[Announcement] Server Change Leads to Server Outage

[Phillip Dampier]

Last evening, a planned upgrade of our server by the web hosting company led to the unintended consequence of an IP address change for BetterMost.  We were not warned about this in advance, and since we can't fix it, we're just going to have to stand it for the next 24-48 hours.

Every website name you type into your web browser has a unique numerical address.  It sort of works like a telephone directory.  You know the name of the person you want to reach, but you need to also know the telephone number in order to reach them.  In our case, you know you want to reach BetterMost, but you don't know our "number" in order for your browser to connect with us.  Behind the scenes, when you type in bettermost.net, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is quietly connecting to its own "directory," looking up BetterMost's number and connecting you to it.  These directories are updated by most ISPs several times daily, but many regional and smaller ISPs only do updates every day or two.

Last night, BetterMost's "number" was changed as a consequence of moving us to a new server, and this cut off everyone from being able to reach us because no ISPs knew about our new number.  But as the night progressed into morning, we're seeing more and more of you able to return because your ISP has updated information about how to connect to us.

For many folks, if you look up in your browser's address window, instead of "http://bettermost.net" you are probably now seeing "http://72.233.7.161/forum...."  It's all part of the process of this update now underway.

If you have friends who still cannot reach us, you can tell them our new number until their ISP updates their directory.  Just tell them, for the time being, to reach us at this address:

http://72.233.7.161

Everything will be back to normal by late Monday evening, and I'm sorry for the downtime.  The plus side of all of this is we're now on a more powerful server with a faster processor and more memory, which gives us further room to expand.

Thanks!


P.S. - The BetterMost Status site, where you can find updates and report problems is always available at: www.bettermoststatus.info

[Phillip Dampier]

If you are having trouble staying logged in or are experiencing other strange errors, it is probably related to the resetting of your cookie here on BetterMost tied to the new IP address.  You should be able to reset it after logging in (it may take two times to do so).  Please report any other issues here for individual help.

[optom3]

If you are having trouble staying logged in or are experiencing other strange errors, it is probably related to the resetting of your cookie here on BetterMost tied to the new IP address.  You should be able to reset it after logging in (it may take two times to do so).  Please report any other issues here for individual help.

I cannot get into the chat room.It says I have to install avtive x and then windoes says it has blocked the installation.Help ?
Fiona/optom3

[BelAir]

It usually asks me for my password a second time now.  Seems I could be mistyping it, but it's happen every log in for a few times now (and seems slightly odd that i would always be mistyping it...) 

[Jeff Wrangler]

First time I logged in this morning here at work, it asked for my password twice.

Here's the big change for me. Before the server change, I could log in here at work first thing in the morning, and then, no matter how many times during the day I left Bettermost, when I returned to the site I was still logged in, until I logged out at the end of my workday. As of this morning, every time I return to the site, I have to log in.

This is a nuisance, but in the broader scheme of things only a minor nuisance, I guess. But I thought I should report it.

[Shasta542]

There is a place where you log in that lets you put in how long you want to stay logged in, Jeff. That might need to be reset. I don't know if that's what you are talking about, but may be.

[Jeff Wrangler]

There is a place where you log in that lets you put in how long you want to stay logged in, Jeff. That might need to be reset. I don't know if that's what you are talking about, but may be.

Good thought. Thanks.    I'll give it a try, although none of my other settings have changed.

[jstephens9]

First time I logged in this morning here at work, it asked for my password twice.

Here's the big change for me. Before the server change, I could log in here at work first thing in the morning, and then, no matter how many times during the day I left Bettermost, when I returned to the site I was still logged in, until I logged out at the end of my workday. As of this morning, every time I return to the site, I have to log in.

This is a nuisance, but in the broader scheme of things only a minor nuisance, I guess. But I thought I should report it.

Jeff, It seemed that my log on was doing this too; however, it is now keeping the log in just like it used to.

[jstephens9]

I cannot get into the chat room.It says I have to install avtive x and then windoes says it has blocked the installation.Help ?
Fiona/optom3

It may be that you will need to click on the tan bar right near  the top of the page and allow the browser to install active x. Try that and see if it works.

[Jeff Wrangler]

There is a place where you log in that lets you put in how long you want to stay logged in, Jeff. That might need to be reset. I don't know if that's what you are talking about, but may be.

Jeff, It seemed that my log on was doing this too; however, it is now keeping the log in just like it used to.

That doesn't seem to have solved the problem for me just yet. Without logging out, I left the site to actually do some work    and when I came back just now, I had to log in.