I downloaded Mozilla Firefox and started using that instead of IE just for CC. NO MORE CLICKING SOUNDS!!! And the pages load a lot faster. Don't know why there is such a difference, but it's much better!! (Someone posted about doing this, but I don't remember who or the thread..sorry ) There is a HUGE speed difference when looking through the gallery too! JUST FYI

The best time for me to log on is at night from home so I can relax and it's nearly impossible.

I've been spending way too much time on here during the day lately and I need to get things done. lol

My bad.

But, if it comes down to being frustrated at night not being able to get on or neglecting my business.

Weeeelll, then I guess I won't be around as much. I need to bake massive amounts of cupcakes and I need to do it now, lol

Mozilla is better for virus reasons as well. We also get a lot less pop up adds with Mozilla than explorer. It much less frustrating!
Jen...

I hate to say this cause I LOVE CAKE CENTRAL but are there any other cake sites out there for when we can't get into Cake Central. I needed a icing recipe this weekend & couldn't get in.

I have tried firefox and still nothing. I'm just being patient that they will work things out. I love CC.

If you find one, let me know. I didn't like b a k i n g 9 1 1. I was close to paying a premium membership over there yesterday, but I just can't bring myself to it. I hate the layout over there (too cluttered/too messy/so not layed out in an organized fashion) and feel too loyal to CC (even tho I'm so new here). If anything, I would rather CC charge for membership and me pay them so they can have the money to support the website and keep it up and running without interruptions. However, I can't bring myself to paying for something that is always down. That's one of the reasons why I am so hesitant in donating. I see all these people who have donated, yet the downtime doesn't seem to have been diminished.

I pay a premium membership at Recipezaar and love it. For premium membership, one of the things I love is you don't see all the annoying ads and pop-ups. They are rarely down and I love their site. I've been with them for 6 or 7 years and don't recall any interruptions. I love CC just as much, but the downtime is really getting to be annoying....did I say I'm addicted . Maybe CC can have a free site for those who don't want "perks" like no adds, bigger pictures, etc. and people who want no ads, etc. can pay a yearly premium. I know I'd be the first to sign up providing the downtime was minimal.

Anyway, just wanted to vent. I love this site and will keep coming back, but I need something while the site is down, which seems more and more lately.

Trixy,
I was just thnking the same thing. A premium site for those of us willing to pay for better service and no ads. I'm in!

I have firefox...still get the clicking and still can't get on after noon, or all night.

Would it make a difference to everything if we paid. I am a bit daft when it comes to computers and i thought it was the amount of people and information on this site that had made it slow . No really, you can stop laughing now lol

If even 1/2 of the people who frequent this site had to pay a membership fee Heath and Jackie could afford MUCH better servers and hosting options. It's all in your technology.

I think having a free forum to discuss basics and then the rest of it (especially the business aspects of cake decorating) be available if you pay would be a great idea. Or offer a 30 day free trial to new members and then you can decide if CC is something you want to invest in. That way the site will more than pay for itself. Honestly.. one could stand to make a sweet profit from a site like this and it would be greatly improved.

But they have made it clear that they don't want CC to be a pay site. I think it's grown too big for it's free britches though. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with the above poster! I asked a question yesterday and tried all day to get on and couldn't, very frustrating, which I know has to be frustrating to the owners as well.

I think its time to take away the free and put on some sort of membership.

Keep the advertisements of course like Cake Boss, Global Sugar Art and such, but let members pay to get on this site. Then we can get better servers (lol, I guess, because I know nothing of the behind the scenes kind of thing).

I have learned to much on this message board and really look forward to coming to it everyday....I miss it when its not available!

Has any one heard from Jackie or Heath? Are they ok? I am sure they are aware of what's going on and are working on fixing it. I hope all is ok with them.

I have been wondering the same about Jackie and Heath, hope everything is ok with them. Has anyone heard anything from them at all?

I'll admit as well that this is very stressful sometimes. Mornings are the only time I can get in here and then it only lasts for a short time. I end up printing everything I need because I have no idea when I'll be able to get back in here again. Hopefully the kinks will get worked out soon!

I needed an icing recipe yesterday and couldn't get in. I was so annoyed. Half of the time, I can't look at pictures b/c it takes forever for them to load. They never end up loading and just time out. I have high speed so it isn't my computer.

PLEASE PLEASE, I rely on cake central so much and I would love for this to be a paying site. Charge everyone to be a member. I am more than willing to pay some money so that I can use this site without any problems.

My point is if they charged for the site, then yes, they could pay professionals to manage the site full-time. All the banners, sponsors, etc. slow the site down. They would not need all of extras on this site if they had more money to run the site. And you are incorrect, more money would mean more servers and better quality servers, better operating systems, etc. So yes, "throwing" more money would and could fix many problems.

In any shape or form, I love cake central.

Ok, the last couple post make me a little upset. Yes we're all frustrated, but it happens.

But to say they need to "pay professionals" hasn't anyone been reading what Jackie and Heath say? They ARE professionals, this is what they do as their careers. They have been paying for servers and the people running them are professionals also and are working on the problem too!!

We live in a world where everyone wants it now now now and expect everything to be fixed right now. There are some things that take awhile to be fixed. Oh and it is hard to fix something when you don't know what the problems is, which is what they have been trying to figure out, what is causing all the problems. They have already stated multiple times on multiple threads that they have fixed one thing thinking it would fix it but them something else goes wrong... it happens it is a part of life, it even happens w/your car.

Now before anyone starts going off on me, I am not directing this at anyone inparticular I just want to make sure those that think this site needs to be run by "Professionals" should know it already is being run by professionals.

In case you missed it, dragonflydreams posted Heath's response to all the site problems here: http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-581182.html
As you can see, it's not a money problem, it's not a need for better servers problem, and it's not an only-two-people-doing-this-in-their-spare-time problem. Crap happens with websites, and it just needs time to be sorted out.

Like the note at the top of the page says, hang in there!

Leily, I did not mean AT ALL that they are not professionals. But from what I do know, they do have other full time jobs that doesn't allow them to devote day and night to cakecentral. So, they could hire a STAFF (i.e. a technician) to manage the site. My post was in no way meant to demean their positions as IT professionals, but to suggest a full-time technician.

There is a big difference between programming and building a web site, and performing technical maintenance on a web site - two totally opposite fields. So while Jackie and Heath built a great web site using code and programming languages, the server crashes and other problems are a totally different area of computers that requires "technicians." I like to compare it to us knowing how to bake a cake in an oven, but not knowing how to fix the oven if it should break! This is coming from an IBM employee!


In any case, I love cake central and will continue to support it.

Leily, Lanibird...the posts made before you were posted before Heath's post to CC about what was going on.

If you read Heath's response you'll see that they do have other professional working on the issues. But unfortunately it seems they aren't doing it fast enough to suit some people. I can't believe anyone would make demands of a service that is being provided for free. I've read so many threads of decorators complaing of being taken advantage of for free cakes by family and friends yet they expect the same thing from complete stranges for a web site. Shaking my head and getting down off my soap box. Now you can start throwing stones at me.