Database thread marking system performance hit?

Hi all!

I am wondering about the cost of performance when using the database thread marking system? I see it's used here on AA, but in the admin panel it warns against server load. Can anyone shed some light on this? Should medium to large boards not use this option?

Thanks!

 

Also I am curious which option AA is using here?

Database (no automatic forum marking) or Database (automatic forum marking)

 

I had issues with the server, when I had database marking on 2 years ago. Using cookie method since. But I guess it still depends on the power of your server

 

Thanks for your reply!

How big was your site? On average, about how many active users were online at the same time?

 

It was very smal. About 100 members and 20.000 posts or so. I had a crappy server though. About 50 people online at the same time

 

Depends on the size of your forums, like said above. Not just Threads, Posts, and Members, but the amount of Forums, Categories, and Announcements as well.

I've always used database with automatic forum marking without any noticeable hit.

Also, if I recall, vBulletin.com is using Database with Automatic Forum Marking.

 

Me too.

Yep. I remember having to remind them to go back to this setting after the upgrade to vB 4.

 

Thanks for the feedback all. I have changed my forum to this option and installed Paul's unread posts mod. So far so good...

 

Changed my setting too

 

If people start reading threads, then they get distracted or busy with something else, then later all threads are marked 'read'. So users tend to only visit when they have a larger chunk of time to devote to it, and that means fewer people online (for our forum). And then eventually they stop visiting entirely.

With the Automatic forum marking the threads they have not read will still be marked unread, even if they go away for a day, unless they have read the thread.

I don't spend a lot of time on forums with the other 2 thread marking options, life is too short.

 

No issues arrised. I guess my server from 2 years ago was just veeeeeery crappy

 

I noticed a slight hit on page load times when 100+ users were online at once, but barley noticeable and totally worth it. Combined with the Unread posts mod it's really hard to miss anything.