As of approximately 7 AM EST, users that click the button prior to 51 seconds will no longer receive any flair. /u/powerlanguage posted an announcement thread on /r/thebutton, which stated, "So as of now, the button pushes at 50s and above will not be contributing to your flair. That's right, purple flairs will no longer be handed out. So push away because the worst you can do now is blue."

The general public will likely agree that the Button has lasted longer than anticipated, though this move is certain to cause controversy, and may even increase the status of Purples in Button society.

To read more, click here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thebutton/comments/31uwi4/important_announcement_about_thebutton_upvote_for/

UPDATE: Rumors abound that the linked post was created by a false powerlanguage, and clicking the button will still yield purple flair. At the time of publication, it is unverified whether these rumors are true. Click the Button at your own risk. /r/ButtonNews sincerely apologizes for the confusion.

UPDATE 2: The rumors have been found to be false. The announcement post was created by /u/powerlangauge, rather than /u/powerlanguage. Again, our apologies for the confusion.

The Knights of the Button would have you believe that they are noble, decent redditors who only wish to play the button game in their own way. Likewise, they want you to believe that my faction, the Assassins of the Button, are treacherous, dangerous, and prone to cheating and other unfair tactics. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I write this editorial today to set the record straight. I do so openly, as a proud Assassin, because button pressers and button watchers alike deserve to know what the Knights of the Button are really like.

As an Assassin, I've never been one to worry about what others think of me. I'm not someone who follows the crowd, swept up in the hype of button pressing or button saving or button-related religious fervor. Still, I bear no ill will to those who do- we are all different, and this game would be far less engaging if everyone thought the way I did. True, I hate the Knights and their philosophies, but I enjoy my hatred of the Knights so much that I'd be heartily disappointed if they ceased to exist. And, individually, I bear them no ill will.

The Knights believe that they are good, and we are bad. As is so often the case with zealots, this has led them to believe that any action in the cause is just. Even DOXXing.

DOXXing, for anyone who is new to the term, is digging up harmful or compromising or embarrassing information about an online person's real life for the purposes of shaming, embarrassing, or threatening that person. The Knights of the Button did this when they posted a picture of the Assassin's leader- my leader- in a fedora. Proof (or at least a very strong suggestion) that it was the Knights can be found in a screen capture from their offsite chat.

Let me be clear- there is no shame in wearing a fedora. I have never done so myself, but wearers of fedoras are human beings and they deserve respect. u/liminalsoup's history of fedora wearing has no bearing on the question of whether he can competently lead the Assassins, and I and my brother Assassins continue to support him and his leadership wholeheartedly.

The Assassins are quite a small group within the larger button community. I will not claim that we wish to live in peace with the Knights, because we do not. We oppose the Knights and their unnatural goal of artificial prolongation with every fiber of our being. But we are, ultimately, only a small group of misfit players of this game who disagree with the goals of a large and highly organized group of bullies and blowhards. They are thin skinned and unable to be challenged, and so they resort to the lowest tactics possible to hurt those who resist them. That is the truth.

The counter moves.

/u/liminalsoup, the leader of the Assassins of the Button, has agreed to an interview! Check the comments for breaking information!

Following a large propaganda campaign, the Assassins of the Button have increased in strength. At the time of writing, they have 188 subscribers. The Assassins are considered a threat by the Knights of the Button, and actions have been taken to mitigate potential damage.

To see the Assassin's propaganda, click here: http://www.reddit.com/r/assassinsofthebutton/comments/31o5k6/i_made_some_propaganda_posters/

To see the Knights' reaction to the Assassin threat, click here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Knightsofthebutton/comments/31o65r/update_on_antiassassin_work_from_the_inquisitors/

As of yet, the assassins have been unable to bring down the Button, but only the future may tell what actions they will prove to be capable of.

The Knights of the Button have relaunched their autoclick program, Squire. They continue to claim that its issues were due to a DDoS attack on the button itself, rather than an issue with the Squire itself.

In the post, the Knights' "CSS Wizard," /u/TH-J, recommends that users use the Squire at their own risk.

To read the post, click here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Knightsofthebutton/comments/31s1ns/squire_is_good_to_go_again/

UPDATE:

The Knights are calling the new version "The Squire 3.0," and describe its features here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Knightsofthebutton/comments/31sck3/the_squire_30/.

