# It's been nearly six months, TubaDiva, where is the "more better stuff" you promised? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612 "2006-10-07T16:32:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/1 "2006-10-07T16:32:26Z")
I like this message board very much. I intend to continue to resubscribe for as long as it exists. That said, **jadavis** ’s comment in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=391237) recent ATMB thread annoyed the crap out of me and reminded me of an incident from earlier this year. On April 14th of this year, right before the deadline for Charter Members to re-up, there was a thread about the banning of a troll named **drmark2000**. The thread was quickly hijacked to a discussion about the SDMB in general. In [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7297344&postcount=58) post, **TubaDiva** made the following claim: > [@TubaDiva](#): > > There’s more better stuff coming 'round the bend, too. Can’t give you details yet but I’m telling you right now it’s going to be an interesting year and well worth sticking around for. When pressed for details she made the further comment (Post #146, same thread) > [@TubaDiva](#): > > No details, and please don’t ask because I can’t say at this time and place. I think I can say later on in the year you’re gonna like us more better. (That’s about all I can say now, though.) Having heard this tune before, a number of people called bullshit, most notably **catsix**. (Post #180) > [@catsix](#): > > I can’t wait to hear the ‘We never promised you anything’ again! **TubaDiva** ’s response to that was legendary: > [@TubaDiva](#): > > There’s much I’d like to promise you for your dishonest words and your overall nasty ways. I promise you I’ll try to overlook all that. We are now halfway through the subscription year for us Charter Members so let’s recap. \*We may have a new server on-line at some unspecified time in the future. \*No new features. \*Old threads can no longer be accessed and may never be able to be accessed again. \*Slower board speed in general (but with the new server and lost threads we could get back to where we were six months ago.) That looks to me like a net loss. Is this new stuff still on tab or are we owed an apology? ---
**Author:** ![overeasy4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9bd4f/32.png) [@overeasy4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overeasy4)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/2 "2006-10-07T16:53:20Z")
From what I’ve seen, you are owed an apology for an outright lie, but will never get one, instead will be chastised and doubletalk will ensue. Why on earth is this a pay board? I’ve never seen any board that cost before. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/3 "2006-10-07T17:05:29Z")
Did you link to the correct thread? There’s no post by **jdavis** in that thread. And who said anything about 6 months? The quotes you posted say “later on in the year” and there’s still almost 3 months left in the year. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/4 "2006-10-07T17:06:06Z")
[Jerry about the new server](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7841922&postcount=6) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/5 "2006-10-07T17:07:03Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] From what I’ve seen, you are owed an apology for an outright lie, but will never get one, instead will be chastised and doubletalk will ensue. Why on earth is this a pay board? I’ve never seen any board that cost before. [/QUOTE] I c u r … … unfamiliar with the quality of the posters here. 🙂 Ask a question about maths / astronomy / Lord of the Rings / cats / chess etc and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/6 "2006-10-07T17:11:21Z")
[QUOTE=Kat] Did you link to the correct thread? There’s no post by **jdavis** in that thread. [/QUOTE] Shit. I was so careful too. Thanks, **Rick** , for the correct link. While I’m at it, the last sentence should have said “on tap.” ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/7 "2006-10-07T17:25:33Z")
Thank you. I hope those posters in the thread putting forth the possibility that he meant a 50/50 chance of archiving the deleted posts during the switchover are right, but if they’re not and he _did_ mean a total 50/50 chance of archiving, I’d just like to say: Jesus Christ, don’t fucking _whine_ at him about it. If it’s a 50/50 chance based on _his decision_, whining is gonna make it _less_ likely to happen. Heaven knows that _I_ tend not to go above and beyond the job requirements for people who whine at me before I’ve made the decision about what to do about a situation, and why should I expect other people to do so? Whining is irritating and insulting, and unlikely to inspire people to take on extra work. (Only directed towards the people actually whining. Please reread anything you’ve (generic “you”) posted to see if you’re whining before taking offense.) ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/8 "2006-10-07T19:10:19Z")
vBulletin is at version 3.6.2 now. The SDMB is two generations behind. Upgrading, though, involves a lot of changes to the underlying database. With the size of the database, there’s robably more that could go wrong, but testing an upgrade in a non-production environment on a copy of the database shouldn’t be out of the question. There’s many other vBulletin-based sites that have more posts than the SDMB. I don’t think there’s a theoretical limit to the size of the board; the only limits are probably hardware-related. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/9 "2006-10-07T19:16:40Z")
I have to admit that as a paying member I’m not really the slightest bit interested in more features. It’s a message board; the features I want are the abilities to post and read messages, plus a good search function. I like it simple. I would much rather not have my money spent on bells and whistles that serve no purpose. I WOULD, however, love to have it (a) faster, and (b) to retain a full message history. So I’d like to know where the new server. I want my money spent on better hardware. If they have 3000-4000 paying members, that’s plenty of money to buy better hardware. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/10 "2006-10-07T19:42:59Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] That looks to me like a net loss. Is this new stuff still on tab or are we owed an apology? [/QUOTE] C’mon, **hajario** , this complaint is totally out of line. After all, if you read **TubaDiva** ’s comments carefully, you’ll note that she doesn’t ever say _which_ year was going to be an exciting one. As for me, I’m about at the point where I’d be thrilled if I could connect to the board on the first try most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/11 "2006-10-07T20:02:56Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I WOULD, however, love to have it (a) faster, and (b) to retain a full message history. So I’d like to know where the new server. I want my money spent on better hardware. If they have 3000-4000 paying members, that’s plenty of money to buy better hardware. [/QUOTE] Let’s assume there’s 3,000 paying members; half paying $7.50, and the other half $15.00. Not counting Google ads, that means the annual revenue of the SDMB would be $45,000. A high-end server from [ev1servers](http://www.ev1servers.com/Dedicated/RTG/servers/Opteron.aspx) runs for $399 a month. The specs: Dual Processor, Dual Core Opteron 265 (2) 73GB SCSI Hard Drives 2 GB Memory (16GB Max) 2500 GB Monthly transfer Beats the Packard Bell 486 that the SDMB is running on now. 😃 That’s $4,800 for the server and bandwidth, and the rest as well-deserved profit for the Reader. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/12 "2006-10-07T20:18:49Z")
\*\*jdavis \*\* [just posted this week the following info:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7841922#post7841922) [QUOTE=jdavis] As to the status of the new server I’m in the process of ordering one within the next two weeks. When will we be running on the new server? I don’t know and I’m not going to give a definitive or even approximate answer because I don’t have a definitive or approximate answer. When the new server is purchased it will then be built, the SDMB will be moved from it’s current hosting company to a co-location site in Chicago, the vBulletin software will possibly be upgraded to a newer version and I will attempt to resolve the underlying MySQL database issue that is limiting us to approximately 2.4 GBs worth of posts. That current limit is what necessitates the deletion of old posts. If we want to keep adding new posts to the database I have to get rid of something until I can resolve the underlying issue. [/QUOTE] I hope this helps a little. Jim ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/13 "2006-10-07T20:21:49Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I have to admit that as a paying member I’m not really the slightest bit interested in more features. It’s a message board; the features I want are the abilities to post and read messages, plus a good search function. I like it simple. I would much rather not have my money spent on bells and whistles that serve no purpose. I WOULD, however, love to have it (a) faster, and (b) to retain a full message history. So I’d like to know where the new server. I want my money spent on better hardware. If they have 3000-4000 paying members, that’s plenty of money to buy better hardware. [/QUOTE] My feelings exactly. The whole issue of new, whizz-bang features is of no interest to me. I like the no-nonsense, workmanlike look and feel of the boards. I do think, though, that having access to _all_ previous threads is essential. As others have pointed out, there are plenty of other message boards with larger active databases. With the low cost of hard drive space, and the ability of modern servers and software to deal with large databases, there really is no excuse for being limited to a paltry 2.4 Gb, or whatever the number was. And the speed is just so inconsistent; perfect one minute, impossible to connect the next. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/14 "2006-10-07T20:31:13Z")
I’d sure like an ‘ignore thread’ option, I hope that’s coming if they upgrade vBulletin. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/15 "2006-10-07T20:49:29Z")
I, like **RickJay** just want the basics. “The basics” means fixing the search feature and making the server and its connection fast enough that I don’t get timeouts. I would enjoy seeing any new features that make the SDMB faster and easier to use. I would _not_ enjoy seeing distractions like animated smileys, icons, and embedded graphics. At first, I was annoyed that I couldn’t edit my own posts, but I’ve come to agree strongly with the board policy against it. It would be just too easy for someone to go back and edit an old post when they’re losing an argument and say, “I never said that!” ---
**Author:** ![overeasy4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9bd4f/32.png) [@overeasy4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overeasy4)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/16 "2006-10-07T22:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I c u r … … unfamiliar with the quality of the posters here. 🙂 Ask a question about maths / astronomy / Lord of the Rings / cats / chess etc and see what happens. [/QUOTE] If a cat is playing chess, and its a waning moon, and the opponent moves 2+2 times, will people stop paying to see those god awful LotR movies? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/17 "2006-10-07T22:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] If a cat is playing chess, and its a waning moon, and the opponent moves 2+2 times, will people stop paying to see those god awful LotR movies? [/QUOTE] If the cat is the same color as the pieces it’s playing (e.g. black cat playing black), then people will stop going to the theaters to watch them, but sales of DVDs will double. If it’s a calico, then Peter Jackson will produce a movie version of _The Silmarillion_. If it’s any other color, then sales of old Desi Arnaz CDs will experience an unexplained spike. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/18 "2006-10-07T23:22:01Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] If a cat is playing chess, and its a waning moon, and the opponent moves 2+2 times, will people stop paying to see those god awful LotR movies? [/QUOTE] Heh. I like you. Please stay in our sandbox! ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/19 "2006-10-07T23:41:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sierra Indigo] Heh. I like you. Please stay in our sandbox! [/QUOTE] Just don’t use it as a litterbox. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612/20 "2006-10-07T23:43:04Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] I like this message board very much. I intend to continue to resubscribe for as long as it exists. [/QUOTE] And herein lies the rub: All the staff has to do is keep the place running, and the subscription fees keep rolling in. It’s a cash cow, really; where’s the incentive to change? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-nearly-six-months-tubadiva-where-is-the-more-better-stuff-you-promised/375612.md?page=2)