I'm sure I remember forum speed from a previous thread, but I can't find it. Seems my patent thread sniffing device needs new batteries. Anyhoo, I was using my husband's PC to look at Gatchamania the other day instead of mine, and it was jolly fast on his. It all goes through the same connection, and the only significant difference in the setup is the virus checker. So, is there something in the javascript or whatever that's making my virus checker slow things down? I had been using Mozilla, but have changed back to IE since buying my glowy name, because I might as well look at it having bought it And there's the fact that the arcade works better on IE - I do have some small hope of getting a high-score (even if it's only beating one of my own) one day... I'd forgotten how slowly IE runs this site for me - I don't have these performance problems anywhere else, including Cep's World. But, the load messages I get from Mozilla are typically "waiting for host" type messages.

Looks like the virus checker might have been a red herring. Just tried it on his PC again and it's still slow (10 seconds to load a thread) but considerably faster than mine. Ah well...

Have you set these sites as trusted? Plus the fact it was running fast on your hubbys machine and then slow is definately a problem with your ISP. Your in the UK? Please please please tell me your not using BT broadband

I've just set it as trusted, shut down the browser and started up again. No difference in speed. I'm on blueyonder. Like I said, I don't have this speed problem with any other sites.

Ah, now I've deleted the cookies and left the pc alone for a few minutes, it's looking a bit faster. Threads are coming up about 10 seconds faster, which is definitely an improvement.

I have noticed the same problem. No other sites load as slow as this one. It takes between 5 and 10 seconds to load each page. I never worried about it, as I just assumed it was something quirky with this site. Ah well.

Mine is currently going at 8 seconds plus per page, which is a lot easier to live with than nearly 20, but still the slowest forum I visit other than MSN sometimes being a bit snaily (depending on whether Bill's paid all his bills lately?). Does this mean that if I visit the forum archive, that I need to delete cookies afterwards? Is that what made my cookie get so hideously swollen?

I guess most of us have speed troubles at some point when accessing the site. I know I get it from time to time even when I have deleted cookies. Ah well as long as I get in I dont mind really

I think its all thos damn SMILIES!!!!!

I think its your connections I get in here all the time under a second.

You talking coonnection speed? I've got ADSL. There is definately something about this site in particular that my package doesn't like. I initially suspected it might have something to do with the smiles, but that was just one random idea in a host of possible causes. It would make sense that Cep has his optomized to this site: He built the puppy. And it sounds like folks are willing to deal with the drag, but eh, you know, something to be aware of Mon Capitan.

Well theres not an awful lot I can do really. And its not the smilies they are so small loadwise that your avatars take up more load time then they do. This site loads on Average 29 images per page, less the pet, avatar and smilies or any attached images you may have included. Most of these images "should" be loaded into your cache on your first visit and then loaded from your computer rather then you having to download them again the next time you visit the site or page. However if you have some sort of automatic cache cleaning program or you've set the task scheduler to remove these things then its going to be slower because your having to re-download everything. I have not changed my settings in anyway, they've been this way for years which is why I seriously think its more a problem with your connections & settings then the site. If it were the site there are only two things that would cause it, 1. Lapses in service from the host - which I can discount because you never had problems before. 2. A large image that appears on all screens of the site which is causing the slowdown....and which has somehow managed to escape being found whenever the site has been added too. Now for those of you in the UK using *coughs* cable or landline broadband services you are actually using BT Internet whether you like it or not because they control the substations and the lines that all these other *coughs* broadband companies claim to run. Have you ever wondered why Blueyonder, AOL, Freeserve have the smallprint that says "requires a BT landline", well there you are. BT are notorius for cutting upload/download speeds, as well as splicing phone lines by Dacs and for cramming overloaded substations with more users then they can handle only to penalise those who use the internet connection more often then other "5 minute browse" people. Test your line to this server by using a ping trace program I would suggest Ping Plotter if you can find it.

Wait a minute. I don't have a BT landline, mine was disconnected some years ago, and I know the connection is completely separate because I remember my path being dug up for the new cable. I have a Telewest line. I assume what you're saying is that it all goes through the same phone network? I've heard it said several times that cable is faster than ADSL because it's separate from the phone system.