Why won't POWWEB answer my questions?

[End User]

Powweb disabled my site, and appears to be unwilling to answer any questions about why it was diabled. Read this string- you won't believe that a "customer service" person could be so dismissive.

I got a message from Powweb stating my site had been disabled due to a script I'd used in the past with no problem. I had actually stopped using the script because the space.powweb.com server kept running out of HD space during the nightly backups.

I had switched to a mySQL-based banner rotator. Since the service limits have been imposed on the mySQL databases the mySQL-based rotator stops working as soon as I get 1200 page views in an hour.

If you get more than 1200 page views per hour, you're screwed because that exceeds the service limit Powweb set. Since the database connects once per page view, I can't have more than 1200 page views (banner views) in an hour or the site stops working. At least that's what I think it is- THEY WON'T TELL ME!

Since they wouldn't tell me, I went back to the PERL script. A few hours later, they disabled my site. And they won't tell me why, or what the problem was that made them decide to disable the site in the first place. What's wrong with this picture?

Here's my saga, and the rather ineffective "responses" from Powweb's "Starr Pierce":


-----Original Message-----

What in the world is going on?

I used this script with no problem several months ago and no one ever
indicated to me that there was any problem with it....why is it an issue
now?

I used this script as my original banner server, and because the
'space.powweb.com' server kept running out of hard drive space during the
nightly backups (which caused my files to be truncated), I went to a banner
server that used a mySQL backend. I should add that I did that at the
suggestion of Powweb Tech support.

So...I had the mySQL banner server software running fine for several months,
until Powweb instituted limits on the mySQL access...and my site, which gets
~200,000 hits a day exceeded those limits. Okay, fine, Tech Support said to
go back to a PERL script until the mySQL issue was sorted out. And that's
what I did- I went *back* to the original PERL script, and after a few
hours, you shut my site down.

Can someone *please* explain what's going on here? The PERL script hasn't
been modified, it should not be processor-intensive (it just displays a
banner), and it ran before for several months with no complaints from anyone
at Powweb. I give up- why is this script causing a problem now, when it
didn't before?

It has to run thousands of times a day, because it runs once per page view.
No more, no less. What's the deal? How am I supposed to serve ad banners if
I a) can't use mySQL, and b) can't use a PERL script?

Please give me an explanation as to why the site was shut down, and *please*
give me a solution as to how I can serve my ad banners without Powweb
suspending my site. I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what to do now.

-XXXXXX
www.stupidstuff.org




Starr's response:
XXXXXX,

The problems below do not seem to be connected w/ any mySQL limitations. You
need to find and resolve this problem before we re-enable your site.

Thank you for taking the time to look into this. :)

Cheers,

Starr Pierce
Powweb Inc.
http://powweb.com
admin@powweb.com

The perfect hosting solution.

---------------------------------------------------------

Wow, that was helpful, wasn't it? So, like a dope, I wrote Starr again:



-----Original Message-----

Starr,

I'm not asking you to troubleshoot my scripts. Why don't you please read my
previous email in full and give me some kind of real answer? I took the time
to describe the series of events that transpired, and included everything I
thought that might help. I got a 3-line response back that had virtually
nothing to do with what I wrote you about!

I'm asking Powweb for help in resolving this issue. Here's the question: How
can I run banners on my site if I can't use a PERL script and I can't use a
mySQL-based rotator? How do other people run banners on Powweb without
exceeding the limits or connections? Tell me how to do it, or suggest some
software, or *something*. Help me stay with Powweb.

Please give me an answer that isn't "troubleshoot your script", because I'm
not even using the script now.

Also, the script wasn't never an issue before, so why is it suddenly a
problem now? Is it using too many resources? Is it running wildly? What's
going on that triggered the disabling of my site? That's all I want to now.
Help me out here.

The script hasn't been changed at all since it was originally installed, so
I'm at a loss to know what the problem is or even what kind of problem it
was supposedly causing.

When I went to the mySQL solution, things were working fine. Then, March
1st, the mySQL banner rotator ceased to function, even though nothing had
been changed in the software.

Tech support at first said the mySQL problem I experienced wasn't a limits
issue, but they acknowledged it started coincident with the connection
limits imposed on March 1st.

Then later Tech support said maybe it was. Then they said they didn't know.
Well, who am I supposed to ask? The software ran flawlessly since it was
installed, and works fine until it appears to hit some sort of limit. Is it
the connection limit or query limit, or isn't it? There's no way for me to
tell from my end, that's why I'm asking you.

If Powweb can't handle my hits or traffic, no problem, but I need to know
one way or the other! If you won't help me figure out what the problem is
(not fixing it, just isolating it to whatever it really is), why should I
stay with Powweb? Actually, HOW could I stay with Powweb?

