SoylentNews - User contributions [en]

WhosWho

2014-02-25T09:31:16Z

Gaaark: /* Wiki */

In the interest of getting questions to the right people on IRC and general organization, this is a summary of who is involved in SoylentNews. '''Please add yourself''' (or others) if you are actively working on the project. Also you can skip to the [[#Overlords|Overlord Contacts]].

==The Man Behind The Curtain==
* Barrabas

==Code==
* NCommander
* robinld
* zford
* mechanicjay

==Style==
In no particular order:
<ul>
<li>MrBluze - Overlord</li>
<li>shogun - HTML</li>
<li>moo_kuh - Testing</li>
<li>ragequit - CSS / JQuery</li>
<li>PrestonL - CSS / Bug Testing</li>
<li>mtrycz - User Interface</li>
<li>CynicGalahad - Website Design</li>
<li>FrogBlast - Art</li>
<li>xlefay - IRC</li>
</ul>
Correspondence: [mailto:style@soylentnews.org style@soylentnews.org]

==Frontend: CSS\HTML issues that pertain to look and feel==

* paulej72 (working on mods to comments.css)
* AudioGuy - documentation of system and cleanup of css to get things into a ste that new templates and Themes can be made

==Content==
* LaminatorX
* Dopefish
* Cactus
* mattie_p
* mrcoolbp - only rewriting about.shtml, moderation.shtml, FAQ.shtml <- the FAQ is in to be done: what should this look like?? [[User:Mrcoolbp|mrcoolbp]] ([[User talk:Mrcoolbp|talk]]) 00:11, 21 February 2014 (MST)

==Forums==
* applesmasher
* Dopefish

* LaminatorX
* mattie_p - I'm just an active user and in the Editor Group. I'm nobody official on the forums, though.

==Wiki==
* Cactus - Overlord
* FunPika
* sfm
* cosurgi
* mrcoolbp - working on re-organization and clean up

==IRC==
* Landon - Overlord
* Xlefay
* mrbluze

==Bugs==
* paulej72, currently scraping SoylentNews comments for bug reports and posting them to the bug tracker

==Overlords==

We're starting to get overlords that manage various features. An overlord is responsible for granting access - it's intended to be a ''no work'' position, so that it can be held for long periods without requiring much time.

So for example, Applesmasher is the overlord of forums. He grants access to people and recovers access when people leave, but he doesn't ''have'' to do any work himself (although he can if he wants). He ensures that the people with access are reliable.

If you need a forum for your group, ask the overlord of forums. If you want a set of wiki pages, ask the overlord of the wiki, and so on.

The current overlords have agreed to hold the position until Mar 1, at which time we will choose overlords via some formal process. (And the current overlords might ask to continue.)

The current overlords can be contacted here:

art@SoylentNews.org

editors@SoylentNews.org

forums@SoylentNews.org

wiki@SoylentNews.org

chat@SoylentNews.org

style@soylentnews.org

There will be more to come. This is temporary to get us going - the community can change the structure later, but for now things seem to naturally separate into these areas of interest.

WhosWho

2014-02-25T09:30:57Z

Gaaark: /* Forums */

In the interest of getting questions to the right people on IRC and general organization, this is a summary of who is involved in SoylentNews. '''Please add yourself''' (or others) if you are actively working on the project. Also you can skip to the [[#Overlords|Overlord Contacts]].

==The Man Behind The Curtain==
* Barrabas

==Code==
* NCommander
* robinld
* zford
* mechanicjay

==Style==
In no particular order:
<ul>
<li>MrBluze - Overlord</li>
<li>shogun - HTML</li>
<li>moo_kuh - Testing</li>
<li>ragequit - CSS / JQuery</li>
<li>PrestonL - CSS / Bug Testing</li>
<li>mtrycz - User Interface</li>
<li>CynicGalahad - Website Design</li>
<li>FrogBlast - Art</li>
<li>xlefay - IRC</li>
</ul>
Correspondence: [mailto:style@soylentnews.org style@soylentnews.org]

==Frontend: CSS\HTML issues that pertain to look and feel==

* paulej72 (working on mods to comments.css)
* AudioGuy - documentation of system and cleanup of css to get things into a ste that new templates and Themes can be made

==Content==
* LaminatorX
* Dopefish
* Cactus
* mattie_p
* mrcoolbp - only rewriting about.shtml, moderation.shtml, FAQ.shtml <- the FAQ is in to be done: what should this look like?? [[User:Mrcoolbp|mrcoolbp]] ([[User talk:Mrcoolbp|talk]]) 00:11, 21 February 2014 (MST)

==Forums==
* applesmasher
* Dopefish

* LaminatorX
* mattie_p - I'm just an active user and in the Editor Group. I'm nobody official on the forums, though.

==Wiki==
* Cactus - Overlord
* FunPika
* sfm
* cosurgi
* Gaaark
* mrcoolbp - working on re-organization and clean up

==IRC==
* Landon - Overlord
* Xlefay
* mrbluze

==Bugs==
* paulej72, currently scraping SoylentNews comments for bug reports and posting them to the bug tracker

==Overlords==

We're starting to get overlords that manage various features. An overlord is responsible for granting access - it's intended to be a ''no work'' position, so that it can be held for long periods without requiring much time.

So for example, Applesmasher is the overlord of forums. He grants access to people and recovers access when people leave, but he doesn't ''have'' to do any work himself (although he can if he wants). He ensures that the people with access are reliable.

If you need a forum for your group, ask the overlord of forums. If you want a set of wiki pages, ask the overlord of the wiki, and so on.

The current overlords have agreed to hold the position until Mar 1, at which time we will choose overlords via some formal process. (And the current overlords might ask to continue.)

The current overlords can be contacted here:

art@SoylentNews.org

editors@SoylentNews.org

forums@SoylentNews.org

wiki@SoylentNews.org

chat@SoylentNews.org

style@soylentnews.org

There will be more to come. This is temporary to get us going - the community can change the structure later, but for now things seem to naturally separate into these areas of interest.

WhosWho

2014-02-25T09:30:43Z

Gaaark: /* Content */

In the interest of getting questions to the right people on IRC and general organization, this is a summary of who is involved in SoylentNews. '''Please add yourself''' (or others) if you are actively working on the project. Also you can skip to the [[#Overlords|Overlord Contacts]].

==The Man Behind The Curtain==
* Barrabas

==Code==
* NCommander
* robinld
* zford
* mechanicjay

==Style==
In no particular order:
<ul>
<li>MrBluze - Overlord</li>
<li>shogun - HTML</li>
<li>moo_kuh - Testing</li>
<li>ragequit - CSS / JQuery</li>
<li>PrestonL - CSS / Bug Testing</li>
<li>mtrycz - User Interface</li>
<li>CynicGalahad - Website Design</li>
<li>FrogBlast - Art</li>
<li>xlefay - IRC</li>
</ul>
Correspondence: [mailto:style@soylentnews.org style@soylentnews.org]

==Frontend: CSS\HTML issues that pertain to look and feel==

* paulej72 (working on mods to comments.css)
* AudioGuy - documentation of system and cleanup of css to get things into a ste that new templates and Themes can be made

==Content==
* LaminatorX
* Dopefish
* Cactus
* mattie_p
* mrcoolbp - only rewriting about.shtml, moderation.shtml, FAQ.shtml <- the FAQ is in to be done: what should this look like?? [[User:Mrcoolbp|mrcoolbp]] ([[User talk:Mrcoolbp|talk]]) 00:11, 21 February 2014 (MST)

==Forums==
* applesmasher
* Dopefish

* LaminatorX
* mattie_p - I'm just an active user and in the Editor Group. I'm nobody official on the forums, though.
* Gaaark

==Wiki==
* Cactus - Overlord
* FunPika
* sfm
* cosurgi
* Gaaark
* mrcoolbp - working on re-organization and clean up

==IRC==
* Landon - Overlord
* Xlefay
* mrbluze

==Bugs==
* paulej72, currently scraping SoylentNews comments for bug reports and posting them to the bug tracker

==Overlords==

We're starting to get overlords that manage various features. An overlord is responsible for granting access - it's intended to be a ''no work'' position, so that it can be held for long periods without requiring much time.

So for example, Applesmasher is the overlord of forums. He grants access to people and recovers access when people leave, but he doesn't ''have'' to do any work himself (although he can if he wants). He ensures that the people with access are reliable.

If you need a forum for your group, ask the overlord of forums. If you want a set of wiki pages, ask the overlord of the wiki, and so on.

The current overlords have agreed to hold the position until Mar 1, at which time we will choose overlords via some formal process. (And the current overlords might ask to continue.)

The current overlords can be contacted here:

art@SoylentNews.org

editors@SoylentNews.org

forums@SoylentNews.org

wiki@SoylentNews.org

chat@SoylentNews.org

style@soylentnews.org

There will be more to come. This is temporary to get us going - the community can change the structure later, but for now things seem to naturally separate into these areas of interest.

SoylentNews

2014-02-19T15:49:29Z

Gaaark: /* IRC */

'''Good news everyone, we've finally launched!

http://soylentnews.org'''

[[FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]] ... Was your question not answered? Get on IRC and pester the relevant person: [[WhosWho| Who's Who?]]

==Updates==

'''2014-02-18 04:33PM UTC:''' Taking a break (Feb 18, 2014 11:26AM EST)

This is largely a duplicate of a status further down.

I'm putting together a manifesto and vision statement to answer everyone's questions regarding the future of the project. Briefly, the community will choose all aspects of the project including the business model.

I'm planning on first giving the community the opportunity to choose a permanent name, then the business model, then I'll start implementing the model (incorporating or whatever) while we sort out the rest of the issues.

I have warmed to the notion of non-profit, and would like to set before the community a list of notes and observations to provoke discussion. I'm hoping to write this coming week and publish by next week or the week after. (Still lots of things to do!)

I'm not able to follow all the threads or forums, so if anyone asks, please pass this along.

I've asked the system developers to '''take a break''' for at least a week. People are tired, and if we don't let people slow down we'll lose them (this has already happened). Maybe some light bug fixing if you feel up to it, but otherwise I want people to be rested.

Let's let the editorial team find their stride, everyone get everyone familiar with the system, and pick up on it in about a week.

Regarding development, it's always been the plan to do things properly: install good infrastructure, have testbed systems for debug and research, and have people who coordinate and curate the process. It's hard to choose commanders from a pool of 60 people who you only know by E-mail and have just met. We've been lucky so far, but I still don't have overlords for dev and style.

Also of note, ''I'm'' tired and was hoping to coast along with dev. I'm addressing individual registration issues at a leisurely pace, so if you've E-mailed a problem it'll get done eventually.

--John Barrabas John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

'''2014-02-17 20:44 UTC:''' I'm corecting problems. (Feb 17, 3:44PM EST)

I'm correcting individual registration problems when I can. My plan is to address wide-reaching issues first, then hand-fix problems on an individual level to get everyone going.

We're getting an SSL cert, which should eliminate the "Untrusted" popups. The cert process can take up to 24 hours.

We've installed an SPF record in the zone file, which should prevent your provider from flagging registration E-mails as spam. Check the spam filter rules in your individual readers to see if they need adjusting.

Of roughly 900 users so far I have registration errors from less than 10, so we're doing pretty well for first rollout in such a big project. Teething problems.

-- John

'''2014-02-17 06:23 UTC:''' We're up and running! (Feb 17, 1:23AM EST)

Soylentils rejoice! And welcome to SoylentNews.org - we done went live!

We deliver the best community-sourced news for nerds. A grassroots platform powered by submissions from our readers, we draw attention to those stories on the web which are important to everyone - especially nerds. We also provide a soapbox for discussion, allowing the
community to comment without mandatory registration.

We are mindful of community sentiment, and do not bend to overreaching corporate agenda. We want to be your source for news about technology, art, science and politics.

We are the new kid on the block and are adapting quickly to satisfy our community's needs. We look forward to exceeding your expectations and pushing the boundaries of web experience. And we will make no changes without community support.

Thank you everyone for your help and support! It's been a long, arduous, frustrating effort, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

...and we're ''not done yet''!

----

'''2014-02-16 22:57 UTC:''' Adding MX records (Feb 16, 5:57PM EST)

I am adding new MX records to the zone file in preparation for first launch. Mail may be unavailable for a few minutes (the TTL is 30 min). If you get E-mail bounce messages, please try again in an hour or so.

--John Barrabas

'''2014-02-16 13:32 UTC:''' Reposted from the site:

So, since this site went up three days ago, we've made tremendous progress in getting this site up and functional, and many of you gone above and beyond to try and give us content and provide meaningful comments. I'm completely blown away to say the least. I've got some big news to share, and a list of site improvements made over the last few days. Read on for more details ...

Moderation: IT WORKS! I finished implementing the algorithm last night, and purging slash of the old one so they won't conflict. The new algorithm is somewhat of a radical departure from the old one. I won't go into full details in this post, but there's a good write-up in my comments here.

Comment Counts: Got these working (again). ACs will only see a static HTML page which is updated every once in awhile. Logged-in users get the dynamic index which should have up-to-date counts. The fix is a bit wonky, so it might snap again. Let me know ASAP as the moderation scripts depend on this number being present (and correct!)

