In-World Service Interruption

Is it odd that this happened exactly at the moment I tried to login?

Please throw a few camping bots over the sim edge.

your in on the conspiracy. shhhhhh

And it seems like only a short while ago since:
>>>>>>
[Resolved 1:10pm PDT] - Logins have been re-enabled and the database is feeling much better now. Be gentle, it has a little headache.

Logins have been disabled momentarily to help the database recover. We expect them to re-open within the half hour. You may see some database related issues in the meantime.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
<<<<

Oh!
It *was* only a short while ago.



The promised beefing up of the servers is long overdue.

And we get these completely asinine, childish, unprofessional status reports out of LL.


Maybe its a culture thing.
What happens in SF when they have a power cut?
Does the utility company put out statements to the effect that the power stations / transmission systems have a slight cold?

What happens if the traffic lights all switch off and the city is totally gridlocked?
Does the mayor put out a statement to the effect that the traffic light were feeling a little sad?

I'm reasonably sure that SF *did* have a powercut a litle while ago - can't exactly remeber wehn though. Nobody could login though surprisingly

It may seem a little unprofessional, but my guess is that the Lindens are just as sick of the database problems as we all are and are just trying to break the monotony of the status updates by being a little cutesy about it.

An excuse that works sometimes.

Sheesh, different pages that people refer to in order to get information about second life often have different bits of information. Earlier when I went to the status page it was current about the issue today, on yet another page I saw the one from yesterday (headache and all). Maybe they need to have all those pages direct to one page when there is an issue to help with all the stinkin confusion. >.<

It doesn't "seem" unprofessional.
It shouts to the world that the operation is being run by a bunch of amateurs with absolutely no sense of responsibility.
Cutesy my arse!


I'm not sure when exactly they blogged that they needed a few weeks to install new server hardware. It was more than "a few weeks" ago.

Yeah, I figured my comment would get a response like that. I guess I just don't agree. I don't see how the state of Second Life would be an iota different if the service interruption announcements were presented in entirely formal language.

Let me put that another way. To you it conveys "no sense of responsibility." To me it conveys "we're frustrated by this too."

I thought I'd dip back into this thread as the other one is degenerating into a flamewar...

I would imagine the Lindens are just as cheesed off as everybody else - but unlike us they are in a much better position to fix it

added:

Als there are now 46k still in - there were about 61k when the problem first started

It's true that the thing would be borked no matter how the borkage was described.

However, I think that the unprofessional presentation inflames the situation.
It's clear that LL is in trouble. These overload situations are not something new or unpredictable.

I don't want to see a "we're frustrated by this too" coming out of LL.
It implies that they are not in control of the situation. It doesn't inspire confidence. It does the reverse.
They're frustrated? Tough!

*We* can be frustrated. We are depending on LL to do a competent technical job to keep SL running and growing.


If I am maintaining a customer system that is malfunctioning, the last thing I would do is tell my customer that "the system is a bit sad" or that I was frustrated.
My job is to fix it.

I would prefer that the servers not be anthropomorphized.. I don't want anyone crying when one has to be "put to sleep", nor do I want to buy it a watch when it gets "retired".

Amazingly, a high percentage of SL users are capable of understanding computer jargon. We feel safer, and very often we're happier, when some tech goes on for a paragraph about 'Load balancing" and "multi threading" "garbage collection subroutines" etc... Even people who don't understand those terms, feel more confident when someone uses them deftly

"Headaches", "Not feeling well" "unhappy".. these are words that describe the general user experience working with the company... these terms should not be used to refer to hardware and software failures.

Sometimes Linden Labs choice of words, brings to mind images of server racks with bandaids and thermometers sticking out of them.. and it makes me worry that some Linden, somewhere, is treating and overheating router with an ice pack.

I've no idea what percentage of SL users are capable of understanding computer jargon. I don't know whether your assumption is correct. I think it's possibly true that a large percentage of content creators are comfortable with computer jargon, though database computer jargon is different from, say, texture jargon or scripting jargon; "computer jargon" is not a monolithic thing.

But at any rate I've just no idea what the average SL user knows about database construction and performance; I'm reasonably tech-savvy (though not a computer professional) and I certainly don't know anything about it. My guess is that you overestimate the tech-savviness of the community. But, I don't really have any way to know.

Speaking only for myself, then, if I saw lots of posts about "Load balancing" or "multi threading" or "garbage collection subroutines," I'd probably stop reading the status reports, because they would really be useless gibberish to me. They wouldn't make me feel more comfortable; how the heck do I know if the technobabble is meaningful or excuse-ful? I wouldn't know.

All I know is, when my computer is malfunctioning, I say "my computer is sick" or "my computer died" or "my computer is having a fit." And as a SL user who is not a computer professional, it just doesn't bother me that much to see LL using that kind of language in its status report. I actually don't really care beyond that - it wouldn't do me any good to know whether the problem was attributable to 'Load balancing" or "multi threading" or "garbage collection subroutines."

That's just the perspective on one non-techie user of SL.

Imagine if you paid an incredibly well known, and very high priced car mechanic to repair your car, and when you came to ask what was wrong, he said "Well your car.. it like had a tummy ache. And well now it has a runny nose. So you can drive it, but be sure to tuck it in at night".

I somehow doubt you'd ever use that mechanic again. It's one thing if he spouts technical stuff and then you say "wait, what does that mean? can you simplify that?".. it's something else entirely when that's all the explanation they offer.

History has shown, when they use the "baby explanations" in status posts, they get 150 complaints. When they use technical terms and actually explain what's wrong.. even if it's above the understanding of the average reader, they get compliments for being "on the ball" and for "doing the best they can with an incredibly complex issue".

If they treat us like children, then it's amazing how frustrated the user base becomes.

Linden Lab needs to keep that in mind.

So you take it to a repair shop.
And they tell you that it had the flu.
And you go "LOL! Cute "

The next day it malfunctions again.
You take it back to the shop.
They tell you that it has a cold and needs a warm drink.
And you go "LOL! Cute "

Later that day, it malfunctions again.
You take it back to the shop.
They tell you that it has a a tummy ache.
And you go "LOL! Cute "

The next day, it malfunctions again.
.....
........
And you go .......





OR

You take a malfunctioning PC to a repair shop.
You tell them that it has a tummy ache.
And they go " LOL! Cute "
They ask you what exactly is wrong.
And you tell them that it had a slight temperature earlier, and now it's a bit fretful.
And they go "LOL! Cute "
So they ask you again.
And you tell them that it's a little depressed.
And they go "LISTEN LADY! WUT DA FARK IS THE PROBLEM??"

Eventually they determine what the particular problem is, and they fix it.
That's what you pay them for.

No I don't. I feel condescended and talked down to. How can I show confidence in a statement I don't understand? You shouldn't need a computer science degree to use the program.While the colloqialisms are a bit much, so is the need to couch everything in siliconese. I like being spoken to in plain Adult English.