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[Ed Note 2: Damn devs have made a liar out of me... moved it back to the original schedule noted below. - cmn32480]
[TMB Note: Site update complete. Bumped so folks will notice.]
It has been a few months since we last updated SoylentNews, and we've not been content to rest on our laurels. Our next site update is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, 2017-05-21, depending on staff availability. We'll update this story when we know for sure when it will take place.
Since this post was started, other things have come to light, so there's a bit of everything in here. Read on for the full scoop:
Web Site Changes
In this latest update (scheduled around 00:00 UTC on 5.21.2017, but we are flexible), we have made the following improvements:
- Supported subscription payments made with Bitcoin [again].
- Fixed a bug which blocked non-whole-dollar bitcoin subscriptions.
- Provided immediate feedback of theme changes.
- Added button that, when clicked, marks all comments in a story as "unread".
- Added support for "<s>" and "<strike>" tags.
- Fixed bug where a plus sign "+" in a user's nickname made their user page inaccessible from site links.
- Removed unused Javascript code.
- Made minor, non-user-facing changes (code cleanup, etc.)
Backend Changes
As always, we appreciate constructive feedback. Reply with a comment to this story, join us in #dev on IRC (Internet Relay Chat), or submit a bug on GitHub.
Separately, the team has made great strides in moving to running on Gentoo. We are taking this step very methodically, making sure we have a solid foundation in place on one server before we even think of rolling it out to the rest of our systems. Yes, that means we will be free from systemd. Kudos to NCommander, Mechanicjay, Audioguy, TheMightyBuzzard, Paulej72, and Deucalion.
SoylentNews' Folding@Home Team Update
It's amazing how spare compute cycles add up! SoylentNews has a Folding@Home team which is helping researchers find a cure for diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's — among many others. Our team was launched on Feb. 12, 2016. In just over 15 months, we have amassed well over 300 million points which places us at Team 304 out of 226564! Barring any surprises, and continuing at our current rate, we are on track to break past 300 and into the 2xx's on or about May 28th, 2017.
We are always open to receiving new team members. Contact Sir Finkus for more information, either via email at this site, or via the #Soylent or #folding channels on our IRC -- Internet Relay Chat server.
Accounts Milestone
New account creation has been relatively consistent and steady over the past year averaging out to a new account pretty much every day. It is a pleasure to inform the community that, on May 18th, account number 6600 was registered on the site.
Funding Shortfall
Lastly, it is my sad duty to inform the community that our cash intake has been seriously deficient so far this year. Our budget for the six-month period of Jan 1, 2017 through June 30, 2017 is $3,000 and we are currently at approximately half that, with less than 6 weeks to go.
We have in excess of 100 users who have been active on the site within the last 30 days whose subscription has lapsed. It is easy enough to do — I have failed to notice my own subscription's end on more than one occasion!
Plain and simple, the site needs to pay its bills. Please look at your subscription page and consider making a contribution. The dollar amounts shown in the text-entry fields are the minimum amount required for that subscription duration. We've had a few users anonymously contribute significantly more than that in the past.
Some have chosen to give a gift subscription to NCommander (UID: 2) as a sign of support. However you choose to make a contribution, please do so now.
Thank-you
-- martyb
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 21 2017, @04:52AM (10 children)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 21 2017, @08:08AM (4 children)
I can't help but to observe that, obvious concern trolling aside, there must be a reason for the budget shortfall.
My subscription expires next month iirc. Over the past few months, the world has become a much more unfriendly place for me.
I admit, I was impressed with the regulars here the last time a topic relevant to my interests came up.
I'm still on the fence about whether to renew. I probably will, I mean, sheesh, I use the site, I like the site, I might as well contribute to covering its expenses.
But yet.... What kind of people am I enabling by contributing? Certainly, my subscription or lack thereof to some site on the internet is a molecule-sized drop in a 500 gallon tank. Enough molecules in a tank, though, and that's how we get Jeff Sessions as AG.
The vast majority of my submissions have been accepted, I assume because I apply a lot more effort to make sure those are polished than I do my comments. Maybe I need to be making more political submissions instead of focusing on science, but maybe I do so well with submissions because I mostly stick to uncontroversial science that I know everybody here except the flat earth guy will appreciate. I still believe that the answer to speech I don't like is more speech. At least... I think I still believe that....
Is this one of those times when I have to decide that I simply will have to deprive myself of, say, Chick-Fil-A's wonderful food (at least I assume it's wonderful) or Firefox's... er... Firefox's... value-added stress testing of my system RAM???... ok Chick-Fil-A was a better example but anyway, because of the people it will enable?
I suppose this post also falls under concern trolling. Really I don't give a shit if this site tanks or not. It's nice while it's here... some days. Other days, I find I have to put it in my hosts file for my own sanity. This site won't change the world one way or another. There are other organizations competing for my donations. Would the money for my renewal be better spent for NORML or the Libertarian Party, two other organizations I regularly donate to, for example?
Just thinking out loud. I'm pretty sure I will renew... pretty sure.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday May 21 2017, @10:14AM
Subscription Running Low notifications are hands down the bit of the site that breaks most often. Sometimes they go several months without us noticing they're not working. They are the bane of paulej72's existence.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 21 2017, @12:56PM (2 children)
I think you need to find the exit here. The Chick-Fil-A boycott [wikipedia.org] was just a loony witch hunt and massively backfired because of that. No one was "enabled" by eating or not eating at Chick-Fil-A.
And what will be the gain for suppressing TMB's speech in SN? Who are we "enabling"?
Of course, it does. Start with a nasty "die SN" post to get defenders riled up and then pretend to get serious when someone calls you out. It's a standard concern troll tactic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 21 2017, @07:51PM (1 child)
Hahahaha! My dear, khallow, I did not expect you to believe me!
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 21 2017, @11:59PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 21 2017, @04:47PM (4 children)
It's not an either or situation moron. We can leave the site, sign into the site, donate a little, donate a lot or donate nothing at all. Those are all valid options.
TMB making an ass of himself and abusing his position is going to bias people in favor of not donating, not creating a log in or leaving completely. And, despite what dickweeds like you think, it's not necessarily the trolls that are going to be the ones leaving.
They're whining about people not donating enough to hit their goals and this is one of the reasons that people aren't donating or are donating less than they could. People may not be consciously aware of it, but people don't like giving away money and they especially don't like giving it to people and companies they don't like.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday May 21 2017, @06:02PM
[Citation Needed]
Name one time I've abused my position. Once will do.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by martyb on Monday May 22 2017, @01:59AM (2 children)
I've seen numerous comments here claiming an abuse of privilege by TMB wrt to comments on this site. Is that a fair assessment?
If so, I would appreciate a link to the comment(s) where this happened and I will personally investigate the claim.
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday May 22 2017, @02:25AM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 22 2017, @02:32AM
Which was martyb's activity, I believe. I didn't handle that for certain though.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.