Worth noting is the creation of the term, "SquireGate" to describe the yesterday's tragedy.

After Part 1 and Part 2 were published earlier today,

/u/Laserhamster1 Archon of the Violet Hand posted http://redd.it/32tsic reposted here, in full, below the line.

The post was titled "4/15 Aftermath"

After the dangerous posts made yesterday, the following disciplinary action will be taken:

/u/TheCoolman78 has lost his position as Overseer of Military.

/u/firagaga, /u/TheCoolman78, and /u/mario0102 have been put on probation. This means that any further discipline taken against them in the near future will likely cause them to be removed from the Violet Hand. In time, they will revert to normal.

After the dangerous posts

A new religion has been created, the sunguardians, I am one of them, we are part of the Chartreuse Alliance (green and yellow) and we are friendly to everyone, we believe that there is not one button god, but multiple. We try to strengthen our relationship with everyone, (including purple(and team60s)) and we will hopefully become the most successful of religion.

/u/wicro has accused the Assassins of the Button of rigging and election for Knight leadership. In reponse, /u/liminalsoup admitted that the election fixing did occur, though he pointed out that the rigging did not occur on Reddit, but the planning of it did take place therein. The accusations came in response to recent Assassin claims of Knights voting as a battalion.

Thanks to /u/EyeAmmonia for the heads up on this story.

NOTE: PLEASE SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Today, /u/Hansolo580 filed suit in the /r/karmacourt against liminalsoup. The case is currently pending.

He accused LIMINALSOUP of the following charges:

CHARGE: Libelous posts

CHARGE: Large-scale fraudulence

CHARGE: Power mongering

CHARGE: Generally unnecessary shenanigans

/u/hansolo580 has posted a long list of evidence that he claims substantiates his allegations. Currently the case is in need of a judge, a jury, and lawyers.

The case will be followed by the staff here at /r/buttonnews and we will keep you updated.

The case be found by [clicking on this link.] (http://www.reddit.com/r/KarmaCourt/comments/32l83k/uhansolo580_and_uss57_vs_uliminalsoup_for/)

EDIT: /u/hansolo580 makes an official statement.

After lengthy deliberation, I have decided to pursue the Liminalsoup events in Karma Court. I feel it is necessary to repair damage he has caused to the Assassin organization, as well as to repair damage among the Buttonverse's members.

This will also provide an opportunity for Liminal to be defended by someone other than himself, who will hopefully better represent him than he has shown himself capable of doing.

liminalsoup has not yet responded to requests for a comment.

EDIT 2: The mods of the KarmaCourt are dismissing the case

The moderators of /r/KarmaCourt are dismissing the case, due to their concerns that it is not in the spirit of the Karma Court. It was dismissed because they intended for KarmaCourt to be fun, and not a place for serious trials. This final verdict was delivered by /u/PastyDeath and the news was first brought to us here at /r/Buttonnews by /u/LilypadLulz.

EDIT 3: /u/Hansolo580 speaks on the Karma court's ruling.

I am disappointed in the court's decision, though I understand their point of view. If an alternate venue arises, I may consider taking the case there.

EDIT 4: The Church of the Button has offered a venue for the case

According to the Pope of the Church of the Button, /u/Ghostise, he has graciously offered to host the case at his subreddit, /r/ChurchOfTheButton, because as he says, "not a lot of activity in that sub right now."

At the time of writing, /u/Ghostise, /u/Hansolo580, and /u/liminalsoup were all reached out to for a quote.

EDIT 5: QUOTES ON THE NEW VENUE

/u/Ghostise has said this on the new venue.

The case between Hansolo580 and liminalsoup is an interesting one because it is between two leaders of the Assassins and has been a catalyst for a division in the Assassin ranks. I've invited them to sort out their business in the Church out of good faith because it wasn't allowed in /r/KarmaCourt and I wish to see this resolved peacefully.

/u/Hansolo580 said this:

I am excited to see the Church's interest in the case. I will certainly migrate the case there, and I look forward to its swift and impartial resolution.

At the time of writing, /u/liminalsoup has not responded to requests for a comment.

EDIT 6: THE CASE AT THE NEW VENUE

The case has now officially been moved to /r/ChurchOfTheButton.

It can be found by [clicking here.] (http://www.reddit.com/r/ChurchOfTheButton/comments/32qsjd/uhansolo580_and_uss57_vs_uliminalsoup_for/)

EDIT 7: THE CASE IS SET

The case has gotten all the people as needed, and the case is currently in pre-trial. The roster of people working on the case is as follows.

