NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm aware this is a known issue. However, this thread has to do with the severity of the problem, and my own curiosity regarding the root of the problem.

1) I have, due to a completely lack of things to do today, spent an inordinate amount of time on NationStates. Indeed, I spent all of last night either on the forums or campaigning against the current U.N. resolution (which I still think should be deleted). During this time, from 10:00 P.M. until now, today, every forum thread I have accessed has required at least one refresh/new click, even at nonpeak times (unscientifically determined by me by rate of new posts on the forums). Now, obviously y'all are running a huge service here. The question I have is: are these problems truly peak-load issues only, or has the problem gotten so bad that peak-load is all the time?
2) Is there some mechanism by which duplicate/triplicate posts could be automatically deleted by the server? For instance, if it's running on a unix server, one could diff both posts and, if diff turns up negative, delete the later post. I only ask because the constant server troubles are making it very difficult to properly post and respond and, despite the assurances on the known issues page, the post is NOT always processed. This has led to me, unfortunately, double or triple-posting, which I then cannot correct due to the server problems.
3) What, exactly, is NationStates running, and is there some sort of PayPal link or donation system whereby players could chip in to get something better?

1) Yeah, it pretty much is peak load most of the time.
2) There is not an easy way to do this, and it would increase the server load, making the problem worse.
3) Dual 2GHz Xeon Processors, 1GB RAM. And donations has been considered before, but is not yet on the planning board.

http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/nationstates/salusasecondus/salusasecondus2.jpg
SalusaSecondus
Tech Modling

Sal, I urge you to please have a donation method. I know countless people that would donate money to the site! What if I got, say, 100 people to say they would donate to the site? Would that be enough to bring it to the planning board?

We know about the level of interest, and this idea has gone all of the way up the ladder to Max, himself. He decided not to do this now, because he won't accept donations unless he can guarentee that they will go directly towards improving the server (and be successful in that), and he is unable to guarantee that at the moment.

Basically, he knows that you want to donate money, but he won't accept it until he is positive that it will go directly to (and be succesful at) what it is intended for.

*Sigh* I understand.

THE GREAT MAX AND SAL HAVE SPOKEN!!! :P

Thanks for the reply (and for setting up a thread that answers these questions so other people don't repeat my question). Your server seems quite respectable- obviously, however, the sheer number of people who love this game is putting a load on it.

I've managed to earn a bit of money; if you all do manage to set up a donation system, I'll be glad to donate a bit.

Peace, and thanks for doing a great job keeping this thing running.

If you want to donate, buy a few dozen copies of Jennifer Government and give them as Post-New Year presents to your friend and relatives. After all, Max set this up in order to earn money through that way.