Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Site news and a great, big thankyou

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Illinois

* Yesterday was a huge traffic day on this site. It wasn’t quite a record (the mark set on Rod Blagojevich’s arrest day will probably stand for a while). But everything slowed down to a crawl yesterday because so many people were trying to access the blog at once.

So, we’re doing some major infrastructure upgrades. This should prevent crashes and slowdowns - except for days when governors are arrested (even the Trib and Sun-Times were inaccessible part of that day).

In order to do this, however, the site will need to be taken down sometime after 8 o’clock tonight. It’ll hopefully be back up within an hour, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

This is just the first step in our total site revamp. Stay tuned.

Thanks again for all of your support in making this the preeminent website for Illinois politics. Y’all are the best.

*** UPDATE - 7:50 pm *** My hosting company just called and said the migration to the new servers is complete. Sweet.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:30 pm

Comments

You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:38 pm
Thank YOU for all of the hard work, particularly the blow-by-blow commentary. It’s nice to have access to the information unfiltered, uncondensed and raw, as opposed to the way it comes through 20 sec soundbites on the 9 and 10 o’clock news.

Comment by Will County Woman Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:40 pm
Rich, the thanks are to you. This is the only place to get any read at all on what the boss and the tops are about.

Comment by cogenerator Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:40 pm
Well Rich, just what are we supposed to do for an hour of unsupervised web surfing?

I suggest we all go over to the Illinois Review and crash their site. That should take about 3 people to bring down their whole site.

Comment by Give Me Break Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:48 pm
agree with will county woman… i’m sending love from dupage too. You are the best Rich!!!
Thanks for all your work & all your brilliant insight. I know it’s because of you that some folks in this crazy state politics/ govt. world think twice about pulling dumb stunts - they know you’ll sniff it out. With all the budget cuts in media outlets, don’t know what we’d do without you. A sincere thank you to you Rich.

Comment by dupage progressive Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:49 pm
Love the site, but let’s be honest about the design. Could use some freshening-up. Consider a major re-design? Also - monetize this sucker. Google ad-words, etc. We’ll click ‘em if you publish ‘em.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:49 pm
It’s already started. Essential State functions are shutting down. Damn the GA!

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 5:52 pm
===Google ad-words, etc. ===

Ha! I’m not sharing a few pennies with that gigantified company. Just sayin…

===Consider a major re-design?===

I indicated that above.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:06 pm
Change we can believe in!
Its pretty cool that the Speaker asks your permission before starting his press conference.
Seriously, nice work this week.

Comment by Bill Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:14 pm
Go Daddy!
anything is better the hostyourownblog.com LOL

Comment by one day at a time Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:27 pm
Ugh. That backward state to the east, where the ultimate cultural event is to watch a bunch of cars drive around in a circle once a year, enacted not a one-month…not a six month…not a 1 year…but a 2 year budget.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=35235

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:28 pm
I just switched my home page from the Chicago Tribune to CAP FAX. Not a big deal you say. Ha! The Trib has been my home page for about 5 years.

Keep up the good work. On a slow news day, perhaps you could share your IT hardware set up.

Comment by What's in a name? Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:30 pm
No no THANK YOU!! After a day in the pits, not only do you provide useful information, but often humorous content. wish you were my boss?

Comment by long time state worker Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:49 pm
I’ll echo all the thanks for your hard work. When things were breaking fast and furious yesterday, all you heard at work was “What is Rich Miller saying?” or “Is that on Capitol Fax?”

Comment by jwscott72 Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 6:58 pm
Exciting times, I can’t wait!

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:10 pm
In a media world in which CNN is using video from cell phones in Tehran as part of their “coverage” of the elections and the Chicago media are pretty clueless about the nuances of what goes on in Springfield, there is a reason why people interested in credible, reliable reporting go to your web site — and you should be proud of the volume. Keep up the good work, the thoughtful comments, the accurate report. We count on you.

