Board lagging down during certain time of day.

[Adumbration]

Recently, I've noticed something as I've surfed these boards in the evenings - my evenings, in Finland. The boards load slowly. Slooooowwwly. Sometimes not at all, and I get the message that it took too long to load it, try again.

This is a major inconvenience for me in the relation of these forums, since I'm mostly here during the evenings, when I don't have school and people from other places and different times (heh) are online.

At the moment I'm suspecting that it is simply becouse more people are online during that time, and that slows things down, but I can't be sure. If that's not the reason, can you think of what could be or how to fix it?

Thanks. It's really annoying when it lags out when you're trying to post something, especially if in a PbP.

[Demring]

Same problem here. It's very bad. Are you saying it's a recent problem? I'm new to the forums, so I don't know, but the info (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53007) about the server bandwith/load in the header thingy worries me: It says "We are addressing the issues and appreciate your patience" — but it was posted last july!

[B-Man]

It's not something recent. On days that there is/are new comic(s) posted, the server just can't take all the added hits to the site and it kinda explodes.

Just a theory of mine, but could it possibly be because the RSS feeds refresh all the entries that are listed?

[Sensate]

Unfortunately, it's just something you'll have to get used to. In the time I've been here (2 or 3 weeks), these slowdowns occurred randomly - day or night. At first I thought I couldn't bear it, I even thought of leaving the forum.
Luckily, I didn't. Complete "lockdowns" (inability to load the page) don't happen that often, and when the server isn't as busy, everything is working pretty smoothly. So yeah, it sucks but I can handle it and I'm glad (well, not in a sadistic way) it's not just me.

[RTGoodman]

I don't know anything about the time zone you're in if you live in Finland, but I've heard tell that the boards go down for regular maintenance from 4:00-4:30 AM Eastern US Time, and before that for an hour or so there's a slow-down as people try to get on before the boards go completely down. If your evenings coincide with this regularly-scheduled downtime, then there's probably not much you can do.

If those aren't at the same time, then you're probably just going through the server/bandwidth problems that you mentioned, which probably won't just disappear overnight.

[Zeb The Troll]

I don't know anything about the time zone you're in if you live in Finland, but I've heard tell that the boards go down for regular maintenance from 4:00-4:30 AM Eastern US Time, and before that for an hour or so there's a slow-down as people try to get on before the boards go completely down. If your evenings coincide with this regularly-scheduled downtime, then there's probably not much you can do.

If those aren't at the same time, then you're probably just going through the server/bandwidth problems that you mentioned, which probably won't just disappear overnight.That was my first thought, but if my maths are right, the regular forum maintenance happens in the mornings in Europe. 4am Eastern Daylight Time is GMT -4. Finland is probably GMT +1, making it like 9am there when the backups kick off.

I think more likely is what other people have mentioned that you're trying to hit up the forums when there's a rush to see the new comic. And there have been frequent new comics this week.

[Talic]

I've personally noted a fairly regular outage at approximately 3-3:30 am, Central Time (I believe around 10 am GMT?). Not a big deal for me, really, I just wait until it's up and try then. But then, I'm here a LOT. I love this place.

[Zeb The Troll]

I've personally noted a fairly regular outage at approximately 3-3:30 am, Central Time (I believe around 10 am GMT?). Not a big deal for me, really, I just wait until it's up and try then. But then, I'm here a LOT. I love this place.Now see, yours is the 4am Eastern scheduled maintenance that rtg mentioned.

[Demring]

Why can't the forums run on a separate server from the comics? If the kind of problems I encountered yesterday evening (GMT+1) proves to be a regular thing, I have no choice but to find someplace else to play PbP :(

[Zeb The Troll]

Why can't the forums run on a separate server from the comics? If the kind of problems I encountered yesterday evening (GMT+1) proves to be a regular thing, I have no choice but to find someplace else to play PbP :(I direct you to the answer...


Yes, we're aware of the problem, though it has only moved from "annoyance" to "crippling" in the last two weeks. The real issue is that we're essentially at the limit of what one server can provide, so we're investigating multiple server options, which are a.) not quite as easy to implement as simply sticking more RAM in the existing server, and b.) much, much more expensive.

