BS: What's up with MudCat?........

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 08:27 PM

Not being able to get in here from time to time, that's just something that happens. Like when you call on a friend and they are out.

What's more irritating is when you are on the Cat, and write some brilliant post, complete with links and all, designed to demonstrate once and for all why you are right and everyone else is wrong in some discussion you've been involved in - and you push to post it, and the Cat turns out to have gone down while you were writing it...

Still I've learnt now to make a point of copying posts before sending them, and then I can save them to a mudcat temp ,if I think they are worth saving. And then I can send them later, if I still think they are worth posting, which well may not be the case... Actually there's a lot to be said for doing that anyway with posts that are meant to clinch arguments. From time to time Mudcat outages have saved me from saying things I'm quite glad I didn't say.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: gnu
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 06:46 PM

Yeah, screw sending a donation, no big deal.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Little Robyn
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 04:12 PM

In desperation last night I went through some old sites I'd saved and found this one that I'd forgotten about:
a different door

It took away the withdrawal symptoms and I knew someone was still there.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Alan Day
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 03:26 PM

I agree with you Nutty.
A little bit of patience is all you need if its there read it,if it isn`t ,read it another day,all the better for waiting.
There`s only a little old lady at my bus stop,surely not Bobert.
"YOUNG MAN"
Al

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:30 PM

for that matter - come home from work and cuddle with your kid or go down and check the server?

Take a weekend with your three lovely ladies, or rebuild the database?

Holiday weekends with family? Or sit at home in case the server crashes?

I know which one I would chose in each case. And the mudcat would lose out.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: nutty
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:29 PM

I just believe that patience is a virtue and that Mudcat's problems are not worth having a heart attack over.

I put my faith in Max ... he hasn't let us down yet and if he wasn't here (as might have happened given his recent accident) Mudcat wouldn't be either.

What would we do then ?????

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:27 PM

At my house the AC and/or dehumidifier AND puder can't both be on at the same time...... zzzzaaapppppppppppppppppp........

Which one would YOU choose-- allocate the power to the pain in the ass people complain about, or to having a nice comfy home to come back to after a day out through the work world, to a cool & non-fussy child and her mom?

Anyone here want to forego AC in tropical heat & humidity, for all this lot of bullshitters?

Just a thought.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: gnu
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:16 PM

Send a donation before you go eh?

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:13 PM

thats it, i can't be arsed anymore. im leaving

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: gnu
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:11 PM

Hehehe.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:04 PM

oh, I post to it when it's down, Kevin..*grin*...I just save all those things I wouldn't say when it's UP!

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 01:53 PM

I think John Hardly's comment was thye miost apt one: When the mudcat is down I just don't post to it. I also don't read what others don't post to it. I know that's a different approach, but it seems to work for me.

In factcat I stuck it in the Gallery of Mudcat to make it easier to find the next I want to use it.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST,Suzi
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 01:11 PM

I have been trying to get onto mucat all day, and when I tried the back door some sort of porn site came up three times....
So I gave up till just now..... AAHHH In at last.
Thank you Max...

Suzi....

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 11:34 AM

just a guess, but I living just an hour or so south of Max, I KNOW what the temperature & humidity have been this last week or so(miserable²)...and will continue for awhile. Remember, Mudcat lives in Max's basement, near the washer & dryer. It may not be easy to keep that area cool ........but, I do wish we could have a definitive answer.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 10:57 AM

I send a regular payment to "Friends of the Mudcat", but if Max does need any extra cash to upgrade his servers (perhaps RAID 4 disk arrays), I('d definitely be wiiling to cough up some extra.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: sian, west wales
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 10:47 AM

I think 'begging' is an inappropriate description altogether. I contribute by Direct Debit (or is it Standing Order? I get the two confused!) each month; a very small sum, and I look at it as being reasonable 'for services rendered'. In fact, if I paid a realistic amount according to how much I get from 'Cat, I'd be paying a LOT more. I don't even really like referring to it as 'donation' but I'll accept that, as I wouldn't want to complicate Max's taxation situation.

siân

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 10:29 AM

Support the Mudcat

Paypal makes it easy to send Max some money, which I've always intended to do and got round to doing today.

