Server resources care

[RuKiwi]

Hi,

We all know that some web applications using a lot of server resources to satisfy a visitor of the website. Fine example of it is a GZIP encoding, while it does somewhat optimising visitor experience, still it is not much of the difference to the user with ADSL connection.
Personally, I think that GZIP is out of dated and should not be considered as an option for any web developing team in now days.

Would like to see what Aussie Bobs have to say about it, as a professionals who dealing with such issuers most of the time.

Questions are:
1. What applications we have to avoid, if we can?
2. If I choose a server-resource hungry application for one site(have too), can you arrange a semi-dedi option for it or simular? How would you resolve that issue?


Cheers,
Aleks

[Josh]

With the power of servers today (particularly those used by Dotable), using gzip is not really an issue. Sure, it is of little benefit to those visitors using ADSL, cable etc.., but the majority of the world is still on dial-up and for them it can make a big difference.

[RuKiwi]

May be..
My mother-in-law lives in Siberia they switch to ADSL about a year ago. I believe she can tell you something about majority of the world. )

Cheers,
Aleks

[Josh]

She's very lucky then. There are still millions of internet users in the United States who are unable to get broadband though, not to mention Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Africa, many of the Pacific Islands and much of South America, to name but a few regions.

[RuKiwi]

Ok, shall we stop and wait for them?! I do not think millions of broadband users in those countries will agree with that. Any e-commerce website target broadband users as primo prospective clients, because these visitors already accepted internet as a great tool, time saver, and great convenience with their shopping needs. Dial-up is good but only for e-mail exchange. Some sites just do not cut for dial-up users any longer.

Not sure about other countries, but in New Zealand average price difference between 56K dial-up and 256/128 is only 10NZ dollars a months.
Should I say that some of our high profile IT technology experts claiming that we are in New Zealand 3 years behind from GB, USA, EU in this.
If you interested in what going on in NZ in this regards read this http://www.regulatory.orcon.net.nz/

Yeah, I am a bit more optimistic about broadband usage.

P.S. My mum-in-law using high speed connection not because she's up to date with technology or very lucky. She using it to be up to date about her grand-sons and their no nothing parents in New Zealand. Video conferencing solved the problem!

[BritBob]

The vast majority of users around here are on the dialup. The simple fact is most people are located too far away from the adsl or cable exchange/system. Out of all the global internet users, I would say 90% (or more) are on dialup.

It`s something I force myself to remember when putting together a webpage. I know the vast majority of my website viewers will be on dialup, so I keep the imagery to a minimum.

It`s a shame when some of the larger sites just cater for hispeed/broadband internet users, and of course it`s frustrating for the dialup user!!

[RuKiwi]

You right Bob, some people in rural areas in NZ have only two choices Dish or Dial-up, too.
Still, have a look at very popular user hungry eBay
front page of live auctions http://www.liveauctions.ebay.com/ =over 580Kb
Than go to any item say http://www.liveauctions.ebay.com/catalogs/19442 =over 250Kb
Do you think is much care there for dial-up users?

I am not saying that dial-up users should be ignored in web projects requirements, but it is getting very hard to satisfy users with slow connections.
Putting together ultra-light text-html webpage is easy, but how would you go if clients requirements are very heavy, such as dynamic calendar, swf bits, many pics, couple of forms, etc., on the same page.

One more thing, in last 2 years 100% of our website orders came from high speed internet connection users. All of them believe that majority of their customers will be broadband users...

[Josh]

The issue here isn't whether we should put together pages for dial-up users, it's about the resources used by gzip and whether they place an unecessary burden on the server.

Bottom line is the impact to the server by using gzip (which isn't used by every site) is negligible.