Theme: As you may have noticed, the site looks less ass. Due to the heroic efforts of audioguy, Paul, and others, we've gotten a steady stream of CSS fixes to make the site look and feel more consistent. Its not perfect (Firefox still has width issues), but its a fair improvement. This is one of the last major launch blockers

Topics: Finally got them implemented after we snapped the site in two last night. For the moment, they're all sharing the same icon, so it seems kinda unimpressive, but hopefully we'll have the art assets sometime soon to get them in place. Editors will notice I updated the labels to make them a bit clearer; two important notes on this: For an article to show up you MUST have "The Main Page" in the topic list (slash will complain if you don't have it).

Signoff Requirements: A new feature of SoylentNews requires that editors must have a peer sign-off an article before it can be displayed to the world. Slash has some limited support for this, and I got it working last night. For editors, stories are now marked in red and state "unsigned" on the index if only one person has edited it. Right now, this check is not enforced, but I plan to hopefully address that soon. For the moment, editors can future date and use the buddy system to get things checked off properly so we can have consistent formatting and quality.

Other Changes: I stripped out some of the dead features that I probably won't have time to fix before launch like OpenID login, and fixed the admin spellchecker. I also have a couple of ideas to get varnish going I need to bounce off Robin.

-- NCommander

'''2014-02-16 04:40 UTC:''' Expanded Alpha (Feb 15, 11:40PM EST)

We are expanding our alpha test to 100 users (from 70) over the next 24 hours. Stay alert for ways to get in on the action! Check the IRC Channel for details! ##altshashdot on freenode.net I am passing out about 2-3 approximately every hour.

-- Mattie_p.

'''2014-02-16 04:26 UTC:''' The plan is coming (Feb 15, 2014 11:26PM EST)

I'm putting together a manifesto to answer everyone's questions regarding the future of the project. Briefly, the community will choose all aspects of the project including the business model.

I'm planning on first giving the community the opportunity to choose a permanent name, then the business model, then I'll start implementing the model (incorporating or whatever) while we sort out the rest of the issues.

I have warmed to the notion of non-profit, and would like to set before the community a list of notes and observations to provoke discussion. I'm hoping to write this coming week and publish by Friday next or the Monday after.

I'm not able to follow all the threads or forums, so if anyone asks, please pass this along.

--John Barrabas John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

'''2014-02-15 17:30 UTC:''' Alpha Test (Feb 15, 2014 12:30PM EST)

Greetings, fellow Soylentils. As of right now, we have 20 articles posted on the alpha test site and about 60 registered users, who have produced over 150 comments so far. We're slowly increasing the number of Alphans on a daily basis. The best way to get invited is to participate somewhere, either in the forums, the IRC (##altslashdot on freenode.net), or on the wiki page. Contribute articles via the forum. Make suggestions. Etc. Anyway, I'd ask everyone to carefully read the [[Alpha_Bugs|Alpha Bugs]] page, particularly the Introduction to Alpha, it will give you information that will help you become an Alphan. Thanks for reading. --Mattie_p

'''2014-02-14 09:50 UTC:''' Status (Feb 14, 2014 4:50AM EST)

Started mod system rework. Here's my writeup on thoughts from the test site:

As the to-do list of tasks continues to be whittled bit by bit towards launch, one large item remains: distribution of moderation points. While I wish I could reuse the existing Slash code, the fact is that this code is completely inappropriate for a site smaller than Slashdot. So, I've been working with a couple of users in chat to rework the underlying math so that mod point distribution actually works in a reasonable way. If you're interested in the potential algorithm behind this, read on. Be warned, it is a bit dry and technical.

The current thoughts are that slash should enforce that a specific number of mod points must ALWAYS be in circulation, and in the hands of our potential moderators. Without going into too much detail, we're running off the assumption that the total number of moderations applied in an article should approximately equal the number of comments. To account for inactive users and for the constant flow of new articles/comments, twice as many mod points will be distributed.
Have I lost you yet? To reiterate, two mod points must exist for every comment in active articles. As far as problems go, having too many mod points in circulation is far preferable to too few. If you don't understand why, I recommend trying to find +5 posts on other slash sites like Slashdot Japan or BarraPunto.

Here's an example:
Assuming that we have two articles with approximately 200 comments each, that means we need to have 800 points in circulation. However, if we stuck with the old Slashdot method of 5 points to a user, we'd end up needing to have 80 people read an article and not comment on it. Obviously, that's not going to work, and as we have more articles/comments, that number will only increase.

Instead, we'll limit the number of moderators to approximately 30% of active accounts who haven't moderated relatively recently. In this context, active means that you have logged in within the last 5 days. The process_moderators script will calculate how many mod points are currently in circulation, how many need to be in circulation, and how many, if any, it needs to add to the pool. It then looks at the list of eligible moderators, selects 30% of them, and hands them out. To prevent moderation fatigue, we'll cap the maximum number of points a user can receive, and by the same logic, also set a minimum. I don't know about you, but I'd be a little annoyed if I found I had gotten a whopping 1 whole mod point.

This should allow a relatively fluid system, and I hope, allow us to have something very similar to the moderation system we've all grown to love. I'm open to suggestions or even radically different ideas on how to improve this below.
[[User:NCommander|NCommander]] ([[User talk:NCommander|talk]])

'''2014-02-14 02:50 UTC:''' Status (Feb 13, 2014 9:00PM EST)

We just modified the DNS a little. It'll take awhile for the changes to propagate through the net. I bumped the TTL down to 30 minutes (from 3 hours), so future changes should go pretty fast. There may be some intermittent problems for a short while.

We're not going live ''just'' yet, but we're comfortable letting more people in. Slowly I turned, step by step...

NCommander installed FusionForge on the dev site. It comes with MediaWiki (the same package as this), forum software, project management, and integrated bug tracking. It's pretty nice. It's the same package that runs SourceForge, so it'll be familiar to many people.

There's not a lot of discussion on the forums about which bug tracker to use, so absent any wailing and gnashing-of-teeth, I'd like to go with his choice. If people don't like this, start a protest and we'll talk.

'''2014-02-13 18:08 UTC:''' Status (Feb 13, 2014 1:08PM EST)

NCommander, our chief architect and hero, who has been putting in marathon days since Friday, is taking a much-needed "mental health day". We are idling in test mode (a few editors, the systems team, the alpha-test group) for at least a day while people catch their breath.

Varnish, our web accelerator, is not passing site cookies back to the user so we've disabled it for now. This means that the site is working, just not able to handle any sort of high-traffic load.

It's been pointed out that the wiki is a bad place to manage bugs. I agree completely, but for the first day it tends to avoid duplicates and it was only for a day or so anyway.

There's been some discussion among the ''system'' group (about a dozen people) about bug trackers, but that decision should really come from the ''dev'' team (30 or more, on the forum). The dev team should start discussing what they'd like to see for bug tracking on the forums. I'll monitor the thread and take consensus opinion (if there is one), or make an executive decision.

Please keep in mind the full scope of project bug tracking. System has suggested bug tracking be split into two sections - a mantis install, easy and user-friendly, used for overall site issues, and GitHub for technical issues which might be more appropriate for engineering bugs. Also, we intend to release the code open-source, so GitHub could field technical issues from other sites using our interface.

Food for thought.

'''2014-02-13 05:33 UTC:''' Status (Feb 13, 2014 12:33AM EST)

A select few editors, dev, and system types are working through the system finding bugs. User registration works, there are stories on the front page, comments and replies. A screenshot of testing from last night is here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52836172/2014-02-13-SN-aplha.png

We could use a temporary bug tracking system that's easily accessible by the users (ie - not requiring onerous registration). Can anyone hook us up?
: How about "Bug:" namespace here on wiki? [[User:Yahwotqa|Yahwotqa]] ([[User talk:Yahwotqa|talk]]) 00:45, 13 February 2014 (MST) <=== Done
:: If you expect more reports, I suggest using something structured like [[Template:Bug]] (example use in [[Bug:Testbug]]). Expand the template however you see fit. :) [[User:Yahwotqa|Yahwotqa]] ([[User talk:Yahwotqa|talk]]) 02:07, 13 February 2014 (MST)
::: Technically, this solution still requires registration (since anonymous editing is disabled on the wiki), and I don't think it would be able to handle some usual features of bug trackers like being able to list issues and filter them by stuff like their status. [[User:FunPika|Fun]][[User_Talk:FunPika|Pika]] 04:22, 13 February 2014 (MST)
:::: I created a [[Bug tracker]] page for figuring out what we want to do. [[User:FunPika|Fun]][[User_Talk:FunPika|Pika]] 05:23, 13 February 2014 (MST)
: Why temporary? We should just get a proper bug tracker in place then even in the future when someone notices a quirk they can report it. One of the big issues with /. was people were constantly complaining about bugs with no way to tell if they were being addressed. How long were people complaining about unicode support? [[User:Vanderhoth|Vanderhoth]]

: ''Later we want to have recommendations and properly choose a system that's well suited. At present, we don't want to spend time on things not directly related to bringing the system up. -John''

E-mail me: John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

'''2014-02-13 02:40 UTC:''' Status (Feb 12, 2014 9:40PM EST)

Freenode is complaining "Server is full" and not letting me into chat, so this is a '''guess status''' :-)

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help test the system this evening. At the last minute, the team found a nest of bugs that effectively broke the moderation system, so testing was put off until 10:PM EST, and then later was put off until Thu.

* Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn’t have to do it himself.
* Any project can be estimated accurately once it’s completed.
* The sooner you get behind schedule, the more time you have to make it up.
* A badly planned project will take three times longer than expected
* A well planned project only twice as long as expected.
* Schedules are made to be broken
* Work expands to fill the Time. Cost expands to meet the Budget.
* The first 90% of a project takes 90% of the time. The last 10% takes the other 90%.
* The only certainty in a project is uncertainty
* On time, on budget, on spec – pick 2.

'''2014-02-12 13:24 UTC:''' Status (Feb, 12 2014 8:24 EST)

'''WE HAVE A FIRST POST'''

From the site:
I know its been a long wait, but we've been steadily moving towards launch. With luck, you're reading this on the main index of the site, which means we've gone, and haven't gone mad in the process. Now that we're here, we hope to have made the wait worth it, but we depend on everyone in the community. To make this site a success, we depend on each and every single user even if its just from passing word of mouth. Remember, every single user can submit stories, moderate, and contribute to discussions all at the same time, and that's what makes us unique. May I be the first to welcome you to your new home.

[[http://imgbin.org/index.php?page=image&id=16708]]

'''2014-02-11 20:01 UTC:''' Status (Feb 11, 2014 3:01PM EST)

We have a working system, and two people fixing the CSS (sadly, none for sphinx). As far as I can tell, we're trying to get the high-bandwidth aspects of the site running: Varnish, MySQL configuration options, and such. We want the system to be able to withstand a tsunami of visitors 10 meters high.

The system team has been working around the clock to get things running, and I mean that literally. I have to as-much-as order people to break off at night and go to bed. They *really* want to see this thing work. Send them some love in chat if you can.

Note that these are not "deadlines", nor do I particularly care if we miss them: We're reporting when we "predict" things will be ready. The first 90% of the project is done, now we're working on the remaining 90%.

Stand by for launch...

P.S. - Check out the logo

'''2014-02-11 17:01 UTC:''' Need some sphinx help (Feb 11, 2014 12:01PM EST)

We still need [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_(search_engine) sphinx (search engine)]
expertise, so if you are familiar with this package, please E-mail me:

If you want to send the project lead a message: John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

==Project Goal==

'''To everyone involved... THANK YOU!'''

We are building a news site alternative to Slashdot. We have started only a few days ago, and this wiki is a temporary measure so that volunteers can coordinate and others can see what's happening.

The idea is to build a news aggregation site that delivers what's important - better articles, less fluff, and all the functionality you expect from the moderation system. We are still looking for volunteers so stop by the boards and the IRC and let us know you want to help!

* The proposed business model is [[Finances|here]] 
* Some business planning is [[Business|here]] 
* A statement of functionality (turn into a requirements document?)--- [[FeatureList]]

==Get Involved==

'''Hop in to IRC!''' - [[SoylentNews:IRC|IRC]]: #soylent on irc.soylentnews.org/6697 ([http://irc.sylnt.us/?channels=#soylent Webchat]).
**INCORRECT LINK--NEED TO FIX** We are growing in [http://irc.netsplit.de/channels/details.php?net=freenode&room=%23%23altslashdot strength!])

