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tpm bug check
With no consistent and trackable way to register site bugs, I am curious to see what problems other users are experiencing as TPM rolls out new functionality. Do any other computer folks out there agree that most issues revolve around their authentication schema, more specifically the fact that it relies on cookie-based sessions that can't keep themselves straight and different applications looking for their roles-based data in the wrong spots?
I am not trying to bust TPM's chops. They seem to be doing the best they can and no roll-out is perfect. But in a member-driven environment with significant bugs some sort of tracking system seems to be a no brainer.
At any rate, some of the problems I am having, independent of browser or operating system, are the following:
Any other problems still going on? Perhaps if they see them all in one place, they can actually find the problem and fix it before adding yet more new and interesting functionality.
I am not trying to bust TPM's chops. They seem to be doing the best they can and no roll-out is perfect. But in a member-driven environment with significant bugs some sort of tracking system seems to be a no brainer.
At any rate, some of the problems I am having, independent of browser or operating system, are the following:
- Constantly having to log back in to comment or navigate to my blogging areas
- My Dashboard shows everyone's replies to my comments but none of my actual comments or posts or recommends (this is actually a new one)
- My Dashboard used to show nothing at all and My Blog would say I hadn't yet started blogging, which is clearly not the case.
Any other problems still going on? Perhaps if they see them all in one place, they can actually find the problem and fix it before adding yet more new and interesting functionality.
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As an example of more strange errors, the link to Blog Now takes me instead to My Blog. No way for me to edit anything until that decides to start working. I am all for new tools, but TPM really needs to get the basic functioning first.
November 16, 2008 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, if that's the case, how did you post this blog entry? I'd love to learn a work-around if you know one.
November 16, 2008 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
It happened as soon as I posted this blog. It has since started linking to the actual Blog Now interface.
November 16, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree about the authentication issues. I've been crabbing about that for, like, ever.
On your first My Dashboard point: it sounds like it's working as it should. If you want to see YOUR comments, etc., you need to click the "Your Blog" link. Had me confused as hell when they first implemented the new system, but that's how it works.
November 16, 2008 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
It shows nothing on the Comments tab for My Dashboard or My Blog. Or, sometimes it actually does show some comments but not others based on the session. There is no real rhyme or reason to the bugs, which makes me suspect some foundational authentication quirk was missed.
November 16, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm... I can't help thinking it has something to do with the fact that there are spaces in your name, but not in your ID. I haven't seen the software, so I can't really tell what's going on, but looking at the cookie, everything is there: personal info, your email address, posting rights, etc. There are entries for "is_authenticated", "can_post", "can_comment", etc. My suspicion is that either the cookie is being written wrong or that it's not being parsed properly during authentication. And I'd guess it's a syntax problem. All just guesses, of course, because I can't see the script. But if you're interested in troubleshooting, you could make a copy of the cookie when everything is working, and then compare it to the cookie when things are NOT working. Is your username string jasoneverettmiller, or is it jason%2feverett%2fmiller (or something similar)?
November 16, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just checking out a hunch: How many TPM-issued cookies do you have?
November 16, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have no spaces in my username, and I just quit Firefox, and used the option to clear ALL personal data. No changes in my symptoms.
My primary browser is Firefox 2.0.0.13 on a Macbook Air running OS 10.5.5. However, I've tried logging in with Safari v. 3.1.2, Camino v. 1.6.4 and Opera v. 9.27, all with no change in symptoms.
November 16, 2008 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've got the same problem: When I go to my dashboard, it says I haven't started my blog yet. Although...wait a minute...now it's changed again! It's possible that the problem in my case was with my old "My Page" bookmark, I suppose. I guess I'll have to try re-bookmarking it and/or messing around with cookies.
I've also not been able to upload an avatar pic because the "browse" button appears to be dead. It just won't do anything.
But it is very much appreciated that it's possible to track when somebody has replied to one of my comments. (Not as good as the old tracker, but greatly appreciated nonetheless!)
November 16, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aha! Try opening a tab with the main TPM page loaded, and another page with Election Central loaded. Are you logged in in both places? If so, log out of both places and then log in again in only one place. Now check the other one. Are you logged in there too?
November 16, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
My Dashboard was wiped out, but I can still track my comments and posts through My Blog.
I believe that Al said yesterday or the day before that they are rebuilding everyone's blogs, so I expect that will take some time.
