FAQ updates?
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:31 pm
Just thought I'd throw up a few possible additions to the FAQ, as I'm seeing them asked quite a bit here - I was going to add a few others (such as "why is my character out of date/missing?" 
) but I see they are already in the FAQ. Maybe making it a little more prominent and linking to it on the forums could be a help though, as it seems some people miss it, or don't understand it.
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Why do my uploads show as "UNPROCESSED"?
There are two possible reasons for this: firstly, check the date of the last processed file, shown at http://www.warcraftrealms.com/dbstats.php. If it's earlier then the date of your submission, the server simply hasn't reached your file yet. Ideally it should only take up to 24 hours for a file to be processed, however this isn't always the case, as the sheer number of uploaded files is sometimes more than the database can keep up with.
If the latest file updated is after the date of your file, however, then there is a further problem. Make sure that you have uploaded the correct file (you should be uploading the Censusplus.lua file from your SavedVariables directory, not from the Censusplus addon folder), and also make sure you are using the latest version of the mod, as it will not accept uploads from outdated versions. Also check your filesize; if you get over around 20MB it also won't process, so you may need to purge your data if the file gets too large.
Server X only has 10 people on Horde side! That can't be right, can it?
No, it most definitely is not right, but it's not WarcraftRealms' fault, either! If you go to that server's page, it will most likely tell you there have been very few submissions in the last 30 days, and as only data from the last 30 days is included in most stats, that is the reason for the seemingly non-existant population. WarcraftRealms relies on submissions from players to keep information accurate, so where those submissions do not exist, sadly the accuracy is also lost.
If you want to help out and make results for such servers more accurate, please do make an alt character on those affected servers and run the Censusplus mod there occasionally. Even running one server a couple of times a week (perhaps while you are eating or something similar) will help. There are many servers struggling with low submissions, so the smallest contribution will make a difference.
I'm seeing posters on the forum with over 1 million updates listed, how do they do it?
Basically by running a lot of censuses! Most of the high-update censusers have alts on several servers, usually ones with low numbers of submissions taken from the "Most Wanted" list, and census them regularly. Some leave WoW running in the background with a census running whilst tabbed out doing other things on the computer, and just tab back to change server every now and then.
What's all this talk about "tickets"?
Every month, WarcraftRealms runs a prize draw, and every member receives one ticket for every 1000 updates they have submitted to the site. The draw is made from all the ticket numbers awarded, and the winners must contact Rollie to claim their prize - for more details see http://www.warcraftrealms.com/drawings.php.
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Anyone got any others to add?
) but I see they are already in the FAQ. Maybe making it a little more prominent and linking to it on the forums could be a help though, as it seems some people miss it, or don't understand it.---------
Why do my uploads show as "UNPROCESSED"?
There are two possible reasons for this: firstly, check the date of the last processed file, shown at http://www.warcraftrealms.com/dbstats.php. If it's earlier then the date of your submission, the server simply hasn't reached your file yet. Ideally it should only take up to 24 hours for a file to be processed, however this isn't always the case, as the sheer number of uploaded files is sometimes more than the database can keep up with.
If the latest file updated is after the date of your file, however, then there is a further problem. Make sure that you have uploaded the correct file (you should be uploading the Censusplus.lua file from your SavedVariables directory, not from the Censusplus addon folder), and also make sure you are using the latest version of the mod, as it will not accept uploads from outdated versions. Also check your filesize; if you get over around 20MB it also won't process, so you may need to purge your data if the file gets too large.
Server X only has 10 people on Horde side! That can't be right, can it?
No, it most definitely is not right, but it's not WarcraftRealms' fault, either! If you go to that server's page, it will most likely tell you there have been very few submissions in the last 30 days, and as only data from the last 30 days is included in most stats, that is the reason for the seemingly non-existant population. WarcraftRealms relies on submissions from players to keep information accurate, so where those submissions do not exist, sadly the accuracy is also lost.
If you want to help out and make results for such servers more accurate, please do make an alt character on those affected servers and run the Censusplus mod there occasionally. Even running one server a couple of times a week (perhaps while you are eating or something similar) will help. There are many servers struggling with low submissions, so the smallest contribution will make a difference.
I'm seeing posters on the forum with over 1 million updates listed, how do they do it?
Basically by running a lot of censuses! Most of the high-update censusers have alts on several servers, usually ones with low numbers of submissions taken from the "Most Wanted" list, and census them regularly. Some leave WoW running in the background with a census running whilst tabbed out doing other things on the computer, and just tab back to change server every now and then.
What's all this talk about "tickets"?
Every month, WarcraftRealms runs a prize draw, and every member receives one ticket for every 1000 updates they have submitted to the site. The draw is made from all the ticket numbers awarded, and the winners must contact Rollie to claim their prize - for more details see http://www.warcraftrealms.com/drawings.php.
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Anyone got any others to add?
Hope it'll be some use anyway! 
I'll post it when I can though! Could be a rather cool feature for Rollie to add to mysigspace for premium accounts if he's got time btw - I don't think it'd give too much extra server load, given that it already hosts the images anyway