[Sw-l] SignPuddle Server Upgrade: Planned Downtime on June 29

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
June 23, 2025

THANK YOU, Steve, for finding a solution to the problem of our old Legacy Server, that hosts SignPuddle 2. I know all SignWriting users depend on the SignPuddle 2 database to search for the signs we have written and saved there since 2004 (for 21 years), and to provide us the possibility of publishing dictionaries and books written in SignWriting in vertical columns. SignPuddle 2 is also the underlying source for several outside online databases, that are accessing SignPuddle 2 on a regular basis behind the scenes, which draws energy from the old server, and slows SignPuddle 2 down for other users. So if you are a SignPuddle 2 user, you and all of us should feel grateful to Steve, who is donating his time on the weekends, to keep the server running. If Steve did not do this work, SignPuddle 2 would have to close. We do not want that to happen. So I guess you could say that we are “victims of our own success”! SignPuddle 2 is used daily by so many countries, stimulating new books on SignWriting around the world. The non-profit organization that used to fund SignPuddle 2, closed its doors in 2020, and Steve is now working fulltime elsewhere to make a living, and trying to keep SignPuddle 2 alive on the weekends! So if you want your data saved on SIgnPuddle 2, and you want to be able to access it quickly and easily, then please donate to help pay the doubling in server costs. I already donate monthly to keep the server going, but I am retired and I am using up my old-age savings, so your donations will make this upgrade possible. It is to your benefit and the world’s benefit. Thank you for your help!

Val ;-)

Valerie Sutton
sutton at signwriting.org
SignWriting.org

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___________________

> On Jun 23, 2025, at 8:52 AM, Steve Slevinski <slevin at signpuddle.net> wrote:
> 
> Dear SignPuddle Community,
> 
> I hope this message finds you well.
> 
> I want to update you on the SignPuddle server. Over the past few months, the SignWriting legacy server has been under strain, maxing out its CPU and memory, slowing down, and occasionally crashing. These resource limits are the root cause, and despite optimization efforts, the current system can’t keep up with our community’s needs.
> 
> To address this, I’m upgrading the virtual server on Sunday, June 29, increasing both the CPU cores and memory. This should make SignPuddle faster and more stable, reducing slowdowns and crashes. SignPuddle will be unavailable from 8 AM to noon Iowa time (CDT, UTC-5) on June 29 while I perform the upgrade. I’ll be prepping the server on Saturday, June 28, to ensure a smooth transition.
> 
> The upgrade will double server costs, but it’s critical to keep SignPuddle reliable for its over 1 million signs written across dozens of sign languages. The platform is funded through my Patreon campaign and donations, with your contributions making a big difference. If you value SignPuddle and can help, please consider:
>     • One-time or monthly donations: https://donate.sutton-signwriting.io
>     • Monthly support: https://patreon.com/signwriting
> 
> Every contribution helps keep SignPuddle free and accessible. Your passion for SignWriting and active participation drive its success—please share your questions or ideas!
> 
> Thank you for being part of the SignWriting community.
> 
> Warm regards,
> -Steve
> 
> https://steveslevinski.me
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