Forum barely useable due to rate limiting

Bebef · 01-19-2026, 04:13 AM

Hi folks,

this very forum is almost unusable. On almost ANY action that you could do, and I do mean A-N-Y, I get "This action is temporarily rate limited. Please retry in a few seconds."

Post? Rate limit
Open Thread from notification mail link? Rate limit
Search? Rate limit
Click the "New reply" button? Rate limit

I could go on and on, but I'm not sure that would be helpful.

Of course, if I retry "in a few seconds" I hit - big surprise - the rate limit.

So, I'm sitting here, clicking "Post Quick Reply" on that other thread, hoping that eventually the rate limiting would allow me to actually send my post.

This is not what I would expect using a forum be like.

So, just to give you an idea on what a great experience this is, I will let you take part!

I will note every single time I tried to post this very post below. Let's see how long it takes...

1st. try 8:13 (all times UTC)

Bebef · 01-19-2026, 04:21 AM

That was ... unexpected. I have been trying to send another reply to another thread for the past 15 minutes now or so.

It seems that initial posting is not rate limited but everything else is?

Let's see how long my reply will take this time.

1st try - 8:15
2nd try - 8:16
3rd try - 8:17
4th try - 8:21

Oh, and please don't expect answers in a timely fashion - or even at all. I might give up out of frustration. Not, that I particularly like that, but I have other things to do than sitting in front of a website, clicking "Submit" every now and then, hoping that it would eventually work.

Sirtel · 01-19-2026, 05:05 AM

You're the first person I've seen complaining about this (and I've never experienced it myself either). Maybe one of the mods can shed a light on your issue?

Bebef · 01-19-2026, 06:23 AM

Just took me about 50 minutes to get another reply sent in another thread. I even got logged out by the forum due to being idle. I just got no authentication error, it's always the rate limiting error.

By the way, from my experience, "a few seconds" must be something >>300. Not exactly "a few" in my book.

By the way, I have this behaviour in ANY browser over ANY connection (Firefox, Chrome, Edge via DSL, Office, Mobile). I also have tested with all extensions etc. disabled. No change.

1st attempt - 8:52
2nd attempt - 8:57
3rd attempt - 8:57
4th attempt - 8:58
5th attempt - 9:00
6th attempt - 9:06
7th attempt - 9:11
8th attempt - 9:12
9th attempt - 9:15
10th attempt - 9:20
11th attempt - 9:24
12th attempt - 9:31
13th attempt - 9:40
14th attempt - 9:42
15th attempt - 9:49
16th attempt - 9:57
17th attempt - 10:04
18th attempt - 10:10
19th attempt - 10:17
20th attempt - 10:20
21st attempt - 10:23

This is no fun

JSWolf · 01-19-2026, 06:25 AM

The problem is that the server was overloaded with either bots and/or a DDOS.

Sirtel · 01-19-2026, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The problem is that the server was overloaded with either bots and/or a DDOS.

When? I haven't seen any overloading recently.

JSWolf · 01-19-2026, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

When? I haven't seen any overloading recently.

Here's a recent thread reporting a problem.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=371642

Sirtel · 01-19-2026, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Here's a recent thread reporting a problem.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=371642

That was several days ago.

Kieran Seymour · 01-19-2026, 08:48 AM

It's happening right now.

I tried to quote a post, got an error, and then got another error while trying to say I'd got an error.

'Unusable' isn't an inappropriate word to be using, IMO. It's been going on for weeks.

(4th attempt at posting this message)

JSWolf · 01-19-2026, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

That was several days ago.

What it shows is that the forum can be slowed down with bots and/or DDOS at any time.

Sirtel · 01-19-2026, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What it shows is that the forum can be slowed down with bots and/or DDOS at any time.

But wouldn't most forum users experience it, then?

Sirtel · 01-19-2026, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kieran Seymour

It's happening right now.

I tried to quote a post, got an error, and then got another error while trying to say I'd got an error.

'Unusable' isn't an inappropriate word to be using, IMO. It's been going on for weeks.

(4th attempt at posting this message)

That's strange. Not happening here.

JSWolf · 01-19-2026, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

But wouldn't most forum users experience it, then?

