tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9713292742357814902024-02-20T21:28:02.817-08:00Hello World Web Design and Hosting NewsImportant news and announcements for both our hosting and design clientsHello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-61931630600508648832019-08-31T08:11:00.000-07:002019-08-31T10:11:20.373-07:00[RESOLVED] Data Center Power Outage - Apollo Server DownThe data center in Washington DC where the Apollo server is located had a physical power outage this morning at 4:33am EST / 7:33am PST.<br />
<br />
The power is currently being restored and services are being brought back online.<br />
<br />
As soon as this process is complete I will update. Thank you for your patience, we apologize for the service interruption.<br />
<br />
UPDATE 10am PST: Power has been restored and the Apollo server is back up and humming along nicely.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-34793180135286348352019-05-10T16:51:00.000-07:002019-05-10T16:51:12.325-07:00Domain Name Registration Price IncreaseAs of June 10, 2019 the price to register, transfer or renew a domain name will be $19.95 per year.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-26718464413794614152019-02-18T00:31:00.002-08:002019-02-18T11:16:06.369-08:00[RESOLVED] Apollo Server: Network Connectivity IssuesThe data center where the Apollo server resides is experiencing network connectivity issues, and their engineers are investigating.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your patience while they fix the problem.<br />
<br />
UPDATE 8:03AM -<br />
I have been in contact with support staff at the data center during the night. While I get an almost immediate reply, there's been a definite lack of information as far as <i>what</i> the problem is and how much longer it will take to fix it.<br />
<br />
The official word back is<br />
<br />
"<i>We are still diligently working on having this issue resolved and treating it with the highest priority.
<br />
<br />We are working closely with our storage vendor and have certified engineers on site.</i>"<br />
<br />
<br />
As I get updates I will pass them onto you.<br />
<br />
UPDATE 10:19AM -<br />
The only "update" I'm getting is "<i>There is no ETA at this time when services will be restored.</i>" I've requested access to back-ups so I can migrate all accounts to a different data center/service provider.<br />
<br />
UPDATE 11:15AM - <br />
<div data-contents="true">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="5slvn" data-offset-key="6ggm5-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ggm5-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6ggm5-0-0"><span data-text="true">The server is back online. Interestingly enough, it came back up only a few minutes after I requested access to back-ups (to migrate to another data center/service provider).</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="5slvn" data-offset-key="8ffd0-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8ffd0-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8ffd0-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="5slvn" data-offset-key="d0gmu-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d0gmu-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="d0gmu-0-0"><span data-text="true">I'm testing out everything now, and then will still be migrating away. 10-11 hours of downtime is completely unacceptable.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-65709819317363096622018-07-09T19:12:00.004-07:002019-08-31T10:11:47.265-07:00[RESOLVED] Apollo Server Status<div data-contents="true">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="fhees" data-offset-key="fdoi2-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fdoi2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="fdoi2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><i>7:12pm PT</i>: The data center where the Apollo server resides is having "connectivity issues." As soon as they update us we will pass that information onto you.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="fhees" data-offset-key="ba3o6-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ba3o6-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ba3o6-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="fhees" data-offset-key="sg4k-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="sg4k-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="sg4k-0-0"><span data-text="true">Thank you for your patience and understanding.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="sg4k-0-0"><span data-text="true"><i>8:33pm PT:</i> The data center's network connectivity issues have been resolved.They were under a massive DOS attack. It has been mostly contained at this time.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-1323855386714157822018-07-02T13:12:00.001-07:002018-07-02T13:12:44.332-07:00WordPress Unpatched Security Vulnerability Discovered in All Versions<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's been a security vulnerability discovered in all versions of
WordPress, including the current version, 4.9.6. It requires a
privileged user (a subscriber, author, etc) to exploit, but those
credentials could be snagged by social engineering. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This
vulnerability was responsibly reported* by the <a href="https://blog.ripstech.com/2018/wordpress-file-delete-to-code-execution/" target="_blank">researchers 7 months ago</a>
to the WordPress team.
