Watson/Wilson » « See what discussing toenails on the internet will get you?

Party soon!

The counter on the page is ticking upwards to the millionth scienceblogs comment — we’re less than 50 comments away, so the winning submission might be right here on this thread — so it’s a good time to remind you Minnesota region residents that Greg & PZ’s Excellent Party will take place the day after tomorrow, Thursday, at 7pm. You are all required to attend and make a comment.

Watson/Wilson » « See what discussing toenails on the internet will get you?

Comments

  3. kansas_lib says

    I’m usually a bit of a lurker but I can’t resist the temptation to inch the counter just a little bit forward… :)

  8. Whimsical Monkey says

    The commenter’s dilemma: if I post now, then I won’t be the 1,000,000 commenter; but if I don’t post now, we’ll never get there. What should I do?

  10. Jeremy Gibson says

    Is it okay to spam this thread with comments in the hope of getting the one millionth comment?

  15. Gavin McBride says

    If anyone else is in Germany I propose we have a parallel party time at the same time and join up with some kind of video conference. Who is up for it?

    I have a laptop, camera and UMTS card, I can do the video link from this end!

  16. Didac says

    We are 39 comments away from 1.000.000. Perhaps it’s unfair to comment for the sake of comment, but…

  20. Escuerd says

    I’ll repeat my earlier comment that was off-topic on another thread.

    As the number of comments approaches 1 million, the proportion of new comments concerned with the total number of comments to date approaches 1.

    Actually, I expressed doubt in this principle when I posted it, thinking that not enough people really care. Maybe it IS true after all. Or maybe it’s just because there’s a post concerned with the milestone.

  23. Richard Harris says

    Jeeeeez! I don’t even like parties. I guess I could make an exception for PZ’s though, because rationalism would rule, until the beer toook effect, anyway.

  24. AndyFromSweden says

    Any pharyngulites in Norway, Sandnessjøen maybe, would be nice to come together someday…

  25. Wowbagger says

    I’ve had dinner – I was in the middle of a DVR episode of Dexter but I’m going to stick around to watch the wheels click over.

  28. Despard says

    The comment count is going up much more slowly than the number of comments on this thread. Perhaps it’s all a big psychological experiment by the Seed Overlords to see what it takes to break the Internet?

  29. MarkW says

    Why a million anyway? why is 10^6 any more significant than 10^5 or 10^7? Or for that matter, than 982411?

    It’s nothing but base-10 chauvinism I tells ya!

  31. Gavin McBride says

    @ 21

    And now we are 2! Another 2 or 3 and I think we can do a good video party link up!

    Anyone in PZ’s end able to do a video link up over mobile internet?

  39. SC says

    Shameless post with only one intention…..

    Shameless response to your post with only one intention…..

  41. Bill Anderson says

    I’m impressed that scienceblogs.com has reached one million comments. It shows not only how much interest there is in science, but also how much interaction science stimulates.

  48. Gavin McBride says

    @ 28

    A few people have opted out of being considered for the 1000000 comment. Maybe they are not being included in the count?

  49. Ploon says

    Yeah, there should be some way for Pharyngulites outside the US to meet up. Anyone in Luxembourg? Heck, I’ll take Brussels?

  51. says

    I wonder if the Seed overlords will be cheesed off if the comment has nothing to do with science in a thread with nothing to do about science? I mean, it makes the promotion of “Scienceblogs” that much harder, because you know this is all for an advertising blitz.

  52. Bride of Shrek OM says

    I’m tempted to just submit the word “vagina” 50 times…just so a slut could win.

  57. Escuerd says

    I suspect we’ve passed the millionth comment by now, since the comments here have been so prolific. I don’t know why the official counter isn’t showing it.

    Yeah, this comment is worthless.

  58. Gavin McBride says

    @49

    I am in Frankfurt. That is easy to get to from Bussels :) Come and join me and CosmicTeapot for a party here and we can do a video link up.

    Anyone else up for having international parties and doing a video link of it to PZs party?

    This is assuming someone in PZs one can do a mobile internet video link up too? Anyone over there up for it? Come on! I think a massive 1000000th post international video linked up party is a COOL idea!

  60. Ploon says

    Hi moother,

    Rotterdam is my home town. Unfortunately I don’t get to go there very often lately except for family purposes.

  62. Stjuuv says

    Is it just me, or is the counter moving slower than actual comments are arriving? This thread alone has more than 50 comments, and when it started we were less than 50 away from 1 million. But the counter is still lagging.

