This site is so slow

Linda~ i dont seem to have the same problem. it works really fast as of lately. Could it be in your settings? What browser are you using? i run firefoxs latest...

why is it taking at least a min. for a page to download

Maybe ease up on the caffeine?

Less than three seconds for this page to load   

The past 2 days have been painfully slow for me also - I've had trouble getting off the main page and the page half loads then just stops - i have to hit reload. I thought it was just me...or my server......
I hadnt noticed anyone else mentioning a problem..but its not unusual for certain times of day to be worse..
Today - logging in was a pain but since then - things have run ok...

ditto #4

Signing on has been a chore. The page seems to load in a larger resolution the first time and I have to refresh to sign on. Otherise, I get an erroro message when I sign on. WC is the only site that does this to me.

Let's see if you can create a similar popular website with 2.5 mill+ users, millions upon millions of pageviews each month and tons of daily bandwidth usage - and make it work flawlessly 24/7/365.

If you succeed, then I guess your 'complaint' is valid......

I know they (Stardock crew) are working hard at setting up improvements while attempting to minimize impacting the daily operation of the site.

In a perfect world, the easiest way would be to have a 'known' good configuration to accommodate all browsers and connection types allowing them all to run flawlessly, and then shut down for a few (or 24) hours to apply the system.

Since this is not a perfect world, we must be patient to the best of our abilities.

Large companies (e.g., Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, Symantec) have demonstrated that it is possible to run a site with consistent speed and content design with very few 'maintenance' shut-downs. But I would suspect that this is due to very deep pockets and being at the learning curve from the beginning.

Brad recently posted the notice that WC will receive a 'forum facelift' and with any luck this will allow the crew to manage the daily running of the sites in a more straight forward and efficient way.

Here is hoping.  

#1 skinhit

I am using IE and would consider the browser problem if I had this slow download on other sites.
I but do not.

And since I just checked my download speed right before I made the post I assume it is correct.
Further it happens every time I come here. Like Fairey I have to click and reload 2 or 3 times on top of it to get things to work.

The art offered here is GREAT!
That should be evident since I am willing to hang in here ... under the more than miserable situation.
But BITCH about it?
Yes indeed.

#2 ChrisTH

It would be nice to blame the coffee ... can't since I don't drink the stuff ... who needs it? the slow load of the site is enough cause for jangled nerves.
Maybe Stardock could sell membership to the site and give Starbucks a run for their money in that department.

#6 Super Wizop Snowman

My complaint IS VALID no matter how many sites I do or don't create and host.
If one of my sites loaded this slowly (I have 43) I would have already booted my server and the techs who manage it into the next millennium no matter how many people visited it.

Trying to view a post or anyone's work looking through a postage stamp size frame sucks.
I have had as many as 5 frames on this one page at the same time ... who the heck thought that up? ... don't tell me it was a Super Wizop. What the heck is a Super Wizop anyway?

Not to mention there is no way to get back to the thread you were on if you want to venture off to look at someone else's work.

God forbid anyone is still using a modem they would be waiting until tomorrow to just access the site.

A facelift? ... better be a total bodylift.

Linda

Let's see if you can create a similar popular website with 2.5 mill+ users, millions upon millions of pageviews each month and tons of daily bandwidth usage - and make it work flawlessly 24/7/365.

Snowman,
No offense, but that was a piss poor response ( especially for a WizOp ) to her complaint.
Granted, she was a bit gruff from the onset, but you know as well as anyone else that this site has been crap in the performance and reliability areana for a long time now. Quite frankly, that excuse just doesn't cut it anymore to alot of people.

On the other foot. I just submitted a post a couple days ago giving kudos to the crew because the site has been great for me for a couple of weeks now.
Linda and Fairyy~, I would be interested to see what a trace route reveals. I know in the past I have seen issues here that were related to a router on an ISP down the line from me. An easy test is to change your DNS settings to another provider. That will tell the tale.

I feel your pain Kat7...just now...things were cruising along...click bang...page opens...everything was working fine...then bam!...hit a brick wall...now nothing is opening.

Personally...if I were working to improve a site...I'd create a whole new site on another system...work out all the bugs...and then put it online. Don't get me wrong...I love this site...but man!...this has been going on for a long time now.   

