Geekzone page loading times

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tonyhughes

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#4530 30-Jul-2005 20:14

If I view the Geekzone website in IE, it loads VERY slowly -most- of the time (and average for the rest).

In Firefox, it loads up a bit quicker, but still slower than most other sites I use.

In Opera, it loads up very very quickly indeed.

Any thoughts on this?

I prefer to use Avant browser (overlay for IE) for trusted sites - its very very convenient. Most unknown / untrusted sites I surf with FF, and I am just having a bit of a play with Opera, which I am liking very much.

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Nate wants an iphone
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#17287 30-Jul-2005 20:37

I use Firefox here (mac). Page loads fast/renders quick.

I'd use Safari or Opera but none have got the plug-in that makes Firefox so great (adblock/flashblock) Also use the latest nightly builds compiled for my specific processor to get the cutting edge.

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#17289 30-Jul-2005 23:22

I use on Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7 and don't have any problems. I sometimes test it on Firefox and still load fast.

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#17295 31-Jul-2005 09:35

Firefox with adblock using GPRS takes no time

mike

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#17299 31-Jul-2005 15:59

adblock is key for geekzone.

too many ads :)

tonyhughes

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#17300 31-Jul-2005 16:01

Advertising is the key reason a lot of free-to-access sites still exist...

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#17302 31-Jul-2005 16:32

mike: adblock is key for geekzone.

too many ads :)

Hmmm. Let me see: one banner on top, one skyscraper on side, one rectangle in the middle of the page. A couple of Google AdSense around.

No, I don't think it is too much advertising. Have you visited Stuff with all that video ads? Checked CNN.com lately with all those pop-ups? Or even Brighthand with a pop-up in almost every page?

I agree with disenchanted. Free information is available but someone is paying for it. Like on free-to-air television, advertisers pay. But unlike free-to-air, Internet advertisers pay only if an ad is displayed or an action is taken. If the ads are blocked, then there is no revenue. And I am sure no one here will ever think in paying to read Geekzone, even if it is only a couple of dollars a month.

Really, in these days of wide bandwidth pipes, what's the problem with a couple of banners? I don't have any ad blocking software, neither pop-up/under blockers. If I go to a website with pop-up/under I simply don't go there again.

Otherwise, what you get is something from a site without commitment. I am doing Geekzone full time now, it is my day job and I am commited to my readers and people that frequent the forums.

The only way I am doing it is because of the revenue from advertising. People don't realise when they block ads (not only from this site, but from any other site) that they are actually getting the better side of the bargain.

I still have to read a good post giving a good reason for completely blocking advertising on a site.

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#17315 31-Jul-2005 21:35

It's fine.. very fast for me, even on crawly connections. It's very good infact compared to most other gloated glut ridden webpages. The slowest part is the "tracking" servers.

[Moderator: URL truncated]
http://s16.sitemeter.com/meter.asp?site=s16geekzone

I have tried accessing from some archaic browsers including an old Netscape 3.01 over a 9600 modem (don't ask, it was my grans dinosaur 486 which she never used from the day she bought it with the modem from her also unused 286 which looks brand new)

Only issue is pocketPC browser (which I use a lot) can post/read forums, login/logout (now) but only READ private messages, Not reply or create. If I try to send one. it come with send button but no text box to type the reply in. (i-mate PocketPC or XDA II) have not tried harrier yet..... take a look FreitasM

Your Ads are fine by me.. Start pop-ups and we'll get p1ssed off but i'm all for embedded page ads.

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#17319 31-Jul-2005 21:54

Yes, I use two tracking servers: statcounter and sitemeter. The last one is great since it gives an "instant" image of latest refer pages, current visitors, etc... It a little slow sometimes.

I've found about the private messages problem this week only! I will fix this later.

No, I don't have any intention of having pop-up/under in the site - it's a pain for users and I don't like that myself.

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mike

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#17346 1-Aug-2005 14:23

freitasm:
mike: adblock is key for geekzone.

too many ads :)

Hmmm. Let me see: one banner on top, one skyscraper on side, one rectangle in the middle of the page. A couple of Google AdSense around.

Really, in these days of wide bandwidth pipes, what's the problem with a couple of banners? I don't have any ad blocking software, neither pop-up/under blockers. If I go to a website with pop-up/under I simply don't go there again.

I still have to read a good post giving a good reason for completely blocking advertising on a site.

These are also the days of $10/MB casual mobile data, with 5 ads on a page you're looking at 50 cents minimum just to load ads on a page before any content. Isn't that a great reason to block?

What I do on my forum is have a members 'skin' option where they can turn off all ads, people who frequent the forum are unlikely to click many ads anyway (90% revenue from 10% visitors etc...). It also boosts CTR making the pages that do carry advertising more attractive to advertisers.

Don't get me wrong, revenue from internet advertising funds my lavish mobile lifestyle but I do believe geekzone is overrun with advertising. I don't block ads either but don't have any time for popups and block'em.

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#17369 1-Aug-2005 17:44

Typical - everyone still wants everything for free. I consider a few adverts on Geekzone is the price I pay to frequent the site in that to me it costs a bit of extra time and bandwidth.

Mauricio - maybe it is time for the conversation on how much members would pay each month for an advert free site and a PocketPC formatted site. I'll pay $2.50 p/mth for the advert free.

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#17372 1-Aug-2005 18:15

Jama: Typical - everyone still wants everything for free. I consider a few adverts on Geekzone is the price I pay to frequent the site in that to me it costs a bit of extra time and bandwidth.

Mauricio - maybe it is time for the conversation on how much members would pay each month for an advert free site and a PocketPC formatted site. I'll pay $2.50 p/mth for the advert free.

the reality is.. ad free can be achieved by installing a simple plugin to firefox etc

tonyhughes

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#17373 1-Aug-2005 18:37

SNicolle: the reality is.. ad free can be achieved by installing a simple plugin to firefox etc

But if everyone does that, and no ads are delivered, then the site could concievably shutdown. Id rather pay $2.50 a month than have the alternative.

Like many many things on the net, its possible to get something for nothing, but if you abuse/exploit it, then it will soon drop off the face of the web.

Mike - im sure no one would begrudge a user blocking ads whilst on $1 p/megabyte - I think the point here is people on low cost / higher bandwidth connections simply blocking ads because they dont want to see them, and not thinking that a tiny amount of extra traffic pays for the content you are viewing.

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#17375 1-Aug-2005 18:53

Going off topic here: Can that ultra long URL which is making the page 'fat' to the point you need to move the scroll bars from side to side be shortened or split?

Its getting really hard to keep track of what people are saying when that happens.

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