The people who posted my name and number was my web host, Computer Partners. Anyone that went to A Place to Fly over the past couple days were greeted with:

_________________

This Page is OFFLINE Contact Linda G**** at (111) 123-4567

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Computer Partners (aka compar) had replaced my placeholder 404 with that, and locked me out of my account so I couldn't change it. I wasn't informed that they were doing *any* of this. They finally replaced my personal info today, so now I can talk about this in detail. *sighs*

On July 5th Gayle noticed that PtF was down, and told Mike. Mike came home and told me. Checked the site via browser, nothing there. FTPed into compar and discovered that all my files were gone. All that was left was 2 folders, empty. I freaked, and asked Mike to call compar about it as I was too furious to make the call myself.

Over the next couple hours we were told that they had no backups since April (they advertise 3 backups per week) and we would have to restore the site from our own backups. It was also implied that we had deleted the files. Mike mentioned that we hadn't received a bill and gave compar the new address.

We found a local backup from April and restored the site as best we could. The next week we received a bill from compar. It was mailed on the 6th of July. I would have expected a written apology for their fuck up, and perhaps an offer of a free month hosting. Instead I got a bill.

At this point I decided I didn't want any of my site on their servers anymore. I shut PtF down on July 9th, leaving the following 404:

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I am sorry to announce that A Place to Fly will be closed until we can find a new host. As some of you might know, on Thursday July 5th, 2001, I discovered that all the files had been deleted from the server. When we called compar, we were told that they did not have any backups for several months. We had to restore A Place to Fly from our own backups.

To add insult to injury, I have received a bill from compar today where I would have expected an apology. It has become very obvious to me that I am dealing with a disreputable company that has no interest in positive customer relations, or in admitting their mistakes, and offering solid solutions.

I apologize for the removal of this site and hope to be back online ASAP.

Linda.

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According to compar they did apologize. Also as my placeholder 404 was so offensive to them they felt they had the right to remove it and put up my full name and phone number "so people could contact Linda if they needed to". I don't argue that they had the right to remove my 404. I do think they proved themselves to be all the things I said they were in the act of putting my personal information out for all and sundry to see. They have my email addresses, there was *no* reason to put my phone number up there. Mike was also informed that it was our responsibility to backup our site, and they didn't have to maintain their 3/week advertised backups.

*sighs* I've found another host for PtF, and as soon as the DNS propagates my site will be back online. I wish there was a way to make compar understand that what they did wasn't right, and to my understanding illegal. I just don't have the income to hire a lawyer and force this point.

Just to clarify a few points about the situation:
-There was no contract with compar. I signed up with them via my roommate who was their webmaster at the time. I gave him a cheque, he took it into work with him and set up my hosting. Nothing was signed and there were no "OK" buttons pressed.
- To the best of my knowledge compar doesn't have an AUP or TOS. The information I have about them is via their 'hosting packages' page. That's *it*.
- The only paperwork I have from compar is 2 invoices. Bills.

All I have to say now is that I hope compar goes under. I don't want to have anything more to do with them ever and I regret that I didn't change hosts when my roommate left their company. Bah.

Later..

Yesterday I went to a BBQ in Guelph for a web site I don't visit much anymore. For the most part I enjoyed myself and met a couple people I'd really like to get to know better. Gayle and I went over earlier in the afternoon, so I had the opportunity to observe myself as more people arrived. I think I was my most comfortable when it was just 4 of us sitting around, eating and having a fascinating girl chat session. As the night went on and more people arrived, I found myself getting quieter and quieter.

I find in situations like that, where I don't know most of the people there IRL I get really nervous about coming across as stupid. I *know* better than that, but that's the way I feel. So I end up filtering most of what I say and do. Didn't help that I was the only smoker. I get nervous that even tho I go outside I'll still reek when I come back in. I don't want to offend, see. =/ Enh.

One thing that still bothers me is the whole 'net conversation. I was starting to tell our hostess about the banana nut muffins I brought with me. (I think it's really cool that this fabulous recipe is a specialty of a B&B somewhere in the states.) Anyways, I was saying "I found the first recipe on the 'net..." and that's as far as I got. The girl beside me said " 'NET?" in a tone that I use on people that don't have a clue. I don't remember the specifics of the rest of the conversation, but I came away with the impression that I had done some terrible faux pas in using " 'net " instead of "internet". Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, but god, that annoys me. In the grand scheme of things I've been using the WWW version of the net since 1995, and I dabbled with BBSes in 1990. I figure after 6 years (or 11, depending on how you look at it) on this thing I can call it whatever I damn well please. I'm not some newbie luser lacking a clue so I don't need some relative stranger using the newbie luser tone of voice on me. Granted, I'm probally being a cranky middle-timer about it all. ;)

The other thing was age. About midway through the evening it dawned on me that I was at least 3 years older than everyone there. Someone was talking about a Sesame Street skit with Bert and Ernie, and almost everyone remembered it. I didn't. I feel awful about it but there was a part of me that wondered if the reason I didn't remember the skit was because I wasn't watching Sesame Street anymore at that point. My Sesame Street had the great counting song 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12! done in trippy 70s orange and brown.

I'm no ageist (at least I hope I'm not!), but I'm starting to realize that age and experience does change perspective on things. I don't think I like that realization. I don't want to become one of those "I know more about life just because I'm older" people. Actually when I think about it I only feel snotty about being older when I'm getting attitude from someone younger than me. A knee jerk reaction of "Oh. You're going to be elitist about that? Well then. I was your age in fucking 1992. Bite me, kiddo." Not very pretty but I do think stuff like that sometimes. Enh.

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