[Closed] The community here is great, but the forum software and servers SUCK!

Jamie > if it were my company, I'd have turned up on the Host's doorstep with a screwdriver in one hand and a two foot length of 3x2" in the other by now. (-:

What makes you think they haven't raised any issues or concerns?

That'd be that transparency thing again then.

earlier today at STW towers:
[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDfbKnKgQxfIlAwJz2F3547tqQiJgRP4rYSNGPp-ROlAUKlprfXg [/img]

(not dead, just a bit sleepy)

What makes you think they haven't raised any issues or concerns?

Because nothing has been done?

Actually, I take that back, it's not really anything to do with us.

Point is, we don't know what's going on, so we're going to do what spods do when there's a problem on the internet, which is piss and moan about it. 🙂

Graham, you should turn your bluetooth off when you're not using it. Saves battery!

Mleh, I'd just forget to turn it back on again. It makes it to the end of the day easily enough.
(48% at 3:20pm and I've been on here all day)

Edit: Damn the iPhone 4 has a lot more res than my old 3GS

Yep. Twice the res (four times the pixels) same size display.
Males a huge difference to the clarity of text and photos.

1 million posts ain't that big in the grand scale of things.

It's over 1 million on the bike forum alone.

German MTB forum is pushing 8 million, and a fraction under 200,000 members. Now that's getting a bit more sizeable in the grand scheme of things, but I'm sure there's much bigger out there. ANd in true Germanic style has to regiment everything into 100 sub-forums so you realistically have to hit "show all new/updated threads", and get it in a format essentially the same as STW 😉

VBulletin is pretty well supported, but not without its (stupid) faults (many of which I fix c/o greasemonkey, due to slack admins that cba to fix those faults), but it costs money (not sure how much).

format = perfect.. those other youth attracting multi sub-sect nonsenses are very dour..

function = not 100% lately

that is all

I'll be posting an update on the sticky thread shortly.

I'll be posting an update on the sticky thread shortly.

You must hate us Tom 😉

- forum takes you to last read post in a thread

Click the time under the freshness column and it does

er, takes you to the newest post, not the last one I read. Useful but no banana.

er, takes you to the newest post, not the last one I read. Useful but no banana.

Ah. Sorry about that, misread it.

Drac: more to the point, why does [url= http://bbshowcase.org/forums/view/top100 ]that bbShowcase[/url] site say STW is American? 😯

A bit like having NYC libary but having a 100 members compared to Todmorden local libary and 100,000 members sometimes it's going to get jammed.

OK OK IGMC

We all are American, Graham. What you mean you are a limey sonofabitch?!??!

Get him! Go for his tea! That's where the British keep their power!

Drac: more to the point, why does that bbShowcase site say STW is American

51st state, innit?

Because nothing has been done?

Ah right ok.

Drac: more to the point, why does that bbShowcase site say STW is American?

My guess the box is in America.

Been down three times today now (so far).

At least split the Bike forum into:

* Bikes and Equipment
* Riding

It is common knowledge that people (in general) don't like change and sequel like stuck pigs about it, and then a week later can't remember what all the fuss was about and are happy with the change. Don't be conservative reactionaries! Be revolutionary!

At least split the Bike forum into:

* Bikes and Equipment
* Riding

[img] [/img]

and sequel like stuck pigs

Heh.

7hz - you are flogging a dead horse. Its only a tiny minority want the forum split - nothing to do with a dislike of change but we prefer it this way

The debate has been done a load of times and that is the view of the vast majority every time it is debated.

Its one of the things I like about this forum - the lack of subdivisions.

Oh FFS, the server has eaten my new thread...

It is common knowledge that people (in general) don't like change and sequel like stuck pigs about it, and then a week later can't remember what all the fuss was about and are happy with the change. Don't be conservative reactionaries! Be revolutionary!

Can you bring back the coffee forum, whilst you're at it look for Shaun as well.

Lol bruneep

TandemJeremy - that's it, I challenge you to a race! On coastkids hidden trail. You on your tandem 🙂

Sequel like stuck pigs? SQL like a stuck pig! LOL.

That's it, I'm buying out the mag and changing things to how I like, it's what us idle billionaires do you know...

🙂

Shaun is prolific tweeter - not hard to find !

Look at SDH for a good example of well organised multi-sub bike forum, with high traffic..

Way too many topic area going on there.

[i]776230 Posts in 58984 Topics by 21237 members[/i]

So about a 1/3 of the posts on here then.

At least split the Bike forum into:
* Bikes and Equipment
* Riding

So, for instance, the great helmet debates would go where?
They are equipment, but it is about riding.

What if a discussion about riding somewhere (in the Riding forum) results in someone asking an Equipment question like what tyres work well there? Should a mod then move the thread?

Petty rules and categories just cause annoyance all round.

Look at SDH for a good example of well organised multi-sub bike forum, with high traffic..

Why do people keep pointing at less successful forums as an example of how to do it better?

Is it not conceivable that the flat format may be part of the reason that STW is such a popular forum?

So, for instance, the great helmet debates would go where?
They are equipment, but it is about riding.

What helmet should I buy? -> Equipment
Should I wear a helmet whilst riding? -> Riding.

It is really not hard, although the number of wrong posts in the Bike section of the site suggests that some users have trouble with the concept.

What if a discussion about riding somewhere (in the Riding forum) results in someone asking an Equipment question like what tyres work well there? Should a mod then move the thread?

What tyres for mud - Equipment
What tyres for Scotland? - Riding.

