Has anyone else noticed Buzztouch becoming very slow? The website is very slow and it has been affecting apps. I've also noticed that during the past couple months that it has gone to super slow more and more often.

agree, very slow

BuzzTouch is becoming more and more popular. With more users using more apps every minute, BuzzTouch will indeed slow down! I personally keep all my Apps offline or have them connect to my personal server. Everything runs better on your own server!

@Jenny21 Do you by any chance have a quiz that is offline and also maps offline? Thanks

How do you put something on a server, let alone make/get a server?

@shak77...all you need to do is put your BT_Config.txt file on a different server...that file is where all the information comes from to build the interface for your app. Lots of people, including myself, use DropBox as the place we put our config files. You just put it in the public folder. Then change the location of your BT_Config.txt file as specified in your app panel, and your app will no longer have to hit the BT servers! Easy peasy!

Okay, I have a DropBox account so I dragged the BT_Config.txt file into the public folder in there. How do I change the location? Also, once I do this, does this mean that I don't have to rely on the speed of Buzztouch.com for my app to work?

Here's how you move the app to load the BT_Config.txt file from DropBox instead of BT servers: * In DropBox, right-click on the file, and select DropBox...Copy Public Link (this assumes you are using Windows). * Open the control panel in BT for your app. * Click on the Manage Core Properties link. * Click on the Configuration Data URL section. * Replace the URL that is there by default...the one that points to the BT servers...with the link you got from Step 1. You can just highlight the old link, and paste over the new one. * Click Save, and now your app is pointing to the BT_Config.txt folder on DropBox instead of the one at BT. That eliminates the BT servers! Thanks, Mark

@GoNorthWest: do you know if it is possible to take the quiz and also maps offline? or at least move whatever files need to be moved to your own server or dropbox? Thanks Alejandra

@GoNorthWest : do you know how to do this on a mac? thanks

Oh, problem. My app actually runs v1.4. Any idea what to do using v1.4?

Question, will Buzztouch still show the usage map if the app is served on a remote site?

@shak77 - This only works on v1.5...v1.4 is tied to the BT servers with no way around it. It shows you as an early adopter, so you might want to rebuild your app with v1.5. As far as getting the link for the file on a Mac, I'm not entirely sure. Just play around with clicking. You can also go to dropbox.com, select the file there, and get the public link. Experiment! @Alejandra - All the quiz questions and map points are contained in the BT_Config.txt file...so, yep, you can take it all offline! That's assuming you're using v1.5. @Dkeller - Yes, it will still show the usage map, assuming you leave the Report to Cloud URL untouched. You can also point that to a personal server, and collect the stats with your own database. Read the documentation on it...the sky's the limit!

Thanks a lot GoNorthWest

Thanks GoNorthWest! Just moved my BT_Config.txt to DropBox, simple as pie! BTW, for Mac users, just right click on the config file, go to DropBox and select Copy Public Link Thanks! -Dan

Those that have been around awhile realize that we do struggle with SPEED sometimes. It's amazing how much it fluctuates. This morning it was really really bad. Tonight...kickin' some butt! The issue is related to how much load the backend gets and how we literally work full-time trying to tune the backend to stay fast. It's not possible for us to throw a million-dollar data center together to support tens of thousands of apps. Most of the audience understands. Some don't. We get it. We are proud of the service level on most days, all things considered. The backend troubles have caused a serious slow-down in other development areas too, like Android v1.5 - major behind! We have been working hard on it and also on buzztouch Server but get pulled off the fun stuff everytime smoke starts pouring out of web servers, database servers, mail servers, and other equipment. BT server is a package you deploy on your website so you can have all the goodness without having to use DropBox or another online location for your app's config data. We hope to have a free version and a licensed version. DropBox and other onlne storage works good but you lose the super-awesome' content management features. So...look for BT server and get yourself all setup with a low-cost backend to support your few dozen apps and your client apps and you'll be well on your way. Lastly, did I mention that I HATE server logs!

