Slow Forum

webmaster · 06-08-2025, 04:05 PM

It should work a lot better now.

The problem has actually been growing for months and was caused by the huge amount of bots that were hitting the site. Bots have always been busy indexing the site for the search engines but recently they have become a much bigger problem for forums and other comment boards. This site runs on a modest server and just couldn't handle the volume. The bots couldn't post since they had to be registered but they could still repeatedly access posts and threads and try to register. At times there were 20,000 visitors or more showing on the site when less than a hundred were actual people. In recent weeks this finally maxed out the server.

I recently had to stop accepting new registrations with Gmail addresses. The bots were almost all using gmail addresses when registering. I screen new memberships and sometimes there would be hundreds of new registrations with gmail addresses waiting for review. I hope that will now slow down so I can resume taking Gmail registrations.

All the site traffic is now being routed through a service which detects and blocks most malicious bots. The overall bot traffic is now down about 75%. It's making a big difference right now but time will tell.

Sorry the site was so slow.

Don

thinkxingu · 06-08-2025, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webmaster

It should work a lot better now.

The problem has actually been growing for months and was caused by the huge amount of bots that were hitting the site. Bots have always been busy indexing the site for the search engines but recently they have become a much bigger problem for forums and other comment boards. This site runs on a modest server and just couldn't handle the volume. The bots couldn't post since they had to be registered but they could still repeatedly access posts and threads and try to register. At times there were 20,000 visitors or more showing on the site when less than a hundred were actual people. In recent weeks this finally maxed out the server.

I recently had to stop accepting new registrations with Gmail addresses. The bots were almost all using gmail addresses when registering. I screen new memberships and sometimes there would be hundreds of new registrations with gmail addresses waiting for review. I hope that will now slow down so I can resume taking Gmail registrations.

All the site traffic is now being routed through a service which detects and blocks most malicious bots. The overall bot traffic is now down about 75%. It's making a big difference right now but time will tell.

Sorry the site was so slow.

Don

No worries, Don, and thanks for the explanation—everything seems good right now.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

tis · 06-08-2025, 06:28 PM

No apologies needed. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for you. Running a couple of FB groups is hard enough trying to keep the bots out. Too bad there wasn't a way they could be detected. It's gotten so we don't trust much on the net any more.

FlyingScot · 06-08-2025, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webmaster

It should work a lot better now.

The problem has actually been growing for months and was caused by the huge amount of bots that were hitting the site. Bots have always been busy indexing the site for the search engines but recently they have become a much bigger problem for forums and other comment boards. This site runs on a modest server and just couldn't handle the volume. The bots couldn't post since they had to be registered but they could still repeatedly access posts and threads and try to register. At times there were 20,000 visitors or more showing on the site when less than a hundred were actual people. In recent weeks this finally maxed out the server.

I recently had to stop accepting new registrations with Gmail addresses. The bots were almost all using gmail addresses when registering. I screen new memberships and sometimes there would be hundreds of new registrations with gmail addresses waiting for review. I hope that will now slow down so I can resume taking Gmail registrations.

All the site traffic is now being routed through a service which detects and blocks most malicious bots. The overall bot traffic is now down about 75%. It's making a big difference right now but time will tell.

Sorry the site was so slow.

Don

Hmmm...I wonder if that's AI?

ishoot308 · 06-09-2025, 07:27 AM

Site seems to be slowing down again. It’s was fine for a couple days but definitely noticed today that it is slowing down again…

Dan

ishoot308 · 06-09-2025, 08:54 AM

Now it seems OK!

Dan

TomC · 07-01-2025, 04:09 AM

Took over two minutes to load the forum, subforum, and then this thread in order to post this message. Time for the bot-purge again or whatever was done last time...

thinkxingu · 07-01-2025, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomC

Took over two minutes to load the forum, subforum, and then this thread in order to post this message. Time for the bot-purge again or whatever was done last time...

Was fast just now (5:40 AM, while my fam sleeps!), but I'm guessing these attacks come and go.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

tis · 07-01-2025, 07:29 AM

Mine was very slow too but just now opened up as it should.

upthesaukee · 07-01-2025, 08:50 AM

Not a big deal... Just take a sip or two of iced tea, or another cup of coffee, or ....

Life's too short to worry about the small stuff.

Dave

Descant · 07-01-2025, 11:27 AM

At about 8:30 this am Chrome gave me a message that "Site not available" "Too long a time to load." Just logged in at 11:20 am, all OK.

tis · 07-01-2025, 11:48 AM

Bad, then good, then bad, then good for me too.

DickR · 07-01-2025, 04:08 PM

Just now (4pm Tuesday), after a couple more weeks of failure due to timing out, suddenly we have Winni forum again! This time I got a screen (quickly, and going away quickly on its own), saying it was checking to see if I were a real person (albeit with gradually fading intelligence), rather than an AI-based intruder. I suspect webmaster will be along to say something to address this site-theft has been installed. Perhaps he shouldn't say just was installed (if so), and not help the attackers figure out how to hack that tool.

tis · 01-18-2026, 10:26 AM

Is the forum still slow at times for anybody else?

Senter Cove Guy · 01-18-2026, 02:13 PM

It appears to be very good for me.

tis · 01-18-2026, 04:49 PM

Thanks Fine right now for me but intermittently it is extremely slow like it isn't going to open.

