Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

JHromadka · Jun 28, 2005, 01:49 PM

Have been getting them a lot over the past few days. Even the ad banners at the top sometimes show "404 Bad Request - Your client has issued a malformed or illegal request." I'm using Safari on 10.4.1, so I doubt it's my browser.

The wonderful db error:

There seems to have been a slight problem with the database.
Please try again by pressing the refresh button in your browser.

An E-Mail has been dispatched to our Technical Staff, who you can also contact if the problem persists.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Chuckit · Jun 28, 2005, 02:23 PM

turtle777 · Jun 28, 2005, 03:14 PM

n00bs...

-t

Chuckit · Jun 28, 2005, 03:20 PM

Actually, from his join date, he's been here longer than either of us. Which is the really confusing part.

turtle777 · Jun 28, 2005, 04:31 PM

Very disturbing indeed.

-t

tooki · Jun 28, 2005, 07:04 PM

The "400 Bad Request" error is an incompatibility between Safari and the image server's HTTP server (it's something that's not Apache). Quitting and relaunching Safari will make the banners reappear.

The DB errors, well, I don't know what causes them.

I have been bugging the Powers That Be about both of these problems for years. He just doesn't seem to think they're a big deal.

tooki

Chuckit · Jun 28, 2005, 07:19 PM

Does he get a copy of the mail that is "dispatched to our technical staff"?

Kevin · Jun 28, 2005, 08:04 PM

I was told that NN simply cannot afford to feed the hamster as much as it needs to eat to perform to it's optimum potential.

Therefore, not enough hampster power = error messages.

I have a feeling however that sometimes the hamster isn't even there. That the admins and mods are using him for more deviant purposes.

BTW took, glad to see you back.

ManOfSteal · Jun 28, 2005, 09:11 PM

I like hampsters.

tooki · Jun 28, 2005, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by KevinK

BTW took, glad to see you back.

I'm not really. I am only posting what I call my "knowledge sharing" posts. I'm not doing any administrative work.

tooki

turtle777 · Jun 28, 2005, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Does he get a copy of the mail that is "dispatched to our technical staff"?

Ha. That's probably why MacNN is so unresponsive. DDoS attack from mails

-t

Ω · Jun 28, 2005, 10:12 PM

I think DH said that was turned off. Something about getting a 1000 email in an hour......

Demonhood · Jun 28, 2005, 11:18 PM

i got something like 156,000 emails in a few days. so yeah, i turned it off.

i've been noticing the increase in db errors as well. i'll look into it.

Scotttheking · Jun 28, 2005, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

The "400 Bad Request" error is an incompatibility between Safari and the image server's HTTP server (it's something that's not Apache). Quitting and relaunching Safari will make the banners reappear.

It's not just Safari.

tooki · Jun 29, 2005, 08:36 AM

Hm. I never saw it with other browsers. Maybe Safari is merely more susceptible to it?

tooki

turtle777 · Jun 29, 2005, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by tooki

Hm. I never saw it with other browsers. Maybe Safari is merely more susceptible to it?

So it works fine with IE, but not Safari ? What a great testimony for a Mac site...

-t

Oisín · Jun 29, 2005, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

So it works fine with IE, but not Safari ? What a great testimony for a Mac site...

Think of it this way: superior browser extraordinaire that it is, Safari automatically detects if the banner contains a crappy, annoying add, and then (also automatically) converts it into plain 400 text.

Kevin · Jun 29, 2005, 11:32 AM

This is the NN's servers problem. Not Safari

Safari can’t open the page “http://forums.macnn.com/newreply.php”. The error was: “lost network connection” (NSURLErrorDomain:-1005)

JHromadka · Jun 30, 2005, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Actually, from his join date, he's been here longer than either of us. Which is the really confusing part.

Um, I've known about the db errors since they started forever ago. There was supposed to be this magical server upgrade that fixed it, then the forum upgrade came along. I started the thread because I was seeing the errors more frequently and there were no threads on it in the fb forum in at least 10 days.

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by JHromadka

and there were no threads on it in the fb forum in at least 10 days.

I'm not sure if starting a new DB error thread every ten days will fix them. On the other hand, maybe that's just the sort of voodoo it'll need

-t

Zimphire · Jun 30, 2005, 02:31 PM

It's not DB errors so much as NN doesn't have enough bandwidth to support all it's users.

Superman · Jun 30, 2005, 02:42 PM

I use FireFox and I have gotten this error several times today.

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Zimphire

It's not DB errors so much as NN doesn't have enough bandwidth to support all it's users.

So it's sort of an unintended DDoS attack...

-t

Zimphire · Jun 30, 2005, 03:08 PM

tooki · Jun 30, 2005, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by Zimphire

It's not DB errors so much as NN doesn't have enough bandwidth to support all it's users.

That is entirely incorrect. The servers have plenty of bandwidth. It's the lousy servers, in particular the DB server, which is wonky, and the image/banner server, which is running some obscure web server that is very high-performance, but interacts incorrectly with browsers.

