mick2me 3,033 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Our web hosts inform us that our site is so busy it is peaking to 100% CPU use on the web server! They have moved us into semi-dedicated hosting to allocate more server resources. Consequently when webhosting package is renewed in a couple of weeks the cost will be quadrupled! Am not complainin' mind Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,524 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 We'd berra 'av a whip round then .......... 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I am looking round for cheaper hosting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I'm not being nosy but who pays for this? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Mick does. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 #2 We are with LizzieM on this one. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I'm not being nosy but who pays for this? Don't be nosey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 You can afford it Mick ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alisoncc 379 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Mick, do you get Awstats statistics with Geo data? From this you should be able to ascertain where the "visitors" are coming from. If you find that the bulk of the hits are from Chinese or East European IP Addresses, then it could wind down as fast as it wound up. My webserver regularly gets DDOS attacks that ramp up traffic significantly. DDOS - Distributed Denial of Service. It's where a mass of hits are received from invalid addresses, yet the server doesn't know this and is forced to reply. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,503 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Speaking of visitors...... I recall a couple of months ago I logged on to Nottstalgia one morning and found a spam attack in progress. I blocked the "person" responsible, and then spent the next half hour deleting about 100 messages which the bot had managed to post in various threads. That's the kind of business you don't want. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Yes Spambots do take bandwidth. We get thousands of attempt spambot registrations that are bounced by our security, But the forum itself is very busy with visitors. I would not buy hosting without CPANEL & AWSTATS. We also use Google Analytics and other systems for the security of our members. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MELTONSTILTON 452 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 It is just an idea, but why not have a donate button, where those who want to, can give a little something towards the running costs. I have a few old LSD coins, I will send towards the running costs if they are needed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,091 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I'm sure a lot of us would chip in to cover server costs. Better that than you having to sell your soul to Google Ads. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Ayup Mick. I've been nosy all my life. No turning back. My surname should be Parker. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fch782c 144 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 I think (for what its worth) like myself most users wouldn't mind paying a nominal fee towards upgrading services, don't know what everyone else thinks? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJBrenton 738 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 I'm not being nosy but who pays for this? We take it in turns. Just by chance it's your turn next. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Byeeeeeeee. LOL Why not an annual membership fee, or is that illegal? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Melton Stilton. Shame on you using LSD. Do you use magic mushrooms as well? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,091 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Byeeeeeeee. LOL Why not an annual membership fee, or is that illegal? Happens on another forum I use. A tenner a year through Paypal to an off-the shelf company the admin set up. Fairly straightforward and took one major financial headache off his hands. Paying members get the normal forum pages and more private messaging capacity, visitors and non-members get to see some discretely-placed Google ads and only allowed a handful of PMs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Forums these days aren't as popular as they used to be, pre FB and the other social sites. Annual fees are the death knell of a site... There were strong rumours, my guess was management started them to gauge public opinion that FB was going to charge a $25 annual membership fee, a year or so back. There were hundreds of petitions circulating making members opinions heard. It would have cost FB millions in losses with so many deleting their accounts and from that lost advertising. Friends Reunited started charging full membership for members to post on it's forum, mainly for a cheaper way of moderating the forum, ie post something other members don't like, and you were toast. They had to set up another profile and pay the 15 quid...Cost them millions in lost revenue, so much they sold it. It's still struggling, I heard not long back ATV are looking for a buyer.....It hasn't recovered from charging members all those years back and it's virtually free now. Some services have to be paid for.. No, in these times it's dangerous to have an annual membership fee for forums. Would I pay an annual fee??? a resounding NO, I'm on a tight fixed budget, anything big we need, we have to save up for for many months, some months we cannot put anything back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alisoncc 379 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Noted that IP.Board - Invision charge like a wounded bull for their software. I've run quite a few forums and have always used Open Source software which is free. You need a few more clues in setting it up, but members of community support forums are only too happy to help. Currently run SMF on two forums. When the forums carried a lot more traffic I used leased hosting that only cost sixty quid a year. That included full CPanel, MySQL and latest PHP. Since becoming more active on Nottstalgia I seem to be chewing up a lot more download quota. Which suggests that all editing is taking place on the host server rather than locally on my machine. Both my forums download the editor - CKEditor, to the cllient significantly reducing traffic. If the hosting provider has configured the software to maximise bandwidth utilisation then it's a way in which they can then charge clients ever increasing amounts. Just some thoughts. PS. Also design using Drupal. Will investigate their Advanced Forum module. I understand that it may be comparable with many proprietary packages, 'cept it's also free. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted October 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 I am grateful to those who have offered to pay towards hosting. This board was conceived in 2004 to allow Nottingham people to make contact without paying services such as Fiends-Reunited! It was never intended to charge for membership of this site. Nothing has change. I use (and pay for) Invision Software because I believe it is the best, I could install a Free BBS but choose not to do so, or Heaven Forbid use Pooboards! Recently our finances have suffered due to moving house, job changes etc, so I still have the look around for the best hosting deal. I have considered Advertising but have ruled that out. With change of hosting expect disruption in the next few days... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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