Internal Error 500?
- Crystal
- Brooding
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Re: Internal Error 500?
The 500 internal server errors are not your fault or anything that you are doing wrong. I didn't know why they were happening either (they have not gone unnoticed!), and contacted tech support at my web host (DreamHost) to inquire what the problem was, because functionality issues are the pits.
The response I got was basically that this forum is too popular (a good problem to have maybe?)!
This forum is hosted with other people's websites on a single host computer, and so we all have the share the computer's resources (RAM) for our websites to function. A lot of RAM is used to process everything that everyone is doing on this forum, and unfortunately it's not the only website that needs to use the RAM to function, so at 'peak' levels of activity, Dreamhost actually has to throttle/limit the RAM it lets this site use so that other sites hosted on the same server don't get shut down entirely. So the site throws 500 internal server errors when the RAM is unavailable to process your post/click/query/etc., but that RAM might be available 1-2 seconds later, which is why the errors appear intermittent and unpredictable.
I apparently have 2 options to resolve this issue.
One is to "upgrade" to a virtual private server where I will (kind of) have a computer dedicated to hosting/running this forum only, so I won't have to share the RAM with other people's websites. This option could cost somewhere around $200/month, which is a cost prohibitive option for a non-profit/noncommercial website, even with the help of the tip jar (which is always appreciated, and does offset some of the server costs, but which was never expected nor intended to generate that kind of money!). And for the record, I have always and will always keep this forum & my finch websites advertisement-free, so commercializing the forum in an attempt to make it pay for its own hosting is also not an option.
The second option is to search through all of the code and processes of this forum, essentially, and look for any redundancies... anywhere where the "fat" of the behind-the-scenes processing that is so RAM-hogging can be trimmed, so to speak, so that the forum is more streamlined and doesn't need as much RAM. This is a HUGE, and I mean HUGE project that I am admittedly not equipped to undertake on my own. (I'm not a programmer unfortunately, though these days I really wish I was!!). But I'm trying anyway! I will go ahead and warn you now it might just take forever for me to resolve this issue, but I'm committed to doing the best I can, and I really appreciate your understanding in these matters!
In the meantime, I truly apologize for the 500 internal server errors. They are very obnoxious and I hope hope hope I'll be able to rid them eventually--which can't happen soon enough in my opinion!! But do know that they're not your fault And as annoying as it is, probably one thing you can try on your end to help minimize frustration is to copy the content of your post you just wrote before hitting 'submit,' just in case! And then deleting any inadvertent double-post that might happen if you can. :/ Sorry I don't have a better solution yet, but I'm working on it!
The response I got was basically that this forum is too popular (a good problem to have maybe?)!
This forum is hosted with other people's websites on a single host computer, and so we all have the share the computer's resources (RAM) for our websites to function. A lot of RAM is used to process everything that everyone is doing on this forum, and unfortunately it's not the only website that needs to use the RAM to function, so at 'peak' levels of activity, Dreamhost actually has to throttle/limit the RAM it lets this site use so that other sites hosted on the same server don't get shut down entirely. So the site throws 500 internal server errors when the RAM is unavailable to process your post/click/query/etc., but that RAM might be available 1-2 seconds later, which is why the errors appear intermittent and unpredictable.
I apparently have 2 options to resolve this issue.
One is to "upgrade" to a virtual private server where I will (kind of) have a computer dedicated to hosting/running this forum only, so I won't have to share the RAM with other people's websites. This option could cost somewhere around $200/month, which is a cost prohibitive option for a non-profit/noncommercial website, even with the help of the tip jar (which is always appreciated, and does offset some of the server costs, but which was never expected nor intended to generate that kind of money!). And for the record, I have always and will always keep this forum & my finch websites advertisement-free, so commercializing the forum in an attempt to make it pay for its own hosting is also not an option.
The second option is to search through all of the code and processes of this forum, essentially, and look for any redundancies... anywhere where the "fat" of the behind-the-scenes processing that is so RAM-hogging can be trimmed, so to speak, so that the forum is more streamlined and doesn't need as much RAM. This is a HUGE, and I mean HUGE project that I am admittedly not equipped to undertake on my own. (I'm not a programmer unfortunately, though these days I really wish I was!!). But I'm trying anyway! I will go ahead and warn you now it might just take forever for me to resolve this issue, but I'm committed to doing the best I can, and I really appreciate your understanding in these matters!
