would you consider the proposal to consolidate Smallville, Farscape, and Due South into one thread ("Genre TV" or "Fannish TV" or something like that) a new thread?

No, I think it's carpooling so I'm fine with it. I am a little worried that it could actually revive discussion and increase posting levels but I'm not sure that that's a reasonable fear.

I am Chicken Little. The sky is scheduled to fall on October 1. Thank you and have a nice apocalypse.

ETA context

But we have six weeks until the Angel premiere -- isn't that enough time to judge the thread volume and see if it's enough to cause server problems, and remove it if it does? Also, won't the premiere lead to a temporarily higher posting volume regardless of the number of threads we have?

I dread the Angel premiere. If the board is going to down any day, it's gonna be that one. [With my luck, Joss'll show up or something that night with Firefly movie news, all the planets will align and take this board with it.]

Fact is, we're already having server problems at our current number of threads at our current level of posting. Yes, they're being really nice about it and giving us time to fix the problems but they don't have to. We have explicitly violated our contract with them. They could boot us out on our asses tomorrow.

I need the board to be better before October 1. I need us to get to acceptable levels of resource usage before that date. Otherwise, I am convinced we're gonna get yanked.

[I don't know why I keep saying October 5. What the hell is happening October 5 that I'm supposed to be remembering?]

We have explicitly violated our contract with them. They could boot us out on our asses tomorrow. I need the board to be better before October 5. I need us to get to acceptable levels of resource usage before that date.

Acccccck. Ack, ack, ack. Now it's my turn to be Chicken Little.

Because we cannot stop growth. We can delay it by cutting threads or whatever, but from user ID numbers it looks like we've added well over a hundred people over the last two or three months -- and that's with nothing on the air. When Angel's chugging along and Tru Calling hits the air and, hey, the Firefly movie gets greenlighted and Wonder Falls is in the Nielsen Top 10 ...

What's the plural of apocalypse? Is it "diaspora, part II"?

What's the plural of apocalypse? Is it "diaspora, part II"?

"$2400-a-year dedicated server," I suspect. But it may not be necessary.

Look, if we can't reduce resource usage by fixing code or whatever, and we need to raise a shitload of money to get on a dedicated server or whatever, I am confident we'll be able to do it. We have a bunch of new people who didn't give in the first round, and I imagine there are people who'd be willing to give again. I really think we'll be fine. We just need to figure out what's up instead of running around willy-nilly. (Sorry, Nilly.)

We have explicitly violated our contract with them. They could boot us out on our asses tomorrow. I need the board to be better before October 5. I need us to get to acceptable levels of resource usage before that date.

Then let's get a bullshit consensus now. Anyone disagree with

(1) Changing the random quote to a QOTD?

(2) Changing the default display of posts to 20?

Not suggesting that it'll solve our problem. But it's something we can do now that'll help.

Look, if we can't reduce resource usage by fixing code or whatever, and we need to raise a shitload of money to get on a dedicated server or whatever, I am confident we'll be able to do it.

Agreed. But I'd a zillion times rather start a fund drive and kick in towards a dedicated server in August, then spend all of October on PF, passing the hat and looking for another hosting company.

Is this being discussed in BBaBB? Cos I can go freak out over there.

Because we cannot stop growth.

Nobody is saying let's stop growing. The only thing that I have been asking for the past two is to please put off talk of new threads until we figure out the technical side and get things under control. That's all.

Fred, we don't traditionally look for bullshit consensuses on technical issues. For instance, the default display of posts for unregistered folk is already 20 (since yesterday), and will be for the newly registered too.

Once I've worked out the mechanics of QotD, that was going live too.

I am very willing to be draconian on code stuff.

Hooray for ita.