JUDGE:

• /u/Ghostise

• /u/SmurfyX

DEFENSE:

• /u/LOL_1Up

PROSECUTION TEAM:

• Lead Prosecutor: /u/PhoenixWright24

• Assistant Prosecutor: /u/WaryDairy

• Assistant Prosecutor: /u/NemesisPrimev2

BAILIFF:

• /u/Smooney321

JURY:

• /u/real-slim-shady

• /u/Stormon

• /u/HereSirTakeMyUpvote

• /u/RoamingGamer666

• /u/DeadPoetic31

• /u/slaight461

• /u/1905ChelseaBlues

OFFICIAL COURT CHOIR:

• /u/Chewbacca580

Court Reporter:

• /u/Wicro and Button News Staff

EDIT 8: THE CASE BEGINS

The case begins today. It can be found by [clicking here.] (http://www.reddit.com/r/ChurchOfTheButton/comments/32qsjd/uhansolo580_and_uss57_vs_uliminalsoup_for/)

EDIT 9: THE CASE OPENS

/u/Ghostise has banged the gavel, marking the beginning of the case. Right now, the judges are being called together to introduce the charges. At the time of writing, /u/SmurfyX was present.

The link is [here] (http://www.reddit.com/r/ChurchOfTheButton/comments/32qsjd/uhansolo580_and_uss57_vs_uliminalsoup_for/cqhposi)

Recently, /r/Upto was launched, with the intent to be a place like the UN, where member subreddits can all agree to mutual defense from an attack from an external party. Currently, the UPTO founding document is being agreed upon, and a flag is being designed. This is all at /r/UPTO.

Internal discussions from the /r/KnightsOfTheButton have confirmed that negotiations have begun with /r/AssassinsOfTheButton to compete in an online gaming environment. Early game suggestions have included: Quake and Team Fortress 2.

Additionally, there have been suggestions on "stakes" ranging from a self-deprecating post on /r/thebutton to betting actual button pushes. Both sides could benefit from betting pushes as a form of currency as the Assassins would be able to limit the Knights ability to extend the clock while the Knights could force several Assassins to become flair wearing pushers. It is still yet to be determined if the Assassins would be forced to save their pushes for the red flair to extend the button, supporting the Knight's primary cause, or if they would be banished to the purple wasteland between 52-58 seconds, being unable to join powerful 59s and 60s factions.

Come meet us on /r/theButtonRemastered

/u/BlueWind55 has released a new video in support of the non-presser cause. The video comes after several days of the button's existence, and presents a case for button abstinence.

To see the video, click here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/thebutton/comments/31tuzg/stay_strong_grays_oc/

/u/Zanshien pointed out that several months ago, Reddit announced that it would be giving away $5 million to 950,000 redditors. His claim is substantiated here:https://www.theverge.com/2014/12/20/7427491/reddit-notes-announced-give-5-million-dollars-to-users (Link courtesy of /u/BTBishops)

/u/jevoldi Countered, and presented this article: http://fortune.com/2015/01/30/reddit-notes-is-not-going-to-happen/

The thread had mild debate, and only adds to the abounding confusion about what exactly will happen when the button reaches zero.

Pope Ghostise of the Church of the Button has exposed destructionist leader as a member of the Illuminati.

Finally after 3 days the case can begin as we have enough people.

You can view the case here.

In the comments on a recruitment video posted by the Knights of the Button in /r/thebutton, /u/TotesMessenger, a bot which announces when threads are linked to elsewhere, revealed that /u/wicro had posted a link to the video in the Knights' subreddit, and told Knights to upvote it.

Furthermore, /u/liminalsoup, the supposed leader of the Assassins of the Button, claimed that Wicro was "spamming his vote rigging from http://www.reddit.com/r/Knightsofthebutton/comments/31mbp6/update_sticky_please_read/."

Interestingly, Liminal's posts were all downvoted, while Wicro's were upvoted, though it may be a coincidence. This is the latest in apparent public anger between the two factions.

To read more, click here: http://www.reddit.com/r/thebutton/comments/31mp6g/join_the_knights_of_the_button_today/cq2yd9i

/u/wicro, a leader within the Knights of the Button, has kindly agreed to an interview. Check the comments for the Q and A!

