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  • Post #91 - July 11th, 2011, 3:49 pm
    Post #91 - July 11th, 2011, 3:49 pm Post #91 - July 11th, 2011, 3:49 pm
    I will preface this post by saying this is by no means sour grapes on my part. I had no trouble getting tickets to the Paris menu. I was also apparently one of the few to hit an off, or at least not entirely on, night. Admittedly, I wasn't terribly enthused about the French menu because it's not one of my favorite cuisines, but regardless, the service and overall experience was top-notch. On the other hand, I like Thai a lot, but not nearly enough to endure this madness. I'm not even going to try for tickets, as there are any number of places at this price point I like or wish to try with much less hassle. Further, I feel so, so, so fortunate to live in a city with as many great Thai offerings as Chicago boasts. While the quality of the ingredients may not necessarily be up to the exacting standards of Next, at least I know that I will not go wanting when it comes to options. I will thoroughly enjoying eating here vicariously through you all!

    That said, I'm honestly wondering what possible Next menu would be enough for me to put up with this well-intentioned but poorly executed ticket system. Because having looked forward to Next with the hope of buying a four-menu annual "subscription" (back when such a thing was rumored), I really think now I'd be a lot happier spending that money on one annual blow-out meal at Alinea instead.

    Speaking of which, I'm intrigued by the purported lack of heat in a lot of these dishes. My one time at Alinea I was struck by the relative lack of kick to any of the dishes, but here's an example of cuisine that almost demands it. No?
    Last edited by Vitesse98 on July 11th, 2011, 3:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
  • Post #92 - July 11th, 2011, 3:50 pm
    Post #92 - July 11th, 2011, 3:50 pm Post #92 - July 11th, 2011, 3:50 pm
    Next Restaurant

    Everyone: We are not going to do the sale today. I realize how problematic that is but I don't want to have only a few people be able to see the page. We received an insane and nearly impossible number of queries at once at 4 PM... almost like a denial of service attack. Will have to hold off for a day.... again, hugely apologetic
  • Post #93 - July 11th, 2011, 3:52 pm
    Post #93 - July 11th, 2011, 3:52 pm Post #93 - July 11th, 2011, 3:52 pm
    As of 2 minutes ago, via their Facebook page:

    Everyone: We are not going to do the sale today. I realize how problematic that is but I don't want to have only a few people be able to see the page. We received an insane and nearly impossible number of queries at once at 4 PM... almost like a denial of service attack. Will have to hold off for a day.... again, hugely apologetic
  • Post #94 - July 11th, 2011, 3:55 pm
    Post #94 - July 11th, 2011, 3:55 pm Post #94 - July 11th, 2011, 3:55 pm
    I suspect the DOS/DDOS meme will have traction, but I don't buy it. The static portions of their page were relatively unaffected throughout the time frame, which implies they had the necessary bandwidth and processing power to handle the load. As I mentioned above, I suspect it's a database/software issue, which will only be fixed by upgrading the software or throttling down the bandwidth.
  • Post #95 - July 11th, 2011, 3:58 pm
    Post #95 - July 11th, 2011, 3:58 pm Post #95 - July 11th, 2011, 3:58 pm
    I don't believe it's a DDOS at all. Someone must be really pissed they didn't get Paris tickets if that's the case. I think it's exactly what you are saying, kl1191
  • Post #96 - July 11th, 2011, 4:10 pm
    Post #96 - July 11th, 2011, 4:10 pm Post #96 - July 11th, 2011, 4:10 pm
    I wasn't suggesting it was a purposeful DDOS attack... I said it was almost like one. The issue was not the software, it was the auto-refreshers. We were getting a genuinely insane number of queries to the site based on the number of people logged in... so people must have tons of browsers and tons of auto-refresh going at once. Last Thursday we got 451,000 page views in 10 minutes. This will FAR exceed that number.

    We will fix the problem and go back at it.

    Regarding the spice -- the kitchen calibrated it to where they thought it was proper. For those who love very hot (like I do) they are now inquiring about that option to the table and will adjust accordingly.
  • Post #97 - July 11th, 2011, 4:16 pm
    Post #97 - July 11th, 2011, 4:16 pm Post #97 - July 11th, 2011, 4:16 pm
    nick.kokonas wrote:I wasn't suggesting it was a purposeful DDOS attack... I said it was almost like one. The issue was not the software, it was the auto-refreshers. We were getting a genuinely insane number of queries to the site based on the number of people logged in... so people must have tons of browsers and tons of auto-refresh going at once. Last Thursday we got 451,000 page views in 10 minutes. This will FAR exceed that number.

    We will fix the problem and go back at it.

