Rants, Raves & Opinions

[Ampallday]

New server is awesome guys. Shit loads so fast now!!

Thanks, we think it was a good move. It's nice for me as well because I do most of my work on the forum.

A2

[Admin2]

With all due respect to management, operating a website with less than 10 k concurrent users shouldn't be this difficult in 2026. Sure, vBulletin is going to scale like a pig, and yes, they're going to be under constant DDoS, but both of these problems have been relatively well solved in the past decade. Probably the biggest insult is the scheduled nightly database backup cycle that takes the entire site down for now several hours a day. The 80's called, they want their disaster recovery procedures back.

It sucks too because no self-respecting professional who's also a user is going to offer to help them solve these problems, nor should they accept help from any of their users.

With that being said, we're (your users) are rooting for you guys.

This has been going on for an extended period time for sure. I'm grateful I'm not paying to advertise or a membership, I'd be pissed and not just annoyed. I used to contribute quite a bit under a different username until that account suddenly quit functioning, one day just got a notification the my user name wasn't valid. I had signed in just the day before. It's more a hassle and a pain than much of a resource any longer. Between the really good contributors not dealing with it any longer, extended delays in connecting, unable to connect, random crashing, and randomly getting logged out, etc. Is what it is, too bad, what a waste.

You both decide to be dicks on the day we hand over the site to the new server.

Log in issues, gone. DDoS attacks gone.

I don't mind criticism, we had it coming but you are right Slope, you don't pay for the site so why be dicks about it. I checked, there wasn't anything wrong with your senior account Sloperdoper58, my money says you forgot the password, no worries, I banned it as well. So fuck you two.

For the rest of you guys I'm sorry, running a site like this used to be pretty easy but it's not anymore. We think we got it into a good home that should be fine for the next five years or so but considering the AI revolution who fucking knows. I'd also like to thank the core for the patience you showed us and would like to ask a favor, if you run into any issues with things that used to work but now don't (minus emails, we are still working on that) please drop us a note with the contact us link using the "other" button and label it as "new server problem".

Thanks again.

A2.

[Slopedoper]

This has been going on for an extended period time for sure. I'm grateful I'm not paying to advertise or a membership, I'd be pissed and not just annoyed. I used to contribute quite a bit under a different username until that account suddenly quit functioning, one day just got a notification the my user name wasn't valid. I had signed in just the day before. It's more a hassle and a pain than much of a resource any longer. Between the really good contributors not dealing with it any longer, extended delays in connecting, unable to connect, random crashing, and randomly getting logged out, etc. Is what it is, too bad, what a waste.

With all due respect to management, operating a website with less than 10 k concurrent users shouldn't be this difficult in 2026. Sure, vBulletin is going to scale like a pig, and yes, they're going to be under constant DDoS, but both of these problems have been relatively well solved in the past decade. Probably the biggest insult is the scheduled nightly database backup cycle that takes the entire site down for now several hours a day. The 80's called, they want their disaster recovery procedures back.

It sucks too because no self-respecting professional who's also a user is going to offer to help them solve these problems, nor should they accept help from any of their users.

With that being said, we're (your users) are rooting for you guys.

[NachoCheese]

The site has been down a lot, hard to post on or use. Have already been waiting a few minutes to get this to load so I can respond. So hopefully will pick up when its fixed. But yes lots of people asking for deets and few people telling about their experiences, so its losing steam.

With all due respect to management, operating a website with less than 10 k concurrent users shouldn't be this difficult in 2026. Sure, vBulletin is going to scale like a pig, and yes, they're going to be under constant DDoS, but both of these problems have been relatively well solved in the past decade. Probably the biggest insult is the scheduled nightly database backup cycle that takes the entire site down for now several hours a day. The 80's called, they want their disaster recovery procedures back.

It sucks too because no self-respecting professional who's also a user is going to offer to help them solve these problems, nor should they accept help from any of their users.

With that being said, we're (your users) are rooting for you guys.

[TryHard]

The Portland forum has been dead, dying as the summer progresses. Nobody posts their experiences. Even I have slowed up as there is no participation. I regret not seeing Zavi, he's not even posting regularly. Hopefully folks come back for the fall.

The site has been down a lot, hard to post on or use. Have already been waiting a few minutes to get this to load so I can respond. So hopefully will pick up when its fixed. But yes lots of people asking for deets and few people telling about their experiences, so its losing steam.

