We know that admin are doing their best to solve the problems caused by over use of the board, but I found it took 20 mins to post yesterday morning and last evening I could not get on at all. Would it not be an idea to stop all new membership until the capacity of the board can be increased. It would be a shame, I know, not to have the advice and views of as many people as possible, but as we can't get on to read them, there seems little point. Ja:)kie

Jackie H,
I'm not very techno about computers but I was thinking it's maybe just the amount of "lurkers" reading the board that causes too much traffic and unless the board was seen by members only, it wouldn't stop people looking at the board but not posting. Shame there isn't some way of having special hotlines for priority use. :D
It just shows how good this board is that it's a "victim of it's own sucess" as they put it nowadays.
Dot

I'm probabaly going to make myself very unpopular by saying this, but assuming that the problem is bandwidth, perhaps some money might solve it.

Could Admin perhaps ask the regulars - maybe on a voluntary basis? - to make a contribution? I'd certainly be happy to do so.

I think to be asked to make a payment to be allowed to give advice and help would go down like a lead balloon Sharon!

Hi John, I for one wouldnt mind paying a sum each year, as long as we could get on the board whenever we wanted, and lost l parkin for good.

Sharon its the regulars that offer their knowledge free of charge to enquireres and try to help people and hopefully in some way make it work and glean some knowledge back also which make things work.
In my mind and opinion its the ones who use it as a chat room that waste bandwidth after all its and information exchange for dogs ok the odd funny post makes it less intense but after all people come here for advice.

John & Mattie, I appreciate what you are saying, but though I hope I'm one of the people who can occassionally give useful advice, i also learn a lot myself, and enjoy the crack too.

But like I said, I didn't expect the suggestion to be popular :D

I would pay. I have LiveJournal account ..like an online diary ..these are available for free IF you know someone who already has one ...if you want to use the faster servers and various other flimflammeries you can pay yearly a small amount for the privelidge. I had a free LJ for a couple of years and this year decided to pay for a years subscription (think it is about $25 for the year) Not a huge amount.

This way everyone could use the board and the ones who pay would get to use faster servers (with no LParkins problems)

Melody

Forgot to say you can make yourself a member (pay a subscription)of this board if you want which may help Ive been thinking a long time about it so I think I will that may help.

Perhaps Admin could explain it to people like me who don't under stand the internet. Would a fee help? Is it lurkers or the numbers accessing the board? Or something else I don't understand. I only know it's dam B***y infuration, sure my blood pressure is going up, I can still get on in the early mornings but the evenings are impossible, if you get on you can't make a post or change topics. Jackie

to save Admin having to type it all out heres a link to a previous explanation i posted

[link http://www.champdogs.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=13466&hilite=connection#89815] click here [/link]

HTH

Z

I found this site after it changed format, so I don't know what the chat room was like. Yes, being able to access the archives is great. And it is also nice to have topics and threads. But don't some of you just want to chat once in a while? I think it's fair to say that most of us get along great and enjoy the friendly banter. That is why the forum is being used at times as a chat room. Would it be possible to have a chat room and a forum for questions? That way the core members could speak freely and the visitors could get advice.

I suppose the bottom line is we are all guests on the site because it is Mark's site. He may like things just the way they are.

Hi Z, I know you said it was simple but Im not sure I realy understand. Leigh has said that Mark is working on it, what does she mean? Jackie

Hi Jackie

[sarcasm mode ON]
unfortunately my ESP server no longer works as well as it used to so im unable to figure out what Mark is thinking.....
[/sarcasm mode OFF]
:D :D :D

quite simply what she probably means is that hes looking of ways to allow more users to use the board without generating error messages all the time. think of it as 20 people all trying to use the same doorway at once. simply not possible so there has to be a compromise some people will go through straight away while the others wait their turn to go through.

unfortunately while the others are waiting their turn to go through some other people turn up and want to use the door and jump the Q. meaning the ones already waiting have an even longer wait. these people waiting then get frustrated and start trying to push their way through the door causing more congestion, then more people turn up and start jumping the Q and so on and so on

HTH

Z

Think I understand the theory but not the 'sarcasm' bit, not sure what I did or said. If it can't be helped I will just have to stop trying to use the board in the evening as it is driving me mad. Jackie

Jackie , I think Ziggar was trying to be amusing. You asked (rhetorically IMHO) what Leigh meant when she said Mark was doing something about it.

