Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???

09 May 14 - 08:05 PM (#3625112)
Subject: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Don Firth

Point of curiosity. Lately, after I check my e-mail in the morning, I generally check in on Mudcat to see what, if anything, is going on.

I find that I can't get on. The little arrow goes around and around and nothing happens. No Mudcat. This goes on until sometime in mid to late afternoon when I do get on.

Is everyone running into this, or is it just me?

I note that the list of threads is far less than it used to be, so I assume that the problem is with Mudcat.

What's going on?

Don Firth

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09 May 14 - 08:22 PM (#3625115)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

I've dropped Max a detailed note of a ping tracer on his LinkedIn profile: a firewall near the server's been blocking everything.

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09 May 14 - 08:24 PM (#3625118)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Deckman

Don ... I suspect the real reason is because of your bad behaavior over the years ... you know ... like ... always keeping your guitar in tune so we couldn't play with you ... memorizing ALL the verses ... you know ... that kind of unfair stuff! bob(deckman)nelson

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09 May 14 - 08:40 PM (#3625123)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Joe Offer

Yeah, it's been frustrating. I hope things get straightened out soon.
-Joe-

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09 May 14 - 08:50 PM (#3625126)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

It is the wages of sin. Repent while you still can.

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09 May 14 - 09:03 PM (#3625129)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

In the mean time, use the drop-down in the header to change the display filter to 3 days and you'll see the stuff that never got replied to because of the service drop.

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09 May 14 - 10:00 PM (#3625134)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Andrez

The 'troubles' are happening in Australia too. Best wishes to Max (and Co?) in getting the tech issues sorted.

Cheers,

Andrez

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10 May 14 - 02:13 AM (#3625169)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,eldergirl on another computer

seems to have been fixed, now. thanks Max(and crew?) for sorting it out.
x el

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10 May 14 - 02:47 AM (#3625172)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

Rechecking now MudCat's up suggests a breakdown in the host cloud's DNS addressing: I'm currently accessing a local hub address in Germany, not an American one (after being bounced all over Europe en route).

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10 May 14 - 07:53 AM (#3625228)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Mr Happy

I'm in UK

This is 1st time I've been able to access for a few days.

As others have reported, the scrolling thing just keeps on scrolling, then eventually times out with msg can't connect

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10 May 14 - 08:56 AM (#3625241)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Peter Laban

Yes, down for days and very hard to get hold of for much longer.

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10 May 14 - 09:14 AM (#3625242)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Joe Nicholson

Well that's cheered me up no-end because I thought it was my computer

Joe N

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10 May 14 - 12:23 PM (#3625280)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

Down for me too for several days (UK). I was just starting to wonder if the site had gone for good.

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10 May 14 - 12:25 PM (#3625281)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Janie

Was roaring along this morning, then for an hour or so got very, very slow to load, and now seems to load quickly again.

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10 May 14 - 12:43 PM (#3625287)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Still having intermittent failure, or long delay.

Frustrating- and causing loss of patrons?

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10 May 14 - 01:04 PM (#3625294)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Eliza

Same here in UK. I thought it was our pathetic amount of Broadband speed. Like Old Father Thames, it just keeps on scrolling along.
I also thought maybe the site was going to close, as the number of threads has diminished to very few.
Just now, it whizzed onto the screen; hope it continues like this!

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10 May 14 - 01:11 PM (#3625297)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Janie

I spoke too soon. Slowed down again, though not stopped, nor absolutely glacial. Hope Max and his team (hope he has a team so that it doesn't all fall on him and demands on his time alone) is/are able to sort it out sooner rather than later.

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10 May 14 - 06:49 PM (#3625354)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Don Firth

It seems to be doing it again.

I got on easily this morning, then went off to do some other things. Then after a few hours I tried to get back on and NUTHIN'! The little arrow on my screen (used to be an hourglass on my old computer) just kept going in circles. Couple of hours.

Finally it just popped on.

Frustipating and aggravationally irksome a lot.

Don Firth

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11 May 14 - 12:38 PM (#3625380)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Don Firth

This morning it took several minutes, then "The Mudcat Café" and the "Quick Links" box appeared, but nothing else. It stayed that way for about twenty minutes. Then the list of threads finally popped on.

Weird!

