AvantGo Temporarily Blocked

[Jason Dunn]

If you're using AvantGo and wondering why it's not working today, it's because we've IP-blocked AvantGo servers from accessing this site. We're constantly looking for ways to lower the server load and make it faster for everyone, and in our investigations we saw that AvantGo was hitting our server fairly heavily, fairly often. So as an experiment we've blocked then today and are watching the impact on our server - so far it seems to be making a significant difference, but we'll need to analyze the data before making any decisions. What we're looking at doing for those of you using AvantGo is creating a time-generated static page with no sub-links - a page that AvantGo would hit and pull down, but wouldn't be able to spider any deeper than that opening page. Unfortunately with the way AvantGo is designed, it's too easy for someone to create a custom channel with a depth of three, and before we know it AvantGo is trying to slurp down 100's of pages. Stay tuned, we're working on a solution now.

[MS Mobiles]

Wow! What a bold move! I must think of something similar - despite having full avantgo channel (https://my.avantgo.com/browse/search/0/3769/) many people are creating custom channels and sucking things not designed to be sucked by mobile devices (like main page, etc) - while /avantgo part is especially designed to be used in mobile devices and is pre-rendered to static HTML files.

So my advice to you is: block avantgo everywhere except for /avantgo folder where you can have files pre-rendered (thus no connection to DB required and minimal load of the server).

Generally I think that some people like AvantGo and one should not block them completely - there is always some solution to the overload problem (like above or some others).

[Jon Westfall]

It's mainly load from the custom channels that has been a problem. As Jason said, we're still evaluating the impact to the server from the high frequency of Avantgo pulls. In the end, our ultimate goal is to not block Avantgo completly, but to avoid Avantgo from Avantstopping our server.

[acollet]

AvantGo is SO Palm days. RSS or BUST for me :)

[Janak Parekh]

AvantGo is SO Palm days. RSS or BUST for me :)
Yeah, that's what I think too. When I reinstalled my e805 with WM2003SE I tried AvantGo. That experiment lasted a whole 2 days. :P

--janak

[lapchinj]

AvantGo is SO Palm days. RSS or BUST for me :)
Yeah! I'll second that emotion :D . You got my vote in spades!

Jeff-

[MitchellO]

I use avantgo (the v3.3 integrated client, v5 sucks) and do get the Pocket PC Thoughts site, but only the front page of the mobile site. It syncs quick, takes little space, and if I want to read below the front page (which I only occasionally do) I either use GPRS and get there, or wait to get back to my laptop.

On my Avantgo I have CNET, PalmInfoCenter, PPC Thoughts (top page), Gadgeteer Mobile (top page), PC World, Sydney Morning Herald.

[Golfer]

It would be a shame to lose Pocket PCThoughts (and the ability to drill down a couple of levels) on avantgo. I agree that RSS is a way forward, however I like to downlaod channels through Avantgo first thing in the morning to read offline on the train on the way into work. Pocket PCThoughts is the 1st channel I look at, and it's good to be able to drill down one level to read the comments on an article.

[PromoGuy]

If Advantgo would support RSS then we'd all be happy!

RSS readers are better, but Avantgo is free. But sites blocking Avantgo would be a good motivation to invest in a good reader.

[Jason Lee]

If Advantgo would support RSS then we'd all be happy!

RSS readers are better, but Avantgo is free. But sites blocking Avantgo would be a good motivation to invest in a good reader.

RSS is free too.

http://pda.jasnapaka.com/prssr/

I've used this one since v1.0. Very nice and simple. I like it so much I quit using the RSS reader i payed for. :) It is so much smaller and easier than PocketRSS (http://www.happyjackroad.net/pocketpc/pocketRSS/pocketRSS.asp).

[Jason Dunn]

RSS is free too.

I don't think cost is the issue here though - using AvantGo, people can capture the entire stories. RSS we only give out the first couple of sentences. So it's not quite the same thing.

[bjornkeizers]

Wow, avantgo is that big of a server load? 8O

I'm one of those deep diggers as well, and I agree that it'd be a shame to lose it - but it's even worse to lose *all* PPC Thoughts.

