Topic closed Topic closed because it surpassed the maximum number of pages.

[november_ra1n]

Topic closed because it surpassed the maximum number of pages.

Creating & updating all those numbers below will take year(s). And they don't come just short time effort:
This is what we have been loosing:

Google, Yahoo,Ask, Yandex etc search engineRecommendation link of other web-sitesBookmarks and links from other hundreds web-sidesWord of mouthNumber of viewsNumber of Topic FollowerNumber of liked/thanks Number of votes***Also loosing some very important topic replies, info, links etc. with old topic.!

Here is the one example result since yesterday:
Old Topic:

New One:

PS: Closing old topic and reopen new one may help forum errors and slow running problems just little bit in a short period of time but not for long run. It should have been sort this matter out in other way. I see some of the forum running with max pages request but some other not such as MDL i see they never close the topic it will stay forever.
Giving the new link on the old topic may pick some of the visitor but not all cause majority of the high viewer come from outsiders and most of those they dont notice new link as they see the topic close they disappear once and all.! That is how i know when we have to close Ad Muncher topic few years ago.

[Sonar]

I'm with you, I don't believe these few topics with 1000 posts are causing the errors around here.

[dcs18]

If possible, I'd have liked to see the thread static at the same spot while being pruned from the front end - without depreciating any of the likes, thanks, etc., etc.

As and when the maximum number of pages are about to be reached in the future, the staff could just continue to prune the front end, instead of keeping the thread moving.

From the site's point of view - viewership is taking a beating even as XP is being buried along with it's concubine, Microsoft Office 2003. We're witnessing Generation Next shift loyalties to Office 2013 and the 8.1, fast & furious . . . . . . . . . . . . . but then again, if the staff feels that they can afford to stay contended with the current traffic & number of members . . . . . . . . . :dunno:

[Blackchildcx]

Some Topics should stay open ...depents on Ratings and views... I understand you november_ra1n , doing so much work and then watch it half get purged... not nice.. so if a Topic got lots of views and is important ---staff should Keep it open!----

[Diego T.]

I said it once to keep it to members only but then again I was told that there was no point of "sharing" if it was for members only

[Sonar]

what made me laugh was that and a few other big topics got closed but stuff in "the chat bar" mini games and spam stuff survived and is still surviving lol

[Lite]

what made me laugh was that and a few other big topics got closed but stuff in "the chat bar" mini games and spam stuff survived and is still surviving lol

Which topic of >2000 posts would this be?

===

I will explain why this situation is required: Every one of these large topics causes a long query (and as a result locks a table in the database), when the topic is opened or even the index of a forum is viewed (when these large topics are on the page viewed). The smaller the topic size the smaller the query. [Other sites can sometimes allow this by spending lots of money on new server or changing the way the data tables are stored in the database (this will increase the server memory usage considerably) - we simply don't have the money to do so. Do note however many of the largest forums on the internet all have size limits for topics - those that even have $1000s to spend on servers]

[clubhouse]

Apart from the op original post such as novembers ad muncher thread, it becomes bloated with repeated questions (not a few but dozens asking the same thing) and others saying I can't get the latest premium filter followed by ever so helpful posts of people telling him or her that they have without any explanation or advice....In short the thread becomes a hot mess of uselessness, out of 2,000 posts with perhaps 500 max containing anything useful...I'm glad to see them restarted and refreshed.

[Sonar]

what made me laugh was that and a few other big topics got closed but stuff in "the chat bar" mini games and spam stuff survived and is still surviving lol

Which topic of >2000 posts would this be?

===

I will explain why this situation is required: Every one of these large topics causes a long query (and as a result locks a table in the database), when the topic is opened or even the index of a forum is viewed (when these large topics are on the page viewed). The smaller the topic size the smaller the query.