'''Register on the forums''' - http://forums.SoylentNews.org
* Go to forums.SoylentNews.org and register a user
* Read [http://forums.soylentnews.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=38&sid=e55255cb6dfe68b28c8cf5f2b9697a64| this] post if you are having problems. (Thanks MrGuy)
* Add yourself to whichever groups you are interested in
* For tech issues with the forum software, please Email Joel: soylent (at) finite (dot) ms

'''Slashcott''' Organized boycott of the Dice-owned Slashdot pages
* Show your support for the "Get rid of Beta" crowd by avoiding Slashdot during the week of February 10-17
* Slashcott, Week 2, officially begins Monday, February 17th, 2014 and runs through the 23rd.
* Links to relevent stories [[#The_Slashcott|here]]

'''Tell Somebody''' A friend, a colleague, any major news source....
*Do what you can to get the word out

Check out the [[FAQ]]

* Forums are available at forums.SoylentNews.org
::The forums have four user groups: Code, Content, Style, and System.
* We upgraded the hosting by two tiers
* The System team is working on installing SlashCode. They are busting their collective tails to get this site up for us. Hopefylly, soon!
* This *might* be non-profit, see [[Finances|business model]].
* We won't poach from Slashdot. This includes articles and logos, also "style" to a reasonable extent.

Mailing list update Messages are [[MailingListUpdates|here]]

== Site Name ==

We have a '''temporary''' name!

Thanks go out to everyone who made suggestions - some of them were
absolutely brilliant! For example, it hadn't occurred to me to choose a name based on a
non-English word, or a palindrome, or a puzzle. Many of the entries were quite clever.
(Adies, it took me more than a day to figure yours out. Bravo!)

I won't post the runners up because squatters might take the names before we hold the real
contest. We'll figure out a way to prevent this somehow - at worst case we can choose judges
and do it privately.

Jerry had the winning entry.

The temp name is: '''SoylentNews''' with the tagline: '''SoylentNews is people!'''

Does this rock? It hits the trifecta of website goodness:

* Descriptive in a way that mundanes will understand (compare "Photoshop" with "GIMP", "Internet Explorer" with "Firefox", and "MediaPlayer" with "VLC")

* It's part of Nerd culture, a pun, and slightly twisted

* It's suggestive of being community driven

* Possible Trademark issues

* It is attached to some movie about eating corpses and implies "News fresh as processed corpses" (??)

This will be a hard act to beat. Start thinking up names for the contest, or throw your weight
behind this one. The contest will be held soon after we open the doors.

(And it was poutine (from IRC) who suggested we use a temporary name. Others may also have suggested it, but it was his post that I noticed. Be sure to thank him if you see him on IRC.)

==Overlord Contacts==

We're starting to get overlords that manage various features. An overlord is responsible for granting access - it's intended to be a ''no work'' position, so that it can be held for long periods without requiring much time.

So for example, Applesmasher is the overlord of forums. He grants access to people and recovers access when people leave, but he doesn't ''have'' to do any work himself (although he can if he wants). He ensures that the people with access are reliable.

If you need a forum for your group, ask the overlord of forums. If you want a set of wiki pages, ask the overlord of the wiki, and so on.

The current overlords have agreed to hold the position until Mar 1, at which time we will choose overlords via some formal process. (And the current overlords might ask to continue.)

The current overlords can be contacted here:

art@SoylentNews.org

editors@SoylentNews.org

forums@SoylentNews.org

wiki@SoylentNews.org

chat@SoylentNews.org

There will be more to come. This is temporary to get us going - the community can change the structure later, but for now things seem to naturally separate into these areas of interest.

Also check out the [[WhosWho| Who's Who?]].

== List of Discussion Pages ==

*[[NewName]]
*[[MailingListUpdates]]
*[[Finances]] -- which model would allow to minimise and/or distribute hosting costs
*[[Business]]
*[[Moderation]] -- how/if to enhance; was it so bad it was the primary reason for the diaspora?
*[[FeatureList]] -- discussion of required/desired characteristics
*[[Submission guidelines]]
*[[Content]]
*[[Style]]
*[[Migration of users from Slashdot]] -- how to handle Nicks and UIDs
*[[Licensing]]
*[[WhosWho]] -- points of contact in different project areas
*[[Spreading the word]]
*[[Comments]]
*[[To do]]
*[[Bugs]]
*[[Stories from former Slashdot users]]
*[[IRCVision|What should the IRC network be like?]]
*[[URLShortener|How do we want a URL shortener to be used?]]
*[[CssWork]]

== IRC ==

***DUPLICATION OF IRC DISCUSSION: SHOULD BE REMOVED?

General Slashdot Discussion: Come on IRC channel #slashdot at irc.slashnet.org. Or use the web client: http://www.slashnet.org/webclient

SoylentNews Discussion: Head to IRC channel #Soylent on irc.soylentnews.org, Web client is here: https://chat.soylentnews.org/

'''Mumble (Voice / Text Server)''' : voice.whackperiod.org

==The Slashcott==

'''The Slashcott (boycott) is getting attention'''

:A selection of Slashcott/Beta comments from around the web.......

::* http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/02/slashdots-new-interface-could-kill-what-keeps-slashdot-relevant/ <=== Nice article by Ars
::* http://spallshurgenson.blogspot.com/2014/02/tragedy-of-commons-redesigning-social.html <=== A good summary of the situation
::* https://community.republicwireless.com/thread/23151 <== "How not to treat your community"
::* http://www.tidbitsfortechs.com/2014/02/biting-hand-feeds-less-boycotting-slashdot-org-1-week
::* http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/442346-trouble-at-slashdot
::* http://beta.slashdot.org/submission/3326505 <== "The Individual Midnight Thread"

Check out the [http://imgbin.org/index.php?page=image&id=16688| look and feel] of the new site!

== Similar Projects ==
* [http://technocrat.net/ Technocrat] - News site presented by Bruce Perens, going on the air Tuesday February 17.
* [http://pipedot.org/ Pipedot] - Rewrite project - Aiming to create a cleaner news site with modern technology.
* Usenet newsgroup comp.misc - [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/comp.misc on Google Groups], [http://squte.com/ on Squte], [news:comp.misc via newsreader application]

SoylentNews:IRC

2014-02-19T15:42:17Z

Gaaark: fixed incorrect links

SoylentNews has an IRC Channel at #soylent on irc.soylentnews.org/6697

If you do not have an IRC client installed on your machine, you can use [http://irc.sylnt.us/?channels=#soylent Our webchat]

== Registering a nickname ==
It is strongly recommended that new users register their nickname with NickServ so that others can not use it. To do this you can use the following command:
<pre>/msg NickServ REGISTER <password> <email-address></pre>
After running this command you will receive an Email with instructions on how to confirm it is valid. If you are using an IRC client (not webchat) and you would like to have your IP Address/Hostname hidden from other users, you can go into the #freenode channel and ask about an unaffiliated cloak once you are logged into your NickServ account. A Freenode staff member should be able to help you out.

== Useful links and tutorials ==
*[[wikipedia:Wikipedia:IRC/Tutorial|Wikipedia's IRC Tutorial]] (this may be a little specific to Freenode and #wikipedia-* channels, but should still have some useful general information)
*[https://freenode.net/faq.shtml FAQ on Freenode's website]
*[http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/irctutorial.html Another tutorial on irchelp.org]

SoylentNews

2014-02-19T03:20:54Z

Gaaark: /* Get Involved */

'''Good news everyone, we've finally launched!

http://soylentnews.org'''

[[FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]] ... Was your question not answered? Get on IRC and pester the relevant person: [[WhosWho| Who's Who?]]

==Updates==

'''2014-02-18 04:33PM UTC:''' Taking a break (Feb 18, 2014 11:26AM EST)

This is largely a duplicate of a status further down.

I'm putting together a manifesto and vision statement to answer everyone's questions regarding the future of the project. Briefly, the community will choose all aspects of the project including the business model.

I'm planning on first giving the community the opportunity to choose a permanent name, then the business model, then I'll start implementing the model (incorporating or whatever) while we sort out the rest of the issues.

I have warmed to the notion of non-profit, and would like to set before the community a list of notes and observations to provoke discussion. I'm hoping to write this coming week and publish by next week or the week after. (Still lots of things to do!)

I'm not able to follow all the threads or forums, so if anyone asks, please pass this along.

I've asked the system developers to '''take a break''' for at least a week. People are tired, and if we don't let people slow down we'll lose them (this has already happened). Maybe some light bug fixing if you feel up to it, but otherwise I want people to be rested.

Let's let the editorial team find their stride, everyone get everyone familiar with the system, and pick up on it in about a week.

Regarding development, it's always been the plan to do things properly: install good infrastructure, have testbed systems for debug and research, and have people who coordinate and curate the process. It's hard to choose commanders from a pool of 60 people who you only know by E-mail and have just met. We've been lucky so far, but I still don't have overlords for dev and style.

Also of note, ''I'm'' tired and was hoping to coast along with dev. I'm addressing individual registration issues at a leisurely pace, so if you've E-mailed a problem it'll get done eventually.

--John Barrabas John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

'''2014-02-17 20:44 UTC:''' I'm corecting problems. (Feb 17, 3:44PM EST)

I'm correcting individual registration problems when I can. My plan is to address wide-reaching issues first, then hand-fix problems on an individual level to get everyone going.

We're getting an SSL cert, which should eliminate the "Untrusted" popups. The cert process can take up to 24 hours.

We've installed an SPF record in the zone file, which should prevent your provider from flagging registration E-mails as spam. Check the spam filter rules in your individual readers to see if they need adjusting.

Of roughly 900 users so far I have registration errors from less than 10, so we're doing pretty well for first rollout in such a big project. Teething problems.

-- John

'''2014-02-17 06:23 UTC:''' We're up and running! (Feb 17, 1:23AM EST)

Soylentils rejoice! And welcome to SoylentNews.org - we done went live!

We deliver the best community-sourced news for nerds. A grassroots platform powered by submissions from our readers, we draw attention to those stories on the web which are important to everyone - especially nerds. We also provide a soapbox for discussion, allowing the
community to comment without mandatory registration.

We are mindful of community sentiment, and do not bend to overreaching corporate agenda. We want to be your source for news about technology, art, science and politics.

We are the new kid on the block and are adapting quickly to satisfy our community's needs. We look forward to exceeding your expectations and pushing the boundaries of web experience. And we will make no changes without community support.

Thank you everyone for your help and support! It's been a long, arduous, frustrating effort, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

...and we're ''not done yet''!

----

'''2014-02-16 22:57 UTC:''' Adding MX records (Feb 16, 5:57PM EST)

I am adding new MX records to the zone file in preparation for first launch. Mail may be unavailable for a few minutes (the TTL is 30 min). If you get E-mail bounce messages, please try again in an hour or so.

--John Barrabas

'''2014-02-16 13:32 UTC:''' Reposted from the site:

So, since this site went up three days ago, we've made tremendous progress in getting this site up and functional, and many of you gone above and beyond to try and give us content and provide meaningful comments. I'm completely blown away to say the least. I've got some big news to share, and a list of site improvements made over the last few days. Read on for more details ...

Moderation: IT WORKS! I finished implementing the algorithm last night, and purging slash of the old one so they won't conflict. The new algorithm is somewhat of a radical departure from the old one. I won't go into full details in this post, but there's a good write-up in my comments here.

Comment Counts: Got these working (again). ACs will only see a static HTML page which is updated every once in awhile. Logged-in users get the dynamic index which should have up-to-date counts. The fix is a bit wonky, so it might snap again. Let me know ASAP as the moderation scripts depend on this number being present (and correct!)

Theme: As you may have noticed, the site looks less ass. Due to the heroic efforts of audioguy, Paul, and others, we've gotten a steady stream of CSS fixes to make the site look and feel more consistent. Its not perfect (Firefox still has width issues), but its a fair improvement. This is one of the last major launch blockers

Topics: Finally got them implemented after we snapped the site in two last night. For the moment, they're all sharing the same icon, so it seems kinda unimpressive, but hopefully we'll have the art assets sometime soon to get them in place. Editors will notice I updated the labels to make them a bit clearer; two important notes on this: For an article to show up you MUST have "The Main Page" in the topic list (slash will complain if you don't have it).

Signoff Requirements: A new feature of SoylentNews requires that editors must have a peer sign-off an article before it can be displayed to the world. Slash has some limited support for this, and I got it working last night. For editors, stories are now marked in red and state "unsigned" on the index if only one person has edited it. Right now, this check is not enforced, but I plan to hopefully address that soon. For the moment, editors can future date and use the buddy system to get things checked off properly so we can have consistent formatting and quality.

Other Changes: I stripped out some of the dead features that I probably won't have time to fix before launch like OpenID login, and fixed the admin spellchecker. I also have a couple of ideas to get varnish going I need to bounce off Robin.

-- NCommander

'''2014-02-16 04:40 UTC:''' Expanded Alpha (Feb 15, 11:40PM EST)

We are expanding our alpha test to 100 users (from 70) over the next 24 hours. Stay alert for ways to get in on the action! Check the IRC Channel for details! ##altshashdot on freenode.net I am passing out about 2-3 approximately every hour.

-- Mattie_p.

'''2014-02-16 04:26 UTC:''' The plan is coming (Feb 15, 2014 11:26PM EST)

I'm putting together a manifesto to answer everyone's questions regarding the future of the project. Briefly, the community will choose all aspects of the project including the business model.

I'm planning on first giving the community the opportunity to choose a permanent name, then the business model, then I'll start implementing the model (incorporating or whatever) while we sort out the rest of the issues.

