[Lnc-business] Request for Update on LP.org
Starchild
sfdreamer at earthlink.net
Fri Nov 4 00:46:03 EDT 2016
Kevin,
I took a couple photos of the screen of my phone with the home page of LP.org loaded, and have included them as attachments to this email. Hope that helps.
Regarding your preference not to make the report back to the LNC of your work on the website public, I share Caryn's skepticism and believe we should discuss as a committee how much if any of the report to keep secret. If the data you feel requires secrecy is scattered throughout the document, then I would ask you to highlight those portions in red, and provide us with specific reasoning for why you think it would be undesirable for LP members not on the LNC to have access to that information.
But while your input on what you think our decision should be is welcome and indeed encouraged, with all due respect it is not your decision to make. If the LNC decides to keep information secret, that's a decision for the elected members of the LNC to make, at which point it will fall to the membership to hold us accountable accordingly. You are not currently an elected representative, which means there is no way for LP members to hold you accountable for any decision you might make, wisely or otherwise.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
(415) 625-FREE
@StarchildSF
On Nov 3, 2016, at 8:52 PM, Kevin Ludlow wrote:
> Starchild,
>
> We will have to take a look at what's happening with Android. If you're able to take a screen capture of it and send it to me, that would be useful. Otherwise we'll do some simulations on the Android 4.3 emulator and see what happens.
>
> If it's still doing it then it's definitely a bug. Because we use a responsive layout (meaning things operate differently for different devices) it does appear to be limited. Still, we'll add it as something to tackle.
>
> > I urge you to list separately any issues you really think must be kept secret, so that we can confidently share the bulk of the information where I'm sure that is not a concern with our membership
>
> Unfortunately in this case, though very much by design, the report is mangled together with details of the server infrastructure spread all over the place. Regarding your comments, I will send out an email and get people to agree to hold it in confidentiality before sending it to anyone. Anyone who cannot agree to that simply needn't read it. The contents within the document are tantamount to sharing bank account information. I wouldn't think we'd need to get people to agree NOT to publish such material, but if that's the case then I will be sure to ask first and only send the report to those who understand the sensitivity of the contents.
>
> ~k
>
> On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 10:46 PM, Starchild <sfdreamer at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Kevin,
>
> Thank you for your explanation of your revised savings estimate. Although the technical details on that don't mean much to me, the information may be useful to some reading this.
>
> After some searching, I found where to clear the cache on my phone and did that, as well as deleting the browser history (the browser I'm using is MetroWEB, if that matters), but upon loading the LP.org page afterward it did not seem to make any difference – the text boxes under the "Latest News" and "Libertarians in the News" headings still appear as very narrow columns displayed side by side so that only a couple letters of text appear on each line, rendering them effectively illegible. Please let me know if you have any other ideas about tests or adjustments you'd like me to try.
>
> Regarding your promised report, I urge you to list separately any issues you really think must be kept secret, so that we can confidently share the bulk of the information where I'm sure that is not a concern with our membership (in another message you wrote, "Once I finish the report I will gladly share it provided that the LNC DOES agree to keep it confidential"). We need to minimize the amount of secrecy in our operations, and if the LNC does opt to maintain secrecy on something in a particular case, that should be as a result of a vote of the body, not a decision that is imposed on us by volunteers or contractors.
>
> Love & Liberty,
> ((( starchild )))
> At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
> (415) 625-FREE
> @StarchildSF
>
>
> On Nov 3, 2016, at 6:20 PM, Kevin Ludlow wrote:
>
>> Starchild,
>>
>> Thanks for your response.
>>
>>
>> Black humor aside, I regret to say that even the problem with the home page that I identified as a high priority issue with the new website in the list of problems I was able to find immediately after the rollout appears to remain uncorrected. I just pulled up LP.org on my phone again (Android, version 4.3 if it matters) and am still seeing the same issue (see boldfaced item in recopied Oct. 25 message at bottom of this email).
>>
>> There was a bug whereby the boxes were displaying across the entire page. This resulted in someone internally attempting to tweak the CSS. We code was updated sometime last week and distributed across our servers in the server pool. I don't know if perhaps your phone is caching the old version, though it shouldn't be. I will say that it fixed it on my iPhone and we've indeed tested it with other Androids without seeing that. I don't know how to clear your cache on the phone, but would you mind trying that if you know how?
>>
>> I'd also note that there is a difference between bugs and things that people want. For example, it may be desired to write "Party of Principle" (or whatnot) on the website, but its exclusion is certainly not a bug. I just want to be clear about that as it does make it difficult to communicate when people are telling me there are bugs and then it's a preference. The visual aspect from your phone IS a bug, though as noted, it should be resolved. Incidentally, and somewhat to my surprise, the Android Browser has accounted for a mere 0.29% of ALL of our traffic since we launched. Not that it doesn't count, but in terms of prioritization, if it turns out to be a bug and not a caching issue, I hope you can immediately understand why it would have less priority. This is simply the nature of organizing development cycles. It's very utilitarian, I suppose.
