Touchstones

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Touchstones

1Micheller7
okt 17, 2020, 8:30 pm

Noticed new format today. All Touchstones are gone in my 75 books challenge for 2020. Please bring them back. I just have to say, I am so unhappy with the changes.

2amanda4242
okt 17, 2020, 8:52 pm

Touchstones are still there on my threads. Did you wait for the touchstones to load before clicking save when you edited your post?

There are dedicated threads for discussing the recent updates.
Talk update: https://www.librarything.com/topic/325384
Bugs related to updates: https://www.librarything.com/topic/324352

3Micheller7
Bewerkt: okt 17, 2020, 9:39 pm

>2 amanda4242: I tried again and saw a spinning wheel so I thought it was trying to load, but got a 504 Gateway error.

4amanda4242
okt 17, 2020, 9:59 pm

That happens sometimes when there are a lot of touchstones in one post. When it happens to me I either wait a day and try again or remove the touchstones and redo them.

5Micheller7
okt 18, 2020, 5:50 pm

Will this be fixed?

6kristilabrie
okt 19, 2020, 12:14 pm

>1 Micheller7: and >5 Micheller7: Can you please link me to the post or thread where your Touchstones are missing, so I can take a closer look? Thanks.

7ocgreg34
okt 19, 2020, 2:12 pm

Good morning!

I noticed the missing Touchstones last night while editing my topic thread in 75 Books Challenge for 2020. My thread is Greg's (ocgreg34) Reading List for 2020.

At first, all the Touchstones appeared. However, when I changed the Work for the last book on the list, the Touchstone showed that no one on Librarything had the book, even though it's in my list of "Your books". When I refreshed, all the Touchstones--except one book and a few authors--disappeared.

Greg

8amanda4242
okt 19, 2020, 2:41 pm

I'm not seeing this in my thread. I currently have only a few dozen touchstones in one post, so I'm sure this problem is due to the number of touchstones in the posts.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324913#7276765

9ocgreg34
okt 19, 2020, 4:52 pm

>8 amanda4242:

I moved the books that I've read so far in October to a new posting, mimicking your thread, and deleted them from the original post, and all the Touchstones reappeared. Thanks for that!

10Micheller7
okt 19, 2020, 4:58 pm

11_Zoe_
okt 19, 2020, 9:15 pm

I had this problem when I edited the same post twice. On the second edit, the touchstones didn't even start loading. But when I reloaded the page and then edited again, they did load.

12lorax
okt 20, 2020, 9:54 am

I remember a long-ago issue where editing a post with lots of touchstones would break the touchstones unless you left the post open for a very long time, such that it could finish re-loading every touchstone. I don't know if it was ever officially resolved or if people just started working around it.

13kristilabrie
okt 20, 2020, 10:08 am

>10 Micheller7: Okay, thanks!

>11 _Zoe_: About how long does it take for the Touchstones to start loading for you? Do they upload all at once or a few at a time? When they don't load, does the Touchstone "spinny wheel" (very technical term) just keep going or is it hidden or frozen? Thanks!

14kristilabrie
okt 20, 2020, 10:10 am

Okay, testing the post in >10 Micheller7: I had to click to edit the post twice before the Touchstones loaded, and they only took a few seconds after that, loading all at once. (I did not do anything else, just hit cancel!) Will pass this along to developers to look at.

15Micheller7
okt 20, 2020, 12:41 pm

>14 kristilabrie: I just tried it again. The spiny wheel just keeps spinning. I finally “saved” and got no touchstones.

16kristilabrie
okt 20, 2020, 1:00 pm

>15 Micheller7: Okay, good to know, thanks!

17timspalding
okt 21, 2020, 12:32 am

>1 Micheller7:

Hi. The problem here is nothing new with any of the Talk changes. It's just the slow speed of site search/touchstones generally, and especially sometimes. Edit, cancel, edit works because it's timing out, but when you edit the second time many of the searches are still "warm" in the index, so they go faster. I have increased the maximum time, which may help. Fortunately, we are working on a completely new site search/touchstones system in parallel with the LT2 changes, so we hope to fix this. But there's nothing new here, fortunately or unfortunately.

18Micheller7
Bewerkt: okt 21, 2020, 12:39 pm

>17 timspalding: tried it again. Just spins. So are you saying, it will not work until the redesign is available? I am afraid of opening the other ones (75 book challenges for the past several years) and losing those as well. And the one for 2020 is still shorter than those because I will be adding books till the end of the year. Is there nothing more that can be done? I tried one more time and waited for the spinning to stop and got a 504 Gateway error.