I have warmed to the notion of non-profit, and would like to set before the community a list of notes and observations to provoke discussion. I'm hoping to write this coming week and publish by Friday next or the Monday after.

I'm not able to follow all the threads or forums, so if anyone asks, please pass this along.

--John Barrabas John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

'''2014-02-15 17:30 UTC:''' Alpha Test (Feb 15, 2014 12:30PM EST)

Greetings, fellow Soylentils. As of right now, we have 20 articles posted on the alpha test site and about 60 registered users, who have produced over 150 comments so far. We're slowly increasing the number of Alphans on a daily basis. The best way to get invited is to participate somewhere, either in the forums, the IRC (##altslashdot on freenode.net), or on the wiki page. Contribute articles via the forum. Make suggestions. Etc. Anyway, I'd ask everyone to carefully read the [[Alpha_Bugs|Alpha Bugs]] page, particularly the Introduction to Alpha, it will give you information that will help you become an Alphan. Thanks for reading. --Mattie_p

'''2014-02-14 09:50 UTC:''' Status (Feb 14, 2014 4:50AM EST)

Started mod system rework. Here's my writeup on thoughts from the test site:

As the to-do list of tasks continues to be whittled bit by bit towards launch, one large item remains: distribution of moderation points. While I wish I could reuse the existing Slash code, the fact is that this code is completely inappropriate for a site smaller than Slashdot. So, I've been working with a couple of users in chat to rework the underlying math so that mod point distribution actually works in a reasonable way. If you're interested in the potential algorithm behind this, read on. Be warned, it is a bit dry and technical.

The current thoughts are that slash should enforce that a specific number of mod points must ALWAYS be in circulation, and in the hands of our potential moderators. Without going into too much detail, we're running off the assumption that the total number of moderations applied in an article should approximately equal the number of comments. To account for inactive users and for the constant flow of new articles/comments, twice as many mod points will be distributed.
Have I lost you yet? To reiterate, two mod points must exist for every comment in active articles. As far as problems go, having too many mod points in circulation is far preferable to too few. If you don't understand why, I recommend trying to find +5 posts on other slash sites like Slashdot Japan or BarraPunto.

Here's an example:
Assuming that we have two articles with approximately 200 comments each, that means we need to have 800 points in circulation. However, if we stuck with the old Slashdot method of 5 points to a user, we'd end up needing to have 80 people read an article and not comment on it. Obviously, that's not going to work, and as we have more articles/comments, that number will only increase.

Instead, we'll limit the number of moderators to approximately 30% of active accounts who haven't moderated relatively recently. In this context, active means that you have logged in within the last 5 days. The process_moderators script will calculate how many mod points are currently in circulation, how many need to be in circulation, and how many, if any, it needs to add to the pool. It then looks at the list of eligible moderators, selects 30% of them, and hands them out. To prevent moderation fatigue, we'll cap the maximum number of points a user can receive, and by the same logic, also set a minimum. I don't know about you, but I'd be a little annoyed if I found I had gotten a whopping 1 whole mod point.

This should allow a relatively fluid system, and I hope, allow us to have something very similar to the moderation system we've all grown to love. I'm open to suggestions or even radically different ideas on how to improve this below.
[[User:NCommander|NCommander]] ([[User talk:NCommander|talk]])

'''2014-02-14 02:50 UTC:''' Status (Feb 13, 2014 9:00PM EST)

We just modified the DNS a little. It'll take awhile for the changes to propagate through the net. I bumped the TTL down to 30 minutes (from 3 hours), so future changes should go pretty fast. There may be some intermittent problems for a short while.

We're not going live ''just'' yet, but we're comfortable letting more people in. Slowly I turned, step by step...

NCommander installed FusionForge on the dev site. It comes with MediaWiki (the same package as this), forum software, project management, and integrated bug tracking. It's pretty nice. It's the same package that runs SourceForge, so it'll be familiar to many people.

There's not a lot of discussion on the forums about which bug tracker to use, so absent any wailing and gnashing-of-teeth, I'd like to go with his choice. If people don't like this, start a protest and we'll talk.

'''2014-02-13 18:08 UTC:''' Status (Feb 13, 2014 1:08PM EST)

NCommander, our chief architect and hero, who has been putting in marathon days since Friday, is taking a much-needed "mental health day". We are idling in test mode (a few editors, the systems team, the alpha-test group) for at least a day while people catch their breath.

Varnish, our web accelerator, is not passing site cookies back to the user so we've disabled it for now. This means that the site is working, just not able to handle any sort of high-traffic load.

It's been pointed out that the wiki is a bad place to manage bugs. I agree completely, but for the first day it tends to avoid duplicates and it was only for a day or so anyway.

There's been some discussion among the ''system'' group (about a dozen people) about bug trackers, but that decision should really come from the ''dev'' team (30 or more, on the forum). The dev team should start discussing what they'd like to see for bug tracking on the forums. I'll monitor the thread and take consensus opinion (if there is one), or make an executive decision.

Please keep in mind the full scope of project bug tracking. System has suggested bug tracking be split into two sections - a mantis install, easy and user-friendly, used for overall site issues, and GitHub for technical issues which might be more appropriate for engineering bugs. Also, we intend to release the code open-source, so GitHub could field technical issues from other sites using our interface.

Food for thought.

'''2014-02-13 05:33 UTC:''' Status (Feb 13, 2014 12:33AM EST)

A select few editors, dev, and system types are working through the system finding bugs. User registration works, there are stories on the front page, comments and replies. A screenshot of testing from last night is here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52836172/2014-02-13-SN-aplha.png

We could use a temporary bug tracking system that's easily accessible by the users (ie - not requiring onerous registration). Can anyone hook us up?
: How about "Bug:" namespace here on wiki? [[User:Yahwotqa|Yahwotqa]] ([[User talk:Yahwotqa|talk]]) 00:45, 13 February 2014 (MST) <=== Done
:: If you expect more reports, I suggest using something structured like [[Template:Bug]] (example use in [[Bug:Testbug]]). Expand the template however you see fit. :) [[User:Yahwotqa|Yahwotqa]] ([[User talk:Yahwotqa|talk]]) 02:07, 13 February 2014 (MST)
::: Technically, this solution still requires registration (since anonymous editing is disabled on the wiki), and I don't think it would be able to handle some usual features of bug trackers like being able to list issues and filter them by stuff like their status. [[User:FunPika|Fun]][[User_Talk:FunPika|Pika]] 04:22, 13 February 2014 (MST)
:::: I created a [[Bug tracker]] page for figuring out what we want to do. [[User:FunPika|Fun]][[User_Talk:FunPika|Pika]] 05:23, 13 February 2014 (MST)
: Why temporary? We should just get a proper bug tracker in place then even in the future when someone notices a quirk they can report it. One of the big issues with /. was people were constantly complaining about bugs with no way to tell if they were being addressed. How long were people complaining about unicode support? [[User:Vanderhoth|Vanderhoth]]

: ''Later we want to have recommendations and properly choose a system that's well suited. At present, we don't want to spend time on things not directly related to bringing the system up. -John''

E-mail me: John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

'''2014-02-13 02:40 UTC:''' Status (Feb 12, 2014 9:40PM EST)

Freenode is complaining "Server is full" and not letting me into chat, so this is a '''guess status''' :-)

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help test the system this evening. At the last minute, the team found a nest of bugs that effectively broke the moderation system, so testing was put off until 10:PM EST, and then later was put off until Thu.

* Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn’t have to do it himself.
* Any project can be estimated accurately once it’s completed.
* The sooner you get behind schedule, the more time you have to make it up.
* A badly planned project will take three times longer than expected
* A well planned project only twice as long as expected.
* Schedules are made to be broken
* Work expands to fill the Time. Cost expands to meet the Budget.
* The first 90% of a project takes 90% of the time. The last 10% takes the other 90%.
* The only certainty in a project is uncertainty
* On time, on budget, on spec – pick 2.

'''2014-02-12 13:24 UTC:''' Status (Feb, 12 2014 8:24 EST)

'''WE HAVE A FIRST POST'''

From the site:
I know its been a long wait, but we've been steadily moving towards launch. With luck, you're reading this on the main index of the site, which means we've gone, and haven't gone mad in the process. Now that we're here, we hope to have made the wait worth it, but we depend on everyone in the community. To make this site a success, we depend on each and every single user even if its just from passing word of mouth. Remember, every single user can submit stories, moderate, and contribute to discussions all at the same time, and that's what makes us unique. May I be the first to welcome you to your new home.

[[http://imgbin.org/index.php?page=image&id=16708]]

'''2014-02-11 20:01 UTC:''' Status (Feb 11, 2014 3:01PM EST)

We have a working system, and two people fixing the CSS (sadly, none for sphinx). As far as I can tell, we're trying to get the high-bandwidth aspects of the site running: Varnish, MySQL configuration options, and such. We want the system to be able to withstand a tsunami of visitors 10 meters high.

The system team has been working around the clock to get things running, and I mean that literally. I have to as-much-as order people to break off at night and go to bed. They *really* want to see this thing work. Send them some love in chat if you can.

Note that these are not "deadlines", nor do I particularly care if we miss them: We're reporting when we "predict" things will be ready. The first 90% of the project is done, now we're working on the remaining 90%.

Stand by for launch...

P.S. - Check out the logo

'''2014-02-11 17:01 UTC:''' Need some sphinx help (Feb 11, 2014 12:01PM EST)

We still need [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_(search_engine) sphinx (search engine)]
expertise, so if you are familiar with this package, please E-mail me:

If you want to send the project lead a message: John (at) SoylentNews (dot) org

==Project Goal==

'''To everyone involved... THANK YOU!'''

We are building a news site alternative to Slashdot. We have started only a few days ago, and this wiki is a temporary measure so that volunteers can coordinate and others can see what's happening.

The idea is to build a news aggregation site that delivers what's important - better articles, less fluff, and all the functionality you expect from the moderation system. We are still looking for volunteers so stop by the boards and the IRC and let us know you want to help!

* The proposed business model is [[Finances|here]] 
* Some business planning is [[Business|here]] 
* A statement of functionality (turn into a requirements document?)--- [[FeatureList]]

==Get Involved==

'''Hop in to IRC!''' - [[SoylentNews:IRC|IRC]]: #soylent on irc.soylentnews.org/6697 ([http://irc.sylnt.us/?channels=#soylent Webchat]).
**INCORRECT LINK--NEED TO FIX** We are growing in [http://irc.netsplit.de/channels/details.php?net=freenode&room=%23%23altslashdot strength!])

'''Register on the forums''' - http://forums.SoylentNews.org
* Go to forums.SoylentNews.org and register a user
* Read [http://forums.soylentnews.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=38&sid=e55255cb6dfe68b28c8cf5f2b9697a64| this] post if you are having problems. (Thanks MrGuy)
* Add yourself to whichever groups you are interested in
* For tech issues with the forum software, please Email Joel: soylent (at) finite (dot) ms

'''Slashcott''' Organized boycott of the Dice-owned Slashdot pages
* Show your support for the "Get rid of Beta" crowd by avoiding Slashdot during the week of February 10-17
* Slashcott, Week 2, officially begins Monday, February 17th, 2014 and runs through the 23rd.
* Links to relevent stories [[#The_Slashcott|here]]

'''Tell Somebody''' A friend, a colleague, any major news source....
*Do what you can to get the word out

Check out the [[FAQ]]

* Forums are available at forums.SoylentNews.org
::The forums have four user groups: Code, Content, Style, and System.
* We upgraded the hosting by two tiers
* The System team is working on installing SlashCode. They are busting their collective tails to get this site up for us. Hopefylly, soon!
* This *might* be non-profit, see [[Finances|business model]].
* We won't poach from Slashdot. This includes articles and logos, also "style" to a reasonable extent.

Mailing list update Messages are [[MailingListUpdates|here]]

== Site Name ==

We have a '''temporary''' name!

Thanks go out to everyone who made suggestions - some of them were
absolutely brilliant! For example, it hadn't occurred to me to choose a name based on a
non-English word, or a palindrome, or a puzzle. Many of the entries were quite clever.
(Adies, it took me more than a day to figure yours out. Bravo!)

I won't post the runners up because squatters might take the names before we hold the real
contest. We'll figure out a way to prevent this somehow - at worst case we can choose judges
and do it privately.

Jerry had the winning entry.

The temp name is: '''SoylentNews''' with the tagline: '''SoylentNews is people!'''

Does this rock? It hits the trifecta of website goodness:

* Descriptive in a way that mundanes will understand (compare "Photoshop" with "GIMP", "Internet Explorer" with "Firefox", and "MediaPlayer" with "VLC")

* It's part of Nerd culture, a pun, and slightly twisted

* It's suggestive of being community driven

* Possible Trademark issues

* It is attached to some movie about eating corpses and implies "News fresh as processed corpses" (??)

This will be a hard act to beat. Start thinking up names for the contest, or throw your weight
behind this one. The contest will be held soon after we open the doors.

(And it was poutine (from IRC) who suggested we use a temporary name. Others may also have suggested it, but it was his post that I noticed. Be sure to thank him if you see him on IRC.)

