Problems loading the frontpage and AOL users

We are aware that some users are having difficulties loading the frontpage of ConservativeHome.  If you are affected by this problem please leave a comment below specifying which browser and computer you use.  This will help us to resolve the problem.  In the meantime our apologies and thanks for your patience.

PS AOL users finding it difficult to leave comments might find it easier to use Internet Explorer.  For some reason this makes a difference.

Comments

[Firefox user]

I have had problems with a couple of different computers today but all using Firefox.

[Ken Stevens]

I can't access front page. I have Firefox on a Dell PC with XP.

Dunno what that spec means but my kiddies assure me that it's a good combination!

[Ben Locker]

I find www.browsershots.org invaluable for solving problems like this.

I'm having no problems with a Mac using Safari or Firefox.

[Adrian Owens]

Finally got through at 3rd attempt. Using IE with a Dell laptop and XP

[Aurora Borealis]

I've had problems too! I thought it might have been my broadband connection.

[Aurora Borealis]

Using IE7 by the way.

[Ken Stevens]

I just tried Ben Lockers tip re
www.browsershots.org
Response: "Could not get page content from conservativehome.blogs.com. Server failed to respond within 20 seconds."

[Iain]

I've found it almost impossible to enter the site, Dell desktop, XP.

[Ken Stevens]

Iain
I only got on because I had a bookmark direct to a topic upon which I have recently been bleating. Even though already in the site by that means, I can't get across to front page via menu box.

[bluepatriot]

I can get to every other page - ToryDiary, Platform, CentreRight immediately - but not the homepage.

[Deputy Editor]

Thanks for the feedback all. How long have you had these problems?

[Ken Stevens]

"How long have you had these problems?"

I first noticed impossibility of homepage access yesterday but had intermittent difficulty prior to that.
-- Wouldn't claim that as any sort of definitive answer re front page, as I've been accessing topics of particular interest directly via bookmarking.

[Norm Brainer]

not on AOL, but the frontpage is slooooow - I'm guessing maybe aol browser might have a shorter timeout so fails to load.

Get a faster server :)

[Will S]

It's been like this for a few weeks now. I don't recall exactly when it began. Reloading the page usually fixes the problem though.

Using Firefox + Vista

[Sally Roberts]

I've had a similar problem for at least the past few days - probably on and off for a good while before that. I run IE7 on an HP laptop.

[Dave B]

Safari 3.1.1

My impression was the problem was with your web host, not the page layout.

[John W]

Safari, Tiger, Powerbook

Has been taking me a few page loads to get it to work.

[Gareth Knight]

Been having problems for a few days.

IE6, Dell laptop, XP professional

[Jon H]

Safari on a Mac. It's been slow for weeks and recently sometimes fails to load. Same result with two different and very reliable ISPs - neither of which is AOL. I work as a web designer and have used TypePad, and I suspect your homepage is just too long - too many entries. Try reducing the number of posts on the homepage to 10.

[Bob B]

I'm having increasing problems getting through with a mainstream Dell desktop running XP Professional (+SP3) and a standard IE browser.

[Malcolm Dunn]

My bookmark hasn't worked for about 2 days. Got through via Google.

[Editor]

Thanks Jon for that suggestion: I'll try it now.

[MartinW]

For many weeks, it has been very slow and/or refuses. IE; XP; desktop and laptop computers.

[Jon H]

Editor, I see you've tried that but I am still getting the same results on Safari. Firefox, meanwhile, loads but still takes time. The most obvious root cause is insufficient bandwidth - this site does have exceptionally high traffic. I am guessing you have opened a help ticket with TypePad, who in my experience are quick and helpful. If not, I suggest that strongly. Feel free to contact me by email if you wish.

[Graeme Archer]

Today particularly bad but it's been ridiculously slow on the iPhone for ages. Bad at work (Dell + XP), OK at home (Safari + Tiger).

[Chris Palmer]

I do have the same problem. It could be the load on the server is too high. There are of course a lot of people that use this website.

[Dave B]

This is the error message I get when CH fails to load:

"Safari can’t open the page “http://conservativehome.blogs.com/” because the server unexpectedly dropped the connection, which sometimes occurs when the server is busy. You might be able to open the page later."

