Saturday, October 14, 2006

My Favorite Blogger Errors

Collect 'em all!

1) Your request could not be processed. Please try again.

2) Files published…0%...Files published…0%...Files published…0%...Files published…0%

3) There were errors. (Hide details ...)

001 java.io.IOException: EOF while reading from control connection

4) The connection was reset

The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.

* The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few moments.

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network connection.

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

5) Blogger Problem

This server is currently experiencing a problem. An engineer has been notified and will investigate.

Status code: 1-500-36

6) Try publishing your post 5 times and get nowhere 5 times according to the fun 0% dealie. Then check your blog and discover 5 identical posts. Attempt to delete 4 of them. Get one of the other errors. Repeat.

Now, I know it would be too much to expect a small-time mom-and-pop operation like Google to get its act together and run a blogging service with the uptime of your average Geocities page, but I haven't given up hope. After all, I'm still using them, aren't I? (Quietly calculating how long it would take to switch all my posts over to...any suggestions?)

But maybe the creative hackery and network outages of the past month or so have finally gotten their attention. Why, just listen to their PR person: "We know how important Blogger is to our users, so we take issues like this very seriously."

While Google is busy taking this all very seriously, feel free to post any errors I've missed in the comments below. If that particular function is working today.

Friday, October 06, 2006

2006 Ig Nobel Prizes Announced

The Annals of Improbable Research has announced the winners of the 2006 Ig Nobel Prizes, the slightly less prestigious counterpart of the Nobel Prizes awarded this month. Scientific breakthroughs honored this year included:

  • An explanation for why woodpeckers don't get headaches

  • The invention of a teenager repellant, which emits an annoying noise audible to teenagers but not most adults

  • Why the sound of fingernails on a blackboard is so bloody awful

  • A paper entitled "Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage." Which pretty much speaks for itself, I think.

    Read all about these and the other Ig Nobel Prizes in the Annals of Improbable Research.