What's the 'n' Bug?

If you're noticing the following symptoms, it might well be an 'n' bug:

• Category edit pages only half load if you have the show information about how URLs are duplicated feature on in your profile.
• Power unreviewed pages only half load.
• You can't edit sites beginning with a particular letter (excluding the www), but other sites can be edited without a problem.
• You can't use the add button on URLs beginning with a particular letter (excluding the www), but can use it with URLs beginning with a different letter without a problem.

I'm in Denial. It's sooo not the 'n' bug...

The following do not mean it isn't the 'n' bug:

• "Hmm, the public pages load. Can't be the 'n' bug."
• "Hmm, my category starts with U. Can't be the 'n' bug."
• "Hmm, no N in my editor name. Can't be the 'n' bug."

Why does this Happen?

truel: "what happens in these situation is that a Berkely [sic] DB file that we store information in becomes corrupted, and the scripts hang. We don't know of a good way to detect it."

In English please?

Well this example is taken from the 's' bug, but applies to all variants, just change the letter. :)

The 's' bug concerns 's's at the start of URLs (excluding www), not category names.

Basically, there is a file for each letter of the alphabet which contains information about where URLs are listed (for the "this URL is also listed in" feature.) The 's' one is corrupt. So any attempt to access information about where 's' URLs are listed fails.

What can I do?

• If a power unreviewed page hangs, use standard unreviewed.
• Turn off "Show information on how URLs are duplicated throughout the directory" in your profile. That way you'll be able to open all category edit pages without a problem.

You still won't be able to do anything with 's' sites, but at least you'll be able to edit everything else. Only staff can fix the underlying problem.

So, when is the dang blasted n bug going to be all better?

Possible answers include:

• "When they fix it."
• "This millennium, in theory."
• "Eventually."

...but in all honesty, we just don't know. It's up to staff. :)

History of Bugs

• The 't' Bug (May, 1999)
• The 'l' Bug (June, 1999)
• The 'u' Bug (August, 1999)
• The 'r' Bug (May, 2000)
• The 'n' Bug (November, 2000)
• The 'k' Bug (February, 2001)
• The 'e' Bug (April, 2001)
• The 's' Bug (August, 2001)
• The 's' Bug - Round II (October, 2001)
• The 'a' Bug (January, 2002)