This vulnerability remains unpatched, 7 months later. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show"></span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
* "Responsible reporting" is when a security vulnerability is
discovered, and rather than going public with it immediately, it is
reported to the software Developer(s) so they have a chance to fix it
and release a patch.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When a fix isn't done in a reasonable amount
of time the researcher often goes public with the security issue, to
both warn the public and put pressure on the software Developer(s) to
fix it already.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> From <a href="https://thehackernews.com/2018/06/wordpress-hacking.html" target="_blank">The Hacker News</a>: <i>"Last week we received a tip about an unpatched
vulnerability in the WordPress core, which could allow a low-privileged
user to hijack the whole site and execute arbitrary code on the server.</i></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Discovered by researchers at RIPS Technologies GmbH, the "authenticated
arbitrary file deletion" vulnerability was reported 7 months ago to the
WordPress security team but remains unpatched and affects all versions
of WordPress, including the current 4.9.6.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The vulnerability
resides in one of the core functions of WordPress that runs in the
background when a user permanently deletes thumbnail of an uploaded
image."</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you subscribe to our <a href="https://helloworldweb.com/clients/cart.php?gid=8" target="_blank">WordP</a><span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="https://helloworldweb.com/clients/cart.php?gid=8" target="_blank">ress Update Management</a> service you're being contacted for permission to install the hotfix for this issue.</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-36827488200311321772018-01-10T17:36:00.001-08:002019-08-31T10:12:02.355-07:00[RESOLVED] Apollo Server Issue5:34PM PST: We are currently aware of an investigating connection issues on the Apollo server. I will update this blog post as soon as I have more information.<br />
<br />
5:58PM PST: Apollo and all it's services are back up. Thank you for your patience. Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-80808112558541672942017-12-11T12:37:00.002-08:002019-08-31T10:12:18.298-07:00[RESOLVED] Network-related Server IssueThe Apollo server is down due to a network-related issue, meaning the network that connects the server to the outside world. The data center is aware of the problem and technicians are currently working to restoring services.<br />
<br />
I will update this post as soon as we have more information. We apologize for the disruption.<br />
<br />
<b>1:35pm</b> All services are back up. Thank you for your patience. Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-66023555555880203392017-05-09T15:13:00.002-07:002019-08-31T10:12:34.414-07:00[RESOLVED] Apollo Server Is OfflineThe Apollo server is offline, we're investigating why and will rectify as quickly as possible.<br />
<br />
We apologize for the inconvenience.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE 3:40pm PDT</b>: The host node that the Apollo server resides on has run into an issue and we have a tech working on it currently.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE 3:50pm PDT</b>: All services are back up and everything is humming along as it should be! Thank you for your patience. Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-90185356230067426012017-02-08T14:51:00.000-08:002017-02-08T14:51:28.020-08:00Google Search Console Erroneous Update Required EmailIf you have WordPress or Joomla installed and also signed up for <a href="https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home?hl=en&pli=1">Google Search Console</a> (formerly called Google Webmaster Tools), you may have received a notice recently saying that your WordPress (or Joomla) install was outdated and needs to be updated.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEA31I8J8ECmuc6xQQkHYyaxKO8Zfdg9klqdHIocyAFwlIioLZNNRjOENJe_T2w4XnSXAEZkJEBZJZxb_EJW3ein3DYM5mP4EbQZE6gX7rYGs2D2XaZHmrjSPwS6qyYYRmBEPviGmjNqH/s1600/google-update-needed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEA31I8J8ECmuc6xQQkHYyaxKO8Zfdg9klqdHIocyAFwlIioLZNNRjOENJe_T2w4XnSXAEZkJEBZJZxb_EJW3ein3DYM5mP4EbQZE6gX7rYGs2D2XaZHmrjSPwS6qyYYRmBEPviGmjNqH/s1600/google-update-needed.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The problem is, in almost all (if not all) cases, this information was wrong, and the site is already running the current version of the software in question. There's been <a href="https://www.seroundtable.com/google-recommended-wordpress-joomla-update-available-23371.html">a lot of buzz</a> about these erroneous notices in the web hosting community, though I noticed it when I received the notice regarding a few sites I had personally updated last week.<br />
<br />
It never hurts to confirm an update has been made, but this looks like an issue with Google's version detection software.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-24011104006275616432016-12-29T14:23:00.003-08:002016-12-29T14:33:06.702-08:00Why We Will Never Sell Comodo SSL Certificates<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenrVztOIuiAb2bX7xKumfaWJ9KpLoV65oIMzbituxu1Na5Y54rHEv4GFuJuM4ML4YsWVSmAqCB6Llf02NGxa7fQH5VqKvUk4BgnOBFi7QFw1ytxcGu78hpssb9jmaYPK73ADvLaTFz_TR/s1600/ssllock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenrVztOIuiAb2bX7xKumfaWJ9KpLoV65oIMzbituxu1Na5Y54rHEv4GFuJuM4ML4YsWVSmAqCB6Llf02NGxa7fQH5VqKvUk4BgnOBFi7QFw1ytxcGu78hpssb9jmaYPK73ADvLaTFz_TR/s1600/ssllock.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
In today's episode of "Clueless Telemarketers Who Don't Do Their Homework" we'll examine cold calls from none other than Comodo SSL certificates. Today we received a voicemail from someone calling from (201) 620-6929. Here's the message they left:<br />
<br />