Not always. It can depend upon where you are and where the horde is coming from.

j.p.s · 01-19-2026, 01:00 PM

I've been experiencing unresponsiveness on mobileread from time to time the past several days.

DiapDealer · 01-19-2026, 01:02 PM

First I've heard of anyone being "rate limited" by Mobileread.

The typical ddos attacks usually affect everyone. That's sort of the point.

01-19-2026, 04:13 AM	#1
Bebef Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2026 Device: Kindle PW3 (2015)	Forum barely useable due to rate limiting Hi folks, this very forum is almost unusable. On almost ANY action that you could do, and I do mean A-N-Y, I get "This action is temporarily rate limited. Please retry in a few seconds." Post? Rate limit Open Thread from notification mail link? Rate limit Search? Rate limit Click the "New reply" button? Rate limit I could go on and on, but I'm not sure that would be helpful. Of course, if I retry "in a few seconds" I hit - big surprise - the rate limit. So, I'm sitting here, clicking "Post Quick Reply" on that other thread, hoping that eventually the rate limiting would allow me to actually send my post. This is not what I would expect using a forum be like. So, just to give you an idea on what a great experience this is, I will let you take part! I will note every single time I tried to post this very post below. Let's see how long it takes... 1st. try 8:13 (all times UTC)

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01-19-2026, 04:21 AM	#2
Bebef Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2026 Device: Kindle PW3 (2015)	That was ... unexpected. I have been trying to send another reply to another thread for the past 15 minutes now or so. It seems that initial posting is not rate limited but everything else is? Let's see how long my reply will take this time. 1st try - 8:15 2nd try - 8:16 3rd try - 8:17 4th try - 8:21 Oh, and please don't expect answers in a timely fashion - or even at all. I might give up out of frustration. Not, that I particularly like that, but I have other things to do than sitting in front of a website, clicking "Submit" every now and then, hoping that it would eventually work.

01-19-2026, 05:05 AM	#3
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 14,774 Karma: 245110941 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	You're the first person I've seen complaining about this (and I've never experienced it myself either). Maybe one of the mods can shed a light on your issue?

01-19-2026, 06:23 AM	#4
Bebef Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2026 Device: Kindle PW3 (2015)	Just took me about 50 minutes to get another reply sent in another thread. I even got logged out by the forum due to being idle. I just got no authentication error, it's always the rate limiting error. By the way, from my experience, "a few seconds" must be something >>300. Not exactly "a few" in my book. By the way, I have this behaviour in ANY browser over ANY connection (Firefox, Chrome, Edge via DSL, Office, Mobile). I also have tested with all extensions etc. disabled. No change. 1st attempt - 8:52 2nd attempt - 8:57 3rd attempt - 8:57 4th attempt - 8:58 5th attempt - 9:00 6th attempt - 9:06 7th attempt - 9:11 8th attempt - 9:12 9th attempt - 9:15 10th attempt - 9:20 11th attempt - 9:24 12th attempt - 9:31 13th attempt - 9:40 14th attempt - 9:42 15th attempt - 9:49 16th attempt - 9:57 17th attempt - 10:04 18th attempt - 10:10 19th attempt - 10:17 20th attempt - 10:20 21st attempt - 10:23 This is no fun

01-19-2026, 06:25 AM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 82,242 Karma: 150871427 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The problem is that the server was overloaded with either bots and/or a DDOS.

01-19-2026, 08:48 AM	#9
Kieran Seymour Addict Posts: 350 Karma: 13222137 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK Device: Kobo Touch	It's happening right now. I tried to quote a post, got an error, and then got another error while trying to say I'd got an error. 'Unusable' isn't an inappropriate word to be using, IMO. It's been going on for weeks. (4th attempt at posting this message)

01-19-2026, 01:00 PM	#14
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,953 Karma: 106544915 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	I've been experiencing unresponsiveness on mobileread from time to time the past several days.

01-19-2026, 01:02 PM	#15
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 29,149 Karma: 211348980 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	First I've heard of anyone being "rate limited" by Mobileread. The typical ddos attacks usually affect everyone. That's sort of the point.