pauldm
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 02:16 PM |
|
|
Intenet Cleanup Day [ICD] soon!
IT IS URGENT THAT YOU DO NOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET FROM MARCH 31st 23:59 GMT (11:59 PM) UNTIL 00:01 GMT (12:01 AM) APRIL 2nd.
It's that time again. As many of you know, each year the Internet must be closed down for a 24-hour period of time in order to receive
maintenance, or a "Tune Up" if you will. Many dead links on the World Wide Web will be removed, as well as ftp links that are no longer
used. Lost e-mail will also be removed from the system at this time.
In addition to the normal maintenance to be completed this year, we will also be using new high-pressure information jets to clear out the bottlenecks
that have plagued the Internet so greatly this past year. Although the down time for maintenance will be an inconvenience for many people, you will
find this will allow for a much more efficient and faster responding internet.
This year, the "Tune Up" will occur from 23:59 GMT (11:59 PM) on March 31st until 00:01 GMT (12:01 AM) on April 2nd. During that 24 hour
period, dozens of powerful Internet bots at key locations around the globe will simultaneously scan the Internet and complete the desired maintenance
jobs wherever they may be required. To help protect any valuable data you may have on the Internet from possible corruption, we highly recommend you
take the following steps before this 24 hour maintenance period begins:
-1. Disconnect all terminals and LANs from the Internet.
-2. Disconnect all Internet servers from the Internet.
-3. Refrain from connecting any computer, or any other Internet connection device, to the Internet in any way.
Note: The term "other Internet connection device" includes such devices as WebTV.
Again, we understand the inconvenience this will cause many people. And for that, we apologize. However, the great increase in Internet performance
you will experience after this short period of maintenance will far outweigh any problems it will cause.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Mr. Yuben T. Ricked
Global Internet Maintenance Organization Department of Webmasters and Sysops
It is very important that the entire Internet community be notified of the upcoming Internet maintenance before it gets underway. Please direct all of
your users and personnel to read this notice ASAP! Please pass this announcement to all other Internet users you contact as well. Thank you.
*** I want to die peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandfather,
not screaming, terrified, like his passengers.***
|
|
|
|
|
James
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 02:43 PM |
|
|
Cheers for the heads- up Paul.
We're already onto it at work though- most of the systems are prep'd for the big 'off' and the rest will be done this
weekend.
Cheers,
James
|
|
|
theconrodkid
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 03:13 PM |
|
|
so is this true or a wind up?
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
|
|
|
Staple balls
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 03:16 PM |
|
|
it's true
can be a big problem for companies like amazon
|
|
|
James
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 03:47 PM |
|
|
I gathered some internet dependent companies were going to have to download large portions of the internet (up to 50/60% in some cases) to their own
systems so allow customers to carry on trading during the period of the 'day-out'!
Presumably it'll be a massive problem for the likes of Symantec etc.
James
|
|
|
Staple balls
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 03:49 PM |
|
|
yeah
really not the best situation, but after this year, the net needs it
|
|
|
James
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 03:55 PM |
|
|
Good point. I've been a bit dubious in the past about them needing to do it as frequently as they have but as you say- after this year it
probably *is* needed. 
Guy at work was saying it's all a big conspiracy anyway- Micro$oft and friends playing at running the internet to see what happens when they
pull the plug. Not so sure myself- I mean it's gotta have some effect on their 'net download business.
Updates, patches, etc. etc. all could be a problem in certain circumstances!
James
|
|
|
Peteff
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 03:59 PM |
|
|
Bugger, I'd timed my latest virus to trigger at 00.01GMT 01/04/04 and I've already released it. That's knackered my day. I'll
get you next year.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
|
|
|
Staple balls
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 04:00 PM |
|
|
yeah
i think they do it to keep the net under control aswell, keep everything secure and clear out illegal stuff, shame it's so disruptive
|
|
|
kingr
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 04:15 PM |
|
|
Erm, guys, sorry if you're all being sarcastic and I'm being the boring, not seeing the gag one, but this sounds like complete and total
bullcrap. For example: "we will also be using new high-pressure information jets to clear out the bottlenecks", riiiiiiiight, I wish we
could do that at work, someone's computer starts running a bit crapply so we just hose it down with an information jet.
Regardless of anything else, if your ISP didn't want you to connect, they could stop you from connecting without any problems whatsoever -
they'd just let you know and then do it, not send some begging letter saying how important it is that you don't.
Kingr
|
|
|
James
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 04:35 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by kingr
but this sounds like complete and total bullcrap. For example: "we will also be using new high-pressure information jets to clear out the
bottlenecks", riiiiiiiight, I wish we could do that at work, someone's computer starts running a bit crapply so we just hose it down with
an information jet.
So you missed it when the TCP/IP authorities have done this before then? I'm a little surprised- it was pretty hard to miss last year!
Admittedly the original message is not been written in a terribly 'techie' way but I can assure you the information jets are very real. As
you probably know I work for HP and alongside M$ and a few others they've been working on the new way of activating the jets (using the phased
data-pulse distribution system) for quite some time.
I was lucky enough to get to a talk by one of the head-honcho designers of it and it's great!
James
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 05:23 PM |
|
|
what a conincidence, on april fools day. I must remember not to log on to the net and ruin all these purges...
