Site slowdown

[meagain]

I've noticed the site's response times seem to be slowing down (took around 10 seconds to get a connection this morning). Maybe we're getting more visitors flooding in (after Sir Trev last night, which I missed - anyone know if it's being repeated soon?).

 

On the upside, it probably means the word is getting out, and the public at large is slowly realising they've been screwed. On the downside, if we get too many visitors, the web hosts may "offer" you an upgrade to your service plan (in much the same way as you might be "offered" redundancy).

 

In addition to begging for donations (would be nice if people putting it in their signatures would not insist on using GIGANTIC BOLD COLOURED TYPE when doing so), have you considered Cafepress merchandising? I'd pay good money for "I sued over my bank charges and all I got was £2,000 and this lousy T-shirt."

[rbrears]

Yep Ive noticed a dramatic slow down on the site recently both from home and at work. Havent posted much recently because its pretty unusable for me at the moment

[sazz]

me too

 

At least it means that more people are aware of the site now and the fact the banks are greedy so and sos!!

[dave]

Well, yes. The site has slowed down.

 

We have just moved to a dedicated server (last Friday), without having done that, I don't think the site would even be up now at all.

 

There's not a lot we can do about it - MSE hosting costs a '6 figure sum' according to Martin Lewis - we haven't got anything like that sort of money - donations seemed to have slowed down a bit lately for some reason meaning that after spending the lot on new hosting (I think a dedicated server was a good move) it could be some time before we can afford to do anything else about it sadly.

 

The hits should drop off a little towards the end of this week and it should be ok.

[MARTIN3030]

The site was recently given an upgrade to accomodate the expected surge so the Admin guys have been doing some homework.

 

Like many I Have also been unable to post but its to be expected.

 

Heres an idea for new members.

 

If you copy and paste the FAQs and using either word or notepad to file to a folder on your pc you can then view it anytime and if you have connection probs to the site then it still enables you to read it.

 

I believe the sheer traffic on here will cause slow browsers for the immediate period but its something we will all have to live with.

 

 

[dave]

There will be a memory upgrade at some point today as well, so it should help a bit.

[chrismc]

duplicate

[chrismc]

Yes it has been painfully slow, especially trying to post, but that is the price of success Well done Dave last night, I saw the programme and was great viewing seeing the bank reps squirming for a change

[rbrears]

Much quicker today

[MARTIN3030]

I noticed a big difference from late afternoon yesterday it went from snails pace to lightning.

 

the extra memory seems to have done the job.

 

 

[colour-me-happy]

In addition to begging for donations (would be nice if people putting it in their signatures would not insist on using GIGANTIC BOLD COLOURED TYPE when doing so), have you considered Cafepress merchandising? I'd pay good money for "I sued over my bank charges and all I got was £2,000 and this lousy T-shirt."

 

Unfortunately it seems to be the only way to get people to notice that this site needs donations to survive, if the majority of people didn't just take the money and run there would be no need to "beg" as you put it.

[meagain]

Unfortunately it seems to be the only way to get people to notice that this site needs donations to survive, if the majority of people didn't just take the money and run there would be no need to "beg" as you put it.

It's distracting, though. Like I said, there's other ways of getting money in (I'd happily consider supporting the site via merchandising), but constant begging, especially in signatures that distract from the actual posts, will generally make me less likely to donate, not more. In all fairness, it's not really a case of "take the money and run" when it's actually their money.

[dave]

...true, and it's my and BF's money that has to pay for the (increasing) hosting costs et al. Without us paying for that (and continuing to do so), most people wouldn't have even known that they could get their money back at all.

 

I'd happily consider supporting the site via merchandising

Do you mean like t-shirts and things like that?

[Bookworm]

Well said, Dave.

 

.

[meagain]

Do you mean like t-shirts and things like that?

 

Nail/head

 

Places like CafePress let you give them a picture to put on stuff like t-shirts, mugs, mouse mats, clocks, etc. and you earn money from the sales. As an example, the CafePress pricing model is roughly this:

• They manufacture and supply the goods at a base price. You are able to buy them at that base price (for friends, family, etc.).
  
• You specify a commission for each item, which is added to the base price. They sell them to the public at this combined price from a store front, which is where you direct your potential market. For each sale, you receive the commission.
  
• In general, you don't pay anything up-front for the designs, so putting up 10 products will cost you the same as just 1 (namely: nothing).

The beauty is that it's down to you to decide what goes on them, so you could to things like mugs and keyrings with the CAG logo, or t-shirts with humorous slogans (such as the aforementioned "I sued my bank, and all I got was £2,000 and this lousy t-shirt"). It's pretty sustainable, since you can get sales from anyone with the right product. If anything, the only place you're liable to lose out is in exchange commissions (since CP will probably pay you in US$). AFAIK, it doesn't cost anything to keep them running, so if nobody buys a given product, you don't pay for them (they claim to do print-to-order, though you might want to make your own enquiries).

 

Note that this comes from what I've read of CafePress, and other merchandising services are available (might be some in the UK, but I've not looked).

[Guest Lueeze]

Its alredy been done see here...

 

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=7367

 

but dont think we profit at all in any case!

[MARTIN3030]

I am quite suprised that theres no one on the site thats in the trade and prepared to offer this stuff at cost.(to the site admin)

 

Marketing is a job in itself tho and I am sure at the moment the admin have their hands pretty full.

 

That said,the members here had no trouble finding the site and without the aid of mugs and t shirts.

 

 

There are lots of high street and shopping centres now doing this while you wait if there was maybe a recognised logo/slogan that officially acknowledged CAG/BAG then members could have them done themselves AND STILL make a donation to the site.

 

 

[dave]

I do quite like the idea (purely because I want one ;-) ), but do you think people would wear them?

[dave]

Right, bugger it - I like it - Mugs and T-Shirts it is.

[meagain]

The beauty of zero-stock is that you don't pay for what you don't sell (these companies tend to hold only blank stock, and print up when they need it), so don't forget to do at least one wall clock ready for your next appearance on Tonight.

 

When I get around to buying one (some?) I'll certainly wear them around. If I stand to win on the banking front, the least I could do is some free promotion.