Deferring user creation until after the client app loads, to try and lower the massive number of anonymous users that are created.

app/core/initialize.coffee

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Backbone.Mediator.setValidationEnabled false
-app = require 'core/application'
+app = null
 
 channelSchemas =
   'auth': require 'schemas/subscriptions/auth'
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ definitionSchemas =
   'misc': require 'schemas/definitions/misc'
 
 init = ->
+  return if app
+  if not window.userObject._id
+    $.ajax('/auth/whoami', {success: (res) ->
+      window.userObject = res
+      init()
+    })
+    return
+
+  app = require 'core/application'
   setupConsoleLogging()
   watchForErrors()
   setUpIOSLogging()
@@ -34,8 +43,6 @@ init = ->
   handleNormalUrls()
   setUpMoment() # Set up i18n for moment
 
-module.exports.init = init = _.once init
-
 handleNormalUrls = ->
   # http://artsy.github.com/blog/2012/06/25/replacing-hashbang-routes-with-pushstate/
   $(document).on 'click', "a[href^='/']", (event) ->

server_setup.coffee

@@ -127,26 +127,15 @@ setupJavascript404s = (app) ->
 
 setupFallbackRouteToIndex = (app) ->
   app.all '*', (req, res) ->
-    if req.user
+    fs.readFile path.join(__dirname, 'public', 'main.html'), 'utf8', (err, data) ->
-      sendMain(req, res)
+      log.error "Error modifying main.html: #{err}" if err
-      # Disabling for HoC
+      # insert the user object directly into the html so the application can have it immediately. Sanitize </script>
-#      req.user.set('lastIP', req.connection.remoteAddress)
+      user = if req.user then JSON.stringify(UserHandler.formatEntity(req, req.user)).replace(/\//g, '\\/') else '{}'
-#      req.user.save()
+      data = data.replace('"userObjectTag"', user)
-    else
+      res.header 'Cache-Control', 'no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate'
-      user = auth.makeNewUser(req)
+      res.header 'Pragma', 'no-cache'
-      makeNext = (req, res) -> -> sendMain(req, res)
+      res.header 'Expires', 0
-      next = makeNext(req, res)
+      res.send 200, data
-      auth.loginUser(req, res, user, false, next)
-
-sendMain = (req, res) ->
-  fs.readFile path.join(__dirname, 'public', 'main.html'), 'utf8', (err, data) ->
-    log.error "Error modifying main.html: #{err}" if err
-    # insert the user object directly into the html so the application can have it immediately. Sanitize </script>
-    data = data.replace('"userObjectTag"', JSON.stringify(UserHandler.formatEntity(req, req.user)).replace(/\//g, '\\/'))
-    res.header 'Cache-Control', 'no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate'
-    res.header 'Pragma', 'no-cache'
-    res.header 'Expires', 0
-    res.send 200, data
 
 setupFacebookCrossDomainCommunicationRoute = (app) ->
   app.get '/channel.html', (req, res) ->