Hope it's fixable!

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: mooman
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 09:52 AM

I miss Mudcat when it's down like everybody else.

But, as many have said, Max does this as a labour of love and I for one am grateful to him for it. I have made many good new friends in "real life" as a result of joining the 'Cat.

So ease up on Max some of you and cut him some slack. If he needs our help I'm sure he'll say so.

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:50 PM

Bobert-
They're ALL money problems, when you get down to it.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:26 PM

But what if it ain't a $$$$ problem??? Sendin' $$$$ to fix a problem that ain't a $$$$ problem seems purdy short-sighted...

Like, what's the problem???

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: bobad
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:18 PM

I'm in for what I can afford.

How do I get it it there - I'm not into PAY PAL.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: gnu
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:08 PM

Squawk!! I resemble that remark.

Okaaaay then. In a nutshell...

Why would a lad who builds and consults on websites not institute the "fixes" that are obvious? And, what are they anyway?

Why do I need to know the tech stuff?

Why wouldn't I just donate what I feel I can and/or what I feel this site is worth to me?

Why does it have to have a collective donation cap?

Anyway... I am sending in a few bucks. Anyone with me?

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST,G
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:40 PM

Why not inquire direcly as to the problem? Rather than beating around the bush. It would appear to be a case of not enough bandwidth as it is acting like a yoyo. Either way, $ appears to be the logical answer.
For Gods' sake, let's get to the crux of the problem rather than bantying about like a couple (or more) of retarded roosters.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: gnu
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:28 PM

Oops... my bad... but... does ad revenue make you a taxable corporation in the States? Many "charitable" tax exempt entities exist here in Canada but still generate revenue through advertising in their publications. I used to buy ad space in the "The Shamrock Leaf", the newsletter of the Irish Canadian Cultural Association of New Brunswick and they didn't pay any taxes on my dime.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:25 PM

Hey, ifr this is about money then it sho nuff would be nice to know it... I fully agree with John "Giok"... Hey, tell us the problem, tell us the fix and we go from there...

Right now, all I know is that over the last 10 times I tried the front door, it was locked 5 times... That ain't good fir any website. 'er business, 'er bedroom fir that matter...

Jus' tell us what the heck is goin' on... We're adults... We can take it...

Again, no criticism intended here... Jus a simple request for information...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: harpgirl
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:16 PM

but what about the ad revenue? (look down)

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: gnu
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:08 PM

Been there and done that a few times haven't we? Now CH, you know Max can't do what you have suggested many times because the Café is charitable... not subject to taxes... not hiring lawyers and accountants... not selling ad space or anything else.

As for $, I am amazed that Max has been able to keep this site up since the last major "begging" which was done ON HIS BEHALF by concerned and grateful 'Cats. And, I don't mind sending a few bucks or bidding in the auction or buying swag.... I've done so. And I will again.

Like Giok, I am sure there are many 'Cats who would like to see a figure set. I WAS one in past fund raising drives. However, I think I MIGHT know why Max can't do this. Simply, if he says "X" bucks and we put up and, for whatever reason in the near future, something doesn't work out, Max will bear the brunt of any resentment or blame.

Anyway. I just had some financial downtime due to illness and I am tapped. Bt, I know I can find a bit to send and I am going to do so tomorrow.

May I be so bold as to recommend that the rest of the 'Cats out there reflect upon what you think you can donate and do so post haste.... pun intended. Need I say that no donation is too small?

Clint.... I am throwing in an extra $10 (Canuck bucks. Hey, it's still ten to me.) on your behalf.

AND... please post that you are on board with this... it is NOT self-laudatory to post that you are donating as long as you don't say how much you are donating or how many t-shirts you are buying or how much you are bidding in the auction... your post shows that each and every donation is truly going to do some good... COLLECTIVELY.

