Quote from: Malc-c on August 06, 2023, 09:34:45 PMI've also lost posts... either after spending 20 minutes to write the post and include images (via the old clunky method of providing a description and location in the pop up window) and then when I hit post I get the "stress message" above, or it just simply displays the same edit screen as if a new post was posted whilst I was writing, or it just vanishes.

@Malc-c Just a suggestion why not drag and drop your photographs using the bulk upload in the gallery, no additional name required as it takes the file name. Then just copy the BB code and paste into your post.

On long complicated posts I usually create in Word, pasting the BB code for photographs into the document.

When complete copy and paste into the relevant thread reply box, followd by any highlighting and emoji's required.

Hope this makes sense and helps

Mike H

We currently have 976  "guests"( 1230am ) & 20 registered users - sounds like a Bot attack  to me?

I think that temporary registration and a  Captcha might sift a lot out!

It's no wonder the forum has been slow!

As of now at 01:35 when most UK users are in bed:

Users Online
Online: 978 Guests, 17 Users (0 Buddies)  - Most Online Today: 1,030 -  Most Online Ever: 3,056 (January 20, 2020, 11:38:07 PM)

I would put @Newportnobby's life savings on it that it's a bot issue as I mentuioned a few posts back and maybe others did previously.

I really think we need to have a mandatory sign-in for the short term. This will also tell us if the new software is up to the job when coping with just signed-in members. I'm sure it will be.

Quote from: Newportnobby on August 06, 2023, 05:09:16 PM@Trainfish No notification received but if you used "Quick Reply" then tags don't work.

I appreciate that mate but I wasn't using the quick reply option. I just used the same method for this response and it worked fine to tag you into this on this occasion.

Quote from: Nbodger on August 06, 2023, 10:04:21 PM

Quote from: Malc-c on August 06, 2023, 09:34:45 PMI've also lost posts... either after spending 20 minutes to write the post and include images (via the old clunky method of providing a description and location in the pop up window) and then when I hit post I get the "stress message" above, or it just simply displays the same edit screen as if a new post was posted whilst I was writing, or it just vanishes.

@Malc-c Just a suggestion why not drag and drop your photographs using the bulk upload in the gallery, no additional name required as it takes the file name. Then just copy the BB code and paste into your post.

On long complicated posts I usually create in Word, pasting the BB code for photographs into the document.

When complete copy and paste into the relevant thread reply box, followd by any highlighting and emoji's required.

Hope this makes sense and helps

Mike H

Mike, thanks for the suggestion.  However, most of the other forums I frequent either bring up the usual windows explorer to navigate and select an image, or (and most common) simply drag the image from the location to post which inserts the image at the point of the cursor.

It's a long time since I was involved with servers but I would have thought an SQL server would be able to deal with a 1000 connection unless the hardware has been seriously downgraded as part of the drive to keep the monthly costs manageable.

I'm hoping the tech support give Tank the support he needs to get this forum back to the standard we all came to accept.  Whilst there may be an inconvenience to the members if some form of forced login or captcha, if it resolves the server crashing or makes the user experience less frustrating I'm all for that

With the techie being in Trinidad there's a big time difference so Tank won't be able to contact them until maybe lunch today or after

I have to say the forum has been tazzing along over the last 20 minutes
There - that's put the kiss of death on it

Quote from: Newportnobby on August 07, 2023, 09:55:01 AMI have to say the forum has been tazzing along over the last 20 minutes

I logged in about 30 minutes ago and agree with Mick @Newportnobby - tazzing along!  Incidentally, when tagging Mick, I typed '@'followed by 'Newp' and Micks tag showed! 

Oh oh, when I hit the 'Preview' button, it took about 30 seconds for the preview to appear ......

I've also had slow time, fast time.

But to be fair, we were warned that following the server move, and the upgrade that there would be an unstable period whilst things were added and gremlins eliminated. Don't forget @Tank is a fully employed family man to boot.

Quote from: emjaybee on August 07, 2023, 10:30:48 AMDon't forget @Tank is a fully employed family man to boot.

I don't think anyone has mentioned kicking the poor bloke

Quote from: dannyboy on August 07, 2023, 10:08:12 AM

Quote from: Newportnobby on August 07, 2023, 09:55:01 AMI have to say the forum has been tazzing along over the last 20 minutes

I logged in about 30 minutes ago and agree with Mick @Newportnobby - tazzing along!  Incidentally, when tagging Mick, I typed '@'followed by 'Newp' and Micks tag showed! 

Oh oh, when I hit the 'Preview' button, it took about 30 seconds for the preview to appear ......

You're lucky - it took me 42 seconds. And a search bomb out completely "Server stretched" or something similar

>30 seconds to load pages at the moment - yesterday, the top menu to access account settings and log-out was taking a similar length of time to open.

Another shilling needed for the meter I think.


Steven B

There were five new posts in the Layout Construction board that didn't show up when I selected Unread Posts or Unread Topics, this morning.

They were for 'Poppingham - a Table-Top Railway in British 'N' Gauge', 'Northbridge - 1960s BR(WR)', 'Perthshire Railway Preservation Society', 'Hilsden' and 'Perranwell Station', posted between 10:54pm and 11:37pm last night.

I only found these new unread posts as I got an email alert about a new reply to 'Poppingham' and went searching around.

Screen shot of the two I've not yet read.



Wonder how many other people are not seeing new posts when selecting Unread Posts?


Ed

1. I don't think it is fair to lay the blame at @Tank 's door. he decided to improve the forum by [a] moving to another server, and   upgrading the forum program.
I don't think he sat at his kitchen table and wrote the new codes himself.
2. by my understanding, and please correct / educate my if I am wrong, a server is a server is a server. some have more capacity, and I am assuming the old server was at it's limit, so the forum was moved to one with more capacity.
but, why should this cause problems ?
3. surely, before an upgrade of any program is released, it would be tested and any problems resolved, if this is right, why do there seem to be so many different problems ?
4. why is it that the forum now seems to be so interesting to 'bots' all of a sudden ?
and if these are the cause of the intermittent 'server stress', surely this can be mitigated by either
[a] reducing the access to the forum for guests, they do seem able to access much more than before the upgrade, and
how involved would it be to do as others, and I, have suggest and have guests sign in. on the wargames site I mentioned in my earlier post, you need basically to provide a valid e-mail address which I assume prevents 'bots' from getting in.

all of these are surely the domain of the IT professionals, who are presumably the reason for Tank's massive investment.

just my thoughts, hopefully not a poisoned post.

apologies for unintended bold and underlining. did try to remove these using modify, but still there

I'm now suddenly getting email alerts for replies to this topic and yet it's set to 'NO ALERTS OR EMAILS'.

Has something been changed overnight?


Ed