For the past four days, I've been unable to post anything on this site, because my server was down. It wouldn't have been so bad except that this isn't the only site I have hosted on this particular (Canadian, inexpensive) server. I also maintain blogs for two other people, one of whom is in the midst of a political campaign. His static pages were fine, but he couldn't post to his blog and no-one could view his guestbook.
It made me realize how vulnerable the web is becoming as it relies more on dynamically created pages. They're fine - until something goes wrong.
In this particular case, the problem was caused by one of the server's other clients, who wanted to install a particular script. Unfortunately this script went out of control, throwing the server offline for several days.
To add insult to injury, the server administrators then sent out an email to all their clients in which they implied that we were partly responsible because we had flooded their support lines with questions and complaints. Well really; when we pay for a service and the service breaks down, we have the right to try to find out what's going on.
This attitude of the customer is always wrong is very prevalent on the web these days. Microsoft is adopting it with regard to the latest attacks that exploit the vulnerabilities of its operating system. The problem, in Microsoft's view, is not that hackers are exploiting software that Microsoft left vulnerable; the problem is that the people who purchased this software aren't installing the latest patches to fix the flaws that Microsoft built into the product.
These companies have to realize that they have an obligation to their clients to produce products that don't have flaws. Too often on the web, software is released too early, with the assumption that if there are any problems, customers will find them and write in about them. Not only are we doing their work for them; we're paying for the privilege.
I'm using "we" in the rhetorical sense, by the way. I use a Macintosh ;-).
Posted by wetcoast at September 18, 2003 12:56 PM