[Other sites can sometimes allow this by spending lots of money on new server or changing the way the data tables are stored in the database - we simply don't have the money to do so. Do note however many of the largest forums on the internet all have size limits for topics - those that even have $1000s to spend on servers]

maybe not one topic reached 2000 posts but add all the spamless games together and I'm sure you can push 2000+.

I know you guys at nsane keep saying you arnt adding the donation button, but if you the staff are going to start mentioning the money budget, you should open up a small goal to reach.

Ide like a shiny new "donator" icon near my name ;p

[Lite]

maybe not one topic reached 2000 posts but add all the spamless games together and I'm sure you can push 2000+.

I know you guys at nsane keep saying you arnt adding the donation button, but if you the staff are going to start mentioning the money budget, you should open up a small goal to reach.

Ide like a shiny new "donator" icon near my name ;p

Content isn't the problem. We will actively close "mega topics" when we see the impact on our slow queries report...

Money is sufficient, so to is the server are on at the moment - infact the vast majority of the time utilization is <10% (the accountant in me says this is underused. The small change is something we are putting into place to stop the spikes effecting the site). Aslong as the income equals costs we are happy.

[november_ra1n]

Regardless how many how many times you close and reopen topic there are people will come and ask same question again and again. That is the way all other forums and topic works out.
I have offered going through all my topic clear unnecessary topic reply sending the links for admin or staff to be deleted in this way we could actually cut down the topic 3/4 instead of closing full topic and re open again.
I have seen many other forum admin, mod or staff going through large topic and start clearing the topic from spam, abusive, or unnecessary topic reply time to time. Unfortunately it will never happened in this forum cause lack of laziness.

No one is going to convince me that closing few large topic will address all the forum error, bugs and slow running in this forum.
Closing the topic may be the shorter way trying to help some of those issue here but not always the fastest way best and more effective way in long run.

The trouble of forum error and slowness has not much to do with the size of topic we are having here but more luckily it has something to do with the laziness and efficiency of how this forum runs by.

PS: Money does not always short it out all the problems there are a lot of think can be improve without spending any money as long as if any one willing to do something.

[shought]

I have discussed this approach with november_ra1n beforehand and explicitly stated what the problem is. I also offered to explain in detail how long topics cause a slow forum (including errors).

We used to enforce a topic limit of 50 pages. When get got a faster server we felt it was no longer necessary to enforce any limit, but we've learned the opposite is true. Now we've increased it to 100 pages and we can do so because we have a better server and more optimized queries than before.

If you want me to explain why these topics cause slowness and errors I'd be happy to do so, but not unless I'm asked with at least a little bit of respect.

[Guest Guest]

I certainly agree with Shought/Lite & other site admins on this topic, the threads with a bunch of repetitive questions are crap tbh & only the OP, Rain mainly, & a few other posters have made good contributions while the rest (like 99%) of the the thread is littered with a bunch of no grateful hit & run (ab)users who're here just to ask for a free license :angry:

[shought]

Thanks for some agreeing words :)

It isn't at all about the content though, our only concern here is the performance of the forums. (The content is a completely separate issue, an issue nonetheless.)

What would be best is if there were some way to create an "overlay" on top of the topic stating that it is no longer active an new discussion can be held in the new topic.

[clubhouse]

A thread on using a particular software with over a 1000 largely unhelpful and therefore unnecessary replies (at least the 'thank problems' have gone) is a problem. Especially for those who haven't been actively following the subject or new members....Imagine trying to sift through all those replies for an answer to a question you have?.....You may find it and not realise 200 posts later it no longer applies....If a newbie asks a question they're often shot down by a self appointed wannabe mod telling them to look through the thread!....These popular threads need marshalling preferably by the op and all the redundant siht sifted out once a month,

[clubhouse]

Maybe if this is all ego related the admin should set up a voting system for post\thread of the week month etc?

[dcs18]

I think the following statement by november_ra1n nails the root-cause of the issue - IMO, for the ratio of the staff vis-à-vis the total active population of the board . . . . . . . . against the rate at which posts are being made, nSane is grossly under-staffed.