C'mon guys. it's time again to help ourselves.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 08:34 PM

If resources are the issue, there are PLENTY of things that Mudcat could do to make itself self-supporting... plenty of things besides begging that is...

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:20 PM

Me neither Amos, but if something's worth doing it's worth doing well, and we've most of us sent a few bucks when we have them cos we only want to help. If this was a shit site we wouldn't be concerned.
G..

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:16 PM

Giok:

I couldn't agree with you more that promoting for help and providing information on the situation would be preferable, from my viewpoint.

But as I have no visibility into Max' thinking, situation or resources, and no auhtority therein in any case, I have to let him roll his own way, right?

Sure, I'd like to understand the situation bette; but I don't feel owed anything.

A

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:12 PM

Well Amos old buddy I don't find it quite as simplistic as that, you see those guys that scramble round and reboot for you [why do they have to keep doing it?] are fast asleep when I and other UK Mudcatters log on in the AM here. So when those little Mudelves are up and around and rubbing the sleep out of there eyes, it is alreadylunchtime over here. If you get more complaints from this side of the pond it's because it affects us more. Some paranoid folks might even think that Max or someone turned it off last thing at night, and turned it back on in the morning, sorta like taking the phone off the hook to avoid nuisance callers ;~)
We recognise the fact that Max puts more than 100% into the Cat, and it sort of looks like a bit of help might not go amiss, and that's what I and others are offering, a bit of help to lighten his load. If he was to say "I need a new XXXX server to improve the service, and it will cost $XXXX, then that would give us something to aim at, and a reason for the Cat's hiccups.
That's how I see it from here Amos.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:06 PM

If the person who knows what the problem is, tells us what the problem is and asks for donations to help, it would be a lot more productive?

If the person who knows what the problem is, doesn't tell us what the problem is, and then a.n. other asks for donations, someones having a laugh.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:03 PM

Yeah, I'll have the check with my spin doctor on that one. ;~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:02 PM

Hey, I din't mean to sound as if I was bein' critical when I started this thread... Hey, I think most of us can keep ourselves entertained whhile Max cleans out the Catbox... That ain't this issue, if we can call it an issue, which is debatable...

I'm just a curious hillbilly sort of folk... That's all... Plus I did wnat to get the combination to the lock on the backdoor...

Peace

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 11:54 AM

That sounds orful condescending and superior, WYS.


A

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 11:39 AM

LOL. To whom the following applies--

As I said, I just figure it's worth being here when I can be, and when I can't-- well, I travel elsewhere. But nowhere else is Mudcat, and I always welcome a chance to return for another stay.

If your mileage varies, and you see a chance to have a crabbyassed argument over it, whoop-dee-effing-doo. Maybe you're having a low-testosterone day; so sorry!

Or-- you may just be advertising an addiction and a need to UNPLUG.

So-- uplug yourself!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 11:37 AM

Oh, the stormy winds do blow,
And the ragin' waves do roll,
While we poor Mudcats a-clingin' to the rail,
Swirl down the internet toilet bowl,
Below, below,
Swirl down the internet toilet bowl!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble who snaps up the bait

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: John Hardly
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 11:26 AM

When the mudcat is down I just don't post to it. I also don't read what others don't post to it. I know that's a different approach, but it seems to work for me.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Jeri
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 11:03 AM

WYS said "unique community." It IS unique. All communities are unique, and those of us here are in this one. People who can't see uniqueness are the same guys who know one chord and play it exclusively through every song or tune in your session because they are essentially clueless and like being that way. Saves them the work of paying attention and adjusting accordingly.

Notice something: everybody's guessing the reasons for the recent several months' worth of problems. We may even end up having an argument about what's wrong or what isn't wrong. "I think it's this." "No, you're wrong -- it's this!" "Well, you're an idiot, because if it were that..." Then later on: "Let's throw some money at it!" And the inevitable sprinkling of "Aside from not telling us anything, Max is doing everything he can. I KNOW he is," and "Mudcat: Love It Or Leave It!"