Don Firth

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11 May 14 - 01:01 PM (#3625388)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield

Still slow for me (in UK). Even after getting into Mudcat, opening individual threads is taking a while...
Derek

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11 May 14 - 01:08 PM (#3625389)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: brashley46

It's still happening here in Canada too. On, then off, then on again ...

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11 May 14 - 01:31 PM (#3625394)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

Hard to know what's happening, from the PingTracing I think it's a failure in Penn State's mirroring.

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12 May 14 - 09:18 AM (#3625413)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Sandra in Sydney

this is the first time I've been able to get in for a few days

sandra

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12 May 14 - 09:20 AM (#3625414)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

I've given up trying to login in the mornings UK time.
Rts

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12 May 14 - 09:28 AM (#3625420)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Charley Noble

"breakdown in the host cloud"

Love this concept!

Now for the weather report from Cucamonga.

Cheerily,
Charlie Ipcar

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12 May 14 - 09:28 AM (#3625421)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Eliza

Aha! Have just succeeded in getting Mudcat to come up on the screen. But what's this? Has it shrunk? Tiny number of threads in Music and BS sections. Is it slowly dying or what? I remember when there were dozens of threads to choose from. Could someone please let us know what's happening?

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12 May 14 - 09:30 AM (#3625422)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Kiyohide Kunizaki

What's going on?

from Tokyo,Japan.

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12 May 14 - 09:45 AM (#3625426)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Ed

But what's this? Has it shrunk? Tiny number of threads in Music and BS sections.

Wow Eliza, didn't realise you were quite so dim...

By default Mudcat displays threads from the last 24 hours. Hadn't you noticed that?

It's been down for a while, so there aren't many. Not exactly rocket science.

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12 May 14 - 09:49 AM (#3625428)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Eliza

Ed, in the past, many threads were on view without having to alter the timescale at the top. Perhaps you'll slowly accustom yourself to your amazement at my dimness...

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12 May 14 - 10:11 AM (#3625438)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,#

If a thread is not posted to for 24 hours it slips off the screen.

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12 May 14 - 10:20 AM (#3625445)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Vic Smith

It's all right for many of us that Mudcat is down; we can wait for the service to be restored and than post what we want to write.... but have you considered those English-born but Irish-based contributors who need instant access to Mudcat 24/7 so that they can continue their perpetual arguments from entrenched positions and pepper their reasoning with insults when they think that things are not going well?
Have you thought how these poor people manage to fill the hours when Mudcat is down?

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12 May 14 - 10:27 AM (#3625448)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Eliza

LOL Vic! I was wondering the same thing. Maybe they knock on their next-door-neighbour's door and shout rude things at him/her in order to satisfy their craving for a fight.

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12 May 14 - 10:37 AM (#3625451)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Peter Laban

First contact since my previous post above.

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12 May 14 - 10:39 AM (#3625452)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Dennis the Elder

Let's hope the problem is over. I have been celebrating by popping into the site, to make sure I am not dreaming it's come back

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12 May 14 - 01:54 PM (#3625485)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,LynnH

Somebody, somewhere possibly needs to administer a powerful kick up the backside to someone, metaphorically speaking. What kind of set up is this that is three days long inaccessible, two days accessible, then disappears again for a couple of days and has just, 5 minutes ago, reappeared again. This has been going on for two weeks or so now.

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12 May 14 - 02:06 PM (#3625486)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Guest

Think about the NSA!

They have so much to do, I believe.

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12 May 14 - 02:09 PM (#3625488)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity

It must be routed to the NSA, where they're laughing their asses off, and then to the Obamacare websites, where God only knows how they're trying to charge more money...but it got lost!

GfS

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12 May 14 - 02:16 PM (#3625491)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: maeve

Thank you for your many efforts, Max.

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12 May 14 - 02:40 PM (#3625495)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Dennis the Elder

How is funding going Max, is there a need for us to contribute something? We all miss this site when it is down and the majority of us appreciate all the work you, your friends and colleagues do. Is the hard or software wearing out?
Mudcat is a good friend to me.
Did your drive for sufficient funding succeed, can we help?
It would be lonely without you all.

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12 May 14 - 02:53 PM (#3625499)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: ian1943

It won't open for a few days then it does. Today (Monday) it wouldn't twice then this evening it did. It's a mystery!

