 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
And before I posted a comment elsewhere on this entry, it had 42. :-)
angelikfire: Futurama: Zapp Brannigan (Futurama: Zapp Brannigan)

[personal profile] angelikfire 2009-11-14 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, yay!

Nice icon, by the way. :)
yvi: Kaylee half-smiling, looking very pretty (Default)

[personal profile] yvi 2009-11-10 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
We've seen a bunch of people saying that they don't want to bother Support with problems or questions, and it really isn't a bother at all.

Really, the worst we will tell you is that we already know about this bug. Which might cause one of us to poke a dev (or ourselves) to fix it faster :)
mushroom_of_doom: (Rain Drops)

[personal profile] mushroom_of_doom 2009-11-10 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
yes, that is how kitties tell us they are neglected. mine does it all the time... he acts like i never feed him...and he acts like i never give him lovins.

::sigh::

[personal profile] feathertail 2009-11-10 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
A link to Dreamwidth Support might've been helpful when you were encouraging us to go there >.>b
foxfirefey: A fox colored like flame over an ornately framed globe (Default)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-11-10 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
That probably would have been a good idea--but at least there's a link to Support at the bottom! Anyway, Support can be found here:

http://www.dreamwidth.org/support/

And in the site scheme the link can be found by your icon in the top right (if you are a visual user in the default site scheme), labeled "Help".

[personal profile] feathertail 2009-11-10 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Many thanks!

Er, while we're on the subject of accessibility, your icon is not very autism-friendly, and it makes me want to immediately scroll past it. >.>b Eye contact = painful. If that makes any sense.

I'm glad you didn't take it for granted that I'm sighted though! I need to spend more time in the accessibility community, so that some of that attitude can rub off on me ...
foxfirefey: A wee rat holds a paw to its mouth. Oh, the shock! (myword)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-11-10 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I apologize! I know it tends to creep out some people, I just haven't figured out what I want for a new default yet. (I do know that some people use AdBlock Plus to kill display of icons they aren't comfortable with, though.) I often find real life direct eye contact to be uncomfortable, so I understand your aversion.

[personal profile] feathertail 2009-11-10 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm, I should try that sometime! Thank you, and I hope you find something you like.

That's a cute embarrassed mouse. ^.^
foxfirefey: Fox stealing an egg. (mischief)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-11-10 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
It is a rat! I kind of love rats, and miss having them even though I can't keep them in my apartment. Which I suppose is just as well considering that I have a very rambunctious cat nowadays.

[personal profile] feathertail 2009-11-12 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee. Rats are cute. ^.^

Belated thanks and I hope things go well for you! And your rambunctious cat.
katzedecimal: Is me, by me. I drawed it. (Default)

[personal profile] katzedecimal 2009-11-11 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
Eeee ratteh!!! *___* can't has rats *pout* Is your rat? Is cute rat! (I swear, I do speak English, just not when I'm suffering from a kawaii attack)
foxfirefey: Fox stealing an egg. (mischief)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-11-11 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Nooo, that's not my rat, but this was one of mine!
katzedecimal: Is me, by me. I drawed it. (Default)

[personal profile] katzedecimal 2009-11-11 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
*LOL!!!* "I was framed!!" Soooo cute and funny ^___^ Thank you for sharing!
pauamma: Cartooney crab wearing hot pink and acid green facemask holding drink with straw (Default)

[personal profile] pauamma 2009-11-14 04:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Kinda looks like that rat has opposable thumbs? (Which is worse? A rat with opposable thumbs, or a cat with same?)
tree: scully from the pilot ([xf] baby!scully)

[personal profile] tree 2009-11-10 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Warning: studies have shown that #dw causes loss of time and mad laughter in lab rats.

