The 9 megabit problem (please read)
Monday, November 25, 2002 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Since we moved to the subscription system we've been able to directly see how much bandwidth is used by subscribers/customers versus non-customers/non-subscribers.
Specifically:
Anyone who has purchased Object Desktop or any Stardock product or a WinCustomize subscription or is an apprentice or higher goes to a different high speed server than those who have not.
The problem is, the people who have not bought anything at all are now consuming about 9 megabits per second.
That's 6 T1's being used by people who are essentially non-contributing bandwidth consumers.
That's why the "Server is busy" message is coming up more and more often for these guys.
As you can imagine, 6 T1's of bandwidth is expensive. Especially when, not to use too fine a point, being used largely by free-loaders.
I'm not sure what the solution is. If we cap it, the site becomes unbearably slow and we don't want to punish people who are just trying out this stuff (i.e. legitimately seeing what this is all about versus people who just want to leech off the bandwidth).
Any suggestions?
Specifically:
Anyone who has purchased Object Desktop or any Stardock product or a WinCustomize subscription or is an apprentice or higher goes to a different high speed server than those who have not.
The problem is, the people who have not bought anything at all are now consuming about 9 megabits per second.
That's 6 T1's being used by people who are essentially non-contributing bandwidth consumers.
That's why the "Server is busy" message is coming up more and more often for these guys.
As you can imagine, 6 T1's of bandwidth is expensive. Especially when, not to use too fine a point, being used largely by free-loaders.
I'm not sure what the solution is. If we cap it, the site becomes unbearably slow and we don't want to punish people who are just trying out this stuff (i.e. legitimately seeing what this is all about versus people who just want to leech off the bandwidth).
Any suggestions?
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Frogboy
Reply #142 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 4:24 PM
Reply #142 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 4:24 PM
Skinz.org topped out at around 5 megabits at its peak.
WinCustomize uses over 20.
WinCustomize uses over 20.
joetheblow
Reply #143 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 5:11 PM
Reply #143 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 5:11 PM
Damn!!!
Thats allot of megabits....
Nothin small about that, I'd say.
A resonable cap on downloads per day seems to be the solution
Thats allot of megabits....
Nothin small about that, I'd say.
A resonable cap on downloads per day seems to be the solution
Jafo
Reply #144 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 5:18 PM
Reply #144 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 5:18 PM
It's interesting to note that at one time, Skinz.org was the only skinning site [still] open on the net, when Deskmod and Customize both went down, and before Devart and the others started...
Kinrik
Reply #145 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 5:54 PM
Reply #145 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 5:54 PM
well poop.
(be proud, Jafo, I dug the dictionary out to get that technical term! )
(be proud, Jafo, I dug the dictionary out to get that technical term!
)
Jafo
Reply #146 Thursday, November 28, 2002 4:38 AM
Reply #146 Thursday, November 28, 2002 4:38 AM
Kinrik....you know what they say...'if you don't eat, you can't poop, and if you don't poop, you die'...
feline
Reply #147 Thursday, November 28, 2002 9:55 AM
Reply #147 Thursday, November 28, 2002 9:55 AM
BEFORE the limit is turned on, can you provide us with a link to a FAQ page explaining what the limit's are, who they effect, and WHY?
i suspect we are going to get a LOT of complaints and questions about this from people who havent read this (and other related) threads over the last few years.
it would be nice to just copy/paste the link to the FAQ, and say "here are all the answers".
if you put some graphics using the letters "win xp" on it, people will probably even read it, and use it as their wall paper
i suspect we are going to get a LOT of complaints and questions about this from people who havent read this (and other related) threads over the last few years.
it would be nice to just copy/paste the link to the FAQ, and say "here are all the answers".
if you put some graphics using the letters "win xp" on it, people will probably even read it, and use it as their wall paper
WOM
Reply #148 Thursday, November 28, 2002 10:24 AM
Reply #148 Thursday, November 28, 2002 10:24 AM
I don't think we need another FAQ, all we need to do is update the about section. Add the different levels and put in the level restrictions. Then all you have to do is refer them to the about section.
feline
Reply #149 Thursday, November 28, 2002 11:21 AM
Reply #149 Thursday, November 28, 2002 11:21 AM
so long as it is written down somewhere we can point people at, i am happy 
sig101
Reply #150 Thursday, November 28, 2002 5:17 PM
Reply #150 Thursday, November 28, 2002 5:17 PM
"if you put some graphics using the letters "win xp" on it, people will probably even read it, and use it as their wall paper"
Jafo
Reply #151 Thursday, November 28, 2002 5:39 PM
Reply #151 Thursday, November 28, 2002 5:39 PM
sig101...but only if there's a groovy lens-flare effect included...
Lecrayon
Reply #152 Thursday, November 28, 2002 5:41 PM
Reply #152 Thursday, November 28, 2002 5:41 PM
But then they will probably not read it and apply it immediately as a wallpaper calling and showing all their friends what a cool wallpapers wincustomize has... j/k
SkinneRyan
Reply #153 Monday, December 2, 2002 6:54 AM
Reply #153 Monday, December 2, 2002 6:54 AM
moshi: "Ryan, if you don´t want ActiveDesktop but JPEG wallpapers try one of the wallpaper changing programs.?
That wasn't my point.
I have a wallpaper, I like it, and I don't plan on changing it any time soon.
I was saying that if Windows can be extended to accept JPGs instead of BMPs without active desktop turned on, then why didn't Microsoft program Windows to use JPGs anyway?