19harrygbutler
okt 21, 2020, 1:37 pm

>18 Micheller7: What generally works for me with my long lists of books and movies with touchstones, is to follow this procedure:

1. Open the post I'm going to edit and let it try to load all the touchstones.
2. Once it fails to load all the touchstones and you get the 504 error, remove the closing (right) bracket on the first or last of those already in the list. This will set off an attempt to load all the touchstones again. If successful, go to step 3; if not, go to step 6.
3. If this is successful, add the closing bracket back to get a touchstone on that title. It will take a moment but that touchstone should appear as well.
4. Then, add the new item(s) with touchstones to the list. Again, there will be some processing time, but they should appear as well.
5. Then save the edited post.
6. If the effort in step 2 fails, try adding the closing bracket back in. This will kick off another attempt to load all the touchstones, which may work. If so, proceed to steps 4 and 5. If not, at this point I usually Cancel the editing so I don't lose any existing touchstones (if I haven't already lost them).

I hope this proves helpful!

I also recommend checking the bug reports to make sure site search isn't down before doing any editing of posts with touchstones.

20SandraArdnas
okt 21, 2020, 4:45 pm

Why not split the post into several ones? Isn't that the simplest solution? Sorry if it's a dumb suggestion, I don't really keep reading journals on talk, but it seems the problems arise only when there's many touchstones in a single post

21timspalding
okt 21, 2020, 4:59 pm

>18 Micheller7: What post are you doing this on?

22NinieB
Bewerkt: okt 21, 2020, 6:08 pm

>20 SandraArdnas: The problem is that sometimes a post is short initially but as you read more and add to the post, it grows. If you want to split it up, you have to add new posts out of order at the end of the thread, which is what I just did with a post that grew too long. You could also continue your thread in a new thread, and add in the number of posts you need, but I haven't tried that.

23SandraArdnas
okt 21, 2020, 7:28 pm

>22 NinieB: I was thinking more about initially setting up several posts where you'll update reading, so any discussion if it happens would be below. If you expect say to note 100 books in the thread, make five initial posts, four of which you'll fill with relevant content over time, but initially they say reading continued, or reserved or whatever.

25Micheller7
okt 21, 2020, 8:05 pm

Thank you All for trying to be helpful with a bunch of suggestions to solve this problem. There should not be so much complexity in solving this. The system should be able to handle this without so many steps and machinations. It is not even user friendly to have to do all the bracketing in this day and age. I have done up to 75 books each year for the last several years and the system accommodated it just fine. (I am afraid to open those and lose them right now.). I suspect something else is going on. I gave Tim the link and will await his guidance.

26NinieB
okt 21, 2020, 10:15 pm

>23 SandraArdnas: >25 Micheller7: I agree with @Micheller7--the reason I have these long posts is that it's never been a problem until recently. I think it was a few days before the new Talk pages went up that I lost my touchstones in the big posts.

27rosalita
Bewerkt: okt 22, 2020, 9:37 am

I disagree that it was never a problem before — I gave up on trying to cram a year's worth of touchstones into a single post a long time ago, because editing them was so problematic with getting the touchstones to stick. I am not a techie but I wasn't surprised that it didn't work well as I imagine it takes a lot of system processing power to continually search for long, long lists of books all at once. I'm not sure touchstones were ever envisioned as being used for the sort of listicles that I and many others in the yearly book challenge groups create.

And as others have said, there are ways to plan a thread so that you can split long lists of touchstones works over several posts at the top of the thread, to be populated over time.

28lorax
okt 22, 2020, 9:53 am

Yes, it definitely has been a problem in the past. It may have been that for awhile it wasn't a problem, but it's absolutely untrue that it was "never" a problem until recently.

29aspirit
okt 24, 2020, 1:44 am

I don't remember having a problem before this month with touchstones disappearing when I edit to add text with a small list (as small as two works). Currently, repeated edits will not only break the touchstones, but the touchstones won't regenerate in a reasonable time despite the usual tricks of messing with the brackets, waiting a moment, clicking to preview the mesaage. Just, for the record.

30Sergeirocks
okt 28, 2020, 7:45 am

Touchstones not working for me - no spinner; nothing; dead as a Dodo.

31MarthaJeanne
Bewerkt: okt 28, 2020, 10:29 am

1984

The first thing to check is whether site search is working. If it's not, touchstones won't either. Right now both are working, at least for me.

