Comments on: Dreamhost Screws Up Yet Again http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/ Ramblings about art, education, Linux and a lot more Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:11:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Gordaen http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-58106 Gordaen Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:16:21 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-58106 Now that DH as done <a href="http://blog.dreamhost.com/2008/01/17/the-final-update/" rel="nofollow">yet another blog post</a> on the topic, maybe you can forgive them ;) Yeah, the resources of hosts that don't oversell like crazy seem so tiny, but then you realize that you actually GET that amount and it isn't slower than dialup on a 2400 baud modem. I looked through all of the files I have on my account and determined that 10GB would be plenty of storage space. The majority of mine is used up by backups that I just leave on the server since there isn't an incentive to delete them after I download them when using DH. Now that DH as done yet another blog post on the topic, maybe you can forgive them ;)

Yeah, the resources of hosts that don’t oversell like crazy seem so tiny, but then you realize that you actually GET that amount and it isn’t slower than dialup on a 2400 baud modem. I looked through all of the files I have on my account and determined that 10GB would be plenty of storage space. The majority of mine is used up by backups that I just leave on the server since there isn’t an incentive to delete them after I download them when using DH.

]]> By: Luke Maciak http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57856 Luke Maciak Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:08:37 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57856 Slicehost you say... I feel really spoiled by the DH offer though that the Slicehost plans seem tiny. Naturally the resources they say you have on DH are not really realistic since they oversell so much. :P Slicehost you say… I feel really spoiled by the DH offer though that the Slicehost plans seem tiny. Naturally the resources they say you have on DH are not really realistic since they oversell so much. :P

]]> By: Gordaen http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57698 Gordaen Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:17:34 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57698 Maybe that was my problem: I didn't immediately email their support team. I thought that since they had posted about it on the status page I would be better off not adding my email complaint to the support queue. I also thought they were surely drafting a professional email to send out at that point... not half a day later! They did <a href="http://blog.dreamhost.com/2008/01/16/the-aftermath/" rel="nofollow">another blog post</a> about it ("they" being Josh) with a more professional tone. I think he got the order backward: first you solve the problem in a serious and professional manner <em>then</em> you joke about it. Had the newer post been the original post and an email sent out immediately after discovering the issue, I would have had respect for them. The way they chose to do it was flat out terrible. Looking for hosts and changing is a PITA! I am in the process of switching to <a href="http://www.slicehost.com" rel="nofollow">Slicehost</a> and have been very pleased so far (of course, I have only been with them a short time). I didn't really want to take on basic server admin duties, but I finally gave in and decided that the power would be worth it after the initial fumbling on my part. Have you tried running "df -h" on your DH server? Maybe that was my problem: I didn’t immediately email their support team. I thought that since they had posted about it on the status page I would be better off not adding my email complaint to the support queue. I also thought they were surely drafting a professional email to send out at that point… not half a day later!

They did another blog post about it (”they” being Josh) with a more professional tone. I think he got the order backward: first you solve the problem in a serious and professional manner then you joke about it.

Had the newer post been the original post and an email sent out immediately after discovering the issue, I would have had respect for them. The way they chose to do it was flat out terrible.

Looking for hosts and changing is a PITA! I am in the process of switching to Slicehost and have been very pleased so far (of course, I have only been with them a short time). I didn’t really want to take on basic server admin duties, but I finally gave in and decided that the power would be worth it after the initial fumbling on my part.

Have you tried running “df -h” on your DH server?

