|
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: RootsChat Performance: how can we help ? (Read 10335 times)
|
Berlin-Bob
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
      
Posts: 5682

by: My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !
|
You've probably all noticed (and suffered ) when RootsChat has outages, "go slows" etc.
This is a typical response:
Has anyone else been having problems accessing RootsChat yesterday (31 December) and today (31 January)?
As you can guess, I've had problems - receiving the "try again in an hour" page, on both days. I have had no problems accessing other popular websites, eg BBC etc.
[...]
And, is there anything we should do as Rootschatters to reduce the risk of this "freeze out" occurring? Annoying, but we all have to live with it 
However . . .
And, is there anything we should do as Rootschatters to reduce the risk of this "freeze out" occurring ? Yes, there is 
1) Images on RootsChat
Those of us who use broadband tend to forget how many people there are, who still use slow dial-up connections. So anything that speeds up page downloads is an improvement. Even on Broadband !
When we call up a page in the browser (i.e. click on a link) then the page, text and graphics, is downloaded to our computer, whereby "graphics" includes avatars, smileys (both in the text and in the signatur), and images attatched to the text
1) On 15 replies to a topic (maximum replies per page), up to 15 profile pics are downloaded. (that's the worst case: if it's just two people, answering back and forth, then only two profile pics get downloaded)
I downloaded two RootsChat pages, one with just one avatar (profile pic) and one with 10: The text part of each page was about 100 KB The graphics part of the 1st. page was 60 KB The graphics part of the 2nd. page was 250 KB
Doing the maths, nearly 200 KB of the 2nd. page was taken up with avatars and smileys.
Most people have an avatar/profile pic of 10 KB or less, which is reasonable, but I have noticed some bigger avatars, one even going to 65KB. (update: I've since seen two, over 150 KB !)
So please keep this in mind when choosing a profile pic, as we can all benefit from faster page loads.
2) Images attached to replies also need download time. Obviously, for the Photo Restoration board, they need to be big, so that the restorers have the best 'raw material" to work with, and some of the "can someone recognise/decipher this ?" images may need to be big, but images on other boards can be smaller, especially snap-shots (see replies #2, and #3 about a voluntary code of conduct.
Please try to keep larger images to a maximum width of 600 - 700 pixels. This reduces the overall size, improves download times, and also, very important, avoids 'screen stretching', where we have to keep scrolling right and left to see a picture. Remember that many of us use use laptops and notebooks with a screen width of 1024 pixels, or even older computers with a screen width of 800 pixels.
Thanks,  Bob
see Topic: Adding images to Posting & Profiles 1) Resizing and cropping your image file:[/color] http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,130922.0.html
ps: I've now edited my signature, as the two smileys there were nearly 10 KB (animated GIFs !!)
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: Monday 20 August 07 13:06 UTC (UK) by Berlin-Bob »
|
Logged
|
Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe; Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861) and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site. All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
|
|
|
Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 24442

Holy Island - Pilgrims' Path
|
Hear, hear!!
Having had to suffer the dreaded dial up a few times over the last couple of months, I know exactly how it feels. I remember that I gave up on many pages because of the problem of images. And those widies 
My new avatar is half the file size of my old one 
Also, for non-photo restoration images, it is possible to do jpeg compressions that reduce the overall file size substantially. The image still looks fine to view though.
Gadget
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
kerryb
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 11957

|
I was wondering about image sizes myself this morning, seeing the thread about keeping some of the totally off topic stuff such as Our Ancestors.
Could we not have a voluntary code of conduct whereby images for threads for enjoyment other than photo restoration be reduced in size, where huge size is not absolutely necessary??
Kerry
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukSearching for my family - Baldwin - Sussex, Middlesex, Cork, Pilbeam - Sussex, Harmer - Sussex, Terry - Surrey, Kent, Rhoades - Lincs, Roffey - Surrey, Traies - Devon & Middlesex & many many more to be found on my website .... www.kerrysfamilyhistory.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
julianb
RootsChat Aristocrat
     
Posts: 1437

Portrait of the genealogist as a young man
|
Thanks, Bob, and for getting it stickied
[NB - No smileys!]
JULIAN
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Essex - Carter, Danns, Mason, Middleditch, Pond, Poole, Rose, Sorrell, Surry, Theobald Hunts - Danns Kent - Luetchford Nottinghamshire - Baker Suffolk - Rose Surrey - Baker, Bedel, Bransden, Carter, Coleman, Gibbs, Luetchford, Quinton Sussex - Gibbs, Langridge Wiltshire - Brice, Rumble Rootschatters fh websites - http://www.rootschat.com/links/04lg/ Any census info in this post is Crown Copyright - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
|
|
|
Berlin-Bob
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
      
