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MNHQ have commented on this thread

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MNHQ have commented on this thread

Site stuff

What exactly is a server? is it a tangible thing? Aee they costly? Would you like us to does lots of advert clicking so you can get some more?

67 replies

ChaosTrulyReigns · 10/10/2013 19:41

I have been clicking - Tesco kitcgens won't last and they do one called Porto which was both apt and pleasing.

Can you just order servers off the shelf? Is there a shop? Hiw many more can you fit in Biscuit Towers? How many would yiu need to stop a repeat performance of the travesty that was PenisBReakerDay. Not a typo.

How much much clicking do I need to do? Should I be prodding my few MN fruends to click away as well?

OP posts:

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Portofino · 10/10/2013 19:54

A bell just rang in my kitchen!

You can have virtual servers too apparently. I buy this stuff in my job but I clue what they actually look like.

Portofino · 10/10/2013 19:55

have no clue

EduCated · 10/10/2013 20:03

I know Amazon own a big one in Ireland

I think they're huuuuuuuuuuuge computers connected to the Internet, which store all the data that make up websites. So our phone lines connect to the server and the data comes whizzing down it. So MN would rent a little bit of space on the server, like little squatters.

I may be talking out of my arse. But I will click on a few adverts.

EduCated · 10/10/2013 20:05

A bit like this

TEErickOrTEEreat · 10/10/2013 20:08

They no longer all very big computers. They can be very small computers with a fuck ton of memory.

Even a 'virtual server' actually exists somewhere.

All you need is dosh. And love. Love. All you need is love.

DoItTooJulia · 10/10/2013 20:09

Aren't the google ones, like, underground to keep them cool? All secret and protected?

Justine, you need them bad boys!

Kleptronic · 10/10/2013 20:13

There are servers as in a computer. There are servers as in racks of computers in a room. Then there are servers as in huge data warehouses, such as Amazon and Microsoft and Rackspace and Google have. Those are usually called cloud-based computing. Most servers nowadays are virtual, in that many individual servers run on huge disks in racks in temperature controlled environments, and you can't run up to a box and go 'that one, Mumsnet's on there' because it could be anywhere on any SAN disk.

Anyone can run a server, they just need a server operating system and a pipe to and from the internet, and a DNS entry so the internet can find your computer.

Just as in desktop computers, you can buy different amounts of memory on your servers. You also pay for database licenses, although by the look of this site I think it's a LAMP tech stack which means open source which means free software, which is canny. There's also the bandwidth required to carry the traffic to and from the servers, this costs a fair bit of money too. Yesterday saw a massive spike in that traffic, and the pipe MN pays for will have been full up.

Companies usually have at least two servers and have a failover so if one server dies the other takes over, or so that the load is balanced equally between two servers. They have bought a certain amount of memory, processing power and bandwidth.

Most web hosting is set at a certain cost point with combinations of the above variables. After all, if you only ever get 300,000 hits a day, why would you pay for more on the off chance a thread with go viral. It's not worth paying out just in case you suddenly need twice your bandwidth/memory/processors for one day in a blue moon.

If you made it this far, go and get a gin down you, you must be bored rigid. :)

BooItTooJulia · 10/10/2013 20:16

You could be the next tech, kleptronic....

KneesoftheBee · 10/10/2013 20:20

You need a nice silver service server.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 10/10/2013 20:23

Klep is the new cool :) that was interesting.

Kleptronic · 10/10/2013 20:24

Actually you know what, fuck it just buy the cloud based load balanced burst package MNHQ, I'm fed up of this now, I can see the site's drawers cos the CSS keeps not being served!

MrsWembley · 10/10/2013 20:24

Klep, I read the first and last sentence. Can I have a gin?

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 10/10/2013 20:26

MNHQ you need cloud.

My DH could sell you one...

Eve · 10/10/2013 20:27

I spend my life on them.. work for a large IT company.

just as kleptronic said,

They are not cheap..!!! many many many bottles of gin!

BooItTooJulia · 10/10/2013 20:28

Drawers, as in knickers? Or something more technical?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 10/10/2013 20:35

Is that when you just see a basic text lay out?

MrsWembley · 10/10/2013 20:53

My DP could 'sort you art' if need be...

His words (having asked me what was going on yesterday with MN!)

MrsWembley · 10/10/2013 20:54

Sorry, did I mean 'owt'?

Very hard to do this phonetic thing...

Kleptronic · 10/10/2013 20:56

Aye gin for all. Aye, knickers. The HTML comes through but the clothes do not. Racy!

omletta · 10/10/2013 20:57

I think you need an extension - to house a masihooove one.

TEErickOrTEEreat · 10/10/2013 21:05

Yes, BadKitten. If the CSS doesn't load, then
the
site
looks
like
this.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 10/10/2013 22:03

That makes much sense!

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ChaosTrulyReigns · 10/10/2013 22:16

OP posts:

Kleptronic · 10/10/2013 22:48

Kewf! ah Chaos, you're only after my manual...

LunaticFringe · 10/10/2013 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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