I'm hoping you can find a solution. I want a lot of content, so if we can find a solution that's easy on the server and offers most of the deep digging stuff, that'd be awesome.

[MitchellO]

http://img53.echo.cx/img53/2842/noppctavantgo4pg.jpg

:cry:

[Jason Dunn]

But....you have an iMate Jam, a wireless device - why wouldn't you just visit the site live? :?

[Jason Lee]

But....you have an iMate Jam, a wireless device - why wouldn't you just visit the site live? :?

Yeah, since i got my sx66 i don't really use rss either. I used to use it to only grab the bbc news but then i found the mobile and text only versions of the live site. The only reason i keep rss around is for those none mobile friendly sites. But the thing is i don't even use it for that. I always have graphics set not to display and the view set to one column so even the nasty sites load kinda ok in PIE. So i guess i only keep it around for the novelty. :)

I haven't used avantgo since my toshiba e740 days.

I used to use it for grabing the weather real fast but then i found the national weather service has a very nice mobile page.

I did sync my rss feeds today because cingular gprs was out in my area today... so i guess there is one use for it. I just grabed some free wifi down town and took the news with me for later. :) But i didn't actually read any of it. By the time i had time to gprs was back up. :roll:

[MitchellO]

I do visit the site live, as sometimes I get a bit slack and I don't sync my phone for days (sometimes up to 2 weeks!).

If there is something below the front page, I do use GPRS. GPRS is a bit expensive over here though. As a student, I can't afford a AU$50 unlimited (limited to 500mb?!?) plan.

Another thing is I have to swap my SIM to use GPRS. I have a Telstra plan for calls/SMS, and an Optus prepaid for GPRS. That way I know how much I am spending, as I spend it.

http://img11.echo.cx/img11/3888/ppctxdamini4ih.jpg

Love my daily infusion of PPCT!!

[PromoGuy]

My problem with most Pocket PC RSS readers is that they will not fetch the feeds via ActiveSync the way Avantgo will.

I don't have wireless on my A730 so I do all of my reading offline. That means my RSS reader has to fetch the RSS feeds before hand and store them.

Not many RSS readers do that, and even then, not many feeds are "full posts." Excerpts are very frustrating when you have no way to connect for the full post.

[MitchellO]

My problem with most Pocket PC RSS readers is that they will not fetch the feeds via ActiveSync the way Avantgo will.

Thats what I really like about avantgo. You don't have to think about it, it just happens.

I've mucked around with RSS and it just isn't as good.

[Darius Wey]

My problem with most Pocket PC RSS readers is that they will not fetch the feeds via ActiveSync the way Avantgo will.

Try RSS Sync. (http://www.viksoe.dk/code/rsssync.htm)

[MitchellO]

Just tried it, still not as good as avantgo. It cuts off almost all the stories on the front page of PPCT. Doesn't work for The Gadgeteer, and there is no CNET channel like the one on Avantgo (that I could find). Nope, not a substitute.

[buss]

This thread started with a bit of a different message, but while we are discussing Avantgo and RSS let me add my thoughts.

I have been using Anvantgo for about seven years I have stuck with it for a few reasons:

1) As stated before, syncing happens easily
2) Simple to configure (when I moved from a Palm to PPC this was the only thing that migrated smoothly)
3) Powerful, there is a lot you can do with it

Maybe RSS can do more, but I have tried it and found it confusing and difficult to configure. Might be a case of an old dog trying to learn a new trick.

[PromoGuy]

Thanks for posting your insights on that software, MitchellO. I had tried it before, but I forgot why I ditched it. Now I remember. While it was free and did sync with ActiveSync, it just wasn't that good.

As little as I actually read news on the Pocket PC, it isn't worth investing in software for RSS (though I do believe in supporting good programs with $).

Avantgo will do (the old version, not the new all-in-one clunker they have now).

[Jason Dunn]

For those still watching this thread, we should have our AvantGo solution in place by tomorrow.

[Jo]

For those still watching this thread, we should have our AvantGo solution in place by tomorrow.
Oh really? I hope so. I miss Pocket PC Thoughts on my device.

Jo