Beware! Bourettes is binfectious.
|
|
|
Ben_Copeland
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 05:56 PM |
|
|
SO why is this not emailed to everyone, or pops up like the windows update thing, etc... first time i've ever heard about it
Ben
Locost Map on Google Maps
Z20LET Astra Turbo, into a Haynes
Roadster
Enter Your Details Here
http://www.facebook.com/EquinoxProducts for all your bodywork needs!
|
|
|
Staple balls
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 05:58 PM |
|
|
they don't tend to warn people who don't need to know, 90% of users will either ignore the problem, maybe call their isp later.
|
|
|
JamJah
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 06:03 PM |
|
|
Can someone back this thread up for me, otherwise it will be lost!
|
|
|
pauldm
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 09:11 PM |
|
|
Sorry to cause all the commotion. I just posted this as a reminder to everyone. I got caught out last year & lost 2 weeks work. [I ended up
re-formating.  ] However everthing is safely on CD rom this time. I not going to even put my pc on this year to be safe during the ICD.
Hope this helps.
*** I want to die peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandfather,
not screaming, terrified, like his passengers.***
|
|
|
chrisg
|
| posted on 27/3/04 at 11:38 PM |
|
|
A quick fix for this is to unplug your modem and blow down the cable.
Or put a book under the front of the monitor to clear the electrons from the screen.
Cheers
The IT help desk.
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
|
|
|
stephen_gusterson
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 12:00 AM |
|
|
Wow
Thats the internet closed down for April 1st then.
And it only gets 'cleaned up' if none of the 1billion or so users dont log on for that day.
seems like im gonna wreck the whole process then
atb
steve
[Edited on 28/3/04 by stephen_gusterson]
|
|
|
blueshift
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 01:29 AM |
|
|
I get to go down to telehouse at the end of march and unplug our server for the big cleanup. It was mad down there last year, my first year with a
colocated server. Everyone and their dog down there tidying up and having a chinwag, great time to do some human-type networking with well-connected
people in the Internet world.. all the head techies from big isps and websites.
Then the cleanup crew from LINX and LoNAP and all that lot get stuck in the next day, but I'm not a part of that. Then we come back the day
after, plug it all in again, and traditionally go mob-handed down to a nearby curry house for a geek invasion. It's fun. I wonder if
that's half the reason they do it 
|
|
|
sgraber
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 04:19 AM |
|
|
Am I really the first to mention that the name 'Mr. Yuben T. Ricked' is phonetically - "YOU BEEN TRICKED"?
If you ACTUALLY believe that the letter is real, then by all means do what it says! But you will be the loser for believing it.
Unfortunately, this type of misinformation is really quite similar to a computer virus except that this one is transmitted manually. If you forward
this mis-information to others then you are in essence the mechanism by which the virus replicates.
I know whoever posted this thinks it's funny and a harmless April fools joke. (And if you didn't then Shame on You!) But the number of
poor gullible misinformed people who will actually do what this letter says could be significant.
Do you understand the ramifications of distributing this misinformation?!
There are a LOT of gullible people in this world. Fine for you if they don't do any work for the entire day, but the fact is that most people
depend on the Internet in many ways to accomplish their work tasks. The loss of productivity due to this little 'joke' could end up
pulling millions of dollars out of the economy.
So please people - DO NOT FORWARD THAT LETTER TO ANYONE!!! IT IS A HOAX.
Not amused,
Graber
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
|
|
|
madforfishing
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 08:20 AM |
|
|
No need to worry about this site's info being lost, ChrisW will have backed it all up on a floppy beforehand.
I personally have a 'bit bucket' on the side of my Hard Disk which is shorted to earth inside my PC Case. That way I can be sure all the
garbage I want to get rid of has really gone for good and not still on the hard disk with the file refs removed.
When this ICD happened last year the local council arranged it all. Everyone left their machines out on the kerbside the night before and some
'big lads' came with a large lorry and cleared everyone's waste files away in a morning. (personally I think they were re-using
them as the lorry was not earthed, because of the rubber tyres) I am onto their scam.
|
|
|
stephen_gusterson
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 11:28 AM |
|
|
Steve Graber ...
I too was gonna say something like 'are you all stuuuuupid' but I could tell that people were just perpetuating the windup.
Anyone that does think this is true, please do consider yourself stupid.
If the UK internet industry cant get their asses in gear to block kiddy porn sites, how the heck are they gonna 'clean up the net' in a
day.
like, clean what? Does NTL leave a whole years redundant crap on their drives until APRIL 1ST!
If so, I can save them a fortune with a simple idea. Set an expiry date of 10 days or summat.
For anyone thats interested, I do have a limited qty of internet cleaning dusters. They are 100 quid each and are ESSENTIAL if you dont want the
internet to seek out your PC as the local skip/dumpster for all those files that have gotta be dumped somewhere.
hurry hurry - these things will be 200 quid on 33rd march.
atb
steve
[Edited on 28/3/04 by stephen_gusterson]
|
|
|
I love speed :-P
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 12:36 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by stephen_gusterson
For anyone thats interested, I do have a limited qty of internet cleaning dusters. They are 100 quid each and are ESSENTIAL if you dont want the
internet to seek out your PC as the local skip/dumpster for all those files that have gotta be dumped somewhere.
hurry hurry - these things will be 200 quid on 33rd march.
atb
steve
[Edited on 28/3/04 by stephen_gusterson]
do u deliver, if so i will take 2 dozen
[Edited on 28/3/2004 by I love speed :-P]
Don't Steal
The Government doesn’t like the competition
|
|
|
James
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 03:29 PM |
|
|
Edit:
Deleted that all- decided I was being a bit mean!
Cheers,
James
[Edited on 28/3/04 by James]
|
|
|
Peteff
|
| posted on 28/3/04 at 06:01 PM |
|
|
limited qty of internet cleaning dusters.
Are they the yellow ones with the special red stitching round the edges. I bought some off the Betterware catalogue and wondered what you do with
them. I've wrapped one round the hard drive and shoved it back in for now. We'll see how it goes.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
|
|
|