November 16, 2008 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have emailed help@talkingpointsmemo twice, and not received any response (10/29 and 11/11), which is pretty frustrating. Issues I'm dealing with:
1) like everyone, authentication issues
2) inability to upload a new userpic (goes into an infinite loop)
3) "blog now!" takes me to the dashboard, with no opportunity to actually create a blog post
4) my comments don't show in my dashboard (though there was a momentary flash of them Friday, before they disappeared again). But, weirdly, my recommends *do* show.
Finally, not personal to me, but still frustrating, the failure in the user posts archive.
November 16, 2008 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have you tried changing your password? Some of those issues sound like the first ones I had before I changed my original TPM password for the username I had before the changed versions.
November 16, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just changed my password. No change in symptoms. Thanks for the suggestion, though!
November 16, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
My dashboard is blank.
What is really odd is that I tried to find a post I had just commented on and it, too, had disappeared.
It's a good thing I am not paranoid or I would start thinking this malfunction was part of the international conspiracy to erase all traces of moat.
Looks like this might be a good day to bag the blogging scene and do some work on the bunker...
November 16, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Archives!! Where are they??
Where are my comments??
Why do I have to Login every freaking time??
...??
November 16, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
What browser are you using (including version number)? What OS are you running on your computer? Do you use any anti-spyware programs (this includes many of the anti-virus programs)? Do you use any cookie blockers, or other privacy programs? How often do you clear your browser cache? How often do you clear you cookies?
Do you actually have to log-in repeatedly, or do you just have to click the log-in link, and the site recognizes you?
Your blog address is "jasoneverettmiller". Is this different from what it was a few weeks ago (something like "jason%20everett%20miller)?
Now that the spaces in user names bug has been fixed, you may not be able to use the dashboard in the way you had become accustomed. Your personal posts may not show up on it. From the "YourBlog" page, click on comments to view them. I presently see a timestamp on your last comment as: November 16, 2008 9:47 AM, but on Donal's blog, the comment has a timestamp of: November 16, 2008 11:50 AM, which could be a bug, or could be a function of differing time zones between us (I'm on PST, what time zone are you in?).
The dashboard is supposed to show comments replies to your comments and posts now. It is a new feature.
November 16, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just offering this up for the geeks on topic, I don't know what it means and I am not complaining about it.
I have Windows Vista Business and use the latest version of IE, and am often using dialup so loading is slow.
From the first day of the new software, I am often logged out when I first hit a page but I don't have to really log in again, all I have to do is click the "log in" link, and then it logs me in automatically, I don't have to enter any info. A similar thing happens with commenting. When I first look at the box, it often, but not always, says I am logged out, but I just start typing in the box and eventually the info automatically kicks in and it automatically logs me in itself by the time I am ready to hit submit.
November 16, 2008 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, that's a better to way to put it. My first guess (and you know these are often not right) is that this has something to do with site cookies, but I haven't loaded up my main cookie watcher extension for FireFox and watched what happens (it's often a lot of data to munch on).
November 16, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
PseudoCyAnts,
I just found my comments on my blog page after clearing cookies as you recommended.
Thanks.
November 16, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
On this
My Dashboard shows everyone's replies to my comments but none of my actual comments or posts or recommends (this is actually a new one)
It was never supposed to. Your comments and your recommends are not supposed to be on your dashboard, they are found on the "your blog" page. Your dashboard was only supposed to show the comments and recommends of people you are "following," If it was showing your own comments and recommends, then you had a glitch, and now with them off, you don't have a glitch.
That happens to be why I was always bitching about the glitch of comments and recommends on user pages not updating properly, which they have finally in the process of fixing, because that's where you get that info (and also because I often like to look at comments and recommends of people I am not following.)
November 16, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
p.s.
Some people's problems cited above (i.e., dashboard, blog, comments disappear) may be due to them currently rebuilding the user pages so that user page comments and recommends update properly. See Al Shaw's Nov. 14 "Blog Bug Fixes: Round 1" where he announced that and said its going to be a gradual process.
Also, those who want to see site issue reports, suggest that you "follow" Al Shaw, who is in charge of the software here, so his posts on the topic show up on your dashboard. If you visit the site infrequently so that the dashboard scrolls too fast for you to catch those, you can check for his latest posts by clicking on the "following" number on your user page and then clicking on his name to get his user page and see all his posts. (The "following" and "followed" numbers on your user page are live links to lists with links to those user pages.)
In my opinion, the dashboard and the related list of links to those you are following that it offers you is actually a tool best used for doing things like following Al Shaw for site announcements, because you might want to catch those and he doesn't post on much else and he doesn't post every day. I don't understand why so many people are following Josh Marshall, you can get all his posts on the front page of TPM, all you are doing by following him is recreating TPM front page on your dashboard.