    Regarding the spice -- the kitchen calibrated it to where they thought it was proper. For those who love very hot (like I do) they are now inquiring about that option to the table and will adjust accordingly.


    I know nothing about this kind of technology, but is there any way to block or otherwise foil auto-refreshers?
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat
  • Post #98 - July 11th, 2011, 4:23 pm
    Post #98 - July 11th, 2011, 4:23 pm Post #98 - July 11th, 2011, 4:23 pm
    jesteinf wrote:I know nothing about this kind of technology, but is there any way to block or otherwise foil auto-refreshers?


    I believe the "virtual waiting room" that a lot of sports and other events use is designed to thwart auto-refreshers. For those who aren't familiar with this, once you get in, you are put in the TWR and the system randomly takes people out the waiting room to buy tickets. Hitting refresh simply makes you start over in the waiting room. When I bought sports tickets, I would still open multiple browser windows and be in multple VWRs.
  • Post #99 - July 11th, 2011, 4:24 pm
    Post #99 - July 11th, 2011, 4:24 pm Post #99 - July 11th, 2011, 4:24 pm
    That seems like a perfectly reasonable solution.
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat
  • Post #100 - July 11th, 2011, 5:58 pm
    Post #100 - July 11th, 2011, 5:58 pm Post #100 - July 11th, 2011, 5:58 pm
    I was actually surprised when Nick posted on FB saying they were expecting 1 million page loads today. Given that Friday's ~75 tables resulted in ~450,000 page views, I would have predicted a much higher number today. I'll be curious to hear what the final tally is for today & what it turns out to be when tickets are actually sold.
  • Post #101 - July 11th, 2011, 6:18 pm
    Post #101 - July 11th, 2011, 6:18 pm Post #101 - July 11th, 2011, 6:18 pm
    Clearly they should just give in to demand and adjust Next to seat 50,000.
  • Post #102 - July 11th, 2011, 6:22 pm
    Post #102 - July 11th, 2011, 6:22 pm Post #102 - July 11th, 2011, 6:22 pm
    Vitesse98 wrote:Clearly they should just give in to demand and adjust Next to seat 50,000.


    Maybe there is light at the far end of the tunnel. My wife and I got a table 2 at The Publican on Friday at 7:30pm with basically no notice (we made an opentable reservation at 7:20 from the car). It seems like just yesterday when it was really difficult to get a table at The Publican.
  • Post #103 - July 11th, 2011, 6:28 pm
    Post #103 - July 11th, 2011, 6:28 pm Post #103 - July 11th, 2011, 6:28 pm
    Vitesse98 wrote:Clearly they should just give in to demand and adjust Next to seat 50,000.


    What they really should do is to have open-ended runs and/or open several different locations.
    Toast, as every breakfaster knows, isn't really about the quality of the bread or how it's sliced or even the toaster. For man cannot live by toast alone. It's all about the butter. -- Adam Gopnik
  • Post #104 - July 11th, 2011, 9:07 pm
    Post #104 - July 11th, 2011, 9:07 pm Post #104 - July 11th, 2011, 9:07 pm
    So did they open it back up? Or will it be at a future date and time? What was the price point of the first weekend tickets and pairings?
  • Post #105 - July 11th, 2011, 9:23 pm
    Post #105 - July 11th, 2011, 9:23 pm Post #105 - July 11th, 2011, 9:23 pm
    jesteinf wrote:That seems like a perfectly reasonable solution.


    Maybe. But I suspect the only company that has developed the infrastructure to handle this type of load is Ticketmaster. I presume it is extremely expensive to sell tickets on Ticketmaster, and while there is nothing Next could do to piss off enough people to affect the bottom line, the idea of a $20/head service charge (easily the minimum on a $150 dinner/wine pairing) really stinks.
  • Post #106 - July 12th, 2011, 7:23 am
    Post #106 - July 12th, 2011, 7:23 am Post #106 - July 12th, 2011, 7:23 am
    And god knows, everyone loves Ticketmaster.

    They could randomly group those who registered through the site into sub-groups of 100 or so, then email ticket windows to each group one at a time. That way it's not a million attempts at once, it's a relatively controlled incremental sale dictated largely by chance.
  • Post #107 - July 12th, 2011, 7:40 am
    Post #107 - July 12th, 2011, 7:40 am Post #107 - July 12th, 2011, 7:40 am
    ews wrote:
    jesteinf wrote:That seems like a perfectly reasonable solution.


    Maybe. But I suspect the only company that has developed the infrastructure to handle this type of load is Ticketmaster. I presume it is extremely expensive to sell tickets on Ticketmaster, and while there is nothing Next could do to piss off enough people to affect the bottom line, the idea of a $20/head service charge (easily the minimum on a $150 dinner/wine pairing) really stinks.