That wasn't my point.
I have a wallpaper, I like it, and I don't plan on changing it any time soon.
I was saying that if Windows can be extended to accept JPGs instead of BMPs without active desktop turned on, then why didn't Microsoft program Windows to use JPGs anyway?
feline
Reply #154 Monday, December 2, 2002 8:03 AM
Reply #154 Monday, December 2, 2002 8:03 AM
Ryan8024 - I was saying that if Windows can be extended to accept JPGs instead of BMPs without active desktop turned on, then why didn't Microsoft program Windows to use JPGs anyway?
i am not sure that windows can, not directly anyway.
i am under the impression that any wallpaper program converts the jpg to a bmp, so that windows can use it.
at least, that is how netscape always used to do it
i am not sure that windows can, not directly anyway.
i am under the impression that any wallpaper program converts the jpg to a bmp, so that windows can use it.
at least, that is how netscape always used to do it
stark23x
Reply #155 Monday, December 2, 2002 12:13 PM
Reply #155 Monday, December 2, 2002 12:13 PM
Well, coming in at the tail end of a long thread, I have a few suggestions:
1. Reduce the quality and size of screenshots. Yes, it's great to see full resolution detail, but those things add up...I reduced a set of graphics on a BBS I run from 900K total down to 175K, and it saved me almost 5 Gigs a month in bandwidth. My site is like 1/1000th the size of this one, so imagine what you could save by trimming the little things here and there.
2. Require registration for *everything* on the site, even the first download. Bar Hotmail and Yahoo Mail accounts, and you'll find that half your freeloaders will vanish. Anyone serious about the scene will use a real email, or be smart enough to find a free one that isn't one of the Big Two.
3. Cap downloads by count, if possible. You don't have to try 25 skins to know if you want to buy WindowBlinds...5 or 10 is plenty to give you all the information you need to buy the software. I would cap each major, Dx, WB, etc. at say, ten downloads for free. Small stuff, Sysmetrix, coolplayer, etc. I would leave. Wallpapers are a HUGE part of the draw, so I would not touch them. HOWEVER...I might institute a JPG ONLY requirement. A barely-compressed JPG will not destroy the beauty of a wall, but it may cut the file size by 2/3rds! That's good for everyone...faster downloads, less bandwidth.
4. Allow members to "sponsor" someone. I know that I would pay 5 or 10 dollars for a friend to download as though he were a member for say, 7 days. Since I *know* he would get hooked and buy a membership, everybody wins.
Just some ideas...
1. Reduce the quality and size of screenshots. Yes, it's great to see full resolution detail, but those things add up...I reduced a set of graphics on a BBS I run from 900K total down to 175K, and it saved me almost 5 Gigs a month in bandwidth. My site is like 1/1000th the size of this one, so imagine what you could save by trimming the little things here and there.
2. Require registration for *everything* on the site, even the first download. Bar Hotmail and Yahoo Mail accounts, and you'll find that half your freeloaders will vanish. Anyone serious about the scene will use a real email, or be smart enough to find a free one that isn't one of the Big Two.
3. Cap downloads by count, if possible. You don't have to try 25 skins to know if you want to buy WindowBlinds...5 or 10 is plenty to give you all the information you need to buy the software. I would cap each major, Dx, WB, etc. at say, ten downloads for free. Small stuff, Sysmetrix, coolplayer, etc. I would leave. Wallpapers are a HUGE part of the draw, so I would not touch them. HOWEVER...I might institute a JPG ONLY requirement. A barely-compressed JPG will not destroy the beauty of a wall, but it may cut the file size by 2/3rds! That's good for everyone...faster downloads, less bandwidth.
4. Allow members to "sponsor" someone. I know that I would pay 5 or 10 dollars for a friend to download as though he were a member for say, 7 days. Since I *know* he would get hooked and buy a membership, everybody wins.
Just some ideas...
da_zman20
Reply #156 Monday, December 2, 2002 1:23 PM
Reply #156 Monday, December 2, 2002 1:23 PM
I have an idea, I know we are all against seeing adds on the site, but why not try it, just for the non-subscribers, make them see pop ups, and the ones who really want to be here will pay to get the skin browser, where they don't have to see them, or they will leave and go somewhere else, just to find that everyone else has adds for people who don't pay anyways, the basic idea is that if they aren't gonna pay for the band width they use, let someone else do it...
Chris
Reply #157 Monday, December 2, 2002 1:44 PM
Reply #157 Monday, December 2, 2002 1:44 PM
I'm not sure what popup ads would accomplish. They issue here is not one of revenue, but of bandwidth. And I don't think the use of popup ads will garner any signficant money that could be used to pay for additional bandwidth.
Shakey (the Original)
Reply #159 Monday, December 2, 2002 2:11 PM
Reply #159 Monday, December 2, 2002 2:11 PM
Barring Yahoo or Hotmail accounts on the basis that those who use them are "freeloaders" is not a valid argument and a fairly insulting one! I use web based mail exclusively, because I can check it when I am away from home and I have been an OD subscriber for two years.
Fuzzy Logic
Reply #160 Monday, December 2, 2002 2:22 PM
Reply #160 Monday, December 2, 2002 2:22 PM
One thing I am in favour of is only allowing subscribers to upload. Having to provide something positive such as credit card details may put off potential rippers and those seeking to upload via a false ID.
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Reply #141 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 4:17 PM
like, when skinz was big, what code were they running, and what quantities of bandwidth was consumed, etc.?
are we comparable?