FAKKU 2009 and the current Traffic Problem

[size=12]FAKKU 2009 and the current Traffic Problem[/h]

Greetings Fellow Fakku Users,
The End of the Year 2008 is drawing closer and closer. Some of us experience it earlier, some of us later. It all depends on, in which time zone you actually live.
Coming closer to New Year got me thinking. Not only what has happened in 2008, but also what awaits us in the Future. Not only in my personal Future, but also in the Future of Fakku.
So I would like to discuss some of the current Problems with you, as well as collecting Ideas how to improve Fakku.

As all of you maybe already noticed, Fakku has become rather slow lately, some of us even experiencing Page load interruptions https://www.fakku.net/viewtopic.php?t=9960
This means, on one side that Fakku has become really popular over the last Years, getting more and more Users, browsing the Site, downloading Doujinshis and some of them even posting in the Forum. On the other Side, it also means more stress for the Server, as well as for the Admin’s and Mod’s. The current Situation reminds me on Mid 2007 when Fakku was in desperate need of a new Server. So here are some Ideas how to lower the Server Traffic:

Forced Registration:

Advantage:
Only registered Users get Access to the Site.

Disadvantage:
Registration takes only about “1 Minute”, no real hindrance for Leechers.
Could drive of new User’s, who don’t like the Idea of being forced to do anything.

Comment:
Forced Registration is only useful in connection with further restrictions. For example a specific Post Count, or Reputation Score. The Post Count/Registration Limitation has been used for MoteMote 2007/2008. However as a Result, till the Start of MoteMote Battle, spamming increased drastically. Mainly, because new Users tried to reach the 15 Post Count, allowing them to participate in MoteMote Battle.
A Reputation Limitation (for example, you are only able to use specific Services if you’ve got X Points of Reputation) seems rather troublesome to me as well. Loosing and receiving Reputation sometimes seems like gambling to me.

Max. User Limitations:

Tow possible Versions:
1. General
General means that only a specific Amount of Users can access the Site at the same time.
2. User Group specific
User Group specific means, that only Users of a specific Group (For Example 100 Guests, 200 Registered Users, 700 “Elite Status” User) can Access the Site at the same time.

Advantage:
Only a specific Amount of Users can access the Site at the same Time, hence Site Traffic can be planed, no more Server Overload.
Users Groups can be preferred

Disadvantage:
If the Limitation is set to 100 Users at the same Time, if you are 101 no Access for you. The User Group solution creates some kind of class society.

No Download Option from Fakku Server:

Advantage:
Less Traffic, More Server Space

Disadvantage:
No “Easy” download Option.
External Download Links tend to become invalid.

Comment:
Personally, I only use external Download Options. Especially while Fakku only hosts the Low Qual. Versions of the Doujinshi, also you can only download one File at the Same Time. So I ask you, is it even necessary to download from Fakku?
Well if you consider that external Links from Sites like Megaupload become invalid after some time, I would say at least for older Doujinshi, yes. So I would suggest a download Limitation hence, you can only download about, lets say X Doujinshi per Day from Fakku. I mean is it really necessary to download the whole Gurren Lagan Section on one day?

No more Online reading of Doujinshi:

Advantage:
Less Server Traffic

Disadvantage:
You have to download a Doujinshi, if you want to read it.

Comment:
Im not quite sure what causes more Traffic downloading a Doujinshi or viewing it online, so I can’t comment on that. However how many of you people actually use the online viewing Option? Normally a look on the Cover is enough for me to decide if I want to read that Doujinshi or not. Also skipping from Site to Site online, takes a lot more time, then downloading a Doujinshi and reading it offline.

I should first explain that while I'm no luddite, I am NOT very good at the computer technical stuff...but even I know that a LOT of traffic slows everything down on a site as it puts too much burden onto the server.

We had the same troubles on some other forums I have moderated on as they became more popular and there is no quick or simple solution. Well actually that's incorrect, it is easy to fix..you set in motion everything that limits the leechers downloading and viewing stuff.

Forced Registration:

Advantage:
Only registered Users get Access to the Site.

Disadvantage:
Registration takes only about “1 Minute”, no real hindrance for Leechers.
Could drive of new User’s, who don’t like the Idea of being forced to do anything.

