Subtle changes, bugs and feedback

nice work...

nice V[st]B[/st]

like it

In an attempt to try and avoid having to purchase any more server hardware to help cope with the lunchtime/afternoon spike of usage I've just enabled a content distribution network.

We're using SimpleCDN.com and it appears to have made the site faster, so this is good :)

I expect we'll be using around 100GB of bandwidth per month.

Anyhow... as always... everything should just continue working and all should be fine. But if you notice anything that isn't working... let me know.

I should probably explain what that means.

A content distribution network is a private network that lots and lots of servers placed around the world and on great connections.

We're copying all static files to their servers.

This means:
1) Images
2) CSS files
3) JavaScript files

Nothing else is copied there. So no dynamic stuff, not the database, no personal information.

And when your browser asks for a web page from this site, my server in Missouri serves the web page itself.

And then the browser finds that it needs all these images and stuff... and instead of going back to my server it will now go to the SimpleCDN server.

As that SimpleCDN server is local to you (there's some in London), it should be faster for all of those little static files.

But how it helps my server is that if all of those requests get served by the CDN, then my server can spend more time making web pages than it does serving little static files.

In theory this should buy me more time in which to avoid having to get a database server to help cope with the forum traffic. Which is why I've done it.

Oh, and I made sure it works for all you https guys too.

OK, one thing that has broken is the lightbox plugin.

So attachments cannot open in that little window with the greyed out background anymore.

Unfortunately the benefits of the CDN (saving money and making things faster) outweigh the prettiness of having a lightbox to display attached images.

And finally... from having a glimpse at the stats for the first 30 minutes or so, it would appear that the cost of this is from $50 per month, if it gets really busy then this might rise. If it touches £70 per month I'll get another server.

You guys are terrible at using thread prefixes for classifieds.

So I'm setting that stuff automatically for you now.

Just type in "For Sale" in the subject of a new thread within the classifieds forum and the correct prefix gets selected and the text is whipped out of the subject.

The point of this? I can create some static searches for you soon that will turn up all of the items that match the search.[URL="http://www.londonfgss.com/search.php?do=process&prefixchoice%5B%5D=FreeCycle"][/URL]

Added the quick find stuff to the forum home page.

You guys are terrible at using thread prefixes for classifieds.

So I'm setting that stuff automatically for you now.

Just type in "For Sale" in the subject of a new thread within the classifieds forum and the correct prefix gets selected and the text is whipped out of the subject.

The point of this? I can create some static searches for you soon that will turn up all of the items that match the search.

its not that difficult, its a drop down box when you post up in classifieds, not trying to be a pedant but how lazy do you have to be not to let people know whether your selling or buying..
I'd pull down the classified threads that didn't have a prefix, they'd learn pretty sharpish to start using it then wouldn't they.

I'm not sure making it easier for people to do the right thing, means that they will do the right thing. If it was easy enough before, making it even easier doesn't mean that they (forum members trying to sell/buy stuff) will take advantage of it...

just my tuppence worth..

I'd rather things get prefix'd right than beat people with a big stick. It didn't take much to write a little script and now we have new forum functionality too.

I'm all for beating with a big stick, if you can't hear you shall feel...
but I bow before your beneficence..

I've turned off most of the javascript stuff for guests.

Not the adverts though ;)

If this substantially degrades the experience for people, let me know.

Of course, if you login you'll have the full experience.

Obviously this isn't a big thing but something I noticed that's weird today..

1 Attachment

Obviously this isn't a big thing but something I noticed that's weird today..

It's by design.

Views on threads and attachments are delayed and done in bulk at set intervals.

It's because if the forum spent it's time updating that in real-time, the bits of the forum that want to read the information to show it to people would be left waiting for the updates to take effect... net result: the forum slows down.

So things like that (and the who's online on the front page) update at time intervals.

VB, why not remove the view counting altogether?

My answer to this is too cynical and twisted. Ask me tomorrow.

It's tomorrow now.. what say you? :)

It's still a cynical answer.

Keep asking, hippy. It'll be good for your post count.

I'm a cynical guy. So, what's the answer?

You need to ask again tomorrow.

Ask what? I is has forgets.

VB, why not remove the view counting altogether?

Bump ;)

I quite like view counts on some forums (gentoo forums). I get to see how many people don't know the answer to my problems, while at least seeing that people are bothering to check out my questions.