:sigh:

tooki

Kevin · Jun 30, 2005, 07:07 PM

Ah makes sense tooki.

You can have LOADS of bandwidth, but if the server is lousy, it can't handle the load.

TheMosco · Jul 1, 2005, 10:50 AM

Does anyone click on a link sometimes and not see a thread at all? I can see the title, but no posts.

Example: http://forums.macnn.com/82/applications/261697/iphoto-question-new-mac-user/

I seem to be getting this from time to time on other posts too.

Kevin · Jul 1, 2005, 10:55 AM

Yup, about 3 or 4 times this week.

Kevin · Jul 1, 2005, 11:38 AM

Stick a fork in the place, database errors out the ying-yang, time-outs, etc..

Does the owners not give a crap about their own site?

I see a trend forming. This is usually a sign a forum is about to go under.

Oisín · Jul 1, 2005, 03:24 PM

*yin-yang

This forums does seem to be in a rough period at the moment; but I doubt it hasn't been before, and I also doubt it won't come out of this one slightly scathed, but alive.

tooki · Jul 2, 2005, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by KevinK

1. Does the owners not give a crap about their own site?

2. I see a trend forming. This is usually a sign a forum is about to go under.

1. Pretty much, in some respects. The owner is not willing to invest more, since it works well enough in his opinion. As I have said before, I and others have pushed for improved infrastructure repeatedly for years.
2. Hahaha, you're new here, arentcha! (OK, well I know you're not, but that question sure is very n00b.) The forums have gone through periods in the past where performance problems were orders of magnitude more severe than this, and I wish I were exaggerating. I guess you weren't here back when we were still running UBB as the forum software. In any case, this "trend" is neither new nor fleeting, nor insurmountable. We've survived FAR worse. (UBB, the NFN takeover, etc)

In fact, the forums are soon going to get a fresh skin along with the rest of MacNN.

tooki, unofficially

Kevin · Jul 2, 2005, 04:14 PM

tooki I was just teasing anyhow.

Kevin · Jul 2, 2005, 07:17 PM

http://forums.macnn.com/89/macnn-lounge/261880/help-buy-macnn-a-new-server/

ManOfSteal · Jul 2, 2005, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

tooki I was just teasing anyhow.

You lost something...

Kevin · Jul 2, 2005, 09:19 PM

Yeah, I got leprosy. Things keep falling off me left and right.

ManOfSteal · Jul 2, 2005, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Yeah, I got leprosy. Things keep falling off me left and right.

Good luck with kids...ehhh...

Lancer409 · Jul 2, 2005, 11:14 PM

sucks about the owners opinions. i havent gotten it too often, but then again, i'm in semi retirement from this site. and since i found out about this from the donation thread, sure i'd chip in. the advice, help, and friendship i've gotten from this site (not to mention SHEER entertainment) is well worth see'ing macnn happy n healthy.

Person Man · Jul 6, 2005, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Yeah, I got leprosy. Things keep falling off me left and right.

So are we going to be calling you "evin" soon?

Or "Zimphir" (pretty close to Zamfir if you ask me!)

mojo2 · Jul 8, 2005, 11:25 PM

Hey,

Why not donate to help macnn? The button way at the bottom is what you want to click then do a pay pal.

ManOfSteal · Jul 8, 2005, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by mojo2

Hey,

Why not donate to help macnn? The button way at the bottom is what you want to click then do a pay pal.

This is probably why...

"I never said I thought the problem was the hardware.

Regardless, I wouldn't recommend that anyone contribute. None of us forum admins have any way at all of guaranteeing that even one cent of donation would actually go to the designated goal."

tooki

Zimphire · Jul 9, 2005, 06:16 PM

Yes tooki never said the HARDWARE was lousy, he just said the SERVER was lousy.

Zimphire · Jul 17, 2005, 12:31 PM

BTW this keeps happening all day today

Safari can’t open the page “http://forums.macnn.com/newreply.php”. The error was: “lost network connection” (NSURLErrorDomain:-1005)

ManOfSteal · Jul 17, 2005, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Zimphire

BTW this keeps happening all day today

Safari can’t open the page “http://forums.macnn.com/newreply.php”. The error was: “lost network connection” (NSURLErrorDomain:-1005)

Indeed. I've seen it 15 times in about 30 minutes...

tooki · Jul 17, 2005, 09:42 PM

I, too, have been getting that error. The Powers That Be know about it, but as far as I know, have decided that it works "well enough" (read: at all), and therefore nothing will be done.

tooki

ManOfSteal · Jul 17, 2005, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

I, too, have been getting that error. The Powers That Be know about it, but as far as I know, have decided that it works "well enough" (read: at all), and therefore nothing will be done.

tooki

That's awful.

tooki · Jul 17, 2005, 10:22 PM

The owner is happy as long as the banner ads show up most of the time.

tooki

ManOfSteal · Jul 18, 2005, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by tooki

The owner is happy as long as the banner ads show up most of the time.

tooki

Which are worthless if users cannot bring up the pages in the first place...

tooki · Jul 18, 2005, 11:28 AM

Indeed. :shrug:

tooki