  65. Louis Irving says

    I’ll be number 1,000,000 if you like, just if no-one else wants to do it. You have to get me from japan though – but I’m not adverse to being loaded in a packing crate and sent by ship mail….

  67. Escuerd says

    Ranson @ #51:

    I wonder if the Seed overlords will be cheesed off if the comment has nothing to do with science in a thread with nothing to do about science? I mean, it makes the promotion of “Scienceblogs” that much harder, because you know this is all for an advertising blitz.

    Maybe giving the official counter a delay gives them the plausible deniability to choose a comment they deem worthy of promotion?

  71. MarkW says

    I also want to know if Seed would pay my air-fare from the UK? A ticket on an airline that’s not likely to go bust while I’m in the US would be appreciated.

  75. Gavin McBride says

    @ 50

    No probabaly not!

    If your comment just won your own competition though, THAT would probabaly make us go insane :)

  76. LisaJ says

    The comment count is going up much more slowly than the number of comments on this thread. Perhaps it’s all a big psychological experiment by the Seed Overlords to see what it takes to break the Internet?

    Yes, I noticed that too. Weird.

  78. Stjuuv says

    Is it just me, or is the counter moving slower than actual comments are arriving? This thread alone has more than 50 comments, and when it started we were less than 50 away from 1 million. But the counter is still lagging.

  79. Trixie says

    I need a good excuse to for my boss as to why I need to leave work a few hours early so that I can be in MN by 7ish on Thursday. Any ideas?? Please help!

  80. says

    I think we’re far and away past 1,000,000 at this point. That ticker isn’t moving nearly as fast as the comments in this thread alone.

  82. Jeremy Gibson says

    Hey… #62 is right. What the hell is happening? Sorry, a slight slip there. What the naturally occuring evil side of humanity that we can rationally perceive is happening?

  83. Louis Irving says

    Not a million yet – but only 22, make that 21 away, so I’m figuring it’s all to play for. Can I have a nice packing case please??

  84. Ploon says

    I got a timeout on my previous comment. What if I keep pressing F5 and get “accidental” multiple posts, will that count?

    Btw: vagina.

  85. Wowbagger says

    I want to see the breakdown of where all the posts came from – preferably in graph form. I want to see the huge spike from Pharyngula while the cracker-insanity was running at full tilt.

  86. Escuerd says

    It’s like watching something fall into a black hole. The closer it gets, the more slowly it seems to approach.

  89. Benjamin Geiger says

    Bride of Shrek: Just post the lyrics to the Bloodhound Gang’s “Three Point One Four”.

    “Know what I really want in a girl? Me.”

  90. says

    It is strange that the count is going up so slow – it seems like a straightforward database query to me, but I don’t really know anything about how it is implemented.

    @48:
    I doubt the number of comments from people who opted out make as big of a difference as we see.

  97. LisaJ says

    The comment count is going up much more slowly than the number of comments on this thread. Perhaps it’s all a big psychological experiment by the Seed Overlords to see what it takes to break the Internet?

    Yes, I noticed that too. Weird. And man, is it taking forever for a post to get through.

  98. Stjuuv says

    Is it just me, or is the counter moving slower than actual comments are arriving? This thread alone has more than 50 comments, and when it started we were less than 50 away from 1 million. But the counter is still lagging.

  99. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Hell, I’ll celebrate.

    Better get me a seventh glass of that fine chardonnay I’ve been drinking.

    Oh, and….vagina.

  101. Trixie says

    I need a good excuse to for my boss as to why I need to leave work a few hours early so that I can be in MN by 7ish on Thursday. Any ideas?? Please help!

  105. Ploon says

    Geez, this is like trying to buy tickets for The Police via a website. Slooooow…. and by the time you get through, the concert is sold out.

  107. Your mighty overload says

    I was supposed to be “your mighty overlord”, but this typo seemed more than appropriate….

  109. Gavin McBride says

    @101

    Im guessing from your username you are a girl.

    There was a girl in my first job who used to tell her boss (male) she had to go home with “women’s troubles”.

    Not once did he EVER ask for clarification and just let her go :)

  112. bunbuns says

    I think you’d end up getting some nasty emails that would rival the cracker episode if you went and deleted a thousand comments!

  118. Gavin McBride says

    @101

    Im guessing from your username you are a girl.

    There was a girl in my first job who used to tell her boss (male) she had to go home with “women’s troubles”.

