Posted On: Thursday - November 5th 2020 10:13AM MST
In Topics: Websites Artificial Stupidity
After being extremely pissed about my hosting company up to and during a 9-minute wait on hold, I can say that the tech support/billing guys do a splendid job! Wheewww.
Here's what it was: If you have been reading a month, then you may have seen our post Site Note: DO! NOT! BE! ALARMED!. That was posted because we'd been down for a day or so, due to the SSL (Secure Socket Layer, don't ask, I can't explain) certificate* being expired, or so I thought.
Well, with help from commenter Adam Smith in the comments under that post, I got into installing the free 90-day SSL certificate, rather than paying an inordinate amount for it from the hosting company. It was an experience in the type of learning that someone like me honestly doesn't give a damn to learn about, except that Peak Stupidity was down. As a matter of fact, I already have forgotten the exact steps that took a while to get right, but I do happen to remember where I stored the notes on what I did.
That was one month ago, though, and I gave myself a reprieve from the artificial stupidity for 90 days, I'd thought.
No, but the site not only said insecure this time, it was plain down. The SSL cert. I installed showed expiring in January '21, a few days after my alarm reminder to "get off my ass and take care of this". Upon looking at email, I saw that my hosting company had tried to bill me ~$160 for SSL stuff, and that's what, after 10 minutes of fuming, I brought up the the nice, helpful, and most importantly, American tech dude (well, the latter is also important - sorry, but I have more confidence in a "dude" on this type of matter). Ahaa, "you''re back up. Check it" he told me, after about 30 seconds of looking at this.
OK, but, what was the problem? He had said before the fix that my certificate from his hosting company had just expired, hence the charge. "Wait, but it already expired back in October. That's why my site went down, and I fixed it." "No, we give you notice ahead of time, but it just expired yesterday." Hence the attempted billing**. "But, but, the SSL cert. I installed is good through January. It shows that."
Yeah, but I had forgotten the last step, to virtually mash some INSTALL button, he told me. Unbelievable! So, the one I spent that time on was not in use till now, but at least I know it's working. This tech support guy went beyond the call of duty, or beyond the scope of what I pay for, more importantly, by just doing that step for me. (Normally, that costs, like 100 dollars.)
When we finally left this dreary subject on October, 8th, Adam Smith and I, with some comments to help by Mr. Blanc and Robert, Mr. Smith noted "the mystery remains". IT STILL DOES! Why did my site go down in October, a month before my SSL renewal from the hosting company was due? I asked, but the answer wasn't clear to me.
If you see problems on or about the 7th of January, it is not the Biden/Kamel-Toe administration with some sort of Head Start program for the Orwellian world to come. It's just me and this computer crap... probably... if it's a couple of weeks, bring some hound dogs to look for me ...
* No, it's not something I earned in night school. No need for congratulations, but thanks anyway.
** I detest leaving any kind of card on file or auto-pay for ANYTHING, and I am more than paid up on everything else. Plus, due to occasional scammers, the card must be changed out every 1/2 year (lately) anyway. You can't bill to the old one.
Comments:
Moderator
Saturday - November 7th 2020 9:08AM MST
PS: "... has said 'ZeroSSL' since ..." is what I meant, Mr. Smith. The typos aren't getting any better either.
Moderator
Saturday - November 7th 2020 9:06AM MST
PS: I just got back to this post to fix a typo, and now I see where I read your comment too quickly yesterday. You say the little lock as said "ZeroSSL" since Oct 7th. Yes, that is very curious.
The mystery not only remains but has gotten worse!
The mystery not only remains but has gotten worse!
Moderator
Friday - November 6th 2020 10:07AM MST
PS: Thanks, Mr. Blanc
I do not like seeing my site down. That's partly why I just leave the bad formatting/searching/pagination/whatever else alone, not to mention the laziness ....
I do not like seeing my site down. That's partly why I just leave the bad formatting/searching/pagination/whatever else alone, not to mention the laziness ....
