Comments for AllYearbooks Blog - yearbook printing in the UK http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk Create your yearbook using our web-based yearbook system, with yearbooks printed in the UK Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:46:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Comment on Race conditions and caching variables by dalin http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2011/03/31/race-conditions-and-caching-variables/comment-page-1/#comment-39789 dalin Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:46:08 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=621#comment-39789 If I understand your explanation correctly, for this to happen drupal_cron_run() runs start to finish faster than P2 can run cache_get(). Seems unlikely even if there's almost no data in the DB, or if no implementations of hook_cron choose to do anything. The only way that I could see this happening is if you are using MyISAM for the cache table and are experiencing some table locks due to a high insert rate. Don't get me wrong, I think http://drupal.org/node/973436 is a good thing, but your situation seems very strange. If I understand your explanation correctly, for this to happen drupal_cron_run() runs start to finish faster than P2 can run cache_get(). Seems unlikely even if there’s almost no data in the DB, or if no implementations of hook_cron choose to do anything. The only way that I could see this happening is if you are using MyISAM for the cache table and are experiencing some table locks due to a high insert rate.

Don’t get me wrong, I think http://drupal.org/node/973436 is a good thing, but your situation seems very strange.

]]> Comment on Race conditions and caching variables by mikeytown2 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2011/03/31/race-conditions-and-caching-variables/comment-page-1/#comment-39768 mikeytown2 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:15:03 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=621#comment-39768 We removed cron.php and replaced it with our own file. It does a couple of things we like. Logs the slowest cron hook to a file; only allows cron to be ran every 45 minutes via checks to cron_last by directly querying the database; uses locks to prevent more then 1 cron from running at a time. We removed cron.php and replaced it with our own file. It does a couple of things we like. Logs the slowest cron hook to a file; only allows cron to be ran every 45 minutes via checks to cron_last by directly querying the database; uses locks to prevent more then 1 cron from running at a time.

]]> Comment on Race conditions and caching variables by jake http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2011/03/31/race-conditions-and-caching-variables/comment-page-1/#comment-39636 jake Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:01:03 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=621#comment-39636 There appears to be a patch currently being rolled for this particular race condition here: http://drupal.org/node/973436 There appears to be a patch currently being rolled for this particular race condition here: http://drupal.org/node/973436

]]> Comment on Instant yearbook price quote by Rachel http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2009/10/01/yearbook-price-quote/comment-page-1/#comment-12178 Rachel Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:19:07 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=436#comment-12178 hi, im currently researching year books becuase a halls of residence of mine would like to put together a year book, that is colourful, eggective and will last long so hard back at a low price could u help me hi, im currently researching year books becuase a halls of residence of mine would like to put together a year book, that is colourful, eggective and will last long so hard back at a low price could u help me

]]> Comment on My work space by jake http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2008/09/04/my-work-space/comment-page-1/#comment-6035 jake Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:30:45 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=39#comment-6035 See also Jamey's workspace: http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2008/10/17/my-new-awesome-development-desktop/ See also Jamey’s workspace: http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2008/10/17/my-new-awesome-development-desktop/

]]> Comment on Mistakes avoided by creating your yearbooks online with us by jake http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2009/06/05/collaborative-yearbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-5016 jake Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:54:56 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=409#comment-5016 Hi 'Reality', I'd love to know more about your experience with our system - you mention having used it in a real environment... can you elaborate? Have you tried it recently or a while ago? We've done a lot recently at addressing potential issues with the things you point out. We find many of our competitors web-based systems suffer from some of the points you make, but we've been extremely pro-active in addressing them on our system. Addressing directly a few of your criticisms: - clunky, clicks and pageloads: by adding more AJAX to our site as we've been doing this year our web-based system becomes more like desktop software. Pageloads are reduced, drag-and-drop functionality becomes available reducing clicks, and things become less clunky. - slow and frustrating: what areas particularly does this apply to? we find nothing but praise from our customers in terms of speed and ease of use - takes ages to upload/download: we encourage our customers to convert any custom pages they've made to PDF before uploading them, rather than sending the original files. The file size of these PDFs are much lower than the original files. And we allow customers to view thumbnails of all their pages saving them from having to download an entire PDF - generic, run of the mill pages: we offer various standard templates which most customers are very happy with, and various ways to customize those to add a touch of change. any any pages other than member profile pages can be created by you in your own software then uploaded to the site - InDesign: most of our customers don't have this software, and buying it would add greatly to the cost of their books. our customers prefer to see books with everyone having lots of writing that they've added next to their photos rather than pages with just photos of members, names (often misspelt) and fancy page design. I'd be happy to hear more about your experience with us - we really do try to take all criticism onboard :) Hi ‘Reality’,

I’d love to know more about your experience with our system – you mention having used it in a real environment… can you elaborate? Have you tried it recently or a while ago? We’ve done a lot recently at addressing potential issues with the things you point out.

