>If i recall correctly(IIRC) the bulk of the server space was
>taken up by attachments. Perhaps these should have a
>priority of being archived first and foremost(or just take
>down most of the "I Was An Artist" forum.)

Attachments are stored on disk in files, not directly in the database.

Hence the attachments and photos that people are using are not the cause of the database slowdown.

However, they do count towards me exceeding the recommended disk space for my hosting account (1GB).

Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and buy a dedicated server. I have been doing a little bit of research on this, including the prices, and I think I could get by with something which only cost about 50-60% more per month than my current setup (although it would mean there would be a painful transition period as I move everything to the new hosting company). It would allow me to restore the old posts, as well as do drastic improvements on the speed and usability of the site.

Any comments on this idea (the big downside being that a) it would cost me more, b) I would have to spend significant time to move everything over, c) some things may be "in transition" for a while).

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E> (webmaster@teenagewildlife.com)