==Overlord Contacts==

We're starting to get overlords that manage various features. An overlord is responsible for granting access - it's intended to be a ''no work'' position, so that it can be held for long periods without requiring much time.

So for example, Applesmasher is the overlord of forums. He grants access to people and recovers access when people leave, but he doesn't ''have'' to do any work himself (although he can if he wants). He ensures that the people with access are reliable.

If you need a forum for your group, ask the overlord of forums. If you want a set of wiki pages, ask the overlord of the wiki, and so on.

The current overlords have agreed to hold the position until Mar 1, at which time we will choose overlords via some formal process. (And the current overlords might ask to continue.)

The current overlords can be contacted here:

art@SoylentNews.org

editors@SoylentNews.org

forums@SoylentNews.org

wiki@SoylentNews.org

chat@SoylentNews.org

There will be more to come. This is temporary to get us going - the community can change the structure later, but for now things seem to naturally separate into these areas of interest.

Also check out the [[WhosWho| Who's Who?]].

== List of Discussion Pages ==

*[[NewName]]
*[[MailingListUpdates]]
*[[Finances]] -- which model would allow to minimise and/or distribute hosting costs
*[[Business]]
*[[Moderation]] -- how/if to enhance; was it so bad it was the primary reason for the diaspora?
*[[FeatureList]] -- discussion of required/desired characteristics
*[[Submission guidelines]]
*[[Content]]
*[[Style]]
*[[Migration of users from Slashdot]] -- how to handle Nicks and UIDs
*[[Licensing]]
*[[WhosWho]] -- points of contact in different project areas
*[[Spreading the word]]
*[[Comments]]
*[[To do]]
*[[Bugs]]
*[[Stories from former Slashdot users]]
*[[IRCVision|What should the IRC network be like?]]
*[[URLShortener|How do we want a URL shortener to be used?]]
*[[CssWork]]

== IRC ==

General Slashdot Discussion: Come on IRC channel #slashdot at irc.slashnet.org. Or use the web client: http://www.slashnet.org/webclient

SoylentNews Discussion: Head to IRC channel #Soylent on irc.soylentnews.org, Web client is here: https://chat.soylentnews.org/

'''Mumble (Voice / Text Server)''' : voice.whackperiod.org

==The Slashcott==

'''The Slashcott (boycott) is getting attention'''

:A selection of Slashcott/Beta comments from around the web.......

::* http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/02/slashdots-new-interface-could-kill-what-keeps-slashdot-relevant/ <=== Nice article by Ars
::* http://spallshurgenson.blogspot.com/2014/02/tragedy-of-commons-redesigning-social.html <=== A good summary of the situation
::* https://community.republicwireless.com/thread/23151 <== "How not to treat your community"
::* http://www.tidbitsfortechs.com/2014/02/biting-hand-feeds-less-boycotting-slashdot-org-1-week
::* http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/442346-trouble-at-slashdot
::* http://beta.slashdot.org/submission/3326505 <== "The Individual Midnight Thread"

Check out the [http://imgbin.org/index.php?page=image&id=16688| look and feel] of the new site!

== Similar Projects ==
* [http://technocrat.net/ Technocrat] - News site presented by Bruce Perens, going on the air Tuesday February 17.
* [http://pipedot.org/ Pipedot] - Rewrite project - Aiming to create a cleaner news site with modern technology.
* Usenet newsgroup comp.misc - [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/comp.misc on Google Groups], [http://squte.com/ on Squte], [news:comp.misc via newsreader application]

Alpha Bugs

2014-02-14T17:37:15Z

Gaaark: /* Suggestions */ nested default

Post bugs and issues here. Do not hyperlink to the pages, please provide that information separately to the devs for now.

==Bugs==
Bugs affect the operability of the site.

* Some (most?) saved changes to settings on the "You" pages are not reflected following pressing "save"
* Karma score of -1 means you cannot post as yourself, meaning you essentially remain at -1 forever.
* You can create, edit, and preview journal entries, but they are not saved.
** really? I could make one - mattie_p
** Weird. Am I the only one? Do I need to have comments enabled maybe?
** Yes, it appears comments need to be enabled to post. A hard to find error message appears if you don't saying 'You must enable comments for all users if you've marked your submission as "publicize" or "publish." '. Not sure that error message makes much sense. -- Common Joe
* ''Posted by'' user link under the story heading always points to the current page (whether from the front page or story page)

==Issues==
Issues don't affect the operability, but are inconvenient or undesirable
* Firehose
* Many 404 errors on Help and Preferences page
* Email links and registration email are all NCommander's personal address
* Create account - check for availability gives no response
* Categories (section and topics) for new submissions need expanding. - (current suggested list is here: http://www.soylentnews.org/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=33&start=20#p486 - mattie_p)
* Is there a way for users to make posts on submitted stories, or is that an editor-only thing.
* FAQ links don't work when directed to slashcode. Internal links work fine.
* Altering comments settings (You --> Comments ==> Make a change ==> Save) will re-display your old, unwanted settings, but if you leave and come back, then your new settings will show. (Apparently, settings really are saved.)
* On the password page, the 'login session' link 404's.
* Friend / Foe seems to be best changed by clicking on faces next to names. This is not intuitive. (Found a couple of others places to click on but I don't find them intuitive either.)
* Friend / Foe can (sometimes) take at least 20 minutes to propogate. There is no warning about this and it can be confusing since you save one setting and it immediately shows the old setting again. Note: A job seems to run every 20 minutes starting at the top of the hour.
*Passwords sent to email address upon registration: warn it could be in spam folder.
* Achievements - I got the "You've posted a comment" achievement which is very nice, and then the same for journal, but the links take me to a page ( /~ancientt/achievements ) where there are no listed achievements

==Suggestions==
* Having the comments section work in a slightly less retro way would be awesome. Specifically: a) clicking on a comment URL shouldn't make the rest of the thread vanish. b) have the site automatically return you to the view you came from following posting of a comment.
* Would like to be able to click on the title, as well as 'Read more...', to go from the main list to an individual story page.
* "Dupe detector" at submission time. Use submitted title to search previous stories for dupes and get user to confirm that what they're submitting really is novel. (partial solution here, in that if you base the submission off a URL, that must be unique - mattie_p)

* Can we get the ability for logged in users to edit their own posts (as themselves, not AC)?

* Just submitted an article to make sure that function worked ok with no javascript - it does. However, I noticed that the articles are always surrounded automatically with quotes
** AudioGuy writes "blah blah blah"
** but if your article happens to begin with a quote it winds up like
*** AudioGuy Writes ""blah blah blah""
** which looks kind of odd. Maybe the outer quotes could be left off and something like italicizing the initial text used instead:
*** ''AudioGuy writes:'' blah blah blah
*** So quoted text would look like this
*** ''AudioGuy writes:'' "blah blah blah"
**Editors will have to check for quotes and make sure they make sense. I'll keep my eyes open for them - mattie_p
*When a reply to a reply is submitted, instead of there being a " Comment Submitted. There will be a delay before the comment becomes part of the static page. What you submitted appears below. If there is a mistake...well, you should have used the 'Preview' button! " notice, maybe the reply should be submitted to the static page, but 'lightened' or 'greyed out' to show it is not yet a part of the regular page.
**Also, maybe the default should be 'nested' for viewing replies (what slashdot users are used to seeing, i believe)

Alpha Bugs

2014-02-14T17:33:46Z

Gaaark: /* Suggestions */

Alpha Bugs

2014-02-14T17:16:19Z

Gaaark: /* Issues */

Post bugs and issues here. Do not hyperlink to the pages, please provide that information separately to the devs for now.

==Bugs==
Bugs affect the operability of the site.

* Some (most?) saved changes to settings on the "You" pages are not reflected following pressing "save"
* Karma score of -1 means you cannot post as yourself, meaning you essentially remain at -1 forever.
* You can create, edit, and preview journal entries, but they are not saved.
** really? I could make one - mattie_p
** Weird. Am I the only one? Do I need to have comments enabled maybe?
** Yes, it appears comments need to be enabled to post. A hard to find error message appears if you don't saying 'You must enable comments for all users if you've marked your submission as "publicize" or "publish." '. Not sure that error message makes much sense. -- Common Joe
* ''Posted by'' user link under the story heading always points to the current page (whether from the front page or story page)

==Issues==
Issues don't affect the operability, but are inconvenient or undesirable
* Firehose
* Many 404 errors on Help and Preferences page
* Email links and registration email are all NCommander's personal address
* Create account - check for availability gives no response
* Categories (section and topics) for new submissions need expanding. - (current suggested list is here: http://www.soylentnews.org/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=33&start=20#p486 - mattie_p)
* Is there a way for users to make posts on submitted stories, or is that an editor-only thing.
* FAQ links don't work when directed to slashcode. Internal links work fine.
* Altering comments settings (You --> Comments ==> Make a change ==> Save) will re-display your old, unwanted settings, but if you leave and come back, then your new settings will show. (Apparently, settings really are saved.)
* On the password page, the 'login session' link 404's.
* Friend / Foe seems to be best changed by clicking on faces next to names. This is not intuitive. (Found a couple of others places to click on but I don't find them intuitive either.)
* Friend / Foe can (sometimes) take at least 20 minutes to propogate. There is no warning about this and it can be confusing since you save one setting and it immediately shows the old setting again. Note: A job seems to run every 20 minutes starting at the top of the hour.
*Passwords sent to email address upon registration: warn it could be in spam folder.

==Suggestions==
* Having the comments section work in a slightly less retro way would be awesome. Specifically: a) clicking on a comment URL shouldn't make the rest of the thread vanish. b) have the site automatically return you to the view you came from following posting of a comment.
* Would like to be able to click on the title, as well as 'Read more...', to go from the main list to an individual story page.
* "Dupe detector" at submission time. Use submitted title to search previous stories for dupes and get user to confirm that what they're submitting really is novel. (partial solution here, in that if you base the submission off a URL, that must be unique - mattie_p)

* Can we get the ability for logged in users to edit their own posts (as themselves, not AC)?

* Just submitted an article to make sure that function worked ok with no javascript - it does. However, I noticed that the articles are always surrounded automatically with quotes
** AudioGuy writes "blah blah blah"
** but if your article happens to begin with a quote it winds up like
*** AudioGuy Writes ""blah blah blah""
** which looks kind of odd. Maybe the outer quotes could be left off and something like italicizing the initial text used instead:
*** ''AudioGuy writes:'' blah blah blah
*** So quoted text would look like this
*** ''AudioGuy writes:'' "blah blah blah"
**Editors will have to check for quotes and make sure they make sense. I'll keep my eyes open for them - mattie_p

User:Gaaark

2014-02-10T22:25:07Z

Gaaark:

Linux nerd. Past contributor to Ubuntu translations.

Nerd for news.

User:Gaaark

2014-02-10T22:24:37Z

Gaaark: Created page with "Linux nerd. Contributor to Ubuntu translations. Nerd for news."

Linux nerd. Contributor to Ubuntu translations.

Nerd for news.

NewName

2014-02-08T20:19:16Z

Gaaark:

''We need a new name''

''I agree with everyone who has suggested a name different from "AltSlashdot".''

''So far, none of the suggested alternatives seem to be popular (I considered "ForkSlashdot" and discarded it :-).''

''I think the best course is to get things up and running and then hold a name contest. A community effort should make this task easy.''

''We don't have to do this immediately. "AltSlashdot" is significantly different from "Slashdot", and we won't be poaching any of their stories or (as much as practical) style.''

''If things go very well, the new site might be up and running by Monday (Feb 10). Giving some time to settle in, we could have the contest in two weeks or so. If everything goes well...''

==Name change discussion==

I propose "NoBeta" as a name, ensuring that this new site never forgets its roots. It's a name with an [ongoing] story behind it, has all sorts of 31337 connotations, etc etc. It could make for a good story some day.

----

Someone below proposed "NotBeta" as a name, with the "!β" as its shorthand. I'm all in for that!
----
Second NotBeta.org -That url should be obtained as it is a winner!!! Plus unicode support is the one feature anyone actually wants implemented.

----
SGT CAPSLOCK

killbeta.org?
diebetadie.org?

unitron

* Really, I'm sold on AltSlashdot, but I just want to make sure that there will be enough Natalie Portman.

''If we turn a profit by the end of the year, I'll put a Natalie Portman link on the front page.''

* Can we somehow get Cowboyneal back? Can we plan some evil way to get him fired from his current job and desperate enough to come back reestablish the Slashdot community as its tribal leader?

* I think we should veer away from establishing an identity based on Dice, the Beta or our strong negative feelings about those. This is about re-establishing the community and giving us a new home, one that belongs to the community and isn't beholden to some evil corporate overlords. Alluding to slashdot is okay -- I agree with SGT CAPSLOCK that we shouldn't forget our roots. --[[User:Voidphoenix|voidphoenix (710468)]] ([[User talk:Voidphoenix|talk]])

== New Name ==
Please comment. For actual proposals, see the [[NewName#Name Options|tables below]].

