FORUM ISSUES: Report Upgraded Issues in this thread

[brad jones]

I've asked the techies if something is going on, or if something changed in teh last day with the forum. I know we are rebuilding the search index, but that has been happening for a few days, so that would have impacted the site a few days ago, not yesterday.

I'll ask what is going on.....

Brad!

[.paul.]

on a usability scale of 1 to 10, the site rates 1 today
reminds me of the old days + the world wide wait

[Niya]

Yea, its been really bad during the last 24 hours. I would only get a couple things done before the website just stopped responding. I'd click a link and the browser would be eternally waiting for a response from the server. Refreshing didn't so I had no choice but to come back later. I think I lost a couple posts to that as well. It was like the site stopped existing or something, it just doesn't respond.

[akhileshbc]

I just opened the site now. Doesn't felt any loading issues. I hope, it's been resolved.

But just wanted to point out a small thing. The search button (to the right side of the menu bar) seems to be a bit out of position.

[Doogle]

I've also noticed that, when Editing a Post, the way it's painted is 'peculiar'. The original message is displayed, then removed whilst the smilies are painted, and then it reappears. The 'reappearance' can take several seconds to complete. I guess this might be 'normal' but because of whatever is causing the excessive response times, it can be seen.

So far today, the responses have not been good, but I'm not seeing Database or Server errors any more.

[akhileshbc]

I have posted around three replies so far and browsed about 5 or 6 pages. Doesn't showed any errors. But the loading is a bit slow(it's not like taking 4 or 5 minutes like a few weeks ago.. but takes a few seconds. I think it's my network )

Another thing I like to say is, why wouldn't the "Quick Reply" option posts the message via AJAX ? Right now it's just submitting the message and refreshes the page.
And also, when we press the Insert Hyperlink button, it is just asking the URL only. Doesn't asks for the text after that. Also, auto-selecting the text inside the URL tag after insertion would be good. Because, we could easily type the text we wanted for the link. What we do now, just navigate to the beginning of the text(ie, after inserting the link), selects the text, overwrites it with what we wanted. It would have been lot more helpful if the text is auto selected, right after the insertion !

[DataMiser]

Related to the supposed issue with hyperlinks the way you shoudl do it is type your text first then highlight the text and choose insert link which will then use the selected text for display.
This is fairly common behaviour on forums.

[techgnome]

I have posted around three replies so far and browsed about 5 or 6 pages. Doesn't showed any errors. But the loading is a bit slow(it's not like taking 4 or 5 minutes like a few weeks ago.. but takes a few seconds. I think it's my network )

Another thing I like to say is, why wouldn't the "Quick Reply" option posts the message via AJAX ? Right now it's just submitting the message and refreshes the page.
And also, when we press the Insert Hyperlink button, it is just asking the URL only. Doesn't asks for the text after that. Also, auto-selecting the text inside the URL tag after insertion would be good. Because, we could easily type the text we wanted for the link. What we do now, just navigate to the beginning of the text(ie, after inserting the link), selects the text, overwrites it with what we wanted. It would have been lot more helpful if the text is auto selected, right after the insertion !

For the URL I usually type what I want as the text, highlight it, then click the Link button... paste the URL into the box, then click OK (or what ever it it)... it'll link the URL to the selected text.

-tg

[dday9]

Related to the supposed issue with hyperlinks the way you shoudl do it is type your text first then highlight the text and choose insert link which will then use the selected text for display.
This is fairly common behaviour on forums.

That's what I do.

[Nightwalker83]

Not sure if this has been reported but clicking the links in the database development FAQ (if not all FAQS) sends me back to the forum index page.

[akhileshbc]

Thanks guys

If I remember correctly(which I think it is failing now a days :P ), the older forum software had it working like what I said! Which was more convenient for me atleast. Sometime I prefer the shorter ways.

The working should be like, if there is a selection, then just asks for the link in a popup box and upon entering it and pressing ok button, it replaces that selected text with say, something like this: [url="http://link/i/entered/"]my selected text[/url]

If there is no selection, then a popup should ask for the link and then followed by a second popup(after entering the link) for the text. That's what I was expecting.

BTW, while typing this reply via the Quick Reply option, I can't see any toolbox! They are missing!

Also, when I tried to edit this post, it took me directly to the Advanced Editor instead of the inline editor !

[dday9]

BTW, while typing this reply via the Quick Reply option, I can't see any toolbox! They are missing!

That has been happening to me a whole lot lately. It's rather annoying.

