Dedicated Server

[BlueSoup]

I wanted suggestions, I'm willing to try anything that sounds realistic.

However, it's not up to me.

[sickpuppy]

I'm not sure I understand the 'need' to improve the service. I have trouble connecting now and then, but it's minimal, not even a real annoyance.

[BlueSoup]

You have trouble now and then connecting to the phorum, or the booty?  Because they're on two separate servers, if I remember correctly.

Uploading the booty the past few days has been next to impossible.  It times out, errors, gives broken files, etc.

I'm all but open to any other suggestion.  If you have one, let's hear it.

[sickpuppy]

Always the phorum, never the booty. Since the 'name change that wasn't really a name change' I have three links, one directly to the booty, one to PMBD, and one to MNBN. When Ihave trouble with the MNBN, I try the PMBD which sometimes works out, if those both don't work, then I try to get in thru the booty, which takes me to the front page and usually gets me to the phorum but not always--I'd say maybe 60% of the time it works.

[Theo]

What is that you get for the $2100 figure? Pescado says it's more than actually needed, but what are the specs for the server?

I'm curious because my employer provides dedicated hosting, so I'd want to know what the competition offers

I also like Inge's suggestion, and I can provide some disk space myself, the only downside would be the increased complexity of link and file management.

PS: I was going to post this at MATY, but the site stopped responding for much of the day

[redisenchanted]

I also have a lot more trouble accessing the phorum than the booty.

I dunno, kind of makes me uncomfortable, but so does the MTS2 set-up. One thing that would help is full disclosure. A clear explanation in a sticky of the costs and a running tally of how much had been donated so far.

I also think it would be reasonable to require registration to access the booty. Would it be too much bother for the uploaders to rotate the booty so it wasn't all up at the same time? Or could some of the less popular items be archived?

I'll have to think about it some more.

[sickpuppy]

If there were enough man power--the booty could be a listing and people could put in requests, like at SFV, but not.  

If space was needed to store the files, we all have a little bit of spce thru our ISp. What if we stored it spread out, and then the email request would go to the 'holder' of the requesrted files?

I have no idea if this is truly feasible...

[Pescado]

But honestly I think it was asking for problems to just put the stuff into unguarded directories like that.  Why not try bringing them into a forum setting and then see how it goes.  Some of this high bandwidth might be people just running scripts at it to get you closed down.

The actual bandwidth usage isn't the problem. In fact, there really isn't so much a PROBLEM as it is a quality-of-service and support issue. In any case it is simply an option we are considering.

What is that you get for the $2100 figure? Pescado says it's more than actually needed, but what are the specs for the server?

I'm curious because my employer provides dedicated hosting, so I'd want to know what the competition offers

We're offered a 2.6 GHz Celery, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB HD, and the same unmetered bandwidth. And absolutely no questions. I consider the absolute lack of nosy prying questions to be worth somewhat of a premium. Naturally, we are open to competing offers, and if the process doesn't pan out, we still have the same options as before and business in general can continue in its present state.

[Quorneater]

I think it would be a dreadful loss of face to end up spending that much money on hosting these files we were laughing at the original owners spending so much to host.  It would be my very last choice.

[Pescado]

That is certainly a point we have considered, although the issues presently cover more than PMBD itself.

[torque]

This sucks. This sucks so much. Now I feel even more shitty cause I am no help. The paysite owners must be laughing at us.

[Quorneater]

And how do we know the hosting company isn't pulling a dirty trick?  Lure you in with promises of unlimited this and that and then deliberately play pingpong with your site in the hopes you'll pay up for a server?   I have heard of that before.

[Pescado]

And how do we know the hosting company isn't pulling a dirty trick?  Lure you in with promises of unlimited this and that and then deliberately play pingpong with your site in the hopes you'll pay up for a server?   I have heard of that before.

That is certainly a possibility that I am investigating in some detail. Dedicated servers do offer you the option to wring them for every last bit of usage without anyone whining, though.

So far, my investigations suggest their hamfisted fumbling is not capable of the act you describe, and they appear to genuinely believe what they claim.

[calalily]

I have neither credit card nor paypal account, so maybe my opinion is moot.  However, I prefer the idea of the smaller linked sites - which I presume is similar to a webring?  That way all the referral power works in our favour, and makes it easier for people to stumble onto us.

I also like the email thing.

[Tchannie]

So far, my investigations suggest their hamfisted fumbling is not capable of the act you describe, and they appear to genuinely believe what they claim.

Well, that's a good start. Believing what you claim and all. :lol: