Drobe :: The archives
About Drobe | Contact | RSS | Twitter | Webspace | Tech docs | Downloads | BBC Micro

RISC OS mailing lists paralyzed

By Chris Williams. Published: 16th Sep 2003, 17:58:01 | Permalink | Printable

SmartGroups undergoing sudden maintenance for a week

If you're on a SmartGroups mailing list, you most probably haven't received any posts for a while because SmartGroups is offline until around Friday evening due to "undergoing scheduled maintenance". The notice on the SmartGroups site says email can be sent to hosted mailing lists and the backlog will be cleared when the site returns. SmartGroups threatened to go down for 'scheduled maintenance' earlier in the year but changed their minds at the last minute. Now seems like a good time, then.

Various RISC OS related mailing lists are hosted with SmartGroups with some companies using the lists for providing end user support. The downtime will affect mailing lists for Iyonix users, RISC OS Select, CDBurn and many others.

Dave Ruck, who manages the RISC OS Graphics Card mailing list, was less than impressed at the sudden mailing list shutdown. The downtime in fact highlights how much our platform relies on SmartGroups to provide user support and discussion forums.

"..I consider it entirely unreasonable that an entire weeks downtime, starting on a Monday morning, can be announced shortly before the end of the working day on a Friday", commented Dave. "I would suggest that anyone else who also shares this view, makes smartgroups aware of their displeasure."

Hopefully users affected can survive until SmartGroups returns and mailing list managers won't feel too hard done by. In the meantime, people could contact developers directly or perhaps subject themselves to usenet.

Links


SmartGroups RISC OS mailing lists frozen

Previous: PCI is go for RiscPCs, A7000s
Next: New 800MHz XScale powered processor available

Discussion

Viewing threaded comments | View comments unthreaded, listed by date | Skip to the end

How can people complain. It is a free service. If you don't like it then make your own.

is a RISC OS UserAndrewDuffell on 16/9/03 7:08PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Even a free service should observe the normal courtesies - like giving adequate notice of down time.

is a RISC OS Userlibrarian16 on 16/9/03 7:40PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Perhaps, but I'd say it's more of a "it would be nice if they did give proper notice" rather than "we have a *right* to it".

If Drobe went down for a period, nobody has a right to complain, for instance. It's the same thing: providing a service.

is a RISC OS Usermoss on 16/9/03 7:46PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

(For free.)

is a RISC OS Usermoss on 16/9/03 7:47PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Just be thankful the exist as a free service at all. Most free things like that become subscription once they have lots of members.

F2S.com and namezero.com to name a few.

is a RISC OS UserAndrewDuffell on 16/9/03 10:15PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

IIRC, drobe *did* go down for maintenance for a period of time. However, it was clearly signposted for some time in advance so people knew what was going on.

This didn't stop panicky postings to the newsgroups entirely, of course.

Besides, we can all last without drobe for a few days, can't we? Well, some of us, then. :-)

is a RISC OS Userstewart on 16/9/03 11:14PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Is Partis Computing part of this? Has anyone else had trouble not getting their emails?

is a RISC OS Userpipalya on 17/9/03 12:28AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

I think a more accurate description might be 'smartgroups got hacked'

is a RISC OS Userpiemmm on 17/9/03 9:22AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

I have found alot of PC / MAC Hardware and Software, which uses Smartgroups due to it being an easy way to maintain a usefull and (most of the time) stable User support mailing lists / FAQ system.

is a RISC OS Userem2ac on 17/9/03 1:39PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

I think the smartgroups mailing list is back online.

As one I run for a bike club had an email I sent a few days ago. -- British by birth English by the Grace of God. [link]

is a RISC OS UserRevin Kevin on 19/9/03 8:31PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Please login before posting a comment. Use the form on the right to do so or create a free account.

+++ Message board +++

Read messages or start a new thread

Search the archives

Today's featured article

  • RISC OS vs. AmigaOS
    Are we so dissimilar?
     36 comments, latest by micken on 18/08/04 8:41PM. Published: 30 Apr 2004

    • Random article

  • Expo 2005 pre-show news
    Fun in Holland for everyone who missed Wakefield
     15 comments, latest by SimonC on 20/6/05 1:47PM. Published: 17 Jun 2005

    • Login

    Username

    Password

    Create a new account
    Forgot your password?

    Useful links

    News and media:
    Iconbar • MyRISCOS • ArcSite • RISCOScode • ANS • C.S.A.Announce • Archive • Qercus • RiscWorld • Drag'n'Drop • GAG-News

    Top developers:
    RISCOS Ltd • RISC OS Open • MW Software • R-Comp • Advantage Six • VirtualAcorn

    Dealers:
    CJE Micros • APDL • Castle • a4 • X-Ample • Liquid Silicon • Webmonster

    Usergroups:
    WROCC • RONE • NKACC • IRUG • SASAUG • ROUGOL • RONWUG • MUG • WAUG • GAG • RISCOS.be

    Useful:
    RISCOS.org.uk • RISCOS.org • RISCOS.info • Filebase • Chris Why's Acorn/RISC OS collection • NetSurf

    Non-RISC OS:
    The Register • The Inquirer • Apple Insider • BBC News • Sky News • Google News • xkcd • diodesign

    © 1999-2009 The Drobe Team. Some rights reserved, click here for more information
    Powered by MiniDrobeCMS, based on J4U | Statistics
    "Drobe is just cheap British press"
    Page generated in 0.0318 seconds.