[szlamany]

Someone posted in this old, old thread today - which I subscribe to.

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...186-Taxi-fares

And I did not get an email about this post.

I found out about it by visiting my SUBSCRIBED THREADS page...

Do old, old threads not send email??

Bug??

[si_the_geek]

It depends on what your settings were at the time you subscribed to the thread - so if your settings then were for no email, that is how it will still be for that thread.

[szlamany]

I've never changed my settings from the day I set them up initially. Niya posted in that thread last night and I did get notified.

Was it because the post that "missed the email" was from a "first-time POSTER?". Did the approval of that post by the admins (that happens right?) not go through the same logic for subscription notification?

[techgnome]

well, after a superb day yesterday... the errors, timeouts and no response issues today abound... I think this was the first post I was able to get open so far... I'm hoping that things will be stable long enough to let me send this post.

-tg

[si_the_geek]

That post was moderated (I remember approving it myself), so it seems that it might not be treated the same way... but I have no way of telling.

[szlamany]

yeah - got some database errors myself and slow response today as well...

[szlamany]

That post was moderated (I remember approving it myself), so it seems that it might not be treated the same way... but I have no way of telling.

well - if there is a bug that first-time posters don't tickle the email notificaition logic then that should be fixed asap. Missing posts of "new people" isn't very conducive to increasing membership!

[brad jones]

Among other things, memory was aded to the servers this morning. Let's see if that gives the forums some extra help.

As to the email issue - if this is a one time issue, then it could just be a fluke. Let us know if anyone sees it happen again. The other issue when it comes to email is that some email systems filter emails. So it could be that the original email had something that caused it to be trapped somewhere along the delivery path.

Brad!
(and yes, this forum speed is still slow for me too... ugh.)

[dday9]

Brad, I think the workers know when you get on. This morning I had db error after error, now that you're on I'm not getting them. It's a conspiracy! :P

[DataMiser]

I guess maybe I was trying to login while the memory was being upgraded. I tried several times over the course of an hour or so and could not connect to vbforums or codeguru between about 9 -10 am est

[techgnome]

That's about the same time for me too dday9... that's when I was experiencing the worst of the issues.

-tg

[Shaggy Hiker]

I'm still experiencing horrible performance.

I'm not usually a very negative person, but the facts are these: This thread was started two months ago as the upgrade was rolled out. Initially, performance was terrible and there were lots of errors. Those errors have gotten better, and the performance has, at times, been at a tolerable level. However, this site is now, by FAR, the worst performing site I visit. I have not gotten through a single twenty minute span without attempting to post a reply where the site just hung there for minutes (if not forever, as I usually give up after a minute or two). There does seem to be a pattern: The longer I stay on any one page, the more likely it is to not navigate anywhere else). Quite often, I can solve this by closing my browser and opening a new one, but that's absurd.

Even when it is running fairly quickly, the performance of the site is the worst I know of. Maybe that is because of the nature of this kind of site, but I fear that it is just that there are so many bells and whistles that have been added that performance was sacrificed in favor of appearance. At this point, I'd be much happier going back to the old system. There is nothing about the new look that is sufficient to justify the truly terrible performance.

This is certainly my favorite site to visit, and my post count and longevity certainly support that statement. However, were it any other site, I would have left permanently due to the performance. The performance is not consistently bad, but even at its best, it is mediocre. I would like to suggest that a plan be made to rollback. At some point, you have to start to wonder whether or not the consistently bad behavior of the software is really due to the volume of the site, or just a failed attempt to put form ahead of function.

[DataMiser]

I agree, since the upgrade the site has taken a huge hit. There have been times when the performance was decent and for a few days it seemed to be working though a bit slow but then many times there are issues that take forever to load pages, failure to connect, connection reset, db errors, hanging, extremely slow performance and so on.

CodeGuru was upgraded before this site and it too is experiencing the same issues at the same times. Usually if I am having trouble with either site then go to the other the same problem exists there as well.

It is really frustrating.

[Niya]

You know, I was wondering if this site has been upgraded before. I haven't been here that long but I bet some of you were around when and if the site went through an upgrade before. If so it it there it might serve to indicate how long it takes on average to iron out upgrade bugs.

[brad jones]

This forum has been upgraded before. This upgrade was different becuase the internals of the forum softare were completely re-written by vBulletin.

Thanks for you comments guys. After this message posts..... I'll be forwarding them internally.

Brad!

[DataMiser]

I don't think the amount of traffic is the issue, or should not be anyway. I visit some other forums which have high traffic and at times extremely high traffic yet they are much faster than this one has been at its fastest since the upgrade.

