What happened to USMB?

[candycorn]

If they don't know what the problem is yet, then trying to solve it would be stupid.

If it is a too much traffic problem, then either of those choices would be a radical change to the business model that made them as popular as they are, and just might kill the business all together.

Good thing you aren't in charge.

I don’t start too many threads myself but there are people who start too many threads in my opinion. One poster has started 62 threads so far this month and we’re on the 15th. Many with zero replies; most with fewer than ten replies. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be able to start threads or have a limit but placing the limit around 60 per month (average of 2 a day) would be advisable it would seem if the issue is traffic. I doubt it would cause much of an exodus since this poster who has started 62 threads this month alone is not having too much of a splash anyway.

The membership fee would be the end of this.

a membership fee will turn most everyone away from any forum, period. = end of forum

Has anyone tried it? I agree, it would certainly reduce the number of members but if the equipment can't support the number of members, something has to change, maybe upgrading the equipment.

I think you’re right.

However, I used to donate periodically. I do not do so any longer.

The reason? I got into an argument with one of the mods once on a political matter (hard to believe, huh?). Anyway, after that, my posts started getting deleted. Once, a mod deleted one of my posts for “no content/trolling”. The content was a single USMB library emoticon. I’ve posted a single emoticon many times as had many others. Never once have I seen one get deleted. As for trolling; if trolling threads were deleted…little would get posted here after 5-10 replies. So there is that; I even brought it up to an alternate mod and asked them about it. They said that they “would not have deleted the post” meaning the enforcement is selective which is worse than no enforcement at all. Now, nobody knows the rules—not even the mods.

Again; their sandbox, their rules. But the flip side of the coin is my pocketbook, my money (when there is some in there…lol).

"Once, a mod deleted one of my posts for “no content/trolling”. The content was a single USMB library emoticon."

This was the emoticon or no?

no. This was it….

 

[candycorn]

If they don't know what the problem is yet, then trying to solve it would be stupid.

If it is a too much traffic problem, then either of those choices would be a radical change to the business model that made them as popular as they are, and just might kill the business all together.

Good thing you aren't in charge.

I don’t start too many threads myself but there are people who start too many threads in my opinion. One poster has started 62 threads so far this month and we’re on the 15th. Many with zero replies; most with fewer than ten replies. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be able to start threads or have a limit but placing the limit around 60 per month (average of 2 a day) would be advisable it would seem if the issue is traffic. I doubt it would cause much of an exodus since this poster who has started 62 threads this month alone is not having too much of a splash anyway.

The membership fee would be the end of this.

a membership fee will turn most everyone away from any forum, period. = end of forum

Has anyone tried it? I agree, it would certainly reduce the number of members but if the equipment can't support the number of members, something has to change, maybe upgrading the equipment.

If it’s happening at 3:30 EST…I doubt it’s legitimate users.

I have been a member of many forums over the course of many years.
I can say that I have never encountered the connectivity issues that it seems most everyone here has experienced.
Nothing comes close to the issues here.
USMB is anomalous from my experience.

From what has been said in this thread, it appears the connectivity issues are caused by the number of connected users (including bots) and/or the equipment. Possibly some of the connections are malicious attacks meant to disrupt service.

 

[OldLady]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

 

[caddo kid]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

I know of a particular forum (won't name them because that is BAD SHIT here apparently) but they have a system back-up daily at the same time, every day. It takes <1/2 hour & then every thing is all good, after that. The system here the other day was down about 16 to 18, in my estimation. That is crazy.

If you have 'old' accounts & dead threads, consider deleting accounts & threads after X amount of time.
Between 'cleaning' things up on a regular basis & having a reliable system in place, no board should have the issue(s) that we saw here the other day. That was just nutz.

 

[Damaged Eagle]

*****CHUCKLE*****

 

[Foxfyre]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

I know of a particular forum (won't name them because that is BAD SHIT here apparently) but they have a system back-up daily at the same time, every day. It takes <1/2 hour & then every thing is all good, after that. The system here the other day was down about 16 to 18, in my estimation. That is crazy.

If you have 'old' accounts & dead threads, consider deleting accounts & threads after X amount of time.
Between 'cleaning' things up on a regular basis & having a reliable system in place, no board should have the issue(s) that we saw here the other day. That was just nutz.

Well I don't know. I am pretty darn sure the owners/management of USMB don't want the service down any more than we do. And because it is one of the larger and really active forums on the internet, I am sure it is targeted for all sorts of things that will include some unintended and some intended bad consequences that smaller boards don't have to worry about so much. I do know USMB is backed up every night sometime between midnight and 2 p.m.

For sure I appreciate a free service that so many do enjoy.

 

[flacaltenn]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

They at least get "blacklisted". Several dozen international groups do these lists and specialize in lists of the naughty. There's even a couple that specialize in forum spammers. And the virus/malware folks do a great job of cataloging attacks they've never seen before and are happy to take "submissions".. Beyond that -- I don't know. I imagine if it's solely targeted at ONE site -- you're not gonna find a law officer anywhere around.

 

[saveliberty]

I am probably the only thing standing between the USMB Apocalypse and safety. You don't see me sweating.

 

[Damaged Eagle]

Do cats have sweat glands?

*****CHUCKLE*****

 

[Geaux4it]

I have a sense this place is dying on the vine

-Geaux

 

[saveliberty]

Do cats have sweat glands?

*****CHUCKLE*****

Yes, in our paws.

 

[Damaged Eagle]

So if they start sweating we'll all slip into the fiery pit unless the sacred squirrel makes a timely arrival...

