diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/listingcontroller.py b/r2/r2/controllers/listingcontroller.py
index e634fd04c..2276b8557 100755
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/listingcontroller.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/listingcontroller.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ from r2.lib.strings import Score
 from r2.lib import organic
 import r2.lib.search as search
 from r2.lib.utils import iters, check_cheating, timeago
-from r2.lib.utils.trial_utils import populate_spotlight
 from r2.lib import sup
 from r2.lib.promote import randomized_promotion_list, get_promote_srid
 import socket
@@ -234,7 +233,6 @@ class HotController(FixListing, ListingController):
 
             if c.user.pref_show_sponsors or not c.user.gold:
                 spotlight_links, pos = promote.insert_promoted(spotlight_links, pos)
-            trial = populate_spotlight()
 
             # Need to do this again, because if there was a duplicate removed,
             # pos might be pointing outside the list.
@@ -243,9 +241,6 @@ class HotController(FixListing, ListingController):
             elif pos != 0:
                 pos = pos % len(spotlight_links)
 
-            if trial:
-                spotlight_links.insert(pos, trial._fullname)
-
             if not spotlight_links:
                 return None
 
@@ -258,24 +253,11 @@ class HotController(FixListing, ListingController):
                 disp_links = [spotlight_links[(i + pos) % num_tl]
                               for i in xrange(-2, left_side)]
 
-            def trial_keep_fn(item):
-                if trial and trial._fullname == item._fullname:
-                    return True
-                return organic.keep_fresh_links(item)
-
-            def trial_wrap(item):
-               if item is trial:
-                   w = Wrapped(item)
-                   w.trial_mode = True
-                   w.render_class = LinkOnTrial
-                   return w
-               return self.builder_wrapper(item)
-
             b = IDBuilder(disp_links,
-                          wrap = trial_wrap if trial else self.builder_wrapper,
+                          wrap = self.builder_wrapper,
                           num = organic.organic_length,
                           skip = True,
-                          keep_fn = trial_keep_fn if trial else organic.keep_fresh_links)
+                          keep_fn = organic.keep_fresh_links)
 
             try:
                 vislink = spotlight_links[pos]
diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/reddit_base.py b/r2/r2/controllers/reddit_base.py
index 9be7d8d41..4c11dfe58 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/reddit_base.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/reddit_base.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from pylons.i18n import _
 from pylons.i18n.translation import LanguageError
 from r2.lib.base import BaseController, proxyurl
 from r2.lib import pages, utils, filters, amqp, stats
-from r2.lib.utils import http_utils, is_subdomain, UniqueIterator, ip_and_slash16
+from r2.lib.utils import http_utils, is_subdomain, UniqueIterator
 from r2.lib.cache import LocalCache, make_key, MemcachedError
 import random as rand
 from r2.models.account import valid_cookie, FakeAccount, valid_feed, valid_admin_cookie
@@ -456,9 +456,8 @@ def throttled(key):
     return g.cache.get("throttle_" + key)
 
 def ratelimit_throttled():
-    ip, slash16 = ip_and_slash16(request)
-
-    if throttled(ip) or throttled(slash16):
+    ip = request.ip.strip()
+    if throttled(ip):
         abort(429)
 
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/utils/trial_utils.py b/r2/r2/lib/utils/trial_utils.py
index 08ae0e3a1..650d79658 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/utils/trial_utils.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/utils/trial_utils.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 ###############################################################################
 
 from pylons import c, g, request
-from r2.lib.utils import ip_and_slash16, jury_cache_dict, voir_dire_priv, tup
+from r2.lib.utils import jury_cache_dict, voir_dire_priv, tup
 from r2.lib.memoize import memoize
 from r2.lib.log import log_text
 import random as rand
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ def assign_trial(account, juries_already_on, ip, slash16):
     return None
 
 def populate_spotlight():
+    raise Exception("this function is broken (re: ip_and_slash16) and pending demolition")
+
     from r2.models import Jury
     from r2.lib.db.thing import NotFound
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py b/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
index f5cc2974d..61478c411 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
@@ -1123,22 +1123,6 @@ def in_chunks(it, size=25):
         if chunk:
             yield chunk
 
-r_subnet = re.compile("\A(\d+\.\d+)\.\d+\.\d+\Z")
-def ip_and_slash16(req):
-    ip = req.ip
-
-    if ip is None:
-        raise ValueError("request.ip is None")
-    ip = ip.strip()
-
-    m = r_subnet.match(ip)
-    if m is None:
-        raise ValueError("Couldn't parse IP %s" % ip)
-
-    slash16 = m.group(1) + '.x.x'
-
-    return (ip, slash16)
-
 def spaceout(items, targetseconds,
              minsleep = 0, die = False,
              estimate = None):