The Aftermath thread...

VintagePC

GodModePC
VF4-S (Server Operator)
Forum Operator
Minecraft Operator
Global Moderator
Staff Member
WHELP. After yesterday's 15 victims, things have returned to normal. For those of you wondering how it was done behind the scenes, below are the tidbits of interest.

Basically, the button widget was scheduled to appear on the 1st (UTC-4). Clicking the button reloaded the main page... but appeared to do nothing else the first time, until you refreshed or did something else.

Internally, when clicked the widget made a call to add the clicker to a special user-group on the forums. Since you weren't a member of this usergroup yet when the page refreshed after the first click, everything appeared normal.

However, the damage was already done... thanks to a small piece of template code in the page header which checked for that usergroup membership and if present, included a special bit of CSS in amongst the main CSS file for the site, and loaded a small JS scriptlet which added the fruitfly (heh) that some of you noticed.

Code:
body
{
background: url('/brand/vf4bg.png') no-repeat fixed center top rgb(255,255,255)!important;
background-size:cover;
color:rgb(0,0,0)!important;
}

.node .nodeLastPost,.navTabs .navTab.PopupClosed .navLink {
color:rgb(0,0,0)!important;
}
.primaryContent, .tabs li a {
background-image:none!important;
background-color:rgba(255,200,200,0.8)!important;
}

.Menu, .primaryContent.menuHeader, .tabs li:active a, .discussionListItem, .discussionListItem .stats,.discussionListItem  .avatar {
background-color:pink !important;
background-image:none!important;

}
.sectionMain, .secondaryContent, .pageContent, .breadcrumb, .crumb, .arrow span, .navTabs, .forumsTabLinks, #moderatorBar, #logoBlock {
background-image:none!important;
background-color:rgba(255,180,180,0.4)!important;

}
.categoryStrip, h3, .navTabs, .navLink {
color:red!important;
background-image:none!important;
background-color:pink!important;
}
a{
color:red!important;
}

.taigachat_thumbzoom{
  background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.8)!important;
}

Thanks to CSS overrides, that bit of style info added all of the eye-rapey colours and images... so there was no need to switch people's themes or style settings permanently. Of course, once it was clicked, the button could not be un-clicked.

Hats off to those of you that resisted the temptation to click. We won't explicitly share the list of 15 victims, but chances are your responses in chatbawks are immortalized so we know who you are.

Oh... and P.S. -> This was set up and ready waaaay back in October.

For those of you that have sworn revenge on me... do remember that nobody _forced_ you to push the button (well, except Rag, because SOMEONE tipped him off and Lava we couldn't let that fly). Had you resisted curiosity, nothing would have befallen you. Blame yourselves, not me. If you use a gun to shoot yourself in the foot... do you blame the gun or yourself? :p
 
I used to trust big red buttons, I thought they were implicitly good, bringing us such joys as nitro boost's and amazing explosions. Now I see the evil power of big red buttons, and I for one will never be the same.:(
 
Relevant:

Terry Pratchett said:
“Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying 'End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH', the paint wouldn't even have time to dry.”
 
Yeah, I pressed it and when nothing immediately happened, I thought oh well. Then I closed my browser and played Diablo. Then I came back...

Honestly, it wouldn't have bothered me as much if I still had access to the forums. =/
 
Does it say something when I clicked on it a second time after nothing happened immediately the first time?
Nah, it behaves just like as if it wasn't clicked. :)

I was tempted to edit the styling of the site in my addons, but I had no idea what I was doing and figured I would let it be for 1 day.

You have made a powerful enemy.

I believe the adage is "You are your own worst enemy" :D
 

Funding Progress To Date

VaultF4 on Steam


48189 Members
(7236 Online 476 In-Game)
Join the group
Back
Top Bottom