Recurrent Problems with Accessing Site

[Vikingkingq]

I don't know if this is just me, but for the past week or so I've been having a hell of a time getting onto giantitp.com or the forums. Pages take forever to load or (more often) time out altogether.

Since this has happened on mult. computers, I was just curious: is this just a function of heavy traffic, or what? Because I'd be willing to shell out a few bucks on paypal to get steady access to the PBP forums.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Same problem as ever. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53007)

Note the unusually high frequency of comic updates this past week. That's driving more traffic to the site. We're just swamped.

And Rich has addressed the donation question before. In short, he prefers to avoid anything that would give people a sense of entitlement to the comic or forums, which is likely to happen once people start donating. There are enough complaints about the update schedule without people adding, "I'm a paying supporter, I derserve better than this!" to the cacophony.

[Telonius]

Glad it's not just me. I'm pretty sure this is the first time this week the site has been up long enough (at least when I'm checking it) for me to post in it...

[Meat Shield]

The problem that concerns me about the latest batch of server time outs and other sundry connection issues is that the time of day does not seem to matter that much. Even at the worst of times the connections would bee ok by about 6 PM eastern time (US). Now, the connection seems bad around the clock. Is the Giant getting DDoS-ed?

[RTGoodman]

The problem that concerns me about the latest batch of server time outs and other sundry connection issues is that the time of day does not seem to matter that much. Even at the worst of times the connections would bee ok by about 6 PM eastern time (US). Now, the connection seems bad around the clock. Is the Giant getting DDoS-ed?

Well, look at the number of comics we've gotten in the last week or so. The Giant's audience is worldwide, including people in the US, the Philippines, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and everywhere else. That's a lot of people in a lot of time zones, and those people are logging in every day to see the new comic or see if there IS a new comic (or comment on the comic, etc.). Not to mention the Erfworld crowd and the legions of people that come on at all hours of the day and night to hang out on the forums even when there isn't a comic.

[jerichodrumm]

Well, look at the number of comics we've gotten in the last week or so. The Giant's audience is worldwide, including people in the US, the Philippines, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and everywhere else. That's a lot of people in a lot of time zones, and those people are logging in every day to see the new comic or see if there IS a new comic (or comment on the comic, etc.). Not to mention the Erfworld crowd and the legions of people that come on at all hours of the day and night to hang out on the forums even when there isn't a comic.

Honestly I have been having issues day and night so I will buy that explanation.

[Amiria]

Whatever the techie people did today during downtime with their update, the boards are working magnificiently fast right now.

Congratulations :smallsmile:

[Spiryt]

Whatever the techie people did today during downtime with their update, the boards are working magnificiently fast right now.

Congratulations :smallsmile:

Nothing to be happy about. I bet they just deleted half of posts and everything .Mumble. Grumble [/conspiracy]

:smallwink:

[RTGoodman]

Whatever the techie people did today during downtime with their update, the boards are working magnificiently fast right now.

Congratulations :smallsmile:

No kidding! I was very afraid when I couldn't even get on earlier, but now I see if was for a good reason.

[Rawhide]

I fully expect the site to still struggle when a new comic is posted, but hopefully this should help the off times.

[Mc. Lovin']

So what exactly was changed in the update today?

[Rawhide]

So what exactly was changed in the update today?

Far too much.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Far too much.
No details? :smallfrown:

Anything we'd notice or just behind the scenes stuff?

[Lord Iames Osari]

I'm curious too...

[Rawhide]

Absolutely nothing that you would notice, even the vBulletin version number didn't change.

[Meat Shield]

Well, to everyone that worked on it, thank you very much. Working much better now.

[Castaras]

Aye, thankyou. Awesome that the boards are working now. ^.^

[Dallas-Dakota]

Works way better now.
Though that shortwiring in amsterdam is still affecting my pc I think.

I think it helps I'm not in the time zone of Rich. When he updates...

[Mc. Lovin']

Well, whatever the change is it worked well, before I was lucky to get a couple of threads open, let alone reply to them

Thanks for the hard work

[Lochar]

Three cheers for the admins and their update.

Hip hip! Hooray!
Hip hip! Hooray!
Hip hip! :smalltongue:

*glares* Alright, who blew the raspberry?

LOL. But seriously, thank you. It's working much better now.

[Lady Tialait]

Whatever happened with the forum, it's awesome. Thank you!

[Zeb The Troll]

Wow. The boards haven't worked this smoothly for me in some time.