Well, it was until I edited the post. Now it's working again.

32VivienneR
nov 11, 2020, 2:46 am

Touchstones appear to work on my thread but when I go back they are gone: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322037

I removed the author links and split the latest list into two posts (titles only) but now there are no touchstones in either.

Touchstones at my other thread at https://www.librarything.com/topic/321712 are working fine.

33VivienneR
nov 11, 2020, 2:51 pm

>30 Sergeirocks: Touchstones are dead as a dodo for me too, but only on one of my threads (Club Read group). Nothing I do will make it work.

My other thread in a different group is fine.

34hailelib
nov 12, 2020, 2:47 pm

Just lost a bunch of touchstones in my thread in the 2020 Category Challenge Group. When I added some titles to a somewhat short post they appeared just fine but when I added a couple of titles to a long post all the touchstones in that post disappeared. Will we be getting back the ability to have these types of posts back again?

35starbox
nov 13, 2020, 1:39 am

Yes, have lost loads of mine on Global Reading Challenge site. Tried to add one item to a previous (still functioning) post- and lost every one on there too!!

36humouress
Bewerkt: nov 16, 2020, 7:05 am

Touchstones are being iffy. If I try to edit an existing post, the touchstones disappear. I have to close the post, refresh the page and then edit. But I do have to reset touchstones that are not first on the list each time. Plus, I can't scroll down within the touchstone box so if I don't see the work I want in, say, the first five works ... too bad.

(Re; my thread in the 75 challenge group. desktop Mac, safari, big sur)

37kristilabrie
nov 16, 2020, 2:12 pm

I've reminded developers about the continuing issues here. We're aware of the issues, but it might still be awhile before they'll have time to dig into it. Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

38fuzzi
nov 16, 2020, 3:31 pm

39VivienneR
nov 17, 2020, 1:11 am

>37 kristilabrie: Thank you. All my touchstones are back.

40humouress
nov 17, 2020, 1:20 am

>37 kristilabrie: Appreciate it.

My touchstones are still fluctuating though.

41kristilabrie
Bewerkt: nov 17, 2020, 7:41 am

>40 humouress: Yeah, to my knowledge, nothing's been changed by developers.

42humouress
Bewerkt: nov 18, 2020, 5:19 am

>41 kristilabrie: Okay thanks.

>40 humouress: OTOH seems okay on my phone. Scratch that; still fluctuating even on my phone.

43VivienneR
nov 21, 2020, 6:17 pm

My touchstones are fluctuating too. After the post at >39 VivienneR: they lasted a week. I have now lost them in lists on two threads, and they are not long lists. When I edit the post to add a title to the list, no spinning wheel appears, and all touchstones are gone.

44VivienneR
nov 24, 2020, 4:14 pm

This bug is still bugging.

In my threads, I hesitate adding books to any lists that are so far ok in case all the touchstones in that list disappears, which is what has been happening. When I click "edit" to add a book, sometimes there is no touchstone activity at all while at other times the spinning wheel keeps going until I get a "time out" notice.

In lists where touchstones have been problematic, I have removed author touchstones hoping fewer (tltles only) would work but with no success. As you can see, these are not long lists:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/322037#7205093 in Club Read group
https://www.librarything.com/topic/321712#7195886 in Category Challenge group

Is LT still supporting touchstones in lists?

Using Safari on a desktop Mac.

45fuzzi
nov 24, 2020, 5:24 pm

>44 VivienneR: same thing here, it's when I edit a post that the Touchstones disappear. I don't even get the spinner or Timed Out message in the right margin anymore.

But the Touchstones work just fine in a new post...

Test: The Miracle of Dunkirk

Yep, just fine, in a new post.

Safari on an iPad.

46MarthaJeanne
nov 24, 2020, 5:27 pm

If you need to reset the touchstones, try typing a character (in the other text) and then deleting it. This doesn't always work, but often enough.

47VivienneR
nov 25, 2020, 12:02 am

>46 MarthaJeanne: That worked! Thank you, MarthaJeanne!

I've been trying to reset by re-typing the title or author but had no luck until now when I tried changing other text.

48humouress
nov 25, 2020, 12:22 am

I have lists of the books I've read this year for my 75 book challenge and I've noticed that some touchstones (but usually there'll still be one or two left) have disappeared from posts I haven't touched. It's a nuisance resetting those lists because a lot of my books are not the first ones on the touchstone lists so I have to reset each of those individually.

