Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Site Maintenance / Site Upgrade Update

Site Upgrade Update

by | 81 Comments

This post is in: 

John asked me to update everyone on the site upgrade. Here’s the plan:

  • We’re moving to a new, more powerful server at John’s hosting provider. This should happen over the weekend, dios mediante.
  • After the move, and after we’re sure all the performance tweaks we’ve installed are working, we’ll install the new site design. This won’t happen until at least a few days after the server upgrade.
  • After the new design is installed, we’ll work on the other site issues, like the mobile site, comment reply, etc.

This has taken a lot longer than expected for a variety of reasons, including brand new hardware shitting the bed. But it will happen, performance under load should be quite a bit better, and John is paying significantly more for hosting as a result of the move.

The server migration will mean some downtime, probably on the order of half a day or so. I’ll be posting again before that happens.

Reader Interactions

81Comments

  1. 1.

    Face

    The server migration will mean some downtime, probably on the order of half a day or so.

    Let the bitching, complaining, and handwringing begin.

  8. 8.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I have a question, which may be solved by the upgrade. I have a Windows 8 machine (please don’t make fun, or do, I don’t care). If I go directly to IE from the start menu, this site loads fine. If I go through the browser in desktop mode, it loads the page from the last time I accessed the site before the previous upgrade – the post on Ashley Judd scaring the bejesus out of Mitch McConnel is the post that always loads at the top of the page, and I can’t figure out a way to access more recent posts when I load the browser from the desktop mode. It’s very weird, but if you have a suggestion for a solution I’m all ears. I have Google Chrome – maybe I should just use that.

  9. 9.

    Garbo

    Thank you for the hard work. Sorry for all the shit that will be lobbed at you in coming days.

  11. 11.

    geg6

    Oh, sure. I think this is a plot between you and Cole to stop me from posting too many Koda pictures after she arrives this weekend.

  14. 14.

    Soonergrunt

    This promises to generate all sorts of angst, whining, snark, complaints, name calling, bitching, moaning, and carrying on.

    So then, like any other day around here. Carry on.

  16. 16.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    Thank you for your hard work. Site migration can be a PITA.

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:
    Have you tried right-clicking (Or its Win8 equivalent) on the IE desktop icon to see where it’s pointed? Sounds like it’s pointed at the address of the comment rather than at plain old BJ.

  19. 19.

    quannlace

    Not to get all cranky Grandpa Simpson, but why the upgrade? What was wrong to begin with?

  22. 22.

    Schlemizel

    HALF A DAY?!?! oh man, please, just a taste, daddy needs it please, I can’t go half a day man, pleeeeaassse man, don’t do this to me man. Oh gawd I gotta have some man, don’t do me like this I’m begging you man please

  23. 23.

    Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal mistermix

    @quannlace: John wants to return to a three column layout (narrow left, wide middle, medium-sized right) which is wider for newer monitors.

    The designer has chosen a theme that will look fairly similar to the current site but it will allow us to tweak it easier on the back end, and it will also work with the performance enhancing drugs we’re giving the server.

    We’re also making the mobile site work a little better.

  24. 24.

    Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal mistermix

    @Schlemizel: Hopefully less but better to plan for that than say a couple of hours and miss it by a mile.

  25. 25.

    Schlemizel

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    Jay-Zeus Windows 8 AND IE? Does your mother still cut your hair & dress you? You just WANT to be mocked don’t you?

    Serious, don’t ever admit something like that around the Intertubes! B-{D

    Try clearing your cache, also if your URL is just ‘balloon-juice.com’ try adding the www. in front of it. There is no good reason that should change anything but it was the only fix when I had the problem a bit over a year ago.

  26. 26.

    RareSanity

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    First, as just a general piece of advice completely independent of your issue…use Chrome. I know that Microsoft has been trying to catch up to the likes of Chrome, Safari and Firefox; and I know that IE is significantly improved. That being said, while they are playing catch-up, the other browsers are still moving forward at a faster pace.

