Lots’ of blog news today. I will present them one by one:
New homepage format:
Many of you have complained about the new “thematic” presentation of the new blog’s homepage. As I have mentioned before, there is an easy fix: bookmark http://10.16.86.131/latest-articles/ instead of http://10.16.86.131/. This way you will always immediately see the “chronological” presentation of every single article posted. But after discussing it with my webmaster, we have decided to do one more thing: we have added a new item on the home page called “latest articles” which will not only immediately present you with the four latest articles posted, but also allow you to scroll through them using the <- and -> buttons on the top right of this menu bar. Alternatively, you can also click on the top left of the menu bar, where it says “latest articles” and it will direct you to the “chronological” presentation of all the articles. Finally, you can also click on the “latest articles” on the top left of the home page (right between “home” and “rss”) and that will also get you to the very same “chronological” presentation of all the articles. Hopefully, with all these easy access options those who were upset with the new “thematic” presentation will feel more at home again!
PayPal vs Snail Mail donations acknowledgements:
I have decided that since PayPal normally emails you to confirm the reception of your donation, there is no need fo me to do that separately. However, this is not the case for snail mail donations which, besides the donation itself, often also include letters. I feel that these must absolutely be acknowledged here, on the blog. So here is the list of those form whom I have received either a donation, or a letter, or both:
LHD (two letters), anonymous from PO Box 2705 (two letters), DL, JR, MZ, OS, Oscar, WD, AR, RB, P, BC, DL
I want you all to know that I am grateful for both the donations and the expressions of support. If the former help me pay for my bills, the latter help me get through the days when I feel the 3Ds: “desperate, despondent and disgusted”. I won’t pretend like I don’t have 3D days, I do, but somehow they often coincide with the days when I go and check my PO Box and there, on many occasions, I have found solace and reasons to smile thanks to the warm expressions of support and encouragement you have sent me. Thank you SO MUCH for writing and reaching out, your letters really make a huge difference in my daily life!
Changes on the server and computer crashes
I have to thank my webmaster (Gevorg) and two other members of the IT team (LL and AA) which have done a spectacular job identifying and fixing some of the problems we have had, including the very slow loading of the blog and the recent crash. For evident security reasons I cannot go into technical details, but I want you to know that we are pretty sure that we know what happened and that we believe that these issues have now been resolved. However, the experience of other anti-Imperial blogs tells us that the chances that we will be attacked are pretty high, so always remember to check the old blog at http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/ if you suddenly cannot see this blog at all. That old blog is now frozen (though the archives are still online) but the first thing I will do if I see that this blog here is under attack is unfreeze the old one and use it as a temporary “news update and meeting place”. All in all, I am happy with our current status and I have high hopes for our future as with each growing pain we do get stronger and stronger.
Moderation:
I have to say that not to have to moderate the comments has been an absolute blessing for me. Especially at a rather high stress time with the move to the new blog and the subsequent difficulties. However, it is also rather obvious that I have rarely participated in the discussions. I hope that as things clam down I will have more time to do so and, in the meantime, I ask for your understanding and forgiveness.
Saker Community chats:
I want to remind you that since 2008 I have opened my own Internet Relay Chat channel. At the time I wrote:
For those of you familiar with the concept here is the info:
server: irc.maddshark.net
channel: The_Vineyard
full URL: irc://maddshark.net/The_VineyardFor those of you who are no familiar with IRC, this is a virtual place were people can chat (via keyboard) with each other very informally and, unlike a forum, where no record is kept of the chats (at least not by default, this can be done, of course). To join such a chat you need a little piece of software called an “IRC client”. If you use GNU/Linux (which you should), the best known one is Xchat. If you are still using Windows or Mac (why?!) you can install an extension to Firefox (you are *not* using Internet Exploder, right?!) called ChatZilla which you can find here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/chatzilla/ Just click on “download”, then accept the installation, then restart Firefox, then go to “tools” and then click on “ChatZilla”.
You can get all the info on how to use ChatZilla here: http://chatzilla.hacksrus.com/
Another option is to use the excellent mibbit website: just click on “start chatting now”, then choose the “Maddshark webirc” from the IRC drop down menu, then enter any Nick (nickname) you want, then enter the channel #The_Vineyard and press “go” and that’s it!
