Reluctant page loading

tbrosz

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I've noticed recently that this site has become very reluctant to load pages. I spend a lot of time looking at that little whirling circle in the tab. Sometimes it works, often it doesn't.

Is this a problem anyone else has been having, or is it on my end?
 

backslashbaby

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I've had it, too, parts of some days. I use Firefox (13.0.1) on Win 7.
 

alleycat

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We're looking in to this problem.

For now you could try logging out, clearing your cookies and cache, and logging back in. It might, or might not, help.

Also, please note the exact time(s) you had the problem and post it in this thread.
 

Maryn

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I'm not technically adept by any means, but I can parrot what I've heard people suggest:

What to do when AW is running slowly or getting hung up, some pages timing out:

One option is to limit the amount of data the server has to deliver to your computer. Less data means greater speed. So unless you need to see images, you can limit data by clicking User CP and Edit Options, and turning off the images and avatars in Thread Display Options. This is just a temporary improvement, not a fix, but it can minimize frustration when pages aren't loading.

Many people find AW's responsiveness is worse on one browser than another. If you have more than one installed, try viewing AW with Firefox instead of Internet Explorer, or Chrome instead of Firefox... You get the idea.

The advertising AW needs for its revenue stream may slow display pages. They're served by Google, so we can't really do anything about this except give so generously AW no longer needs ads.

Apparently a buttload of bookmarks slows down all browsers, because the browser checks the URL of the page you're on, in this case AW, against all your bookmarks, and if it finds it, checks whether it's in your computer's cache, and if so, how old that cache is. So closing AW (leaving it completely, not just going to another window or tab while it's open) then deleting your browser's cache may be helpful. So is bookmark management. (Ugh. I bookmark way too much.)

Clearing the cookies on your browser (which will include a lot of automatic log-ins at places where you're a member, so know your user names and passwords) while logged out of AW helps some people.

If you are connecting to AW using an iOS, an iPhone, or an iPad, apparently Chrome runs AW best.

What's working best for me when page after page hangs up without opening is going away and doing something else for a short time. Usually on my return everything is just fine again.

Maryn, depending on the know-how of others
 

backslashbaby

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Very interesting. I have tons of bookmarks.

I'll jot down details next time it happens if it does.

It seems to happen between pages of threads most often, but of course I'm usually between pages and not on a main page while I'm reading, too.
 

tbrosz

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We're looking in to this problem.

For now you could try logging out, clearing your cookies and cache, and logging back in. It might, or might not, help.

Also, please note the exact time(s) you had the problem and post it in this thread.

I'm having it right now.

Most of the time the issue comes up when clicking a link inside the board.

I can hack around it sometimes by halting the frozen link (endless swirling of the little circle in the tab, or just a dead blank screen) and reloading the address in the URL box which is usually the address of the page the system is trying to load.
 

Deleted member 42

I'm having it right now.

Most of the time the issue comes up when clicking a link inside the board.

I can hack around it sometimes by halting the frozen link (endless swirling of the little circle in the tab, or just a dead blank screen) and reloading the address in the URL box which is usually the address of the page the system is trying to load.

Would you please let me know what browser and OS you're using?

And would you mind terribly turning off images in your Browser? It should be a preference setting.

If you do try that, please quit all windows and shut down your browser, then try AW again.

And let me know if it makes any noticeable difference. (The site will work for basic features, though buttons will be replaced by links).

Thanks--
 

tbrosz

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Would you please let me know what browser and OS you're using?

And would you mind terribly turning off images in your Browser? It should be a preference setting.

If you do try that, please quit all windows and shut down your browser, then try AW again.

And let me know if it makes any noticeable difference. (The site will work for basic features, though buttons will be replaced by links).

Thanks--

Windows 7, 64bit, with IE9.

Turning off the pictures seems to help, but unless I can selectively do it only for this site, it's going to be a problem.
 

benbradley

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I've had this problem for a few days now. Once last week AW wasn't loading for me at all, and I went into chat saying it was down and everyone else said "it works fine for me."


Turning off the pictures seems to help, but unless I can selectively do it only for this site, it's going to be a problem.
This instructions in the third paragraph of post #4 appears to be for the AW site only.
 

tbrosz

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This instructions in the third paragraph of post #4 appears to be for the AW site only.

Thanks! I didn't know that. I'm turning the three image options one at a time. Will see how that works.
 

tbrosz

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Update: Turned all of them off, still twitchy. The problem comes and goes, but I never had it at all until a couple of weeks ago.
 

alleycat

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Just out of curiosity, are all of you who are having problems also on Facebook?
 

Parametric

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I've been having this problem for a good couple of weeks. I'm running Firefox 13.0.1 on Windows 7. I already have all images, avatars and signatures turned off.
 

Parametric

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Perfectly timed! It's taken 30+ minutes to load a page since the last time I posted.
 

backslashbaby

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Just out of curiosity, are all of you who are having problems also on Facebook?

I'm still on FB, technically, but never ever logged in anymore.

I'll turn off images. I had the problem briefly at 3:20 today, and I have Java and Flash turned off as my default settings.
 

Parametric

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The problem recurred for me several times today.
 

CrystalCierlak

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I am experiencing the same issue today and just a few minutes ago when I tried to post a reply I got a message saying the website was not available. This happened for just under five minutes and appears to be fine now.
 

WildScribe

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Having this problem as well for the last week or two, but it seems to be worse on my laptop than on my computer for some reason. Facebook is technically logged in but not open in any tabs, and I am using the latest version of firefox on Windows 7.
 

Deleted member 42

I am experiencing the same issue today and just a few minutes ago when I tried to post a reply I got a message saying the website was not available. This happened for just under five minutes and appears to be fine now.

That's a known issue with Chrome and databases; Chrome times out before it should. It's annoying in the extreme.
 

tbrosz

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Okay. After a couple of days of freezing pages, I tried it again today and it runs like a Swiss watch. I turned all the images and stuff on again, and it still works great.

I don't know if the people at Absolute Write fixed something, or if the big Tuesday Windows Security Update tightened some loose screw in my own system.

Heck, it works again. I'm not complaining.
 

Deleted member 42

Okay. After a couple of days of freezing pages, I tried it again today and it runs like a Swiss watch. I turned all the images and stuff on again, and it still works great.

I don't know if the people at Absolute Write fixed something, or if the big Tuesday Windows Security Update tightened some loose screw in my own system.

Heck, it works again. I'm not complaining.

At this point it's looking more and more like a local browser issue to me, having to do with the local browser not loading images.

I've been running some simulations locally, and using server-side timing scripts for two weeks now, and in almost all cases, it is absolutely a local browser issue.

There are two kinds of exceptions; short slowdowns of >15 minutes starting at the top of the hour because one of two complicated utility sequences are running.

A known problem with Chrome timing out.

But I'm still going to be watching and doing what I can to tweak things, so thanks for your patience; it's much appreciated and I do know how frustrated you must feel, all of you.
 

WildScribe

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Whatever is happening, it has been running nicely for me today and possibly since yesterday (I can't remember).
 

benbradley

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I've had avartar loading off but turned it back on. I think I've had at least one slowdown every day. I had one earlier today, maybe 10-12 hours ago. That was on the office desktop machine, Windows 7/Firefox 13.0.1, and this my netbook is Windows XP/Firefox 13.0.1.

Even well before this thread started I noticed AW was often loading pages substantially slower than other sites.
 

lorna_w

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I had this problem this morning for the first time, 1:13 pm GMT Logging out and in solved it. Chrome.