    Now, as to your problem…as @Higgs Boson’s Mate said, it sounds like the shortcut you are using in “desktop mode” (this must be some new fangled, Windows 8 vocabulary that I have not had to deal with…yet) is actually launching a specific web address instead of whatever your home page is set to in the IE settings.

    Check to verify that the shortcut is only launching IE and does not contain an address. Also, make sure you clear out out your cache and maybe even your cookies, to get the display issues to clear up.

    I haven’t used IE in over 10 years, so I don’t know where to tell you the options for clearing cache and/or cookies are, but I’m sure asking the The Oracle (Google it) will provide satisfactory answers.

    Did I mention that you should be using Chrome?

    I did?

    Good…you should be using it.

  30. 30.

    Violet

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    If I go through the browser in desktop mode,

    What do you mean by this? The desktop icon for IE? If you click on that, it goes directly to the Ashley Judd Balloon-Juice post? It doesn’t load whatever your IE homepage is? If that’s the case, then the desktop IE icon is for that Balloon Juice post and not for IE itself. Check by right-clicking to see properties.

    Otherwise, since you said this happened after the update, could it be that the desktop icon somehow goes to an older version? Did that exact icon do this before the update?

  32. 32.

    bd of mn

    Off topic but techie, are there any adblocking plugins for a first gen kindle fire? I haven’t found any on amazon’s limited app store…

  34. 34.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    You mean, if this works….no more F–K YOU WORD PRESS????
    (Cue in Celion Deion’s My Heart Will Go On as Mr Stagger Lee dabs his eye with a handkerchief)

  35. 35.

    dexwood

    @geg6: Nice. Thanks for the update, I’ve been wondering, but since I’m not here everyday, I figured I’ve missed further news. Glad I could make a small contribution.

  37. 37.

    RareSanity

    @Violet:

    From what I understand, Windows 8 has two different UI modes. One is the more simplified “Metro” UI, that is pretty simplified, uses the same “live tiles” you would see on a Windows phone or tablet; and the second is the more traditional “desktop” mode, that looks more like the previous versions of Windows.

  38. 38.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    I don’t even care about the three column thing. Just give me something at the bottom that indicates there’s a next post and I’ll be happy.

  39. 39.

    Violet

    @geg6: I’ve been super busy and off the site. Can you give us an update on how it all came together? Is she flying to you? I’m so glad you are able to adopt her!

  40. 40.

    Maude

    @RareSanity:
    No probs in FF. Had to toss that in.
    What did they get? Turtle Server?
    They’ve done server upgrades before with no problems. When I first started to read this blog, there were a lot of times I couldn’t even get on the blog. When the server was upgraded, voila, here I was.

  43. 43.

    grape_crush

    …dios mediante…

    When did you lefties start believing in God?

    /channeling random wingnut

  47. 47.

    RareSanity

    @bd of mn:

    Ummmm…not an easily answered question.

    Ad blocking on Android, is not handled by “plug-ins”, they are handled by separate applications. The mobile browser don’t have robust plug-in support yet, although it is coming.

    There are pros and cons to using the separate application method. It’s good because the ad blocking is not limited to the browser, it extends to anything that runs on he device. So it will also block the ads that are shown in applications. It’s bad because these application require root access because they are “filtering” the internet connection itself, not just pages as they load in a browser.

    Any application that requires root access on your device to run, should be approached with extreme cautiousness. Root access means that the application can access every nook and cranny of your device. All of your personal data, including stored passwords, log keystrokes, and perform any operation that exists on your device.

    If you have not, nor do not ever plan to, root your device, then the answer would be no. If you device is rooted, or you don’t mind rooting, the answer would be yes, but be careful which application you use. Make sure it is a trusted app from a trusted developer.