[Ken Stevens]

Just tried it three times in a row, by typing in address, by bookmark and by hopping via menu from another page.

A bit slow but nevertheless it struggled on each time.

... Now I suppose you'll say that you've not actually fiddled around to fix the system yet!

[Keith Griffiths]

Mozilla, ISP=BTInternet, Mesh desktop, XP

[Conor]

Have not been able to get in for 24 hours through Firefox. On new through explorer

[griff]

Internet Explorer fast
Mozilla sloooow
Mesh Desktop
ISP=BTInternet

[Norm Brainer]

Jon H ... It's not an insufficient bandwidth problem I wouldn't think.

What I would say is that there is so much dynamic content on the front page that one or many of the requests it needs to build the page is causing a lot of processor time and a lot of delay.... considering it's the front page it's probably the most visited so it adds up to a large load on the server.

As the content isn't personalised then maybe the front page should show a cached copy that is updated every minute or 5.

[Perdix]

Fujitsu Siemens PC with XP Home, Browser IE. Very slow to load - often fails to load. Also problematic when having read an article I use "back" to return to home page.

[Editor]

Thanks again for all of this feedback. It is useful.

[griff]

Internet Explorer now slooow

[Prentiz]

IE 6.0.29 on XP, over Pipex commercial (I think!)

[Bill Byway]

The front paghe has been extremely slow to load (and has sometimes failed) for the past few days, using both Firefox and my Blackberry browser.

[Cllr David Sammels]

I have had this problem for quite some time - I am on a Macbook Pro, and experience the problems with both Safari and Firefox browsers.

[Chris]

On my mac it won't load in Safari or Camino

[Bazzer]

A desktop here running XP and using IE7.

Con Home has always been slow to load (over many months) but the past few days it just hasn't managed it at all.

[Treacle]

Firefox, but only in the last 7 days, before that fine

[Gert Lush]

Apple iPhone (Safari)

[M Dowding]

IE on an Emachine normally very good. I suspect problems over the last few weeks were an embedded registry "spy" counter. Cleaned reg and bingo!
Probably a national security trial run on computer spying! I expect 42 days detention any moment,

[John F in Aberdeen]

I,m currently in Singapore,, have a Toshiba Tecra notebook and internet explorer.
Started having problems today, tried to get on at 8am Singapore time this morning,, managed to get on at 10 am but its very intermittent plus if you click on a story, then go back it goes down.

I think maybe too much stuff in the front page could be the problem. The centre right stuff and the section underneath with quotes from the other media always takes longer to load up.
Might be worth considering upgrading to a format like Politicshome.com

BTW I showed the people in my Singapore office PMQ,s the overwhelming verdict from the Singaporeans was,, Cameron is prime minesterial,, Brown is uuuuuuuuur rrrrrgh

[John D]

It's been very slow loading or completely failed to load a few times for quite while now - using various computers.

[John Leonard]

Sam,

Seems to happen with both AOL and Internet Explorer sporadically over the last couple of weeks or so.

Off topic but related:

Also the previous problem with AOL and typepad has not yet been fixed. Whilst there is a perfectly acceptable work round it might be worth giving Typepad a kick.

Occasionally having both browsers open (and you have to, to post, if you are an AOL user) can cause quite serious problems such as a full crash or browser crash(particularly when auto update sites like Politicshome and Newsnow are also open).

[Deborah]

Dell and IE

[Peregrine]

Been having loading problems for a while (over a week) both from work (IE7, networked Dell desktop) and home (IE7, Toshiba laptop). I often have problems from work which are only duplicated by small sites (such as Numberwatch) but have rarely had problems from home before.

[Ken Stevens]

My little boy ( a web developer) just got home, so I asked him to have a look. Reaction as follows:

"Tory Bureaucracy? ;-)

To be honest, I'm not at all sure. It's not a problem with the domain because a) you can get directly to the sub-sections and b) I checked the domain itself and it's responsive.

I can only imagine there's some sort of script that runs on the homepage that involves getting information from another server or an overloaded part of the same server that it is waiting for before it is able to load. This isn't uncommon but should be investigated by whoever runs it!"

Hope that means something to somebody!

[Orlando]

Problems for over a week.

Misery loves company...so now I don't feel that bad since I thought it was a problem at my end!

Sony Vaio using IE.