Horrendous forum response times

[BestbatBoy]

what is most annoying is the absolute radio silence from OOTP Developments. Even the diehard fans that defend OOTP even when they dont need to can't say this is right. I've honestly seen free hosting that is more dependable. This company used to be one of thebest at customer service. Now they are one of the absolute worst.

I will say it again from earlier, this company is a complete and utter joke.

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by BestbatBoy

what is most annoying is the absolute radio silence from OOTP Developments. Even the diehard fans that defend OOTP even when they dont need to can't say this is right. I've honestly seen free hosting that is more dependable. This company used to be one of thebest at customer service. Now they are one of the absolute worst.

I will say it again from earlier, this company is a complete and utter joke.

In fairness, it hasn't been complete radio silence. Matt does have the 4th and 6th post on this thread

[OmahaBaseball]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

In fairness, it hasn't been complete radio silence. Matt does have the 4th and 6th post on this thread

Not disagreeing with you, but unfortunately it has been 2+ weeks since his posts and clearly the issues have remained.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Heh, I was joking but it would be truly funny if that IS what they are doing, mining Bitcoin. They are doing something with their website and forum computer that is degrading performance, that's for sure.

. . . When he/they sold out to Com2uS, that was the shot across the bow. You could have foretold certain things to happen as a result, one of which would be a lack of concern for customer service.

The problem is, if the first paragraph is even remotely true, Matt will have nothing to say due to the second paragraph.

[OmahaBaseball]

The struggle continues - Server Not Found

[David Watts]

Are any of you getting the deal where it takes you to the OOTP Forums but you aren't logged in? When it does this to me, it also says the site is unsecure. If I go to OOTP Developments and enter the Forums from the community menu, I don't get the unsecure deal and I am logged in. Can stay on for a certain amount of time and then pow, the site isn't available.

[low]

It's like 1997 up in here.

[Lukas Berger]

This is a complicated issue, especially in that there are multiple things going on that seem to be causing the hiccups.

We're currently working through multiple fixes (and have been for the last couple weeks) but this takes some time as we need to identify the potential problem areas, apply the fixes, then wait a bit to see if they actually improve things or not.

We'll continue to work on this and if we're not able to get things running properly before too long, will certainly look more into other options.

[tm1681]

Originally Posted by Lukas Berger

This is a complicated issue, especially in that there are multiple things going on that seem to be causing the hiccups.

We're currently working through multiple fixes (and have been for the last couple weeks) but this takes some time as we need to identify the potential problem areas, apply the fixes, then wait a bit to see if they actually improve things or not.

We'll continue to work on this and if we're not able to get things running properly before too long, will certainly look more into other options.

So it's far more than just a hosting issue?

[Déjà Bru]

+1 for an official response, at least. It begs the question, though, of why this is such a chronic issue. It really does resemble the situation where there is too small a computer doing too many jobs. Or one major job that is sucking up all the processing time when it is running.

[Westheim]

I should start to save my Raccoons thread into a TB-sized file before everything goes belly-up.

[luckymann]

Lukas / Matt / team, not that I am seeing it at the moment but previously a number of my threads have seen unusual spikes in views from time to time. Not sure if I'm imagining it or perhaps my stories are simply that good (hahahahaha) but perhaps there is something in this regard to be investigated. Bots? Denial of service attacks? That sort of thing.

Cheers

G

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by luckymann

Lukas / Matt / team, not that I am seeing it at the moment but previously a number of my threads have seen unusual spikes in views from time to time. Not sure if I'm imagining it or perhaps my stories are simply that good (hahahahaha) but perhaps there is something in this regard to be investigated. Bots? Denial of service attacks? That sort of thing.

Cheers

G

I have long suspected it's DDoS attack

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

I have long suspected it's DDoS attack

Okay, say it's that. For a technological company not to be able to detect it and remedy it, over a period of months and years, stretches credibility, doesn't it? Moreover, if someone is attacking, why let up periodically?

No, I like my theory better.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

For a technological company not to be able to detect it and remedy it, over a period of months and years, stretches credibility, doesn't it?

I mean, there are things that can be done to prevent and defend against DDoS attacks:

What is a DDoS Attack?

How to prevent DDoS attacks

Defending against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks

Here is another thought: If it was this, why wouldn't Matt or Lukas come out and say it instead of characterizing it as a "complicated issue"?

One of those web sites lists these as the reasons for a DDoS attack:

1. Hacktivism: Hacktivists use DDoS attacks as a method to both protest and bring awareness to their social or political concerns. Their targets can range from governments, politicians, and large business organizations.
2. Extortion: Extortion has become a popular motivation for DDoS attacks, where threat actors demand ransom payments from their victims to stop a DDoS attack.
3. Ideological reasons: Some threat actors may initiate DDoS attacks that are driven by their ideological beliefs. This may include individuals who seek to disrupt and cause harm to companies or organizations that they view as unethical.
4. Cyberwarfare: Cyberwarfare is typically associated with nation states who are using state-sponsored DDoS attacks for political and military advantages. They aim to disrupt vital financial, health, and infrastructure systems within targeted countries. These strategies involve well-trained technology experts and are associated with government militaries or terrorist organizations. Many governments worldwide have invested significant resources to execute attacks that disrupt the online and critical infrastructure of their adversaries.
5. Business competition: DDoS attacks are increasingly being used as a strategic tool for competitive businesses. The primary objective of employing such tactics is to inflict financial and reputational damage on rival businesses, with the aim of disrupting their services to gain a competitive edge in the market. These attacks can take various forms, ranging from preventing a competitor's participation in online events to entirely disrupting their online operations for extended periods.
6. Revenge: Some individuals or groups who harbour frustration due to perceived injustice may launch DDoS attacks as retaliation against a person or organization.

Other than 2., do you really see any of the other reasons as potentially pertaining to this situation?

No, until one of those two guys comes out and denies it plainly, my money is on a) underpowered platform, and b) which is being tasked with an extraordinary job that runs at odd hours, degrading website and forum response time.

[Westheim]

Keep in mind that this is - in the big picture - a tiny forum for a AA-sized game. It's not the homepage of Shell or ExxonMobil. I just can't see it being the target for concerted DDoS attacks or "hacktivism" when in all likelihood, 99 of 100 random people you meet out on the street will never have heard of OOTP baseball.

I guess something is running at capacity, naturally. And sometimes over.

[jpeters1734]

FWIW, I’m not a computer science guy, just an unqualified opinion. However, never underestimate a disgruntled former customer and OOTP has plenty of them.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Okay, say it's that. For a technological company not to be able to detect it and remedy it, over a period of months and years, stretches credibility, doesn't it? Moreover, if someone is attacking, why let up periodically?

No, I like my theory better.

So, in your world dentists don't get cavities?

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by luckymann

So, in your world dentists don't get cavities?

Uh, yes. Unless they are very stupid, dentists go to other dentists where their cavities are detected and remedied. Want to try another analogy? That one was rather weak.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Uh, yes. Unless they are very stupid, dentists go to other dentists where their cavities are detected and remedied. Want to try another analogy? That one was rather weak.

Not at all. I'm quite pleased with it, actually.

The cavities don't get prevented is the point, even for dentists. OOTP appears to be trying to remedy this one. Admittedly, it seems like it might need some root canal work but I think they're doing their best. You and I both know things aren't quite as simple as just fixing something, especially with regard to tech.

I'm as frustrated as anyone that this problem is persisting. But accusing those in charge of neglect is a bit out of line, IMO.

No harm, no foul. Each to their own.

G