    You don't have to actually use Ticketmaster to use this type of system.
  • Post #108 - July 12th, 2011, 7:48 am
    Post #108 - July 12th, 2011, 7:48 am Post #108 - July 12th, 2011, 7:48 am
    The genius method everyone's fave capitalists the Eagles invoked when they reunited was to simply price their tickets ridiculously high, purportedly to keep scalpers at bay (a baby out with the bathwater solution, equitable only in a vacuum). Ergo, the solution for Next is simply to price each meal at $500. Hell, make it $1000! Demand staunched! Problem solved! :wink:
  • Post #109 - July 12th, 2011, 9:37 am
    Post #109 - July 12th, 2011, 9:37 am Post #109 - July 12th, 2011, 9:37 am
    I missed Paris, but I thought it sounded and looked great. I've also enjoyed everything Achatz and team have done, going back to early Trio days. But this one strikes me as a mid-career fling of dilettantism from a virtuoso. Sincere but selfish. Jordan playing baseball. I also did not pay to experience that. Not that geniuses owe us anything, mind you, and why begrudge the genius his digression. It probably helps on the court or in the kitchen.
  • Post #110 - July 12th, 2011, 10:51 am
    Post #110 - July 12th, 2011, 10:51 am Post #110 - July 12th, 2011, 10:51 am
    This really is a fascinating problem of the distribution of resources in the face of far greater demand than supply. Raising ticket prices has the effect of lowering demand to meet supply. Having the menus open-ended in terms of time creates more supply. But if neither of these solutions are desirable (and they seem not to be), the question is one of equitable distribution. The current system privileges those with time to monitor the restaurant's ticket availability, which privileges those with more flexible schedules (one is almost tempted to suggest that no one who dines at Next has a "real job" - it certainly eliminates construction workers as ticket buyers! Or cooks! Anyone who cannot fix their own schedule and anyone who does not have a fast computer link).

    I think that we would all agree that this is not a good system, but the question is whether it is the best system available. It is the cost of success. I would prefer something akin to a lottery system, held each day for tables two weeks hence (people would give their credit cards and they would be informed that either they had a table or not), but that, of course, fits my schedule better. At the end of each lottery day, people who were not selected could sign up for the next day (or wait until the day that they could dine). With two seating, people could either take early or late - and then they could be awarded specific times (6, 6:30, 7:00) by the restaurant, but this too has its disadvantages, especially for the restaurant staff who would have to organize the lotteries on a daily basis.

    Actually the best solution :twisted: would be for Next to start serving bad food with a poor attitude. There are a number of restauranteurs who can show Grant how that works! :mrgreen: That might fix the demand side of things (although perhaps not!)
    Last edited by GAF on July 12th, 2011, 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
    Toast, as every breakfaster knows, isn't really about the quality of the bread or how it's sliced or even the toaster. For man cannot live by toast alone. It's all about the butter. -- Adam Gopnik
  • Post #111 - July 12th, 2011, 11:06 am
    Post #111 - July 12th, 2011, 11:06 am Post #111 - July 12th, 2011, 11:06 am
    GAF wrote:The current system privileges those will time to monitor the restaurant's ticket availability, which privileges those with more flexible schedules (one is almost tempted to suggest that no one who dines at Next has a "real job" - it certainly eliminates construction workers as ticket buyers! Or cooks! Anyone who cannot fix their own schedule and anyone who does not have a fast computer link).


    My workplace only offers IE 7.0 (go ahead and laugh), so I couldn't get on to get Next tickets at 4 pm even if I had inifinite time to refresh my non-IE browser.
  • Post #112 - July 12th, 2011, 11:29 am
    Post #112 - July 12th, 2011, 11:29 am Post #112 - July 12th, 2011, 11:29 am
    Not predicting the onslaught - again! but bigger! - is one thing. But if true, I'm truly surprised they haven't fixed that browser bug. At least they're not demanding anyone purchase tickets exclusively through an iPad app. My friend found this hilarious Facebook post:

    OMG! I have confiscated all the kids' iPads, and our afternoon activity was to refresh for the last 55 mins., through all the kids whining and complaining. They are demanding that my husband and I take them to this "stupid place." Not sure how Next and the other patrons will receive a 7, 9, and 12 year old! Good thing I just checked FB, or we would have wasted another hour! Back to mill tomorrow! How will i bribe my kids to do this again? Hope springs eternal!