]]> By: Luke Maciak http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57636 Luke Maciak Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:31:14 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57636 Heh, I got the very same email. I got charged around $300 and I immediately emailed their billing support people after receiving the email receipt. Within 15 to 20 minutes I got an apologetic email response assuring me they will credit my card and that I can ignore all these charges. I also noticed that the panel was down, but all in all I was satisfied with the email response time so I went on with my day. I figured maybe they just glitched out on me and few other customers. $7.5 mill however is a pretty big mistake, and I don't really like the tone in which they are talking about it. Honesty is one thing, but if "accidentally" over billed my customers this much money I wouldn't be saying "Whoops" - I would treat it very seriously telling people measures have been taken, people have been hired, and new policies and quality assurance procedures are in place, and btw, your next month is free on us. Or something like that. I guess it's time to start looking for a company that actually takes this shit seriously. I hate server moves. :( Heh, I got the very same email. I got charged around $300 and I immediately emailed their billing support people after receiving the email receipt. Within 15 to 20 minutes I got an apologetic email response assuring me they will credit my card and that I can ignore all these charges.

I also noticed that the panel was down, but all in all I was satisfied with the email response time so I went on with my day. I figured maybe they just glitched out on me and few other customers.

$7.5 mill however is a pretty big mistake, and I don’t really like the tone in which they are talking about it. Honesty is one thing, but if “accidentally” over billed my customers this much money I wouldn’t be saying “Whoops” - I would treat it very seriously telling people measures have been taken, people have been hired, and new policies and quality assurance procedures are in place, and btw, your next month is free on us. Or something like that.

I guess it’s time to start looking for a company that actually takes this shit seriously. I hate server moves. :(

]]> By: Gordaen http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57611 Gordaen Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:41:43 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57611 Yeah, it's amazing that some love Dreamhost's response; somehow I think those people aren't the ones who were charged thousands. I finally received an email from them a little after I posted this, but I'm still wondering why it took them half a day to send out. It obviously wasn't to fix typos ("embarassed") or to ensure it was of the right professional tone. <blockquote>Hi Ian! Ack. Through a COMPLETE bumbling on our part, we've accidentally attempted to charge you for the ENTIRE year of 2008 (and probably 2009!) ALREADY (it was all due to a fat finger)! We're really really realllly embarassed about this, but you have nothing to worry about. Please ignore any confusing billing messages you may have received recently; we've already removed all those bum future charges on your account (#1234567) and fixed everything up. Thank you very very much for your patience with this.. we PROMISE this won't happen again. There's no need to reply to this message unless of course you have any other questions at all! Sincerely, The Foolish DreamHost Billing Team!</blockquote> Billing errors happen. Security errors happen. DNS errors happen. Downtime happens. If you want it to all happen in a short period of time, join Dreamhost! Yeah, it’s amazing that some love Dreamhost’s response; somehow I think those people aren’t the ones who were charged thousands. I finally received an email from them a little after I posted this, but I’m still wondering why it took them half a day to send out. It obviously wasn’t to fix typos (”embarassed”) or to ensure it was of the right professional tone.

Hi Ian!

Ack. Through a COMPLETE bumbling on our part, we’ve accidentally attempted
to charge you for the ENTIRE year of 2008 (and probably 2009!) ALREADY
(it was all due to a fat finger)!

We’re really really realllly embarassed about this, but you have nothing
to worry about. Please ignore any confusing billing messages you may have
received recently; we’ve already removed all those bum future charges on
your account (#1234567) and fixed everything up.

Thank you very very much for your patience with this.. we PROMISE
this won’t happen again. There’s no need to reply to this message unless
of course you have any other questions at all!

Sincerely,
The Foolish DreamHost Billing Team!

Billing errors happen. Security errors happen. DNS errors happen. Downtime happens. If you want it to all happen in a short period of time, join Dreamhost!

]]> By: Pig Monkey http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57438 Pig Monkey Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:50:27 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-screws-up-yet-again/#comment-57438 I've been entertaining myself with <a href="http://technorati.com/search/dreamhost?authority=a4&language=en" rel="nofollow">other blog posts on the subject</a>. Some people are actually praising Dreamhost's reponse. <a href="http://blog.lunarpages.com/2008/01/15/dreamhost-robbing-their-customers/" rel="nofollow">LunarPages has the best response</a>. I’ve been entertaining myself with other blog posts on the subject.

Some people are actually praising Dreamhost’s reponse.

LunarPages has the best response.

]]>