Hi All,

Thank you Phoon ... apparently a Wizop is someone with a little authority around here?
If that is the case the response given by snowman is far less than appropriate.
One I would expect from a 13 year old "techy genius whiz kid" who knows absolutely squat about how to run a business or satisfy the customer who supports his income.

I am sorry to come off a little "gruff" but you know what? Screw politically correct!
Stardock is selling product and service in their Stardock Central package.
I don't care what the problems are ... as a good provider you fix them or find someone who can ... you don't lure clients in ... take their money and then give them crap for service.

WebGizmos ... what you suggest is probably not as hard as you might think.
The question is does ... Stardock and WinCustomize have people capable of doing it?

Yes the slow site is a problem but worse is the design.
In site design 101 EVERYONE knows frames are an iffy thing.
There is NO EXCUSE for having a window cut into 5 pieces. For that to happen not only are the designers at Stardock to blame so are those at WinCustomize. Both sites have paying customers who deserve better.

Could I just shut up and go away?
Of course ... but why?
I don't mind paying good money for good service and product NO MATTER the cost ... I do however expect to at least get what was advertised and I pay for.

Understand (IMO) the software and artwork are EXCEPTIONAL.
Why? Because the cream ALWAYS rises to the top.
The artists here donate their time and work for FREE (THANK YOU EVERY CONTRIBUTING ARTIST) ... without that Stardock would have a worthless software (product).
The average person IS NOT going to make their own bootscreen, logon, window dressing or widgets. The average consumer IS NOT going to pay for this software if it only offers one or 2 design looks. Make note: what makes this product sell is the FREE artwork done to support the software.

Wincustomize sells a service also.
If I am correct (not sure since I am very new here) the artists pay for space to display their work. What good is that if no one can get to it when they click the links.

So who is at fault?
Looks like there is a lot of blame to go around and it really does not matter.
The first priority should be to fix your service ... forget the upgrades to software until the service you already promote and sell is running at its best.

Linda
P.S. Stardock and WinCustomize you might want to consider what one client says outloud ... probably another thousand think but say nothing. The smart business owner PAYS ATTENTION.

kat7  ...my guess is it cannot be TOO slow...not if you have managed already to download 680 meg of content....since 26th of June....[OK...so I managed 3 times more at 2160 meg ....but then I have been here approx 96 times longer than 20 days]...

Also....being a Stardock customer is not 'directly'/exactly the same as being a Wincustomize.com [site] subscriber.

Being a customer means you have purchased SD software, etc....and that entitles you to freely access the site's content....but that content is still costing 300 thou per year in bandwidth to provide FOR your access.

It's all well and good to have made several sites...but until any one of them is required to handle the traffic that Wincustomize.com does then comparative arguments are pointless....

If I am correct (not sure since I am very new here) the artists pay for space to display their work.

Missed that.

No, they do not...

I do not recall seeing a frame at Wincustomize ever.  Could you provide a link to where you saw a frame in use?

Regarding the speed, WC has been running very well for me since the server upgrades.  Before the upgrades site errors were common, but in the past few weeks I have not seen any site errors at all.  If you still find it is slow, one possible reason would be a routing issue between your ISP and the site. 

For obvious reasons Stardock are not responsible for the performance of your connection and a speed test will only tell you how fast your connection is between you and point A.  In this case the Stardock servers are hosted in chicago and have plenty of bandwidth spare.

A tracert between you and the WC servers may well show what the problem is.  Likewise looking at ping times to www.wincustomize.com may prove helpful.  As an example, my ping from the UK is about 107ms.

I also believe paying customers once they have cross referenced their accounts and logged in use different servers to those who have not paid and have not logged in.  This may be a factor too.

Jafo ... I don't know about you but 700 megs of data I can download in less than 20 mins on a bad day. It has taken me how long to get that much in at LEAST 3 hours a day?

A considerable waste of time due to what?

So just anyone can put their work on WinCustomize?
You do not have to be a paying member?
And WinCustomize provides this service out of the goodness of their heart ... for what reason?
Stardock owns WinCustomize?

If the above is true then I suppose Stardock has a vested interest in having good artists post their work for FREE or not. Like I said without the artists that abound here there would be absolutely no need for Stardock software and they would have gone belly up with the 2001 dot.com bust. Right?

