Posted on 02/03/2010 7:06:09 AM PST by Bean Counter
Every day it gets harder and harder to use FreeRepublic. For some reason the site is suffering from unspecified "server" problems that are rarely explained in a way that longstanding members such as myself can even find. The only reason I know there is a server problem is because someone finally posted a comment from FR Staff over on the Alternate Free Republic site; a place I find myself turning to more and more frequently while waiting for the latest daily problem to be resolved. To say this is merely frustrating is the understatement of the year.
I grant you I don't donate as much money as others here, but I do participate and have for almost 12 years. I do not think it is too much to ask that Management send out a Private Message to all active members here and explain exactly why we are having so many problems on a daily basis getting in here.
I have nearly memorized the error messages and frankly I am sick of it. I do not appreciate being kept in the dark and I do not like having to go hunting for answers when they ought to be readily forthcoming. I don't expect FR to air their dirty laundry on the open boards, as I realize that could lead to further problems by giving the disruptors new ideas about how to do whatever it is they may be doing to disrupt the board.
I do expect improved communication with your members who are not disrupting FR. I have been patient about this for weeks as these access problems ebb and flow, but lately I have had about enough of trying to figure out if the site is up or down or if I have a problem on my computer.
Is there another portal to access FreeRepublic in the times when we cannot access through www.freerepublic.com?
Mr. Robinson has explained this situation in earlier posts.
Yep, the past few weeks have been a nightmare and this morning too.
My thought is FR is the target of the BArking Moonbat types. May be a tinfoilish thought...but something has definately changed.
Wish I could get some confirmation of the above...then we might be able to follow them home
Try the following:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2441401/posts?q=1&;page=51
By the way, for those who are wondering about FR’s hardware, my understanding is that we have about a dozen servers at the data center. About half of them are dedicated to handling Free Republic back-end processing. We also have a couple front-end servers directing the traffic and balancing the load, a couple database servers, an administrative server, a secure server, and a real-time database backup server. We have two main IP’s, one as a standby if the first goes down. We also have some older servers that John uses for backup and development.
Theoretically, we have a fail-safe system. The “fail” seems to be working great, now we’re working on perfecting the “safe” part.
It appears that our current series of crashes have to do with our traffic load. It appears that our servers begin overloading and first one crashes (by becoming completely jammed and failing to respond) then the next, and the next, etc, until the entire system and all backups fail to respond. That’s when we have to start rebooting. And we’ve had some problems recently with our rebooting process.
We do not know yet why we are overloading. We have been able to handle several times our normal load with no problem. We do not rule out DOS attack, but cannot find anything in the logs to identify it. John will continue trying to isolate the problem, but we do not feel at this time that it is for a lack of server power.
All I can say is, please bear with us. We’ve experienced these kinds of systems problems before whether hardware, software, balancing or Bolshevik, and have always been able to work through or around them eventually.
God willing, we will persevere!
65 posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 4:24:37 PM by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! May God and TEA save the Republic!!)
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Do you have a link for the alternate site? At least that way I can check to see if it’s just my computer or if there is a real problem here. Thanks.
I agree, but some here will call you names for not being sufficiently grateful and continuing to suffer in silence.
It’s the dilithium crystals, Captain. He’s giving her all he’s got.
It would be most interesting to know if the disruptions are deliberate, or if admin just needs more duct tape.
I really don’t get the tone of your query at all. FR seems to be one of the most forthright, truly public-service -oriented sites out there at a time when oh-so-many less-trafficked sites have cashed in. And FR, in my opinion, provides the most critical function of them all.
I too have had some access issues of late, and I hope it is due to growing demand, but I don’t believe it’s because anyone is sleeping on or diverting funds from the issue. Sheesh!
Link?
I agree. Don’t know what’s going on but about half the time I get error messages that freerepublic.com is non existent or busy. The last couple of days I am getting proxy error messages.
Also some posts do not go through or there will be duplicate posts.
Anyone having trouble with spell check? Most of the time I get the word wrap instead of the spell check. (Yes, I do know how to click on the correct button.)
I love the site, but it is getting really frustrating.
There is an alternate site here (you’ll need to subscribe to the group in order to post): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freerepublic2/
Would have the links? I have not seen those.
Thanks
Sorry, I don’t agree with the snarkiness of your post, but the trouble getting on the site. If you did not mean to be snarky - sorry.
