Hi, you might have noticed that our site design.tavernmaker.de is offline since this morning, and I wanted to tell you what's going on.
We are hosting our page with a provider at a moderate cost which allows a monthly download-volume of 20GB. Everything on top of that, has to be paid extra at rather costly rate. This is fine, as our "average" download need is in the range of 8-14 GB a month, depending on the number of visitors we have and there was only once a problem of "too much traffic" in 2009. Since then, I keep an eye on the download-volume and take the site offline if it approaches 20GB for the month. However, this action wasn't needed ever since 2009.
Normally, we recieve between 400 and 2000 download-requests a day on our site. This weekend, we had a dayly download-volume of 65000 (!). I don't know why, but my current best guess is, that the link was posted on a mailing-list on which the site wasn't known so far, and all downloaded all our designs right away...
We recieved an unusual high amount of positive feedback (which was great) and even 6 donations within a week - which never happened before, but the downside is, that costs for April have already tribled ( eating away the donations :c( ) and I had to slam the "emergency button" this morning.
Our site will stay offline until May at least, and I will keep a keen eye on download volume. Hopefully, this was a one-time peak and downloads start to be more evenly distributed again afterwards.
Happy Easter everybody,
B & M
13586
Thanks for letting us know. I like your designs. The extra downloads might be due to the Crosses and such that make wonderful Easter gifts. I already had them, so didn't need to download again.
1983Thats cool I need to donate later on when you are up and running Thanks for letting me know. You have awsome patterns!!!!!
3442
57492Well everyone deserves a vacation. I love your site and have used your designs for many gifts. They are wonderful and stitch out perfectly. It's no wonder you are so popular. Your generosity is appreciated.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
4436Thank you for all of your beautiful designs and please add comments to the Community when you can. Very Best Wishes, Lyn
29801Happy Easter to you as well and will wait til you are back up to download design. You are so gracious with your designs.
48168Rather than answering everybody in this thread separately: Thank you all for your comments and uplifting words. Our "break" is not a disaster - just an unconvenience at this time. In the end it is better to have "too much traffic" than "none" :c)
13586To B & M -
I have so greatly enjoyed and appreciated the gifts you have offered on your site and have been a regular visitor for a long time. I can understand why people would want to see the wonderful designs you create and download them.
I'm sad for you that you have been put into this predicament, especially considering your generosity in offering such beautiful gifts.
I'm glad that other people have now found your site and can share your designs.
Your designs are unique and stitch out so perfectly.
I especially thank you for the beautiful Easter bags you created and offered some time ago. I'll be using them and my family will be delighted with them. Also the little FSL butterflies are just enchanting.
Thank you for letting us know the situation and that when things calm down again we will be able to visit you once more. I look forward to looking at your designs again in a month or two.
AlmaG.
2 comments
17214Thank you for sharing with us your situation. You have WONDERFUL designs and I so appreciate you sharing them with us. Good luck getting everything back up and running again. Your Cute friends will be waiting patiently for you to come back on line. :)
33079Had no idea there are soooo many embroiderers out there....It's sad about the temporary glitch;but rewarding to see you are so appreciated! Your site is so popular you are now a star that has to go into hiding for a bit of peace of mind,hehehe. Have a happy Easter.
18403Had no idea there are soooo many embroiderers out there....It's sad about the temporary glitch;but rewarding to see you are so appreciated! Your site is so popular you are now a star that has to go into hiding for a bit of peace of mind,hehehe. Have a happy Easter.
18403You are very thoughtful as well as kind and generous. Thank You!!
7293Thank you for letting us know what has happened. Your designs are wonderful--and you have been very kind with all that you have shared with us. Guess, it does not take very many Yahoo groups to overload any site. H&*
16434So sorry that you had to do this. I find your site very calming and inspiring with the designs that you have. Will wait for an update. Thank you!
20088Thank you for letting us know about this. Those of us that don't own web sites have no idea about the costs and traffic etc.
Thank you for all of the beautiful designs!
463407sorry you had to take this decission. You do have beautiful designs so no wonder people want to save these.Thank you for all your hard work and for the sharing of your designs sofar. And thank you for telling us what's the matter with your site. *4u
743281I am sorry for these problems for you!! You are so generous and your designs are delightful!!! Please know that they are appreciated!! Thank you, Laura*
9626517727Right! There are times when good can be very bad. I'll bet everyone will understand.
22300It is not a surprise to me that so many people want your designs. They are both beautiful and unusually
creative. I am most grateful for your generosity. I am also grateful that you will be back in May. I'll be waiting for your return. God bless you.
9945I am so sorry that the donations were eaten up by the volume. I am not sure wether to be happy for you or sad. I am glad you let us know because I would have hit the panick button if I saw your site off line. Happy Easter to you as well.
1 comment
by bejoscha
13 Apr 2011
We are not sad - we got a lot of lovely feedback from people who obviously didn't know our page at that point. We're just glad we caught the problem before it became too big. I was just checking the web-log files of this weekend, and it seems my assumption was right. Most "referer" links came from yahoo-mail-groups, and if many people download the whole webpage at once, it just multiplies up. I think once people "know" about the site, the traffic will be more distributed and easier to handle.
109774
360641Thank you for the explanation and the wonderful designs you have so generously given to us
57801Thanks for all you gave us and I hope you will get your link away from where it's get wrong. Made some of your lovely butterfly's, chicks and from the bags I will make a doily. Hugs from Holland and hope to see you back in May, Have a great Eastern, Yvonne
34172So sorry that your expenses tripled. The designs are wonderful, and it's no surprise that other people loved them. Perhaps this will give us all a little extra incentive to stitch out some designs for the holidays or for gifts or our own use. Thank you so much for offering these beautiful designs.
Hugs,
Jacqueline
70914
1203Bejoscha, I guess this is what is called too much of a good thing. You will be missed but will watch for you in May/Lillian
145791I am so sorry about this, but i understand you, you have a GREAT SITE, your designs are very good. God bless you!
26714