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12 May 14 - 03:05 PM (#3625503)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Not open in morning, now very slow access.

I have a couple of songs to post, but mudcat too erratic at present.

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12 May 14 - 03:21 PM (#3625506)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Don Firth

From here, no access at all yesterday afternoon and evening. Slow this morning, then finally came on, displaying list of threads. It took about two hours for a thread to open up.

Not bitching (well, yes, bitching), but maybe the information might be helpful in solving the problem.

Don Firth

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12 May 14 - 03:35 PM (#3625509)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

From the tracing I've done, it looks as though Max is hosting Mudcat on a Penn State machine, where he works. It's then mirrored automatically to various sites around the world, in the UK it tends to be Germany. When the mirror site goes down, the DNS routing directory tries pointing us at the main site, but a firewall blocks that and we just hang. Having blocked someone, it probably blocks everyone for a while, until life returns to calm equanimity.
The alternative would be to go to a paid site, as the 'Cat's probably too big to be hosted on any free one. That will in turn either mean we have to put up with a load of ads, which is bound to upset someone with more ethics than financial nous, or hope everyone's generous enough to cough up some dosh. the last alternative would be to ask someone committed to supporting the folk scene to host it for free, perhaps the Smithsonian?

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12 May 14 - 04:00 PM (#3625514)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Joe Offer

A commercial hosting company sounds like a good solution, but I dunno.

I didn't want to put my own Website and the women's center Website on GoDaddy, because their advertising campaigns make me uncomfortable. I thought that Network Solutions would be really reliable, since they're a big name with a long-established reputation. So, I put two sites on Network Solutions and thought I'd have no problems.

No such luck. Still, I haven't found a better alternative. I just have to watch them carefully, and expect problems every time I make a change in my account. One change stopped all our staff e-mail for a time. Not nice.

Oh, and I have to be ready to wait 45 minutes to get to tech support.

-Joe-

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12 May 14 - 05:36 PM (#3625533)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Shimrod

I've just had trouble opening the 'Trouble opening Mudcat' thread!

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12 May 14 - 06:04 PM (#3625542)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,#

You're in trouble now!

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13 May 14 - 12:06 PM (#3625778)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Don Firth

Halleluyah!! It popped right on this morning!

Here's hoping.......

Don Firth

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13 May 14 - 02:23 PM (#3625830)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

down again earlier this afternoon

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13 May 14 - 08:51 PM (#3625899)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

Not my headers, I put a trace on it and that's where it ended up. Either Max is hosting it there or a weird artefact of the web sent my trace pings unerringly in search of him.

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13 May 14 - 09:02 PM (#3625900)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Joe_F

For me, the days of inaccessibility were yesterday & the day before. I thought my oddball browser (Conkeror) might be at fault, so I tried Firefox & (gasp!) Internet Explorer, but they also failed.

It seems to be working normally now.

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13 May 14 - 09:59 PM (#3625908)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Jeri

When you say "I put a trace on it", do you mean you did a trace route? If so, you went through "State College" which is a borough in Pennsylvania. It's not Penn State, where Mudcat isn't.

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14 May 14 - 04:39 AM (#3625940)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Richard Mellish

I'm much relieved that I can now get into Mudcat, and especially to find this thread. However we need answers to two questions (one already raised above).

1. What can we do, by way of providing money or otherwise, to help availability?

2. If/when we can't get in, for whatever reason, where the h--l else can we go to talk to each other about it? (Facebook might be an option for some people, but some of us don't want to touch that with a disinfected bargepole, so where else?)

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14 May 14 - 04:47 AM (#3625942)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Tattie Bogle

No trouble getting into this thread or some others, but another gives me the 503 error message, telling that Mudcat has been placed offline by the operator. Just going back to try it again: not sure how it can be online and offline at the same time?

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14 May 14 - 07:20 AM (#3625976)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST, topsie

I too got the error 503 message on a couple of threads but they worked OK a few minutes later.

We used to have a 'back door' for when we couldn't get in by the usual route. I can't remember what it was now, and it was a couple of computers ago, but does it still exist?

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14 May 14 - 09:13 AM (#3626010)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Andrez

Yes I wondered about the back door too. Any info Joe O or other wizened mudelf?

