Guide to not losing items to Clear Lag [Net]

There has been too many complaints about Clear Lag, and it bothers me that many people are not embracing this helpful tool. So here is my guide on how to keep your items safe. Also read this thread on other items that can be lost by ClearLag Regarding CLAG | Skyblock Forums

Also i will tell you now:
MODS WILL NOT REFUND ITEMS LOST TO CLEAR LAG!
This is the most important facts. Mods and the admins, main Cypriotmerks, have a difficult job. The do not appreciate the added pressure of dealing with items lost because you do not take the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of your items.

Read on to learn how to avoid clear lag related issues.

What is Clear Lag?
Clear Lag is a plugin which is designed to reduce server lag by removing items that are on the ground. Not placed blocks, but the blocks waiting to be sucked up and placed in your inventory. Ground items, unfortunately include minecarts. Clear lag is helpful for the server since many of us skyblockers use auto generators, like tree farms, and chicken egg farms and without clear lag, these items clog up the server and affect performance.

The Problem people have with Clear Lag
Much like our dear friend the "void", clear lag has now been credited with the lose of many of out valuable items. For some people they lose saplings, stone tools and minecarts. For others, they have lost rares, diamond armour and tools, diamonds themselves (by the stack) and more! Some people who are drop trading (the act of trade by using the "Q" button to give an item) end up thinking they have been scammed since the persons payment is cleaned up by clear lag before it gets to them.
People are complaining, a lot of fuss has been made on the suggestions and its coming to the point where mods are getting sick and tried of dealing with people who want refunds on items lose through clear lag.
I will now explain how you can avoid losing items to clear lag.

Regarding Mine carts
If you use mine carts, i recommend picking them up when you see the 1min warning. Under clear lag, mine carts are ground items that are removed like lose saplings. This is a bug that is most likely up to the plugin developers to fix. For now, pick them up after you are done, or at the warning. its the safest choice

Keep your items safe: How to guide
Keeping your items safe is easy to do, and it takes a little bit of changing of your current habits. According to reputable sources, Cypriotmerks and Dirty_Ninja, clear lag has always been on the server and we never realised it until we got broadcasts. On to how to keep your items safe.

1. Look out for the broadcasts:
This is relatively easy to do. If you need to cut a tree down, or drop and axe at someone, look out for the broadcast. "ground items will be removed in 1 min" is the first indication that you should not be dropping anymore items. However, if you see "(insert number here)entities have been removed" you are safe to drop items, cut down that tree or place a mine cart. If you are not sure if there has been a broadcast you can do the following:
press the chat key (usually "t") and use the scroll wheel of your mouse to scroll through chat. Then follow what is stated above,

2. Use chests to trade:
Scamming is an issue on skyblock, and mods remind people continuously to chest trade so they can logblock (plugin which mods use to track block changes) and catch scammers/griefers and get your items refunded or given back to you. However using chests to trade also prevent unwanted lost items by clear lag. Not only do you need to be trading to use chests, but returning a borrowed item, an item that was godded or repaired can be done this way. Chests are the safest way to stop you from losing precious and rare items and even if it takes more work, having a chest handy for any rare/diamond trades is a must.

3. Shift key:
On windows computers (not sure about mac) the sneak key (usually "shift") is a way of avoiding dropping items on the ground during lag, and stops clear lag from feasting on your rares. When transporting things to and from chests, hold the shift key, and the entire stack of things can go from chest to inventory and inventory to chest. When you press "e" to shift around items, holding shift can move items from the hot bar to the inventory and vice versa. I was victim to lag and i lost diamond armour (not to clear lag) and it was as simple as using shift to move things around.
Shift key is an important way to stop accidental drops of items.

4. Dont carry rares in your hotbar/toolbar
If you carry rares where you can easily select it and accidentally press "Q" (hot bar/ tool bar) then you are at risk of losing the item to clear lag. The safest option it to leave those rares at home.

5. Remap the drop key "Q"
Re-map the drop key farther away from the W, to avoid pressing it/dropping the item in your hand by accident." This has saved me a lot of grief. I've had my drop key changed to the "-" key for quite some time now. (Sammmy)
There are other ways of keeping yourself safe from losing items just by some common sense such as if your lagging, dont take items out of your inventory, make sure you if you craft things and have spare crafting ingredients to put them back in your inventory before exiting the crafting table screen and even using a timer of your own to count how long since the last clear lag and make yourself a 30 sec warning (you know how to use your phones ans watches to do that).

6. Frosty's way
"I know of another way to avoid CLAG gobbling up your items when on your island. I have tested it.
I tend to chop all my trees at once, and sometimes midway chopping my trees down, I see the broadcast. Naturally, I want to get every sapling/log/apple that drop from the trees, so I count to 30 or 40 seconds, then use /spawn to leave my island and go to spawn. I then wait at spawn until Entities have been cleared and then I return to my island and continue chopping trees down.

CLAG only 'gobbles' up items where there are players nearby, so when I leave my island there are no players near it, and CLAG doesn't 'gobble' up my items."


Proof clear lag is necessary to the server
The following is proof of clear lags wonderous powers, to those who are annoyed and wish to see clearlag removed. This was written by blaq
Just as an illustration to show how useful CLAG can be, these screenshots were taken a few minutes ago on the nearly full (493/500) SB.NET server:

Before CLAG (look at the uptime):

After CLAG (less than 40 seconds later):

Note the increase of nearly 50% of free memory, from 6.8GB to 9.8GB, representing, roughly 12.5% of server's total memory.

Final Comments
I know some people have lost valuable items, but please stop posting suggestions about Clear Lag. It is here to stay, and though it seems like a hassle and a bother to look at chat, and use scroll wheels and chest trade, it will benefit you to take the appropriate measures to ensure your items safety. It is 100% your own responsibility to look after your things. If you actually follow the guide, i can somewhat guarantee your items will no longer be lost by clear lag.

 

Thanks sammy i will add this and credit you

 

if they read this

 

Guide is updated with evidence of clearlag working supplied by blaq

 

Added frosty's way

 

Added video to post

 

Yes I knew that because crew said after we saw notifications and got a bit worried. Unfortunately now people can actually see the warning, more people understand it exists. Such that In iron man 3 "give evil a face" you paint a target for people to blame and now its become a big hassle. Clearlag will not go away and this guide is made to help people be careful