Outdoor Discoveries

A rug pulled…

I doubted that I’d be starting December with a blog post telling a hosting-related yarn but it is turning out that way. Apparently, Fasthosts, the provider of the web server underlying this thing, suffered what might be described as security problems. The result is that they went changed a whole pile of passwords and mine was included. Because my database password got changed as well, this blog effectively was taken offline for the most of yesterday.

Their password changes even stopped me using their online support to sort things out, so there was only one thing for it: phone them up. That got me onto a queue with a wait of around three hours: they must have been inundated as a result of their actions. During this time, my phone handset was laid down for most of this time with periodic checks to see things were progressing. At the end of all the waiting, I did get to speak to someone and sort it all out. To my relief, everything is now working as it should again. No doubt, some got their twopenn’orth in but I merely stuck to getting things fixed and letting the next person do the same without extending their agony.

In summary, I have to say that this was hardly an example of exemplary service. Even so, Fasthosts are usually good so I have no immediate plans to move from them. However, there may be others who reach an entirely different conclusion and I can understand their decision. Fasthosts’ password changing activities were probably necessary but they also may have made a rod for their own backs and it wouldn’t surprise me if the load on the support lines was only part of this. After all, a good reputation takes an age to build and an instant to lose…