About two months ago we started work on cupcake, our latest release of 43 Things. But in the middle of that release, about three weeks ago, it became clear we had a problem. The site was slowing down. Too many people were getting the dreaded “Oops!” page.
For the last few weeks, we’ve put aside any new development projects to focus on the site’s performance. We added new hardware. We’ve found some new staff to help with system administration. We’ve fixed lots of bugs. But unfortunately, we have not yet turned the corner. The site is still too slow and too many people are getting that “Oops!” message. So we decided to make it official, we are creating a new release called “Lickety Split” focused around
nothing other than making 43 Things fast and reliable. The whole co-op is now working on “Lickety Split” and we hope to soon have all the sites living up that name.
We’ll keep you appraised of the progress we are making. This week we’ll be adding a new server to help with the load of traffic we are getting. But we are also reworking old parts of the site to make them faster and more reliable. In the process, we may need to change a few things – but we think the result will be worth it.
We’d appreciate it if you keep letting us know about your experience with the site. It is always nice to hear some of the good along with the bad. Thanks for your support!
23 responses so far ↓
Chef // October 30, 2006 at 11:23 am |
Using hindsight, what could you have done in the past to avoid this situation?
Josh Petersen // October 30, 2006 at 11:27 am |
Chef - What we really need is a time machine - so we could go into the future and find out how we fixed it.
However, we are thinking that taking naps in the server room and drinking booze all day may not have been the wisest thing to do.
NYCinephile // October 30, 2006 at 12:06 pm |
Josh-
Thanks for updating us.
I promote the sites and encourage new people to join whenever I post relevant items around the Web.
Would you like me to hold off in order to minimize new traffic?
-David
Moose // October 30, 2006 at 12:22 pm |
as soon as the subscriptions went off the rest of the site seemed to speed up no end.
Lickety Split was one of my favourite ponies… you guys are awesome and I know you’ll have us back posting and cheering with abandon in no time at all.
Flirt // October 30, 2006 at 12:22 pm |
Thanks, Robots, for keeping us informed of what’s going on, we really appreciate being kept in the loop. It helps to keep us from
-loosing- losing our minds every time we see *OOPS*!!!
I think the fact that so many of us are _addicted_ to 43things says volumes for how great you guys are doing. even if some of us don’t work on our goals as much as maybe we should
.
Keep up the *GREAT* work!!!
dwlt // October 30, 2006 at 12:31 pm |
Thanks Robots!
Absnasm // October 30, 2006 at 12:54 pm |
Thanks, Robots. If there’s any way we can help, let us know. We luuuurve you. We do. We want to marry you.
Monotreme // October 30, 2006 at 1:17 pm |
Thanks for all you do. Now that we know what “the deal” is, we will endeavor to be patient.
Jaosehl // October 30, 2006 at 1:26 pm |
Thanks Robots!
Calico // October 30, 2006 at 1:47 pm |
Glad to see you are on the case, ‘bots
aardila // October 30, 2006 at 1:52 pm |
Thanks for the update guys, and thanks for all the hard work you’re putting in!
We’ll be cheering “Lickety Split” on to the laurel wreath… go baby go!
yakuza // October 30, 2006 at 2:01 pm |
Thank you for the update guys. For the record though, napping in the server room, while not being the wisest thing to do is definitely something that can and does happen. Drinking booze all day though, there is nothing wrong with.
The site looks like it has sped up though.
pajodama4 one day from now // October 30, 2006 at 2:03 pm |
Thanks for your news, it was quite unconfortable to get “ops” and lose all our writing. Good luck and surprise us
pajodama4 // October 30, 2006 at 2:04 pm |
Thanks for your news, it was quite unconfortable to get “ops” and lose all our writing. Good luck and surprise us
pajodama4 // October 30, 2006 at 2:04 pm |
Thanks for your news, it was quite unconfortable to get “ops” and lose all our writing. Good luck and surprise us
gypsydog38 // October 30, 2006 at 2:07 pm |
Dear Robots
Thank you for keeping us informed. You deserve a *cheer*!
gypsydog38 // October 30, 2006 at 2:08 pm |
Dear Robots
Thank you for keeping us informed. You deserve a *cheer*!
Loquaciouslass // October 30, 2006 at 3:16 pm |
Thanks for your amazing work Robots! You’ve created something that is truly special, and given people an opportunity to make *very real* connections that break through the barriers of distance, time, culture and language… even if that wasn’t your original intention.
Love you guys!
Padatha // October 30, 2006 at 3:50 pm |
but the question is, do you wuv me, too, and want to marry me, too?
sanev // October 31, 2006 at 1:45 am |
Thanks guys, you rock!
Nathan Howe // November 1, 2006 at 1:15 am |
Thanks, Robots. Although at this very moment, the site won’t load at all for me (keeps timing out), I am glad to go to bed and rest assured that my 43 Things will be here tomorrow, maybe faster than before.
Daniel // November 1, 2006 at 7:24 am |
Hi Nathan — my guess is that you’re using the site around 1:30am PST. Every night for about an hour we have to take the sites down to backup the database. That will change in the coming weeks as we bring a slave database online so that we can keep the site up and still have the data backed up. We’ll get there soon!
Tiisme // November 16, 2006 at 12:33 pm |
Oh, Daniel. You don’t expect to use the term “slave database” and not see a rash of new goals designed to free said database, now do you? The site is incredibly impressive and a regular part of my life now. It’s gotten me off my languid ass, to be frank. Thank you, Robots!