Tickets -- multiple browser tab warning?

[frostypaw]

I know what your saying,, but awfully tempting to open a few too many tabs!

[phillyfaddle]

It really is. I often end up with two, in the panic it's nice to have another one ready to refresh when you get impatient with the first one so you don't click refresh on the first too early and screw it up.

But almost every time when one tab has gone through the other follows, it's no actual use other than giving me something to do lol

[alframsey]

I am so nervous this year :/ Have a horrible feeling I won't get one...

[phillyfaddle]

Think positive. You've got as much chance as anyone else - apart from me (joke!)

[alframsey]

Think positive. You've got as much chance as anyone else - apart from me (joke!)

[eFestivals]

They're the same thing. Pages that share a window are called tabs.

I'm not sure they are.

It's definitely the case that multiple tabs within one window share the same server session (and so gives you no advantage).

I believe it's the case that multiple windows of the same web-browser creates a different server session for each window - and so will (on its own) give you extra chances of getting the buy page.

(However, it might be the case that See's overall system looks for this happening, and might have something to counteract that advantage - I'm not sure what the possibilities are))

It's how the browser software is designed that decides whether multiple tabs &/or multiple windows are one session or not. There's no particular reason to design it one way rather than the other.

[matt_berr]

different browsers (I.e. chrome, firefox, ie) will each try to create their own connection

multiple connections from the same browser be it tabs or windows will refresh the same connection

There is a slight advantage of doing a rolling refresh of several browsers using a single window or tab on each, do this on several pc's on several IP's and you increase your chance further

[Pinhead]

Based on the information about their use of the Stingray Traffic Manager it might be helpful to differentiate your client connections as much as possible, so I will go for the multiple browser processes approach and use a Chrome, IE, Firefox etc. spread bet.

[LondonTom]

Each different browser could start a new session - but is no different to pressing refresh more often.

Just refresh the same window more.

[parsonjack]

A private tab (aka porn mode) in each should also in theory setup another server connection I think (Not sure about Multiple private windows, if they share the same connection though).

[LondonTom]

true...but private browsing would likely prevent you from hitting the back button to reload (and then resubmit) a buy page as web form history is not recorded....at least in Firefox.

[purpletoes]

Hi peeps. I've got a Mac OSX 10.5.8, Chrome and Firefox are no longer supported. Are there any other browsers I can download?

[frostypaw]

*heart* the freedom of macs hehe

[parsonjack]

Of course there is still the question of why See have issued this warning......I'm surprised they care enough to give out advice on best practice for ticket grabbing - it's not like there's any question of it selling out - and sessions being lost as a result are only a problem to ticket buyers and not to See themselves.

Could it be a bit of bluff as an attempt to reduce load and increase resilience/integrity of See's systems? Certainly we are pretty sure that multiple tabs don't give you any advantage for the reasons discussed - but why would See choose to cascade that advice?

[parsonjack]

Of course there is still the question of why See have chosen to issue this warning at all. I'd be very surprised if they care enough to dispense best practice advice on ticket grabbing - it's not like there is any risk of it selling out - and lost sessions are only an issue to buyers and not to See itself.

Could it be a bit of a bluff with See hoping it will reduce load and therefore increase resilience/integrity of what we know are pretty flaky end systems. Certainly we know pretty much from discussion here that multiple tabs don't give any advantage - but why would See care to let people know?

[Brave Sir Robin]

Sorry, parsonjack, missed that, could you repeat it please?

[frostypaw]

Fairly obvious - fewer pointless requests = less chance of it crashing

[parsonjack]

Fairly obvious - fewer pointless requests = less chance of it crashing

[eFestivals]

sounds obvious yes....but have they merely made it up for that reason, or is it genuine advice.

it's genuine advice.

It stops users wasting their time doing something which gives them no advantage, reduces the load on the servers (and so issues from that to users), lessens the chance of order cock-ups within See's order system, and should help ensure that users get the "order completed page" (when if they don't, they try to order again or bug See by telephone).

It's to everyone's advantge to follow that advice. Why wouldn't they want to pass it on?

[eFestivals]

I know this may be a really stupid question, but if I come in to work and use lots of different PCs in the same office, does that mean they have different IP addresses, or because it's a work office on the same server, will they all have the same IP address? (If you hadn't guessed, I don't really know what an IP address is).

It all depends on how your work systems have been set-up.

IP addresses are the unique addresses for computers, etc, on the internet. However, there's also some reserved IP addresses which don't work on the internet, and are instead used for internal networks (such as an office network). Internal networks almost everywhere use these reserved IP addresses, and so the use of them is not unique.

When computers using those reserved IP addresses want to access something on the internet, they have to go thru a 'gateway' onto the internet which does have a unique IP address; all of the computers which access the 'net via that 'gateway' will be seen at an internet webserver as having the IP address of that gateway.

Most offices are set-up in this way, but sometimes (not often) the PCs in offices are directly connected to the internet.

[HoTWire]

I believe it's the case that multiple windows of the same web-browser creates a different server session for each window - and so will (on its own) give you extra chances of getting the buy page.

[eFestivals]

Edit: Just thought do you mean that the gateway is shared by all offices who use this system or that each office would have its own unique gateway. I don't want to be sharing with anyone who's trying from work. (As I've typed that I realise how stupid that sounds so think I've answered myself).

each office would have its own unique gateway.

So yes, if someone else at work is also trying for Glastonbury tickets, then it's likely you'd both be sharing the same IP address (as far as See is concerned).

I wouldn't worry too much about shared use of IP addresses because it happens a fair bit, and so it would be stupid to design any system to take too much notice of traffic from one address unless that traffic load is truly exceptional. I doubt any shared use will weigh against your success chances within See's systems, or if it does I doubt that weighting will be much.

So anyway ... you might as well stay at home and use the same connection as your missus.

(On my home broadband connection I've actually got 6 unique IP addresses all to myself if I want to use them [i rent them as part of my broadband package] .... but I won't bother using anything but the default one. i really don't think it's worth the bother).

[eFestivals]

A proper Queue system would be great and with some Ajax jiggery pokery they might be able to get a system that works pretty well, but at some level it would be open to abuse.

I've had fairly limited experience of using server sessions, but unless i'm misunderstanding something (and it wouldn't be the first time ) a proper queuing system is a breeze to set-up, and I can't see how an ajax driven system would be open to abuse*.

(* nothing more than the sort of standard security holes that get found in software from time to time).

I'm guessing that the reason they've not done it so far is that the hard part with a queuing system would integrating that queue into their existing sales systems, rather than any particular difficulties in creating that queue from a user's first click.

edit: also, there'd be increased server overheads around the queuing system, which is sort-of self-defeating when you're trying to have a process run smoothly.

Edited September 26, 2013 by eFestivals

[Imkindofabigdealaroundhere]

Does anyone have experience using a Tor browser for tickets and whether that increases/decreases chances?

[eFestivals]

Does anyone have experience using a Tor browser for tickets and whether that increases/decreases chances?

I've not tried doing it, but it seems very likely that any advantages would be outweighed by the slow speed of getting pages thru Tor, plus someone metioned earlier that it puts your credit card details at risk.