TechDonkey.com

7:59 PM. PST

We’re experiencing the same troubles as before.

I’m communicating with the server techs again to try to straighten it out. I’m also gnawing on the ears of the folks who manage the server farm about settling the server thing once and for all.

If you send using your domain’s SMTP, swap temporarily to your ISP’s (eg: Telus or Shaw). The SMTP is unreliable in routing.

More info as it happens.

1:26am September 23

Okay, we discovered the cause.

One of the accounts on the server was so bombed by incoming spam that the entire mail queue choked.

Things should be back to normal for you. If not, please get right back to me via the support interface (link to your right —>  )

I hate spammers. But you knew that, right?

Notice: this is NOT a high-security solution for database backup! Use at your own risk.

Verbose instructions, including a step-by-step example, are included in the zip file.

Download: techdonkeycom-database-backup.zip

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This package will enable you to set yourself up a browser-visitable simple one-button backup of your MySQL database.

It was cobbled together by Elaine Miller from a few different scraps of GPL code, and specifically was constructed to have a bit of security on the index file while side-stepping the problems caused by .htaccess directory-level protection battling with the URL rewrite rules of the omnipresent Wordpress.

Users on a different architecture than my techdonkey.com clients may need to tweak their settings differently, and advanced users may wish to tweak even more. Have at it. If you make changes that are Very Useful To Others, please shoot ‘em back to me and I’ll incorporate ‘em in this package.

time: 5 min
geekiness level: minimal

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You’ll need these skills to start:

be able to edit a text file
be able to transfer files to your account, whether by FTP or SCP or Cpanel’s FileManager

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You’ll need this info before you start:

your database name
your database username
your database password
your account/site username

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Notice: this is NOT a high-security solution for database backup! Use at your own risk.

Verbose instructions, including a step-by-step example, are included in the zip file.

Download: techdonkeycom-database-backup.zip

Today, since about 3pm PST, we’ve all been having some email issues.

Both SMTP and POP, plus mailman mailing lists: all are affected.

I’ve been working with the on-site server tech for the last hour to resolve this. More info as it happens.

If you need to reach me, elaine *at* techdonkey *dot* com is the way to go.

11pm update:

After a great deal of harassing my hapless server cowboys, things are coming back online. Some sent mail and some rec’d mail is intact, but I’m not yet getting an accurate count of what’s working correctly.

noon Sept 15th update:

Everything seems to be working correctly, according to our tests.

CPanel has been upgraded, and this apparently may cause some changes in the optimum email account setup. I’m researching it, and will send out an announcement if it affects you.

If you have lingering email issues, please open a Support Ticket here, and I’ll get under the hood again.

Sorry for the technological inconveniences!

-Elaine