* Consider a '''name change'''. If you're serious about this, then the name "AltSlashdot" will run you into legal trouble down the road, since Slashdot/Dice/etc. will sue for Trademark infringement (and will have a solid case). Slashdot user [http://slashdot.org/~tpaudio tpaudio] suggested [http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4757151&cid=46170795 "Plusdot"]. Another idea (mine) is to call it "divergence" or "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergence divergence operator]"... the logo would be the mathematical form of divergence, i.e. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabla_symbol nabla] symbol followed by a dot (which looks like an augmented "slash dot"). --Slashdot user [http://slashdot.org/~JustinOpinion JustinOpinion].
** I agree with JustinOpinion, any name with "slash" or "dot" in it will put us in the crosshairs of Dice's lawyers, and we do not want that. "Divergence" is nice. --[[User:Sir Garlon]] 16:36, 2014-02-06 (EST)
** I like Divergence too. Also fitting that it's a unicode character, which Slashdot can't handle... --Anonymous Coward
** Perhaps altslash.org? Sounds far enough from slashdot to avoid problems, but close enough to clue in any refugees. [[User:Max Hyre|Max Hyre]] ([[User talk:Max Hyre|talk]]) 08:34, 6 February 2014 (MST)
** I'm gonna vote for '''divergence''', I think the name along speaks to the community as to why we want something different/better than the aim of SlashFail Beta. (keick)
** Vote for '''divergence''' also for the same reasons as mentioned above (Qwade)
** I also vote for '''divergence''' anything that comes out of this will probably be eyed by Dice legal. (Nightbrood)

* I agree that AltSlashdot is hard to pronounce, but wasn't that the idea behind h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-o-r-g (that is should be hard to pronounce)? [[User:Dotancohen|Dotancohen]] ([[User talk:Dotancohen|talk]]) 08:41, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* The name "AltSlashdot" does not "mouth" well. May I suggest "Slashfork"? --[[User:Koen|Koen]] ([[User talk:Koen|talk]]) 08:52, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* How about betterthanbeta.org or similar? After all, we all know what created this. Another option would be some meme-based thing, like frostyhotgrits.org. Actually, frostyhotgrits.org would be both unique, and make most Slashdotters feel right at home. Greets, Iskender (1040286) [[Special:Contributions/86.50.93.164|86.50.93.164]] 09:39, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* backslashdot.org. Backslash. Back to basics. Back to the old school. Hell yea.
**Alternatively - why not a more elegant backslash.org ? --kell
** I agree with '''backslash.org''', seems to be up for sale.

* can we get one of those new top-level domains, like .bank, except instead get .dot? Then name it SlashSlash.dot ;-)

* I second the person who suggested dot-dot-slash (../). Going up a directory is like going "back", which is the purpose of the new site - going back to how things used to be.
** This does seem to be the clear winner. Though backslash.com (which appears to be a parked domain) would work well too, since it's not *immediately* obvious legally that we stole the name (back slash dot com) from slashdot. Too bad dashdot.com and slashdotdash.com are both real in-use sites. slashdotdashdot.com appears to be parked, though.
**I second backslash.com if the domain can be obtained. ../ would be the subtler option, and I'm in favor of it.

* May I suggest HashBang (#!), I think it has a slightly better ring to it than hashbash
** I think anything with "#!" is probably going to be too close to Crunchbang Linux. They use that exact shorthand symbol. - Cactus

* Some fantastic ideas: SlashStar (/*), SlashSlash (//), ShebangShebang (#!#!), HotGrits, SovietSlashdot, DotSlash (./), DotSlashDot (./.), GNU/Slashdot (GNU//.), GNS (GNS = "GNP's Not Slashdot", and GNP = "Grits on Natalie Portman"), CowboyNeal.net, RoblimosOrphans.org, BangBangBang (!!!), CarrotSlashSlashSlashDot (^\/\.), YoungPastyHonkies.net, NoDiceSlashdot, SlashReset (/Reset), Carrotdot (^.), SlashHash (/#), PurpleTaro, CowboyNealOption, DennisRitchieIsGod.com, Ctrl-H (^H), Ctrl-C (^C), HGNP (Hot Grits on Natalie Portman)
* *.onion

* altslashctrl -- sort of gets the point across

* nodice.org and no-dice.org are unfortunately not available. -- [[User:Stderr dk|Stderr dk]] ([[User talk:Stderr dk|talk]]) 12:00, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* dicetoss.org is available

How much would dice holdings sell the classic slashdot.org site for? They can keep SlashTV, SlashBI, etc.

* I think the name should be kept to two syllables or less. Some of my favorites: dotdot (..), notdot(!.), backslash (\). Although it may be better to define the site based on what it is (is there any vision here other than 'slashdot classic'?) rather than what it isn't (slashdot beta). If this gains traction, it will be on its own merits and not because it forked slashcode. Maybe something like hashtech (#tech)? Works for old school IRC nerds and twitter hashtags.
** Not that I'm a particular fan of social media, but I do like #tech.
** +1 for '''backslash'''. Sounds like backlash, refers to Slashdot, and still a keyboard character. Apparantly, the domain BACKSLASH DOT ORG is for sale: [http://backslash.org/] (Moderator - 189749)
** +1 for backslash here..

* How about BangDot or KillDot? It sounds similar, but it is different enough than nobody will be able to claim it leads to confusion.
* How about Tildedot? h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-dot-tidle-dot-dot-org? (keick)
** Or maybe !|.org? BangPipe :) (keick)

* Can we stick these in a table please? With a column that indicates their status (taken - in use / taken - parked / available)? It also makes sense to group them into classes like: anti-dice, recognisably-similar-to-slashdot, novel. [[User:FatPhil|FatPhil]] ([[User talk:FatPhil|talk]]) 14:07, 6 February 2014 (MST) (FatPhil)

* I vote for hashbang.com unfortunately it seems that someone is parked on it. (Githaron)

* I think it has to be of the same spirit as slashdot. Taco wanted it to be confusing for people to type into a browser after hearing it h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org. I suggust something in that vein, tuned to the current mobile app store. I'd suggust something like the PlayAppStore. You'd sound like an idiot trying to explain it to someone else: go to playappstore

* Or we could go really go back to chips & dip, the previous name of slashdot,
it looks like the domain name has expired when i did a whois search. I liked the idea of using hashbang but like someone else pointed out it is used...

* I second both "chips and dip" and "dotdotslash" as clever alternatives. Divergence is second tier but I will also support it if no other alternatives gain traction.
** thirded: Chips and dips . I registered chipsndips.org just in case and am willing to share. If nobody likes it I still have a good domain name ;-)

* Is something like slashplusplus or something similar available? I like it because it is an increment of the past variable. Only downside is the slash in the name might not sit well with Dice legal. Trying to stay true to Taco's original naming convention is going to be difficult. (Nightbrood)

* My suggestions/picks would be '''hashslash''' (#/ -- not slashhash, btw); '''backslash''' (this is probably easier to defend if Dice tries to argue trademark); '''hotgrits''' (it's a short, catchy, very uniquely slashdot meme that also alludes to news, as in "hot off the presses"); '''frostpist''' (another strongly slashdot-flavored meme). --[[User:Voidphoenix|voidphoenix (710468)]] ([[User talk:Voidphoenix|talk]])

* I'll also throw this in: '''RTFC''' (read the fucking comments, because as several people have pointed out in the FuckBeta threads, slashdot has always been more about the community and the comments we post, and not really about the articles). --[[User:Voidphoenix|voidphoenix (710468)]] ([[User talk:Voidphoenix|talk]])
I liked this idea, but the domain is taken by the Refinery Terminal Fire Company.

* Along the RTFC line, how about '''TCR - The Comment Router'''?

* Why do all the names have to reference slashdot in some way? Move on... think of something completely different and leave the past behind.

* NewsForNerds, NetNews, NerdsOnTheNet, NerdNews, NerdNewsDot,StuffAndThings -- ngarrang
**---I second NewsForNerds (would love News4Nerds, and have the shortened version as N4N with a backwards N (Nine Inch Nails fan))--[[User:Gaaark|Gaaark]] ([[User talk:Gaaark|talk]]) 09:44, 8 February 2014 (MST)
**---i actually can no longer see the tagline "News for nerds, stuff that matters" on slashdot... does this matter per copyright/trademark?

* How about Starslash? The logo would be */ which looks like /. rotated 180 degrees. Might still be a trademark issue, but I think it would be acceptable as fair use since it would be a protest site. -- danbert8

* I second HotGrits - it references SlashDot in a good way without aping it (it was a user-generated meme), and it evokes "hot" news & discussion. Unfortunately hotgrits.org is now taken. If you have a great idea for a name maybe consider buying the domain before posting it here...

* Something like http://url.com or http://hostname.com would be awesome. It'd preserve the original spirit of being a pun, while being immidately aknowleadgable by the general audience.

* '''hotgrits''', '''frostpist''', '''RTFC''', are all good. RTFC is taken except for rtfc.us.com. These all reference slashdots culture with directly referencing slashdot explicitly. I don't like any of the dice or beta names as they won;t mean anything when slashdot goes the way of myspace...

* Personally, I recommend a name like '''ConfirmedDead''', in reference to the "Netcraft confirms" meme. It's also fitting, considering it might very well soon be applicable to Slashdot itself. - [[User:UntypedLambdaCalculus|UntypedLambdaCalculus]] ([[User talk:UntypedLambdaCalculus|talk]])

* I'll plug my own suggestion AtNot. It kind of rhymes. It's shorter. It's got a decent abbreviation @! Domain's available.

* No car references? I has a sad now.

* +1 for !β - the other names are not better^H^H^Ha - why invite trouble with trademark issues etc...

==Name Options==
Please add ideas to these tables. Where possible, note if the URL is available. Consider adding your username to the 'votes' column.

====References to Slashdot, Beta, Dice, etc.====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| AltSlashot
| Alt/.
| altslashdot.org (registered by us)
| ''Trademark issues!''
|-
| AltSlash
| Alt/
|
| ''Trademark issues?'' [[User:Max Hyre|Max Hyre]] vote.
|-
| AtSlash
| @/
|
| ''.org appears open. "I read it at atslashdotorg"''
|-
| '''FBeta'''
|
| fbeta.org
|
|-
| '''ForkBeta'''
|
| forkbeta.org
|
|-
| ForkSlashdot
|
|
|
|-
| '''SlashBang'''
| /!
|
| The .org is available.
|-
| SlashFork
|
|
| [[User:Koen|Koen]] vote.
|-
| SlashNot
| /!
|
|
|-
| '''BackSlash'''
| \
| backslash.org [http://backslash.org/ URL for sale]
| Slashdot actually has a subsection called 'backslash'. '''kell''' vote.
|-
| KillDot
|
|
|
|-
| KillBeta
|
|
|
|-
| DieBetaDie
|
|
|
|-
| BetterThanBeta
|
|
| '''Iskender''' (1040286) vote.
|-
| NoDice
|
| URL not available.
|
|-
| DiceToss
|
| URL available.
|
|-
| NoDiceAllowed
|
|
| Domain Available
|-
| ColonSlash
|
|
| Because it looks funny (suggested on reddit)
|-
|SlashDash
|/-
|
|
|-
|CandyCrushSlashdotSaga
|
|
|
|-
|NoBeta
|
|
|
|-
|RTFC
|
|rtfc.us.com (.org, .net, and .com are taken)
|because TFC are what /. is about -- who needs TFA, or even TFS? :)
|-
|NotBeta
|!β
|notbeta.org
|Would need Unicode support on Slashcode-Should be done anyways
|-
|EscapeDot
|^[. or \.
|escapedot.org
|escape as a reference to the desertion.
|-
|Firehose
|
|firehose.org (currently parking)
|-
|'''newslash'''
|
|.org and .com are unavailable
|''Trademark issues?''
|-
| NewsForNerds
|
|
|''Trademark issues (Slashdot tagline).'' [[User:Gaaark|Gaaark]] vote.
|-
| NerdNewsDot
|
|
|

|}

====Typographic/Computer Puns====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| '''''DotDotSlash'''''
| ../
|
| As in "cd ../" ... also implies going back or up a level
|-
| HashBash
| #!(/bin/bash)
|
|
|-
| HashBang
| #!
| URL taken (parked domain)
| Possible confusion with Crunchbang Linux? '''Githaron''' vote.
|-
| HashDot
| #.
|
|
|-
| HashSlash
| #/
|
| about "slash"; or tagged "slash"
|-
| DotDot
| ..
|
|
|-
| NotDot
| !.
|
|
|-
| BangDot
| !.
|
|
|-
| BackDot
| \.
|
|
|-
| BangSlashDot
| !/.
| Available to us (registered by Slashdot user somenickname (184564)).
|
|-
| TildeDot
| ~.
|
|
|-
| BangPipe
| !|
|
|
|-
| SlashStar
| /*
|
| Used in C to comment code, in recognition that the focus is on comments
|-
| StarSlash
| */
| starslash.org (Domain is available.)
| Looks like the /. logo rotated 180 degrees. '''danbert8''' vote.
|-
| SlashSlash
| //
|
| Reference to source-code comments (in recognition that the focus is on comments).
|-
| ShebangShebang
| #!#!
|
|
|-
| CaretSlashSlashSlashDot
| ^\/\.
|
|
|-
| CaretDot
| ^.
|
|
|-
| SlashHash
| /#
|
|
|-
| PlusDot
| +.
|
|
|-
| SlashPlusPlus
| /++
|
| "increment"/improvement on the original. '''Nightbrood''' vote.
|-
| BinBash
| /bin/bash
|
|
|-
| SlashUsr
| /usr
|
|
|-
| SlashHome
| /home
|
|
|-
| SlashVarLog
| /var/log
|
|
|-
| divergence
| ∇·
|
| The name represents how we're going in a new direction. Also, the symbol could be the mathematical divergence operator: a 'nabla' followed by a dot, which looks like an 'augmented' version of a slash followed by a dot. [[User:kebes|kebes]] vote. '''keick''' vote. '''Qwade''' vote. '''Nightbrood''' vote.
|-
| HashTech
| #tech
|
| Has dual IRC and hastag meanings.
|-
| AtNot
| @!
| Domain available.
| Short
|-
| CtrlL
|
|
| For "Clear Screen" in a terminal window.
|-
| CtrlZ
|^Z
|.com/.org/.net taken but .at isn't
| Keyboard code for "Undo". '''rbroderi''' vote short easy to say and memorable
|-
|SlashDotDot
| /..
|
| to indicate we're backing up a level...
|-
|SlashHash
| /#
|
| Captures hash tags, anchor tags, and is sometimes used to represent forks.
|}