>>
>> If the revised time estimate below from Wes is correct, and getting most of the bugs out is going to be a matter of weeks
>>
>> Again, this is where the language comes in. The wide boxes you mentioned was the only bug we were aware of and fixed it. 95% of the work I've been doing on the site has to do with fixing the infrastructure. All of this is entirely invisible to you and is for disaster-recovery, basic backups, availability of servers, and etc. The fact that content may not have been copied over yet is not a bug. I mention it only because THAT is what is taking time for staff to catch up on and I know they've been working very hard on it among other things.
>>
>> and that his advice ought to have been heeded. Surely we could have upped the promotion of our presidential candidate by adding some additional images and stories to the home page before the election without overhauling the entire site?
>>
>> Again, I respectfully disagree with the sentiment. It's a matter of opinion no doubt, but we differ here.
>>
>> On a more positive note (I think), I see that Kevin writes, "Our infrastructure has been spread over 6 different services (we require just 1) and on my current estimate has been costing us over $10,000 / year in unnecessary expenses." That's up from his Oct. 25 estimate of around $6000
>>
>> Yes. Again, this is still an estimate, but there are reasons for the adjustment. For one, there were a few other services we are running that I was not aware of that can all be condensed into our new AWS infrastructure. None of these are huge MRCs, but they do add up over 12 months. The bigger thing, and something you'll have detailed in my report, has to do with AWS billing servers hourly instead of daily or monthly.
>>
>> We are currently running 5 servers in AWS. The DEV server will be shutdown automatically unless it needs to be used. The EXT server (for lpedia and such) must remain up 100% of the time. There are three PROD servers running in a pool that serve lp.org. Two of these three will be shutdown each night from around 12am EST until about 7am EST. We can get more specific in time, but that's my estimate for now. Instead of being billed 72 hours per day for our PROD machines, we will be billed 58 hours per day. This is something we cannot do on Rackspace.
>>
>> Cutting out Rackspace, Softlayer, GoDaddy, and Network Solutions paired with shutting down our servers during low-traffic hours of operation is where the new estimate comes from. Admittedly it will take some time to get all of that accomplished. I have noted that as I am not being paid, I will not be keeping up the hours that I have been. It's entirely unreasonable. Still, in time we will have all of these services condensed and should save roughly what I am estimating. It will be significant either way.
>>
>> ~k
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Nov 3, 2016, at 3:15 PM, Wes Benedict wrote:
>>> The website has come a long way, but we have a lot of work yet to do on it. I have personally instructed various staff members to focus on certain things in front of others. While getting bylaws up and new LNC photos is a priority, it may still be a while before we get those up. Again, I have told staff there are higher priorities in the short run.
>>>
>>> things that have displayed poorly on the home page are a higher priority for now. For example, below is taken from an email I sent to staff on some things we had to do for the home page.
>>>
>>>
>>> <jhdombdmkmemceac.png>
>>>
>>> If I inaccurately promised some things in a few days, I revise that estimate to a few weeks.
>>> We are making progress. But again, especially while we were having some issues with files and images appearing and then disappearing, I have told staff to focus on certain other things.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Wes Benedict, Executive Director
>>> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
>>> 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
>>> (202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
>>> facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
>>> Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
>>> On 11/3/2016 6:05 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
>>>> Hello, I am following up on the several things I was assured would be resolved shortly (likely a few days) that remain unresolved.
>>>>
>>>> First, the minutes archives is not yet restored. These are required by the Bylaws, and I must object once again that we have a non-Bylaws-complaint page up.
>>>>
>>>> Second, the LNC members photos have partially disappeared. I have been getting a ton of publicity for the LPCO in CO and when the news there is looking up my credentials, they see an LP.org LNC page that is incomplete.l
>>>>
>>>> I waited well past the few days discussed to followup.
>>>>
>>>> Yes the election is coming up but our Bylaws are our Bylaws and having an incomplete page looks bad when people are looking us up.
>>
>>
>> On Oct 25, 2016, at 9:53 AM, Starchild wrote:
>>
>>> Yesterday, I'm told, the launch of the new and improved LP.org website took place. And on the whole, at a quick look, I'd say it is an improvement. Both appearance-wise and organizationally, I like the new site. I wouldn't call the difference earth-shattering, but my initial impression is generally positive.
