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Hi Folks,

 

I don't know if this is a related problem to slow running but a strange thing happened regarding my ongoing work bench thread in that it disappeared from my "Content I Posted In", " Content I Started" and also "Content I Follow". The only way that I could access it was to either by way of a Google search, for RMWeb's search couldn't find it, or to visit a thread in which I had posted in and click on the link in my signature link.

 

I thought it strange that the signature link could find the thread yet the RMWeb search couldn't do so. I did notice that the post before it temporarily disappeared was duplicated four times over. The situation righted itself completely the next time I made a posting upon the thread.

 

I shall make it quite clear that I'm not versed in these new fangled electronic difference engines.

 

As for slow running I do live in the middle of nowhere and things do run slowly generally for all manner of reasons to the point that I wouldn't notice if it is the site or not.

 

There does seem to be an element of first world problem about all this complaining though and with I'm off to Waitrose now to buy some over priced, fair trade, carbon neutral, organic tofu !!!

 

Gibbo.

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4 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

Gibbo675 have you accidently "ignored" your own thread? It is easy to do.

Hi Colin,

 

I'm daft but not so sure I'm that daft, that said it would have made a change form other people ignoring me !

 

Gibbo.

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On 08/02/2020 at 12:28, Richard E said:

I've pretty much given up commenting on it as it seems that the usual response is nothing is wrong and 'you'll just have to put up with it'.

 

Oh do please let me know where I've said that.

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On 08/02/2020 at 12:39, cctransuk said:

 

But it's a free service; (unless you pay for Gold membership); how dare you criticise !?!

 

Yours wryly,

John Isherwood.

 

All users get the same speeds.

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13 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

I would not suggest otherwise - I was simply indicating that RMweb is not a free service for Gold members.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Actually RmWeB IS still free to Gold members. . . Its all the fancy Goldy stuff, . . . . Members lounge, access to the online BRM collection and large Gold medallion you pay extra for.  :rolleyes:

For the main forum content you get the exact same FREE content and speeds as us muggles :good:

Edited by Mattc6911
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12 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Oh do please let me know where I've said that.

 

I started my own thread on this subject, 12th August last year, reply was "I haven't observed any issues at this end but we did have an overload on Saturday morning which affected access for 40 minutes."

 

I continued saying that the forum was slow but got no further response. It has, apart from a couple of days, been just as slow ever since.

 

I've just timed going from a topic to the activity stream "content I've posted in" and it has taken 47 seconds to do this.

 

I have an idea why this is the case but it is frustrating.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Richard E said:

reply was "I haven't observed any issues at this end but we did have an overload on Saturday morning which affected access for 40 minutes."

 

So I didn't say what you say I had said then.

 

A similarly truthful response to your observation of the last ten minutes is that I haven't experienced the same issues. That doesn't mean you haven't, it means I haven't. And if I haven't, I can't determine absolutely what's happening. 

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Andy - OK, but I am still finding it very slow all the time. And it has only been like this since the last software upgrade.

Edited by Richard E
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2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

It was going very well here this afternoon until the rugby finished.

 

I think a lot of RMwebbers must be Six Nations enthusiasts.

 

Some of us were - until yesterday afternoon.

 

Well, I guess there's always next year ... or the year after ... or ... .

 

 

Huw.

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25 minutes ago, Huw Griffiths said:

 

Some of us were - until yesterday afternoon.

 

Well, I guess there's always next year ... or the year after ... or ... .

 

 

Huw.

Agreed. That was a lacklustre performance yesterday. But Dublin is never easy and Ireland were very good.

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Compared to other sites, the RMWeb Forum is 'grindingly slow' - the number of times I get '522' error screens when opening topics...

 

This evening, I made a reply to a topic and got a 522 error before the updated page was returned; I did not re-click on 'Submit post' or page reload, but eventually got the page back, with my reply entered twice.

 

All other websites I go to on a regular basis have lightning fast response, it's only RMWeb where I have time to put the kettle on before I get a reply...

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2 minutes ago, talisman56 said:

Compared to other sites, the RMWeb Forum is 'grindingly slow' - the number of times I get '522' error screens when opening topics...

 

This evening, I made a reply to a topic and got a 522 error before the updated page was returned; I did not re-click on 'Submit post' or page reload, but eventually got the page back, with my reply entered twice.

 

All other websites I go to on a regular basis have lightning fast response, it's only RMWeb where I have time to put the kettle on before I get a reply...

 

We are acutely aware that to raise this topic is to goad AY, but ...... without the membership there would be no forum, and I for one feel that we deserve the courtesy of some form of explanation as to what's going on. General opinion seems to be that the host servers are not up to the job - is this true?

 

We have been told little, other than it's a tricky one to diagnose, and that, basically, we shouldn't keep going on about it. This meagre information is conveyed in a distinctly tetchy manner. Surely something is taking place to resolve the problem ..... or are we to put up with a disfunctional website for the forseeable future?