"Time can't just disappear; it's a universal invariant!"

physics

[personal profile] hendrikboom 2009-11-10 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Neither time nor space are fundamental in the universe; it is the job of physics to explain how these illusions arise from more basic concepts.
tree: a figure clothed in or emerging from bark (Default)

Re: physics

[personal profile] tree 2009-11-11 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
i'm not sure physics can yet explain the basic concepts underpinning the phenomenon exhibited when someone doesn't get a pop-culture reference.
corvus: Fir needles (Default)

Re: physics

[personal profile] corvus 2009-11-11 12:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"when someone doesn't get a pop-culture reference."

People are bound to get pop culture references wrong. This is because there isn't a set of pop culture works that all people have read/watched/whatever. People's age, nationality and tastes (like their favourite genres) differ. This makes them familiar with different parts of pop culture.

For example, I recognize some Twin Peaks quotes only in Finnish because I watched the series subtitled in Finnish.

I once accidentally made a MacGyver reference, when I made a reference to comics that had that reference. I never watched MacGyver, so I didn't originally recognize the reference in comics. The person I was talking to didn't get the comics reference, instead they started to talk about MacGyver. Darn pop culture!
yvi: (X-Files - Sunshine Days)

[personal profile] yvi 2009-11-11 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay The X-Files :)
owl: Stylized barn owl (dreamwidth)

[personal profile] owl 2009-11-10 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay for cuts in the inbox! It's one of those things that's always been a little niggling annoyance to me on LJ.
ranunculus: (Default)

[personal profile] ranunculus 2009-11-10 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Love the changes to Manage Comments and the cut tags!!

[personal profile] ex_srs552 2009-11-11 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
So how do we use the new OpenID 2.0 protocol? I just tried to link my DW identity with Facebook and get this error from them:

"Service type is not supported

You can log into Facebook using any account that supports OpenID 2.0. The given URL, http://srs.dreamwidth.org/, only supports OpenID 1.0."
foxfirefey: A guy looking ridiculous by doing a fashionable posing with a mouse, slinging the cord over his shoulders. (geek)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-11-11 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
Well, that's strange. I'll look into it while I'm looking into somebody else's reported issue and see if I can figure out what's going on! I didn't know Facebook supported OpenID. I made sure to test it with Yahoo--that was the big OpenID 2.0 only that I knew of.
foxfirefey: A guy looking ridiculous by doing a fashionable posing with a mouse, slinging the cord over his shoulders. (geek)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-12-19 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, I'm just commenting to let you know that I've found some of the problems with Facebook and our OpenID. (LJ has these problems, too; we inherited them. Hopefully I'll find a fix and try to give it back to them.)

I haven't managed to get it working yet, but I've definitely been making progress, and thanks for bringing up this case--it's really helping improve our OpenID implementation behind the scenes.
katzedecimal: Is me, by me. I drawed it. (Default)

[personal profile] katzedecimal 2009-11-11 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Family comes first and that includes kittehs :3
ai: (cornelia ˟ SO MOEDERE)

[personal profile] ai 2009-11-11 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
Weird, I've tagged my entries for follow friday and they don't seem to be coming up in the search. I did it with the space and it seems to fail to get them. I'll have to fool around with it some more when I am not at work. Thanks for pimping it by the way. I loved the idea when I first saw it in comments and am pleased to see it grow like this :)

I wanted to do NaNoWriMo this year so badly but every year I do, a major thing happens that pulls me away from the computer (death of a relative, illness, etc), so I've been writing a 5k word fic every day to make up for it. I'm technically writing a lot more, but it's not the same as committing myself to one idea. Woe! Glad to hear you two are doing so well though!
foxfirefey: A picture of GIR. (gir)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-11-11 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
Currently, the follow friday tag on the latest page is suffering from a bug! But it's on schedule to be fixed.
hohaiyee: Tea that's yellow like butter within its cup, upon a maroon hued table, strewn with hot pink flowers shaped like stars (Default)

Kitty See Kitty Do

[personal profile] hohaiyee 2009-11-15 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Your cat just saw Piano Cat!