In recent times, more often than not - I have failed to spot members of the staff . . . . . . . . . . . online. Can't blame them, though - everybody's got a life. A re-post by anuseems which was reported yesterday remains un-moderated, right now as I type. I suspect it's more to do with over-load than the lack of a will.

FWIW, try navigating to the homepage, right now and the odds are that you won't spot a member of the staff, online.

I have seen many other forum admin, mod or staff going through large topic and start clearing the topic from spam, abusive, or unnecessary topic reply time to time.

[Lite]

Some posts in this topic have been removed.

==

@dcs18 - Not all content that is reported is acted upon, if we find there isn't an issue with it. Sometimes things like longer to deal with than others. We believe there are sufficient staff members for the moment.

[dcs18]

@ Lite

Have not visited my usual beta haunts, today - been nesting right here, at the homepage (with a reason) and well, there were no Mods. for about 4 full hours. However, I'm open enough to take your words at full face value - no arguments, there. Mods. are but human and have their own life - quite legit. by me.

About the anuseems post (that's still un-moderated) - I'd like to differ on this one not because of his IQ (or the lack of it) but, rather due to the nature of his re-post which is quite brazenly the very same as already posted previously and duly reported.

Let's not digress from the central issue, in hand as I take a couple of step backwards (unless I have something fruitful to post) - the stage now belongs to you, guys. Hope something good comes out of this discussion. ;)

[Lite]

@ Lite

Have not visited my usual beta haunts, today - been nesting right here, at the homepage (with a reason) and well, there were no Mods. for about 4 full hours. However, I'm open enough to take your words at full face value - no arguments, there. Mods. are but human and have their own life - quite legit. by me.

About the anuseems post (that's still un-moderated) - I'd like to differ on this one not because of his IQ (or the lack of it) but, rather due to the nature of his re-post which is quite brazenly the very same as already posted previously and duly reported.

Let's not digress from the central issue, in hand as I take a couple of step backwards (unless I have something fruitful to post) - the stage now belongs to you, guys. Hope something good comes out of this discussion. ;)

Can you point me in the direction of the topic in question (via PM or re-report), i can't seem to find find this in the "completed" or "open" reports. I would like to look into this personally to understand the issue.

==

On a side note: We are fully aware there are issues on the forum at present - but its not unlike the vast majority of others on the internet. It is how we learn from/ overcome these that is important.

[DKT27]

My question is, after the 100 or more pages threads were closed, how much of a slow down and 500 errors are you guys seeing?

There were other things done, in addition to closing of 100 pages threads, but it is to see if that problem was solved.

As for the problem of newer threads not getting views, there are many ways to solve that.

[SnakeMasteR]

DKT, so you wanna post around the interwebz with your social media accounts to tell everyone about the new topics? :lol:

If a topic gets closed because it reaches the max. no. of pages, where is the difference in queries when browsing a non-closed topic and a closed topic having the same amount of pages or replies, does it make any difference for the forum? The closed topic still can be browsed like any other topic. A better solution would be preserving the OP and moving all replies to it into the newly created topic and close that instead, for the archive, so everything would stay where it is. Or maybe the success and popularity of those topics is the bigger problem because they generate negative attention, aka M$ is knocking on the door or is it just too much to moderate them, moving replies? :P

[DKT27]

That can be done. But we like the word of the mouth more than the advertizing of the forums. :P

Yes, it does to the forums. A new thread with less pages causes less problems to the forums than a thread with more than 100 pages.

[unknownasphyxiated]

i don't know why this become a problem

even if the original thread closed, the first and last post already put link to the new thread

imho, most of people who visit the first thread only want to see the first post and ask question

remove first post in the old thread and new thread will receive a lot of viewer but i don't think people gonna like it

don't worry NR, the new thread will become like old thread..just wait for new problem to appear :P

[software182]

What about create your own site rain :p ?