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MNSpeak: Talk

Who Broke The Internet?

First, MNSPeak was down because Tom or Matt's credit card expired. Then City Pages couldn't get it's Best of the Twin Cities online. This morning it's Minnesota Monitor with the web problems.

So who broke the internet? And could you please stop messing with things? And if you could take down one site, just for a couple hours, which would it be?

67 Reader Comments

aliecat  url08:55am
Apr 24

sorry, it was me, I loaded AOL onto my computer last night and it caused a rip in time.

justpbob  url08:56am
Apr 24

I would take down this site, but I don't think anyone would notice.

Frustrated mnspeak user (not verified)08:57am
Apr 24

I would post my answer to the question but mnspeak just went down again.

TBartel09:03am
Apr 24

I called Steve Perry re Monitor and he said someone was on their way over to the habit trail to feed the hamster. When I asked him of it was indicative of "behind the scenes" problems with Minnesota Monitor, he replied that the hamster was there for anyone to see who cared to actually do the reporting, and, despite extensive blog speculation that the hamster had been offended by the snippiness of one of his handlers, he was generally contented, even though his food had been temporarily cut off because someone's credit card had expired.

Drew1 (not verified)09:08am
Apr 24

Blame You Tube

Comments sponsored by
kc!  url09:09am
Apr 24

My (lame) website has been down for days. First, I forgot to pay. Then, they decided that it would be a good time to move me to a different server, or something. I don't quite understand. But I think the internet has a cold.

mnblrmkr  url09:10am
Apr 24

wow, Bob. Everytime I stumble upon a Westover piece of writing, it seems like he's chiding people for making irrational, hyperbolic and emotional arguments, rather than sticking to the facts and logic. That "bar owner faces the death penalty" argument coupled with a Waco inspired armed standoff, should be exhibit "A" in hysteria.

DouglasG  url09:10am
Apr 24

Is there a virus going around?

s4xton  url09:16am
Apr 24

I already upgraded to the latest version of the internet. Didn't you guys get the disk in the mail?

andyst  url09:17am
Apr 24

Maybe the Internet is entering some sort of awesome post-peak oil dystopian third world-styled Mad Maxian hellscape phase, where flickering, unreliable websites are plagued by constant brownouts, power failures and roaming gangs of l33ts.

If this is the case, I would like to take this opportunity to dub myself the "Ayatollah of Rockandrollah."

Bixby  url09:21am
Apr 24

Maybe the internet has been drinking and is hungover.

Me thinks the internet needs an intervention.

It would be the greatest episode of Intervention since the one where the dude was addicted to video games.

Also, if we could take MySpace offline permanently that'd be the bestest.

kurtis  url09:22am
Apr 24

"I already upgraded to the latest version of the internet. Didn't you guys get the disk in the mail?"

I downloaded the beta from the metanet in December, but I still haven't updated to the official release.

mb@work (not verified)09:23am
Apr 24

Me thinks the internet needs an intervention

As long as I can look at pictures of cute bunnies and kitties I'm happy.

My in-laws work at a well known substance abuse center. I can get an "in" for the internet if we need it.

justpbob  url09:29am
Apr 24

Yes, he's a real piece of work, isn't he? Watch the PiPress comment section for his op/ed today. If you like irrational, hyperbolic and emotional arguments, that's the place for you.

Or MNspeak. ;-)

Say nice things about Craig, he reads MNspeak from time to time, which is nice. He should comment from time to time, instead of just lurking.

In addition of being a mouthpiece (excuse me: Fellow) for David Strom's group and a "hobby columnist" and Editoral Board member at the PiPress, Westover also writes an occational piece for the St. Paul Legal Ledger (circ. 600 copies) and more recently, on MinnPost, where he has become something of a token conservative columnist.

Think of Katherine Kersten, with a beard.

s4xton  url09:30am
Apr 24

Well, to be fair, the Internet isn't at fault here.

The Bartels can't blame their credit card. In my strong opinion they should have gotten the site renewed well before the expiration date, assuming they wanted to keep MNspeak. You can pay for many years in advance if you wish and it's dead cheap. (Note to Minnesota Monitor and the Center for Independent Media: your site expires this August. Renew it now.)

As for City Pages, who knows honestly, but screwing around on their site on Tuesday kinda revealed to me they built themselves a pretty wonky system for their "Best of" stuff. Being they had a webmaster turnover within the last year I bet they didn't know how to use it. I'm being speculative but I bet that's what it boils down to. It's really seems to be a wacky system that they probably didn't know how to use.

As for Minnesota Monitor, their hosting provider is clearly at fault.