====Intentionally Confusing====
"Slashdot" was originally intended to be confusing for neophytes (e.g. reading the web address on the radio sounds comical: h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org-slash). Many of the typographical/computer puns qualify as intentionally confusing. Some other options in that spirit:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| PlayAppStore
|
|
|
|-
| url
|
| [http://url.com url.com]
|
|-
| hostname
|
| [http://hostname.com hostname.com]
| Comments for nerds, stuff that matters.
|}

====Memes====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| Chips and Dip
|
| chipsndips.org has been registered by one of us.
| ''Trademark issues? (original name of Slashdot, perhaps owned by CmdrTaco?)''
|-
| CowboyNeal
|
|
| ''Trademark issues?''
|-
| Cyborg Bill
|
| .net, .org available
| ''Was this the right term?''
|-
| Natalie Portman
|
|
| ''Trademark issues?''
|-
| FrostPist
|
| .com, .net, .org available
| [[User:El_Oscuro|El Oscuro]] Nice /. theme!
|-
| FrostyHotGrits
|
| .com, .net, ,org available :-)
| [[User:Sir Garlon|Sir Garlon]]'s vote. '''Iskender''' (1040286) vote.
|-
| HotGrits
|
| .org available
| [[User:El_Oscuro|El Oscuro]] Nice /. theme!
|-
|LaserSharks
|
|.net, .org available
| [[User:El_Oscuro|El Oscuro]] Nice /. theme!
|-
| ConfirmedDead
|
|.com, .net (preferable for the joke), .org
| [[User:UntypedLambdaCalculus|UntypedLambdaCalculus]]'s vote. A reference to the "Netcraft confirms" meme.
|
|}

====Other====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| NetNews
|
|
|
|-
| NerdsOnTheNet
|
|
|
|-
| NerdNews
|
|
|
|-
| StuffAndThings
|
|
|
|-
|NoCountryForOldDevs
|
|
|
|}

Help talk:Contents

2014-02-08T16:50:37Z

Gaaark: Created page with "Not exactly sure what is going to go on this page. **Help for"

Not exactly sure what is going to go on this page.

**Help for

Help:Contents

2014-02-08T16:49:35Z

Gaaark: It's a start.

== Help Page ==

*Help is coming for this page. Wait for the dust to settle a bit.

User talk:Gaaark

2014-02-08T16:47:26Z

Gaaark: It's a start.

== Gaaark ==

Linux nerd.

--[[User:Gaaark|Gaaark]] ([[User talk:Gaaark|talk]]) 09:47, 8 February 2014 (MST)

NewName

2014-02-08T16:44:57Z

Gaaark:

''We need a new name''

''I agree with everyone who has suggested a name different from "AltSlashdot".''

''So far, none of the suggested alternatives seem to be popular (I considered "ForkSlashdot" and discarded it :-).''

''I think the best course is to get things up and running and then hold a name contest. A community effort should make this task easy.''

''We don't have to do this immediately. "AltSlashdot" is significantly different from "Slashdot", and we won't be poaching any of their stories or (as much as practical) style.''

''If things go very well, the new site might be up and running by Monday (Feb 10). Giving some time to settle in, we could have the contest in two weeks or so. If everything goes well...''

==Name change discussion==

I propose "NoBeta" as a name, ensuring that this new site never forgets its roots. It's a name with an [ongoing] story behind it, has all sorts of 31337 connotations, etc etc. It could make for a good story some day.

----

Someone below proposed "NotBeta" as a name, with the "!β" as its shorthand. I'm all in for that!
----
Second NotBeta.org -That url should be obtained as it is a winner!!! Plus unicode support is the one feature anyone actually wants implemented.

----
SGT CAPSLOCK

killbeta.org?
diebetadie.org?

unitron

* Really, I'm sold on AltSlashdot, but I just want to make sure that there will be enough Natalie Portman.

''If we turn a profit by the end of the year, I'll put a Natalie Portman link on the front page.''

* Can we somehow get Cowboyneal back? Can we plan some evil way to get him fired from his current job and desperate enough to come back reestablish the Slashdot community as its tribal leader?

* I think we should veer away from establishing an identity based on Dice, the Beta or our strong negative feelings about those. This is about re-establishing the community and giving us a new home, one that belongs to the community and isn't beholden to some evil corporate overlords. Alluding to slashdot is okay -- I agree with SGT CAPSLOCK that we shouldn't forget our roots. --[[User:Voidphoenix|voidphoenix (710468)]] ([[User talk:Voidphoenix|talk]])

== New Name ==
Please comment. For actual proposals, see the [[NewName#Name Options|tables below]].

* Consider a '''name change'''. If you're serious about this, then the name "AltSlashdot" will run you into legal trouble down the road, since Slashdot/Dice/etc. will sue for Trademark infringement (and will have a solid case). Slashdot user [http://slashdot.org/~tpaudio tpaudio] suggested [http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4757151&cid=46170795 "Plusdot"]. Another idea (mine) is to call it "divergence" or "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergence divergence operator]"... the logo would be the mathematical form of divergence, i.e. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabla_symbol nabla] symbol followed by a dot (which looks like an augmented "slash dot"). --Slashdot user [http://slashdot.org/~JustinOpinion JustinOpinion].
** I agree with JustinOpinion, any name with "slash" or "dot" in it will put us in the crosshairs of Dice's lawyers, and we do not want that. "Divergence" is nice. --[[User:Sir Garlon]] 16:36, 2014-02-06 (EST)
** I like Divergence too. Also fitting that it's a unicode character, which Slashdot can't handle... --Anonymous Coward
** Perhaps altslash.org? Sounds far enough from slashdot to avoid problems, but close enough to clue in any refugees. [[User:Max Hyre|Max Hyre]] ([[User talk:Max Hyre|talk]]) 08:34, 6 February 2014 (MST)
** I'm gonna vote for '''divergence''', I think the name along speaks to the community as to why we want something different/better than the aim of SlashFail Beta. (keick)
** Vote for '''divergence''' also for the same reasons as mentioned above (Qwade)
** I also vote for '''divergence''' anything that comes out of this will probably be eyed by Dice legal. (Nightbrood)

* I agree that AltSlashdot is hard to pronounce, but wasn't that the idea behind h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-o-r-g (that is should be hard to pronounce)? [[User:Dotancohen|Dotancohen]] ([[User talk:Dotancohen|talk]]) 08:41, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* The name "AltSlashdot" does not "mouth" well. May I suggest "Slashfork"? --[[User:Koen|Koen]] ([[User talk:Koen|talk]]) 08:52, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* How about betterthanbeta.org or similar? After all, we all know what created this. Another option would be some meme-based thing, like frostyhotgrits.org. Actually, frostyhotgrits.org would be both unique, and make most Slashdotters feel right at home. Greets, Iskender (1040286) [[Special:Contributions/86.50.93.164|86.50.93.164]] 09:39, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* backslashdot.org. Backslash. Back to basics. Back to the old school. Hell yea.
**Alternatively - why not a more elegant backslash.org ? --kell
** I agree with '''backslash.org''', seems to be up for sale.

* can we get one of those new top-level domains, like .bank, except instead get .dot? Then name it SlashSlash.dot ;-)

* I second the person who suggested dot-dot-slash (../). Going up a directory is like going "back", which is the purpose of the new site - going back to how things used to be.
** This does seem to be the clear winner. Though backslash.com (which appears to be a parked domain) would work well too, since it's not *immediately* obvious legally that we stole the name (back slash dot com) from slashdot. Too bad dashdot.com and slashdotdash.com are both real in-use sites. slashdotdashdot.com appears to be parked, though.
**I second backslash.com if the domain can be obtained. ../ would be the subtler option, and I'm in favor of it.

* May I suggest HashBang (#!), I think it has a slightly better ring to it than hashbash
** I think anything with "#!" is probably going to be too close to Crunchbang Linux. They use that exact shorthand symbol. - Cactus

* Some fantastic ideas: SlashStar (/*), SlashSlash (//), ShebangShebang (#!#!), HotGrits, SovietSlashdot, DotSlash (./), DotSlashDot (./.), GNU/Slashdot (GNU//.), GNS (GNS = "GNP's Not Slashdot", and GNP = "Grits on Natalie Portman"), CowboyNeal.net, RoblimosOrphans.org, BangBangBang (!!!), CarrotSlashSlashSlashDot (^\/\.), YoungPastyHonkies.net, NoDiceSlashdot, SlashReset (/Reset), Carrotdot (^.), SlashHash (/#), PurpleTaro, CowboyNealOption, DennisRitchieIsGod.com, Ctrl-H (^H), Ctrl-C (^C), HGNP (Hot Grits on Natalie Portman)
* *.onion

* altslashctrl -- sort of gets the point across

* nodice.org and no-dice.org are unfortunately not available. -- [[User:Stderr dk|Stderr dk]] ([[User talk:Stderr dk|talk]]) 12:00, 6 February 2014 (MST)

* dicetoss.org is available

How much would dice holdings sell the classic slashdot.org site for? They can keep SlashTV, SlashBI, etc.

* I think the name should be kept to two syllables or less. Some of my favorites: dotdot (..), notdot(!.), backslash (\). Although it may be better to define the site based on what it is (is there any vision here other than 'slashdot classic'?) rather than what it isn't (slashdot beta). If this gains traction, it will be on its own merits and not because it forked slashcode. Maybe something like hashtech (#tech)? Works for old school IRC nerds and twitter hashtags.
** Not that I'm a particular fan of social media, but I do like #tech.
** +1 for '''backslash'''. Sounds like backlash, refers to Slashdot, and still a keyboard character. Apparantly, the domain BACKSLASH DOT ORG is for sale: [http://backslash.org/] (Moderator - 189749)
** +1 for backslash here..

* How about BangDot or KillDot? It sounds similar, but it is different enough than nobody will be able to claim it leads to confusion.
* How about Tildedot? h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-dot-tidle-dot-dot-org? (keick)
** Or maybe !|.org? BangPipe :) (keick)

* Can we stick these in a table please? With a column that indicates their status (taken - in use / taken - parked / available)? It also makes sense to group them into classes like: anti-dice, recognisably-similar-to-slashdot, novel. [[User:FatPhil|FatPhil]] ([[User talk:FatPhil|talk]]) 14:07, 6 February 2014 (MST) (FatPhil)

* I vote for hashbang.com unfortunately it seems that someone is parked on it. (Githaron)

* I think it has to be of the same spirit as slashdot. Taco wanted it to be confusing for people to type into a browser after hearing it h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org. I suggust something in that vein, tuned to the current mobile app store. I'd suggust something like the PlayAppStore. You'd sound like an idiot trying to explain it to someone else: go to playappstore

* Or we could go really go back to chips & dip, the previous name of slashdot,
it looks like the domain name has expired when i did a whois search. I liked the idea of using hashbang but like someone else pointed out it is used...

* I second both "chips and dip" and "dotdotslash" as clever alternatives. Divergence is second tier but I will also support it if no other alternatives gain traction.
** thirded: Chips and dips . I registered chipsndips.org just in case and am willing to share. If nobody likes it I still have a good domain name ;-)

* Is something like slashplusplus or something similar available? I like it because it is an increment of the past variable. Only downside is the slash in the name might not sit well with Dice legal. Trying to stay true to Taco's original naming convention is going to be difficult. (Nightbrood)

* My suggestions/picks would be '''hashslash''' (#/ -- not slashhash, btw); '''backslash''' (this is probably easier to defend if Dice tries to argue trademark); '''hotgrits''' (it's a short, catchy, very uniquely slashdot meme that also alludes to news, as in "hot off the presses"); '''frostpist''' (another strongly slashdot-flavored meme). --[[User:Voidphoenix|voidphoenix (710468)]] ([[User talk:Voidphoenix|talk]])

* I'll also throw this in: '''RTFC''' (read the fucking comments, because as several people have pointed out in the FuckBeta threads, slashdot has always been more about the community and the comments we post, and not really about the articles). --[[User:Voidphoenix|voidphoenix (710468)]] ([[User talk:Voidphoenix|talk]])
I liked this idea, but the domain is taken by the Refinery Terminal Fire Company.