Comment:
Forced Registration is only useful in connection with further restrictions. For example a specific Post Count, or Reputation Score. The Post Count/Registration Limitation has been used for MoteMote 2007/2008. However as a Result, till the Start of MoteMote Battle, spamming increased drastically. Mainly, because new Users tried to reach the 15 Post Count, allowing them to participate in MoteMote Battle.
A Reputation Limitation (for example, you are only able to use specific Services if you’ve got X Points of Reputation) seems rather troublesome to me as well. Loosing and receiving Reputation sometimes seems like gambling to me.

Agreed, forced registration won't be a real hinderence for leechers but may stop the ones that have a problem showing themselves to anyone. As for driving away the users who don't like to forced into anything...do you really want a person like that as a member? They are hell to moderate or get to follow ANY forum rules.

In one forum we set up a LOUNGE AREA that seemed to work OK, this is a place that any guest can visit to see a selection of things that will show them what the site is about...from there they can decide then to join or not.

Yes, we also found that a set post counter requirement prior to any patrticipation in any special activities did increase spam...this is were your moderators keeping an eye on things come in though. Also a clear set of what is an isn't a spam message so members can understand it and advise that anything that doesn't fit within those paramiters will be deleted is a good start to setting this "minimum post count" system up.

Max. User Limitations:

Two possible Versions:
1. General
General means that only a specific Amount of Users can access the Site at the same time.
2. User Group specific
User Group specific means, that only Users of a specific Group (For Example 100 Guests, 200 Registered Users, 700 “Elite Status” User) can Access the Site at the same time.

Advantage:
Only a specific Amount of Users can access the Site at the same Time, hence Site Traffic can be planed, no more Server Overload.
Users Groups can be preferred

Disadvantage:
If the Limitation is set to 100 Users at the same Time, if you are 101 no Access for you. The User Group solution creates some kind of class society.

Agreed, this doesn't look very nice and would sure have to be a last resort...and does seem to create some kind of class society. :cry:

No Download Option from Fakku Server:

Advantage:
Less Traffic, More Server Space

Disadvantage:
No “Easy” download Option.
External Download Links tend to become invalid.

Comment:
Personally, I only use external Download Options. Especially while Fakku only hosts the Low Qual. Versions of the Doujinshi, also you can only download one File at the Same Time. So I ask you, is it even necessary to download from Fakku?
Well if you consider that external Links from Sites like Megaupload become invalid after some time, I would say at least for older Doujinshi, yes. So I would suggest a download Limitation hence, you can only download about, lets say X Doujinshi per Day from Fakku. I mean is it really necessary to download the whole Gurren Lagan Section on one day?

I won't really make a comment on this as I don't download anything...yup, you heard me NOTHING :oops: ... but it does read like something that may help releave some of the problems now being experienced. :wink:

I have also experience the same slow down problems tryin to get onto these forums lately and I can tell you that experienceing this on a regular basis will put off a lot new members who have just joined. On a personal note, it's better for me to do it during the day for me, less traffic and no SITE NOT AVAILABLE messages.

I also noticed that you over 90,000 members :shock: FARK, when was the last time this members list was cleaned up ???

Anyway, as a newbie I don't want to tell you how the suck an egg, just trying to help a little...this is a good forum. :D

Forced Registration is a bad idea. At any given time, only about ten percent of the users on Fakku are registered, but the majority of those registered users are people who post in the forums. If we made everyone register to do anything on the site, we'd have a ton of registered users who do absolutely nothing at all, and I really don't like that idea. I imagine Jacob and the other guys don't like it either. Members who don't do anything just take up space and usernames. There is no point in having 800 registered users online if only 80 of them post in the forums.

The Max. User Limitations sounds horrible. It completely goes against what Fakku is, a site for free hentai that doesn't discriminate. I wouldn't even consider it as a last resort.

The No Download and No Online Reading options make sense, but they also go against what Fakku is supposed to be.