Sorry to make the thread less fun.

Bixby  url09:31am
Apr 24

@mb: also as long as you can read Sex and the Ivy, your new fav blog.

ericam  url09:32am
Apr 24

I heard that lileks.com was down for a good chunk of yesterday, too.

ericam  url09:33am
Apr 24

Didn't you guys get the disk in the mail?

I always put my Web 2.0 disks in the microwave.

JACC09:33am
Apr 24

I took out the Internet for dinner again and kept her out all night.

It wasn't as fun as your mom.

justpbob  url09:37am
Apr 24

You have "strong opinions" about a brief blackout of MNspeak, Aaron?

Dude...

xvc (not verified)09:44am
Apr 24

What's a habit trail, Tom?

justinph09:44am
Apr 24

I don't blame the internet. I blame the mentioned outlets for skimping on hiring and paying good technical staff to keep tabs on these things and undervaluing the expense and expertise it takes to keep a good site running.

Sorry, journalists do not good webmasters make. And if you're not paying good people to keep your site updated and online, you get what you pay for.

Bixby  url09:45am
Apr 24

Well that's odd, JACC because I was with the internet all night.

Man, that internet gets around.

Even more that your mom.

Wow.

crz  url09:49am
Apr 24

Sorry, journalists do not good webmasters make.

Oft times, the converse of that is true as well.

JACC09:51am
Apr 24

Impossible.

Only one thing gets around more than my mom and Jason's mom says you know what I'm talking about.

Bixby  url09:56am
Apr 24

@s4xton:

My domain is set to auto-renew each July. I also got an email earlier this month reminding me to make sure my credit card info was up to date. Still, I can see forgetting if its not on autorenew. Especially considering the amount of other stuff I forget on a daily basis.

justinph09:57am
Apr 24

I'm with Aaron on this one, too. The anyone using a crappy registrar like GoDaddy also gets what they pay for. Had they used a decent, more reputable registrar, the incident might have been avoided.

Here's a hint: When your registrar (or any business, for that matter) spends more money on Superbowl ads with race car drivers than it does on making the actual product work, they're crap and should be avoided. GoDaddy's website works like crap, they try to upsell you at every turn, and obviously don't do much checking on domain renewals.

Doesn't help that GoDaddy's CEO is a crazy right wing nutjob, either.

justinph09:58am
Apr 24

@crz: completely agree. I am, in fact, a horrible journalist and would never make a claim to be one. I would be smart enough to talk to a real one if I needed such services.

pas (not verified)10:01am
Apr 24

So where's the best place to for web registration?

TBartel10:01am
Apr 24

So right aaron, next time I get an email from godaddy that says "your registration will renew automatically in five days" I won't take them at their word, I'll log on and manually renew. Maybe all the way up to Sept 25, 2012.

JACC10:08am
Apr 24

So where's the best place to for web registration?
"best" is relative.

I use DirectNic and have never had an issue.

Also, it's includes unlimited bandwidth if you let them place a banner ad on the site.

rew10:09am
Apr 24

Tom Bartel is a liar. We have two hamsters. They're just a little busy doing other things right now...

(how else do you think people get hamsters for their internets?)

justpbob  url10:11am
Apr 24

Robin, do you kiss your baby with that mouth?

Heh!

s4xton  url10:13am
Apr 24

Well, if you renew in advance Tom you will know if there's a problem with your credit card information before the day it expires.

TBartel10:16am
Apr 24

Hey Robin, I was just being delicate about your hamsters being otherwise occupied. Hey, this is the internet. People make shit up all the time without any basis in fact. At least I called Steve. He mentioned the hamster problem but asked me to be discreet.

jderusha10:18am
Apr 24

Tom's initial comment was a joke about this comment (which you can't read because MinMon is down), and the story is referenced here.

jderusha10:19am
Apr 24

And I'm glad we ended up in hampsterland. I would take down this site if I could.

mb@work (not verified)10:21am
Apr 24

Maybe you guys should upgrade to guinea pigs. A little more power and easily motivated by baby carrots.

pas (not verified)10:26am
Apr 24

i'm not seeing any hamster references in this link, though, jason. a particular fixation of tom's?

you also can't read rex's mnmon comment that says not only hasn't mnspeak upgraded its tech, but they've removed functions.

kevin (not verified)10:28am
Apr 24

My theories:

1. The discontinuation of the Netscape browser is having a massive ripple effect that we are only now beginning to experience.
2. Algore made us an internets, but he ated it.
3. Choosey moms chose .png and .gif vowed revenge.
4. Dick Cheney shot it in the face.
5. Last week's earthquake in Illinois severed some cables.
6. Ethanol.
7. The Internet can't find its constant.
8. Kenneth finally figured out the frequency.
9. Animal husbandry. Need I say more?
10. The governor line-itemed its funding.