In the meantime, I truly apologize for the 500 internal server errors. They are very obnoxious and I hope hope hope I'll be able to rid them eventually--which can't happen soon enough in my opinion!! But do know that they're not your fault And as annoying as it is, probably one thing you can try on your end to help minimize frustration is to copy the content of your post you just wrote before hitting 'submit,' just in case! And then deleting any inadvertent double-post that might happen if you can. :/ Sorry I don't have a better solution yet, but I'm working on it!
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- L in Ontario
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Re: Internal Error 500?
I / we certainly don't mean to make even more work for you Crystal. And I / we certainly don't want to see any advertising on this forum to make up the cost of upgrading to whatever private server/host would make this 500 Error no longer an issue. I know I can live with it happening now and again and I'll try to remember to copy my longer posts (like this one) just in case the 500 Error pops up.
Thanks so much for all you do to keep this site going just as it is (well without the Error messages) - we all appreciate it!!! Now to quickly copy this...
Thanks so much for all you do to keep this site going just as it is (well without the Error messages) - we all appreciate it!!! Now to quickly copy this...
Liz
- Sally
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Re: Internal Error 500?
I too can live with the occasional error message, it's not the end of the world. You have enough on your hands right now, and know that we all appreciate everything you do to make this forum available to us.
- Crystal
- Brooding
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Re: Internal Error 500?
I don't care what you say, Liz & Sally, I'm keeping it on my (admittedly pretty long) to-do list!!! ;)
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- cindy
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Re: Internal Error 500?
Crystal, thank you again for all you do, thank you for this forum.
I to can live with this.
I to can live with this.
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- DanteD716
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Re: Internal Error 500?
OMG I hold my breath too! Lol, if it is long I copy it just incase it happenscindy wrote:Thank you Debbie, it is just odd how it does it but posts. I am unsure when typing out a post perhaps on helping with mutations and the 500 message appears...you hold your breath hoping your writings are not lost.
Dante
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Re: Internal Error 500?
I know I am new - but if there is anything I can do Please let me know- I am in computer sience.
- DanteD716
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Re: Internal Error 500?
Just saw Hilary's post, good luck Hilary!!! It is not that bad if we remember to copy.
Dante
- Crystal
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Re: Internal Error 500?
quabao99 wrote:I know I am new - but if there is anything I can do Please let me know- I am in computer sience.
Do you speak PHP & SQL?
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- cindy
- Bird Brain
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Re: Internal Error 500?
Oh my....it came back to haunt me haunt me twice tonight...maybe I woke it up with my topic thread!!
Zebra, Gouldians, Java, CBM Shaft tail & Grasskeets
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- L in Ontario
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Re: Internal Error 500?
Me too - just a couple of minutes ago. It's because there are so many people viewing this website, the server glitches once in a while trying to handle all of us. Which is rather a good thing - being a very popular Finch Forum! I just reopened the FF and my post was there, no problem.cindy wrote:Oh my....it came back to haunt me haunt me twice tonight...maybe I woke it up with my topic thread!!
Liz
- cindy
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Re: Internal Error 500?
Me to Liz!!! My post was fine...it is a good thing....to be popular!!!
Zebra, Gouldians, Java, CBM Shaft tail & Grasskeets
~ My Facebook groups ~
*Finchaholics ~ finches, hookbills, softbills & canaries are welcome here!
discussions regarding species, housing, breeding, preventatives, treatments
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- DanteD716
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Re: Internal Error 500?
I tink we should be happy we are so popular, WE are THE best forum for any birds, ever!
Dante
- cindy
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Re: Internal Error 500?
Here, Here!!
Zebra, Gouldians, Java, CBM Shaft tail & Grasskeets
~ My Facebook groups ~
*Finchaholics ~ finches, hookbills, softbills & canaries are welcome here!
discussions regarding species, housing, breeding, preventatives, treatments
*Birdaholics ~ Avian Classified Ads Only