    Not once did he EVER ask for clarification and just let her go :)

  119. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Spooky,

    maybe it means a million “intelligent” comments. In which case all of us who have ever said shit, vagina or bollocks are stuffed.

  121. Ray says

    The commenting I can do, the attending… not so much. Wish I could though. Maybe if you have a party in south western Virginia.

    Cheers,
    Ray

  122. bunbuns says

    hmm.. looks like the counter at the top of the page is off. If we were less than 50 posts away, we should be 50 over by now!

    damnit.. I really wanted to win

  124. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Spooky,

    maybe it means a million “intelligent” comments. In which case all of us who have ever said shit, vagina or bollocks are stuffed.

  126. Ploon says

    I discovered today the Pharyngula group on Facebook. Maybe that could be a way of organising something outside the US. Anyone else a member?

  128. LisaJ says

    14 more! Maybe by the time this post finally makes it through it’ll be the one. Here’s hoping…

  131. Janine ID says

    #73

    Posted by: clinteas | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM

    Vagina

    #74

    Posted by: Janine ID | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM

    So, what do I win?

    It would have been really funny if the positions were reversed.

  135. SC says

    Meanwhile, Sastra’s over on the D’Souza thread posting real, substantive comments. She deserves it. Still rooting for wOOt, though.

  137. says

    The problem is that you are using a non-sophisticated version of the term ‘posts’.
    Some posts are, of course, to be taken literally while others are metaphorical.
    We, being just mortals, cannot expect to know the mind of the post-counter.

  138. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Ok, glass of chardonay number 8.

    Will someone (other thasn lauausasu/llauauau/whatever) win this so I can go to bed!

    Massive big vagina.

  140. Ploon says

    Myeah, we’ll have to resort to some kind of anticipatory posting. Sort of like leading the target in shooting.

  142. Nerd of Redhead says

    I would like to stay and post through the 1,000,000 mark, but I do have to earn a living. Hope a Pharygulite is the lucky poster.

  143. says

    Who knew that being isolated over here in the UK would have a scienceblogs benefit – at least I don’t have to get up early to see the winner :)

  146. LisaJ says

    Please, make it end… I must go shower and head to the lab. My mice are going to be very upset with me when I’m late.

  150. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Oh for fucks sake.

    One last “vagina” and I’m off to bed.( a phrase I’m sure Clinteas has uttered on occasion).

  155. LisaJ says

    This is getting ridiculous! 5 more to go…. it’s gotta be within the next 30 seconds. Let’s get ‘er done!

  158. says

    Isn’t the 1 millionth post winner actually some current poster picked at random rather than the actual millionth poster (which, if the current counter effectiveness can be believed, must have occurred months if not years ago!)?

  165. Wowbagger says

    It’s getting close to bedtime here; it’s been a busy day – I appear to have started my own religion on the ‘toenails’ thread.

  167. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Ok, one last time…vagina

    Damn that counter moves slow. I theenk when we get neer a millium we dang broke that intertoob thingy.

  168. student_b says

    Isn’t the 1 millionth post winner actually some current poster picked at random rather than the actual millionth poster (which, if the current counter effectiveness can be believed, must have occurred months if not years ago!)?

    Yep. Your changes of winning on posting in this thread is about 1:100’000, the same for everyone.

  169. says

    Just noticed that there’s a sitemeter logo at the bottom of the page – 33.1 million+, and I’m guessing the current suspense is boosting that considerably. Let’s see if we can get 34 million by the end of the day :)

  173. JackC says

    It is going to be interesting to see what the requirements for this counter are – since there are over 150 comments on this thread alone, started with the words “less than 50” comments to go.

    Three left when I checked.

    JC

  180. Bride of Shrek OM says

    Ok, one last time…vagina

    Damn that counter moves slow. I theenk when we get neer a millium we dang broke that intertoob thingy.

  188. Gavin McBride says

    @ 173

    Actually my theory is somehow they have discounted posts to THIS thread from the 1million and the counter is going up for comments on all the other threads.

    Good idea if this is true. :)

  189. LisaJ says

    Yay!!! We finally made it. That was pretty cool to look and see the ticker sitting squarely at 1,000,000. Finally. Now it’s off to shower and eat some Special K. Congrats to the winner!

  195. electricbarbarella says

    pffffffffft.. vaginas.. I say “Boobs!”

