# Boards and Maintenance **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 5, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125 "2000-09-05T19:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/1 "2000-09-05T19:08:25Z")
This may sound stupid, but what exactly takes place during these ‘maintenance’ breaks on the boards. I know of other sites that do it, but here it seems there’s no change in the look of the board after it happens. Curious. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/2 "2000-09-05T19:31:09Z")
Well, hamsters don’t live forever, y’know! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/3 "2000-09-05T19:31:12Z")
Last time I remember it happening was when they had to delete an entire thread. This affected the post counts of those Dopers who had participated in the thread being deleted, so I guess they had to temporarily discontinue service to allow those post counts to be updated. I may be WAGging here, but I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/4 "2000-09-05T20:31:33Z")
Yep, you’re wagging. Actually, Eve is closer. Threads can be deleted without shutting down the board. The routine maintenance is just that, routine maintenance. Threads are being re-indexed, the server occasionally throws a fit and needs time to catch up, etc. And if you’ve ever belonged to a private pool, such as the YMCA, you’ve seen the rest periods where they make everybody get out. It’s similar to that. Well, that and the staff (lifeguards) gets to cavort nakedly in the Mail Bag forum. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/5 "2000-09-05T20:34:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > Yep, you’re wagging. I just love wagging my tale.😃 ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/6 "2000-09-05T20:40:02Z")
Ahh. I thought it was something simple. BTW, when we were told to get out of the water at the ‘Y’, it was because someone pee’d or done some other nastiness in the water. We’d scatter, exit the pool, and proceed to berate the person to a pulp. I have an sinking feeling that happens here too… ---
**Author:** ![henbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4af34b/32.png) [@henbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/henbin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/7 "2000-09-06T06:44:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Well, hamsters don’t live forever, y’know! \*\* Then…then…fluffy DID die! And you just HAD to tell me didn’t you!! ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/8 "2000-09-06T17:00:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > BTW, when we were told to get out of the water at the ‘Y’, it was because someone pee’d or done some other nastiness in the water. Why didn’t you show the YMCA lifeguards your Straight Dope book? As Cecil Adams says in this column, “_[Why are men supposed to wash their hands after urination? Plus: urine therapy! (12-Jan-1996)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_220.html)_”, «_Urine itself is actually fairly sterile. Cecil has read reports of it being used during wartime in poor countries as–I’m not making this up–a sort of battlefield Bactine._» ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boards-and-maintenance/32125/9 "2000-09-06T21:13:13Z")
One of the reasons I love this place–the segues are breathtaking.