IRC channels is what geeks like myself use to communicate with each other (-: we live fora for the noobs :-). If you want to exchange news, or chat with each other, please use this channel. You can also easily create a private room to talk one on one. Finally, it is far less likely that the bad guys will record your posts then on a regular forum.
We are making a difference!
A bit of auto-backslapping now. In his latest article, Paul Craig Roberts has quoted this blog not once, but twice! See for yourself: Putin Predicted Washington Would Employ Assassination Tactic Against Russia by Paul Craig Roberts. Clearly, we are now making a difference and this is the main goal of our entire community: spread truthful information to counter the Imperial propaganda machine!
Kind regards and many thanks to all!
The Saker
Looks like all good news. I like the new change, but the way it was before was cool too.
Dear The Saker,
Thanks for the update. When you have 3D days – don’t forget to come here too – where you have much support :). Glad to see you are getting quoted more and more – great news.
Glad the site is going well and agree that putting the latest articles on the front page will help those who come to the saker.is address to find where to go easily and hopefully will please those who made the comments. Thanks to Gevorg, LL and AA for all their continued help and support.
Rgds,
Veritas
FWIW, always better to quote the original source and not republished article on another site:
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/03/01/putin-predicted-washington-employ-assassination-tactic-russia-paul-craig-roberts/
PCR does the same thing in his article, giving secondary URLs to Saker articles. PCR doesn’t allow comments, but I’m sending him an e-mail suggesting that he also quote Saker directly and not from another site.
This might seem like a small quibble, but as a former investigative journalist — old school — I’m a stickler for things like this. One needs to do everything possible to build credibility.
@ PQ,
Q: FWIW, always better to quote the original source and not republished article on another site:
R: I wholeheartedly agree. Prof. Finkelstein, in his attempt to expose the holocaust industry for the fraud that it is, pointed out that many ‘writers’ cited other sources, that cited other sources, that cited other sources, while the original quote happened to be invalid, corrupt and wrong. As my old pal O1K always used to whisper, “May the source be with you….”
Sometimes we contributors comment in variou places,post/reply in what we think is the correct place-presumably the moderators receive or have logs of each post in sequence/chronological order , so they can analyse and assess any emerging trends or latest news so that alarm bells can go off in the right places,and presumably are acting as news hounds watching over latest rss feeds too-just wondered…….
JJ for news snippets, use the South Front video thread, unless there’s another one going on the same topic as your news. If it’s technical difficulties with the site, or improvement requests, put them on this or another blog-related thread. We see them all, but it’s easier to tell the IT people where to look, if it’s not all mixed in with content topics.
ok thanks for reply.
In a former life, I was a sysadmin for a startup whose primary service was chat rooms. One morning my boss got a call from the Secret Service demanding to know the IP address of a Nick that they claimed had posted a threatening comment about the Prez. Our logs were enormous and we spent hours running scans using several computers to find it.
The AngloZionist Inquisition does in fact see just about everything and this was back in the 90’s. So, be careful out there with those flyin’ fingers.
Well, good news all around and congratulations on keeping things going and becoming a source for, I think, many of those who want to know what’s really going on. I’ve seen not just Roberts, but a number of different articles on Counterpunch for instance, quoting the Saker.
On a lighter note, some typos are joyful and should not be retracted (even if you had time for that). “as things clam down” makes me imagine a group of media-savvy, anti-imperialist clams chilling with some brews. Good times, good times.
Saker,
For 3D days, try appreciating a little high energy uplifting human movement therapy.
A good tonic for tired souls at work in the field — even vicariously consumed from time to time.
Here are two good ‘recent discovery’ examples, imo.
Varidance
http://youtu.be/QhiC8Wnlnhg
http://youtu.be/kmHV-pf6YCo
Hi Saker !! If this blog is working FOR YOU then that’s all we can hope for. i like the guys doing the moderation…I didn’t know that k.k. was part of the Russian Southern Front News Channel, until yesterday. That’s wonderful !!!
And Saker, about PCR, I agree its fantastic that he is so supportive and respectful of you. He has many readers.
God Bless !!!
here’s another wonderful OT…tima the russian bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4R0zvgyN1Z0
another tima video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqphZBlnXUA&feature=player_detailpage
Yeah did not like the thematic-order.
But atleast the new “latest articles” menu in main sight makes it alot better.
(I will never prefer a thermatic order;) but now atleast can get the chronologic order easier.
