Slow Boards

[rueful]

I've been having a lot of problems the last 2 days. Sometimes the pages are slow to load and sometimes I get "Internet Explorer cannot connect." If you check Proboard's server status page, it shows a "green light," that there are no problems, but I went into a support thread and found that there is actually something going on. This was a response from an administrator to someone who asked about slow page loading.

Hi,

We are aware of the issue, our servers are still under attack by a DDoS which started yesterday. Some of the slowness is caused by our efforts to block this attack. We will investigate further and see if there are any further improvements that can be made.

Patrick

Just thought I'd let you all know, so you don't start kicking your computer, like I was.

[numbat]

It is certainly slow today rueful. Don't like the sound of them being "under attack".

I hope they're doing constant backups. We don't want to lose a months worth of posts like we did in July if something goes wrong again!!!

Especially not all of our beautiful new Zen stuff - it was brand new Pillars material that we lost last time.

[rueful]

Thanks for letting me know it's not just me, Numbat. Not that I want others to be suffering, of course.

Now I'm having real problems. This is what I've just posted in the proboards support forum.

Starting a new thread to report loading problems on www.rufussewell.proboards.com/.

Like the other forums, it's had problems the last two days. It usually requires two attempts to load each page. That is, on first click I'll get "Internet Explorer cannot display webpage." On a second click (reload) it will load (but slowly).

This is a problem for posting, because when you type your message and click post message, it doesn't load, and everything you've typed is lost.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Is anyone else having this specific problem--losing messages they've typed because the page won't load after you click "post message"?

I've started copying my posts to clipboard before I click "post," in case I have to retype, but it's getting pretty annoying.

I agree with you, Numbat. I hope we don't have a repeat of the July disaster!

[kissmekate]

Fortunately I haven't had the problem yet ... however, I have generally found it useful to copy longer postings before sending as just about every of my message boards has had similar problems once in a while.

[rueful]

Probably a good policy, Kate. I just tend to click "post" without thinking.

[GreenEyesToo]

I tend to copy my longer posts before I hit "preview" or "post", as well, but mostly because I have the added problem that my internet connection drops intermittently (BT, get it sorted! This has been going on for months!!), so I'd say it's a good idea to do that.

I was online during one of my insomniac times this week, and it was during the DDoS attack so I was monitoring the Proboards support board - they did stress that all the data was safe. That was a huge relief, because when I first went there, it was before the slow/non-loading was identified as a DDoS and the info they gave was "loss of packet data" - now being a total numpty where techy stuff is concerned, my first thought about loss of ANY data was ""Noooo!!!! Not all our Zen stuff!"

Incidentally, I tried to get on to various IMDB boards last night, and kept having to re-try after getting not the usual type of error messages - I think maybe they were the next target of a DDoS attack. Too much of a coincidence, isn't it?

[rueful]

Jan 8, 2011 13:36:18 GMT GreenEyesToo said:

Incidentally, I tried to get on to various IMDB boards last night, and kept having to re-try after getting not the usual type of error messages - I think maybe they were the next target of a DDoS attack. Too much of a coincidence, isn't it?

And if you look at the cast listing on IMDB, Rufus isn't even included! You have to go the "full cast and crew link" and he's way down the page, listed alphabetically. This is a massive conspiracy!

[GreenEyesToo]

He's obviously getting TOO popular for somebody's liking!!!

[nell]

Yes but someone is obviously listening to Roof. He's now described as The Englishman not Englishman on imdb. He must be much happier with that ! ;D

[kygal]

I have noticed the boards are slower for me with expat on. I am not a tech person so it may be my imagination. Have to live with it so I can see Zen!

[judypatooty]

Hey Kygal,

You don't have to keep Expat turned on! I only turn it on when I want to watch something on iPlayer. Then I turn off the connection and I'm back using my usual IP address.

[walt]

It may be that my computer is really a little bit slower since the expat is on it, but it was already slow before - it's not in viewing, but in the turn-on and turn-down procedures.

And I should not close the firefox, because to re-open it, I have to re-start the pc (or maybe I'll try and just log out and log in?) as there`s a notice that the firefox is already working, even there's no symbol in the bottom display.

But I can live with that happily when I think about the possibilities the expat offers.... ;D

Just talked to my son about the firefox: he told me that despite closing the programme, it seems still to be working in the background. Closing the task icon in the bottom line is not sufficient, but if someone opens the task manager, opens the processing file and scrolls down to firefox, then you can choose it and order to close the task down - this works.

[rueful]

I haven't had any posting problems since Saturday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the problem is over.

As for Expatshield, the one thing I have noticed in my own use is that if I just click the Internet Explorer window closed suddenly, without disconnect Expatshield first, I lose my internet connection and have to reboot. I don't know if that's because I have to use a router in my computer set up or not. If I disconnect expatshield, and then close the window, it's fine.

[walt]

For some time now I experienced that after clicking on the "Preview" or "Send/Post" button my posts and pms do not appear any more, but only a white screen. Luckily I usually could copy the text so that I didn't have to re-write it.

But today I had to repeat the login process several times, and it worked only after a break of some minutes of not trying to do so.

Am I the only one with these problems?

[kissmekate]

How annoying, walt! Things are running smoothly here, though ...