Just wanted to let everyone know that we successfully completed some important site updates over the weekend. The software for the forum and the main page are essentially current now. Some of the problems we have been experiencing may have been caused by conflicts due to out-of-date software. Hopefully, these will restore stability and performance all around.
In addition, I've implemented some important changes to new account registrations. I hope these changes will reduce or eliminate the vast majority of spam posts. So far, the changes seem to be working very well. If you are trying to register a new account, but have been unable to do so, please email me at craigh@grogheads.com.
In any event, please let me know if you experience any irregularities or technical issues of any kind.
Sorry for the temporary outages of late. I hope they are a thing of the past.
Grog on!
:ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
LGTM
Alright...it's time to take the gloves off.
I learned yesterday that the vast majority of activity and "processes" on the site is generated from users in the United States. There is a fair amount of activity originating out of India and Russia, but not at the level I expected given the number of bot account registrations and site traffic maximizing resources on a regular cycle now. Therefore, most of the traffic appears legitimate. This is good news...and bad news.
It's good news because it means a lot of people are actually coming here and engaging with the site. It's bad news because it probably means we simply don't have the hosting capacity to avoid the temporary shut down. I added to our products website security. This should help eliminate whatever bot activity there is while also protecting us from anything malicious. There was, of course, a cost to this, but I'm happy to spend the extra money. However, extra hosting may be a separate issue. I haven't gone down that rabbit hole, but I know it isn't cheap. With Gus having jumped ship, while I've pretty much always handled the administration, it's just me supporting grogheads financially now. With two small kids, a wife who hasn't worked in over a year and a healthy appetite for ammunition, I'm not sure how much discretionary money I'll have for added hosting.
I'm taking a wait and see approach to check on the new security and whether it makes a difference. But if you see future 503 errors, it likely means more bandwidth is the likely cure.
Let's all pray and send good vibes and in the meantime, keep calm and Grog on!
Is there a Patreon account or something like that we can subscribe to?
Quote from: JasonPratt on January 10, 2025, 09:56:27 AMIs there a Patreon account or something like that we can subscribe to?
I would be happy to contribute.
Thanks guys. Don't have anything like that set up. But if we need to increase the hosting, I will definitely consider setting that up to defray the additional costs.
:notworthy: :Hug:
I'll chip-in as well. It's got to be cheaper than paying a Divorce Lawyer from aggravating the shit out of my Wife all day instead of aggravating all of you here.