But another thing…
The topic-header is under the screenshots… Its really annoying!. Get dizzy/headace with such mess. Its not “logical” to have puctures before the topic-header.
And in addition, when the pictures are before the topic-header, and there is no real space between the articles…
I often end up hitting pictures to the wrong articles… (Or i end up judging/analyze the content of the articles wrongly, ending up not reading something)
Annoying and….
It would be great if you could include the full articles in the RSS feed like it is over at blogspot. Much more convenient for me than to always have to click on the link and visit the page.
I love the change (esp. since I’d just suggested something like it the other day ;) ). I’ll have to look into IRC, one of those things I’ve meant to figure out but haven’t. Congrats with the news site its a great piece of work. And its staying up.
Now that Gevorg is changing things, may I suggest a latest comments block in the side bar. I can see space is at a premium on the front page. Perhaps a scroll with just trimmed text and the commenters name, linking to the full article and comment? Hopefully its just a one click turn on in wordpress. Anyway just a thought.
Oh.. There is a latest comments block in the footer. I had not seen that.
It only displays the latest two comments. By the time you notice them in the footer other comments will have taken the pole position.
I also tested a version where the latest comments are displayed in the sidebar to the right, but the Saker did not like it. Currently it will remain this way. Maybe we’ll have a clever idea for this in the future.
Re: “Stop the Empire’s War on Russia”
Feedback:This message on the banner reduces the capacity to post items on FB.
I don’t disagree with it (and being a longer term Saker reader, understand the intent) however, I have a mix of people on my FB newtork including family and friends with a range of values and views across countries, cultures and politics etc.
I therefore normally try to keep the FB items I post somewhat neutral and on topics which, although challenging certain types, would not automatically alienate — e.g. items on the MH17 saga. MH17 is an excellent vehicle to draw people into seeing the hypocritical malaise in the msm and governments now clearly run by lying criminals.
In this context I especially found the recent post by James L. Coffin, (Ph.D.), with its focus on “an alarming lack of critical thinking skills in today’s young adult population” (johanna-granvilles-presentation-maidan-and-beyond-the-media-blackout-in-ukraine), to fit this category.
With the Saker’s new-look blog and this post’s MH17 topic I though I might start to introduce selected items from the Saker site into my FB domain. However, on posting the link to this item (above) the FB system displayed the Saker Banner in its full glory — and right at eyeball central was the message “Stop the Empire’s War on Russia”!
Sorry, but I found this bold political statement too obvious and out of context for the FB domain I have. “”Stop the Empire’s War on Everything” might be better but I’m afraid Russia is just one of the fronts and the focus on this localised “Russian” theme is just too narrow for a global headline site banner.
Some may agree — some may not (until further reading and education is taken on board). For the latter, the marginal cohort who may swing towards a more neutral or even slightly positive position on Russia in the 21st century if presented with the right information, such a blatant ‘anti-empire’ bias in its banner will repel rather than attract further reading and consideration, imho.
The banner does no harm as is, however it does tend to reduce the potential penetration of the message — especially in such articles as Coffin has posted. This overshadowing “Russian” banner theme is only applicable to some Saker posts (e.g. not Africa, ME, China, Asia,…) and limits the future utility of the site for those of us who have contributed to the emergence of a valuable site for alternative information to support critical thinking.
Can I therefore suggest that assisting those of us out here, who are willing to introduce and promote the new Saker site ‘softly’ into more general and wide spread reader networks, would be facilitated by the headline banner being more reflective of the broader themes of the blog. First impressions are important — especially if the intent is to move away from a niche ‘cult’ bloggers’ Blogspot blog towards a more accessible msm challenging information source.
Bottom line (at least in respect to FB) — either ensure each post/item displays its own banner picture headline, or have the Saker headline banner without overt nationalistic messages — leave the latter to the sub heading etc.
In this case I chose not to proceed with the FB posting of the said Saker link and rather emailed it to the 1 or 2 people I think would find it interesting — leaving the remainder of my small FB network unaware of this site and its potential to cover these more general interest topics. Clearly MH17’s downing was a Ukraine government sponsored act and the conspiracy of silence by national governments and investigation projects can only be countered by raising the awareness and righteous outrage of the flying public. I found, in this small case study of one, the overt “Russian” statement (actually anti-empire) in the banner undermined this aim.