I also noted in another thread it was mentioned that doing a search could bog down the server and yet every one seems to be saying do a search before you ask. Well I kind of thought that if the search slowed it down then post away and you’ll eventually get something. However this would end in chaos and an out of control database. So I guess it’s catch 22.
I think this has got to be getting close to a record from pressing submit to the “Thank you for posting” page 5 Minutes 14 Seconds. From there to through auto redirect back to the thread page another 4 minutes before I gave up. The page loaded sometime later after I left the room.
I have this problem with no other message board and I don’t believe I have been banned from this site as my post still go through. Also the problem is not restricted to attempts to post as some times when browsing the board it can take an age to load some pages.
I know this can be a problem and I’m not trying to criticise I only want to give feed back and to tell the truth I’m kind of interested (read amused) to know what the record would be for slow servers.
Sorry couldn’t resist but imagine doing a preview first.
Dear Incredibly long way from home, it is indeed a Catch-22.
We tend to discourage searches, yet as you noticed, we also tend to chastise those who post a question that has been answered numerous times before, for not searching.
I think the best approach is that if one thinks their question might have been covered before, then go ahead and do the search. But try and be as specific as possible with the search so that the hamsters are not running marathons.
The reason I suggest searching is because if you don’t, someone else will. They’ll go find the thread that already covered the OP. As a consequence, no hampster ergs will be saved by not doing the search in the first place.
[on preview]
Wow. That is a long time.
I haven’t had any of the specific problems detailed in this thread, but here’s something new:
Yesterday, I opened the Problem Searching… thread. I’m darn sure I didn’t open or even see the thread I am now posting in, “The Blocked Dope.” Yet I now see a reply I composed to the search thread shows up in this thread!
It even looks like one of TubaDiva’s replies has switched threads, too!?
Now, I wouldn’t bet my life on my casual observations, but my memory isn’t that poor…
And if what I think is happening is happening, it is most likely because of a corrupted database index pointer; such a situation would explain many of the complaints – wrong thread, lost posts, search problems, etc., maybe even double posts. And as I said before, this can only get worse until the index is repaired, probably by a complete re-index.