Perhaps as a single customer you can afford to refuse me any assistance. I
only have 3 sites on Powweb, but I think I deserve a straight answer to my
question: How do I run ad banners on my site without running afoul of the
Powweb service guidelines? If I can't find out, what am I supposed to do?


-----------------------------------------------

Starr's clever respnse:


You can run perl scripts and run mySQL just fine. We have thousands and
thousands of users doing just that w/ NO problems.

If you are having problems, then you must find and resolve it.

Again, I suggest asking around on our community forum, I am sure you will find
better ways to manage your banners (as our other users do).

Cheers,

Starr Pierce
Powweb Inc.
http://powweb.com
admin@powweb.com

The perfect hosting solution.

=================================================

Okay, I give up. How do people display banners without having people like Starr get their panties in a bunch??

How can I display banners without breaking whatever mysterious secret rule it is that Starr won't tell me about?

[Starr]

I am a "he".

Keep up your comments and you will find yourself w/ out access to our forum.

If you want to cancel, do so, but please do NOT take your anger from your inability to run your web site on me or Powweb.

[zeroseven]

Good, now answer MY post Starr :D

[KimmiKat]

zeroseven,

I like the Netscape joke on your tag...

Looks like poster's site's up, although it loaded slow...I don't think it's the server as another PW site came right up.

[Calash]

In End User's defense he has every right to be upset with that response. His questions were never even addressed. Being ignored like that and just told to "solve it yourself or leave" is not a good response to get from customer service.

I can understand the requirement to put limits in this type of environment. Unfortunately the good of the server is more important than the good of a few sites. It is good business sense. However the customer interaction seems to be suffering quite a bit. There are constant posts that the support system is not working, and when it does most of the time people are being told to come here for help, yet when they come here they get no help other than "fix it yourself".

To be honest, I have only had 1 support issue, and it was solved in less than an hour. From my personal experience the support works great for billing issues. The problem is when you read the forums and think as a possible new client, the system looks broken. Sometimes we need logs and other information that only the admins can provide so we can fix the problem.



The one question that could have easily been answered was


Also, the script wasn't never an issue before, so why is it suddenly
a
problem now? Is it using too many resources? Is it running wildly? What's
going on that triggered the disabling of my site?


I have seen the log files being posted in the past that identify the script errors. From what I have seen this information use to be email to the client when they had a script take up too much resources. This log file, or telling him where to get it, would have been a much better responce in my opinion.

I am not saying Powweb should troubleshoot every script, just that they offer us the tools to do it ourselves. Give us some way to monitor the SQL limits, send us the logs of the bad scripts, and help to guide us to a good way to resolve the problem. The forum is a good tool for this, and I think it is one of the best reasons to go with Powweb.

[KimmiKat]

Calash,

I agree. A while back I had a problem with email bouncing and never got an straight answer til someone at work said that the work's host was on a spam blacklist and many email they sent ended up bouncing back to them.

But, I ended calling them on the phone for another matter and the problem was solved shortly. As for the SQL limit issue, that could've been handled better, like announcing it ahead of time before turning them on.

[rmranch]

Well, enduser, be happy you've at least gotten some response from Powweb. I have had a problem with FTPing information to my site since 2/12/03 and have YET to recieve an answe to my questions posted to support personnel! What was that again?....... an answer to your questions in 24 or less??? Or was that 24 years or less? I am SO FED UP! I'd be happy if someone would at least write me back and tell me I was a freakin' idiot! LOL! Tomorrow I head to the phones and see if I can get an answer that way. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[Starr]

Whats your tracking #? You can also check the status of your ticket via Ops.

FYI: To all others, support, sales and billing email is usually answered w/in minutes. This is the case for 99% of all tickets. If however, your case involves an admin or developer, it may be longer for your reply (ie over 24 hours).

[rmranch]

Well Starr, hate to burst your bubble, but my question was posed to tech support 3 times now since 2/12. Is it NORMAL to take THIS long????????? I'm really getting frsutrated that no one has bothered to send me an email on this and I think my problem is simple compared to others. Considering it's been nearly a month since I've had these problems, I do not consider this an acceptable time delay for an answer. I would even be satisfied to get a follow up email stating that they know of my problem and were still working on it. Instead they seem to be leaving me and several other customers hanging in limbo. Would this be acceptable to you should you take your car in for repair and they have it for a month and you get NO answers from the repair techs there? I think not. Can you PLEASE put the bug in someone rear end over at tech support and get them to answer somone's emails? Unfortunately I am unable to provide you with my tracking # for the emails I've sent, otherwise I would have provided those as well.

