Random "Server busy" message for guests

[tobias_t]

Hi there,

I recently came across a forum (not vBulletin-based) that seems to give guests "high server load" messages from time to time, denying them entry, while at the same time telling you that logged-in users can still freely access the forums.

So I am wondering whether this is really a technical necessity, or rather a scheme to drive guests to register and log (it certainly worked with me ;-), and whether something similar is known to be around for vBulletin.

Thanks,

Tobias

[eoc_Jason]

Sounds kind of like the "Miserable Users" hack, but tweaked / partially ripped?

Is the forum really busy (i.e. thousands of people online at a time)? If so, they might use a lower load-level for "guests" in order to keep performance okay for registered memebers.

However, with all the initial processing that has to be done just to determine if they are indeed a guest, finishing it out to display a page I don't think would be that much more CPU power.