Those were already read messages - by the way.

I'm not suggesting that anyone delete their new messages - just the ones that have remained after they were read.

Keeping a ton of old PMs might load up a server ..... but it is actually more of a load on storage .... just sittin there on a hard drive (or tape, or?) until someone wants to read one. THEN a server would have to accept the request from the user, fetch the message, and then send it for viewing. That is server load ... but for an entire system to suffer from THAT server overload, everyone would have to fetch some old messages at one time (in simple terms).

I don't think the storage of old PMs is the cause of the recent slowness. On the other hand .. nothing wrong with reducing the STORAGE load by deleting old PMs.

Yes, I think anything is worth a try. But when we message chat, we better delete after each session, or it will just get full again. :-)

Well darn - WV and I thought I was being so helpful.

But given my lack of understanding as to how computers/servers work - it would make sense that my suggestion would not be overly helpful.

However, I just deleted a little over 2,000 old messages and over 5,000 old sent messages - and maybe it's all in my head but i could swear things have picked up for me on DS.

But now that I think about it - it would make sense that the server and storage are not the same process.

So I do hope the techs can get this under control soon. In the meantime I'll keep my "helpful" suggestions coming - yeah - like I have any idea as to how all of this works...... :)

I don't save old (sent) or messages I have replied to............usually delete everything beary soon...........

BUT..DS has gotten soooooooooooo slow for me the last week or so, I have taken to copying things before I click "go" again.........keep thinking its gonna crash like it did last time:(:(

Waiting for the axe to fall:(:(........Its beary scarey:(:(

Basically, a server 'makes decisions' ... and they make those decisions very quickly. By that, I mean:

Hundreds of members are making hundreds of requests to DS per second. This member wants to read an old PM, that member wants to post a new thread, that member wants to reply to a thread, and another member wants to upload a photo (you get the idea). All these requests are received by one or more SERVERS.

A reply to a thread (for example) ... when you click ADD you send your reply to a server which confers to a database .. so that the reply goes to the proper thread in the proper order and at that point, that server is done with that request and moves on to the next one (for example).

The DATABASE (which is HUGE) is (probably) on another system computer's HARD DRIVE (storage). That is all a server does ... process requests. Other computers actually do the request compliance . based on STORAGE availability.

So .... to 'overload' a server .. it has to be 'flooded' with REQUESTS .. not (necessarily data volume).

Typically, it takes another computer to 'flood' a server .. humans (probably) can't do it fast enough. Hackers run a PROGRAM on their computer to send thousands of requests ... one after the other . to a specific domain in the hopes of overloading that domain's servers .. and they used to do that sucessfully. Not so much now .. because there is software (now) on servers that detect such a thing ... and refuses to process those requests ... no impact.

There ARE instances where data volume issues can slow down a server .... but TRADITIONALLY .. it is more of a request overload.

All computers have their own 'performance limitations'. The reason DS is slow is UNKNOWN to me .. but ...... MAYBE ....:

DS (probably) employs several servers ... to share the request load. Let's say 10 of 'em. Those 10 are struggling to fill requests ... time to add another server. In order to add another, two of the original servers have to go off line TEMPORARILY. During that time, we are down to 8 servers .... but after the implementation of the new one .. we will have 11.

I am NOT saying this is why DS is slow .. I don't know why DS is slow .. but the above is an example .. an academic example.

LindaJean ... give yourself more credit. You are VERY intelligent .. and simply need some explanation of 'things' ... and you grasp them quickly and easily.

Linda, I will say I did delete almost 3,000 old messages today. I had plenty of time in between sending hugs and messages.... yep.

and thank you Linda for bringing this up and thank you WV for whatever it is you just said. LOL
( you KNOW how computer literate I am )

LMT

LOL LMT - yep it's nice to have something to do while waiting for hugs/messages to go though.


WV - I was going to ask you if you could repeat #6 in English :) LOL Just kidding. I will have to re-read it a few times to really get it - but I so appreciate your taking the time to explain how computers/servers and "things" work online. I know a fair amount about "things" - but little about servers/computers and how they interact - so your explanation is very helpful.....

And WV thank you for the compliment - I appreciate that very much.

LOL. That is something good to do while waiting on DS.

I did delete alot of pm's years ago trying to figure out or remedy some problem's. That was not the cause of any of it.

As usual.......WV is alway's right with the best info.

I will be very careful this time as to which one's I delete. I don't want to lose any of Old Man Bear's post's and messages.

Just curious as to why we can delete pm's but not hugs.

We can delete hugs, Carly. But we can only delete them one at a time - not page by page.

It's a bit tedious - to say the least.

I do a little better than than 'one at a time' when it comes to deleting Hugs.

I haven't done any since before the slowdown, so I'm not sure how it will work now.
It's POSSIBLE that it might even work in our favor!!!!

With the pageful of Hugs I want to delete, I position the page so that as many of the 'delete' links as possible are visible.

Then, I click from the top down to the bottom as fast as I can.

As many or just about as many links as I can click on before the page refreshes are then deleted, all at once.

I think the most I ever got rid of at one crack was 8.
Typically, I can do 4 or 5.

But with things 'hanging' as long as they are right now, it may just be possible that you could click on a whole damn page's worth of 'deletes' and maybe when the page finally refreshes, it MAY get rid of all of them!!!!!

When DS gives you lemonade, try to find ways to turn it into moonshine!!!!
(That will help us tolerate all the lemons!!!!)

I am soooo ok with the moonshine!!

LJ. I've never been able to delete hugs. Maybe I will try the one at a time........and it will take a while.

Thanks for the info.

Between you and Eulin, we are getting great information.
xoxo

Ooop's.........I think I meant-Eulen- not Eulin.

Oh, you can call me Eulin!!!!
Or you can call me Eulen!!!!

You can call me ANYTHING!!!
Just don't call me late for moonshine!!!!

I tested out my method of Hug removal.
The slowness DID benefit me.
I clicked on 8 deletes before the page refreshed and when it did, all 8 were gone.