title: Drupal 7 is unnaceptably slow
body: <p>Top post update: "unacceptably slow means between 2 and 10 seconds to load the front page on a site with 12 beta testers, only one lgged in and no more than 20 articles posted, after applying the most popular "speed it up" fixes).</p>
  
  <p>I am a newcomer to Drupal (although I have been a professional software developer for 30 years).</p>
  
  <p>I am just setting up my first site, so am not committed yet and could switch.</p>
  
  <p>Like many others on this forum and elsewhere, I find Drupal 7 to be unacceptably slow (which is a pity, because of the great features, but I guess that's what causes the slow load time).</p>
  
  <p>I have done the research, google around, read blogs and forums and have tried all of the commonly suggested solutions, but to no avail.</p>
  
  <p>I am currently polling my dozen or so beta testers on where the site is acceptable or just too darn slow, but that is just a formality.</p>
  
  <p>So, can you please help? If I can't use Drupal 7 then what can I use?</p>
  
  <p>The obvious answer might be Drupal 6 but sooner or later that will no longer be developed or supported. </p>
  
  <p>Is there another CMS for my needs?  I want to have a community site. That means, at a minimum, Forums, Polls, Groups, hopefully a wiki, individual blogs would be nice, maybe photo galleries, though that is less important, chat rooms would be good.</p>
  
  <p>Just your general "bunch of folk with similar interests, although some of them have sub-interests &amp; cliques" site.</p>
  
  <p>I tried CMS matrix, but - surprisingly - didn't find anything. I am googling, but would prefer some feedback from someone with personal experience.</p>
  
  <p>Again, I do not mean to slight Drupal 7, just to say that it's not for me &hellip; don't <s>taze</s> down-vote me, bro :-)</p>