Testing needed in advance of code push!
Thursday, May 28th, 2026 04:10 pmIt's been a while since we've done a full code push rather than just hotfixes for bugs, so we are well overdue! Depending on availability, we're aiming to do one sometime soon; we'll let you know specifics once we've worked out good timing for everyone who needs to be available.
However! The reason it's been so long is we kept trying to get some of the stuff that's pending to "really finished" instead of just "mostly finished", and then we once again looked around and went "oh no, this is a really big code push with a lot of changes". Those make us nervous, because while we do a lot of testing ourselves, y'all are really creative in how you use the site and we inevitably find a bunch of edge cases when we let you loose on new code with your real-world data!
So, if folks have some spare time in the next few days, it would be a huge help if you could spend half an hour or so using the site the same way you normally do but with the "Site-Wide Canary" beta features flag turned on. Canary mode is a sort of "live testing" mode: it's your real data, but running the most up-to-date code.
Canary mode always does have a few glitches -- there may be missing text strings or errors about missing database properties, which is a limitation of how we run it. We don't need to know about those, but anything else weird that you run into, leave a comment with what you were trying to do and the error message you got.
I'll repeat that the "here be dragons" caution that's on the beta features page: some things may be broken, so don't use it for when you're doing something important. But a few more eyeballs on it before the push will help the push go more smoothly for everyone.
For folks who want to concentrate on what's changing, we haven't finished the second code tour of what's going to be in this push, but the ffirst one has a good chunk of what's going to be going live. (We'll get the second half done ASAP!)
However! The reason it's been so long is we kept trying to get some of the stuff that's pending to "really finished" instead of just "mostly finished", and then we once again looked around and went "oh no, this is a really big code push with a lot of changes". Those make us nervous, because while we do a lot of testing ourselves, y'all are really creative in how you use the site and we inevitably find a bunch of edge cases when we let you loose on new code with your real-world data!
So, if folks have some spare time in the next few days, it would be a huge help if you could spend half an hour or so using the site the same way you normally do but with the "Site-Wide Canary" beta features flag turned on. Canary mode is a sort of "live testing" mode: it's your real data, but running the most up-to-date code.
Canary mode always does have a few glitches -- there may be missing text strings or errors about missing database properties, which is a limitation of how we run it. We don't need to know about those, but anything else weird that you run into, leave a comment with what you were trying to do and the error message you got.
I'll repeat that the "here be dragons" caution that's on the beta features page: some things may be broken, so don't use it for when you're doing something important. But a few more eyeballs on it before the push will help the push go more smoothly for everyone.
For folks who want to concentrate on what's changing, we haven't finished the second code tour of what's going to be in this push, but the ffirst one has a good chunk of what's going to be going live. (We'll get the second half done ASAP!)
the downside of the backburner
Thursday, May 28th, 2026 12:10 amAfter revising -- realizing what you meant to do in the first place, and how you eliminated the necessary support structure.
sigh
sigh
Sinister Syndicate of Space
Wednesday, May 27th, 2026 04:34 pmSinister Syndicate of Space by John C. Wright
Book 8 of Starquest.
Plots thicken -- and converge. Spoilers ahead for the earlier works.
( Read more... )
Book 8 of Starquest.
Plots thicken -- and converge. Spoilers ahead for the earlier works.
( Read more... )
God bless America
Monday, May 25th, 2026 12:13 amGod bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
transition
Sunday, May 24th, 2026 11:07 pmtransition, transition, transition. From one bit to the next.
This first draft is not smooth at all.
This first draft is not smooth at all.
Kill the Villainess
Sunday, May 24th, 2026 10:41 pmKill the Villainess, Vol. 6 by Haegi and Your Your April
Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes.
( Read more... )
Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes.
( Read more... )
vignettes
Sunday, May 24th, 2026 11:26 amThis week's prompt is:
observe 🤔
Anyone can join, with a 50-word creative fiction vignette in the comments. Your vignette does not have to include the prompt term. Any (G or PG) definition of the word can be used.
observe 🤔
Anyone can join, with a 50-word creative fiction vignette in the comments. Your vignette does not have to include the prompt term. Any (G or PG) definition of the word can be used.
Pirate King of Star Patrol
Friday, May 22nd, 2026 10:47 pmPirate King of Star Patrol by John C. Wright
Starquest book seven. Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )
Starquest book seven. Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )
Graham has searched seven barrels so far and found very little fun and even fewer monkeys.
Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 10:49 pmSpaceman In The Iron Mask
Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 04:21 pmSpaceman In The Iron Mask by John C. Wright
Starquest Book 6. Spoilers ahead for the earlier books
( Read more... )
Starquest Book 6. Spoilers ahead for the earlier books
( Read more... )
vignettes
Sunday, May 17th, 2026 11:34 amThis week's prompt is:
muddled 😕
Anyone can join, with a 50-word creative fiction vignette in the comments. Your vignette does not have to include the prompt term. Any (G or PG) definition of the word can be used.
muddled 😕
Anyone can join, with a 50-word creative fiction vignette in the comments. Your vignette does not have to include the prompt term. Any (G or PG) definition of the word can be used.