>>>
>>> There are however a number of issues that have come to my attention which could use fixing, some more serious than others:
>>>
>>> • While the site looks good on the web, it looks terrible on my phone! The "Latest News" boxes show up as long, narrow, unreadable columns of type with a couple letters on each line. Considering how many people access websites on mobile devices, fixing this should be a high priority.
>>>
>>> • I don't see either the "Party of Principle" or "Minimum Government, Maximum Freedom" slogans shown anywhere (a search for key terms doesn't turn them up). Nor do I see the Nolan Chart except buried in a link. Each of these ought to be listed prominently, imho. The brief introduction statement when you click on "Libertarian Party" at the top of the main page is rather weak ("The Libertarian Party (LP) is your representative in American politics. We are the only political organization which respects you as a unique and responsible individual.")
>>>
>>> • The more detailed description of the party has a conservative leaning. Under "The Libertarian Option" (at http://libparty.zocalodesign.com/about/ , a URL that like that of many pages should also be fixed so that it doesn't include the web design company's website), it reads:
>>>
>>>> Consider voting Libertarian or joining the Libertarian Party because…
>>>> We seek to substantially reduce the size and intrusiveness of government and cut and eliminate taxes at every opportunity.
>>>> We believe that peaceful, honest people should be able to offer their goods and services to willing consumers without inappropriate interference from government.
>>>> We believe that peaceful, honest people should decide for themselves how to live their lives, without fear of criminal or civil penalties.
>>>> We believe that government’s only responsibility, if any, should be protecting people from force and fraud.
>>> The first two points above appeal more to conservatives or people on the right (economic freedoms), while the second two points are more neutral in terms of left/right appeal. There is no balancing appeal to people on the left by explicitly mentioning things like a non-interventionist foreign policy or civil liberties such as ending Prohibition and reining in police abuse.
>>>
>>> • The URL for the candidate page has changed (hat tip to Thomas Knapp), and entering the former URL (http://www.lp.org/2016-libertarian-party-candidates) apparently now results in a page error rather than connecting people to the new page (https://www.lp.org/2016-candidates/).
>>>
>>> • If the information about how to subscribe to the LNC email list as a non-LNC member got ported over, I cannot find it. I would suggest listing this both on the LNC leadership page, and on the LNC meeting archives page.
>>>
>>> • The LNC page only lists email addresses. Previously at least a couple LNC members' listings included phone number and/or other info such as Twitter address, but now those listings are gone and only email addresses are listed. I would personally like my phone number and Twitter handle listed, and encourage my colleagues to request their phone numbers likewise be listed, so that our members can readily reach us directly as well as in writing.
>>>
>>> • Where email addresses are listed on the website (for candidates, LNC members, staff, college chapter reps., etc.), they are spelled out. That's unfortunately asking to get us spammed by web-crawling bots that harvest email addresses. I recommend changing this so that addresses are listed in a less literal format such as Nick.Sarwark[at]LP.org
>>>
>>> • The page https://www.lp.org/_2016/ mentions Johnson and Weld being our presidential and VP candidates, but the photo next to the text is not a photo of Johnson and Weld, but of Johnson and a woman I'm guessing is his girlfriend (which is fine, but should be labeled as such so as not to give visitors the impression that the images reflect the text).
>>>
>>> • Our bylaws are referred to in the info at the bottom of each page as "LNC Bylaws" rather than "Libertarian Party Bylaws"
>>>
>>> • A number of people (staff, LNC members) are missing photos. To whom can we send photos of these individuals, if we have them, as well as our contact info updates for the LNC page?
>>>
>>> I realize the site has just been updated; hopefully some of the above issues are being addressed even as I type this message. And on the bright side, the new "candidate pledges" section listing candidates who've signed each pledge is a nice addition, along with the listing by name and state of life members, candidates, and elected officials, not to mention the attractive photos from the convention scattered throughout the site. I like that the membership and donation forms are single-page, and that the FAQ page addresses arguments against participating in the system at all. And I love the "Help Us Grow" page (http://libparty.zocalodesign.com/how-to-help/) and the addition of a "worldwide" link in addition to the state affiliates and campus organizations! But I would suggest that link directly to a list of the libertarian parties around the world, with that page then containing a link to and information about the International Alliance of Libertarian Parties. Right now it immediately leads offsite to the IALP page, which is a little confusing.
>>>
>>> That's my feedback at this time. If staff would acknowledge receipt of this message and keep us appraised of the progress in addressing the above-mentioned issues, that would be great.
>>>
>>> Love & Liberty,
>>> ((( starchild )))
>>> At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
>>> (415) 625-FREE
>>> @StarchildSF
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> ========================================================
>> Kevin Ludlow
>> 512-773-3968
>> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Lnc-business mailing list
>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
>
>
>
> --
> ========================================================
> Kevin Ludlow
> 512-773-3968
> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>
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