 

If the latter, at least someone should say so clearly - even we non-Gold plebs; (the majority I suspect); deserve that, surely?

 

The level of discontent seems to be rising rapidly; unless there can be some reassurance I'm afraid that a significant proportion of the membership may decide that their time can be better spent than sitting waiting for the inevitable Error message.

 

That would be a shame because RMweb was, at one time, an invaluable resource. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons and with a few notable exceptions, those who posted the most useful information have moved on. If technical problems discourage a significant proportion of the remaining membership, then the value of the group may be called into question.

 

I trust that this frank posting will not be used as an excuse to dismiss yet another of the 'awkward squad', but I cannot remain silent when the membership is treated in this way.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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17 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

We are acutely aware that to raise this topic is to goad AY, but

 

Which is why you are doing it, but it's wound me up instead. Incidentally, is that the royal "we"?

 

17 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

I for one feel that we deserve the courtesy of some form of explanation as to what's going on

 

Why? I've checked, an explanation of the performance of a website you aren't paying for isn't a human right. Gold Members might be a different case, but you're not one.

 

19 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

General opinion seems to be that the host servers are not up to the job - is this true?

 

20 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

We have been told little, other than it's a tricky one to diagnose

 

So it's difficult to diagnose (I have asked, this is true) but you've diagnosed it.

OK, let's assume the servers aren't up to the job (I understand it's more complex than that, but the "experts" have decided otherwise it seems) so the solution is simple - buy faster servers. And when it comes to paying for those, I'm sure the supplier will be happy to accept a big pile of opinions instead of hard cash.

49 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

information is conveyed in a distinctly tetchy manner

 

23 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

The level of discontent seems to be rising rapidly;

 

Or are there just a few people posting moans. If you use the number of complaining posts as a metric, then our hobby is dead.

 

25 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

unless there can be some reassurance I'm afraid that a significant proportion of the membership may decide that their time can be better spent than sitting waiting for the inevitable Error message.

 

Which, if the server issue is true (it's more complex etc. etc.) this will solve the problem as the load will go down to a level where the site works properly. Result!

 

26 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

That would be a shame because RMweb was, at one time, an invaluable resource.

 

You are saying it's no longer an "invaluable resource"? A bit of a slap in the face for those posting information on here then.

 

27 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons and with a few notable exceptions, those who posted the most useful information have moved on.

 

See my point above. Sorry only useless information is being posted nowadays. Where did all the "useful" people go? Should we go there?

 

28 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

If technical problems discourage a significant proportion of the remaining membership, then the value of the group may be called into question.

 

This is a forum to talk about model railways, NOT Parliament. Presumably you believe there is some committee of the "great and good" who will decide when this group no longer has any value and decree that RMweb should close and everyone decamp to Facebook. I seem to recall a similar suggestion being mooted for a group to approve all new RTR models which couldn't be sold until they were happy. Don't think that ever got off the ground either...

 

31 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

but I cannot remain silent when the membership is treated in this way.

 

No, you obviously can't. Not when there is the chance to give a mate of mine a very public pompous kicking at 10:30 in the evening. Maybe that is why "information is conveyed in a distinctly tetchy manner". I can assure you, after a weekend working at a show followed by a long trip to do a photo job topped off by an evening planning some more work, I'm certainly tetchy (you will have noticed) and this particular missive wasn't even aimed directly at me.

 

I've worked in IT support in the past and know that most users think the people running the system have a lever that they pull to break it, and every so often then give it a yank when they get bored of things working properly. They also think there is a magic wand to fix all technological issues. Neither of these is true.

 

No-one wants RMweb to be slow. No-one. The hosting company are working on it. Andy regularly kicks them to improve things, even when at the weekend when he's at a show (I've been there when he's posting from the hotel in the evenings). If there was an easy fix, it would have been applied.

 

"Let's get a new system" I hear you cry. Because that will be quick, cheap and guaranteed to work. And of course, no-one ever complained when any upgrades were made to RMweb in the past (new readers might like to check back and see the many, many pages of complaints when even the smallest change is made, it's depressing reading). I suspect that as soon as the new system arrived, people wouldn't be happy with it either.

 

RMweb is massive, this is a big part of any problem. If people were abandoning it in droves as you hope, then this would (by your own logic) solve everything.

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8 hours ago, cctransuk said:

I for one feel that we deserve the courtesy of some form of explanation as to what's going on

 

I have given explanations about what actions have been taken and that observations continue.

 

8 hours ago, cctransuk said:

This meagre information is conveyed in a distinctly tetchy manner.

 

Little wonder given the manner of some comments; yours included, which disregard anything I've already said.

 

8 hours ago, cctransuk said:

Surely something is taking place to resolve the problem

 

Yes, I've repeatedly said that observations and attempts to resolve the issue continue.

