Blog format and traffic

[aisling]

I have a question about the blog format and how much traffic it generates. I mean, I have to click so many times to read a few posts by the same blogger, I'd imagine that would mean increased traffic. As an example, as I live in a pretty different time zone from many other people here, this morning when I logged on I saw that a friend had posted in her blog when I was away. First I clicked on the blog name itself, then I had to click "continue reading" on 4 different entries to be able to read them entirely, after each entry read I clicked back as well. How does this put less strain on our server and help preserve bandwidth?

Yes, I admit openly that I'm not a fan of the new blog format at all, I think it requires so much clicking back and forth and I find it difficult to find the first unread entry.

ETA: Of course there is the previous and next buttons but it still takes a bunch of clicks to read a few entries

[biggeorge]

I also am finding it cumbersome to move through different blogs. I have subscribed to a few, but have yet to find how to access those I have subscribed to; it is not under the subscribed threads list. Any suggestions?

[FrannyG]

George if you go into your user CP, on the bottom of the left hand column is a tab called "blog". Click on that. If you look on the left hand side of the new page, you will see a tab called "subscribed blogs" or something like that. Maybe it's "blog subscriptions". Anyway, you'll know it when you see it. Click on that and you will see all of your subscriptions.

Hope that helps.

[Dianyla]

To view your subscribed blogs:

Click on Blogs (top menu link) --> Blog Control Panel (left hand side) --> Blog Subscriptions (left hand side)

To view multiple entries in one page from someone:
(there are a few ways you can do this that I've found so far, maybe more!)

When reading a post in a thread, you can click the person's name and select "View Blog".

When you're viewing someone's profile, you can click the "Blog" tab to see all their entries.

When you're in the Blogs application viewing a single blog entry, you can click on their underlined username that's right underneath the entry title and it will show all their entries.

----

As far as the impact on server load, I don't believe we ever claimed that the blogs system would reduce bandwidth or utilization. It's like comparing apples and oranges. If we were to try to compare the burden of thread-style journals vs. the new blog system, you might be surprised. A single click requesting an entire chunk of data at one time is not always faster/more efficient than multiple small clicks requesting multiple small chunks of data. It really depends how a database is set up to handle user input/output.

Another thing to consider is that very long threads with hundreds or thousands of replies can really strain a database index, leading to very poor performance. This was an issue with journals and some of the other long-running discussion threads. We expect that some of the new Social Group functions will help to compartmentalize this kind of content and eliminate the need for marathon threads.

What has made the biggest difference with server utilization is upgrading to a newer version of Vbulletin and having a freshly installed environment. The old environment was upgraded multiple times, with new versions being laid atop of old ones. Over time, this caused problems.

Anyways, I hope that helps shed some light on things.

[aisling]

Dianyla, thanks for explaining.

ETA: Too bad your explanation how to view multiple entries doesn't really work, as is still doesn't show the entries complete, there's still the little "continue reading" link if the entries are longer.

[Dianyla]

Dianyla, thanks for explaining.

ETA: Too bad your explanation how to view multiple entries doesn't really work, as is still doesn't show the entries complete, there's still the little "continue reading" link if the entries are longer.

Ah, hadn't noticed that. The few sample users I clicked on must have not been very wordy.

[Dianyla]

ETA: Too bad your explanation how to view multiple entries doesn't really work, as is still doesn't show the entries complete, there's still the little "continue reading" link if the entries are longer.

UPDATE: Now the entire entry is shown, instead of truncated.

(Just don't complain about bandwidth/performance issues later, eh? )

[aisling]

Thanks, Dianyla! I'll stop complaining and questioning things, I promise

[Dianyla]

Thanks, Dianyla! I'll stop complaining and questioning things, I promise

Oh, I don't mind the questions.

[ladiosaRosa]

I am thoroughly impressed and grateful with the business being taken care of in this thread, on the subject aisling raised.

Thank you for raising the question, aisling.

Thank you Dianyla for enabling fewer clicks.

Awesome!