DouglasG  url10:29am
Apr 24

If the hamsters don't behave, we could threaten to take away their site. (GRRFL)

jderusha10:29am
Apr 24

Not the hampster part of the joke -- this line: 'When I asked him of it was indicative of "behind the scenes" problems with Minnesota Monitor"

Bixby  url10:32am
Apr 24

Wait, I don't see how the MNSpeak issue was GoDaddy's fault. if the credit card wasn't updated then there's little they could do.

I use GoDaddy and it's fine.

Then again, I also write my blog using Blogger.
And a stock template (that's only tweeked a bit).

So I clearly suck at life (on the net).

aliecat  url10:33am
Apr 24

Peeps are touchy about a minor mistake that caused MNSpeak to be down for 3 hours...sheesh.

PwrGeek10:33am
Apr 24

7. The Internet can't find its constant.

Nice. I'm sofreakingpumped that it's on again tonight!

miller10:35am
Apr 24

Obviously, Sen. Ted Stevens was right. The tubes are finally full. It's not a big truck!

aliecat  url10:37am
Apr 24

Maybe teh interwebs needs to take the Activia Challenge.

/sorry, all the you momma jokes were taken.

rew10:51am
Apr 24

1. The discontinuation of the Netscape browser is having a massive ripple effect that we are only now beginning to experience.

ok, that's some serious long-tail effect...

Ingrid10:52am
Apr 24

7. The Internet can't find its constant.

Nice reference. I'm also super excited that it's back on tonight!

jane_ (not verified)10:53am
Apr 24

Heh. You crack me up, kevin.

kevin (not verified)11:03am
Apr 24

Not really, Netscape only met its maker recently.

Ingrid, these links will drive you nuts
One.
Two (mild spoilers)
Three.

mnblrmkr  url11:05am
Apr 24

11. Somebody spilled their crock of homemade beef stew in the intertubes.
12. The webmasters' heads keep getting stuck in vaginas.

sornie  url11:09am
Apr 24

I was hoping that nobody would notice the vat (not crock) of stew I accidentally spilled on the tubes.

And I can't wait for Lost tonight. I'm off to build a shrine of some sort.

mb@work (not verified)11:13am
Apr 24

12. The webmasters' heads keep getting stuck in vaginas.

I thought it felt a little more crowded down there than usual...

mnblrmkr  url11:19am
Apr 24


12. The webmasters' heads keep getting stuck in vaginas.

I thought it felt a little more crowded down there than usual...

Still haven't found that missing condom?

Ingrid11:23am
Apr 24

ahhh there are so many therories! I just realized I have a meeting tonight so I'm going to miss seeing it on television. I'm going to have to watch it on the internet. The hamsters running abc.com better be ready to work!

kevin (not verified)11:54am
Apr 24

Actually they haven't been for me lately. I've had to go in through a back way to watch season two episodes. I've got the series all figured out anyway, including what the last scene will be.

yoshi (not verified)12:05pm
Apr 24

Also amused that people are blaming godaddy. Its only your fault for letting your domain expire. And godaddy is one of the more stable registrars. Feel free to rail on their business practices and their idiot of a CEO but they are incredibly stable.

Cat_ (not verified)12:07pm
Apr 24

I blame the Chinese. We're taking over the world. Bwaaahhhaaah.

Nope. It will never get old for me.

mb@work (not verified)12:09pm
Apr 24

Cat, I just had some delicious, authentic Chinese food for lunch. You're plan of domination is working one cream cheese puff at a time...

David- you just made me barf a lot in my mouth.

ChineseCatQueen (not verified)12:16pm
Apr 24

See, mb, it works!
First, it's cream cheese puffs; then moo shu; then the internets/world.

At last (not verified)12:47pm
Apr 24

MNMON is online again! (The hamsters dance in celebration.)

Hamster (not verified)12:51pm
Apr 24
taulpaul12:52pm
Apr 24

Who does the updating for the Minnesota Monitor twitter account?

Paul03:19pm
Apr 24

That'd be me, with a little help from Tom Elko and Robin Marty. It was my shout-out to Tom that's linked above; I take full blame!

justpbob  url03:39pm
Apr 24

It may have been the heavy traffic to Elko's interview with Uncle Ethanol, slayer of visiting professors, that did in MM this AM.

Paul05:57pm
Apr 24

That was from April 9, justbob. Still the residual traffic could've done us in. Or the crashed server.

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