Site note: upgrading server capacity this weekend

As you may have noticed, it’s (past) time for us to upgrade our server capacity to better serve our growing readership.

Unlike static sites, MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews, are extremely dynamic. Every reader post is made and displayed (on the same page as the article) in real-time, registered users are logging in and out, the left side column feeds are frequently updated, etc.

MacDailyNews’ and iPodDailyNews’ web host, EngineHosting, who specialize in hosting solutions for our chosen content management system, ExpressionEngine, will be upgrading our server capacity this weekend.

We hope to have it all done seamlessly and finished by the night of Saturday, June 7, as we expect a bit of extra traffic on and around June 9th.

Thank you for your patience and thank you for patronizing our advertisers, without whom we would not exist.

Thanks also to all those who have first clicked our Apple Store links before buying their Macs, software, monitors, iPods, iPhones, etc. — it really helps!
(To that special person who bought something like 10 Mac Pros in one shot earlier this year… words fail us… we’re verklempt… Thanks!)

MacDailyNews Note: As those who’ve followed our travels from server to server over the years know, MacDailyNews’ and iPodDailyNews’ current host, EngineHosting, uses servers that run F5 Big-IP with Apache on Linux (Red Hat). We have also used Mac OS 9, Mac OS X and FreeBSD in the past. We probably will hit one or all of them again in the future – well, maybe not Mac OS 9. wink

Notice that we have never used a Windows-based server, nor will we ever. ‘Nix variants, when offered by a robust host with reasonable rates, are all in play, with Mac OS X, of course, being our primary choice when it’s available. This site was designed on Mac OS X, the articles are written on machines running Mac OS X and we endorse Mac OS X completely for servers and many other uses. Because we use Ellis Lab’s ExpressionEngine, we feel our best hosting choice by far is EngineHosting (we’ve been with them since the pMachine days). MacDailyNews’ host server information is, as always, publicly available via Netcraft here.

[MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews are Apple Store Affiliates and if you buy something from the Apple Store within 24-hours after clicking any one of our Apple Store ads, we will receive an affiliate percentage from Apple. There is no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for helping to support MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews.]

55 Comments

  1. glad to see MDN is investing in its site. This place is still my favourite place to get Apple news. Good luck for monday’s perennial server meltdown.

    The registered user feature has been nice, but this place could still use some more community features. Profiles and the ability to post images (hosted by the user) would also be great. If you are worried about NSFW content then perhaps this feature could be limited to registered users.

    I would also like a quick way to see from the main page (or a profile page) whether new comments have been added to threads i have posted in.

    Oh, and if there was some way to institute a “one terrible joke per thread” limit on Ampar that would be nice too.

  2. ” … as we expect a bit of extra traffic on and around June 9th … “

    Better believe it Brother

    Let’s go Change The World™

    ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

    BC

  3. I think MDN should just stick with their Ram Doubler enabled Mac SE30 to run the site. Coupled with their Sonnet Accelerator, It would run circles any Windows based server. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  4. Hey MDN… I didn’t know that I could contribute by purchasing through you at the apple store. (where have I been?)

    Sounds good to me. All of my purchases, and all of my converts (53 and counting) are going through your site.

    Great work!

  5. “Oh, and if there was some way to institute a “one terrible joke per thread” limit on Ampar that would be nice too.”

    Hmmm.

    ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smirk” style=”border:0;” />

  6. MDN:

    You may want to think of ways to make it easier for us to learn about your commission from the Apple Store. I have bought several Macs from them over the past year. Had I known that you get that commission, I would have done that without hesitation.

    It is a given that nobody likes online ads and everyone endures them (I have a hosts with a list of advertising domains pointing to my localhost). However, we also know that these ad bucks are what keeps MDN out there. Therefore, the most effective way for us to get those add bucks to you, and consequently reduce the number of pop-up, pop-under, pop-over and flash-based ads, is through affiliate purchases through your links.

    If at all possible, make them prominent and make sure we all know this.

  7. Thanks, Please Bring Back Rose.

    Now suddenly, this makes sense:

    “Junkies down in Brooklyn are going crazy
    They’re laughing just like hungry dogs in the street
    Policemen are hiding behind the skirts of little girls
    Their eyes have turned the color of frozen meat

    No, no no no, no no no no no no no no,
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave

    Catholic schoolgirls have thrown away their mascara
    They chain themselves to the axles of big Mack trucks
    The sky is filled with hurt and shivering angels
    The fat lady lives! Children, start your trucks!

    No, no no no, no no no no no no no no,
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave

    (Christina… Mother’s home!
    No, no…
    Christina…
    No, no – no, no…
    Come to Mother…
    No, no – no, no, no no no no no no
    Christina…)

    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen from the grave
    Joan Crawford has risen”

    (available on iTunes)

  8. @ Predrag

    You can find more about the affiliate program here:
    http://www.apple.com/storeaffiliates/
    http://www.apple.com/storeaffiliates/faq.html

    “What are my responsibilities as a program member?
    As a member of the Apple Store Affiliate Program, you represent an extension of the Apple brand. As such, your responsibilities are to:
    […]
    Ensure that your website contains material that is appropriate for an association with Apple as outlined in the Apple Store Affiliate Agreement”

    I believe the selection of articles, MDN Takes and most of the reader feedback are appropriate for an extension of the Apple brand. Well, perhaps this particular feedback should and will be deleted.

  9. Hmm… Your comment on the purchases… might have been me, can’t remember if I clicked on ads that day or not, but we did buy 10 MacPro’s in early March. I’m certainly here a lot, so it’s possible.

    But I will definitely remember to click ads next time I buy anything if it counts that much. I had no idea. Will be another 3 years before we need 10 Pro’s again!

    Glad to help, you guys do a great job keeping us informed.

    Thanks for the great site.

    And keep the Ballmer Busters coming!

  10. “Oh, and if there was some way to institute a “one terrible joke per thread” limit on Ampar that would be nice too.”

    Just as long as they don’t take away my ability to post multiple posts all in a row.

  11. When most sites update servers in one way or another, things tend to go wrong with the sites. You should have updated a few weeks ago, so there was plenty of time to iron the bugs out, assuming there was any. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />

  12. @ron
    “Quicker page loading is the goal.”

    Let’s hope you get the ball between the posts. Great news MDN.

    Umm, it’s admittedly been awhile since I checked, but my recollection is that the post goes between the balls.

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