One forum I visit is showing 1686 people viewing right now, 236k threads 7.8 million posts and the pages load almost instantly more often than not. Even during times of extremely heavy traffic the performance is aloways good there. Either you get a message saying the server is to busy to respond to the request which you get right away if that is the case or you see the page you are tryign to view and rarely does it ever take more than 1-3 seconds.

[thebuffalo]

This is what my "Post New Thread" page looks like and what my Quick Reply box looks like. Just started happening about 5 minutes ago, I can recreate this for days. I just can't seem to get it back to normal.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Pffft. Once you reach Addicted Member level, you are expected to have all the icons memorized, so they aren't going to bother wasting bandwidth on the images. Didn't you read the AUP before joining?

I have been here through a few upgrades. They have been entirely painless, from my perspective. A few minor glitches that chafed a few butts, but didn't bother me any. I expected the same this time, and when it didn't work out that way, I've been willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. There certainly has been progress. However, after two months, I think it is time for the powers that be to start asking themselves whether or not this is a problem that can be solved, or if the real issue is that the new version of the software just isn't all that, and never will be. Are these just a few technical glitches that will be resolved if the right settings are set, or is the problem that the new version of the software is technically a quagmire that will pull a fine site out of sight.

[Niya]

....if the real issue is that the new version of the software just isn't all that, and never will be. Are these just a few technical glitches that will be resolved if the right settings are set, or is the problem that the new version of the software is technically a quagmire that will pull a fine site out of sight.

Actually vBulletin.com runs the same major version for their forums and it works superbly so I'm sure its not the software itself.

[Shaggy Hiker]

One thing I have noticed is that performance appears to increase in the evening out here. Since this is Mountain Time in the US, it kind of suggests that performance increases when user load drops, as Europe and the bulk of the US has gone home by this time.

[brad jones]

I was told earlier today that we are getting in additonal servers. If it is a load issue, then that should take care of it once those come online.

Brad!

[FunkyDexter]

I'm not usually a very negative person

I'm sorry but I just couldn't resist highlighting the contradictory nature of that quote

Personally I'm not quite at the point of asking for a roll back yet but I am at the stage where I'd ask if it's a potential option. Migrations can be a nightmare and rolling back is usually even worse but you can't help feeling it would almost be preferable to start a brand new forum at this point. Lately VBF is like a desert mirage... always holding out the promise of a cool drink of decent performance but never actually delivering it.

[techgnome]

One of biggest challenges with this upgrade is that vBulletin changed a number of the backend details (from what I understand based on some of the posts by Brad) ... so a roll back doesn't seem like an option... the only way to do that would be to restore from a point prior to the changeover, and that would mean the loss of all posts since then. I think also that VBF was quite a ways behind in the versions of the vB... something along the lines of going from Win2k to Win8, skipping XP, Vista & 7 ... so it doesn't surprise me that there's been a bit of pain to the process. It could have been much much worse. I've seen a lot of upgrades over the years here... most are usually painless and the thing that causes the most uproar is when a new feature is added or something gets moved... other than that first two weeks after the upgrade, yesterday was the worst... it did get better after 11am Eastern... and so far today, the site is super responsive... as more people get to work, and the Central time zone comes on line, we'll see how it goes.

On a related note... I've noticed that the "quick reply" isn't anymore... it's more like just "reply" ... when it was ajax based, it was quick, but now, it does a full post & refreshes the page, making it not so quick.

-tg

[dday9]

Central time zone comes on line

It's time for me to be on and so far so good. I haven't had the quick reply problem yet.

[brad jones]

Update: We've added more servers, so let's see if that helps performance and such.

Brad!

[Niya]

Update: We've added more servers

Don't get me wrong if it does improve performance I'm all for it but isn't that effectively covering up the problem ? I mean the older versions worked with less servers and its the same data and same amount of traffic....but like I said if it helps then I support it 100%.

[DataMiser]

For the most part it seems to be working ok today, still not as fast as other forums I visit but acceptable. I did have one issue when I tried to login where it took about 3 minutes to get to the settings page, other than that the pages have been loading in 30 seconds or less.

[Shaggy Hiker]

There does appear to be better performance today. The sole remaining issue that I see has to do with Quick Reply often being anything but. This afternoon, posts have mostly gone up as expected, but one hung for some time until I navigated away from the page. As expected, the post was actually there, though it shows me as being both the last person to post to the thread as well as not having visited the thread. I hope to try it out a bit more.