Some changes to keep us online

[Andy R]

Hey everyone,

Now that the tour is starting back we need to make some changes so the site will stay online. As many of you know, the search feature built into the forum software is not very good. It's the way the search is designed and leads to what they call "the search of death" which can crash the server really easily. To address this we had to increase the shortest word length from 2 letters to 3 letters.

As a work around we have added a Google search option under the search drop down menu in the navbar.

Another tweak we needed to make was removing the "jump to" menu on the bottom of the page as that runs a pretty big query on every page load. We understand that this might effect the experience of some of the members and are looking forward to putting it back when the traffic slows down.

Thanks for understanding.

Andy

 

[U2Girl1978]

Why is this an issue now when it wasn't before?

 

[Sicy]

I'm guessing because this site has an incredibly high volume of traffic and the servers cant always handle it?

 

[Andy R]

Yes, the reason it's an issue now and not in the past is because the server has been crashing due to the load of this website (because of the tour starting). After thinking about things a bit more, I found another solution to the forum jump menu. Premium members can use it but it's hidden for guests and standard members.

 

[Sicy]

 

[corianderstem]

Thanks for all you do to try and keep the hamsters churning in their wheels on this place.

 

[VintagePunk]

Just a question/suggestion that you should feel free to ignore because I have very little knowledge about things like this, but would it help to have the same sort of navigation links you have at the top of the page (where it says U2 Feedback > Zoo TV > Inside Broadcast) at the bottom of the page, rather than (or in addition to) the forum jump drop down menu? Would that help the load any?

I'm not just asking because that's the way I'd prefer it to be. Honest.

 

[pepokiss]

yeah, the "jump to" menu was the best and fastest way to move on the forum
I miss it

 

[Pearl]

I'm going crazy without the jump menu.

 

[Sicy]

I've actually NEVER used the forum jump.

*edit Pearl you're premium, are you sure its not there for you?

 

[Pearl]

I've actually NEVER used the forum jump.

*edit Pearl you're premium, are you sure its not there for you?

No, its not there at all.

I'm a silver member (I think that's the term?) not a full premium member, maybe that's why?

 

[Sicy]

All premiums should be able to see it. Andy will fix this shortly.

 

[lauramullen]

I don't have it either.

 

[Daddysgonnapay]

yeah..I have been looking for the "jump" too....finally looked in this thread and saw what was going on...hopefully there will be a way to bring it back

 

[MsPurrl]

I didn't even know it was available.

 

[Sicy]

Premium silvers, can you see the drop down yet?

 

[Pearl]

Yes I can! Thanks!

 

[lauramullen]

Yup, thanks.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Thanks for all you do to try and keep the hamsters churning in their wheels on this place.

I kind of imagine the Interference forum software as a big old steamship that is leaking in a bunch of different places, but still afloat, with the engineers trying desperately to shovel enough coal into the furnace to keep it and it's hold full of refugees from sinking.

 

[Unknown Caller]

I don't get it. When I get to the end of a thread, how am I supposed to get back to forum page? Is there a good way of doing this that I am missing? Do I really have to scroll to the top of the page and click the forum name link? Is there a better way? Why not put those links at the bottom as well? This site is almost unusable now. I'm not trying to complain, it just seems like this could be fixed really easily. Am I missing something?

 

[Galeongirl]

use the backspace button on your keyboard.


Or the page up key would work equally well.

 

[Unknown Caller]

use the backspace button on your keyboard.


Or the page up key would work equally well.

Backspace just takes me to the previous page...the bottom of it no less...so that doesn't really help. Page up works I guess...if I hold it down until it gets back to the top...and then I still have to click the link once I'm there. Are these really my best options?

Wouldn't it be easier to just have the breadcrumb links at the bottom as well so we could just click and go?

 

[Sicy]

Calling the site 'unusable' is over reacting dont you think?

The jump to drop down is available for premium members Interference.com - Premium Upgrades
I can ask about the 'bread crumb' option.

 

[corianderstem]

So the site is useless because you have to use a few extra mouse-clicks to navigate? Say what?

I've never used that feature (didn't even know about it), and I've managed to rack up umpteen gazillion posts here over the past few years.

Also, you should be able to use your "back" button on the browser to skip right to a recent page, not necessarily the previous one, so it's not like you have to hit "back" 20 times to get back to the start of a 20 page thread. Do you have that little drop-down arrow next to your "back" and "forward" buttons?

 

[Unknown Caller]

ok ok..."unusable" was a bit exaggerated. But seriously...in the history of the internet I've never seen a forum take away what is basically a universally standard forum feature. Sure it's possible to use and adapt, but it is MORE DIFFICULT. Why make things less user friendly? Why make a standard feature into a pay option? Are we becoming U2.com?

Also...the suggestion about the "back" button on the browser. Yes that will take me back to the page I want, but I will still have to refresh to see any updates or activity in threads since it just shows the cached page as I left it. A small inconvenience? Maybe...but it seems like it would be so simple to have a link at the bottom of the page. I can't be the only person who used the forum jump when finished reading a thread and just wanting to get back to the forum I am in. It's the only thing that made any sense and now it's gone.

 

[Sicy]

I realize people use it but honestly, in the 10 years I've been here have not once used the bottom forum jump. It takes two seconds to scroll to the top of the page and click new posts.. which is how I navigate. But that's just me.

 

[indra]

I usually scroll to the top of the page and click on New Posts. Easy way to keep up with fast moving threads and see what's new throughout the whole forum.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

yeah, i've never used it either. i've always just used tabs. it's a lot quicker to just open a bunch of tabs for each thread i want to read, let them load in the background, and then just do a bunch of reading.

besides, i recall it was one of the things that proved to be a strain on the server which is why it was removed for all but premiums. if this is the case, it only makes sense it's only available for them.

 

[Galeongirl]

I wasn't even aware we had this forum jump button. I always just scroll up or use backspace to go back to the main forum page and go into another subforum..

 

[corianderstem]

Yep, my internet life has changed for a world of better when I discovered the "new posts" button. It's the only way I navigate the site now.