 

8 hours ago, cctransuk said:

The level of discontent seems to be rising rapidly; unless there can be some reassurance I'm afraid that a significant proportion of the membership may decide that their time can be better spent than sitting waiting for the inevitable Error message.

 

If there's any sort of comment that will rile me it's ones like this, it is intended to goad - as you alluded to in your opening lines.

 

8 hours ago, cctransuk said:

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons and with a few notable exceptions, those who posted the most useful information have moved on.

 

Membership of any group always changes, some move on because their priorities in life change, some others will make a song and dance about it but I feel have an idea at the sort of ex-members you are referring to and, if so, these are people who made a name for themselves with their behaviour and attitude towards us and others.

 

Before you trot off to Camelot or Avalon to sit on a high throne with these other fabled entities I will state that that RMweb usage continues to grow with last month being a record month with 17% more users accessing the site than the same month last year. We have to manage resources as best we can, we don't just chuck more hardware at it if it's a software-related issue.

 

The simplest thing I can do is to use an analogy. You have a 10-year old car, one that you were given rather than paid for, which had its engine replaced 7 years ago and it's periodically spluttering. The mechanic has looked at it and test driven it but can't replicate the problem. He's not doubting it happens and the electronic diagnostics say that there was a problem at times. The diagnostics don't tell him why it happened and what caused it. He's had lengthy conversations with the manufacturer and the people who produce the engine management software, they can't find what's causing the problem but they suggest seeing if the exhaust pipe's clean and whether there's a box of mints rattling in the glovebox. The mechanic is as annoyed as you are about it. Don't forget though that you haven't paid the mechanic anything to look at the problem yet, you just keep mumbling about a warranty that you didn't take out. So, if you keep berating the mechanic and telling him you're off to get another car what do you think his reaction would be? He does get paid by others though and he's a bit happier dealing with them, many others deal with him and find him perfectly pleasant if you talk to him in the right way.

 

I shrugged the posting off when I saw it last night and just starting singing a CeeLo Green song in my head even though I'd looked at some other possibilities just last night. I waited until this morning before responding but don't feel any more charitable at all. Yes, there is obviously an issue and yes, I am still looking at it without much help elsewhere but comments like that last night force me to remind myself that I am doing it for those who are less unpleasant. I will credit you with being courteously unpleasant at least but, as with many of your previous posts, there is a disagreeable undertone.

 

Work continues.

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9 hours ago, cctransuk said:

If the latter, at least someone should say so clearly - even we non-Gold plebs; (the majority I suspect); deserve that, surely?


As a super privileged Gold person I can attest that the service I now get is mega quick - quite often my posts are uploaded before I have typed them.
 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

On a less frivolous note, I have noticed a significant improvement in performance of late.

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Andy, Phil and others -here's one who's not moaning,never had a problem with RM Web's speed and I'm on it every day. I may not be a prolific poster but I remain eternally grateful for all the hard work that goes into making RM Web a complete success and one I would have a job to do without! God bless all.

Best wishes, Tim. 

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It would be interesting to know what the problems actually are (or are thought to be). We can get some idea from looking at the Invision community forum. For instance this page:

https://invisioncommunity.com/forums/topic/434698-any-ips-41-high-load-community-examples/

 

The things to notice about that thread are that everyone has a different answer, some answers are irrelevant, some people avoid answering tricky questions asked of them and there's very little participation from Invision themselves...! So there seems to be no simple fix.

 

The messages that I take out of it are that the latest Invision software is a performance hog on the server and that people are trying to workaround that by adding high performance caches and PHP7 to speed it up.

 

@AY Mod If you're having trouble reproducing the problem would it be useful to screen share with someone who is experiencing it? The problem is sporadic but seems to be worst in the evenings (I think).

 

Edited by Harlequin
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20 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

The common messages that I take out of it are that the latest Invision software is a performance hog on the server and that people are trying to workaround that by adding high performance caches in front of it and PHP7 to speed it up.

 

The 'cacheing it out' workaround is a sticking plaster at best, The software's current approach to page-loading is I believe one of the prime reasons for the server hogging, and needs a radical overhaul.

 

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Well now - for the first time in a considerable while I've got a forum that behaves like others I use.

 

I don't know if Andy has happened upon something or if it is something else but I've got pretty much normal speeds.

 

I hope it continues, if it doesn't then I hope something positive does turn up.

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Horribly slow posting this evening (Aussie time, lunchtime UK). I posted a reply, it took so long I thought it had died (about 3 minutes), tried another browser, and completed reposting it that in the time the first one took to finally complete... then the second one eventually also posted 3 or 4 minutes later lol... so I ended up with a double post. I've never seen it that bad...

 

Edit - posting this took about 5 seconds... so it's certainly intermittent!

Edited by SimonMW
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