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

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You're picking on me again Abi

"Please don't tell Jim I said that"



In our defence, of the two problems I'm aware of, one was caused by an overzealous robot, which we've blocked, and the other was caused by a misconfiguration in a non-DNA server causing a proportion of people to have no access whatsoever. This has also been fixed.

I'm not saying our servers never play up, just that this time it doesn't appear to be our fault.

And far from wanting to flog them, I've just (fingers crossed) persuaded the beeb to splash out on four more servers. Which will mean a more reliable service all round.

*wanders back in; has a good chuckle at much of the last page*

So these four servers are going to cost so much that 100 people are going to lose their jobs, is that right?

B

Jim just tell the Scutters to go and annoy Rimmer and Lister and leave you lot Arthur, Ford and Zaphod alone then.

"So these four servers are going to cost so much that 100 people are going to lose their jobs, is that right?"

These servers are being funded out of the end of this year's infrastructure budget. Money which was always earmarked for hardware, not people.

The current job situation comes about because of next year's budget.

Typical public service budgeting then spend now or loss next year

Oh how I miss March now I'm not a civil servant.

Sowwy Jim... didn't really mean to cast aspersions (or should that be asparagus) on your ability... I'd already seen the problem was all the fault of the Americans (as ever )

And will someone please do something about Ashley, he's spluttering all over the place

Sorry, did you not want the spluttering function available on your Ashley???

That's good news about the servers. Over the last few days I've been wondering whether BBC access in Belgium has been cut in retribution for not being helpful on Iraq! It has been very hit and miss.

Sprout

Hmm, just wondering where on earth the splutter actuation/deactivation control would be situated on an Ashley

Ah. Well, you'd need to see the engineering department for things like that.

I'm only in marketing, though the current Ashley model tends to do a good job of marketing itself. Very good at making I've been told...

Hmmmmm
Could I order a housework slave in an Ashley model?

Four more servers? Woohoo

I assume that's four more web servers - when's the database server going to get a helping hand? Or is that okay?

And Abi, I know you're not flogging the place, but that doesn't mean I don't want a mug.

My sympathies to everyone at h2g2 if the BBC squeeze is coming your way... we've been told that at least six of us (out of about 40) in my department have got to find themselves other places to go during the first half of the new financial year, and if not enough people do, they'll have to let people go.

I was hoping to wangle myself a nice attachment at h2g2 one day... I suppose that's gone for a burton now!

All the best anyway,
Number Six

Best wishes, Six, hope it turns out OK.

Oh, and Abi if you are flogging the place, can I have a mouse-mat or two?

B

Shoiluldn't that request be a mouse mat or 42

Number Six

Why would they have 42 mousemats? That's six each.

B