Question for Premium members w/ a side of Rant

[loyalrogue]

While I appreciate ReefCentral for allowing me to find this wonderful club while doing a Google search, I just have to say that this is by far the worst running, Mickey Mouse forum/server I have ever joined.

I constantly get MySQL database errors when trying to read threads, timeout when trying to post replies, and the search function is bloody useless considering it's disabled or not available >95% of the time I've tried to use it.
Even the freebie bulletin board script I run on my cheapest shared hosting account runs 10 times better than RC. :uzi:

My question to the premium members here is, do you experience the same non-functionality from the search button as us non-premium members do?
I realise that having a premium membership won't fix database errors, or timeouts due to server overload, but it might be worth the upgrade price just to be able to use the "We're not worthy!", pay-to-play, almighty SEARCH button.

:furious:

/end rant

 

[Bret61081]

Yup...I still get the same search msg that I did before i started to pay for it...but mostly in the evenings when most people are on. But The way I look at it is that I spend enough time on here, its worth 25$ a year to me!

 

[Speckled Grouper]

It has gotten worse, just lately.....

 

[newreefbishop]

Honestly, from an engineering perspective, I dont think where they house this forum is adequate for the amount of users that hit it. The thing is for them to upgrade, thy will need to institute more fees......I would support, but my paypal account went the way of the dust a long time ago....if they took visa....well thats neither here nor there, the server side of the site needs to be rebuilt

 

[jeffbrig]

John,

There have been some general site issues lately, with SQL errors and such, but that is not the norm. As a paying member, I can almost always use the search feature. Every time I log into the site, I do a search to monitor threads I've posted in. When I get the occasional "search disabled" message, I'm always able to search within 5 minutes or less, never a long term lockout.

One handy tip....the way the search disable is implemented, it keeps you from clicking on the button to get the search input page. If you keep a search results window open, you can refresh to you heart's content. At least, that's been my experience.

Also, keep in mind, RC is a huge message board. The current usage snapshots:

There are currently 1757 members and 534 guests on the boards. | Most users ever online was 2948 on 01/02/2007 at 09:49 PM

 

[loyalrogue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9492098#post9492098 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffbrig
John,

There have been some general site issues lately, with SQL errors and such, but that is not the norm. As a paying member, I can almost always use the search feature.

Thanks.
I've been considering upgrading, but didn't want to waste my time if I was going to expect the same problems.

 

[db_triggerfish]

After you pay it works much better, only sometimes in the evening it slows down on searches, But a big difference pay vs free.

Best $25 i have spend.

 

[ReefWreak]

I don't pay yet, but I get those damned SQL errors too all the time. I usually blame it on the fact that my school's internet is patheticly slow for what it should be, but maybe it is just RC being stupid. I would gladly send them my closet printserver if it was a faster comp than what they were running. I hope theirs is already faster tho. It's a last-generation custom build with a 3.0ghz P4 (crazy how that is considered last generation!).

for a load this big, they should be running dual (last generation too) or quad (or 8 for current generation) xenons in a giant server, with wicked 10k rpm SCSI drives.... mmmmm servers...

 

[ReefWreak]

Lol. I read this thread, then went and bought some speakers off ebay, and then as soon as I click my bookmark for the FMAS thread, go figure I get:
We're Sorry

You've encountered an error. While the search engine is frequently the cause of the error, it may not have been your 'click' that caused the error. Ordinarily this error is caused by our search engine because the term entered caused too many results to be returned. If you encoutered this error while searching, you can try doing the search again and changing the term, or including more terms to limit the number of results. Words like "skimmer" or "sand" all by themselves are present in too many posts to make them useful as search terms.

Oh goodness. And that was from a DIRECT link to the FMAS thread, not a search query or anything, unless they've got some funky system that searches for everything instead of directly linking.... ::shrug::

 

[ADA33]

In my opinion you really cant complain if you dont pay.

My search function does work 95% of the time. Yes lately the site has given me plenty of errors, I am confident that RC will get running better soon.

This forum has been a blessing in my hobby

 

[ReefWreak]

I agree, this site is a blessing, and is amazing, and blows my world away constantly. That said, unfortunately it's my right to complain It shouldn't be, don't get me wrong. Either way, I still love RC. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna complain!

 

[ADA33]

Totally understand, but just think that if everyone who uses this sight paid the small fee this site I am sure would have kick boody servers.

 

[RobbyG]

The problem as I understand it, is that the software that runs the Forum has problems running at this kind of capacity and the only solution is to either wipe all the Old posts out of the Database or live with the problem. Paying members rarely have problems searching and I think that the occasional erroring out that we receive is better that losing hundreds of thousands of valuable posts. Non paying members are basically SOL when it comes to searching, but hey this is an expensive hobby and $25 is nothing for the kind of knowledge you can get from this place.

 

[Rogger Castells]

I do not experience any sql errors at all. I use to have a hard time searching before becoming a preminum member, but now it is perfect all the time.
I am using a Mac's web browser, not sure if it make any difference, but as far as I am concern the $20 or 25 are well worthy

 

[loyalrogue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9493827#post9493827 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefWreak
Oh goodness. And that was from a DIRECT link to the FMAS thread, not a search query or anything, unless they've got some funky system that searches for everything instead of directly linking.... ::shrug::

That's the one I get a lot.
There's also one that shows up frequently that says there's too many connections to the database.

 

[ReefWreak]

Yep. That one too John.

 

[loyalrogue]

OK, I went ahead and upgraded, and now the search is actually working for me.
I'll see how much of a difference it makes over the next week or so and report back.