One of the possibilities that we are examining would involve splitting the comic to one server and the forum to another, so that no matter how overloaded the forums got, it would not affect viewing the comics. Given that the entire registered forum population amounts to less than 10% of the total audience for the comic, this will keep the most people happy. Of course, even the forum will have better service (theoretically) by not competing with the people reading the comic.

However, don't expect any solution immediately...it will take us a while to get anything finalized. Part of any solution will include funding, which is a tricky issue. Since we don't charge for subscriptions or run advertising, all recurring expenses must be balanced against how many books and t-shirts we sell. Basically, it comes down to the fact that GITP's revenue and expenses are pretty much in balance now, and any large increase in the server cost will throw the whole thing out of whack. A webcomic is not a business that is really flexible with its finances, you know?

What we will NOT be doing is a straight donation drive for the server; in the past, donations have led those who donated to believe that they had a right to demand faster updates to the comic, and that's just not going to happen. More likely would be some sort of low-price additional product whose revenue would specifically be earmarked for "funding the server". That way, anyone who purchsed it would actually get something tangible for their money, in addition to knowing that the server problems will be improved.

[Demring]

Thanks, Zeb! Not very encouraging though... It's four months old! And it seems the forum isn't really a priority.

I vote for ad money! ><

[Zeb The Troll]

Yea verily, but The Giant is a busy person, it's true. I, for one, think the "buy this bauble to support a seperate forum server" is a great idea and would likely purchase multiples of them to help out if they were to become available. Most folks I've talked to agree. So, Rich, if you happen to glance at this... :smallcool:

[Miraqariftsky]

At around midnight and 1900-2000 hours are the lags over here.

[Jibar]

In the time I've been here (2 or 3 weeks), these slowdowns occurred randomly - day or night. At first I thought I couldn't bear it, I even thought of leaving the forum.

2 or 3 weeks? There are those of us who have been here for years (3 years soon for me... not many members left who are Playground older), and let me tell you, when the comic first picked up it's real popularity and the site first started going down it was excrutiating.
We got used to it though. When a forum is your lifeblood you have to really...


That was my first thought, but if my maths are right, the regular forum maintenance happens in the mornings in Europe. 4am Eastern Daylight Time is GMT -4. Finland is probably GMT +1, making it like 9am there when the backups kick off.


It's 9:05-9:25am here in England, so for Finland it would be around 10am.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

The lags are definitely affecting our PbP games. I would be happy to buy some trinket that I knew would go directly to supporting the website, just because GiantITP is possibly the most civil place on the internet. Now, if I knew that such a purchase would help with the lags, that's an added bonus. I might buy two! And I would not begrudge non-buyers the benefits of the fundraiser. After all, some people on here have jobs and some don't.

Please correct me if this not is the right thread for discussing this, but anyone out there have suggestions on a "gift" for donors they think would be appropriate?

"...and with your $5 donation, we'll send you an OOTS refrigerator magnet picture frame!"

[Illiterate Scribe]

I would be happy to buy some trinket that I knew would go directly to supporting the website, just because GiantITP is possibly the most civil place on the internet. [/I]

I wouldn't want a repetition of the 'mootxico' incident though. :smallsigh: It's always a risk over the internet.

[Zeb The Troll]

I wouldn't want a repetition of the 'mootxico' incident though. :smallsigh: It's always a risk over the internet.What's the mootxico incident?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

I'm waiting for a mod to post something else on the issue. Even a "We're still working on it" would be nice, if only to let me know they still realize there is an issue.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

I'm waiting for a mod to post something else on the issue. Even a "We're still working on it" would be nice, if only to let me know they still realize there is an issue.
They're still working on it. Don't worry. That quote from the Giant was about their primary plan of attack on a pretty big problem. They're not gonna abandon it unless they come up with something better.

The kind of solutions they need to implement are the type that take a while even when you have full time paid staff. When you're talking part-time volunteers with their own hectic personal lives, things slow down even more. Two and a half months is only a long time in terms of internet memes. It's absolutely nothing when you're trying to fit something big, new, shiny, and expensive into a tight budget.

[B-Man]

What's the mootxico incident?

I'm assuming he's referring to when moot (the creator of 4chan) was accepting donations for the servers at 4chan.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

I'm assuming he's referring to when moot (the creator of 4chan) was accepting donations for the servers at 4chan.
That still doesn't describe the incident very well. What happened to make it an "incident"?

A Google search indicates something about folks thinking for some reason he ran off to Mexico with the money or something like that.