Plan B Forum

It's still slow as all fuck here, but it's getting to be useable.

When should we call people back?

I don' want to piss people off by calling them back to a too slow forum, but I don't want people to drift away as the forum is down too long.

Thoughts?

Its current speed reminds me of the days before I had DSL. I'm okay with it for now but I certainly can't speak for everyone.

I wouldn't want it to be like this all of the time, but it's doable and not that bothersome for me. Then again, some of us may have it worse than others.

You might want to just let people know that things have improved but are not yet at full speed.

It's too bad those dreampeople can't give an estimate for when the problem will be resolved.

It's a real pain in the arse, and adding to my frustration greatly, that they cannot tell us; "Should be back to speed in 12 hours" or the like.

I'll do the rounds of letting people know the score later today. Though there's nothing stopping anyone from e-mailing any other member they are fond (or not) of on the e-mail link in their member profile, and keeping in touch with them.

As I mentioned in the other thread, it reminds me of the page loading speed of the mid 90s....

If it were my decision, I certainly wouldn't be sending out a mass blast email to bring people back under these conditions....

I would suggest maybe sending an email to somebody higher up in the food chain at DreamHost, (like the CEO) insisting on getting an answer as to when acceptable service will be restored, and if that answer isn't forthcoming....

And if service isn't restored by say early next week, (they really have no excuse for this; at this point it's clear we're getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment )

I'd send another email demanding a refund for the service (if you paid through PayPal you have a good chance of getting it; if you threaten to file a complaint with PayPal, they'll almost certainly refund the money; having issues with PayPal is not a headache they need) and then move the site to another host.

If it comes to that, I'll be happy to kick in a few bucks to help make that happen.

ETA:

I realize that moving a site of this size with this many files is a pain in the butt, and will take some doing, but if the alternative they are offering is dial-up quality page loading speed that belongs on Antique Roadshow in perpetuity...

I'll certainly do that Jim!

I'm also willing to toss in a few quidbucks if the necessitation becomes apparently required in order to achieve lack of slowness. Throughout my lives I've saved quite a load of cash bags that has made it allowable for me to be generous to a fault that might be corrected if you don't request my generosity offerings soon enough.

It's not right that things should work this way, (everyone should be entitled to what they paid for without having to get aggressive about it) but the fact of the matter is I've managed to get much better service and responsiveness out of businesses and government bureaucracies then most folks over the years simply by bypassing the drones who weren't handling my problem and going straight to the people at the top of the pecking order...

You make yourself a "squeaky wheel"...you get on the radar screen...

You get past that tipping point in the system where it becomes easier for them to respond to you and solve your problem, than it is for them to ignore you....

Unfortunately, that is sometimes the only way to get anything done...

Well Jim, some of your observations were so eloquently phrased, I cut'n'pasted them into (yet another) email of complaint.

Well Jim, some of your observations were so eloquently phrased, I cut'n'pasted them into (yet another) email of complaint.

Good.

I hope you sent it directly to Mr. Simon Anderson....

Good thing he minds his grammer

BTW, if anyone should care to contact Mr. Anderson here's the contact information he has listed on his personal website (got this through Linkedin):

http://www.oaventures.com/

Contact details:

Phone: (310) 600-1452

Email: simon@oaventures.com

(I know we're not supposed to post personal information, but I thought we might make an exception just this once... )

I think it would be nice to send a little generic email to people just as an update on what's happening.

Last week you either couldn't get in to the site at all - with all sorts of 'interesting' messages coming up that shed no light on what was happening - or you could get in, but usually couldn't get past the main index page, and when sometimes you could get through it took forever and sometimes locked up or doing all sorts of weird things.
Then it went from that to being generally able to get into the site, but it was so slow and such an ordeal that it became annoying. I think it was still intermittent as well (I was giving up by then).
So if it's progressed from that to being "just" ridiculously slow, at least it is an improvement and an update would at least give people the option of trying it out again and deciding for themselves whether it's still a bit too labour-intensive at the moment.

Especially if you're considering things like swapping hosts, which might mean that, as Lord Jim explained, you could end up totally down for a few hours while you're transferring - I think a general update every now and then would keep people in the 'loop', and letting people know that this may happen means they would know it's not the 'end' of Plan B.

And an emailed update every now and then at least reminds people that you're still around and prompts them to just wander back every now and then to see how it's progressing.
You're (rightfully) upset that your hosts aren't keeping you updated and are leaving you "in the dark" - I don't think you should make the same mistake with your membership.
(maybe you could even do a bulk email, including people registered who haven't been here for a long time - perhaps turn it into a good excuse to remind them of your existence, even if there are temporary issues).

Sorry to be adding to your work at the moment

(... and just adding that I really did appreciate the email you did send, updating on the situation. For me anyway, it made quite a difference )

Well, it's good to know what is going on, I'll always be around, this place needs a full load of BS.

As usual, Alice provides a very thoughtful and sensible post.....

Beer Sponge....

Not so much....

It seems to me that Plan B is renting space from a person/company that has already rented space from a renter that has taken on space from a provider.

Didn't want to be out done by BS...

I'm thinking about starting a new BBS and calling it 'Plan C'. Anyone interested in leaving this place to the slugs and moving into the 21st century?

Gob wrote:It's a real pain in the arse, and adding to my frustration greatly, that they cannot tell us; "Should be back to speed in 12 hours" or the like.

This is your fault!

OK, it isn't...but I'm going to blame you anyway! :p

You'd think a hosting company would have their act together better than this. Yes, hardware breaks, stuff needs replaced, but taking this long is a bit silly. Hopefully things are up to speed before too much longer.

And it looks like everything's nearly back to normal.