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ollaer · 04-20-2007, 12:49 PM

... to inform users when forum is down due to maintenance.

I have over a hundred active users. Today, apparently due to server maintenance, none of them can log in. They can only browse as guests. I can't log in to the forum so I can't let them know what's going on (most of them aren't using their daily email addresses to register).

It would be nice if they were able to see some type of "Server maintenance" message on the forum.

mtnzone · 04-20-2007, 01:13 PM

i know what you mean!!!

IceViking · 04-20-2007, 01:18 PM

http://forum.forumer.com/showthread.php?t=62851&page=29

Post #428.

They are helping, but maybe you should suggest a global announcement by the Admins here when stuff like this happens in the suggestions forum. It could work, but I don't know whether it's viable, or what the technicalities of that would be.

PVWW888 · 04-20-2007, 01:23 PM

Yeah man, some sort of emergency section in the admin forum, that all an admin can do is log in and email the members as to the problem, and maybe display some custom group message on the main index...

ollaer · 04-20-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceViking

http://forum.forumer.com/showthread.php?t=62851&page=29

Post #428.

They are helping, but maybe you should suggest a global announcement by the Admins here when stuff like this happens in the suggestions forum. It could work, but I don't know whether it's viable, or what the technicalities of that would be.

Right, except for the "here" part. It should be a global announcement to everybody browsing any forum hosted on Forumer. Not just announcement on support site of Forumer.com. Most of my users don't care to know that it exists. They type in the forum url and try to log in and get the blank screen, and there's no way for me to post a message to tell them it's a temporary problem and is being addressed.

ollaer · 04-20-2007, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PVWW888

Yeah man, some sort of emergency section in the admin forum, that all an admin can do is log in and email the members as to the problem, and maybe display some custom group message on the main index...

Well, the problem is, many if not most users won't be using their "real" email to sign up, not if they have any sense. And when they've been with forum long enough to trust it with their real email, they forget to change it in their profile. I think I know how to get hold of, maybe, 40% of users. And it's only because I constantly nag them to update their email address. The service downtime message should be an announcement they can read when they open forum page, and it should be made by Forumer.com, not by the individual forum owners. After all, how many of us babysit their forums every day ? I can be on a business trip or something like that, and would then only check in sporadically.

**Attitude** · 04-20-2007, 01:31 PM

I think it's a good suggestion. However, it may be a little difficult to do this. When a server goes down, there's absolutely no communication from the networks to the server.

I am going to move this to Forumer Suggestions for more and better feedback for you

X3773 · 04-20-2007, 01:37 PM

When there is no communication to the sever can't you display the messages using another sever that is working? Like when there is no communication jump it to another sever with the global announcement on it.

ollaer · 04-20-2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Attitude

I think it's a good suggestion. However, it may be a little difficult to do this. When a server goes down, there's absolutely no communication from the networks to the server.

I am going to move this to Forumer Suggestions for more and better feedback for you

Actually, it's rather simple.

Create a Server Status topic on support forum. Make it simple to navigate - i.e. only list of servers and their status something like "Server 1 - OK, Server 2 - Down until xxx, Server 3 - OK..) , updated only by Forumer admins, no other posts allowed. Forum owners will post a link to the thread on forum's home page, and tell users how to check the server status (e.g. "click the link, look at the list of servers, we are on Server 14, and if it's says "Server 14 is down" we are out of luck"). Now, somebody from Forumer.com would have to keep list of servers and update the status on more or less constant basis.

**Attitude** · 04-20-2007, 01:51 PM

By the way, we already do have a server status page:

http://forumer.com/fap/fstatus.php

This page will show you if the servers are down or not. (Red dot means down, green dot means up). This, however, just shows if the server is up and running or not.

If we create any threads or any forums regarding servers being down, most people don't read them and just go ahead and help themselves with making tons of threads - they end up getting merged.

ollaer · 04-20-2007, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Attitude

By the way, we already do have a server status page:

http://forumer.com/fap/fstatus.php

This page will show you if the servers are down or not. (Red dot means down, green dot means up). This, however, just shows if the server is up and running or not.

If we create any threads or any forums regarding servers being down, most people don't read them and just go ahead and help themselves with making tons of threads - they end up getting merged.

According to the status link you posted, everything is fine. But we know it isn't ?

I don't suggest creating a thread for everybody to post to - just for Administration to let us know current server status - basically same thing you gave us the link for, but showing which server has problems.

Perhaps they could add a different color to the red, green and yellow, to indicate that server is up but has problems or maintenance.

Raq · 04-20-2007, 02:17 PM

Hi,

It says on there that server 21 is online but I can assure you it isn't. You can still see the messages etc but whenever you try to log in or post you get a blank screen and thats it

x

ollaer · 04-20-2007, 02:18 PM

An alternative suggestion: allow forum owners create private threads (i.e. the threads only they can post in) here, on Forumer support forum (which is obviously on a separate server). This way, I could create a thread that I would link to my forum's home page, and let users know what's going on when we get another situation like this one.