We find many of our competitors web-based systems suffer from some of the points you make, but we’ve been extremely pro-active in addressing them on our system.

Addressing directly a few of your criticisms:

- clunky, clicks and pageloads: by adding more AJAX to our site as we’ve been doing this year our web-based system becomes more like desktop software. Pageloads are reduced, drag-and-drop functionality becomes available reducing clicks, and things become less clunky.

- slow and frustrating: what areas particularly does this apply to? we find nothing but praise from our customers in terms of speed and ease of use

- takes ages to upload/download: we encourage our customers to convert any custom pages they’ve made to PDF before uploading them, rather than sending the original files. The file size of these PDFs are much lower than the original files. And we allow customers to view thumbnails of all their pages saving them from having to download an entire PDF

- generic, run of the mill pages: we offer various standard templates which most customers are very happy with, and various ways to customize those to add a touch of change. any any pages other than member profile pages can be created by you in your own software then uploaded to the site

- InDesign: most of our customers don’t have this software, and buying it would add greatly to the cost of their books. our customers prefer to see books with everyone having lots of writing that they’ve added next to their photos rather than pages with just photos of members, names (often misspelt) and fancy page design.

I’d be happy to hear more about your experience with us – we really do try to take all criticism onboard :)

]]> Comment on Mistakes avoided by creating your yearbooks online with us by Reality http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2009/06/05/collaborative-yearbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-5015 Reality Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:26:39 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=409#comment-5015 Now come on... The reality of the matter is that: Online systems are: - clunky and inflexible - slow and frustrating - takes ages to upload/download - require too many clicks + pageloads They create poor quality, generic run of the mill pages. Yes, and we have tested your "revolutionary" system in a real environment - and it failed badly! It is frustrating in all of the above ways! If you want to create a quality publication, then you would use quality software like Indesign. It is not hard to get spelling correct. Please don't blow the 1% of mistakes out of proportion! Now come on…

The reality of the matter is that:

Online systems are:
- clunky and inflexible
- slow and frustrating
- takes ages to upload/download
- require too many clicks + pageloads

They create poor quality, generic run of the mill pages.

Yes, and we have tested your “revolutionary” system in a real environment – and it failed badly!

It is frustrating in all of the above ways!

If you want to create a quality publication, then you would use quality software like Indesign.

It is not hard to get spelling correct. Please don’t blow the 1% of mistakes out of proportion!

]]> Comment on Yearbook busy season and the collage backlog by A half-term update on the collage backlog | AllYearbooks Blog - yearbook printing in the UK http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2009/05/17/yearbook-busy-season-and-the-collage-backlog/comment-page-1/#comment-4732 A half-term update on the collage backlog | AllYearbooks Blog - yearbook printing in the UK Wed, 27 May 2009 16:24:32 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=389#comment-4732 [...] Yearbook busy season and the collage backlog [...] [...] Yearbook busy season and the collage backlog [...]

]]> Comment on Yearbook, year book, year books, yearbooks – the linguistic solution by Keith http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2009/02/01/yearbook-year-book-year-books-yearbooks-the-linguistic-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-4097 Keith Mon, 11 May 2009 18:15:44 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=245#comment-4097 cf http://books.google.com/books?id=gELOAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Yale+Banner#PRA1-PA213,M1 Yale uses "Year Book" throughout. They claim to have invented the concept. cf http://books.google.com/books?id=gELOAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Yale+Banner#PRA1-PA213,M1

Yale uses “Year Book” throughout.

They claim to have invented the concept.

]]> Comment on It’s busy season – and next year by jake http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/2009/04/06/its-busy-season-%e2%80%93-and-next-year/comment-page-1/#comment-3890 jake Wed, 06 May 2009 19:24:46 +0000 http://blog.allyearbooks.co.uk/?p=365#comment-3890 Thanks Nick :) Yes, it is much needed, but unfortunately it won't be going live until August some time. Far too many yearbooks to send off at the moment as we're thick in the middle of the busy season. See you soon. Jake. Thanks Nick :) Yes, it is much needed, but unfortunately it won’t be going live until August some time. Far too many yearbooks to send off at the moment as we’re thick in the middle of the busy season.

See you soon.

Jake.

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