    That's right ... iPads, plural. And even her kids were pissed.
  • Post #113 - July 12th, 2011, 11:33 am
    Post #113 - July 12th, 2011, 11:33 am Post #113 - July 12th, 2011, 11:33 am
    aschie30 wrote:
    GAF wrote:The current system privileges those will time to monitor the restaurant's ticket availability, which privileges those with more flexible schedules (one is almost tempted to suggest that no one who dines at Next has a "real job" - it certainly eliminates construction workers as ticket buyers! Or cooks! Anyone who cannot fix their own schedule and anyone who does not have a fast computer link).


    My workplace only offers IE 7.0 (go ahead and laugh), so I couldn't get on to get Next tickets at 4 pm even if I had inifinite time to refresh my non-IE browser.


    There are many solutions to that issue...a few of the simplest would be to run Chrome on a thumbdrive or VNC into a machine that has a different browser.
  • Post #114 - July 12th, 2011, 11:34 am
    Post #114 - July 12th, 2011, 11:34 am Post #114 - July 12th, 2011, 11:34 am
    Vitesse98 wrote:Not predicting the onslaught - again! but bigger! - is one thing. But if true, I'm truly surprised they haven't fixed that browser bug. At least they're not demanding anyone purchase tickets exclusively through an iPad app. My friend found this hilarious Facebook post:

    OMG! I have confiscated all the kids' iPads, and our afternoon activity was to refresh for the last 55 mins., through all the kids whining and complaining. They are demanding that my husband and I take them to this "stupid place." Not sure how Next and the other patrons will receive a 7, 9, and 12 year old! Good thing I just checked FB, or we would have wasted another hour! Back to mill tomorrow! How will i bribe my kids to do this again? Hope springs eternal!


    That's right ... iPads, plural. And even her kids were pissed.


    I'm pretty sure that Facebook post was a joke.
  • Post #115 - July 12th, 2011, 11:39 am
    Post #115 - July 12th, 2011, 11:39 am Post #115 - July 12th, 2011, 11:39 am
    I hope! The fact that I can't tell underscores a scary truth about the world we live in.
  • Post #116 - July 12th, 2011, 11:40 am
    Post #116 - July 12th, 2011, 11:40 am Post #116 - July 12th, 2011, 11:40 am
    Don't know if it was meant as a joke or not, but it is highlighted on this page: http://timeoutchicago.com/restaurants-b ... d-explodes
  • Post #117 - July 12th, 2011, 11:54 am
    Post #117 - July 12th, 2011, 11:54 am Post #117 - July 12th, 2011, 11:54 am
    Next is kind of asking for the autorefreshes. The food is good the price is good,and is Achatz-high demand-limited tickets. Then you say the only way to get tickets for the whole season (except for the one day limited tables) is at this one given time that we will tell you about. Is like setting yourself up for an attack. Maybe they should just run it as a lottery. After all getting to the system is kind of like a lottery the way it is now anyways. I also wish they would sell a whole year pass (1 ticket for each season)...
    I loved the comment on facebook that productivity in the midwest has plunged, probably true!!!
  • Post #118 - July 12th, 2011, 12:01 pm
    Post #118 - July 12th, 2011, 12:01 pm Post #118 - July 12th, 2011, 12:01 pm
    I see what they are trying to do and am personally okay with it, although I do find it odd that IE is not compatible with their ticketing system. I do wish that they would limit each person to one table, though, in order to give as many people as possible a shot at getting in.
    "Baseball is like church. Many attend. Few understand." Leo Durocher
  • Post #119 - July 12th, 2011, 12:15 pm
    Post #119 - July 12th, 2011, 12:15 pm Post #119 - July 12th, 2011, 12:15 pm
    In follow up posts on Facebook, Nick has noted that he considers the current system the most "fair," but how a lottery would be less fair is anyone's guess. Anyway. If this excitement/mess is taking the spotlight away from places like Publican, apparently allowing for last minute 7:30 Friday night tables, I'm all for it!!!
  • Post #120 - July 12th, 2011, 12:29 pm
    Post #120 - July 12th, 2011, 12:29 pm Post #120 - July 12th, 2011, 12:29 pm
    I 100% believe that woman's post about her kids and their iPads. People are that insane for these tickets. Hell, my mom used to have my brothers and I sit in front of computers around our house for Rolling Stones tickets and that was only 10 years ago :D

    Season passes are coming for next year allegedly. I don't know how it's going to work or how many they are going to offer, but in my opinion, those need to be done as a lottery and not as a refresh frenzy that we are seeing today.

    The facebook page was really quite something yesterday. The Timeout Chicago article is really just the tip of the iceberg. People were complaining about taking the entire day off of work just to get tickets and how they are going to have to take the next day off as well as a result of no sales.

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