Note: Thanks to ipowerweb web hosting company, none of the links in this article to kingscalendar will work.
Years ago I was working in Alice Springs as 2 I/C of an establishment. One day I walked into the office and the No. 1 Manager was throwing a fit over some problem that had just arisen.
- "Why do things always go wrong at the most inopportune times?" he asked.
- "Well!" I replied, "If things went wrong at convenient times, one would hardly consider them problems!"
Ain't that the truth?
As my readers know I have my own website which is primarily devoted to Academic Research on Bible Chronology, and additionally contains social commentaries and Photographic Stories from China.
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| One site at Jin Ji Lake in SuZhou |
Recently I was advised that my Web host was shifting domains and that there would be some slight interruption to my site.
Well if you call 'Slight' the loss of files, my inability to access administration facilities, and the general public not being able to access the site, then I guess the problems are only slight.
Recently at Magic City I published a lengthy article entitled: Luo Laoshi's English Teaching Methodology which formed the introduction to my teaching plan. The rest of that plan was published at King's Calendar. Murphy's Law being what it is, that article at King's Calendar was one of four that got lost in the move. That in itself is not a big deal, because all you have to do is republish right? Wrong! I can't publish anything.
But it was not only that article that got lost. Steven Shamrak whose articles I post at Magic City, had two articles on my site which likewise disappeared and which likewise can't be reinstated. But it doesn't stop there. Mr. Tellis who writes for Magic City had been corresponding with me and gave me permission to publish some of his work. Sorry Mr. Tellis. At present it is a case of 'no can do'.
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| One site at Jin Ji Lake in SuZhou |
But it doesn't end there. July marks the 5th year that my site has been up and running and I planned to do a '5th Year Celebration Special Sale', reducing the price of my book 'The King's Calendar : The Secret of Qumran', from US$39.99 (Members $27.50) to just US$22.50.
Well, I worked everything out, was getting an article ready to advertise the fact, had links ready to put in the appropriate places on site, and was set to advertise the new price on the BUY page, when this wonderful high technology 'Upgrade' took place. Shades of Murphy's Law!
Not only is it 'not possible' to advertise the sale on my website, but you can't even get into the website most days of late. My monthly statistics have plummeted, and naturally so has my income. The only benefit to all of this is that living in China as I do, I fully appreciate my Web Host's perspective.
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| Jin Ji Lake in SuZhou |
My Web host has 'upgraded' and my site now does not work properly on the internet. That may seem odd to you common foreigners, but it is perfectly logical to the Chinese Mind. It works like this.
I say: We have upgraded our service.
You say: But my site doesn't work.
I Say: Yes I know, it is because we have upgraded our service.
You say: But my site doesn't work properly.
I say: Yes I know. Your site doesn't work properly because we have upgraded our service.
You say: But why doesn't my site work
I say: How many times must I tell you. Your site doesn't work because we have upgraded our service.
It is all perfectly logical to those with logical minds.
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| Jin Ji Lake in SuZhou |
To those who have been waiting for me to finish the series on Nanjing and Ningbo, I can only say, "Sorry, it's because of the upgrade". (Until I can put the excess photographs up at Kingscalendar, I can't publish the stories at Magic City).
To those who wanted to read the full version of the teaching plan, I can only say "Sorry, it's because of the upgrade". Maybe I will publish the second half at Magic City in a week or so.
To those writers whose files are missing from Kingscalendar, I can only say: "Sorry, it's because of the upgrade".
To those who will miss the chance to buy 'The Secret of Qumran' at a special price I can only say: "Sorry, it's because of the upgrade".
To my Web hosts I can only say: --- then again I better not print that.
Oh well! It's off to see if there are any competent hosts and servers who can carry my site whilst actually providing service.
The internet is such a wonderful place. So modern! So advanced! So Technological! Thank God I have an income apart from my website. Then again, at the moment I am not even too sure about that! But that is another story.
Have a nice Day.
Update on Web Host: I received these links 4 hours after publishing this article. I thought it was just my website that was the problem. Just take a look at these complaints.
http://ipowercomplaints.com/
https://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/just-say-no-to-i-power-web http://www.americanbadbusinesslist.com/ipowerweb-complaints2.htm http://www.poshlust.com/ipowersucks/2007/05/my-experience-with-ipower.html
Addendum June 16th
ipowerweb UPGRADE loses business.
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| This is Ipowerweb idea of an UPGRADE |
These are the daily HITS on my site at present. Currently when you click onto the site there is a redirect to the BUY BUTTON. Who would want to buy a book about which they can read nothing in advance?
Ipowerweb must be one of those 'outsourcing companies', because for the life of me I can't figure out how any internet company could be so bloody stupid. Now which page was it that wanted people to join in a class action?
R.P.BenDedek
Email: rpbendedek@hotmail.com
R.P.BenDedek is the pseudonym of the Author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' (http://www.kingscalendar.com/), and is a guest columnist at Magic City Morning Star News. An Australian, he currently teaches Conversational English in China.
Photographic Stories from China at Magic City
"The King's Calendar" is a chronological study of the historical books of the Bible (Kings and Chronicles), Josephus, Seder Olam Rabbah, and the (Essene) Damascus Document of The Dead Sea Scrolls.
