No it doesn't. That is a "hide" button. It is still there, it still needs to load (apparently) and the lock-up time is the same. The only difference is that it locks up until the icon for the chat bar arrives.
MP is very slow for me. I have a new notebook and fast connection. Also should I only be able to access MP in the link in the email from Randy?
I find the site's servers relatively fast but for whatever reason the site itself is a bit on the slow side. Might be my using an older computer vs all the fancy social media stuff or perhaps the ads since I'm used to browsing FT ad-free. Either way I hope the interface gets tweaked enough to speed things up around launch time.