November 16, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
artappraiser,
Thanks for this advice. I have clicked the "Follow Me" button for both Al Shaw and Andrew Golis, but my dashboard still says I'm following nobody.
everyone,
There's also some issue with case-sensitivity in the usernames. See FlyOnTheWall's comment in Al's thread here.
November 16, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe you are one that has to clear your cache and cookies to get the system to start working with yours, as some of the geekier people here are suggesting? Before going through that major step, though, restarting your computer might help, you never know. It's all voodoor to me. If none of those things work, and nothing changes over the next few days, complain a lot--some have suggested that squeaky wheels get grease from Al Shaw, though in my experience, that is a new thing here. :-))
Oh, and in case it's not clear to you how the following button works--it toggles back and forth. If you are following someone, their page should say "following" when you look at it. When it says "follow me," it's turned off.
November 16, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've never encountered that problem. As far as I can remember, my blog address has always been: "pseudocyants". Both the caps and spaces in user names bugs are understandable from the coder point of view. Persons who have spent a great deal of time playing around Unix files-systems are unlikely to use upper caps or spaces naming files/folders. In my experience, Unix/Linux systems just strip-out upper caps by default, and reflexively, I always use underscores for spaces when creating a user name.
November 16, 2008 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
artappraiser,
Thanks for pointing out the intended use of the dashboard. I was inhabiting the glitch you described.
November 16, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to have been more common than realized, I recall in the past other people describing things they shouldn't have been seeing on their dashboard, and to be confused by it. But also sounds like they are finally working on those glitches.
To be clear, I should mention that Al Shaw announced in that recent post that he just added a new function to the dashboard--that everyone is now also supposed to see replies to their comments on their dashboard even if the reply is by someone they are not following. I just got a couple of those on my dashboard, including yours. But that is a new function, no one should have been seeing such replies before a couple of days ago.
November 16, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a lovely new function!
I wouldn't have known that you had replied without it.
November 20, 2008 7:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, I'm digging around in the authentication maze, and here's where I'm at so far:
When you log in, a "talk_reader" cookie is generated, which includes your personal info, your root directory, and a 40-bit unique session ID. I assume your info is also added to a lookup table of some sort on the server side, but that's only a guess. At any rate, when things are working properly, I have 8 cookies. But there's some odd behavior that I don't quite understand yet, and I think it may be at the heart of the problem. If I log out and close my browser, then open it and log in again, I'm sometimes automatically logged in, and sometimes taken to a white MyTPM sign in page. And sometimes, if I go to a page that I've already visited, I find I need to log in again. And sometimes, there's one extra cookie: a "commenter_id" cookie.
So here's what I'm thinking: I'm thinking that when you log through one location (the main page, for instance), the cookie is written differently than when you log in via another location (TPMCafe' for example). And the information that's being written to the cookie or to the table is different in each circumstance (ie: one way it's www.talkingpointsmemo.com and the other way it's just talkingpointsmemo.com).
I'm outta here for awhile, so I can't do any more hacking, but I thought I'd post this for the benefit of anyone else who's working on it.
A suggestion: clear your cookies and your cache, and ALWAYS log in through the main page. Don't know if it will work, but it's a good way to test the theory.
November 16, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll give that last suggestion a try and see what happens. You are a bigger geek than I am. By far.
November 16, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Everyone: clear your browser's cache, history and cookies often! You are exposing yourselves to potential nastiness if you do not. This is especially important after any session where you have used a credit/debit card, or where you have given personally identifiable information on a website (online banking?). This is not supposed to be exploitable, but why take any chances, and leave this kind of information within your browser program's history files?
November 16, 2008 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
You don't really need to worry too much about this. Secure sessions aren't written to the disk--they're only stored in memory. So closing your browser deletes the session.
November 17, 2008 12:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
I got nothing on my dashboard except recommends until a yesterday. Now I just get moveable type errors when I click on my dashboard. I logged in on the main page and nothing changed. I am optimistic that everything will get fixed in a little while. As frustrating as it has been going through all the tech problems I still think that TPM is a great site - it got me through this election in a semi-sane state.
November 17, 2008 5:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think I figured out what artappraiser is getting at.
Previously, we tracked our own comments on our Dashboard. Once they started posting replies to our comments, they moved to the My Blog comment tab. That leaves the the Dashboard for replies to our comments as well as posts and recommends from those people we are tracking.
They seem to be working through the kinks, though the log-in still appears at strange times and is something I need to click anytime I want to perform a function which is annoying.
Thanks everyone!
November 17, 2008 8:26 AM | Reply | Permalink