Scubaboard loads slow compared to ST forum and Decostop

[HowardE]

Does that mean they can't complain? Or comment?

So should we move this to Whine and Cheese?

:joke:


Of course members can complain (some more than others), and actually we listen. We even created a feedback forum just for that purpose.

 

[Kim]

Comparing SB to where it was over a year ago also isn't a fair comparison. Our membership has grown by almost 20,000 in the last year.

Howard...come on!!!! You asked for vBulletin board comparisons and got handed a few. The difference between 60,000 members or 80,000 members is peanuts in whatever the cause of the speed thing is. The sites you asked for have way more members than here, and that obviously isn't the issue.

The configuration is down to the skill of the guys teching the site - as you well know. I know that SB is trying to improve, but let's face it - that's been being said for a couple of years by now without much visible result in speed improvement.

I don't know what Brett did, but for a while there it was way faster, with far fewer hickups. After the great falling out there has been a reversal IMO. But at least it proved that it WAS possible, so hopefully it'll come together properly sometime.

 

[Kim]

Of course members can complain (some more than others),

I'm not really complaining actually (and I didn't start this thread or anything) - just commenting.

A while back in another thread I did comment how slow the board was. Pete asked me to run some speed checks using a tracer, which I did, but I never heard back about it after I PM'd him the results.

Meanwhile, nothing much changed as far as I can see - but at least you're saying that there IS a recognised issue with this (which isn't always being admitted at all), and folks are trying to fix it.

That's an advance on - "well it's free", or stuff about supporting members in my book.

Oh...and I don't think it's the ads either. I don't see them, but the speed issue with me is waiting for threads to fully load. They load in pieces....a few posts at a time. Sometimes it can take 30, 40 seconds for a page of posts to load (I load the maximum posts per page that I can as changing pages takes even longer)

 

[HowardE]

It's easy to be on the outside, and state the apparent issues at hand...

I wasn't involved on the inside prior to May 0f 2007... but can you remember the last time the board crashed?

Like I said. We're working on it. Have patience. There's nothing else to say.

5 people have posted in this thread complaining. That's .005% of our membership. I would say that our concern to please everyone considering our challenges is at least worth the benefit of the doubt.

I seem to remember the site crashing on an almost daily basis back in 2005, 06, and early 07. It seems like those problems are gone. We have made successful upgrades, and there are more to come... So please have patience.

 

[Kim]

I wasn't involved on the inside when Brett was involved, but can you remember the last time the board crashed?

Neither was I.

No - the board didn't crash for a while now.

I just answered your question about other sites that run vBulletin. It seemed you were suggesting that vBulletin couldn't do it better.

Well - it can....but maybe I misunderstood what you were saying.

 

[redacted]

Quote: "There's nothing else to say.

5 people have posted in this thread complaining. That's .005% of our membership."

Nothing else to say but we went on and said it anyway. If management really wanted to know how the other 99.995% felt, they probably would conduct a pole. I suspect management already has a good feel for the answer.

 

[DandyDon]

During Peak hours, ScubaBoard has 5 - 10 times more users on the forum than ST and/or any other scuba related forum. This may cause some "clogging" in the speed at which Apache (server) can respond to all of the requests.

I use a forum for my PDA phone, called PDAPhoneHome.com it's about as busy as SB, and loads at about the same rate as SB maybe even slower.

Still waiting for our server gurus to set up our "load balancing" We'll try not to get more popular in the mean time so it doesn't slow down any more.

It's always slow to load. I drop in at all times, much too often, and it's always slow.

Like my Daddy used to say, "Don't get something for nothing and then complain about the quality."

the K

Most won't complain, they'll just leave. Did you really not know that?

SB members and guests both are customers who support the hit counts that drive advertising revenue blah blah blah - and to tell customers to not complain when the site continues to operate slowly and inefficiently after ALL that we've been thru here is a cop-out.

But most won't bother complaining. They'll just come here less or stop.

Well, I noticed that of any of the complaints registered, none of the complaintants are supporting members.

But, whatever . . .

the K

I have complained before, but see above.

Quote - "Well, I noticed that of any of the complaints registered, none of the complaintants are supporting members."

Then why feed us this crap about so many users? You know why it is slow. It is that ads.

What comes next? If you don't like it, pay the $$ or post elsewhere? Good idea.

I thot it was the ads at one time when my subscription failed to renew and I didn't notice that I was no longer a Supporting member, but when I got that fixed - hiding the ads, it didn't seem to help much.

We're working on it. That should really be enough said.

It's not. If you don't want to read the complaints and deal with them, fine - delegate it, but be glad you're getting some. It's a lot better than all leaving in dissatisfaction.

BTW, I am not interested in using SB Lite - shouldn't be needed on a computer that works well everywhere else.

Thanks for the input. Maintaining our member's satisfaction is very important to us here.

I can also say "maintaining a fast site is important to us"

Comparing SB to where it was over a year ago also isn't a fair comparison. Our membership has grown by almost 20,000 in the last year.

As to comparing SB to these other vB forums... We don't know the configuration of these other vB forums. I know what ours is, and I know what we're trying to implement, and we realize and fully admit that there are speed issues.

Strangely enough, the other VB sites have advertising too. :11: - So it would seem that blaming that is out the window.

HONESTLY - We (the SB staff) don't know WHY. We're working with people who can help us, but again that costs MONEY. Get it.

That is a more honest answer, TY. Now edit out the rude "Get It" remark before you alienate more members, please.

All I can say is - Thanks for your patience in this matter, and that we ARE working on it.

I don't use the "go to first unread post" function as it has long not worked, I click to go to the end, then watch it slowly, very slowly fill the page. Something is indeed wrong causing the two unacceptable problems, and I wish you guys the best in resolving the issues. But I do suggest more honest and mature responses if you're going to respond at all.

 

[The Kraken]

I guess, for me that is, the speed at which a web site loads just isn't what I consider to be one of the more important things in the greater scheme of life.

That's what makes us individuals.

But each and all are free to issue a complaint.

the K

 

[HowardE]

Neither was I.

No - the board didn't crash for a while now.

I just answered your question about other sites that run vBulletin. It seemed you were suggesting that vBulletin couldn't do it better.

Well - it can....but maybe I misunderstood what you were saying.

Perhaps.

There is a possibility that our PHP version needs updating... and to be honest. We do have that on the slate as well.

There is no secret cover up (in case anyone was thinking that)... Our plan is to -
Get our new server online... switch to that... upgrade current server's versions of PHP and Apache... then use both servers for front end (load balanced web serving). This plan was on the slate for December, but due to hardware issues, it was delayed.

If people out there have better ideas, please contact me and/or NetDoc, and let us know.

 

[DandyDon]

I guess, for me that is, the speed at which a web site loads just isn't what I consider to be one of the more important things in the greater scheme of life.

That's what makes us individuals.

But each and all are free to issue a complaint.

the K

OK fine, glad you're happy. You have several hundreds of customers who are not happy and a very few who have been kind enough to post here. Many will come here less and some will stop coming over the two problems, but for those who are unhappy but don't want to post - it helps that they see some are posting about it. Again, the vast majority won't tell you - they'll just take their attentions elsewhere.

I do suggest you stop insulting those who are trying to help...