Reviews posted but not?

[GeorgeGlass]

A couple of times recently (including once today), I’ve gotten an email alert about a new review of a story, but when I look in the archive, there’s no new review. Are people posting reviews that don’t stick?

[GeorgeGlass]

Bumping this. I hate the thought that people are leaving reviews that I’ll never be able to read.

[BronxWench]

While the archive is still in read-only mode, I don’t think anyone is going to be able to post reviews. For the time being, if an author has a review reply thread, I urge readers to post reviews there so authors can see them.

[Guest Dagian]

Tested on my own story, can confirm that while in read only mode no reviews are posted. 

[BronxWench]

6 minutes ago, Guest Dagian said:

Tested on my own story, can confirm that while in read only mode no reviews are posted. 

Thank you for the confirmation—I suspected as much but hadn’t had the time to test it myself.

[GeorgeGlass]

I just went and left a test review on one of GrayNeko’s stories. The archive told me that my review was posted successfully, but when I looked, it hadn’t been. So indeed people are leaving reviews, but they don’t stick. 

Is there a way to shut off reviews so that would-be reviewers aren’t wasting their time?  

[GeorgeGlass]

I got another alert about a review that wasn’t there when I checked the archives. I’ve gone into my profile and disabled anonymous reviews (if that function is working, at least), so at least some people will know that they can’t review my stories right now.

[BronxWench]

On 10/31/2022 at 11:08 PM, GeorgeGlass said:

I just went and left a test review on one of GrayNeko’s stories. The archive told me that my review was posted successfully, but when I looked, it hadn’t been. So indeed people are leaving reviews, but they don’t stick. 

Is there a way to shut off reviews so that would-be reviewers aren’t wasting their time?  

Unfortunately, we can’t shut off the review feature, even though it’s not working properly. I’m pretty sure profile updates aren’t saving properly, either, so you may still be receiving anonymous reviews.

I know how frustrating this is, really. Everyone is doing all they can to resolve the situation, but if putting the archive online is only going to result in another attack, it’s not prudent. Once the site is properly hardened against this sort of attack, we can get back to being what we’re supposed to be—a fiction archive with readers and writers interacting happily.

[Krulos]

5 hours ago, BronxWench said:

Unfortunately, we can’t shut off the review feature, even though it’s not working properly. I’m pretty sure profile updates aren’t saving properly, either, so you may still be receiving anonymous reviews.

I know how frustrating this is, really. Everyone is doing all they can to resolve the situation, but if putting the archive online is only going to result in another attack, it’s not prudent. Once the site is properly hardened against this sort of attack, we can get back to being what we’re supposed to be—a fiction archive with readers and writers interacting happily.

Okay, just based on computer science, now we know some more of the data of what’s going on. I, for one, would humbly suggest that we do not emotionally invest in our reviews: to avoid conflict if nothing else. Yes, it is much more pleasant for a writer to find out his works’re desirable in the elements, and feedback always helps to write with more quality, no matter how well one writes… but if we are to function well with iffy reviews: we’ve got to think of them as temporary for the present time.

And I do strongly believe that everybody here is frustrated with the current situation, if for no other reason than what I’ve heard from other writers here- no matter what their roles are in the site.

[BronxWench]

The validity or benefit of reviews isn’t really what’s being discussed here. It’s an inquiry into the ability of readers to leave reviews, and it’s very much related to that, rather than the quality or quantity of reviews. There’s a whole other thread for that elsewhere.

Edited November 3, 2022 by BronxWench

[Krulos]

29 minutes ago, BronxWench said:

The validity or benefit of reviews isn’t really what’s being discussed here. It’s an inquiry into the ability of readers to leave reviews, and it’s very much related to that, rather than the quality or quantity of reviews. There’s a whole other thread for that elsewhere.

Not to worry; the thing I was getting at is that writers generally like to hear feedback from readers, hence their predictable frustration about reviews being iffy as far as whether they exist or not in the first place. But I do get what you mean; very clearly.

[Desiderius Price]

20 hours ago, BronxWench said:

Unfortunately, we can’t shut off the review feature, even though it’s not working properly. I’m pretty sure profile updates aren’t saving properly, either, so you may still be receiving anonymous reviews.

I know how frustrating this is, really. Everyone is doing all they can to resolve the situation, but if putting the archive online is only going to result in another attack, it’s not prudent. Once the site is properly hardened against this sort of attack, we can get back to being what we’re supposed to be—a fiction archive with readers and writers interacting happily.

Might I suggest Manta/DG rename “review.php” to something else so at least it becomes a “file-not-found” error?  That’d keep people from leaving reviews that never make it.

[GeorgeGlass]

On 11/4/2022 at 6:47 AM, Desiderius Price said:

Might I suggest Manta/DG rename “review.php” to something else so at least it becomes a “file-not-found” error?  That’d keep people from leaving reviews that never make it.

If that would work, I second it. I can’t seem to turn off anon reviews, and I’m still getting alerts about reviews that didn’t stick.

[BronxWench]

You can’t edit anything in your profile right now, which is why you can’t turn off anon reviews. No one can make a new account. No one can delete an account. That’s why it’s called read-only mode.

As far as renaming review.php, Manta and DG have enough work to do without making more for themselves. So, let’s allow them to concentrate on stopping the hacker’s access so we can get back to normal.

I’m not a coder, but I’m guessing that at the very least, it would mean renaming that bit of code in 22 discrete databases, as well as any cross-references elsewhere. And after the site is fixed, they’ll have to go back and find all those renamed bits and change them back, and hope none get missed because if I have to listen to anyone complaining about not getting reviews in whatever subdomain, after watching Manta and DG sweat for nearly 2 months to get things working again, I will absolutely lose my shit with said complainant.

[GeorgeGlass]

Fair enough, BW.