META- Is the hamster wheel destabilizing already?

Submitted by BornInA2 on

We haven't even gotten to an actual game, much less a post-game pos/negbang fest and I'm seeing a variety of sadface Cloudflare and non-Cloudflare type of "our hamsters are so very weary" messages. Took me five attempts to post on the score-guess thread, including an edit.

Is this just because my series of tubes is so very long to get to Seattle, or are others (presumably with much shorter series of tubes) noticing early onset hamster lethargy?

MGoBoard

UMProud

August 31st, 2016 at 9:45 PM ^

MGo hamsters utilize Michigan strength & conditioning coaches...they are jackhammers, never get sick and never take a day off.

Do not fuck with them!

Joined: 12/18/2014

MGoPoints: 2705

LSAClassOf2000

August 31st, 2016 at 9:55 PM ^

I had similar troubles on Monday evening, so it may very well be that the series of tubes is havine some random issues. Mine don't stretch as far as Seattle, of course - mine only need to travel about 20 miles down I-94, but consider also that Comcast in SE Michigan can and will randomly fail from time to time, or convenient lose a DNS server or something like that. 

It kind of makes me wonder about how modding will go on Saturday all the same. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130608

julesh

August 31st, 2016 at 9:59 PM ^

It's basically unusable on Safari since last night. Still works fine on mobile and the little I've checked on Chrome. But I suspect something happened on the backend that broke it for Safari.

Joined: 11/28/2011

MGoPoints: 21974

StephenRKass

August 31st, 2016 at 10:06 PM ^

It is really pointless to ask the question. It has been asked many times. The truth is, the content is so strong, you just can't complain. Because the content is strong, the traffic is heavy. Maybe some day it will improve.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23006

MGoSteelers

August 31st, 2016 at 11:02 PM ^

Remember when they hired someone this spring to rewrite the site from the ground up? We're 3 days away from the season opener so at this point I think it's safe to say we'll be waiting until no earlier than February.

 

I won't claim to know what goes into running a popular website, but the constant deprioritization of the site redesign is really obnoxious. What will it take for it to become priority #1? I thought for sure the blog being forced to use Twitter on NSD this year would have done it, but I guess not.

Joined: 06/19/2011

MGoPoints: 3528

StephenRKass

September 1st, 2016 at 8:52 AM ^

There are different times when you think they might launch a redesigned site, but there are different reasons why it doesn't happen. The beginning of the season seems like a good time . . . but they're too busy with content. The end of the season seems like a good time . . . but they're exhausted and need a break. And really, when is the "end of the season?" There's always something going on, between recruiting and Harbaugh and other stuff. The middle of the summer . . . but they need a vacation too? I just don't know. I mean, I think HTTV takes a ton of time. I'm sure it generates some profit, although I don't know how much. Regarding all the site design issues, I've donated money, I've suggested a kickstarter, but nothing happens. Seth occasionally chimes in, but I don't recall seeing anything from Brian for a long time. So I just kind of give up, because what's the point in being a nag.

To be completely fair, however, I look at my own life and different things that I procrastinate, and I think to myself, get your own house in order. We complain about the website not running to our satisfaction. But really, do we in our own lives get on top of everything? I certainly don't.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23006

Rufus X

September 1st, 2016 at 12:52 PM ^

Generally I agree with your earlier comments that content is king, so deal with the format.

HOWEVA' - saying they are too busy or tired doesn't fly with me.  The amount of time that our esteemed proprietors spend on draftageddon and non-Michigan USMNT stuff is very high, and the consesnus of 90% of their loyal users is that it is completely uninteresting.  Again, it's 100% their prerogative to post whatever they want to as the owners of the blog - but the "we're too busy or exhausted to address what virtually every single loyal user says is a major deficiency" is just not believeable.

Someone said earlier that sports blogging is a dodgy business to be in. I disagree - it's just that the majority of sports bloggers - this one included - are run by people with virtually no business sense, but who are really REALLY good at the content part of it.

Here I am reading this blog and commenting - because I love it - but it really is not too much to ask for a web-based business to have a webpage design that doesn't suck.  And this one sucks.

 

 

Joined: 10/29/2010

MGoPoints: 3997

BlueMan80

August 31st, 2016 at 11:11 PM ^

Just didn't go smoothly. Still practicing for the start of the season. They are coaching up Fluffy as we speak with an enthusiasm unknown to hamster-kind.

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 13097

MGlobules

September 1st, 2016 at 3:30 AM ^

it went from being charming because of it to charming in spite of it to straight-up bad. The serious overhaul needed is clearly not a strong interest of the providers or--at least--any kind of priority.

Could be that the investment is beyond the reach of what is likely, across the nets, still a pretty dicey business model. 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47547