Comment by jaundiced eye Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:13 pm
test

Comment by test Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:17 pm
–”I’ll echo all the thanks for your hard work. When things were breaking fast and furious yesterday, all you heard at work was “What is Rich Miller saying?” or “Is that on Capitol Fax?” –

I’ll second that. If I don’t text updates to the hubby out in the field so he can catch up on the goings on when he can during his break, he phones at lunch and I hear “What’s happening”?

36 minutes til’ site is down, glad I got caught up on the vids. Much appreciated, Mr. Miller. Loved the Quinn veto clip.

Comment by Princess Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:27 pm
Hardest working man in Springfield!

Comment by Elder Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:29 pm
test 123

Comment by test Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:30 pm
What they’ve said Rich, thanks.

Comment by Lt. Guv Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 7:56 pm
Echo the applause- you have served as a lifeline for all of us around the state who are hanging in limbo and at the mercy of our “leaders” ( and I use that term very loosely) to decide our fate.
You have empowered many with information and hopefully with that new power, we can make change happen .
Thanks

Comment by siumom Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 8:36 pm
As someone who came out of J-School and started as a cop reporter in the goofy river bends of the Quad-Cities chasing fires and stepping all over murder scenes, I have very mixed emotions about the changes taking place in communicating the news to the public.

But in all honesty, and with no small amount of jealousy, my hat’s off to you, dude. You’re a pioneer and the cap fax just keeps getting better and better.

I especially admire how you insist on a civil discourse on the blog. Not a lot of that going on in the rest of the world. Thank you, Rich’s Mom and Dad, for insisting on some standards. Good on you, Rich, for living up to them.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 8:38 pm
Rich,

How many hits to you get on average? And what do you think the ratio of visitors/comment are?

Comment by Curious George Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 8:39 pm
Yes, thank YOU.

Comment by state employee Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 8:45 pm
I forgot to say thanks Rich!

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 9:08 pm
thanks for making me look smarter than I am.

Comment by lobbyster Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 9:38 pm
Always there, always reliable, always keeping us informed and always separating fact from fiction! You represent now what journalism will some day evolve to! You are simply the best! I do relish the occasional “Bite me” remarks that have become your trade mark! Don’t let up!

Comment by Justice Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 9:56 pm
Thanks for all the hard work. Long time reader, first time commenting. Great site.

Comment by Jo Daviess County Progressive Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 10:01 pm
great real time stuff. good mix of media. unfiltered. does the site ever analyze what’s in, what’s out, and why?

Comment by Help4Mfg Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 10:06 pm
“I just switched my home page from the Chicago Tribune to CAP FAX. Not a big deal you say. Ha! The Trib has been my home page for about 5 years.”

Jeez, hope this wasn’t Pearson.

That Speaker vid is a keeper.

Well done, Rich.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 10:28 pm
So were all migrant bloggers now?

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 10:48 pm
I’m really happy to see you are acknowledging what we all have known for some time now - that YOU are the preeminent website for Illinois politics. I don’t know what I, or the rest of us here, would do without your information. There just simply isn’t anyone else that comes up to your level Rich. And where else can I make a fool of myself with my comments and do so with such anonymity? We like you man, we really like you.

Comment by Little Egypt Wednesday, Jul 1, 09 @ 11:29 pm
I am new to this website… I love it! I happened to read a notification sent out by the “union” to our staff….and it recommended Capitol Fax as a resource for up to date information….so I checked it out….and now I can’t live without it! Thanks!

Comment by newbie Thursday, Jul 2, 09 @ 4:27 am
Not around last nite to hear the news - I’ll add my thanks for providing this great site. I have said it before - I have learned more about the inner workings of this state in the last few years than I have in all the years previous.

Please don’t change anything about the format, tho, I get lost easily.

Comment by DuPage Dan Thursday, Jul 2, 09 @ 7:52 am
It is great to see you suffering from so much success!

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 2, 09 @ 8:38 am