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We have a BIG problem with the website server


Les Henson

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We recently received this message from Invision:-

Hello,

During a recent server survey we noticed that your site is using an

extreme amount of server resources. This is generally caused by the

large number of concurrent users on your site. After further

investigation, we have concluded that your site is no longer fit for a

shared hosting environment. This is based on recent statistics from

both

your account and the server as a whole.

Due to this, we would recommend that you look into purchasing a

dedicated server.

Unfortunately, if you do not wish to upgrade to a dedicated server we

must ask that you look for another web host. Please keep in mind that

our resource usage policy is much the same as most other web hosts and

as such we strongly believe that the upgrade to a dedicated server

would

be your best option.

If you have any questions about this, or a dedicated server, please let

us know and we'll be happy to assist.

Thank you for choosing Invision Power Services!

Best Regards,

At present our only option is to go with a dedicated server, but the cost of that will jump to £100+ per month. A contract is most likely to be for a year, so a huge chunk of the forum fund is about to be spent in order to keep this website here (it will close otherwise).

Due to the generous donations you have made and the popularity of this website, we can at present run with a dedicted server for 12-months. Unless Trev/Geoff come up with something as good, but cheaper, this is what we will have to do.

If any of you would like to donate anything to this website, then now is a very important time to do it. The loss of this website is unthinkable to me and the rest of the moderating team, so we will keep you all apprasied of the situation as it developes. We have upgraded twice since the website first started, and a dedicated server would guarantee unlimited bandwidth 24/7 Administration from the server, and other benefits. It would be the last one we would ever have to make most likely.

We will keep you all informed.

Les.

UPDATE: WE RECEIVED ENOUGH TO PAY FOR A YEAR IN LESS THAN TEN DAYS AND ARE NOW ENTERING A MONEY DONATION VIA STANDING ORDER SEE POST IN INTERNATIONAL FORUM.

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Les,

it's great that the forum has been so succesful but we have been a victim of our own success. like you i would be extrememly upset to see this forum lost- i have more friends from Lr4x4 than i do in the town i live in!

i am sure that most of us would be be happy to contribute yearly to keep the forum up and running.

thanks for the heads up!

Jim

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I hope we are long way from losing this forum, with the numbers we now have, £100 per month should easily be achievable. This forum has rapidly earnt itself a very good reputation throughout our 4x4 world and Im sure many will contribute.

Must be a year since I last made a donation, so more coming from this way....

Is there any mileage in selling a few knick knacks..... mugs, t shirts fleeces etc and gaining a little from that?

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Thanks for keeping us aware Les....

I'm more than welcome to make additional annual donations.

Can you and the admin team recommend what they would like the "regular" users to contribute to keep the board alive. I do not believe we can expect the new or casual browser to contribute until their conscience pricks them....

Neil

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We recently received this message from Invision:-

Hello,

During a recent server survey ..<SNIP>

Forum has 2,786 members.

By My Calc that's 3p per month ......each... bargain I'd say (I'm paid up for a while then.......)

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There'll be a lot of users who are registered but only float in and out now and again.

If we can assume there are a few hundred who are happy to pay and share the server cost, surely it won't be too much each?

Maybe it's time to have an appeal - it'd boost the coffers nicely and guarantee continued service.

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Forum has 2,786 members.

By My Calc that's 3p per month ......each... bargain I'd say (I'm paid up for a while then.......)

others are far more paid up as you say and yet they still offer.

if you want to donate do so, if you don't that's fine.

posts like this are some what saddening to read from my point of view.

same with all forums some people put in far less than they take out.

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How much space/bandwidth does this place use up then - I have a hosting account with Servage that costs <£100 per year and I get 3000Gb/month bandwidth for that :blink:

I'd offer to host the forum but I think you need top-level database access which I can't give without letting you into the rest of my account :unsure:

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Cheers Fridge. We will look at other providers and welcome suggestions. The issue we face is not traffic or disk, we're within our capacity, but the load we are putting on the server cpu and database from all the backend php which is why they (and other hosting providers) are uncomfortable with us using a shared server.

