Fencer:Only once in a while are things slow for me.  Mostly they are very fast.  So fast that I have to revert back to dial up just to keep up!  ;)  j/k 

I'll say this.  I use Explorer when I'm at work and that browser is horrible on BK.  Firefox is great and people who are having trouble but insist on using Explorer are missing out.  Firefox is the way to go.  That is the FIRST thing folks should do.  Chrome is fast too but I prefer FireFox. 

BadBoy7: That's not true. I've made a speed test using an independent service and it proves that the connection is very fast from some places in USA, while it is significantly slower from other locations. Which means that the site is OK and the problem is with your ISP line to Europe or something like that.

http://host-tracker.com/check_res_ajx/2292559-0/share/

Just to be more precise: Philadephia, Orlando or Washington show less than 1 second response (actually the average time is about half a second) and two other places seem to have a connectivity problem because their response times exceed 4 seconds. This is just an example, the test cannot cover all places around the world, of course.

This reply does not mean that nobody has a problem to get to BrainKing but it should be a recommendation to everyone who thinks that to blame BrainKing is always the right thing to do. Please don't do it (especially at public boards) if you cannot make a qualified evaluation of the situation. Thank you.

anyone else noticing multiple links to the same board under their favorites list? The World of Arts board shows up 4 times in my list.. if I try to remove anyone of them it takes them all away and the Stories board takes over the lead with multi links.. I suppose it would happen with any board which appeared last in my list..

It is not this site that slow you done it is it user's with programs.And the only way to beat a program is have a better one:)))

BadBoy7: I came back on a different way with Firefox by passing explorer. Now its fast again for me.

BadBoy7: I've always had problems with the javascript stuff on this site, but haven't had a problem lately - but then again, I have a lot of stuff turned off in my settings.

If you have not, check out this old post of mine:

Computers (coan.net, 2007-03-12 20:16:01)

You can also turn off the Dragon - I think it is the "Enable style animations" in settings - uncheck that. Turning that off helped me A LOT - I could not even play on the site if I was wanting to do anything else with my pc like watch a movie.... BrainKing just took all the processing time away from everything else.... but once I turned off that dragon, I haven't had any issues since.

alanback: all I know is it has to be something wrong cause all the other sites i play in work fine but here it is taking forever to load the site then the games and i am in the usa and I talked to a friend who is in the UK and she says its slow too the last few days not to mention the darn dragon that locks up from time to time and makes a black page so i have to reload it..something is definately wrong here

nodnarbo:"always a local problem" = "never a server problem"

Setting of the message preview saves lots of time. It ios a very useful feature that saves clicks, difficult...

nodnarbo: REMEMBER this site is BUG free:)))

alanback: he didn't say never, he said always.

Fencer:Never say never

Since September 2008 it is always a local problem.

Constellation36: Could be my connection Its wireless & only showing 1 & 2 some times 3 light,s I,am back working not to bad now:))))

And I'm zipping along just fine as well. 

ditto, no problems at all for me today, and I've been on for a while. could be a local problem?

"GERRY": Not for me. Games no games, it doesn't matter. Everything runs smoothly without speed problems.

The sites work's good ever where,but the games are terrible.I guess i won.t play many games today.It was working GREAT :(((

"GERRY": The game list at least tripled since then ;) ;) ;)

Here are my two cents. The vacation system should stay the way it is, with one exception. We Black Rooks have an advantage never renewing our membership, but, as any other busy man, there should be a manner possible to set a string for vacation (for have a real vacation, for instance). I think the number of autovacation days should be limited. The rest of the vacation days should be planned (and, also, no vacation if you plan the days too short). Of course, that should not solve te problem, but makes the turtles think.


By the way, I've got 13 vacation days left. 2 are used as autovacation and the rest is planned as holiday in August.

__chess__: 110 days....that is quite a holiday :)

Snoopy: It can't be a bug, because recently Fencer attested that it isn't possible. Who am I to disagree with the boss? (BTW you also need to count the ones that are already set)

__chess__: wow thanks for the offer but i dont need any at the moment
which leads me to ask how on earth did you get 40 days has a pawn
is there a bug or something

Snoopy: It is possible to give vacation days to others? I didn't know that. I have a few spare ones :-)

Artful Dodger: yes i understand that and i agree in principal that vacation days are long overdue an update
but my main concern is why punish everyone cause 2 or 3 ppl abuse them

it will certainly mean less money for Fencer
ie i wont be creating anymore prize tournaments the one lil perk i get from doing these is my vacation days back if i remember to ask
but i don't abuse them i make at least 500 moves every day i don't keep people waiting on purpose to end tournaments
there must be a way round this where genuine ppl who love this site are not hurt by the few abusers

Snoopy:   The whole idea is to eliminate any potential for abuse.  It has to apply to everyone fairly.  Otherwise we have to judge the motives of others and no one can do that fairly.   45 days should be enough time for yearly vacations. 

Artful Dodger: IMO they should be left alone and just the FEW who abuse them should be limited to just the ones they get on 1st Jan

but i do like the idea that people shouldnt be allowed to gave each other them no matter what circumstances are

coan.net:  I could live with this as well.  That would equal 45 days which is what a black rook gets.  I also would add no "sharing" or "giving away" days etc.  Treat vacation days like money in a bank account.  when it's gone, it's gone.  (until next payday which is a year away!)  ;)

MadMonkey: 

I have a few ideas:

1. The vacation days you get is the amount you get all year.

2. If you renew a membership, you get only 10 additional vacation days. (10 days max - no matter if you renew 1 or 20 memberships)

3. You can "reset" your vacation days only once a year - AFTER June 15th of the year. (this way hopefully someone won't string vacations days along for 4 months in a row)

Hrqls: Yes, i think that would be fair to everyone

(lets have a Poll lol)

MadMonkey: that would be my solution as well but with the same side thoughts as you have

maybe allow someone to have a maximum twice his allowed amount per year by buying a new membership (like it is now, but then max twice a single membership)

Hrqls: Surely the easy way is when vacation days are set at the start of the year, that is ALL you get for that year. If you add more membership, then next to this years vacation days have a box or brackets and in there the amount of vacation days you have already for next year, the year after etc.. etc..