[Sugar Daddy PDX]

The Portland forum has been dead, dying as the summer progresses. Nobody posts their experiences. Even I have slowed up as there is no participation. I regret not seeing Zavi, he's not even posting regularly. Hopefully folks come back for the fall.

[Ampallday]

I've been having trouble getting pages loaded for a couple of days.

The host we have had for years stopped supporting enterprise hard drives so we are trying to run the site on the same kind of drives you would have in a desk top and they can't keep up.
We have already paid for a new server that will be a massive upgrade from the last one and are planning on migrating this weekend.

A2

Good to know, thanks for the update!

[Admin2]

Is it just me or is the server to this site like on a 2400 baud connection from AOL? Lately, I have not able to connect and when I do the buffer is so bad it takes 20 to 30 seconds to a thread to open. I think the site is wealth of mongering info.

It's the host, they stopped supporting enterprise drives so we are stuck with the same kind of drives you have in your desktop. They are simply overwhelmed with the traffic. We are currently looking to migrate to a different host.

We hope to have this resolved in a few days.

We appreciate your patience.

A2

[Zippy69]

Is it just me or is the server to this site like on a 2400 baud connection from AOL? Lately, I have not able to connect and when I do the buffer is so bad it takes 20 to 30 seconds to a thread to open. I think the site is wealth of mongering info.

I've been having trouble getting pages loaded for a couple of days.

The host we have had for years stopped supporting enterprise hard drives so we are trying to run the site on the same kind of drives you would have in a desk top and they can't keep up.
We have already paid for a new server that will be a massive upgrade from the last one and are planning on migrating this weekend.

A2

[Ampallday]

Is it just me or is the server to this site like on a 2400 baud connection from AOL? Lately, I have not able to connect and when I do the buffer is so bad it takes 20 to 30 seconds to a thread to open. I think the site is wealth of mongering info.

The domain ends in. Nl so I would assume the servers are there in The Netherlands as well. That would explain why things are so slow for us in the US.

The host we have had for years stopped supporting enterprise hard drives so we are trying to run the site on the same kind of drives you would have in a desk top and they can't keep up.
We have already paid for a new server that will be a massive upgrade from the last one and are planning on migrating this weekend.

A2

[NamesteRay]

Is it just me or is the server to this site like on a 2400 baud connection from AOL? Lately, I have not able to connect and when I do the buffer is so bad it takes 20 to 30 seconds to a thread to open. I think the site is wealth of mongering info.

[Mizunate]

I've been around this place for a long time and can't believe the admins think that is a good idea. And they want to control what information is posted? No, thank you.

I disagree.

If the mods / admins do it right and scale it, they can disrupt shitty sites like RubMaps, give these shops a place to update everyone on who is where and their current specials, and give everyone a place to communicate and share info directly with shops.

Not all the shops will be interested, of course, but I'd think for a monthly fee (ultimately nominal for the shops), most would be happy to have a place on the internet to share real information instead of all the gossiping, gatekeeping, and coded language.

Is it weird? Yeah, but the trade-off is worth it, I think.

[Admin2]

I've been around this place for a long time and can't believe the admins think that is a good idea. And they want to control what information is posted? No, thank you.

Please tell me how, with what I am sure is your 40 years of experience running forums like this (that's how much the boss and I have together) how you would end the fucking cancer that these shill accounts have come to be while simultaneously developing a new revenue source that's good for the shop, the monger, and us?

Remember, you have to give them a place to communicate with customers while also giving the customer a place to accurately review them that stops the erosion of confidence the forum has experienced since this issue started blowing up two years ago.

Please tell me wise one, I'm fucking waiting.

A2

[k__rat]

I've been around this place for a long time and can't believe the admins think that is a good idea. And they want to control what information is posted? No, thank you.

[Bvrpdx]

Looking for some feedback concerning a place to have sex such as a porn shop or other choices. I visited one of the taboo locations, but the tiny benches in the small rooms weren't very comfortable. Do any of the other shops in the Portland or Vancouver area have better benches? I noticed the futons in the theater area, but I'd rather have a more private space. It's too bad that hot tub place on Stark closed.

The fantasyland in Clackamas has big booths with long padded benches. They're pretty private although the walls are open on top and you can hear most stuff going in there. No gloryholes or anything like that and the doors lock so very private.