It is worth saying that we do get a lot of added value with Invision who tend to do all the upgrades and patching for us (usually every 6-8weeks or so + server monitoring and patching) and there is another upgrade 2.3.0 about to hit us. Their 24x7 staff have also been pretty helpful when we've had hacking or DDOS attempts in the past. Without this there will be a much greater load on the forum Admins but more critcally in my mind is the forum will start to become more dependent upon individuals which I don't believe is healthy. This forum is for its members and should be able to continue long into the future even if mods/admins come and go over time.

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i agree that selling forum goods could be an answer although this would be a burden perhaps on whoever has to run it especially if stuff doesn't particually sell well, also is there no way of giving an indication of how much to donate, maybe posting a list of donations WITHOUT names along side?

if there is anyway i can help i will do

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Donations Range from £200 to £0.50p

anything donated is very welcomed

in total we have had approx 170 donations give or take a few numbers, this includes the donations

where we raised £438 for the West Brecon cave rescue stolen L/R fund.

and covered the running costs of the forum associated gallery and the domain name itself.

Individual members have had substantial effects on the amounts donated with kind and very generous offers

Jez with Videos/Les with clutch forks/stickers these are just 2 of the ones I have details for.

To keep it going/growing costs ££ as everyone I know is aware.

full accounts are kept and available for inspection.

No Secret societies on this Forum, I will happily bring the account books with me to any show/event or

accommodate anyone wishing to view them at my house.

no money is taken for individual expenses.

everything raised is kept in house and more often than not moderators expenditure is just left unpaid at their request.

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Would it not be feasable to approach a few land rover businesses for some form of sponsorship donation, I am new here but it seems that there may be a few people online who are "in the trade" as it were. Or would that be contrary to the ethos of the forum?

Also there are those of us who remain suspicious of the new-fangled interweb and would not wish to electronically donate via credit/debit card. Could a manual "snail mail" or direct to bank account method be made available - or maybe paypal or SMS donations?

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corporate-linked sponsorship isn't for this place, any company donations have no

strings atatched/no association implied.

totally member owned/run

funding options are under the tab near the top LHS of the front page

Agreed. I don't think there is a need to go over old ground again but for the benefit of those who have not been here long whole ethos of this place has been independence from any kind sponsorship and it will continue to be so.

Details of how to donate via means other than electronic can be found by clicking on the funding tab below the forum logo at the top of the page.

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With the funding of the forum in mind, and potential increased costs, how about holding some LR related events in support of forum funds?

I ran a forum treasure hunt event last year and cannot, within the rules, accept any payment for doing so - other than for my costs. How about, if I were to run another, it should be in return for a donation to the forum funds instead? Anyone up for that? If so, I will think about a date (this summer, the army go on holiday in August so SPTA is open) and announce it in the Getting out there forum.

Chris

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With the funding of the forum in mind, and potential increased costs, how about holding some LR related events in support of forum funds?

I ran a forum treasure hunt event last year and cannot, within the rules, accept any payment for doing so - other than for my costs. How about, if I were to run another, it should be in return for a donation to the forum funds instead? Anyone up for that? If so, I will think about a date (this summer, the army go on holiday in August so SPTA is open) and announce it in the Getting out there forum.

Chris

Great idea chris, Sign me up for that.

Events to raise money for the forum is good for the members. Why cant we organise a mini sortout with pitch money going to the fund?

Whats wrong with raising to much money? if we did we could always spend it on a members BBQ, that would be a great event.

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This forum is in a league of it's own compared to other big magazine owned forums, I beleive this forum can save members alot of money via good advice when sometimes someone would of had to have paid a mechanic to do the research form them.

All the best keep up the good work and thanks to all my fellow members, worth every penny!!! :)

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