We all have.
Like most here, we love the site but are all frustrated at the lack of access.
I'm not pointing fingers of blame, but it does create frustration.
I'll agree that this is frustrating. Sure let's me know how much time I spend on this site. I think I need a different hobby. LOL
Oh, you helpwess wittle cuties — User search thingie: Jim Robinson
everyday this problem persists. the same problem has hit rush limbaughs site too. I could not even listen to Glenn Beck this morning too. It seems everything conservative is being attacked by a virus. two weeks ago my own computer was attacked by a trojan virus. lo and behold it was recovered but 2 days down. the attack is hitting dos programming making for fun times. upgraded to a higher norton antivirus and since than the computer is attacked at least 6 times daily.
I would but I can’t get the user search to work the last week or so.
helpwess wittle cuties - I love being called cute.
I have found with the search thingie that you have to let it search “titles” first, and then try again, erasing the asterik, for a user search.
Thanks
I mainly use the other site just to check in and see that others are experiencing connectivity problems as well. I agree, though - perhaps we all need to get out a little more. ;-)
Are you logged in?
Google analytics?
What a crock of BULL-S” !!!!
67 years of age, disable vet....if I were any happier I couldn’t stand it. Spend eight to ten hours a day, 90% on FR.
There is another alternate site here:
http://altfreerepublic.freeforums.org
and here:
http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=14
I usually check them all out.
The answer is simple - they’re still perfecting the Bean Counter filter, but it stills screws up and lets you in...;)
It’s probably a number of connections limit to the server.
Maybe so, but I haven’t been privileged to see them and they ought to be a standing thread at number one until the problems are solved. and thank you La Lydia for bringing it up. Post times are one way of seeing the problem.
During the day post times are frequent and only seconds apart. When there are minutes between posts, there is a problem. I speak generally, as I haven’t kept records, but I lose contact every morning about this time and it can stretch into hours.
The quickest way to see how your computer is doing, is log onto another site and when you gain access in milliseconds, while FreeRepublic is unresponsive you know it is FreeRepublic and not your computer.
Perhaps management slows it down so that members will cough-up faster giving the impression that it’s $$$ causing the slowdown. Works for the government!
I’m not saying we shouldn’t ask about it; I’m just saying there’s no reason not to ask nicely.
...and obviously this should have been to Bean Counter and not La Lydia
I know nothing about the process. Free Republic has a very accessible process. I choose it over ALL others I know.
It does get hacked every so often. Many are the liberals that want it to die.
Jim and John do a great job. They had to add assistants to keep it going.
Thank you all. You are accomplishing a important service to republicans, conservative, the learning youth, Americans. God bless you.
Spell check - sometimes every word is flagged. going back and reclicking “Spell” sometimes solves the problem - but not always.
I think Jim Robinson’s explanation makes sense. Maybe it’s Marxists attacks, as well. We could all just roll with it; it strengthens one to do without, after all.
Perhaps someone upload a root kit hidden in an image file?
Constant cyber attacks?
Yea, eventually I get the process to work, just can’t figure out why after all these years the last few months have been googly. (Googly my granddaughter’s word for things without explanation.)
When I’m having trouble accessing FR, I do what every good FR addict should.
I get out the Hoppes #9 and start cleaning. It’s very relaxing and I just love the smell.
Give it a try, you’ll find you feel so much better afterwards.
Technology isn't perfect, and anyone who has worked in a company that uses servers and computers for everything on a daily basis has gone through this. We depend on technology - for our livelihoods and much more. We're at the mercy, so to speak, of IT professionals.
When calculating what I gain from FR vs. the occasional problem, they are not even close. I think this website does a terrific job, present issues notwithstanding.
and, most likely, its OUR TAX $$$$$ being used by (guess who) to do all this, too...
What he said.
Lets see what the nOOb has to say about our manners and less than charitable commentary.
Oh, and there was a hottie ping yesterday that I missed out on because I couldn’t access FR.
I can see it on Ping and Trace and the pathing and returns look fine but when I can’t access it, very frustrating.
1...., 2....., 3.....
Wow I didn’t think you would actually show up again on this subject. but there you are....
Don’t take life so seriously... You’ll never live through it. — from someone who has been happily freeping since 2000.
What’s that? “We are ungrateful wretches”?
Is it that nOOb La Lydia again?
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