Brits in Crete Forum Saga Continues
There are good reasons for that. Not until yesterday did I get to have a significant breakthrough. Before I get into that - I keep being asked this question: - "Why we did not foresee such a breakdown possibility and ensure readily available back up copies of the web site?"
Answer - We took over the web site officially on January 1. Already in February there was a 24 hours breakdown. Reasons stated for being offline then were cited as technical by our domain name registrar. This registrar also provided for a server for us to be 'online'. I was also assured that routine back up was taking place. But I wanted continuous back up.
Alarm bells were already ringing in my head and we immediately talked to the register and arranged and paid for what was assumed to be a "local back up" of the forum by that company, Commstation Ltd.
A North Wales based, company, Commstation Ltd (COMSTAT in the Nominet UK records) referred to in my first post as "my man" appeared to book its server capacity - for at least the Brits in Crete Forum website, ultimately, through yet another company - Network Impact Ltd, with a wholesaler of such services, Designer Servers Ltd (DSVR) in Lancashire.
DSVR is part of one of Britain's largest Internet groups, Legend/THUS plc.
BritsinCrete went offline on Monday April 16 because DSVR ended an account relationship that affected our registrar "my man". As the account was no longer active, so server support was withdrawn.
One of the walls I have had to break through since April 16 is that of the UK privacy protection act. For instance, I cannot ask a company if they have a client on their books of a certain name. That is why it has taken so long to access, collate and then act upon the information we needed to get back online.
Sadly "my man" appears to have gone quiet and not responding to telephone calls, nor returning messages left in his voice mail at the time of writing.
This brings you up to date with what has happened.
What now?
Yesterday, Wednesday, by a very understanding UK Internet Authority - Nominet; the previous BritsinCrete owner, Geoff, and the company (where the actual BritsinCrete Forum files are located and intact) we have started the required formalities for us to be back online.
This paragraph, if a distraction, but shows the way the world thinks : I have learnt through a network of friends and some e-mail correspondence, there are those who value BritsinCrete as a useful service; those on Crete who clearly would like to see it die on its feet for their own reasons, and some who, even knowing the current state of affairs, ask selfish questions related to the website knowing it is down. But, as I have stated publicly and previously, BritsinCrete has an inertia all of its own that is hard to put down.
I will keep everyone posted as to progress to get the forum back online.
Thanks for everyone's continuing support.
NB: We posted a brief update on the homepage of the main britsincrete website on Tuesday April 24. That website: www.britsincrete.net has been operating normally as it is on separate servers at a different company.
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