No offense intended with this post, I am simply expressing my feelings. I'm glad you made this topic and offered those suggestions. If I had any clue what could possibly be done, I'd suggest it, but I really don't know what Jacob and company could do besides getting another server that wouldn't compromise Fakku as a great free hentai site. I'm not saying that Fakku should get another server, that'd be hard to do, but that's all that pops into my head. But I'm not a big computer person, so my computer advice really isn't good.

well that sounds like a good idea but more I think i FR is used there will be like thousand users with 0 post and nothing at all just to get access further more if you would also implement a post and reprequirement it would be a total spam much more horrible then the one when jacob set up a postcount requirment for the user uploads



well both are quite impossible, just thing about the fact then you want to enter the site and can´t because of the limitation then you have to wait until someone leaves and during that time more an more members show up to get access.
truely that would result in an accumulation of waiting members...which would then result in the fact that only few people would ever visit that site again



sound more like a possible idea, just because I also tend to download the highres versions from other filesharing sites.
but I guess people with poor connection could be pissed about it since they have to wait longer for the bigger highres dl to finish.
the part with the invalid links is also a good ponit for the disadvantages....

so this point is quite interessting but needs to be worked out some more



this is the most possible ponit in my option, but I would not cancel online view complete.
just limit the sites that can be viewed for every doujin

like up to 5 sites so that you can get an impression if the doujin is worth being downloaded.


having said all this....I have to say that the server is very fast at the moment

did you use some magic trick there jacob or is this just the fact that many people are still in bed with a hang over >_<

We got a new server, and split the traffic. There's no way we'd let the lagginess get in the way of you guys, would we?

million thanks for you admin guys :P
now i'm falling for you guys

thanks a million coz' the high traffic is just plain disturbing

I believe I speak for everyone when I say "thank you"

I believe you are sir.
I cannot express how much I'm grateful.

You guys are awesome! *(^_^)*

Although the traffic problem is solved, I still don't feel the need to make changes to deal with any future problems.

This stuff happens once every 6 months or so, the influx of new members following events such as C75 and MoteMote or a combination of things is something that is bound to happen. Luckily we have a staff that actually pays heed to such problems, and are willing to fix it, such as now with the new server.

What I'm trying to say is, although idea is splendid Helmchen, the effort is a little over the top. We just need to trust in our admins, they always pull through after 3 days or so, so there's no need to panic. If something like the traffic problem happens again, we just need to stay adamant, and wait out the storm. Fakku always seems to bounce back from things like this, so there's no need for reform.

Thankyou...*bows*

i love the FAKKU! staff!
tyvm. :)
[size=10]now if i actually had a job i would have helped. xD [/h]

Indeed much thanks are given.

Thanks for the new server, but
I'm still experiencing some lag when +1500 users are in here, but not as worse before the addition of the new server, but It might be just my connection problem.

:D

I'm glad it's not just me that's been experiencing problems with FAKKU - er, you know what I mean. I've got about 5 or 6 SQL error pages today as well. Is that something to do with the new server? I have no idea how databases work but until today FAKKU was just going slowly, not it's faster but I've got these errors.

Of those options I think the "No online manga reading" one is the best. I say variations on this theme very often but I wish people realised that even if you just view something online, it's still being downloaded to your PC. I really don't get the appeal of reading manga online, especially when the default Windows image viewer is better than any online viewer I've seen.

If FAKKU isn't already doing this, you could try some sort of reward for donations. Starmen.net once received a single donation of several thousand dollars and all they do is give you various donation badges under your name and allow for a custom avatar (they normally just have the username). I'm not suggesting that simply doing that will grant you such crazy donations as that, but I do think it might be something to look into. Maybe after you donate a certain amount of money you get priority download speeds or something like that.

Agreed. Just download it if you want to read it. But some users who love to read some full-sized page to preview a manga like me would complain. But this could be negated by "preview a full-sized page" option kinda thing.

Yes, this is another good suggestion. Pay for your e-penis. And some member have nagged about custom titles and such. Why don't make them pay for that if they want it that bad?

And i think FAKKU! merchandises should really be realized. The profit of those merchandise could be used to cover the bills and perhaps another server.

Oh, and of course, Props for the new server.

Or you can contribute to the site till you have 1000 post and +70reps

<------------------proof

:D

But if your forcing them, why not pay?

lulz.

If I had any money (and knew how to really shop online), I'd definitely buy some Fakku merchandise. Hell, if I had money, I'd probably learn how to shop online just so I could buy some Fakku stuff.