h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Perhaps it's different for me as on IE my 'home page' is my h2g2 azahar PS page - so it always comes up. On alabaster.

az

Traveller in Time wondering about signing out
"I just never close the windows not only I do not sign out I also keep the computer running.

And then they ask 'Also when you are not there ?', just imagine I am reading most of the time.
Or perhaps even doing something else on the computer. "

If I don't turn my computer off sometimes it gets slower and slower. I probably need a new computer.

Traveller in Time tuning systems to work 24/7 for work
"It did take me some time before I managed to get Windoze that stable. "

I have the problem with my skin. Thing is when I log in, and check my preference, it's marked as albaster. So I press update, and voila. Gets a bit tiresome doing it /every/ time I log on, but ah well...

We've found the problem and there will be a fix for it on Monday. In the meantime, just bookmark a link containing the skin name in the URL and you should be OK.

Thanks Jim.

I'm just curious - what was the problem?

It's reasonably dull, I'm afraid.

One of the new features in this release is HTML caching - it gives us the ability to cache the final HTML that we send to users. Because of the dynamic nature of DNA, this is something that we've avoided, but it's something that can help the servers to cope with peaks in demand. (This was especially necessary with the World Cup coming up, because we were expecting the 606 messageboard to become even busier. Oh well.)

In putting in this caching, we had to slightly rearrange the initialisation code, and the bug was introduced by removing the code which initialises the current user, but not also moving the code which decides what the current skins was, so that code thinks there's no current user and always defaults to Brunel. The fix is to move the skin checking code to after the current user has been created, and everything should work again.

Told you it was dull.

Traveller in Time decoding from a Goo blue screen
"That means the Frame and Expert bit are in another routine. . .

And my screen is actually white with black blocks, as I am using a monochrome monitor "

This bug should be fixed now.

Jim, I don't think that you need worry too much about 606 bending your servers out of shape. After the guttng that that board has taken in these last few days, arguably the most active thread is the one posting links to new homes the hell away from the BBC. All rather sad really.

Heigh-ho, I s'pose it means less 502 errors for the rest of the system...

Many thanks Jim

"Jim, I don't think that you need worry too much about 606 bending your servers out of shape. After the guttng that that board has taken in these last few days, arguably the most active thread is the one posting links to new homes the hell away from the BBC. All rather sad really."

Hence my 'Oh Well.'

We were keen to see what effect the caching would have on such a busy site, but the 606 editorial team had already decided to make their changes, and they announced them simultaneously with the upgrade so we never got to see a normal level of traffic going through the servers with the changes.

Jim, I'm glad folks got their Goo back. However, I just got Goo when I signed on instead of alabaster. It even automatically changed on my preferences box.

Are you sure you didn't previously change to Goo when the bug was in effect, and forgot to change back. We haven't done anything which would actually change your stored preference. And simply changing it back will work now.

I'm positive I didn't change to goo. But a friend who might possibly have my password and who is a goo fanatic might have changed it as a prank. Anyway, it didn't happen just now when I signed on and I now have a new password.