    And yeah, something’s up with the counter and even posting on the site. I keep getting the error message after posting.

    toni

  197. SEF says

    Well, if the millionth has finally gone it must be safe to post again now. But on that count issue:

    Perhaps the counter was always a complete fake (the individual comment numbering had gone past a million long before they even started this!). Perhaps there’s a considerable server delay on the counter’s reporting. Or perhaps it was only counting comments for which the posting computer could be verified as being in the US – to prevent any non-US person (or anyone with their stealth options set too high) “winning”.

  200. electricbarbarella says

    Where’s this damn counter?

    The one at the bottom stills says 33 million something.

    And, someone said “It’s done. Thank Toni”.. What’d I do wrong now? :)

    Toni

  202. SEF says

    Where’s this damn counter?

    I couldn’t see it before but now, on this page view, it’s at the top-right of the page (in a special top bar above the advert bar) and (at time of posting) saying: “Official Comment Count: 1,000,012”.

  204. electricbarbarella says

    OOOOOOOOOOOOhhhh hahahaha I found it. Up until now, it was not showing. My previous post went through with no problems and now I see it.

    Toni

  205. Gavin McBride says

    Shame the repeated posts happened. Silly server got over run.

    Pretty serious about that international video party link up. Might even make the news in some places. Does anyone know if the guiness book of records has an entry for the one party been spread over the most amount of world area?

    A web came in PZs party, one here in Germany, one in the UK….. thats a lot of ground. Anyone else want to have a simultaneous web came synced party somewhere?

    come on people, it could be HUGE :)

  209. Donalbain says

    I didnt think the 1millionth post actually won anything. I think it is just a draw for everyone who entered.

  213. says

    Well, according to the Scienceblogs front page, the post was at 8:32 system time, which means that Bride of Shrek, at least, is in the running.

  215. says

    I didnt think the 1millionth post actually won anything. I think it is just a draw for everyone who entered.

    yep

    But I guess there is some caché to being the millionth commenter. Maybe more letters after your name.

    *whistle

  217. Sven DiMilo says

    What’s that tune you’re whistling, Rev? Sounds like “Look Out, Stagger Lee.” That, or “Polly Wolly Molly.”

  218. SC says

    *whistle

    Sorry – the August Molly offer has now expired. Thank you for your participation. Please try again next month. :)

  221. SC says

    That’s why I’m gunning for the

    Rev. BigDumbChimp, Kot, 1000000C

    So the Rev. wants to be the mollionth commenter, eh?

    /subliminal fake-typo approach

  224. qbsmd says

    According to the URLs on the comments, this thread has gone from comments 1108033-1108626. Someone should find the actual comment-1000000. It was probably posted months ago.

  228. says

    I also find it amusing that this group of geeks takes matters into our own hands when it comes to verifying the millionth comment. Do we trust the counter? Hell, no! Not when there is evidence that it isn’t legit. What other lines of evidence are there? Post URLs, at least; so using that, we get a comment nearly two months old. Are there any other sources we can use to embarass Seed’s marketing brouhaha? We must have evidence!

    Post count skeptics unite!

  229. moother says

    Jebus H. Cripes has confirmed to me through his glorious majesty that i am the official 1000000th poster.

  230. qbsmd says

    Post count skeptics… I like that.
    I trust the comment numbers more than the counter since, as people have noted, the counter seems to move more slowly than it should.
    Someone who is a good enough java programmer could probably write something easily enough to automatically download and parse each page to count the comments. That is the only way to know for sure.
    BTW, if anyone does that, I would be interested in the source code.

  232. SC says

    Could they have excluded comments by the bloggers themselves from the count?

    (Probably not, and this still wouldn’t explain the slow counter, but…)

  233. says

    The counter ticks over around once a minute, but not exactly. I don’t know if it is just a different number, or if there is some variance. If 1,000,000 was at 8:32, as they claim, and the counter is currently 1,000,171, that’s 171 ticks for 197 minutes, by my count. That works out to a tick for about every 69 seconds. I wonder if the person who programmed it was trying to make a dirty joke.

  239. Patricia says

    Rev. BigDumbChimp – If you’re going to add a million shouldn’t you at least rate Pooh Bah in there somewhere? Rev. BigDumbChimp KoT, Pooh Bah 100000000c

  242. Patricia says

    Rev., oh sure the horny hat! Not only that, but as I recall you get a parking space and the right to hold the floor anytime you wish to.
    Shoot, I can’t remember if there is also a gavel involved.

  244. frozen_midwest says

    *inserts obligatory comment*

    I’m planning on crashing the party, complete with tentacles.