In other words, whatever is the set amount for the year that is ALL you get for that year. Any other added is put to one side.

This would make that reason or people doing it pointless, the one we are talking about, just to get more days. Most of us buy membership when ours is either running out, to help others or just because we can afford it at the time, nothing to doing with more vacation days.

This could effect Fencers income though, as those who do it for the vacation reason may not bother.

So is this catch 22 I hope not, common sense should prevail.

the game (guess ther person) is over ... move it to another board ..
any post from now on this subject will be deleted
(even answers)

feel free to continue on the real thread though (ideas to solve the abuse of vacation days)

Carl: the number behind the persons name is supposed to be his age according to himself.

Carl: The day you quit learning you could yourself in trouble hey LOL:))

Bernice: So are you saying this is'nt the behaviour of a small child? That it's the actions of a rational adult?I find this very hard to believe.Still,we live and learn.

"GERRY":

I think a big THANK YOU should go out to FENCER from all for what a great site he has made for all of us to play on. I have been here going on 5 years.The improvements he has made are GREAT

THANK YOU FENCER

Artful Dodger: Yes i also agree on that.

Carl: It isn't about  how someone spend their money.  I agree with you that's no one's business.  I am saying that we should  have a limit on the number of vacation days anyone can have/use during a calendar year.  Not just this one player, but everyone.  My personal preference is you get your 35 at the beginning of the year, and when they are gone, they are gone.  No more.  If you can't manage 35 vacation days per year, then play fewer games.  If you choose to play that many games, and you run out of vacation games, too bad.  That's the way it goes.

ok can we please go back to the subject that matters ... not the person itself but that fact that the system on this site can be used like that

Carl: hahahaha he will love to read the fact you think he is a young boy with too much pocket money....that will hurt his pride something terrible

rod03801: I think we all know who we are talking about here,and i think we should give him a break.It really is'nt any of our business what a young boy spends his pocket money on.If holding up an internet tournament makes him happy,so be it.He'll grow out of it one day i'm sure.

"GERRY": Well, I personally don't suggest than anything be done about people who play slowly and take all their allotted time. It is the nature of turn based game sites. I am sure there is not a turn based game site where this issue does not come up. It is the nature of the beast. People who are that bothered by it, should probably only play at Live, real time game sites.

But, beyond that, there are people who have come up with some pretty clever suggestions on ways to help people who are concerned about it, avoid playing those people. I don't recall Fencer ever saying much about these suggestions, so I'm not sure he would do any of them.

AbigailII: Actually, you have no idea what he makes from me . I also frequently buy Brains, occasionally sponsor prize tournaments, occasionally sponsor other players, and in the beginnings of Brainking even donated some money, expecting nothing in return. But none of that is the point. I do all that happily, because I absolutely love this site.

I have actually had conversations about this situation with Fencer, and he has said that he doesn't actually live off membership fees. I am more than happy to see him make as much money as possible from this site. The more profitable it is for him, the longer life it will have. At the same time, one person making dozens of other GOOD Brainking citizens miserable is not a good thing, and probably not worth it, in the long run. Let the guy buy as many memberships as he wants, but there comes a point where he should not be allowed more vacation days. The person many are talking about had at least 105 vacation days last year (maybe even 140! I didn't keep close enough track to know for sure) There comes a point where you have to do the right thing, regardless of the few euros it will not put in your pocket.

There is certainly no harm in those of us that it affects, asking for this is there? The person in question has already abused every other part of Brainking, and hasn't been allowed to get away with it. This is just one more part of his abuse that he should not get away with as well. Why play at a game site if you have no intention of really playing?

In the end, I suppose it doesn't really matter THAT much to ME, but I know it matters a lot to others. I will always be here, and always have plenty of games going, so I hardly notice.

Artful Dodger: agreed

anybody  :) :  There should be an improved vacation policy exactly because it's a game site.  People (other paying members of which outnumber this one abuser) expect opponents to make reasonable efforts to make timely moves.  When someone is allowed to purchase another membership (for themself or another member) and benefit by getting 35 more days of vacation time, that is a recipe for abuse. 

It's a turn based game site.  And people expect their opponents to take their turn in games.   --  (most) People don't want to wait weeks for an opponent to make a single move.  And if additional vacation days are allowed to be purchased, the abuser can simply allow the auto vacation days to protect them from a time out- over and over again.

Time outs are part of games.  If people can't play their games under the the parameters of the time controls, then once their initial vacation days are gone, that should be it for the year. 

It may very well be true that "he" isn't breaking any written rule.  But he is abusing the system here and people who know, understand that he enjoys holding up both games and tournaments, simply because he can.  It's a glitch in the system that allows his abuse, so I hope Fencer will make some changes so that situation can be totally illimated.  ;) 

AbigailII: exactly my point.......

***it makes one wonder is it because he DOES buy another years membership every other month?***

rod03801: Would the extreme situation of a person buying another year's membership every other month be allowed?

Think about it from Fencers point of view. He'd make EUR 432/year of such a member, as opposed to the EUR 36/years he makes of you. Why would he change the policy?

wetware: 2014