I'll throw my hand in with the lot to say how much we appreciate what you guys do for us.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Its better now then earlier. Though I sometimes get : The server is to busy. Please return later.

[Oregano]

Yer, I get that too DD but it still loads quicker and actually tells you when the server's busy instead of just lagging, It's safer that way.

[Bryn]

One more voice thanking the admins for the improvements; whatever they were, they worked.

Three cheers, I say!

[Pandabear]

Didn't have any problems today either.. and this board always causes me to copy my posts to clipboard before actually posting since whenever I don't I get a server time-out. We'll see how the latest changes improve things.. so far so good! :smallsmile:

However, should problems creep back in, I'd recommend moving several subforums to another instance of whatever you use for it, and try to keep traffic intensive subforums separated. Like the Pbp forums which I feel weigh down things tremendously..

[smellie_hippie]

Its better now then earlier. Though I sometimes get : The server is to busy. Please return later.

Yeah, but I personally would rather get a quick "server to busy. please return later." than continue crossing my fingers and fudging with the router and debate about buying a new cable and so forth.

I've spent a fortune on sacraficial chicken in the past few weeks!! :smallamused:

Thanks for the hard work mods!! :smallbiggrin:

[Illiterate Scribe]

May I be a lone voice of dissent? I've now lost a few dozen posts to 'server is too busy' messages - while with the old simple failure to load, I could simply return to my original message, the new style means that it simply loads a 'server is too busy' message over it. Anyone have any advice for avoiding this, except creating an offline saved version of every post I make? It's getting rather annoying losing all but one post in 5.

Edit: This is attempt #3 to make this post, btw.

[Oregano]

The good thing about the new screen is if you refresh it and it loads properly it will post and it will only post once so do what I do, wait a few minutes then try again.

[Illiterate Scribe]

The good thing about the new screen is if you refresh it and it loads properly it will post and it will only post once so do what I do, wait a few minutes then try again.

Hasn't worked with me. Obviously safari isn't maintaining session data - nor firefox, for that matter ...

[Mauve Shirt]

It'll usually keep my posts if I have to refresh. I agree, the message is better than the firefox "this page is unavailable" which made me restart the internet multiple times.

[Rawhide]

And regardless of whether you like it or not, its preventing the forums from taking the entire site down when the server is too busy. All the other changes have improved things dramatically, but this adds the final layer of protection.

I don't know if anyone noticed that the latest comic went up at 11:00 am on a workday and the server is still humming along nicely. This is unheard of. I did the updates and changes after the entire site had been inaccessible for two days after a middle of the night post.

[Spiryt]

Yeah, not only "Server is busy at the moment" is much more elegant than 1 minute - lag ==> firefox communicate, but my server nop longer is so choked when people keep refreshing maniacaly :smalltongue:

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Hasn't worked with me. Obviously safari isn't maintaining session data - nor firefox, for that matter ...
I use Opera and just hit "Back". It keeps what I entered in input boxes in the history. Especially helpful if I'm halfway through the post and realize I need to use the breadcrumbs to go back for whatever reason and accidentally open it in the same tab instead of a new one.

[Skippy]

I use Opera and just hit "Back". It keeps what I entered in input boxes in the history. Especially helpful if I'm halfway through the post and realize I need to use the breadcrumbs to go back for whatever reason and accidentally open it in the same tab instead of a new one.

Same here. I'm a Firefox 3 user and I can return to exactly what I had written, in case I can't post it.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Or just, you know, ctrl-c your posts. I have to use IE(yes, pity me), and I've never had a problem with that method. :smallwink:

[PhallicWarrior]

AHHHHH! *THUD*

AHHHHH! *THUD*

AHHHHH! *slides into the forums without slowing down, trips, and skids into the thread way too fast*

*SCREEEEEee* Whew.

The forums seem to be going much faster now, what did they do? I haven't gone that fast in days weeks months!

[Liliedhe]

A friend of mine can't access the forum since the server move. He cleared his cache and tried all kinds of refreshing, but he still only gets the old "The Forum is down for the move" message, and he can't see the "Edit" on the News Page, either.

He is using Firefox 3.01 as a browser.

Can anybody help with that, please? :smallsmile:

[Rawhide]

The problem is with DNS propagation. Many DNS servers will have the old IP address cached.

I haven't had much sleep, so I will let this site explain: http://webhosting.devshed.com/c/a/Web-Hosting-Articles/What-is-DNS-propagation-and-why-does-it-take-so-long/

[Liliedhe]

Thank you very much.