Normally, I can access this site just fine, but now it has slowed down considerably

[enderlord99]

All other websites I've tried are still accessible normally. What could have happened?

[Grinner]

Increased server load?

[ShadowFireLance]

It's also done the same for me, lately.

[KacyCrawford]

What I do is clear the cache and cookies, sometimes it gets faster

[bluewind95]

Normally, clearing cookies won't do much for site speed.

Think about it this way. The forum server is a guy handing out meals. And each person that accesses the site is some really hungry guy making a line to get what the server is giving out. When the person gets to the front of the line and it's his turn, the server gives him a tiny little serving. The hungry dude wants more, but the server won't give him more. Dude's gotta go back to the end of the line to get the next serving. Of course, the server can only serve people so fast. So the more people want food, the longer it's going to take for the server to give it to them. What's happening when you see the site slow down is that the line in the server is huuuuuuuuge. And you're getting a little serving but each page takes several servings. So you get a piece, go back to the line.... and since SO many people are doing the same thing at the same time, well, the line is really long, so it takes a long time for you to get the next serving. Sometimes so long, the browser gives up loading. Or the server is like "wait, I ran out of food, let me reload the plates" (that's when it actually goes down for a bit).

Clearing the cookies is not likely to help. However, when the server is being slow like that, waiting a bit does help, cos the line grows smaller when you do that. So that's why you may notice that clearing the cookies sometimes helps. It's not the cookies, most likely. It's having waited. If the site is too slow, rather than overload the server, give it a minute or two and try again.

Edit: Apologies for posting on what I now see is a fairly old thread, but I think it's relevant information that could help other people if they read it.

[Siosilvar]

Four weeks is less than six weeks, Bluewind, but yes, it's not because of anything one's computer is doing, it's because of the huge amount of traffic GitP sees and they've been continuously improving their server infrastructure for the past few years now.