Blog
no spam
Bugs
1

A few potential bug fixes and spam defences

I’ve been looking into two seemingly unrelated bugs that I now suspect share a root cause. This evening, I added some new directives that control cache expiry. In both cases, this is for JSON content which is what the cache shows you when you want to see a post and …

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Bugs
1

CSS error on the front page

Something has gone screwy with the CSS for the front page. I’m already working on fixing it.

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blue metal tool
Progress
2

I am considering a radical redesign

I am considering a radical redesign of the site. This change will aim to bring user content (forums, your blogs, groups, etc.) to more prominence on the front page. It will also aim to make user profiles much more dynamic. My thought is to make all content a block (main …

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Bugs

Rare JSON/HTML bug

I have been made aware of a rare bug that may only impact Safari users. The exact cause is unknown but most likely cache-related. It can cause JSON to be served up instead of HTML for new posts. I believe that 99% of users will most likely never see the …

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Features
4

Mastodon and ActivityPub now fully working

Unless something went horribly wrong, the ActivityPub protocol now works on all Author Buzz UK sites. That means that Mastodon verified links should start verifying and Mastodon/Fediverse social media accounts can now follow our blogs. Yes, you can now subscribe to Author Buzz blogs from within your Mastodon account. One …

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train crash
Bugs

Bug fix: Forums

Early this morning I fixed a bug that could, for some versions of certain browsers, cause the main forum page to look very silly. I have corrected the fault (that or flushing the cache fixed it).

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Features
1

Massively improved profile area

Last night, while normal people slept, I completely redid the profile area. Your profile now consists of several information boxes which will try to arrange themselves nicely on the screen. New sections include: After a rocky start, because I had made a tiny but consequential error, the update has now …

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fast car
Features

Further site updates: Speed up

Today I will be working on integrating persistent object caching. In theory, you should not see any problems. Also, in theory, the site should be faster and more responsive as a result. Update: It turns out that, with our current set-up, no. As I am on a speed-up and optimise …

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Progress
1

Minor CSS tweaks

I was looking at the fabulous new source of book and author news – Outside News – and noticed that the front page feed needed work. I have added some CSS tweaks to make headlines look a bit more organised. I’m fairly confident this will work for all screen sizes …

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Progress
3

Stand by for changes

Currently, this site has some advanced DDoS protection in place. This is good because it almost certainly reduces spam and keeps the site relatively fast. However, the DDoS protection conflicts with ActivityPub. This is a protocol that allows people on other sites to follow you, your blog, and the news …

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