Cheers,

Andrez

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14 May 14 - 10:09 AM (#3626019)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Sandra in Sydney

Back in the olden days Jon Freeman hosted The Annex, a site for Catters to discuss non-music matters.

The Annex was eventually closed by Jon because some Catters used it to discuss Mudcat matters & policy in a very heated fashion (to put it politely!), some even believed The Annex was run by Max.

A few Annex regulars missed the old Annex, so one of them created a new site to continue to discuss non-music matters.

If anyone is interested please PM me for details

sandra (also not on Facebook)

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14 May 14 - 08:51 PM (#3626150)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Joe_F

I just had the 503 experience as well, but persisted & was rewarded for my patience. Both the site & each thread take about a minute to come up, tho.

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16 May 14 - 08:07 PM (#3626507)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

"2. If/when we can't get in, for whatever reason, where the h--l else can we go to talk to each other about it?"

Probably good with a contingency plan to outline it first, Richard. (No offence meant.)

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17 May 14 - 03:20 AM (#3626528)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin

Just got back on Mudcat for the 1st time in maybe about week 1/2 to almost 2 weeks I think.
I don't look on it everyday but like others have said the little arrow thing goes around and around but won't open Mudcat until tonight. And all this time I was thinking something was wrong with my computer. I would always get to it through my email and when I couldn't get into Mudcat, I tried just going to Google and typing Mudcat but still would not open. Very frustrating but glad to be able to get back on now. Hope it lasts.

I am in California.

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17 May 14 - 05:04 AM (#3626539)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST,Peter Laban

503s, long outages and when it eventually comes it takes minutes. It's like flogging a dying horse really.

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17 May 14 - 05:50 AM (#3626541)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Vic Smith

Can anyone supply me with the words of that sad song, Trouble Opening Mudcat?

All that I can recall of it is the chorus which goes something like:-
It's Down again, Down, Down Derry Down....

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17 May 14 - 07:24 AM (#3626553)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Richard Mellish

I asked
"2. If/when we can't get in, for whatever reason, where the h--l else can we go to talk to each other about it?"

and an un-named GUEST responded
"Probably good with a contingency plan to outline it first, Richard. (No offence meant.)"

My contingency plan was (and is) to have somewhere else to go, so I was asking for suggestions where we can go. Sandra then suggested one place. Plan in place! (Unless the GUEST has a better suggestion.)

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17 May 14 - 08:19 AM (#3626558)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

Excellent, Richard.

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17 May 14 - 12:27 PM (#3626592)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Not too bad this morning. Dead or very sick horse yesterday.
Inconsistency is frustrating.
Just got a "cannot connect" message. Down again.

Try submit again-
Didn't take- try again

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17 May 14 - 12:32 PM (#3626594)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

So long, old pal, it's time your tears were dried;
I'm heading for the last roundup.

try submit-

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18 May 14 - 04:34 AM (#3626715)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: David C. Carter

Nothing for several days here in France.

But,lo & behold,here it it this fine Sunday morning.

David

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18 May 14 - 08:01 PM (#3626937)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Sandra in Sydney

& today in sunny, very late summery, Sydney, I connected immediately.

YAH!!

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18 May 14 - 10:22 PM (#3626941)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Bill D

As in various times in the past, some things about the technology and strain on the servers mean that Max has to regularly 'kick the tires' and re-boot...or whatever..... when he is actually home. It is kinda amazing that he has actually kept this much stuff going for 17 years.

Awhile back he posted this Chartbeat link that tracks the usage patterns. I 'think' it shows that the site gets lots of traffic. It was suggested above that Penn State's servers are involved. Perhaps so... I don't think it's certain.

I do wish he'd explain a bit more what is happening... but *shrug*. Life treats us all differently.

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19 May 14 - 09:22 AM (#3627038)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Sandra in Sydney

very interesting - I think

sandra

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19 May 14 - 01:59 PM (#3627143)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: GUEST

Max does read this, he dropped me a note just now about summat else. Happy to help him.

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10 Jun 14 - 12:36 PM (#3631968)
Subject: RE: Tech: Trouble opening Mudcat. ???
From: Keith A of Hertford

Excellent service.
I have not even had any posts fail to take since the upgrade.
Thanks Max.

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