Lag, it's a problem

It's funny, Microsoft can competently put a backdoor in their OS for big brother but they can't code a decent web browser, go fig. 

Chrome.

I've been experiencing recently serious lags for no good reason, at 3+2 blitz games my opponents clock seems to jump + 5 after every move and my latest game was lost on time on following situation: my opponent was thinking his move with his clock running, my clock showed about 8 seconds, suddenly my opponents move is made on the board and instantly my clock jumps to 0 and it says I've lost because of time.

Maybe you got disconnected.

I checkmated my opponent with two seconds left and lost on time anyway. I posted a screenshot showing the checkmate. Such experiences are rare.

Lag was much worse here a few years ago.

See http://www.chess.com/forum/view/suggestions/incorrect-rule-implementation

According to your profile, you have completed 4768 chess games on this site, and have 2 more in progress.  This site had to pay money for its software, servers, electricity, and staff.  So yes, you did get free benefit as a non-paying member.

Kaynight, your responses are always lame

I've been a paying member before.

This is a dubious line you are taking in an attempt to defend invasive advertising. The point is that I could watch videos on YouTube without ads, could play chess on chess.com without ads and now all of a sudden I'm expected to believe that are a vital part in the running of these skies? I'm not as gullible as you it would appear.

The whole time you have been a member at this site (under the quoted account at least) you either had a premium membership, had to view ads, or blocked them in some manner. It isn't some new thing that suddenly happened.

That's her charm.

Apparently I am the first Dutchman reporting, but there IS really a problem as never before, both clocks doing strange things (even plus and minus), losing when in winning position (and enough time left), lots of interruptions ...

I am not complaining, but reporting and hope it will be solved.

My computer is okay, I am curious to know whether more of these problems are in Holland !

kaynight wrote:

Go elsewhere then.

Lame.

You're a lame duck.

Martin, that's true. But so? Does THAT point you have just made have any bearing on whether ads are necessary? You're wandering way off topic mate. I don't know exactly what point you are pursuing here but it seems to be something against me personally rather than against my point about ads.

You are moving the discucssion goalposts a bit. My last reply was specifically in reference to your comment that you are "now all of a sudden" being hit up by advertisements, like it is something that wasn't ever done before. Completely on topic.

The only people that can state whether or not ads are necessary are the owners and/or finance people for the site. In general, we know there are cost and expenses associated with it. Someone pays for things. How much that balance is impacted by having basic members subsidize the costs by ads is unknown. Apparently, it is considerable enough that they haven't removed the ads for basic members and have had them since very early in the life of the website.

It's pretty obvious the OP is a bit of a finicky, grumpy, self-entitled, overly-competitive, self-absorbed, "look at me, look at me, I'm special" kinda character.
Well, I guess I did just sorta describe the personality characteristics of around 90% of chess players.  I've always wondered how chess stores deal daily, customer after customer with such types.  "It isn't perfect, just like I need it, and you aren't treating me like the queen of England?  This means war, we'll see how you fair, we'll see how well you stand my fury" 

lately I have been having troubles with lags as well... Usually I don't mind the ads, for example one ad flashes, and repeats itself... It's pretty much alright. Sometimes a new ad loads... Alright, I don't mind.

But after a while the ads start loading more frequently, and as the frequence goes up (from once per don't know how often to several times per minute), it ends up freezing my computer. That leads to an involuntary disconnection (because the computer logically can't be communicating with chess.com while it's freezed) and because the computer stays freezed for so long that I actually get kicked out of the game and it says "Game abandoned." So basically I just wonder when I get banned due to an involuntary violation of chess.com Fair play policy.

That doesn't sound like normal behaviour. Have you opened a ticket about that? If there are specific ads or the ad network really is causing your problem (freezes) then staff will want to know about that.

Also, unless you are abandoning a lot of games, I don't think you will need to worry getting banned.

so far I have "abandoned" 2 games in a week... Well, I guess I'll be playing only blitz here for the time being and just let it flow... After all, chess.com seems to be having some issues lately.

If you are using the browser Chrome, you can go to chrome://plugins

and disable the plugin Adobe Flash, which I have found usually solves the problem for me

Martin_Stahl wrote:

dannyp215 wrote:

Martin, that's true. But so? Does THAT point you have just made have any bearing on whether ads are necessary? You're wandering way off topic mate. I don't know exactly what point you are pursuing here but it seems to be something against me personally rather than against my point about ads.

You are moving the discucssion goalposts a bit. My last reply was specifically in reference to your comment that you are "now all of a sudden" being hit up by advertisements, like it is something that wasn't ever done before. Completely on topic.

The only people that can state whether or not ads are necessary are the owners and/or finance people for the site. In general, we know there are cost and expenses associated with it. Someone pays for things. How much that balance is impacted by having basic members subsidize the costs by ads is unknown. Apparently, it is considerable enough that they haven't removed the ads for basic members and have had them since very early in the life of the website.

It's YOU moving the goalposts Martin. I'm talking about ADS but you're trying to talk about ME.

It's not me nor my account type that is up for discussion here. It is the invasive use of ads and the effect they may be having on chess.com servers and directly on its users.

NOT whether I am some ungrateful chess freeloader thank you very much.

I play on iPad. I mostly play on the app, but I occasionally play on the website too. In the past few days I have been kicked out of the webpage numerous times because of chess.coms ads conveniently popping up in areas of the screen where my finger needs to be at just the right time. I'm forever rolling my eyes as I close the App Store yet again and venture back into safari and onto the website.

I also registered for a tournament at 15/10 time controls and was withdrawn with only seconds to go until it started owing to some stupid ad. That's just my experience. Yes, they weren't there when I was a paying member, but I never made use of any of the functions you get as a paying member. So I cancelled my subscription. In fact, literally the ONLY thing I would be paying for would be paying to not have ads. That's all.

Anyhow, keep it on point. Ads may be responsible for the lag that users experience. I believe they are not an absolute necessity, as you suggest. I believe they are merely an easy way to gain extra revenue at the meagre cost of some integrity and the sacrifice of the customers experience.