  51. 51.

    geg6

    @Violet:

    Well, I found the Pet Air site, read their info and called them to ask some questions. Sent the info to Jenna D because the person initiating the flight has to make all the arrangements. She tried to make it for last weekend, but we missed the cutoff time to reserve a flight by 50 minutes or so. So, after some back and forth over my work schedule, we decided that the flight on Friday night would work best. So, unless Jenna tells me different, we’re picking her up Friday at the Pittsburgh airport.

  52. 52.

    Violet

    @geg6: Yay! Congratulations! I hadn’t heard of Pet Air before you guys mentioned it when discussing Koda. Sounds like a great service. Can’t wait to see pictures of her in her new home.

  54. 54.

    RareSanity

    @Maude:

    Sticking with one of the “big three” browsers (Chrome, Firefox and Safari) will generally lead to the best results.

    Using IE is not recommended, unless you stumble upon one of the ever decreasing (thank goodness!) sites that only work correctly in IE.

  55. 55.

    geg6

    @Maude:

    Oh, I have a whole series planned to send in to Anne Laurie. Airport, arrival at the new home, meeting Otis, and how she reacts to having a yard that’s 2.5 acres. And maybe John hugging her and me hugging her. And maybe both of us hugging both dogs. And…

    Well, it’s like being a new mom, isn’t it?

  56. 56.

    Amir Khalid

    Reload times on this site (and this site only, I’ve noticed) have been p a i n f u l l y slow of late. I do hope the server upgrade will fix that.

  57. 57.

    geg6

    @RareSanity:

    It drives me nuts that all the online training here at the University works only on IE. I haven’t used IE in years and had to complete our annual child abuse training (thanks a lot JoePa and Sandusky!) the other day and couldn’t believe I had to use IE.

  59. 59.

    Schlemizel

    @geg6:

    I work for a mega huge outfit – they ONLY support IE! Worse, they only provide us with an older release.I was able to trick my PC into loading FF and use it for most stuff but cannot do several things I need to day-to-day for my job because their lame web sites won’t work with anything but IE.

    I make a point of not using it when I leave the internal network because it is also full of security holes

  60. 60.

    dance around in your bones

    I will repeat what I have said many times before – PLEASE bring back the little man with the megaphone and cane + the balloon floating away. Dump the striped candy half-balloon monstrosity.

    Bring back those lovely big curved numbers.

    And absolutely we all liked the next post/previous post at the bottom of the page as well as at the top.

    Example here.

    I’m sure the new site design has been pretty much decided already, so I’m prolly shouting at the clouds.

  61. 61.

    Villago Delenda Est

    IE sucks. Microsoft sucks. That twit Ballmer being strangled with the entrails of Mark Penn seems to be the ideal resolution of the whole thing.

  62. 62.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Schlemizel:

    I make a point of not using it when I leave the internal network because it is also full of security holes

    Makes Swiss cheese look positively solid like a rock.

  63. 63.

    Raven

    Good thing no one gives a fuck about March Madness anymore now that the Eer’s totally suck.

  67. 67.

    Schlemizel

    @Raven:

    I have a very bad case of March Madness!

    The NCAA Women’s Frozen Four will be played this Friday and Sunday at Ridder Arena.

    The Gopher women (39-0-0 on the year, 47-0-0 since February of last year) will play Boston College in the opener after winning a triple OT game against the goons from North Dakota.

    Upset winner Mercyhurst will take on Boston University in the second game with the winners playing for the championship on Sunday. No TV but streaming video of some of the best hockey you will ever see will be available from the NCAA web site.

    I can’t wait for the weekend – those are going to be some great games!

  68. 68.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @RareSanity: Exactly. The “start menu” is the tiles you’d see on a Windows phone or tablet. One of those tiles takes you to a more traditional desktop user interface.

    It’s screwy – I access IE straight from the tiles and everything works fine. IE from the “desktop” does not fire up to that Balloon Juice page every time. It fires up to my homepage or whatever the last website I viewed was. But, whenever I enter wwww.balloon-juice.com into the address window, it takes me right back to that Ashley Judd post rather than the most recent post to Balloon-Juice.