Also....being a Stardock customer is not 'directly'/exactly the same as being a Wincustomize.com [site] subscriber. Being a customer means you have purchased SD software, etc....and that entitles you to freely access the site's content....but that content is still costing 300 thou per year in bandwidth to provide FOR your access.

Ya know Jafo ... how many of us do you think would purchase this software (in those 20 days I have spent $110) ... without FREE access to WinCustomize (which is owned by Stardock?)

I certainly would not ... multiply me by about 90% of the rest of Stardock customers and see where that leaves this company.
Could I create my own scripts and graphics? ... probably ... do I have time? ... NO.
The time no longer permits probably applies to the majority of the people who support (with dollars) this software. What % do you think just purchase it as a play toy?

I have to admit ... whoever thought up the artists working for free idea ... it was brilliant!
No wonder Yahoo is interested ... I did read that somewhere didn't I?

Hey Neil,

I do not recall seeing a frame at Wincustomize ever. Could you provide a link to where you saw a frame in use?

No I actually could not ... because I get no address EVER other than the SD Central address ... there must be a way to break out of these frames but so far I have not found it. If I could find the screenshot function on this laptop I would post it so you could see how truly ridiculous this is. Again if it is happening to me it has to be happening to many others. There is no other reason it happens other than crappy design work. Your browser does not set up frames on its own.

A tracert between you and the WC servers may well show what the problem is. Likewise looking at ping times to www.wincustomize.com may prove helpful. As an example, my ping from the UK is about 107ms.

My problem is not connecting to SD Central ... it starts the moment I click a link within SD Central. Does that still indicate a router problem? I am no whiz at this techy stuff.

Well to sum it up:

I give Stardock credit for their great tech support. They have been fast and adequate with help.
I love the product (software all $110 of it) and the artwork is absolutly the best ... BRAVO ARTISTS ... YOU ALL ROCK! THANK YOU!

I have pretty much collected all of the art I need for my 4 computers so how slow this site runs will no longer jangle my nerves

I am done bitching now      

Linda

I am done bitching now

That would be nice...

So just anyone can put their work on WinCustomize?

Yes.

You do not have to be a paying member?

No.

And WinCustomize provides this service out of the goodness of their heart ... for what reason?

Stardock's CEO is a skinner and loves Skinning and its community.

Stardock owns WinCustomize?

Yes.  They pay for the vast majority of its costs as a site.

 

It'd probably pay to observe a little longer and understand more of this site/community's machinations before wading in with presumptions of alleged failings....

Before the upgrade i found it depended on the time of day as to whether the site performed well and in the avo my time it would be a waste of time to bother logging in,now after the upgrade it's been run'n sweeeet as with no probs here in NZ, until yesterday when things were a bit strange for a couple of hours or so and i had trouble logging in and out as well as moving about the site,but things are back to normal again today since early this morning and now,and unless any of you live this side of the planet with a bollocky 2mbps/128 (which according to xtra is apparently an extrordinary speed if their ads are anything to go by....lol...) imo you have nothing to complain about as it's more than likley the isp and your country's servers and exchanges and how your isp is routing you to this site ,coz the isp's can and do control the speed of your connection and throttle on and off at will,worse still if your isp has to go thru another isp's lines etc (wholesale buyer) preference for surfing is giv'n to the main isp customers rather than giving more speed to the wholesale isp buyers and it's customers,if however it's on the odd occasion someone has trouble moving about then it's just the servers doing a defrag

Hello Jafo,

It'd probably pay to observe a little longer and understand more of this site/community's machinations before wading in with presumptions of alleged failings

You jest of course!
Machinations? the community has a sinister plot?
Pay what?

Presuming? Alleged?
There is no presuming/alleged about SD Central being either slow or designed poorly.
That is a cold hard fact and quietly sitting around observing unfortunately will not correct it ... ohmmmm

If however quietly sitting around observing is YOUR bag ... please knock yourself out.

You know on second thought Jafo had I sat quietly and just observed I might have picked up on the communities sinister plot. I admit that one flew over my head at mach speed ... sooooo since my time is limited why don't you simply fill us all in ... lol

What a bad attitude. People like you make me want to go away and do something else instead   

Have a nice day.

 kat7 ...your profile has your age at 65 .... I doubt people 13 years my senior would be quite so objectionable...