* Along the RTFC line, how about '''TCR - The Comment Router'''?

* Why do all the names have to reference slashdot in some way? Move on... think of something completely different and leave the past behind.

* NewsForNerds, NetNews, NerdsOnTheNet, NerdNews, NerdNewsDot,StuffAndThings -- ngarrang
**---I second NewsForNerds (would love News4Nerds, and have the shortened version as N4N with a backwards N (Nine Inch Nails fan))--[[User:Gaaark|Gaaark]] ([[User talk:Gaaark|talk]]) 09:44, 8 February 2014 (MST)

* How about Starslash? The logo would be */ which looks like /. rotated 180 degrees. Might still be a trademark issue, but I think it would be acceptable as fair use since it would be a protest site. -- danbert8

* I second HotGrits - it references SlashDot in a good way without aping it (it was a user-generated meme), and it evokes "hot" news & discussion. Unfortunately hotgrits.org is now taken. If you have a great idea for a name maybe consider buying the domain before posting it here...

* Something like http://url.com or http://hostname.com would be awesome. It'd preserve the original spirit of being a pun, while being immidately aknowleadgable by the general audience.

* '''hotgrits''', '''frostpist''', '''RTFC''', are all good. RTFC is taken except for rtfc.us.com. These all reference slashdots culture with directly referencing slashdot explicitly. I don't like any of the dice or beta names as they won;t mean anything when slashdot goes the way of myspace...

* Personally, I recommend a name like '''ConfirmedDead''', in reference to the "Netcraft confirms" meme. It's also fitting, considering it might very well soon be applicable to Slashdot itself. - [[User:UntypedLambdaCalculus|UntypedLambdaCalculus]] ([[User talk:UntypedLambdaCalculus|talk]])

* I'll plug my own suggestion AtNot. It kind of rhymes. It's shorter. It's got a decent abbreviation @! Domain's available.

* No car references? I has a sad now.

* +1 for !β - the other names are not better^H^H^Ha - why invite trouble with trademark issues etc...

==Name Options==
Please add ideas to these tables. Where possible, note if the URL is available. Consider adding your username to the 'votes' column.

====References to Slashdot, Beta, Dice, etc.====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| AltSlashot
| Alt/.
| altslashdot.org (registered by us)
| ''Trademark issues!''
|-
| AltSlash
| Alt/
|
| ''Trademark issues?''
|-
| AtSlash
| @/
|
| ''.org appears open. "I read it at atslashdotorg"''
|-
| '''FBeta'''
|
| fbeta.org
|
|-
| '''ForkBeta'''
|
| forkbeta.org
|
|-
| ForkSlashdot
|
|
|
|-
| '''SlashBang'''
| /!
|
| The .org is available.
|-
| SlashFork
|
|
|
|-
| SlashNot
| /!
|
|
|-
| '''BackSlash'''
| \
|
| Slashdot actually has a subsection called 'backslash'.
|-
| KillDot
|
|
|
|-
| KillBeta
|
|
|
|-
| DieBetaDie
|
|
|
|-
| BetterThanBeta
|
|
|
|-
| NoDice
|
|
|
|-
| DiceToss
|
|
|
|-
| NoDiceAllowed
|
|
| Domain Available
|-
| ColonSlash
|
|
| Because it looks funny (suggested on reddit)
|-
|SlashDash
|/-
|
|
|-
|CandyCrushSlashdotSaga
|
|
|
|-
|NoCountryForOldDevs
|
|
|
|-
|NoBeta
|
|
|meow
|-
|RTFC
|
|rtfc.us.com (.org, .net, and .com are taken)
|because TFC are what /. is about -- who needs TFA, or even TFS? :)
|-
|NotBeta
|!β
|notbeta.org
|Would need Unicode support on Slashcode-Should be done anyways
|-
|EscapeDot
|^[. or \.
|escapedot.org
|escape as a reference to the desertion.
|-
|Firehose
|
|firehose.org (currently parking)
|-
|'''newslash'''
|
|.org and .com are unavailable
|''Trademark issues?''
|}

====Typographic/Computer Puns====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| '''''DotDotSlash'''''
| ../
|
| As in "cd ../" ... also implies going back or up a level
|-
| HashBash
| #!(/bin/bash)
|
|
|-
| HashBang
| #!
| URL taken (parked domain)
| Possible confusion with Crunchbang Linux?
|-
| HashDot
| #.
|
|
|-
| HashSlash
| #/
|
| about "slash"; or tagged "slash"
|-
| DotDot
| ..
|
|
|-
| NotDot
| !.
|
|
|-
| BangDot
| !.
|
|
|-
| BackDot
| \.
|
|
|-
| BangSlashDot
| !/.
| Available to us (registered by Slashdot user somenickname (184564)).
|
|-
| TildeDot
| ~.
|
|
|-
| BangPipe
| !|
|
|
|-
| SlashStar
| /*
|
| Used in C to comment code, in recognition that the focus is on comments
|-
| StarSlash
| */
| starslash.org
| Looks like the /. logo rotated 180 degrees. Domain is available.
|-
| SlashSlash
| //
|
|
|-
| ShebangShebang
| #!#!
|
|
|-
| CaretSlashSlashSlashDot
| ^\/\.
|
|
|-
| CaretDot
| ^.
|
|
|-
| SlashHash
| /#
|
|
|-
| PlusDot
| +.
|
|
|-
| BinBash
| /bin/bash
|
|
|-
| SlashUsr
| /usr
|
|
|-
| SlashHome
| /home
|
|
|-
| SlashVarLog
| /var/log
|
|
|-
| divergence
|
|
| The name represents how we're going in a new direction. Also, the symbol could be the mathematical divergence operator: a 'nabla' followed by a dot, which looks like an 'augmented' version of a slash followed by a dot.
|-
| HashTech
| #tech
|
| Has dual IRC and hastag meanings.
|-
| AtNot
| @!
|
| Short
|-
| PlayAppStore
|
|
| "Slashdot" was meant to confuse neophytes reading it aloud; the modern equivalent would be calling a site something like "PlayAppStore".
|-
| CtrlL
|
|
| For "Clear Screen" in a terminal window.
|-
| CtrlZ
|
|
| Keyboard code for "Undo"
|-
| url.com or hostname.com
|
|
| Puns in the original spirit of /. Also, comments for nerds, stuff that matters.
|-
|SlashDotDot
| /..
|
| to indicate we're backing up a level...
|-
|SlashHash
| /#
|
| Captures hash tags, anchor tags, and is sometimes used to represent forks.
|}

====Memes====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Rendering
! URL
! Comments/Votes
|-
| CowboyNeal
|
|
| ''Trademark issues?''
|-
| Cyborg Bill
|
| .net, .org available
| ''Was this the right term?''
|-
| Natalie Portman
|
|
| ''Trademark issues?''
|-
| FrostPist
|
| .com, .net, .org available
| [[User:El_Oscuro|El Oscuro]] Nice /. theme!
|-
| FrostyHotGrits
|
| .com, .net, ,org available :-)
| [[User:Sir Garlon|Sir Garlon]]'s vote
|-
| HotGrits
|
| .org available
| [[User:El_Oscuro|El Oscuro]] Nice /. theme!
|-
|LaserSharks
|
|.net, .org available
| [[User:El_Oscuro|El Oscuro]] Nice /. theme!
|-
| ConfirmedDead
|
|.com, .net (preferable for the joke), .org
| [[User:UntypedLambdaCalculus|UntypedLambdaCalculus]]'s vote. A reference to the "Netcraft confirms" meme.
|
|}

Talk:SoylentNews

2014-02-08T12:08:09Z

Gaaark:

"You have followed a link to a page that does not exist yet. To create the page, start typing in the box below"

Okay, let's see if that works.

And help kill beta by joining the Slashcott

February 10th -17th

unitron

Slashdot UID 5733

== Teething pains? ==

This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its
recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

John@AltSlashdot.org
SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<John@AltSlashdot.org>:
host mail.altslashdot.org [66.147.244.192]: 550 No Such User Here

...

Is this an "only if Slashdot doesn't back down on beta" contingency, or =
"going to happen no matter what Slashdot does"?

...

== Hot Grits ==

I have poured them down my pants. Thank you. [[Special:Contributions/86.50.93.164|86.50.93.164]] 10:16, 6 February 2014 (MST) Iskender (1040286)

*Why are they down your pants? They should be on Natalie Portman - naked and petrified..

== Group or Business ==

Okian Warrior seems to want to be CmdrTaco all over again. While I am a very, very pro-business sort of person, I don't think we want to just push reset and do Slashdot over again as another build it up and cash out endeavor. It seems like that's exactly what would happen, and on the backs of volunteers no less. The only way I could see supporting this endeavor as a business would be with some sort of codified protection like a charter, whereby certain attributes of the way the site functions would be guaranteed, and those guarantees could only be changed if (the charter could only be modified if) the users were polled and agreed to it. In this way the business could operate but be ultimately accountable to and restrained by the userbase. This seems like a good hybrid solution. ~ElectricTurtle

You could solve this by managing it similar to the debian project.

^ Agree with both sentiments. I'm a bit skeptical of Okian Warrior's business mindset... we need this to resemble a non-profit FOSS project. Can that really be so hard to do (in the beginning, especially, and also with all the cloud services now available to avoid slashdotting?). Some will balk at the Debian-like structure as too codified and rigid, but let's at least discuss this as a FOSS project first, and *maybe* some ad revenue down the line to support it. Although, donations/crowdfunding seems better to me. ~ [[User:Seandiggity|Seandiggity]] ([[User talk:Seandiggity|talk]]) 08:52, 7 February 2014 (MST)

I agree that we shouldn't trade corporate overlord for a new master with the prospect of becoming a corporate overlord. I am not opposed to the project manager making money off the site though. Instead of an exit strategy how about a transitional strategy wherein the founder makes a fixed amount of money and/or profits for a fixed time? Eg $100k or 5yrs, whichever comes first.

As far as monetization, premium accounts with little or no ads is easy. Couple this with paid postings to receive a higher start moderation eg. 5¢ for 0,nuetral if you don't have an account. It shouldn't be hard to get the money to buy the site from the founder. Especially if coupled with annual wikipedia donation drives to cover the site overhead.

==Stories==
*Could there be [[Open Hardware FPGAs]]? http://www.electronicsweekly.com/mannerisms/fpga/will-expiring-patents-boost-fp-2007-03/

== Barrapunto ==

People here should be familiar with the Spanish language version of Slashdot,
Barrapunto.com. It looks like it was forked from older Slashcode, and it does
not appear to be a dice holding. This is the most durable SlashClone with which
I'm familiar. I seem to recall reading about it more than 5 years ago. If nothing
else, we could learn a lot from them about running a successful SlashClone.

We should make a list of any currently running clones.
*http://slashcode.com/www.slashcode.com/

Thanks for posting the link. That looks a lot more like /. Classic. Now we certainly
don't want to knock over the server that discusses SlashCode, so we shouldn't be
posting there... but they seem like an ideal candidate for a bunch to form a non-profit
org. IMHO, that's the answer. We need to form a non-profit dedicated to serving the
users. Worst case scenario we replace ads with something like the annual Wikipedia
begging; but it might be worth it.

The Wikipedia begging beats having advertizes dictating the content of your site or selling the users info for $$$ Wikipedia I believe does it right. [[User:Script Cat|Script Cat]] ([[User talk:Script Cat|talk]]) 14:28, 6 February 2014 (MST)
 (The advertising on barrapunto.com looks fine and unobtrusive to me. My 2 cents, but no, I don't know much about advertising paying the bills, sadly.)(Gaaark)
== Alternate domain ideas? ==

It's come up elsewhere online that a name including slashdot might get this project into hot water with DICE

== Hosting and collaboration ==
make it foss with gpl2 
is there any reason why the site can't be directly hosted by https://github.com/ 
ultra-nerdy, with plenty of linuxy flavor 
no need to worry about dedicated infrastructure, and domain doesn't matter that much if it's something like "github.com/altslash" nerds are gunna find and remember it

== Journals ==
I hope journals are included and hope people use them.

== AGPL licensing ==
If no one's said it yet, I think we need to move the updated version of SlashCode to AGPL and get it in a git repo for people to hack on (preferably github). I'm happy to put it up there under that license but I don't want to see (yet another) fork. Any objections to that license? It's recommended by the FSF for any Web software, or really any that runs primarily over a network. In my view, it will protect us from seeing the fruit of our labors be turned into another locked up DiceDot... how nice would it have been to have at least the updated "Slashdot Classic" interface available now to hack on instead of the circa 2009 version? The AGPL would have made that possible. ~ [[User:Seandiggity|Seandiggity]] ([[User talk:Seandiggity|talk]]) 09:22, 7 February 2014 (MST)