[KenCarlson]

I've been with PowWeb for over a year now, and I must say that I've never had trouble getting a response to issues brought up to support@powweb.com. I've also noticed that folks like Starr are quite willing to provide answers in the forums (which really goes above and beyond in my mind because this is suppoesed to be a users-helping-users forum).

Getting a response has never been a problem.... Now, getting a response that directly addresses my issue or directly answers my question is not always easy.

End User has asked a few simple questions, but I think it is really hard to pick them out of the long support request.

End User, I used to be a lot like you... When I had an issue, I spent a LOT of time drafting detailed explanations of the situation and providing a lot of background along with my question. When you take all that time, and then the response offered doesn't seem to match the actual questions being asked, it can be very frustrating.

What I've learned is to try to keep questions posed to support as short and direct as possible. I think that in the minds of the support staf at PowWeb (who incidentally probably have to answer hundreds or even thousands of emails a day) providing all the background info just tends to obscure your question. You may have spent HOURS carefully drafting a detailed explanation of the circumstances, but the PowWeb techs don't have the ten minutes to carefully read and understand it. They are not illiterate, they are not stupid, they are not even careless... They just don't have the time.

Try something like this:

====================================
My site at mainpackagedomain.com uses a script located at /www/u/users.... To my knowledge, the script does not do anything that violates the resource usage restrictions in your TOS.

What specific policy does the script violate that forces you to shut down my site?

Please note that I have already read my package history, and there is nothing in the correspondence there that helps answer my question.
====================================

Note how the question above does not include a whole lot of background. See how it doesn't ask "what's wrong with the script" (which is not their job to answer)? It's short, sweet, direct, and asks a valid question that the support staff really does have an obligation to answer.

Reading through your original support request, you ask several questions such as "What in the world is going on?" or "What's the deal?" or "why is it an issue now?" or "Can someone *please* explain what's going on here?"

Obscuring short, simple, direct questions with a lot of background and/or the questions like those I've highlighted will not be effective with PowWeb support. I know it's harsh, and perhaps unfair, but PowWeb support staff reads your long request, which at the crux of it involves stuff that you're trying but that doesn't seem to work, and they write your whole issue off as a case of a customer that doesn't understand his own problem.

Another bit of friendly advice... You definately want to keep the request for ideas for alternatives out of your support requests, and keep them here in the forums. If you haven't done so already, post your request for banner serving ideas to the CGI/Perl and/or the PHP/MySQL forums. I'm sure somebody will have some good ideas.

I think I disagree that Starr's responses were not helpful. In his defense, he doesn't have the time to pick through the support request to find the real question.... He explained that script-specific problems are not covered by Support. He explained that he didn't feel that MySQL limitations were at the crux of your database driven banner server - implying that there was some other issue going on that is not the responsibility of PowWeb support to diagnose. He even suggested the user-forums as the place to get ideas for help and/or alternatives.

He did NOT explain what specific tenent of the TOS was being violated by the script, and I'll agree he probably could have addressed the "Is it using too many resources? Is it running wildly? What's going on that triggered the disabling of my site?" question a little better. The tone coulda been friendlier (Starr's a no-nonsense writer that sometimes comes off as curt or rude), but I don't find all that much fault in the response.

Ken

[LexF]

A quick point: If you don't receive an email confirmation from PowWeb within ten minutes of sending an email to support@ (or billing@, or qa@, or whatever) --

your message did not go through.

If you don't get a confirmation, you won't get a reply.

This happens most often -- honest! -- when people misspell "support" or "powweb." There is a "poweb" out there trying to steal our traffic, and their catch-all must receive a lot of our mail.

The confirmation email will give you a tracking code. You can reference that code in future messages, and even check the status of your support ticket (http://www.powweb.com/faqs/?category=Customer%20Support&faq_id=323) in OPS.

[KimmiKat]

Ken,

You're right. I don't remember emailing support here for an issue I had, I phoned it in and it was solved quickly, but anytime I had to email a company's support department, no matter where, I try to contain the explaination to one short paragraph... It pays to be clear and concise and getting to the point. I had one comeback say "I like your short description...it covered all I needed to resolve the issue."

[Starr]

I asked for a tracking # from the user that "claimed" he/she never received a response and did not get one.

If you need assistance and feel like you’re not getting it, send your tracking # and explanation to qa@powweb.com. I, Andrew, Winnie and James exclusively handle QA (unless we delegate a specific email to another staff member).

Remember, IF your issue requires the attention of an admin or developer, it will most certainly take longer than 24 hours. You can view the status of your ticket via Ops.

[grgoyl86]

What if you submit your question using the online form, rather than an email? I never got any response, I don't recall seeing a tracking number.
Since I used the form (twice), I doubt there was a spelling error causing it to not get delivered . . .