Moderator
Friday - November 6th 2020 10:06AM MST
PS: Yes, you got the GoDaddy right, Adam. You can see that I get pretty coy about giving out any info not necessary. (This is a "need to know only" blog, haha.) Obviously this was easy to figure from the site IP number in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Anyway, see, the GoDaddy cert (one I paid good money for 2 years before) was apparently still being used until this gentleman in tech support did the last simple step in the install (basically to mash "Install" somewhere!) the free 90-day one I put on myself in early October. The mystery now is why my site would have had any problem with the GoDaddy cert last month, since I still had a month to go on it. Yet, you remember the problem I had then.
The young lady in the Philippines last month was really pretty good too, but no matter how good the spoken English, the understanding is just not there, and everything has to go round in circles a few times before there is understanding, on both sides.
This guy was an American, working from home somewhere, and next time I check my email, I will give him the good marks on the survey.
A number of times in which I've called (mostly just for re-upping) the GoDaddy people are kind of amused by the web-site name and content. Hey, we can use all the readers we can get.
Welcome GoDaddy employees! Keep up the good work, or else ... Adam Smith will give me better ideas!
Anyway, see, the GoDaddy cert (one I paid good money for 2 years before) was apparently still being used until this gentleman in tech support did the last simple step in the install (basically to mash "Install" somewhere!) the free 90-day one I put on myself in early October. The mystery now is why my site would have had any problem with the GoDaddy cert last month, since I still had a month to go on it. Yet, you remember the problem I had then.
The young lady in the Philippines last month was really pretty good too, but no matter how good the spoken English, the understanding is just not there, and everything has to go round in circles a few times before there is understanding, on both sides.
This guy was an American, working from home somewhere, and next time I check my email, I will give him the good marks on the survey.
A number of times in which I've called (mostly just for re-upping) the GoDaddy people are kind of amused by the web-site name and content. Hey, we can use all the readers we can get.
Welcome GoDaddy employees! Keep up the good work, or else ... Adam Smith will give me better ideas!
MBlanc46
Friday - November 6th 2020 9:00AM MST
PS It was a shock, but I did suspect that it was a glitch. Welcome back.
Adam Smith
Friday - November 6th 2020 8:00AM MST
PS: Good morning Mr. Moderator...
"Yeah, but I had forgotten the last step, to virtually mash some INSTALL button, he told me. Unbelievable!"
Hmmm...(?)
If that is truly what happened, then why has the little green padlock said "Verified by: ZeroSSL" since October 7th?
I noticed something was up with your certificate (or something)(*.prod.iad2.secureserver.net not properly configured) last night, but when I clicked through it still had the green padlock and said "Verified by: ZeroSSL". (mail.peakstupidity.com also worked as usual.)
I didn't think much of it, and I thought it was some sort of glitch with godaddy. (The internet tells me that *.prod.iad2.secureserver.net is an IPv4 address owned by GoDaddy.com, LLC and located in North Scottsdale, AZ)
The mystery remains more mysterious than ever...
Glad to hear you had a good tech support experience.
☮
"Yeah, but I had forgotten the last step, to virtually mash some INSTALL button, he told me. Unbelievable!"
Hmmm...(?)
If that is truly what happened, then why has the little green padlock said "Verified by: ZeroSSL" since October 7th?
I noticed something was up with your certificate (or something)(*.prod.iad2.secureserver.net not properly configured) last night, but when I clicked through it still had the green padlock and said "Verified by: ZeroSSL". (mail.peakstupidity.com also worked as usual.)
I didn't think much of it, and I thought it was some sort of glitch with godaddy. (The internet tells me that *.prod.iad2.secureserver.net is an IPv4 address owned by GoDaddy.com, LLC and located in North Scottsdale, AZ)
The mystery remains more mysterious than ever...
Glad to hear you had a good tech support experience.
☮