1 Topic by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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  • Registered: 16-12-2008
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Topic: Another major problem

After nearly 8 months one would have thought that we would have identified all the problems in the site, but still they emerge from the random chaos of Gateway 5's bizarre software.

I am preparing a grant application, and I wanted to use the download record to justify the request.

Until this morning, I had regarded the ability to monitor downloads as the only really useful innovation in G5.

I noticed something odd when I called the report - an inconsistency from what I had seen the other day.

So within a few minutes I refreshed the report 6 times (always unfiltered as to dates etc.) and got 6 consecutive different results for individual and organisation 'league tables'.

I have 5 screenshots to prove it, but I find it is not possible for me to add more than one file, so if anyone on the team wants them, let me know and I will email them off-forum.

No, I don't want an explanation, I want this problem (and the rest of this half-baked site) sorted.

Murdo

Syrphus's Website

2 Reply by Janet Simkin

  • Janet Simkin
  • Janet Simkin
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Re: Another major problem

I've just tried the same thing with equally erratic results. The stats are the same each time, but the top user and top organisation downloads are different every time.

Seeing some unfamiliar names on the top user list made me curious, so I also checked the recent downloads of our data against access requests granted. There was no match. If the reports on screen are to be believed (are they?) then virtually all the recent downloads of our data have been made without our permission.

So much for the new access controls.

Janet

Janet Simkin
British Lichen Society

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3 Reply by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Re: Another major problem

Thanks for that confirmation, Janet.  I was beginning to wonder if I was the only person using the Gateway these days ;-).

The question you ask is pertinent - the stats are the same, but are they correct?  Until someone actually analyses properly the entire programming of the downloads facility, and ascertains that all is correct, the whole thing cannot be trusted.

The download stats have proved very useful in demonstrating the usefulness of the Gateway to a wide variety of people and organisations to funding bodies, but I wonder if my statements on that have been fraudulent as a result of misinformation here.

M.

Syrphus's Website

4 Reply by charliebarnes

  • charliebarnes
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Re: Another major problem

Ditto...

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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5 Reply by matt.debont (edited by matt.debont 28-05-2014 08:03:41)

  • matt.debont
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Re: Another major problem

We are looking into the problem; every download is logged to the user who made the download its unavoidable and you cannot make a download without it happening.

From your descriptions there looks to be an issue with the top x tables and I will look into that and try and ascertain what in particular is going wrong there, if you can supply us with the datasets that are definitely affected then I can get back to you a bit quicker with what exactly is going wrong here, it is not likely to be the recorded downloads just the display of the general statistics concerning the top x download, but I will be investigating this issue and any information will be useful in resolving it.

Matt

Matt Debont
Application Developer
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK

6 Reply by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Re: Another major problem

Thanks, Matt.  However, it is not my responsibility to research this problem.  You have had three users reporting the problem independently, so it is a fundamental problem at your end.

As to the datasets affected, I manage 8 datasets and 7 have had downloads.  If that is relevant (which I doubt) you should be able to do any tracking at your end.

M.

Syrphus's Website

7 Reply by Janet Simkin

  • Janet Simkin
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Re: Another major problem

The statistics seem to be for our datasets overall rather than for any one in particular, or are they? I am administrator for all the BLS datasets and when I go onto the view download log screen it shows the summary statistics and then a breakdown for each dataset in turn. I can send some screenshots if that will help.

My second point seems to have been overlooked so I will raise it as a separate issue.

Janet

Janet Simkin
British Lichen Society

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8 Reply by matt.debont

  • matt.debont
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Re: Another major problem

Please do so, as I said any information is useful at this point, if it shakes out any other potential bugs at any point then its useful to us.

Thanks,
Matt

Matt Debont
Application Developer
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK

9 Reply by matt.debont

  • matt.debont
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Re: Another major problem

Just a note, I have released a fix for the issue that seems to have been causing this, if you could try again and let me know if there are still issues here and if there are let me know where you are seeing the issue and how to recreate it if possible.

Thanks,
Matt

Matt Debont
Application Developer
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK

10 Reply by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Re: Another major problem

Thanks, Matt.  That seems to be behaving correctly now.

M.

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