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Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

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Gary Lewis

Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

Folks - As you are probably aware, yesterday this forum was down essentially all day. That's because the server on which our forum is hosted crashed and it took them that long to get it back up. I apologize for the outage, but that was out of my control.

Unfortunately server crashes happen. However, commercial hosting platforms usually have ways to get servers back up quickly. But we've not been running on a commercially-hosted platform. Instead we've been running on a free platform for the last two years.

As it turns out we've been working on moving the forum to a commercial platform for some time, and yesterday's outage has only heightened the resolve to do that. So stay tuned for an announcement on that subject, hopefully soon.

Again, sorry for the outage.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

1986F150Six

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

Thanks for keeping us updated, Gary!

Machspeed

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

I was wondering why I couldn't get on yesterday. It's become part of my daily ritual now and I was having withdrawals....LOL! Not a biggie, Gary. Thanks for all you do!

John

"Blackie" - 1986 F150 4x4 - Mildly warmed over 351W HO - Original owner

kramttocs

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

In reply to this post by 1986F150Six

Agreed. We all appreciate the work that often goes on behind the scenes.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

In reply to this post by Machspeed

Thanks, guys. I was pretty upset yesterday when it went down, and then I realized that I don't have any way to email y'all to tell you that the forum is down.

I think I've come up with a way to do that and some of you know 'cause I just emailed you to test it. So, in future I should be able to communicate with you if, perish the thought, we have another outage.

As for "all I do", it has become a bit more time-consuming than I expected, what with backups, photo contests, coaching members to "be nice", admitting new members, etc. Fortunately we have the other admin's that really help. But, if someone else wants to step up to take some aspect of it PLEASE let me know.

I started this forum not quite two years ago, but never dreamed it would take off like it has. We now have a LOT of valuable information that people are looking for, and we've grown into one of the mainline forums for these trucks. So we now need to be thinking "big time", such as the for-pay server, email warnings if there is a problem, etc.

But, the goal is still the same: A forum where we can all have fun, get help, and hang out - w/o fees and advertising. And the ability to chart our own destiny w/o "corporate" telling us what we are going to do.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

salans7

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Gary, I'm late to the party but the email worked for me.

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

Thanks, Shaun. But I've run into a stumbling block. Gmail limits you to 500 messages in 24 hours. That could be 500 messages to one person or one message to 500 people, or some combination thereof. But we have ~800 members and they all need one message ASAP when a problem arises.

I'm looking into bulk mailing sites, but does anyone know of a good way to mail 1,000 people instantly?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

kramttocs

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

I like the personal touch but what about instead of emailing everyone you just redirect the forum portion of the site or replace the nabble module with a 'system down/go work on your truck

' message?

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

I've wondered about doing something like that, Scott. But what I don't know is how people get to the site and if that would work.

Let me think by typing. It seems there are these ways members get to the site. But I'd like y'all to tell me how you get to the site.

1: Via the link in an email that comes when someone posts. And replacing the Nabble module wouldn't work in that case.

2: Via a bookmark. If the bookmark is to the home page of the website, where the forum is, that would work. But if the bookmark is to a thread or post w/in the forum that won't work.

3: Google search. Lots of people seem to come via a search, and if that search is to anything other than the home page that won't work.

So, how do y'all get to the forum?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

kramttocs

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

Good point. I typically have a tab always open to the forum on my laptop but I definitely use the email links on my phone.
Did nabble have any ideas that they could implement on their end while still being part of the free offering?

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Another option would be to let people sign up for notifications if we have an outage. I could maintain a list and just copy/paste that to the bcc field if I needed to tell y'all something. That would surely be a much smaller # than 500, and maybe less than 100 so I could send it in one go.

Thoughts?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

kramttocs

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

I would vote for that idea over every registered user. Maybe see if there is a field that could be added under a users profile. Or a field that could be repurposed/renamed if a new one can't be added.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Rembrant

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary,

I guess I wasn't paying attention as I didn't even know the forum had gone down. I usually check-in A LOT, but we are on vacation and visiting family and friends for a few days in the RV, and I haven't been online much at all. When I first tried to reply to this message (at around 7:18 Atlantic time) I got the message below...seems a bit odd for that hour of the day. Still some bugs maybe?

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

Yes, I just got the same message. And you may be right, there may still be some bugs. Or, they may have had hardware problems and taken one or more processors out of the server to get it back up.

That's one of the issues we have with Nabble - we don't know anything about what goes on behind the curtain. And we really have no right to do so since we aren't paying anything and they've honored my request not to have adverts. But when we move to a commercial server we should know what is going on.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

In reply to this post by kramttocs

kramttocs wrote

I would vote for that idea over every registered user. Maybe see if there is a field that could be added under a users profile. Or a field that could be repurposed/renamed if a new one can't be added.

Scott - That was a good idea, but I'll go you one better if you've got the nerve. (Sorry, Jan & Dean.)

I just created a new "group" called Email Status Request and can add people to it. That creates a bit of work for me to put people in as I have to copy & paste their handle/email address combo. But that's really a piece of cake to do. And then whenever it changes I'll copy/paste it into a Word document.

That should easily keep the # small enough that I can email to it, and probably several times in a day if need be.

So now the question becomes where to put the sign-up list? What if I un-pin this thread and create a new thread for signing up and put it here? I'd think it needs to be pinned so people will see it, otherwise new members won't know about it.

And, I could add a blurb about it on the Email Notifications tab on the Bullnose Forum/Forum FAQ's page.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

FuzzFace2

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

As for how a get here, I have the home page (most of the time) opened on my laptop and then go to any posts may have a new posting to.

I don't use my phone much to check in as I find it hard to navigate thru the pages and even more so to reply.
I find when I reply it opens it in a new window / tab, I answer and then it leaves the window / tab open.
This does not happen on the laptop.
Phone is using Chrome? (old phone)and laptop (don't

)
IE 11 ........ I don't like change!

As for being added to a list or not "I" am up in the air, but that is totally me.
I have gotten a few of the over cap. MSG and that sums it up pretty good.
Is that the MSG that came up the other day when the site was down?
As for the site going down the other day I did not know it had as I was working and again hard to navigate site on my phone.
Dave ----

Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100

Rembrant

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis wrote

Yes, I just got the same message. And you may be right, there may still be some bugs. Or, they may have had hardware problems and taken one or more processors out of the server to get it back up.

That's one of the issues we have with Nabble - we don't know anything about what goes on behind the curtain. And we really have no right to do so since we aren't paying anything and they've honored my request not to have adverts. But when we move to a commercial server we should know what is going on.

It still seems a bit buggy today too Gary, or is it just me?

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

It was hit and miss this morning, but has seemed pretty solid this afternoon.

One of the things that bugs me about Nabble is that they don't tell us boo. We, the users, tell them when there's a problem and then it usually goes away w/o anyone on their side telling us that it has nor why it happened in the first place. Granted we are getting a free service, so shouldn't complain. But I'm hoping that when we get to a commercial server we will get a lot more support.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

swampedout

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Hey Gary, I didnt notice that it was down yesterday, as I was working on my trucks

but I think you do a great job as moderator. I hope you dont let it become a job you feel like you have to do. The resources and open forum available here are plenty already!

Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems

Gary Lewis

Re: Yesterday's Outage & Forum Hosting Plans

Administrator

It isn't a job, it is a labor of love. The forum has really taken off, far beyond my wildest imagination, and I like making it work for us. All of us.

So the outages really bug me, especially when I am not aware of why we had an outage nor whether they really fixed it or it is still "out there" and will come back.

I was an IT professional and I understand how things should be run. And this ain't it. So I'm hoping to make some improvements.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile