Over on the Straight Dopers Facebook group, **TubaDiva **reports thusly:
I don’t speak database, but it sounds like a bad thing happened and since it happened on a weekend, there’s no one really available to do much.
I don’t see how a table can be screwed up and the site still be running. Maybe an index is not working and the site could still work.
had a delay posting , since it’s 6:25 AM EST I would think problem is not related to the number of users.
Is there any good reason for such a lack of information about what is being done to solve this problem? I can get more info out of the CIA, NSA, and the Pentagon.
It had been okay for the past two days but it’s acting up again.
Is Straightdope using the same IT group that developed the app for the Iowa caucuses?
Until this issue is resolved, is there any reason the edit window cannot be relaxed a little bit? I just posted a typo that could not be corrected because I was locked out of the edit screen.
Wolfpup, you bring up a good point. The folks who run most message boards usually have root accounts on their server, and have some knowledge of how the server works. I don’t think that’s the case with the SDMB. I don’t know for sure, but I doubt TubaDiva (or any other admin or mod) has shell access, can edit configuration files, or access to any server control panels (Cpanel/WHM), Plesk, etc.). That limits what a SDMB administrator can do to fix technical issues. Instead, they have to deal with the back-and-forth with some IT professional, even for mundane things like adding new templates or plugins (no FTP access = can’t upload files), changing a configuration file, or blocking spammers with .htaccess or a firewall.
I’ve hosted my forum on Liquid Web for about 15 years, and I’m very happy with them. USA-based support, and a policy of not hosting spammers or malicious hackers, are big pluses.
Giraffe Board uses URLjet, which specializes in hosting vBulletin sites. URLjet is expensive compared to Liquid Web (which already has premium pricing), but it has a good reputation among forum operators.
I mentioned above that I’ve been getting logged out every few hours since late January. That hasn’t happened for the last couple of days.
Yes, I also wonder if there’s any way to port this board away from its current owner, who seems not to care about it, and make it an independant thing. That would presumably require the permission of the current owner.
nm, figured out what I did
I’m just returning to this thread to say,
Seriously, SDMB seems to be working fine for the last two or three days.
not working fine for me
just got another time out
Getting time outs this morning, then started seeing some ads! I thought the ads were related to the other problems, but eventually realized my membership had lapsed.
I was able to pay and become a member again without delay or time-out. The secret seems to be to send money.
I just got another time-out error. It was while i tried to edit a post. But when I tried to open a new tab, I got it again. On my fourth try, I was able to return and my post had been edited.
Using Chrome on Windows 10
Gotten a few time-outs so far this morning. Can’t determine a rhyme or reason.
Usually, after a few people post that “things have been good lately!” (**TonySinclair **and **jerez **above)… the time-outs start again for others 
Let me hasten to add that these still aren’t show-stopping time-outs – a quick press of the F5 button and the page loads right up.
I think editing a post has close to a 100% error rate. Sometimes I click to save the edit and nothing happens at all.
It was fine until about 30 minutes ago; now I’m getting them over and over again.
This issue seems to be particularly bad on weekends.
Yeah, this board is dieing.
Chrome, windows 10