The TV Room's New Server

A number of factors contributed to the change of host. The switch was publicised on the site for two main reasons:

(a) the DNS update would have resulted in disruption to the site over a 48 hour period; visitors would probably have experienced switching between the old and new IPs as well as disruption to the site's e-mail service.

(b) if pages or images were suddenly missing, readers would be aware of a possible cause.

I'm sorry to hear that some readers are not keen on the revised menu system. However, these changes were implemented in response to criticism of the site's navigation and menu structure. I am taking these latest comments on board; some minor adjustments may appear in the coming weeks.

With respect to the HTML: yes, Front Page is used in the construction of most pages. I do accept that Front Page does add a lot of unnecessary code and indeed spaces it out in a rather ludicrous manner. However, Front Page allows me to package updates very quickly; it's much easier than manually coding the HTML. I don't believe the inclusion of what could be classed as redundant code in the HTML is really that big a deal though. The site's front page is in the region of 50k, yes. However, when that page is downloaded on to the PC for the first time (c. 15 secs on a 56k modem) and all the channel images have been cached, subsequent page downloads take less than 5 secs on a 56k modem. In terms of typical front pages, that's pretty good.

On the subject of dates for particular updates: any date I provide in response to a particular query is a 'best guess'. Updates to the site are always subject to what my personal circumstances permit. As already pointed out, it is a hobby site.

Nick - this is becoming somewhat tedious. This issue has been discussed ad nauseam.

Firstly - 'viewing' a site and 'compiling/updating' one of the size of TTVR are hardly comparable activities.

Secondly - if you have the response from me where I suggested in no uncertain terms that this issue was clearly your fault...well, I'd be most interested to see it!!!

As I have said previously, you are the only individual to have reported such a problem. I do not understand how it could be happening and therefore cannot personally be of any help in resolving it. I have in the past suggested that you contact my old hosting company, AstroHosts. That, unfortunately, is the extent of the assistance that I can offer for such an isolated issue.

However, perhaps now that I have moved the entire operation to a new host, this problem may now have gone away?

For the record, I have and always am receptive to comments about the site. However, as I have said before, the manner in which you go about making points or putting forward a complaint, leaves a hell of a lot to be desired.

It's a great site, all you have to for example to reduce page is get rid off inline stylies like this td style="border-bottom: 1 solid #000000", if you've used this a few times, you can put this in a class so you end up td class="blackborder"

also this bit here

<script language="javascript">
<!--

function new_window(theURL,winName,features) {
window.open(theURL,winName,features);
}

var activemenu = 1 ;

// Check browser.
var isNS = (document.layers) ? true : false ;
var isIE = (document.all) ? true : false ;

// Reload window on NS resize only.
cwidth = window.innerwidth ;
cheight = window.innerheight ;
if (isNS) window.onresize = function() {if (!((window.innerwidth == cwidth) && (window.innerheight == cheight))) window.location.reload()} ;
// -->
</script>

you can put the script into a script file like this

<script SRC="http://www.thetvroom.com/scripts/script.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

you'll be amazed at how much code you will reduce, please don't take this as criticism as I am a long time admirer of the site and I learned how to code and design by looking at your site and others.

I appreciate what you are saying about site updates, I have to update a portal the size of 20,000 pages and it sure ain't easy!

Thanks,


harshy

The site says it was updates September, but bothing on the homepage has been updated in September.

I wouldn't bother wasting your time or breath, Harshy.

Just look at the tone of the reply above. That's all you ever get from him.

Thanks Harshy. Particularly useful pointer re the script. There are quite a few pages that have that particular script embedded. I'll adjust that during the week. Must admit to being somewhat amazed when I completed that front page to discover that it ended up coming in at nearly 50K. I assumed that it was due to the number of tables (within tables). I'll tinker about with it during the week and see if I can make some quick wins.

Thanks The TV Room for your reply, yes I forgot to mention when placing the script code into a js file to omit the <script language="javascript"> and the </script> bit, so all you paste is this into your .js file

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function new_window(theURL,winName,features) {
window.open(theURL,winName,features);
}

var activemenu = 1 ;

// Check browser.
var isNS = (document.layers) ? true : false ;
var isIE = (document.all) ? true : false ;

// Reload window on NS resize only.
cwidth = window.innerwidth ;
cheight = window.innerheight ;
if (isNS) window.onresize = function() {if (!((window.innerwidth == cwidth) && (window.innerheight == cheight))) window.location.reload()} ;
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The advantage of this method is that once the .js file is loaded into your user's computer the user would not have to load the script again, and improving your own website loadability, so I think this one change will make a positive difference for yourself and your users

I hope this helps, thanks again,


harshy

Perhaps you could explain why it is you think my response to you is so out of order, Nick?

I will say again:

- I have no other reported instances of the problem you are experiencing. You first reported this issue around a couple of years ago and apparently, it still persists. This would suggest that the problem is unique to you.

- In a previous discussion on this matter, it was pointed out to you that other customers of your ISP were able to access the site. Again, the finger of suspicion is pointing in the general direction of your PC.

- I have no idea what could be causing this and so can offer little help other than to point you in the direction of your ISP customer service dept.

- I know I also suggested previously that you contact my old host company - AstroHosts. The fact that they did not respond to your query is not something I can be held responsible for. I cannot force them to respond to you.

As I recall, a number of other contributors offered similar advice to you the last time you raised this problem.

Perhaps someone on here can offer further advice.

NO.

A number of other contributors agreed that they were getting exactly the same problem, yet you ignored them as well.

Please take half an hour (as I did this afternoon) to read back through all the other "TV Room" threads in this section of the forum.

Nick - I find it hard to believe I ignored what sounds like a group of people with access issues. I will look at the TV Forum archive later and see what it is that I have supposedly been ignoring; I've just got home from work.

Right. I've looked through the archive and I don't see anything that conflicts with what I have said in this thread.

There is a thread from around the 4th March this year which refers to a very specific problem that would have impacted all visitors to the site. One of my hosts decided to move material to another server; parameters were not set correctly on the new server. This caused many video files to be unavailable. Access to the files was initially intermittent but then, a short time later, the files became unavailable on a more permanent basis. This is completely unrelated to the problems you are experiencing and was resolved within a few days. Link to the thread in question:

TV Forum Thread 1

Then, in the main TV Room thread - on the first page - you raise the issue that you refer to in this thread. Another visitor to TV Room (Asa Hicks in fact), who also happens to use the same ISP as yourself, points out that he has never experienced such an issue. Again, I see no-one else reporting a similar problem to the one you are experiencing.

Link to that page:

TV Forum Thread 2

As far as I can see, this is a problem unique to you and your PC and/or telephone exchange area. As such, I do not think I am being unreasonable in suggesting that you write to your ISP and plague them if that's what it takes (if you're that keen on visiting TTVR). I can only address problems which I believe I or my host are causing. There is no evidence of that here. I cannot sit down and spend time trying to address individual PC users' problems.