Please Help!!!!

[LexF]

You should still receive a confirmation code when you use the online form. If you don't, please let us know the date and time you sent your ticket, as well as the browser (version and platform) you're using.

If you didn't get a confirmation and still have a query, go ahead and email support directly at support@powweb.com.

[Calash]

There do seem to be a lot more posts about people not getting a code or a responce. While this may just be a result of only the people with problems posting, it does seem there may be some kind of issue with the support form, at least from my view.

[LexF]

Admins are investigating issues with the Support form. If you don't get a confirmation, please consider emailing your query instead for the time being.

[rmranch]

STARR - each time I have written to tech support I have used the form. 3 out of the 4 times I HAVE gotten a confirmation number. I didn't include those in my recent post because I do not have those emails anymore. I deleted them because I didn't see the need to keep them. Obviously I was wrong. Is there a problem with the email form posibly?

LEX - I DID get tracking codes, but as stated above, I deleted the emails with them so I was unable to post them for Starr to check up on. The 4th time I wrote in to support, I used the form and still have not received a tracking number.

I have just posted an email directly using the support@powweb.com email address. We'll see if I can solicit a response that way. I DID get the tracking code with that one - Tracking Code: 97e9530282eb561c619722ce94dce68e
Message Subject: Problems with FTP!

I will let you know if I get a response from them within the stated 24 hours.

If there are so many people having problems getting responses, maybe the system should be checked. Problems can arise that you may not be aware of.

Even with posting my FTP problem on this forum, I have not gotten an answer from tech support. It has been other customers trying to help me with my problems. It's getting to the point where I don't know what to do next or where to go other than complain about it.

[LexF]

Hi,

I grabbed your support ticket, and it's lacking some key information that we'll need to help you.

You didn't reference which domain was having the problem, and what the specific error message you're getting is.

Please post that information here so I can look into it further.

I attempted to FTP into the account liked from your forum profile here, and was successful:

Connected to charon.powweb.com.
220-Welcome to Pure-FTPd.
220-You are user number 7 of 5000 allowed.
220-This is a private system - No anonymous login
220 You will be disconnected after 5 minutes of inactivity.
Name (charon.powweb.com:lex): rmranch
331 User rmranch OK. Password required
Password:
230-User rmranch has group access to: 500
230 OK. Current restricted directory is /
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> ls
229 Extended Passive mode OK (|||13434|)
150 Accepted data connection
drwxr-xr-x 6 1702 500 512 Mar 4 17:26 .
drwxr-xr-x 6 1702 500 512 Mar 4 17:26 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 1702 500 512 Dec 24 23:47 cgi-bin
drwxr-xr-x 2 1702 500 512 Dec 27 00:11 etc
drwxr-xr-x 3 1702 500 1536 Feb 21 16:26 htdocs
drwxr-xr-x 2 1702 500 512 Mar 2 03:24 logs
226-Options: -a -l
226 6 matches total
ftp> cd htdocs
250 OK. Current directory is /htdocs
ftp> ls
229 Extended Passive mode OK (|||63569|)
150 Accepted data connection
drwxr-xr-x 3 1702 500 1536 Feb 21 16:26 .
drwxr-xr-x 6 1702 500 512 Mar 4 17:26 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 73615 Dec 30 15:00 001.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 80952 Dec 30 15:00 002.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 42729 Dec 30 15:00 003.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 57197 Dec 30 15:01 005.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 53878 Dec 30 15:01 010.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 27641 Dec 30 15:01 011.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 41339 Dec 30 15:02 012.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 3460 Dec 30 15:02 BACK.jpg
-rw-r--r-- 1 1702 500 42138 Dec 30 15:02 BostonDeeBar1.jpg
... and more ...

[LexF]

Additionally, I checked the logs, and we've only received one other message from your address -- it was about both email and ftp. Our rep mjp replied on February 24th to your aol.com address. Is it possible his reply was filtered as spam?

[rmranch]

Thank you Lex! Sorry for not posting that information into the support email. Here's the problem that I am having. I can log into my FTP no problem. The problem comes when I want to upload a page to my server (charon.powweb.com). It only uploads half the page. For some reason it stalls out and then I get a server timeout error. I've up the setting from 30 seconds to 90 seconds with no success. I'm admitting here that I don't know enough about FTP, servers, etc... to figure this out myself and appreciate whatever help you can provide me. If you need anymore information please let me know.

[nli]

Hi There,

I'm not sure if this is a network issue or not, but is it relatively small html page? Check your email and attach your reply to my message.

[HalfaBee]

End User,

You may be exceeding the 2G limit per day

200,000 * 20K = 4GB

I just picked 20K as an average banner size.

HalfaBee