PVWW888 · 04-20-2007, 03:43 PM

I hear you, ollaer. Well, something has to be put up for the users to see, if they can't sign in. Maybe something like when a server goes down, user xxx cannot connect with server yyy or whatever, due to maintainence. Whatever. Something on the main index after signin.
I must say it's awesome we can read things at least! Most times there's downtime, no viewing anything at all. We only can't sign in, this time.
My server ten is also listed as green light, but naw, tis off and red. Bug reported?

04-20-2007, 12:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
ollaer Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 27 Rep Power: 0 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 206.0 Bank: 26.8 Total fBuck$: 232.8 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Administration needs to help us... ... to inform users when forum is down due to maintenance. I have over a hundred active users. Today, apparently due to server maintenance, none of them can log in. They can only browse as guests. I can't log in to the forum so I can't let them know what's going on (most of them aren't using their daily email addresses to register). It would be nice if they were able to see some type of "Server maintenance" message on the forum.

04-20-2007, 01:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
mtnzone Junior Forumer Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 90 Rep Power: 3 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 1,892.9 Bank: 0.0 Total fBuck$: 1,892.9 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... i know what you mean!!!

04-20-2007, 01:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
IceViking Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 45 Rep Power: 0 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 249.0 Bank: 0.0 Total fBuck$: 249.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... http://forum.forumer.com/showthread.php?t=62851&page=29 Post #428. They are helping, but maybe you should suggest a global announcement by the Admins here when stuff like this happens in the suggestions forum. It could work, but I don't know whether it's viable, or what the technicalities of that would be.

04-20-2007, 01:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
PVWW888 Junior Forumer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Halifax, NS, Canada Posts: 57 Rep Power: 2 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 52.0 Bank: 0.0 Total fBuck$: 52.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... Yeah man, some sort of emergency section in the admin forum, that all an admin can do is log in and email the members as to the problem, and maybe display some custom group message on the main index...
	http://MegaWebUltra.x.am

04-20-2007, 01:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
Attitude VIP Team Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Right Coast Posts: 11,956 Blog Entries: 3 Rep Power: 16 fTrader: (11) fBuck$: 6,245.9 Bank: 3.0 Total fBuck$: 6,249.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... I think it's a good suggestion. However, it may be a little difficult to do this. When a server goes down, there's absolutely no communication from the networks to the server. I am going to move this to Forumer Suggestions for more and better feedback for you
	Been there, destroyed that. "Think of how stupid the average person is and realize half of them are stupider than that."

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04-20-2007, 01:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
X3773 Active Forumer Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 290 Rep Power: 3 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 291.6 Bank: 24,203.4 Total fBuck$: 24,495.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... When there is no communication to the sever can't you display the messages using another sever that is working? Like when there is no communication jump it to another sever with the global announcement on it.
	Ember Zone

04-20-2007, 01:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
Attitude VIP Team Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Right Coast Posts: 11,956 Blog Entries: 3 Rep Power: 16 fTrader: (11) fBuck$: 6,245.9 Bank: 3.0 Total fBuck$: 6,249.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... By the way, we already do have a server status page: http://forumer.com/fap/fstatus.php This page will show you if the servers are down or not. (Red dot means down, green dot means up). This, however, just shows if the server is up and running or not. If we create any threads or any forums regarding servers being down, most people don't read them and just go ahead and help themselves with making tons of threads - they end up getting merged.
	Been there, destroyed that. "Think of how stupid the average person is and realize half of them are stupider than that."

04-20-2007, 02:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
Raq Active Forumer Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 428 Rep Power: 2 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 932.0 Bank: 0.0 Total fBuck$: 932.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... Hi, It says on there that server 21 is online but I can assure you it isn't. You can still see the messages etc but whenever you try to log in or post you get a blank screen and thats it x

04-20-2007, 02:18 PM	#13 (permalink)
ollaer Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 27 Rep Power: 0 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 206.0 Bank: 26.8 Total fBuck$: 232.8 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... An alternative suggestion: allow forum owners create private threads (i.e. the threads only they can post in) here, on Forumer support forum (which is obviously on a separate server). This way, I could create a thread that I would link to my forum's home page, and let users know what's going on when we get another situation like this one.

04-20-2007, 03:43 PM	#14 (permalink)
PVWW888 Junior Forumer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Halifax, NS, Canada Posts: 57 Rep Power: 2 fTrader: (0) fBuck$: 52.0 Bank: 0.0 Total fBuck$: 52.0 Send fBuck$ » My Forumer My Country:	Re: Administration needs to help us... I hear you, ollaer. Well, something has to be put up for the users to see, if they can't sign in. Maybe something like when a server goes down, user xxx cannot connect with server yyy or whatever, due to maintainence. Whatever. Something on the main index after signin. I must say it's awesome we can read things at least! Most times there's downtime, no viewing anything at all. We only can't sign in, this time. My server ten is also listed as green light, but naw, tis off and red. Bug reported?
	http://MegaWebUltra.x.am

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