Server load issues/lag

Could we design newbies and sell them dressed in t-shirts? Would probably get more money for them than t-shirts alone.

If this is not a goer, put me down for a t-shirt. XL.

No we should dress the newbies in t-shirts, kill them and recycle them into sticks.

AND make them pay for a new server.

I'll buy a shirt AND kill newbies with a stick. But which option first?

Killing people with a stick can get messy. Get the new T-shirt after.

I'll be buying a T-shirt, but would also pay cash money for other trendy fixie related items.
Cotton caps, seems like a doable one. But I'm sure there's more.

The server had hit a wall. I've gone and started renting a second one, effectively doubling our monthly fees to between £220 and £240.

In readiness of this I've moved all of the images and stuff into the database... and am currently doing the installation and configuration of what will be the database server.

Can't we ask for a mandatory 50p donation from everyone? The would raise several thousand no?

Either that or we could charge hippy 5p per post.

The DONATE button should be flashing, and forum members buying the server a beer since we are in DEFCON3.

OK, So this is sorted... we now have a new server. So we're running on 2 servers, 1 which is the front end, and 1 for the backend. Both are 2GB RAM, 2x Dual-Core CPU things, and hopefully this is such a difference that the issue is resolved.

The only issue now, is that I've doubled the monthly cost as a result.

How long until the money's gone?

vb as others have proposed maybe its time to make the donate button a flashing beacon again, and lets get the t-shirts up and running, as well as the stickers, and cost them accordingly so rather than just aiming to break even we put a profit margin in, which will pay for new servers. Don't know how much it would cost, or even if you want to tell us how much it would cost.
can the donate button flash until we've reached our goal.
time people put their money where their typing fingers (rather than their mouths are) and put hands in pockets to keep the forum running at a decent speed....

Can't we ask for a mandatory 50p donation from everyone? The would raise several thousand no?
Either that or we could charge hippy 5p per post.

That's fine. I charge 10p to read my posts.

OK, So this is sorted... we now have a new server.

The only issue now, is that I've doubled the monthly cost as a result.

How about making the new server subscription-only? (ie: lfgss is free, but users can pay to go faster)

i blame edsquabbles new build and his posting pictures

How long until the money's gone?

Now I've halved it... just under 2 months.

But I need to update the accounts spreadsheet thing I'm using, it's a week out of date and we've received £80 in donations in the last hour. Hmmm... well that will make it just about 2 months.

T-Shirts would take care of it. The notion I had was that if we could sell 500 shirts we'd have the potential to make £2,500 if we did it pretty efficiently (£5 per shirt at around £12 per shirt, with the £2 going to the designer, and a £5 base price of the shirt and P&P would be extra). And I was thinking this would fund hardware.

But I've spoken to Clefty and hardware isn't the issue... it's bandwidth and rackspace. Hosting in the UK is expensive.

The cost of the extra server isn't anywhere near as severe as the cost of buying hardware and doing it in the UK.

Anyhow, now the T-Shirts will be used to save our arse.

I'd much rather sell you something you want, and have that pay for the server, than have you give money and feel that you've received nothing tangible from it.

That said... the idea of lots of people giving a little is a very good one. We'd need at least every regular user (if you are registered and log in daily) giving £1 per month to make it self-sustaining.

BTW... looking at server loads now, it's very nice... backend server not bothered at all and trundling along... front end server busy but nothing critical at all, looks quite merry.

True that people..

I think the stickers/shirts/caps/jersey ideas are awesome and should all have profit going to the forum up-keep.. Might be worth asking for a couple of people to take control of each project (phoning t-shirt companies/cap makers/jersey producers, researching prices and setting up a poll about which designs to use) as these sorts of ideas go nowhere fast unless someone takes the responsibility unfortunately..

For the hour or so the server was down I was reminded that I have a full time job and was unusually productive during that period.

I also realized that a large and happy part of my current life would be lost if the server didn't come back online.

can we still make things die with sticks?

Always.

For the hour or so the server was down I was reminded that I have a full time job and was unusually productive during that period.

I also realized that a large and happy part of my current life would be lost if the server didn't come back online.

I still have to take the servers down again at some point, just to finish tidying up after that panic creation of the other server. But I'll try and do it at night when you're all sleeping.

This current front end server is called neptune. So as you might imagine I didn't miss the opportunity to have the backend be uranus.

What about charging an annual fee to members if they want to sell stuff in classifieds?

What about charging an annual fee to members if they want to sell stuff in classifieds?

That is actually possible.

And would certainly get rid of those who just register to hawk something... or at least allow the forum to be part-funded as a result of that.

Would people want that though?

Just to be clear... it's basically creating a usergroup for donors, and giving them a set of privileges no-one else would have... such as being able to start threads in the Classifieds forum.

But I've spoken to Clefty and hardware isn't the issue... it's bandwidth and rackspace. Hosting in the UK is expensive.

Why are you talking to network people about this stuff? Pfft! If you can make it to drinks tonight we can chat more.

This current front end server is called neptune. So as you might imagine I didn't miss the opportunity to have the backend be uranus.

That is very, very funny and I now have people staring at me because I am still giggling.

Just to be clear... it's basically creating a usergroup for donors, and giving them a set of privileges no-one else would have... such as being able to start threads in the Classifieds forum.

I better flog all my crap now then before this place either falls apart or costs me ;)

Just to be clear... it's basically creating a usergroup for donors, and giving them a set of privileges no-one else would have... such as being able to start threads in the Classifieds forum.

If the product reviews ever happen and manufacturers let us keep the products maybe these could be offered as prizes in a draw only available to donors. Would be an added incentive to donate.

Why are you talking to network people about this stuff? Pfft! If you can make it to drinks tonight we can chat more.

No can do tonight... flying out this weekend and I need to do dull stuff like laundry so I can pack tomorrow night. We'll have to catch up in a few weeks.

That is very, very funny and I now have people staring at me because I am still giggling.

Futurama has a joke about this in which the professor shares the news that scientists got bored of that old joke and have renamed uranus to... urectum.

I was tempted to call the server urectum.

There are a few 531 Awesome shirts in XL Charcoal left.

Purchase one and I'll donate 53.1% of the cost to the server.

PM if interested.