If you are convinced that this site is poorly designed and/or managed....kindly feel free to create your own.

The WWW Internet community of online skinners and GUI customizers would relish the addition.

Go for it with my/our blessing...

....and it's "community's"....it's possessive...

If you acknowledge that Wincustomize.com is essentially a free community service I would suggest that you cease looking the proverbial gift-horse.  You can always BUY the RIGHT to complain.  It's called 'Subscription'.

Society is made up of those who do and those who criticize.

Frankly, personally I have little time for the latter.

No I actually could not ... because I get no address EVER other than the SD Central address ... there must be a way to break out of these frames but so far I have not found it. If I could find the screenshot function on this laptop I would post it so you could see how truly ridiculous this is. Again if it is happening to me it has to be happening to many others. There is no other reason it happens other than crappy design work. Your browser does not set up frames on its own.

I've used this site for some years now and I have yet to see a single page split into frames. The print screen button on any laptop is "Prt Scr" button. Use that and upload the picture somewhere.

Kat7,
At this point you are becoming obnoxious and uncooperative. People are trying to help you and you continue to tread down a path of destruction. I guess Snowman read you correctly from the onset.

Your issues are not common among most users, hence the issue is in your own back yard... period. I think that most will agree that as of this point your own back yard is your own problem.

Kat7,
I'm not having any problems, but I do sympathize. It's frustrating to have a problem that it seems no one else has and to be on the outside looking in.
I'm not technical, so I can't even begin to help in the problem department, but maybe I can help with some of the details of the site and it's relationship with Stardock as it isn't always clear to new visitors here. Stardock is the software company. When you buy any piece of software from Stardock you get unlimited download limit for that category here at Wincustomize (i.e. - you buy WindowBlinds you get to download as many free blind skins here on WinCustomize that you want; you buy Object Desktop (which has almost all their programs included) you get unlimited downloads of everything here on WinCustomize.). Being a customer at Stardock doesn't mean that you're a customer of WinCustomize. To be one here, you need to get a Subscription to WinCustomize. A sub will also allow you get unlimited downloads of anything here and lots of other bennies (the WinCustomize browser being the best of them!). The WC site doesn't make enough from it's subs to support itself so it's "subsidized" by StarDock so skinners have a place to upload their skins and the community has a place to gather, download, discuss, and be just that, a community. Brad Wardell owns StarDock (also known as Frogboy here on the forums)and he created WC for us all. It has grown immensely over the years to a monster site and that costs monster money. Skinners upload their works for free for others to download for free to make even better use of their purchased software. Forums and chat and community "tech" support are all provided here at WC at a major cost to StarDock and Brad.
As stated, I don't know squat about how the technical side of this all works, but I have been here long enough to know a lot of the personalities in the forums and Phoon is one that I believe has quite a bit of knowledge about this arena and his suggestion of trying to find out from your end (via a trace route to the next stop or beyond) if there's a problem area in the path seems both valid and was politely stated to you. You also seem quite knowledgeable about this problem, so I would guess that you would know how to do the trace. If not, I'm sure if you asked politely how to go about it, you would get a lot of help with that.
I can also suggest to you that this is a close knit community here and as frustrating as the problem you're experiencing is, it's always better to state the problem and ask for help/explanations then to accuse and stalemate a solution. Most are very protective as this is a home away from home for them. And good intentions aside, if someone comes into your home making a fuss and being unresponsive to help, they get booted out on the street to find another home to upsot.
DD

Phoon is one that I believe has quite a bit of knowledge about this arena and his suggestion of trying to find out from your end (via a trace route to the next stop or beyond)

Im not that up on this stuff so I need more info on how to do this. Im on dial up so I expect more lag at times - but I see others with DSL complain of the same things. But for today - I have had not one issue - and usually the weekends are the " bad times "

Start > Run, type cmd in the box to open up a command window. Type at the prompt-  tracert www.wincustomize.com
That should show you the route and how long each leg takes.

Mine is just 22ms till it hits cogentco.com, then loses 74ms in one jump right there. Ends up at 152ms to here.