>44 VivienneR: Yes; that's the first time I've had a '504 gateway error' on a touchstone!

49VivienneR
nov 25, 2020, 9:40 am

>48 humouress: I hope >46 MarthaJeanne:'s advice works for you too.

50humouress
dec 6, 2020, 8:59 am

More information on the weird behaviour of touchstones:

I'm trying to copy a list of books I've read this year from one thread to the continuation thread. Although the list did show touchstones originally, only about four out of about 20-30 are now working. When I copy and paste them to my new thread, it looks like those three or four links are working but they're not showing in the right hand side bars of either the post or the thread.

51Micheller7
mei 14, 2021, 8:50 pm

I am pleased to report after many many months of not being able to create Touchstones and having stopped trying, I gave it a shot today. After a brief spin, most all the Touchstones on the list (26) came back. Two were missing, I corrected one and both came back. So I now have a complete list. Was wondering if someone worked on this problem or is it just a fluke.

52bnielsen
mei 15, 2021, 1:30 am

>51 Micheller7: I think the new search has fixed it:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/332020

53knerd.knitter
mei 17, 2021, 1:12 pm

I am going to close this as fixed because the new sitesearch changes have affected touchstones; if the problem recurs, please re-open this or create a new post.

54humouress
Bewerkt: jun 10, 2021, 2:46 am

Are there problems with touchstones again? I just edited a post from yesterday because the touchstones weren't showing.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/328177#7526145

mac OS Big Sur 11.4, Safari

55Micheller7
Bewerkt: jul 8, 2021, 9:05 pm

I remain happy that Touchstones are working. However, I have a minor problem. When I post a book title (in my 75 book challenge) using brackets sometimes it says book cannot be found, despite it being in my catalogue. If I take off the title modifier such as “A Novel”, then the book is found. Even stranger, if I scroll down to the list of Touchstones, the full title is there. Here is an example Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours.
Stranger Care

56lilithcat
jul 8, 2021, 10:10 pm

>55 Micheller7:

I don't understand your example. The book title has no modifier.

57thorold
jul 9, 2021, 12:48 am

>55 Micheller7: That’s the known bug with the search not finding slanted quotes. https://www.librarything.com/topic/333197

Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours — not found
Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn't Ours — found

58Micheller7
Bewerkt: jul 9, 2021, 10:51 pm

What is the difference? What is a slanted quote? Also, the problem also occurs when there is no apostrophe involved.
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel: A Novel
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel

So tonight it found the book with A Novel added, but last night there were no matches. Does it possibly take 24 hours to catch up if the modifier is added that day?

59norabelle414
jul 10, 2021, 12:06 am

>58 Micheller7:

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel: A Novel
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel

They both work fine for me. What device and browser are you using?

60r.orrison
jul 10, 2021, 3:23 am

>58 Micheller7: What is the difference? What is a slanted quote?
Normal single quote: '
Slanted single quote: ’ (it might be curly depending on the font)
They look similar, and to a normal user are interchangable, but they are different characters so computers will treat them differently unless specifically coded to treat them the same, everywhere it matters. Some devices will automatically change a normal single quote into a slanted single quote as you type.

So it's not really a bug that they're treated differently - they are different.

61humouress
aug 5, 2021, 1:33 am

Touchstones seem to be going squiffy again.

I saved a post with a touchstone in it but the touchstone didn't save. I opened it to edit and saved it without changing anything, which worked. I also have a list of books read that I copied over from my previous thread but the touchstones had all disappeared; the same remedy worked.

63AbigailAdams26
aug 5, 2021, 10:45 am

>61 humouress: Do you recall what work it was, that you had difficulty with? Also, which thread? Thanks. I'm having trouble replicating this problem. Wondering if it is intermittent?

64humouress
aug 5, 2021, 11:52 am

>63 AbigailAdams26: The list (of 46 books) which I copied from my previous thread and carried over to my current thread is here. It had been fine since I initially copied it over until yesterday.

The other work was probably either The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet or The Bromance Bookclub in one of the last posts at the end of the same thread.

65AbigailAdams26
aug 6, 2021, 9:50 am

>64 humouress: Thanks. Did the touchstones for either of the titles you mention give you trouble here, in this thread? Or did they function adequately?

66humouress
Bewerkt: aug 6, 2021, 10:56 am

>65 AbigailAdams26: You're welcome. They were fine this time.