Can one propose to nix a proposal? I'm not taking pleasure in halting a discussion, but it would seem that we have some doomsday stuff to discuss that will need a plan in place before October, for general board health.

If this is all types of assholey of me to bring forward, I way apologize. I'm coming from a place of concern for keeping the board going and not from a place of waiting to kill discussion on a proposal, though that's the end result.

I would really like for us to be able to have an open dialogue with the host that we're busting ass to be able to decrease load on the server, and have a backup plan to be able to get a dedicated server if need be.

It seems a lot of money, but I think we could raise 6 months' worth of dedicated server space if need be and I can talk about some of the ways that we can do that with ease on our wallets.

I'd just like to put board health at the forefront of any discussion.

I blow at technical issues, but I can surely help raise a doomsday fund.

Raquel can withdraw the proposal, since she proposed it. (Although I don't know if she wants to or doesn't want to, b/c I haven't made note of her posts.)

Firefly will be being broadcast in Canada this fall, including the three unaired-in-the-US episodes. So spoilers may be needed for that discussion. Though it may just happen in Atlantic Canadians. (I think John Sweden is the only other really active Canadian on the board.)

Also, there's the Firefly movie...(I hope, I hope, I hope)

Allyson, I agree that if money will solve this problem, we should figure that out FIRST. When we were on HostRocket, we were told the money was not the issue; is that still the case, or are the funds we raised when the board was launched gone?

I think, (and please tell me if I'm wrong) that funds would be needed if we were to move to a dedicated server, which is the Worst Case Scenario, aside from going back to Buffista Island.

Thanks, Allyson.

I would gladly give to help us get a dedicated server, if that's the only solution. Cutting or not adding new threads might just be delaying the inevitable.

Speaking just for myself, I wouldn't mind having LotR folded into Movies.

I'd prefer it to be kept separate, for a lot of the same reasons as Lyra Jane. I am also selfish in this regard, because I don't hang out in movies, and would prefer not to have to root around in there for the one film that I am interested in. Also, just as a practical matter, I think the posting volume from the LotR would swamp the movies thread, especially when the DVDs and RotK are released. There are almost as many posts in the LotR thread as there are in the movies thread.

I think, (and please tell me if I'm wrong) that funds would be needed if we were to move to a dedicated server, which is the Worst Case Scenario, aside from going back to Buffista Island.

We would definitely need funds to go to a dedicated server, but there hasn't been any indication one way or the other that a dedicated server is necessary. AFAIK, there hasn't been any traffic related downtime since ita did the quick and dirty repair on the code.

AFAIK, there hasn't been any traffic related downtime since ita did the quick and dirty repair on the code.

What DX said. I have a strong hunch that the downtime was entirely related to non-optimal coding on our part. There's no reason for all those open sql connections. Let's wait and see if ita's fixes have worked before we panic and have to worry about fundraising.

Let's wait and see if ita's fixes have worked before we panic and have to worry about fundraising.

Agreed. On the other hand, while I don't think we need to be talking dedicated servers until we see what traffic messes October brings, I'd also like to hold off on any big reorganizations -- in the form of either new threads or overhauls of the existing thread structure -- until we know for sure whether the code changes have done the trick.

Also, Cindy, I agree with many of your suggestions but not the Firefly stuff. The DVDs are coming out in December. There will be much revisiting of episodes and quotey goodness. We'll also need a policy on discussion of the commentaries (maybe put that in spoilers? Or put it in the main thread but not until January? I dunno). Between the DVDs and a possible movie, I don't think consolidation of those three threads is a good idea just yet.