Edit: It has been pointed out to me that wicro is actually the grandmaster of the Knights of the Button, rather than simply a member of their leadership. Button News formally apologizes for the confusion.

An anonymous source within the Knights of the Button has sent me a lengthy collection of letters circulating within the Assassin community.

A few excerpts from the letters are listed below:

"Attention all Assassins and our supporters. In a little while I will be creating a thread in /r/assassinsofthebutton that will be titled "This is interesting..." Inside the thread will be links to postings that I want everyone to UPVOTE. But I don't want it to seem like we are organizing an "upvote squad". So I will just list them as if I have no opinion about it. Please upvote the linked threads, and the comments that support the view of the OP, but don't post any comments from any of your secret assassin or infiltrator accounts (just in case this blows up an we get caught)."

"Communicate directly with me only on operational matters, and don't "chit chat" about classified material with other "assassins". If any "assassin" has contacted you and asked you ANY questions about classified operations (eg "hey buddy, so which battalion are you in?") send me a full transcript of everything he asked you immediately."

" Brothers, we are doing well and making progress. Please remember to vote for Turtlesoup23 in the election."

"Turtlesoup23 is a devisive[sic] leader because he is purple and has shown poor judgement in the passt[sic]. Lets make sure the Knights get the leader they deserve, not the leader they need."

" /r/assassinsofthebutton have done a good job being the public "face" of the assassins, the so called Day Side. We were supposed to be a Big fat Target that double agents and such would go after. Meanwhile the secret assassins could remain hidden and relatively safe from infiltration. Of course we do lots of propaganda and some vote rigging but i'm too much in the spotlight to handle the heavy infiltration operations. The Pope of the Church of the Holy 0 and I are going to have a major "falling out". Its going to very public and very messy. The point of that will be to put even more of the spotlight on us, and take all scrutiny off the Pope's Crusaders and the Night Side infiltrators."

"To join you have to PM their recruiter /u/ArchCrono and let him know you have already infiltrated the Knights, and the name of the batalion[sic] you infiltrated. You can remain in your infiltrated position for now, but if he asks you to move to a new batalion[sic] you should follow his orders. There can't be any link between him and me. When you PM simply say that you heard there may be a small group of truly covert assassins and that you want to join. If he sends you to me then he has rejected you. They vet their new members very carefully, so if he rejects you, he probably has a good reason."

The letters provide interesting details within the inner workings of the Assassins, and provide evidence of potential vote rigging.

It is important to remember that there is no way to prove these letters are legitimate. For example, a quick look into /u/liminalsoup, the supposed originator of these letters, shows that he typically spells battalion correctly, while the letters' author spells it "batalion" consistently. Additionally, I could not turn up a "This is interesting" post.

Regardless, the letters are interesting, and reveal the degree of covert operations going on as a result of /r/TheButton.

Remember, at ButtonNews, we report the news for you to decide. Take these letters as you will.

With the arrival of click number 666,666, numerous users have claimed to be the antithesis of the Pressiah, known as PresSatan. At this time, the general consensus appears to be that /u/Lucifurball has claimed the title of PresSatan, though it is impossible to know with certainty at present.

The user has created a subreddit dedicated to his role here:

/r/PresSatan

The post announcing the assumption of the title can be found here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/thebutton/comments/31y647/i_am_the_pressatan_the_666666_presser_ama/

A new faction has appeared within /r/thebutton. The Church of the Grey, a church dedicated to nonpressing, has been created by /u/LaZspy. The church believes that the button protects users, and that clicking it is offensive to the button.

To read the Church's catechisms, click here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/ChurchOfTheGrey/

In /r/buttontheory, /u/Miguelito-Loveless has attempted to apply the Nash equilibrium to the Button. After a thorough analysis of the Button and its characteristics, the user concludes that no decisive optimal strategy can be created. The comments of the post delve into intriguing discussion of the details, including debate about the final presser.

To read more, click here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/buttontheory/comments/31p14o/request_can_someone_use_game_theory_to_determine/

/u/choosebox, a non-presser, has created a post in /r/theButton, in which the user announces his intention to stop smoking when the Button reaches zero.

With stakes now on the line, several users have noted having newfound motivation to bring the Button to an end.

The post can be found here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/thebutton/comments/31zsro/serious_heres_the_deal_ill_stop_smoking_as_soon/