NEW VISITOR RECORD. observed today:

In total there are 4410 users online :: 4 registered, 0 hidden and 4406 guests
based on users active over the past 20 minutes

Most users ever online was 5114 on 22 Jan 2025, 12:09

Before the Visitor Record was around 1400 or 1500, I remember, and it had happened a longer time ago. The usual results in this periode are 50 - 300 visitors in 20 minutes.

I checked the diffferent parts of the Forum:

Reception 65 guests
Researcher study 803 guests
Unicorn Terrace 216 guests
Bianca's Garden 165 guests
Exhibition Gallery 167 guests
Plush Parlor 89 guests
Library West Wing 94 guests
Library East Wing 189 guests
Library North Aisle 21 guests
Support 68 guests

65+803+216+165+167+89+94+189+21+68 = 1877

*************
Later:

26.01.2025 ..... 3867 guests

A few days later I saw this record:

Most users ever online was 6615 on 27 Jan 2025, 03:38

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today (February 3, 2025) it are at this moment 3229 visitors.

Today .... 11 Feb 2025

Who is online
In total there are 6260 users online :: 4 registered, 0 hidden and 6256 guests
based on users active over the past 20 minutes

Most users ever online was 7273 on 11 Feb 2025, 08:50

Again a new record .....

Yes, this is why I can't open up the registration process. If someone wants to register, they have to contact me directly. When I open up to register them, within five minutes I'll have twenty bots self-registering. Most of these instantly go inactive, for later re-activation and mischief.

We are under constant attack.

Yes, I know ...

Most users ever online was 8980 on 14 Feb 2025, 09:40

... this was today

In total there are 7481 users online :: 3 registered, 0 hidden and 7478 guests
based on users active over the past 20 minutes

Most users ever online was 11727 on 21 Feb 2025, 10:07

This value "11727" happened 3 days ago. I personally noted, that the webpage had problems to fulfill the usual functions in these days. very much "Service Unavailable" appeared ....

I was getting "503 service unavailable" messages on Chrome and Firefox browser for five days. I couldn't access the forum.

I wrote Robert about it, he couldn't access it either.

Now it is back, for the time being. I don't know what happened. But the visitors can't join.

Today - February 28 - I got ....

Who is online
In total there are 442 users online :: 5 registered, 0 hidden and 437 guests
based on users active over the past 20 minutes

"442" is at least close to our usual standard "ca. 50-300 visitors in 20 minutes" ...

Perhaps we should ask other Forum owners, if they had similar experiences in the last month.

****************

I asked google ..."recent disturbances in the web forums". This was the top answer:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/co ... e_now_its/
"Internet forums are disappearing because now it's all Reddit and Discord. And that's worrying."

Internet forums are disappearing because now it's all ...

Reddit · r/DataHoarder
Ca. 420 Kommentare · vor 8 Monaten
Worst thing about Facebook groups is the lack of pinned posts and organization, which any forum software had for ~20 years or so.
Internet forums are disappearing because now it's all ...
2.661 Posts
18. Juni 2024
What forums are still active? : r/RedditAlternatives
36 Posts
18. Apr. 2024
Internet forums are basically dead and that's a big ...
79 Posts
1. März 2020
Weitere Ergebnisse von www.reddit.com

I think, this is not our recent problem.

Other question:
"Internet forum problem in January/February 2025"
https://www.google.com/search?q=Interne ... s-wiz-serp

The answers look more interesting, but I'm too stupid to interpret them.

I couldn't access the forum again for two days, not it is back. I don't know what is going on or how to find out.

I have no knowledge of the bot traffic other forums experience; I assume it is the same as ours.

It is a general feature, that a computer stops working, if there are too many commissions. If there are 11.000 commissions in 20 minutes instead of usual 50-300, it's not surprizing, that the website stops to work properly. It's known, that occasionally somebody used the strategy "too many commissions" to attack specific websites.

But perhaps that's not the only reason, why the number of commissions is occosional dramatically increased. For instance failures caused by the search engine programs or other technical reasons.

.... a new value from yesterday, just observed ....

Who is online
In total there are 491 users online :: 4 registered, 0 hidden and 487 guests
based on users active over the past 20 minutes

Most users ever online was 17564 on 28 Feb 2025, 17:21

Das ist also noch nicht vorbei ....