Chance of unsubscribing

Greylock · Aug 17, 2006

I typed the above thread right, yet it came out screwy. I tried to edit it, and it only gets worse.

Warning: mysql_select_db(): 39 is not a valid MySQL-Link resource in /shop/functions_ads.php on line 8
Unable to connect to database engs

This message keeps coming up.

Enkhidu · Aug 17, 2006

I just realized that from the time you posted this, TR, until the time the deed was done was less than an hour. And while I realize that this is Morrus's sandbox to do with as he pleases, this place is also a gateway for product sales - and as such this place needs to have some sort of organized change management. In my experience, one hour for a big change is not enough, except in the most egregious of instances (and in this case, a better choice might have been to simply suspend Sendmail until enough warning could have been given if the queue was the problem).

In any case, in the future, could you at least sticky changes like this in the general forum to wave the red flag?

Twin Rose · Aug 17, 2006

Enkhidu said:
I just realized that from the time you posted this, TR, until the time the deed was done was less than an hour. And while I realize that this is Morrus's sandbox to do with as he pleases, this place is also a gateway for product sales - and as such this place needs to have some sort of organized change management. In my experience, one hour for a big change is not enough, except in the most egregious of instances (and in this case, a better choice might have been to simply suspend Sendmail until enough warning could have been given if the queue was the problem).

In any case, in the future, could you at least sticky changes like this in the general forum to wave the red flag?

People must understood that people are staying away from EN World in droves because of how slow it is. Ask around. Check the chat room. Anywhere. It's too slow. When something threatens the integrity of the board, then there needs to be time to act. In something like this where the system could go down, we have to act.

I assure you, I'm on IM with Morrus and discussing this every step of the way.

When pages on EN World take up to a minute to load because THOUSANDS of people have the wrong email address in, there needs to be something done.

I also understand that it's a gateway for our publishers, and it must be a priority that their products are shown, downloaded, and supported. We're also learning that the faster EN World runs - the more PDFs people buy as well.

Twin Rose · Aug 17, 2006

Greylock said:
I typed the above thread right, yet it came out screwy. I tried to edit it, and it only gets worse.

Warning: mysql_select_db(): 39 is not a valid MySQL-Link resource in /shop/functions_ads.php on line 8
Unable to connect to database engs

This message keeps coming up.

We're getting lots of error messages about unclosed database records. I've been messing with those, sorry about that. Was very brief, and should be corrected now.

Greylock · Aug 17, 2006

Do you think it would run faster if we all logged out and stopped using long accepted board functions?

'Cause you know, all you have to do is ask.

cnath.rm · Aug 17, 2006

Greylock said:
My subscribed threads hadn't been replied to in ages. That was why I subscribed to them. So I could FIND them again.

Same here.

Twin Rose · Aug 17, 2006

Greylock said:
Do you think it would run faster if we all logged out and stopped using long accepted board functions?

'Cause you know, all you have to do is ask.

Look, I'm doing my best here. I didn't turn subscriptions off. I didn't turn email off. I'm TRYING to find ways to make these things work. Getting tens of thousands of email every day from subscribed threads - from people wanting instant notification to the GENERAL forums! - was seriously bogging down the system and making the experience of coming to EN World miserable to many users.

So, what do you suggest? 12 hours of down time because emails crash the server? Certainly not!

MOST shouldn't have had all their subscriptions deleted - only the ones that were set for instant mail notification.

What I would suggest people do to help keep EN World running smoothly, and so this doesn't happen again:

* Make sure your email address is accurate in your account. I actually get comments sometimes from people not receiving their emails, simply because they didn't check their email address.

* If you aren't actually interested in emails from a given topic, make sure that you have it set NOT to send you email or choose daily/weekly digest.

* I would also suggest people be sparing in requesting instant email notifications. I, personally, find this to be useful and am hoping to avoid it. But, if it keeps crashing the mail system, then there won't be any emails being sent out because it's not running.

* Use bookmarks if the number of subscribed threads that you are on just for quick reference starts to get really long. This creates system drag, the same as searches.

Please understand that I've been working non-stop on this (except a few hours of sleep) since I got home from Gen Con, and before... Keeping EN World running and running at an acceptable speed is very important to everyone in the community. We're not setting out to take features away - and in fact I said everyone should resubscribe.

Greylock · Aug 17, 2006

Notice of major changes would be nice.

Finger damned close to the log-out, Chris.

[Edited out. However you feel about things, you do NOT use that word on EN World. - Morrus.] considering the vast majority of ENWorld visitors would kill to get to GenCon.

Twin Rose · Aug 17, 2006

Greylock said:
Notice of major changes would be nice.

Finger damned close to the log-out, Chris.

F+ucked up bit of ranting there, considering the vast majority of ENWorld visitors would kill to get to GenCon.

This wasn't a major change, this was an emergency situation to keep the boards from going -down-.