diff --git a/src/allmydata/test/web/test_web.py b/src/allmydata/test/web/test_web.py
index 326569a26..f2b6d8f13 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/test/web/test_web.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/test/web/test_web.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class FakeNodeMaker(NodeMaker):
         return FakeMutableFileNode(None, None,
                                    self.encoding_params, None,
                                    self.all_contents).init_from_cap(cap)
-    def create_mutable_file(self, contents="", keysize=None,
+    def create_mutable_file(self, contents=b"", keysize=None,
                             version=SDMF_VERSION):
         n = FakeMutableFileNode(None, None, self.encoding_params, None,
                                 self.all_contents)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class FakeUploader(service.Service):
         d = uploadable.get_size()
         d.addCallback(lambda size: uploadable.read(size))
         def _got_data(datav):
-            data = "".join(datav)
+            data = b"".join(datav)
             n = create_chk_filenode(data, self.all_contents)
             ur = upload.UploadResults(file_size=len(data),
                                       ciphertext_fetched=0,
@@ -130,9 +130,9 @@ def build_one_ds():
     ds = DownloadStatus("storage_index", 1234)
     now = time.time()
 
-    serverA = StubServer(hashutil.tagged_hash("foo", "serverid_a")[:20])
-    serverB = StubServer(hashutil.tagged_hash("foo", "serverid_b")[:20])
-    storage_index = hashutil.storage_index_hash("SI")
+    serverA = StubServer(hashutil.tagged_hash(b"foo", b"serverid_a")[:20])
+    serverB = StubServer(hashutil.tagged_hash(b"foo", b"serverid_b")[:20])
+    storage_index = hashutil.storage_index_hash(b"SI")
     e0 = ds.add_segment_request(0, now)
     e0.activate(now+0.5)
     e0.deliver(now+1, 0, 100, 0.5) # when, start,len, decodetime
diff --git a/src/allmydata/web/status.py b/src/allmydata/web/status.py
index ec55b73eb..3284dfda6 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/web/status.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/web/status.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from past.builtins import long, unicode
 
 import pprint
 import itertools
@@ -1297,6 +1298,7 @@ class Status(MultiFormatResource):
         except ValueError:
             raise WebError("no '-' in '{}'".format(path))
         count = int(count_s)
+        stype = unicode(stype, "ascii")
         if stype == "up":
             for s in itertools.chain(h.list_all_upload_statuses(),
                                      h.list_all_helper_statuses()):
@@ -1335,7 +1337,7 @@ class Status(MultiFormatResource):
         active = [s
                   for s in self._get_all_statuses()
                   if s.get_active()]
-        active.sort(lambda a, b: cmp(a.get_started(), b.get_started()))
+        active.sort(key=lambda a: a.get_started())
         active.reverse()
         return active
 
@@ -1343,7 +1345,7 @@ class Status(MultiFormatResource):
         recent = [s
                   for s in self._get_all_statuses()
                   if not s.get_active()]
-        recent.sort(lambda a, b: cmp(a.get_started(), b.get_started()))
+        recent.sort(key=lambda a: a.get_started())
         recent.reverse()
         return recent
 
@@ -1373,7 +1375,6 @@ class StatusElement(Element):
 
         started_s = render_time(op.get_started())
         result["started"] = started_s
-
         si_s = base32.b2a_or_none(op.get_storage_index())
         if si_s is None:
             si_s = "(None)"