Hi guys this problem exists on all my machines...
Windows 8.1, Ubuntu, iMac and this MBP.
All use fireFox, latest current version.
If I log in there is NOT a problem.
I usually enter this site as an outsider and I have noticed that there is some rouge code and/or advert that slows the machines down to almost stop.
I thought it was malware but it occurs only from this site.
I would have expected any malware to affect facebook and other memory/disk hungry apps but everything works as it should.
Before sending this I tried my mum's Windows Vista, running current FireFox, machine, today 21st July 2016, 12:15pm UK local time, and it is still present...
To me it looks like video style advert overload and even with mum's BT-Infinity broadband the machine is unable to cope after several clicks onto different questions.
Remember that most people that need WWW unix searches get steered to here often and if this situation is affecting me it will affect them too.
I'm not an admin on this site but I'll answer anyway (especially as you're in the UK, the same environment as me).
We all know that if you log in that you get no ads so it will be quicker. However, without logging in performance should still be acceptable.
I think you need to investigate and look for a common problem amongst your systems.
Does it make a difference if you switch off your AV? Which AV do you use?
I had a major performance issue sometime ago which turned out to be caused by end point protection software (IBM Trusteer Rapport) recommended by my bank for online banking. I had not updated the package for some considerable time and I found that switching it off made one hell of a difference. I contacted Rapport support and they sent me a link and told me to install from there. That fixed it.
Also, what about any anti-spyware you use? Try it with that switched off too.
For whatever reason (search Google for this one) I've had Chrome slug my machine even though I don't use it much. Uninstalling that fixed a load of issues.
Do you have any software running on your web gateway/router that would affect all your machines?
My money is on that perhaps you have some protection software running which, when video ads are downloading, asks "what the hell is that?" and uses all your CPU cycles to try and find out.
Yeah, I visit the site all the time without logging in. The ads are set up to load synchronously (independently) from the site content. therefore ads should not effect site load time, and that is my experience.
However, third-party ads might contain flash or video or something that your browser is filtering, and this can cause your machine (browser) to behave strangely.
Like I mentioned, I look at the site every day with and without ads and never see a problem; but I don't run any "filters" or "ad blockers" etc. and I mostly only use Chrome now as FF with all those extensions and plugins just slow down everything.
However, if there is any ad which anyone finds is a problem (or offensive), please take a screenshot (or try to find out the ad source and advertiser and we will try to block it).