Discussions like this do no good other than providing an opportunity to vent. We don't really know anything. Mudcat is a little boat in the blue water of the toilet of the internet, and somebody has flushed. We are circling... [and I've got to go because I just lapsed into parody mode, and someone is going to murder me for what I'm about to write.]

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:47 AM

When I get annoyed -- and I do -- I think, "Okay, here's a guy doing this on his own time, with (mostly) his own cash, out of his own house, and he's doing it for free. Why are you bitchin'?"

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Alba
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:41 AM

YIP Mick.
100% with you on that.
Love to all
Jude

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Big Mick
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:37 AM

The "problem" is that a wonderful young man with a family to support and a life to live is trying his very best to keep this site going. Aside from the occasional endowment (you know who you are and I thank you on behalf of all of us), he keeps this thing going on his own dime and at the cost of time away from other things. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and the occasional buck or two.

Thanks Max.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:30 AM

Susan. I see no reason to belive the hardware (reliability aside) is unlike any other online forum. If anything there is probably more of it than most people running from home have (I think there are 3 machines - 2 web servers and 1 database server) but really that provides extra cover - some wouldn't be able to afford more than one server.

The site design is unique to Mudcat but the origns of the forum are not and I can't believe it's the only forum that hasn't developed somewhere from the same Cold Fusion Tutorial. There certainly used to be a few around that still looked like Mudcat's help.

The software combination used here is perhaps unusual. I did post my thoughts on that here a month or so back.

As for the big problem at the moment, my best guess is a nackered database server although perhaps something as simple as overheating.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:29 AM

I don't feel ignored -- every time it crashes, someone --presumably Max or Jeff -- scrambles around and reboots and debugs it. That's the attention I want! :D

The Mudcat of today is carrying many more transactions and messages than it ever has, compared to just a couple of years ago. There's many more members, and more trip being bandied about.

The volume these messages require in order to be databased is not trivial, and the load of the increased traffic is not trivial either.

A

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: JennyO
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:19 AM

Fair enough, but a little bit of information about what is going on would be a nice start. It's not so much the fact that it keeps crashing - I could live with that a lot better if only I knew WHY!

A lot of us have been asking for some time what is happening and what we can do to help, and there continues to be no response. Lately I have seen posts from a lot of regular Mudcatters - good natured people who hardly ever complain, and many of whom have been here for years and contributed a lot - starting to get really impatient and browned off because we are being ignored. That is the biggest issue right now, I think.

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:03 AM

Has Max healed completely from the accident? If he's not completely up to speed you can expect delays in any maintenace or repairs.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:01 AM

If you honestly think mudcat is unique you have led a very sheltered internet life. Cue the bitterness.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:11 AM

Or you remind yourself that Mudcat's site design and hardware are not like any other forum online, and that it somehow has allowed a uinique community to form..... I just figure it's worth being here when I can be, and when I can't-- well, I travel elsewhere. But nowhere else is Mudcat, and I always welcome a chance to return for another stay.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: Jeri
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:07 AM

105 only works when the main forum is up because it IS the main forum.

Bobert, try typing a different name in.

I'm tired of this, I'm tired of not know what's going on or if anything's going to improve. I also realize that there's little chance of learning anything. I just decide to either put up with the problems and the remoteness of Max or try not to come here much. I have little chance of influencing anything.

I'm trying to care a lot less about Mudcat, because, let's face it, it's the people who really love something who get bitter and end up hating it when it doesn't live up to their expectations and they're completely powerless to affect it. When things are bad enough for long enough and there's no hope, you either start go postal or you walk away.

Subject: RE: BS: What's up with MudCat?........
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 08:57 AM

Bobert, maybe you named it something wierd. Try opening Manage Bookmarks and hit Edit/Select All (Firefox) or just open "Manage Bookmarks" (Netscape). That gets you the bookmark names and their associated URLs. I don't know how you see the URLs, or if you can, in Explorer.