When will the web site be repaired?

[Tad Carlucci]

The view pedigree script is from KittyCats and they will need to update it. I cannot repair it. And, yes, this means *ALL* pedigree objects no longer work.

Those pedigree rezer boards which are all the rage DO work. You just have to by-hand edit the link back to .biz when you paste into the dialog. The web server which grabs the pedigree knows to use .ws, but the in-world objects don't. Works fine.

My thinking is that the .biz site is down because they're doing something to it.

This comes from:

1) The error is access denied. There are two ways this happens. Normally, it's a very simple error and can be fixed in a few seconds. The other way, and what I think is going on here, is to intentionally deny access to all (except a few selected clients, which I'm betting is the case here).

2) The .ws site has been around for a while, but was not well known and rarely used because it really only supported the forums. When they switched to it, the Support area did not work at all. They spent an evening trying to get it working, took it down, and, a day or so later, put up the example form it now has rather than customizing. In the process, all support ticket history has gone 'Bye-Bye'; which can't be good for them.

3) Except for the Forum, Pedigree, Cattery and what they slapped up for Support Tickets, all other areas of the web site are non-operational.

4) They rushed out an update for in-world cats. Then, they had the CSR staff running around and, without notice or permission, updating any cats and boxes which were in-world and not updated. To me, this means they needed to get those cats to stop using the .biz web site ASAP.

5) They have been notably quiet about what the issue is, and it's been several days. In the past, they've been fairly open about failures and repaired the site quickly.

So, while there are a number of possible scenarios, I'm crossing my fingers that they're secretly working on a major update to the .biz site and, when it's complete, everyone will be pleased, singing their praises, and forget about the pain, worry and angst they're currently causing. When that occurs, I expect we'll see the .biz site returned, and another round up emergency updates to get everyone and all their cats back to using it.

Whatever their problems are, I have to say, they could have been handled a lot better.

If they really are switching to the .ws site, there is no need for the Access Denied errors .. it would be a simple matter to forward all .biz requests to the .ws site.

If they really are working on a new-and-improved .biz web site, it would have been a LOT less disruptive to do the work on the .ws site then, when everything was done and tested, push it over to the .biz site, avoiding the nasty surprise when users found they were suddenly denied access, and avoiding the rounds of emergency in-world updates.

I'm sure they can rationalize their poor choices and will feel I'm being too hard on them. But, hey, live and learn. Maybe, if they decide to do it again in a few years, they'll do a better job.