Posts: 5682

by: My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !
|
And, is there anything we should do as Rootschatters to reduce the risk of this "freeze out" occurring ? Yes, there is 
2) E-Mail notifications
E-Mail notifications also use up RootsChat resources.
a) Notifications for topics
When you reply to a topic, or start a new topic, you can choose whether you want to be notified by e-mail. On large topics many e-mail notifications may get sent out, which is a drain on the RootsChat resources.
Many members have reported that the Show new replies to your posts. link is sufficient notification, so we would like to encourage you not to use the e-mail notification.
Here are three possibilities for turning it off:
1) When posting, click on "Additional Options" and you can uncheck the "Notify me of replies"
2) You can also click on the "Notify" button at the top/bottom of a topic at any time to turn e-mail notification off
3) you can enter in your profile, whether the default should be "notify"/"don't notify" see Profile / Notifications and Email You can also edit your current notifications here
Related Topics: Topic: Please tell me what this means. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,165622.0.html
Topic: Topic reply notification http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,174535.0.html By the way, if you received an e-mail notification and found no new replies, then see Reply #13 http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,174535.msg882211.html#msg882211
Topic: Messages, Replies and E-mails http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,161799.0.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
b) Notifications for PMs
You can also edit your profile to turn off e-mail notifications for Personal Messages (PM)
See Profile / Personal Message Options in your profile
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ps. Nothing to do with RootsChat performance, but another aspect of the quantity of e-mails, is that some members have reported that their ISP and e-mail providers put RootsChat e-mails in the junk box, on the grounds that bulk mails are likely to be SPAM
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe; Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861) and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site. All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
|
|
|
yn9man
RootsChat Aristocrat
     
Posts: 1158
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Bob -
FYI -
I have tried to "turn off" the e mail notification setting twice now. I still receive the notifications though. Does it take a few days for the notifications to stop?
Thanks.
yn9man
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Scotland - Adam, Galt, Jardine, Turnbull, Robertson, Murray, Allison, Mitchell, Brown, Younie, Key, McGilvrea, Mellis/ Mellice, McHutcheon, Auchincloss, Jardine, Rae
England - Saunders, Williams/Wyllams, Charlton, McKey, Lance, Jory, Ellis, Trounson, Dingle, Hambridge, Sweetman/Sweatman, Ricks/Rix, Cole, Shearwood, Brooks
|
|
|
|
|
yn9man
RootsChat Aristocrat
     
Posts: 1158
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Trystan -
Thanks for looking at my profile.
Guess I need to go back and untick the other two again.
yn9man
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Scotland - Adam, Galt, Jardine, Turnbull, Robertson, Murray, Allison, Mitchell, Brown, Younie, Key, McGilvrea, Mellis/ Mellice, McHutcheon, Auchincloss, Jardine, Rae
England - Saunders, Williams/Wyllams, Charlton, McKey, Lance, Jory, Ellis, Trounson, Dingle, Hambridge, Sweetman/Sweatman, Ricks/Rix, Cole, Shearwood, Brooks
|
|
|
Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 24442

Holy Island - Pilgrims' Path
|
Hi
Have other's noticed that Rootschat performance is getting sluggish again. At lunch time today it just slowed to a stop and it's now very slow again
is there anything we can do at all to help 
Gadget
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
BettyofKent
RootsChat Aristocrat
     
Posts: 1167

Ray & Frank
|
I've found it very slow today, I can go off & do something else while I'm waiting, & I'm on broadband! It must be a real pain for those on dial-up.
Betty
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
KENT: Stutely - Wittersham & Stone Padgham - Wittersham Wanstall - Northbourne Taylor - Ringwould & Ash Skinner - Deal Bushell - Walmer Spain - Walmer Also Schloss - Poland, Nottingham, Massachusetts & New Zealand. Cohen - Birmingham "Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.
|
|
|
kerryb
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 11957

|
Gadget
I gave up trying to get onto the site twice today because I just got a page cannot be loaded page.
I've just waited a minute trying to look a PM, I know cause I timed it. 
I'll do anything I can to help!
Kerry
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukSearching for my family - Baldwin - Sussex, Middlesex, Cork, Pilbeam - Sussex, Harmer - Sussex, Terry - Surrey, Kent, Rhoades - Lincs, Roffey - Surrey, Traies - Devon & Middlesex & many many more to be found on my website .... www.kerrysfamilyhistory.co.uk
|
|
|
Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 24442

Holy Island - Pilgrims' Path
|
I've just spent ages trying to modify a message, Kerry, and it wasn't my typing 
I'm off for now for a while 
Sorry folks - no look ups, no restoration.......
Maybe it will pick up then 
Gadget
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
kerryb
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 11957

|
I'm sure you're not solely responsible for the problems Gadget. But I'll let you know if it gets faster when you go. 
Kerry
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukSearching for my family - Baldwin - Sussex, Middlesex, Cork, Pilbeam - Sussex, Harmer - Sussex, Terry - Surrey, Kent, Rhoades - Lincs, Roffey - Surrey, Traies - Devon & Middlesex & many many more to be found on my website .... www.kerrysfamilyhistory.co.uk
|
|
|
julianb
RootsChat Aristocrat
     
Posts: 1437

Portrait of the genealogist as a young man
|
Seems to be going quite swiftly right now
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Essex - Carter, Danns, Mason, Middleditch, Pond, Poole, Rose, Sorrell, Surry, Theobald Hunts - Danns Kent - Luetchford Nottinghamshire - Baker Suffolk - Rose Surrey - Baker, Bedel, Bransden, Carter, Coleman, Gibbs, Luetchford, Quinton Sussex - Gibbs, Langridge Wiltshire - Brice, Rumble Rootschatters fh websites - http://www.rootschat.com/links/04lg/ Any census info in this post is Crown Copyright - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
|
|
|
|
|