GoNW and Dave, Interesting... I usually set up my apps so the config.txt file is within the app itself so its completely standalone and doesn't depend on any server, Buzztouch or mine, ensuring it's as fast as possible. If I have new content then I send an update to iTunes. However I really miss the usage map. Is it possible to have data flow in just one direction? In other words, can I set up the config.txt file so the app will send user data (GPS coords) back to buzztouch (or other server) for the usage map but not look for an updated config.txt file and thereby slowing down the app?

@David: as you probably know a lot of us are very excited about the BT server. Someone mentioned this could be happening in november. Is this correct? Also will the BT server run in a shared hosting like Media Temple or does it require a dedicated server? Thanks Alejandra

Oh, I have one more question for David. Once you signed up for the licensed version, will you be able to por your apps over or they will need to be recreated in your own BT server? Thanks Alejandra

@David, I'm very new here but amazed of what you guys have done and continue to do! I can't even imagine all the strings that need to be pulled behind the scene to make all of this work! I continue to ask my self, 'how in the world do they get paid'... Anyway, I am very exited about the changes I keep reading about. @mutzy, my app needs to be constantly updated while its still in the building face (so I can test it, duh) BUT once done, I like the idea of having it 'standalone' as you say. I'm not finding a thread via search explaining how, could you point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance!!! EDIT: Found it, thanks! BTW, this community rocks from what I have seen so far. Thanks! -Dan

amazing!!!

Respoding to some questions here: @Alejandra: Shared hosting: buzztouch Server runs on a LAMP stack. Linux, Apache, MySQP, PHP. Exactly the same setup as a typical WordPress blog. Shared hosting accounts offer everything needed to run such a setup. The performance of the backend will depend on how your shared environment is setup. Memory, bandwidth throughput, etc. It's all related. In most circumstances a low-cost shared approach should work fine. We've done lots of testing and optimizing for exactly this type of backend. 99% of folks should be fine building and running literally hundreds and hundreds of apps without much trouble. The trouble and additional resources are not related to how many apps you create but instead how BUSY each individual app could get. Example: A few hundred low volume apps with a few thousand installs is not a big deal for even the most basic setup. But, giving acccess to your control panel to thousands of 'employees' that each create a few dozens apps, some of which 'go viral' is another matter altogether. You get the idea. Wildly popular apps are not going to perform well with a budget backend. Migrating existing apps: We've talked about this lots in the past and the question is always the same. One click copy apps, upload configt.txt to create an app, shared apps, re-purpose apps, etc. These are all the same question. For sure the buzztouch Server package will support this at some point...not sure about the first release but trying. There's far more involved than most folks realize when it comes time to 'copy' an app ;-) @Koppenhofer: Glad you're stoked. Happy to have you aboard. 'How we get paid' Frankly, we don't much! LOL. We've spent several years learning, improving, watching and listening. We are close to having a very impressive solution (our opinion) figured out to the point where we think hundreds of thousans of developers and aspiring developers will have ZERO reason to use any another approach. You're going to freak-out when you see buzztouch Server, it's SO MUCH BETTER than the existing implemntation you see at buzztouch.com in so many ways. Because of the tremendous amount of work invovled in keeping all the balls-in-the-air and the development effort alive on 5 different fronts (Objecitve C programming, Java programming, Forum posts, system admining, apache + mySQL triage literally every day) it's been nearly impossible to worry about making money up to this point. We will at some point, just not today. We have been blessed with the luxury of not having to charge for our service to this point. We feel very very strongly about the fact that the more than 50,000 users that have helped us so far have provided us FAR MORE than we have provided them. Really, the support has been amazing and we are genuinely thankful for that. And, we are convinced that 50,000 will turn into 500,000 given time enough. It's a matter of balancing all the competing interests of our audience (you), YOUR audience, us, and all the other important folks that have a hand in mobile software development. Apple and Google included. We'll get some paid products available eventually.. in the meantime...get you're mobile programming skills honed up, you'll need them for years to come. night.

Thanks a lot David It's been terrific to come across BuzzTouch!!!

@ David @ buzztouch - great attitude!

@David: what is buzztouch service/what does it do?

@ Shakerite: This may help? http://www.buzztouch.com/BT-server/