Bandwidth issues on the new design

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Qhimm

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I'm making steady progress on the new design. I won't release details yet, except that it's clearly game-related. Also, quoting The SaiNt, it is "ultimately cool".

However, this has a prize as I discovered. Personally, I don't give a damn about bandwidth since I'm on a FAH connection (Fast As Hell). But since most of the users here seem to be on modem connections (slow ones on top of that), I feel I have to let you be a part of the decision-making process.

This is a comparison between pages on the boards, in this case it is a completely filled page of a topic. The same topic has been used in all three examples.

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                 Size (html)   Size (gfx)   Size (total)Old board        130kB         34kB         164kBThis board       130kB         42kB         172kBNew design       200-220kB     50kB         250-270kB

Note that this board's graphics are incomplete. Also, if more users use avatars this will increase the gfx size of this board and the new design.

Also note that these are early figures. And also also note that the topic pages are the most bandwidth-intensive of all the boards - other pages like forum listings are considerably smaller.

I am doing what I can to shrink the new design down in size, even considering radical ideas like client-side processing (javascript). I know you're thinking "large is bad", but instead of just saying so please bring constructive ideas, too.

And the final note: The new design will make use of some heavy html coding, and some older browsers (Netscape 4.x) can't cope with this fully. This is more related to the fact that older browsers are stupid and very little related to bad html coding (there shouldn't be any =) ).
 
It is fine with me, really.
icon_smile.gif
 
I'm not worried.  (and yeah, I'm one of those 56kers . . .)  Just as long as the new design kicks enough ass to compensate for the slow down. :wink:  (which I'm sure it will.)

(Doesn't php work faster than cgi anyway?  Won't that come into play with the speed of this board as opposed to the old one?)

----edit----

one thing, though (and this is actually OT, but this topic is probably an OK place to ask this question) . . . could you consider increasing the Font size of the posts in the final design.  These small letters can be hard on the eyes.

[edited] 76 2001-10-05 06:16
 
Yeah, the font it a tad bit small.

I say: Make the new design, keep the old design, and make a "low-intensive" design, and let people choose then design they want in the "Themes" preferance.

Maybe it's just me, but that seems to be the best solution... :cool:

Sephiroth 3D

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The font size will be slightly larger in the new design.

As for making several designs to choose from: I'm afraid the new design is too different from the old ones to be incorporated as a simple theme. In order to achieve speed and smaller size I have had to modify the PHP files directly, and to make other designs would require me to put massive if-clauses around practically the whole file. It also makes it hard to add features later, since everything would need to be changed twice.

What about client-side processing? Can everyone be cool with that?
 
Im cool with it and since atm im on a FAAS (Fast As A Snail) connection it should be okay. But my connection upgrades soon to a FAH connection :smile:
 
Hey MOT, download that Modem Booster program Joey refered too..

I downloaded it and it works fast for me! It depends much on how fast is your IP :smile:

The program improved my modem speed by 50%...well, something is better than nothing at all~
 
I dont really mind, but what exactly is client-side processing?
 
Can you optimize a phpBB on another host's server?

Say host.sk?

My phpBB board is running quite slow compared to Qhimm's board, is it because this board is hosted by The Saint on nextff.com? (main factor??) or it is because Qhimm's tweaks here and there?

Well, any secrets to share on making a phpBB go faster on a free host site?
 
Well, I compressed all my images in my phpBB with an Image Compressor, all of it are either 30% - 40% smaller in size~

My fonts are small..saves my loading time..besides that I can't see why my board is running slow..

My board has only less than 3 members registered (new board) and it's already running slow...what more if more than 20 - 30 new members register??  ::blank::
 
On 2001-10-06 18:22, ficedula wrote:

Though I have to say I'm not too happy about losing NS 4.x compatibility simply because that's the ONLY browser our university network has (well, other than Lynx, but that's even worse...) I know, it IS crap, but I don't have a choice about that...
...I mean I'll survive, I can just access the board from home, but it'd be nice to be able to check it while I'm in uni :wink:
Click to expand...
Most of my College PC's use Netscape as well.
Netscape 4.0 in fact :sad:
Don't worry the site runs well on Netscape, just some stuff like instant smilies & the formatting bbcode don't work.
Compatibility wise, Qhimm's new design seems to be working well on NS6
The "new" version of NextFF's forums will be too, cause TheDragonmaster uses only Netscape so I'm being forced to make it compatible. :sad:
 
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