Usergroup/Usertools

[#1]

I am at a bit of a loss to understand how this issue is still standing 2 days later.
Surely the service status notification facility alone ought to have warranted it being a P1, with the various other elements such as exchange checker, PUG website and forums, etc only increasing the importance of a swift recovery.
It's also concerning that there are six Amber service elements out of 14, of which two have outstanding updates due. Is there an underlying issue awaiting exposure?
If I were an outsider looking in, I'd be more than a little concerned.

[#2]

Ok so the server has now been down nearly 48 hours. What is being done to fix it? At the moment we have:
  1) No PUG site at all
  2) No issue tracker
  3) No service status notifications
  4) No tutorials
  5) No exchange checker
  6) No IRC
Surely item 3 alone is enough to make this a P1 case. There hasn't been an update in 24 hours either. This is an unacceptable level of service.
Why hasn't the server been rebuilt and the data restored from the backup?
Ian

[#3]

I, too, am very concerned about this.  I've posted on the PUG-only Community site board to no avail.  Not only is the lack of priority on this very frustrating... but the lack of updates.  Nobody is keeping us informed.  I feel it shows a complete lack of respect for PUG and the Community - if i'm honest.
Just had a look at some Google Analytics stats.
For the month to 5th Feb (site going down), Usertools had 34,517 recorded visits, generating 122,227 pageviews.
40% of visits came from organic search engine results.  These could be potential new Plusnet customers browsing around being reached here.
The PUG site added another 10k visits and 30k pageviews.  58% of traffic from search engines... more potential Plusnet customers reached?
As I understand it, the number of subscribers to the Usertools Service Status Feed is in the tens of thousands.  These people don't even know it's down - yet are affected - because service status emails aren't reaching them.  I know that Corporates / Resellers / Referrers rely on this.
Very disappointed.

[#4]

Hi guys.
Totally get where you're coming from on this one.
Ian and I have discussed this today and Comms will review the situation. I know PJ is aware of the concerns and the impact.
Watch this space for updates.

[#5]

Its very concerning specially looking at so many ambers in the service status as DHookham has pointed out.

[#6]

looking at the ambers many of them are reported as fixed but wonder how long before they are switched back to green

[#7]

At one point on Thursday, something like 5 out of the 7 ambers were due an update but didn't have one.  I forget the actual number, but more were overdue an update than not.

[#8]

We're fully aware of the situation regarding the current Service Status threads. Liam, you'll know first hand how cumbersome it is to keep them up to date where you have multiple issues affecting a single category. Checking now there appears to be two that need an update, I'll look at getting that sorted today.
Regarding Usertools, I did ask on Friday whether we'd be up and running for the weekend but I couldn't be given a conclusive answer at the time. I'd imagine Mark is on the case now judging from his post. In hindsight we should have been all over this especially when you consider the statistics Liam has posted.
Sorry folks.

[#9]

i would think most the none plusnet customer hits on the usersite is due to the exchange checker. i find that link posted in lot of forums and  alot of the times on other isps forums.

[#10]

Quote from: ASBO

i would think most the none plusnet customer hits on the usersite is due to the exchange checker. i find that link posted in lot of forums and  alot of the times on other isps forums.

The exchange checker indeed accounts for just under 40% of the pageviews...  the tutorials section closely follows this along with the BT and LLU outage pages and the Service Status section.
If non-Plusnet customers hit Usertools then I think that's a good thing to promote Plusnet.
Perhaps PUG should have a referrals banner on the Exchange Checker page?  Help pay for the champagne at the socials 😉

[#11]

Quote from: Bob

We're fully aware of the situation regarding the current Service Status threads. Liam, you'll know first hand how cumbersome it is to keep them up to date where you have multiple issues affecting a single category. Checking now there appears to be two that need an update, I'll look at getting that sorted today.

Sorry Bob, wasn't have a go at you (or comms)... wasn't the aim.
It's worrying that there are so many Ambers in the first place...  that it's a struggle to keep up with.
And at a time where there are lots of SS issues... customers won't be getting the emails they may be expecting - and not realise it.

[#12]

I struggle to see how its taking so long.
If it took me so long to restore onto new hardware from a backup, the powers that be would be seriously displeased - why is a company whose entire business model is based around having computers that work[!] taking so long to restore one little box?
It smacks of lousy [non-existent?] DR planning.
Another wonderful example of how unimportant customer communication ACTUALLY is - so long as they can be seen to be doing the right thing in some measure, the rest can go to hell seemingly.
I kept quiet when everybody predicted doom after the BT takeover, but it really is looking like a slippery slope back to the bad old days of generating shareholder revenue above all else.
Yes - make some money, but don't forget where you came from - its these silly failures that will upset the people who are out there generating leads for you.

[#13]

Quote from: James_G

I kept quiet when everybody predicted doom after the BT takeover, but it really is looking like a slippery slope back to the bad old days of generating shareholder revenue above all else. Yes - make some money, but don't forget where you came from - its these silly failures that will upset the people who are out there generating leads for you.

I said in the PUG private forums last week : "Where has the Plusnet of old gone?".

[#14]

When are the final services on Usertools going to be reactivated? It appears that we've had a typical Plusnet service status announcement saying all is well when it isn't!

[#15]

Has anyone received any service status emails? We should have at least received the one to say all was well again. I've tried signing up a new email address to see if I got the confirmation email - I didn't.