Still didn't work last night. The service provider seems to have run out of ideas on how to resolve their software/hardware problem, so they've escalated to the hosting software vendor - the epicenter of the failure. So, I'm back to a waiting pattern until they complete their investigation, and hopefully, resolve the problem. That means there'll be no offline notices for the next few days until they make some diagnostic progress.

Cheers,
...Alex

I didn't expect the software vendor's support technician will come up with a resolution this quickly, but they think they have one. That means there'll be another offline event tonight, around 10pm PDT while I attempt the migration again.

Cheers,
...Alex

Thanks for letting us know, Alex. Good luck.

Chris

Chris, that happened two days ago. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?
Yoke, yoke, yoke.

It's all magic to me.

Alas, would that this were true! We could all just perform some ennie-meanie-chili-beanie chant, and the deed would be done. The reality is that it's work: frustrating, mind-bending, discouraging, soul-sapping work.

An example: I spent most of yesterday building a website for another writer. At one point, I added a new text editor to the site. Did everything right, couldn't see the addition. Spent an hour working on the settings, reloading the editor, reinstalling, etc. While I was trying yet another solution, Kate pulled up the site, and there was the new editor. My machine had been holding the old one in the cache. The other writer's machine is still holding the old one, and as he's several states away, I can't clear it for him.

So I have real sympathy, and even empathy, for what Alex is going through. He deserves a medal, or at least a bottle of scotch. The good stuff: single malt, cask strength, aged for 22 years. Maybe even a case of it... ;)

Best,

Bill

Or a donation. :)

Bill & Janice,

Actually I did just donate recently, now that you mention it. I hope I wasn't misunderstood with my magic comment. All I meant to say is that I am all thumbs when it comes to anything mechanical, let alone electrical, or digital. Shame really, since my father was an engineer. It skipped right over me and went into my oldest boy. He can figure out anything, intuitively. If it has moving parts, plugs, or wires, he'll master it.

I'd be happy to send Mr. Pepple a case of scotch. In fact, I might even like to help him drink it!

Peace,
Bill (the other Bill; no, not that one; no, not him either; yeah, that one.)

:p

Thanks Chris, Bill, Janice and William ... your support is much appreciated!

And now for today's update, and you can probably guess what it is and what's coming up. Yes, the migration is still not going as I'd expected. What's more even the software manufacturer that the hosting provider called in couldn't make it work right. But they did figure out something somewhat helpful -- the automation is essentially broken, and I have to resort to the dreaded manual migration! So, tonight's the night for another try, with the elbow grease option -- and the site will be offline tonight at around 9pm PDT ... hopefully with some success to report this time!

Cheers,
...Alex

No, it still hadn't been completed. The software manufacturer/developer (whom the hosting company called in to solve the problem), are still investigating and their support people (the ones who puzzle out and reconfigure the product) have escalated to their developers (the ones who actually coded and made the product). The developers think they've figured it out, so I'll try again tonight. So, expect the site to be offline today at around 8pm PDT.

Cheers,
...Alex