Chat is down! Future of integrated chat uncertain :(

[Scaredgirl]

Bad news.

Some of you have noticed these frequent short periods of "Site not available".

Let me explain what is happening.

Elements is hosted on a "business" plan, which might sound cool, but is in reality a shared server (like all cheaper hosting plans are). So a bunch of people use the same server because getting your own private one is extremely expensive.

The problem is that apparently we were using too much CPU which forced my hosting provider to temporarily move this site to another server causing all these "Site not available".

My hosting provider is suspecting it's the chat that's doing it which makes sense because chat eats TONS of resources.

I'm thinking about upgrading my hosting plan to Virtual Private Server which would solve this problem but I would rather not do that right now because it costs a bit more, about 4 times more to be exact. I think it's too much cash for a forum with only 1000 members. Later when we have 5000+ members it would make more sense, and at that point I'm pretty much forced to upgrade to keep things running smoothly.

Right now the options are:

1. No chat and back to Meebo (or some other free chat room)
2. Chat access restricted to members only (might solve the problem)
3. I'll upgrade to Virtual Private Server
4. Something else

I'll try to play around with different kinds of setups, caching, etc. to control the CPU usage. Maybe that will help I don't know..

Edit: Temporary chat has been set up. Read more here:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,2640.0.html (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,2640.0.html)

[icybraker]

The sporadic "Site not available"s are uncool but probably inevitable.

Option 1 sounds disappointing, but feasible if no other option works.
Option 2 may work, but I'm doubting the long-term viability of this option. But it might also help us to get more members
Option 3 is very expensive; this should be our fallout plan.

Let's try limiting the chat to members-only first, and then we'll see what happens from there.

[FrozenFlame]

I have a suggestion.

Some people might say i am outdated blabla but i find it useful:
- IRC.

For beginners it may be confusing at start but if we specify all info and say, screenshots and/or commands for the most common irc clients, it's not hard.

iz free
iz real time chat
iz smooth
iz guud
and.. iz free!

[ivalmian]

I have a suggestion.

Some people might say i am outdated blabla but i find it useful:
- IRC.

For beginners it may be confusing at start but if we specify all info and say, screenshots and/or commands for the most common irc clients, it's not hard.

iz free
iz real time chat
iz smooth
iz guud
and.. iz free!

I <3 IRC, and there are java applets which can be put into the site to make it "look" like chat is integrated into the site.

[Ohmega]

And there are IRCs for browsers. you just need java.

[coinich]

IRC might work a bit better than Meebo, but not too much.  I don't mind making it members only though.

[Daxx]

I agree with coinich - IRC is better than the alternatives.

Except members-only chat, which I like a lot. And which would solve a lot of other problems, not only the CPU issue.

[FrozenFlame]

Adding an irc java applet to this same site would possibly cause the same overload that previous chat did. maybe some more maybe some less. It's a matter of testing but not to forget.
Still, a solution. It doesn't have to be integrated here.

[Lucifear]

Post majorly edited: Zanz has a room up and running...Never mind xD

[Kamietsu]

Here, Luci, and anyone else. use the Temp Chat right now: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?action=pages;sa=2 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?action=pages;sa=2)

[ivalmian]

Adding an irc java applet to this same site would possibly cause the same overload that previous chat did. maybe some more maybe some less. It's a matter of testing but not to forget.
Still, a solution. It doesn't have to be integrated here.

you can use one of the big gaming servers and just make a channel.. with IRC we don't have to physically RUN the server

[FrozenFlame]

yep.. thats what i was saying. there are some other servers which purpose is not only gaming also.
quakenet would be the one i point as gaming server altho it's the most wide server, or used to be, and has room for everything