  70. 70.

    RareSanity

    @Raven:

    I always lurk during the day, just very rarely have time to actually comment. Wish I did though…

    @dance around in your bones:

    Oh man I miss that version of the site. I hope the next re-design moves back toward that layout.

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    That is weird. You would think that both shortcuts would point to the same thing, but obviously, such is not the case.

    I’m glad I haven’t jumped on the Windows 8 train yet. Hell, up until about 2 years ago, I was still using XP at work and home (I use my MacBook at home most of the time). Anytime Microsoft releases a new version of Windows, I think the rule of thumb is to wait, at least a year, before even considering an update.

  71. 71.

    WereBear

    I’m about ready to do a PowerPoint on Customer Service and make a fortune!

    Wish I had the time…

    Bought an iTouch charger at Radio Shack on FRIDAY, and here it is TUESDAY and it has already stopped working. Gee, ya think I should have spent the extra $8 for the extended warranty? So I can stop by every five days and pick up a new one which will bail on me when I need it the most?

    Is that the new product paradigm we are shooting for, here?

  72. 72.

    JustRuss

    “A new, more powerful server”?! It’s 2013 for cat’s sake, hasn’t your provider virtualized yet?

  74. 74.

    Suzanne

    @dance around in your bones:

    I will repeat what I have said many times before – PLEASE bring back the little man with the megaphone and cane + the balloon floating away. Dump the striped candy half-balloon monstrosity.

    Bring back those lovely big curved numbers.

    And absolutely we all liked the next post/previous post at the bottom of the page as well as at the top.

    ALL of THIS.
    The vaguely vintage look before was lovely. It currently looks like ass.

  75. 75.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    If I go through the browser in desktop mode, it loads the page from the last time I accessed the site before the previous upgrade

    That’s the caching plugin plus IE being a bit dumb. A hard refresh should sort it out.

    Caching on a FYWP site that is heavily driven by internal comments is a pretty knotty problem, because you can’t do a lot of the stuff that helps with sites that either don’t do comments or outsource them to Disqus or similar.

  76. 76.

    Jebediah

    @geg6:

    Oh, sure. I think this is a plot between you and Cole to stop me from posting too many Koda pictures after she arrives this weekend.

    “Too many Koda pictures?” I know what each of those words means individually, but when you string them together in that order, they just don’t make sense. Irregardishly, I am happy I was able to give a few bucks toward making this good thing happen. The right number of pics will be equal to or greater than “lots.”

  77. 77.

    Maude

    @Amir Khalid:
    Late to the thread, I had trouble getting on hte site and into comments today. That’s abnormal, even with this server.
    You’ll be at BJ after the upgrade so fast, you won’t know what happened.

  78. 78.

    Maude

    @RareSanity:
    IE used to have funky on BJ. That’s as technical as I get.
    It was IE.
    John has a tech who did the last site re do. She is excellent.
    I hope he’s using her for this.

  79. 79.

    dance around in your bones

    @RareSanity:

    Oh man I miss that version of the site. I hope the next re-design moves back toward that layout.

    Magic 8-ball says doubtful.

    @Suzanne:

    The vaguely vintage look before was lovely. It currently looks like ass.

    SO many people have said this, yet we are ignored.

  80. 80.

    Bill Arnold

    I’ve been assuming that comment history will be preserved, and that comments will continue to be flat, not threaded. Is this correct?

  81. 81.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @RareSanity: I was forced into it – I dropped my laptop from standing-height and it wasn’t salvageable, so I needed a new computer. We have a secure remote access thing at work that allows me to access my work computer from my laptop for telecommute purposes.

    It’s great because I have all my servers, drives, folders, etc. accessible from home without emailing stuff back and forth. But, because we have Windows machines at work, I’m kind of locked in t them to stay compatible. So, I could either be a cool kid with a Mac and not telework, or be a dork with a PC and work from home a couple days a week. So dorksville it is.

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