That's a borderline example, and the bottom line is it doesn't matter really, what matters is the big fat obvious topics go in their big fat obvious sub-forums.

Petty rules and categories just cause annoyance all round.

Most of the internet seems to manage.

Or maybe STW should change over to a newsgroup? That'll keep the 'flat earthers' happy 🙂

Is it not conceivable that the flat format may be part of the reason that STW is such a popular forum?

In the beginning, it may have helped grow the forum.

Now, it is a hindrance, and makes the site feel amateurish and annoying to use (not helped by lack of Private Messaging, and constant downtime).

Older users are bound to think that everything is perfect, and resist change. That doesn't make them right.

On the sub divisions topic can I clarify things?

No.. not now.. Not ever.. will we subdivide the bikes or chat forum into anything else. It's part of who we are.. It's part of why we are so popular, which in an ironic twist is also part of why the server is so loaded 🙂

Tom has updated the Forum Maintenance sticky thread.

I've read everything on here and there are some salient points from a number of people who clearly know what they are talking about. But then there is a lot of mush from people who clearly don't.

We have a lot of talent here and the site and what it does is a lot more complex than most people ever realise. There is a lot more going on than just a forum. There's many other things the database does than just deliver the forum. In short the demands on our two Toms and the three dedicated servers that are used to run this site are quite a lot more complex than just a single forum installation.

The calls for sys admin sackings is really uncalled for. After reading the input of techies on this site and talking to others offsite I'm convinced without a doubt that we have the best tech talent working on keeping this site up and running under extraordinary circumstances and demands.

The site has gone down intermittently for the last couple of weeks. The cause of that is complex but it is being sorted. The site will undoubtedly go down a few more times before the solutions are fully implemented.

there are some salient points from a number of people who clearly know what they are talking about. But then there is a lot of mush from people who clearly don't.

That pretty much sums up the STW forum and, thinking about it, the Internet. (-:

Thanks for the heads-up, appreciated.

But then there is a lot of mush from people who clearly don't.

Evening 8)

The calls for sys admin sackings is really uncalled for.

You know STW has the ability to go from 0-Burning Pitchforks in about 2 seconds, so I would take these with a pinch of salt.

We have a lot of talent here

😳 thank you *goes coy*

thank you *goes coy*

Pics or GTFO.

[img] [/img]

pesky i phones.
My HtC shows me the full page, shrunk to the screen.
the wiggly ads make it a bit of a sod to move around.

i wouldnt notice, except ive been using another forum (ahem :oops:)
which auto formats and it runs loooadddsss better)

can we plug this in please...

[url= http://www.tapatalk.com/ ]null

apparently its free!, and paid for by app DLs

It is really not hard, although the number of wrong posts in the Bike section of the site suggests that some users have trouble with the concept.

So you agree that going back to the one-free-for all forum is the answer.
Give the punters what they want, not what you think they want... 😆

What helmet should I buy? -> Equipment
Should I wear a helmet whilst riding? -> Riding.
What tyres for mud - Equipment
What tyres for Scotland? - Riding.

Excellent. And who will decide these rules? Will there be some kind of chart we can refer to so we know which category our thread belongs in?

What if I ask about buying a helmet and the first reply is "you don't need a helmet, they are just for kids with soft heads"?

That's a borderline example

If you think threads radically changing topic and direction is a "borderline example" then you haven't been here very long.

bottom line is it doesn't matter really, what matters is the big fat obvious topics go in their big fat obvious sub-forums.

If the topic is big fat and obvious then it will showup on search.

Now, it is a hindrance, and makes the site feel amateurish and annoying to use

You find it annoying just starting threads in Bike Forum instead of carefully selecting a sub-category based on some arbitrary set of rules? Weird.

Looking at your profile, the three(!) threads you have started since you joined have all been answered pretty well, so what's the issue?

Most of the internet seems to manage.

I've seen "Most of the Internet" - it's shit.

Older users are bound to think that everything is perfect, and resist change. That doesn't make them right.

Why listen to folk who have been loyal to the cause for years when there are young upstarts full of fanciful ideas of how they can "improve" things before they flit away somewhere else? 😉

Okay, if you want change from an "older user" then here is my suggestion to resolve your sub-topics problem:

Encourage the tags to be used properly. Forums stay as big melting pots, but could then have views (created by the user) filtered to show/hide threads with certain tags set. Same with search.

Thus the thorny multi-topic helmet debate example could be tagged #equipment #riding #helmets and it would show up on any view that shows one of those tags.

I think this should be put to bed.

The person who I presume runs the site has stated a) the problems with the server / software will be fixed, and b) that the forums will never be changed.

That's fine, although IMHO very narrow minded. I have not been on here that long, but have run a successful and much larger site (by an order of magnitude) for 6 years, and know a thing or two about forum dynamics. But hey ho, accept the things you can't change and all that, ain't no biggie 🙂

You run a website that presumably gets 5 million unique users a month or.. 70 million page views or... 450,000 visits a day then if it's 10 times larger than this site.

Cobblers! I don't believe you.

🙂

but have run a successful and much larger site

Go on then, which one? And with some form of proof.

I own a computer and therefore know what I'm talking about too.

Is it Mumsnet? 😀

......but have run a successful and much larger site (by an order of magnitude) for 6 years, and know a thing or two about forum dynamics.

Name names or GTFO.

Only one thing for it then.

[url= http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=mark+&word2=7hs ]Mark v 7hz[/url]

I host Facebook from my 386 at home on a dial up connection.