ApS · 01-19-2026, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tis

Thanks Fine right now for me but intermittently it is extremely slow like it isn't going to open.

Can this seven-month inconvenience be traced to our carriers or Smartphone?

I'm sure my slowness is due to AT&T (+Android Smartphone).

tis · 01-20-2026, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApS

Can this seven-month inconvenience be traced to our carriers or Smartphone?

I'm sure my slowness is due to AT&T (+Android Smartphone).

IDK what it is. Just now the site opened quickly, all the threads opened quickly until this one. Maybe it has a ghost?

Descant · 01-22-2026, 02:05 PM

All forums are very very slow for me today, using my PC.

06-09-2025, 07:27 AM	#5
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,537 Thanks: 2,455 Thanked 5,468 Times in 2,143 Posts	Slow Again Site seems to be slowing down again. It’s was fine for a couple days but definitely noticed today that it is slowing down again… Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

06-09-2025, 08:54 AM	#6
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,537 Thanks: 2,455 Thanked 5,468 Times in 2,143 Posts	OK Now Now it seems OK! Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

07-01-2025, 04:09 AM	#7
TomC Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 819 Thanks: 42 Thanked 185 Times in 116 Posts	slow again... Took over two minutes to load the forum, subforum, and then this thread in order to post this message. Time for the bot-purge again or whatever was done last time...

07-01-2025, 08:50 AM	#10
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,616 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,483 Thanked 1,988 Times in 1,088 Posts	Not a big deal... Not a big deal... Just take a sip or two of iced tea, or another cup of coffee, or .... Life's too short to worry about the small stuff. Dave __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

01-18-2026, 02:13 PM	#15
Senter Cove Guy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 607 Thanks: 304 Thanked 431 Times in 143 Posts	Forum Speed It appears to be very good for me. __________________ Lake Winni - The only place I want to be during the summer.

06-08-2025, 04:05 PM	#1
webmaster Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,495 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 467 Thanked 4,031 Times in 864 Posts	It should work a lot better now. The problem has actually been growing for months and was caused by the huge amount of bots that were hitting the site. Bots have always been busy indexing the site for the search engines but recently they have become a much bigger problem for forums and other comment boards. This site runs on a modest server and just couldn't handle the volume. The bots couldn't post since they had to be registered but they could still repeatedly access posts and threads and try to register. At times there were 20,000 visitors or more showing on the site when less than a hundred were actual people. In recent weeks this finally maxed out the server. I recently had to stop accepting new registrations with Gmail addresses. The bots were almost all using gmail addresses when registering. I screen new memberships and sometimes there would be hundreds of new registrations with gmail addresses waiting for review. I hope that will now slow down so I can resume taking Gmail registrations. All the site traffic is now being routed through a service which detects and blocks most malicious bots. The overall bot traffic is now down about 75%. It's making a big difference right now but time will tell. Sorry the site was so slow. Don

The Following 11 Users Say Thank You to webmaster For This Useful Post:
BroadHopper (06-09-2025), Descant (06-08-2025), ishoot308 (06-08-2025), jeffk (06-10-2025), KennyFromBoston (06-09-2025), Loub52 (06-09-2025), Senter Cove Guy (06-08-2025), Slickcraft (06-08-2025), Susie Cougar (06-08-2025), TCC (06-08-2025), tummyman (06-08-2025)

06-08-2025, 06:28 PM	#3
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,951 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,495 Times in 1,041 Posts	No apologies needed. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for you. Running a couple of FB groups is hard enough trying to keep the bots out. Too bad there wasn't a way they could be detected. It's gotten so we don't trust much on the net any more.

07-01-2025, 07:29 AM	#9
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,951 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,495 Times in 1,041 Posts	Mine was very slow too but just now opened up as it should.

07-01-2025, 11:27 AM	#11
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,598 Thanks: 1,418 Thanked 1,705 Times in 1,109 Posts	At about 8:30 this am Chrome gave me a message that "Site not available" "Too long a time to load." Just logged in at 11:20 am, all OK.

07-01-2025, 11:48 AM	#12
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,951 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,495 Times in 1,041 Posts	Bad, then good, then bad, then good for me too.

07-01-2025, 04:08 PM	#13
DickR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 765 Thanks: 4 Thanked 260 Times in 172 Posts	Just now (4pm Tuesday), after a couple more weeks of failure due to timing out, suddenly we have Winni forum again! This time I got a screen (quickly, and going away quickly on its own), saying it was checking to see if I were a real person (albeit with gradually fading intelligence), rather than an AI-based intruder. I suspect webmaster will be along to say something to address this site-theft has been installed. Perhaps he shouldn't say just was installed (if so), and not help the attackers figure out how to hack that tool.

01-18-2026, 10:26 AM	#14
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,951 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,495 Times in 1,041 Posts	Is the forum still slow at times for anybody else?

01-18-2026, 04:49 PM	#16
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,951 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,495 Times in 1,041 Posts	Thanks Fine right now for me but intermittently it is extremely slow like it isn't going to open.

The Following User Says Thank You to tis For This Useful Post:
BroadHopper (01-19-2026)

01-22-2026, 02:05 PM	#19
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,598 Thanks: 1,418 Thanked 1,705 Times in 1,109 Posts	Very slow today All forums are very very slow for me today, using my PC.

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