MobiPocket Shut Down!? - Page 11

HarryT · 08-25-2007, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaughingVulcan

So now there's the new "Mobipocket eBook Reader Desktop 6.0". I wonder if that had something to do with it?

No - that's been out for quite some time.

HarryT · 08-25-2007, 04:28 AM

There still appear to be problems on the MobiPocket web site. When I try to log on to my old account there, I get a message that my password has been reset by the system. It then takes me to a page to reset it, but when I click the "OK" button I get "Server error while processing the URL - contact the system administrator".

Seems that not all is well yet!

sianon · 08-25-2007, 07:26 AM

that is odd Harry, i have been able to access my account with no difficulties at all.

HarryT · 08-25-2007, 07:32 AM

I've left a message on the support forum at MP. Hopefully it'll get sorted out. It's no big deal - I hadn't bought any books there, so I can just as easily set up a new account.

HarryT · 08-25-2007, 12:29 PM

BTW, this message from an MP representative has been posted on their support forum this afternoon, which appears to offer an explanation for the outage:

Quote:

We took the site offline and reset your password because we recently learned of an attempt to gain access to a Mobipocket server. Files containing name, account name, password, address and e-mail address for some Mobipocket customers were kept on this server. Although we have no evidence that these files were accessed, we changed customer passwords out of an abundance of caution.

HarryT · 08-25-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've left a message on the support forum at MP. Hopefully it'll get sorted out. It's no big deal - I hadn't bought any books there, so I can just as easily set up a new account.

They seem to have fixed the problem now. I've been able to change my password and access the old account.

Neubarth · 08-25-2007, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've left a message on the support forum at MP. Hopefully it'll get sorted out. It's no big deal - I hadn't bought any books there, so I can just as easily set up a new account.

The authors and publishers are flooding the site with messages. Nothing works from our side of the house. None of us have received a reply. We can not update the listing for the books. Can not update the covers. Can not update the contents. Can not pull any reports of sales from any period. All we can do is post messages that go ignored. They have a lot of trouble.

Here is the standard screen we get if we ask for a report:

Sales starting 8/1/2007 for a period of one month
Filter by Retailer :

An error occurred on the server when processing the URL. Please contact the system administrator.

HarryT · 08-25-2007, 12:41 PM

That's the same error I was getting this morning when I tried to do a password change. They've now fixed that. I'd guess that their priority is to get the "sales" side of things up and running as a top priority.

Hope your problems get sorted soon.

Neubarth · 08-25-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

They seem to have fixed the problem now. I've been able to change my password and access the old account.

The other side of the house appears to be working now, too. Yeah!

I wonder if there will ever be an explanation?

DMcCunney · 08-25-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neubarth

The other side of the house appears to be working now, too. Yeah!

I wonder if there will ever be an explanation?

They may be trying to come up with one that doesn't translate to "We were incompetent boobs, and screwed up big time..."

Another site I'm active on got nailed by problems at their hosting company. The hosting company published a lengthy mea culpa when they got things back up detailing what had happened, what was due to factors beyond their control, and what was stuff they could have addressed and didn't, with a point blank "We're sorry. We screwed up. Here's how. Here's what we've done to make sure it doesn't happen again."

It was refreshing candor, and went a long way toward soothing unhappy customers.
______
Dennis

HarryT · 08-26-2007, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neubarth

The other side of the house appears to be working now, too. Yeah!

I wonder if there will ever be an explanation?

See my message #155 above.

Alexander Turcic · 08-26-2007, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

BTW, this message from an MP representative has been posted on their support forum this afternoon, which appears to offer an explanation for the outage:

Quote:

Quote:
We took the site offline and reset your password because we recently learned of an attempt to gain access to a Mobipocket server. Files containing name, account name, password, address and e-mail address for some Mobipocket customers were kept on this server. Although we have no evidence that these files were accessed, we changed customer passwords out of an abundance of caution.

Wow, what a bummer! If that was true, wouldn't they be required to make a public announcing giving everyone a chance to learn about that (similar to what recently happened to monster.com?).

Alexander Turcic · 08-26-2007, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neubarth

All past history of transactions/sales is not available. Hopefully they can reconstruct that.

Let's hope so. I couldn't imagine the trouble you'd have to go through otherwise.

HarryT · 08-26-2007, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Wow, what a bummer! If that was true, wouldn't they be required to make a public announcing giving everyone a chance to learn about that (similar to what recently happened to monster.com?).

I suppose it depends on the circumstances. If they simply detected attempts to break in (eg from the server logs) and took the site off-line in order to "beef up" security, then I guess there would be no need for a formal announcement.

Alexander Turcic · 08-26-2007, 06:11 AM

In this case they mentioned that they had no evidence that these files [name, account name, password, address and e-mail address] were accessed, which implies to me that they had also no evidence for the contrary.

As a proactive measure, they should make sure everyone potentially involved to get this message.

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08-25-2007, 04:28 AM	#152
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,556 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	There still appear to be problems on the MobiPocket web site. When I try to log on to my old account there, I get a message that my password has been reset by the system. It then takes me to a page to reset it, but when I click the "OK" button I get "Server error while processing the URL - contact the system administrator". Seems that not all is well yet!

08-25-2007, 07:26 AM	#153
sianon Addict Posts: 352 Karma: 572 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne Device: Sony 500, Bebook, Kindle, Eco reader Drs and soon the Archos 9	that is odd Harry, i have been able to access my account with no difficulties at all.

08-25-2007, 07:32 AM	#154
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,556 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I've left a message on the support forum at MP. Hopefully it'll get sorted out. It's no big deal - I hadn't bought any books there, so I can just as easily set up a new account.

08-25-2007, 12:41 PM	#158
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,556 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That's the same error I was getting this morning when I tried to do a password change. They've now fixed that. I'd guess that their priority is to get the "sales" side of things up and running as a top priority. Hope your problems get sorted soon.

08-26-2007, 06:11 AM	#165
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,175 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	In this case they mentioned that they had no evidence that these files [name, account name, password, address and e-mail address] were accessed, which implies to me that they had also no evidence for the contrary. As a proactive measure, they should make sure everyone potentially involved to get this message.