*****CHUCKLE*****

 

[saveliberty]

So if they start sweating we'll all slip into the fiery pit unless the sacred squirrel makes a timely arrival...

*****CHUCKLE*****

I eated him

 

[saveliberty]

My territory is clearly marked ya faceless cowards!

 

[Damaged Eagle]

We're all screwed

*****CHUCKLE*****

 

[Flopper]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

Are you serious? cyber attacks probably occur thousands of times a day. The attack could come from anywhere in the world. If you could capture the IP address of the perpetrator it would probably be a service provider with tens of thousands of clients, a university, a large corporate office, or a public computer. Even if you could track the perpetrator to an individual computer or server, you would sill have to track it a person using the equipment and prove they did it.

 

[Foxfyre]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

Are you serious? cyber attacks probably occur thousands of times a day. The attack could come from anywhere in the world. If you could capture the IP address of the perpetrator it would probably be a service provider with tens of thousands of clients, a university, a large corporate office, or a public computer. Even if you could track the perpetrator to an individual computer or server, you would sill have to track it a person using the equipment and prove they did it.

Agree. We need to be working harder to build defenses against their attacks than they are figuring ways out to attack. Preventing attacks is pretty much impossible, but we can get smart enough to figure out how to make their attacks unsuccessful.

 

[OldLady]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

Are you serious? cyber attacks probably occur thousands of times a day. The attack could come from anywhere in the world. If you could capture the IP address of the perpetrator it would probably be a service provider with tens of thousands of clients, a university, a large corporate office, or a public computer. Even if you could track the perpetrator to an individual computer or server, you would sill have to track it a person using the equipment and prove they did it.

So they get away with outright blackmail, with jamming sites so folks can't use it--which is equivalent to blocking the sidewalk to customers can't enter a store, and stealing information which is the equivalent of breaking in and taking files--theft.

I guess they'd better figure out how to track these guys and fast, or there will be no security at all anywhere.

 

[Flopper]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

Are you serious? cyber attacks probably occur thousands of times a day. The attack could come from anywhere in the world. If you could capture the IP address of the perpetrator it would probably be a service provider with tens of thousands of clients, a university, a large corporate office, or a public computer. Even if you could track the perpetrator to an individual computer or server, you would sill have to track it a person using the equipment and prove they did it.

So they get away with outright blackmail, with jamming sites so folks can't use it--which is equivalent to blocking the sidewalk to customers can't enter a store, and stealing information which is the equivalent of breaking in and taking files--theft.

I guess they'd better figure out how to track these guys and fast, or there will be no security at all anywhere.

I'm far more concerned about attacks that could disable huge sections of the internet backbone, gps satellites, choke points in our financial networks, power plants, and of course our military. These attacks could create national disasters like we have never seen.

The main problem is the Internet was never designed to be secure. It was designed to be an open and fault-tolerant system. All security is an add on and much of it does not work well with other security components. There is no central control. No security police. Frankly, I'm surprised the damn thing works at all.

 

[candycorn]

I know it’s not the number of users on at any one time because the slow-downs are over night and presumably, most people are doing something other than posting on message boards at 0300.

Still can be related.. There's an amazing amount of self-scheduled "maintenance" for Xenforo that happens overnight. And this is stuff like tallying up everyones post counts, "award points", infractions, database compacting, etc. So it does get slow at night somewhat naturally, Not HARD down like it was, but that is now explained by my post a few pages ago. Because if there was material linked to a "bad host", it would probably hang up the maintenance as well. Especially if it was newly linked images.

And from the engine room, they're still trying to determine if there was any malicious intent from the "bad host(s)".

So we don't KNOW yet how much member loading is an element. Remember that we are carrying literally THOUSANDS of "abandoned accounts". These include the new members you folks scare away on their first day here in Intros -- the permanently banned, and just the "missing".. And to some extent that adds to the normal auto tasks. We also haven't emptied the Main Dumpster since about ever. We have threads that are older than some of your kids, STORAGE isn't the issue, but SPEED might be.. Or TUNING all the variables for more speed.

If it is determined there was "malicious intent," is there a computer cops place you can call? Do they get arrested for something? It seems like people get away with murder in cyber space (like the countries that earn money by locking up your system and demanding $$ to give it back).

Are you serious? cyber attacks probably occur thousands of times a day. The attack could come from anywhere in the world. If you could capture the IP address of the perpetrator it would probably be a service provider with tens of thousands of clients, a university, a large corporate office, or a public computer. Even if you could track the perpetrator to an individual computer or server, you would sill have to track it a person using the equipment and prove they did it.

So they get away with outright blackmail, with jamming sites so folks can't use it--which is equivalent to blocking the sidewalk to customers can't enter a store, and stealing information which is the equivalent of breaking in and taking files--theft.

I guess they'd better figure out how to track these guys and fast, or there will be no security at all anywhere.

I'm far more concerned about attacks that could disable huge sections of the internet backbone, gps satellites, choke points in our financial networks, power plants, and of course our military. These attacks could create national disasters like we have never seen.

The main problem is the Internet was never designed to be secure. It was designed to be an open and fault-tolerant system. All security is an add on and much of it does not work well with other security components. There is no central control. No security police. Frankly, I'm surprised the damn thing works at all.

You seem to know more about it than I so I will probably sound dumber than usual on this....but here it goes.

Whenever I see/hear a commercial about a service "scanning the dark web" for you social security number, I laugh. Experian, the company I'm talking about but I think Lifelock and Discover say the same thing, would have to access thousands of web sites to see if my SSN is in this "dark" website's data base wouldn't they? Wouldn't the scan be essentially useless unless they are registered with whatever website they are looking into?