Dont worry about it



Melody

Was not worried Mel, have more than enough to do that about if I realy need a good worry. Just did not understand, may be I should be worring about my lack of understanding. Jackie

Ziggar's Extra Sensory Perception radar wasn't working Ja:)kie so couldn't tell what Mark meant That was the "sarcastic" bit - not aimed at you :D

Right - I really must get on with my work and stop using their time to look at this board :D

Sara x

Thank you Tony

You explained that beautifully, so I wont repeat it

Is 'Z' Tony, so I know who explained it correctly. Jackie

Yes

Thanks, it would seem that as I can post in the morning it would be better to do so and leave the evenings to those who can't. But can you tell me how to go to the next page I have unlimited selected, but posts dissapear off the bottom and if you can't remember what they are called you can't find them. Sure I'm being stupid again but help would be apreciated. Ja:)kie

HI all, moderators and owners,

Sorry not moaning but any progress on the business of the site not seen any feedback yet unless I missed it.

I have struggled to get into the board all week. It is really frustrating sometimes.

BFN ..stress again not moaning just asking.

Pam

This message is not specifically for Jackie - but for everyone complaining about not being able to access the board at times due to heavy traffic!
A thought has occurred to me and sorry if this sounds unfriendly or critical but I have noticed that there are an awful lot of messages which are personal and not even dog related...
There are ways I think of emailing your friends on the site individually, without it appearing on the board.
Perhaps if we all confined our postings to doggy help/advice etc for people needing it, the website wouldn't become so overcrowded.
This is such a superb site and has been invaluable in helping me and countless others, I would hate to see it go or get too expensive to use!
Although it's nice to have a family feel to it I do think too many people use it for their own purposes, rather than for general use.
This is not really meant to be a gripe but a suggestion to help those of us who don't post everyday just to chat but who use it as a way of giving and getting advice, as well as reading matters of general interest eg: where to get certain things like harnesses, which kinds of food are best etc.
I hope this doesn't upset anyone - it's nice to see how many people have made friends... it's just that it might help if we try not to inundate the site with too much personal trivia.
Best wishes to all and thank you to all the participants who love dogs so much and want to make their lives better!
alison

Alison ..the board has an Idle Chat section on which old items are deleted after 5 days ....this is where the chat or most of it goes on

No offence taken here

Melody

Hi Alison

whilst you are right in some ways and I know I have felt the same as you in the past at times, the latest problem is I think occuring due to the large number of people reading the board. The actual volume of posts appears at times to drop considerably, whilst still having logging on difficulties

No offence taken here either:) And I'm guilty as charged:D

But I think it's the Idle Chat part that helps this board work so well, this can be used as the opportunity to help people who are recieving advice get a *feel* for the people giving it. Other chatty posts as well are good for support, and you can learn so much:D

Yes there appear to be *friends* on the board but the messages are there for anyone to join in on - I look at it as conversations happening in the pub:D You just join in:D

I'm as guilty of lurking as the next lurker :D but for me that is a big part of it and as reefer has said you get a feel for people and then maybe don't feel as daft asking questions
I think it will work itself out in time - I have spent time today looking at some old threads rather than rehash subjects and this would use up space ( or mega giggles or whatever they are !) I just think a little patience is called for
Liz

I agree. You get the "feel" of posters from Idle. The first place I look is Idle Chat to see what people are up to as I know they will be deleted after 5 days. I have noticed too that sometimes there are not many new posts because people cant access the board so I dont think it is actual amount of posts that are clogging the system. Not at all sure about this statement :D I must try to log out in future though.
Gina

Gina,

Does staying logged on when not reading the board clog the system? I don't log out but should I?
Dot

hi Dot
somebody ( sorry can't remember who ) explained it all little while ago and the logging out doesn't make any difference .( correct me admin if wrong ) It's just the number of people looking at the board at any one time .
Liz

Phew, thanks Liz. Thought I'd been doing it all wrong :p:
Dot

Me too Dot :D Shall just crash out the normal way from now on !!!!
Gina x
PS Hope you are feeling a bit more cheerful now xxx

I am thanks Gina
Dot

I've started to look at the board as I do walking my dogs with the summer crowds... Pick unusual times to visit and there won't be congestion :P :P :P :D

6-7:30am CET and ALL's Well in cyberland :P :D
:cool:

But I am still in dreamland then Eog :D