<object data="https://clients4.google.com/voice/embed/embedPlayer" height="64" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="https://clients4.google.com/voice/embed/embedPlayer" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="FlashVars" value="u=17219511896027481648&k=AHwOX_By3JGfj0ZWmX8G13sSXTSAqW3OYa2xmkXDBTGm-VW-1HMugcqp89n3pRm2LEgvnBZtZ1PMDS4CdY9kekpefVgIfjluxj5j0SBwhVQ_bGtqDHJWLynMxMc09qjVHj1GtLxqtJUfhegPsTOO5vWw_lveyO6TOcRXogh29pXM3vW6V5uA75s&baseurl=https://clients4.google.com/voice&autoPlay=false&cap=Comodo%20must%20be%20hiring%20work-at-home%20spammers" /></object>
<br />
<br />
<i>"Hello, we're calling in regards to an expiring security certificate on one of your website and like to talk to you about some renewal options if you can give us a call back at 973-915-3191 the number is 973-915-3191. Thank you."</i><br />
<br />
Notice that at no time do they say the name of the company they're calling from, which is not only extremely unprofessional, but a tactic used by spammers and scammers. At the beginning of the voicemail I can here someone's TV in the background, before the obviously pre-recorded message is played. Yeah, Comodo just gets more professional all the time....NOT.<br />
<br />
I did a little Googling, and found the number belongs to Comodo. I also found <a href="http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-973-915-3190">quite a few businesses</a> posting about <a href="https://www.infosecblog.org/2011/07/comodo-misleading-calls/">Comodo making misleading cold calls</a>, and <a href="https://www.tellows.com/num/2016206929">reporting them</a> going back several years.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"Comodo is performing misleading cold calls designed to trick you into purchasing a SSL certificate with them rather than renewing with your existing provider. Remember when you used to get letters and emails from companies like Domain Registry of America (DROA). I think everyone agreed those were disreputable. Comodo is performing the same sort of activity."<br />
<br />
<span style="float: right;"><a href="https://www.infosecblog.org/2011/07/comodo-misleading-calls/">Roger, infosecblog.org, 7/18/2011</a></span></blockquote>
<span style="clear: both;"></span>
<br />
<br />
Comodo sells SSL certificates. The part their spammer apparently missed is....<b><a href="https://helloworldweb.com/clients/cart.php?gid=5">so do we.</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>We also don't do business with any vendor that uses these sort of deceptive selling tactics. </b>Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-54456988667302647042016-12-02T09:38:00.001-08:002016-12-02T14:07:20.678-08:00Network Slow Connections The data center is aware of a problem that is causing packet loss and
slow connections to the segment of the network that houses our servers. Network Engineers are working to resolve this as quickly as possible. We
apologize for the inconvenience.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: This issue has been resolved. Thank you for your patience. Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-72523511072362636202016-08-18T12:01:00.001-07:002016-08-18T12:01:51.133-07:00WordPress version 4.6 is here!WordPress version 4.6, "Pepper", is here!<br />
<span data-offset-key="4bgmp-0-0"><span data-text="true"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="__vd_7swnfb_pre">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://videopress.com/embed/GbdhpGF3" width="560"></iframe>
<script src="https://videopress.com/videopress-iframe.js"></script></div>
<span data-offset-key="4bgmp-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span>
<br />At this time I'm seeing some reports of issues with <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/jetpack-stop-working-before-update-wordpress-to-46" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JetPack</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/#q=worpress+4.6+problems" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WordPress 4.6</a>,
as well as <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=wordpress+4.6+fonts&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">some issues with fonts</a> on the front-end (your website). This
WordPress update only changes <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2016/07/07/native-fonts-in-4-6/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the fonts in the admin area</a> (back-end) to use system fonts, fonts already installed on your computer or device, making the admin area display faster,
so it's unclear why several different users are reporting fonts are displaying differently on the front-end.<br />
<span data-offset-key="4bgmp-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span>
<span data-offset-key="4bgmp-0-0"><span data-text="true">This doesn't mean there's anything "wrong" with this version of WordPress, but again this is a major release. </span></span> <a href="http://status.helloworldweb.com/2014/04/all-wordpress-releases-great-and-small.html" target="_blank">A major release is meant to introduce new features</a>
which may also introduce new bugs. Sometimes it takes a few days or
even weeks for all your plugins to be compatible with a new release.
Check with each one of your plugins to verify they are compatible before
upgrading a major version.<br />
<br />
Since this version doesn't contain any security patches, my recommendation is to wait a few days, test the new version on a test site and make sure all your plugins still work. <br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>NOTE: "Waiting a few days" means exactly that.<br /><br />It does NOT mean "put off the update indefinitely, or just forget about it."<br /><br />You should always keep your WordPress core, plugins and themes up-to-date. </b><br />
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
We strongly recommend you re-read our <a href="http://status.helloworldweb.com/2014/04/all-wordpress-releases-great-and-small.html" target="_blank">WordPress upgrade guide</a> and follow the recommendations.<br />
<br />
In short:<br />
<br />
<i><b>Minor releases</b></i> should be applied automatically or as soon as possible; they won't "break" anything.<br /><br />
<i><b>Major releases</b></i> should be applied manually, after being
tested on a development site and all plugins checked for compatibility. A
major release could possibly break something, which is why you need to
test first.<br /><br />
<i><b>Themes and plugins</b></i> should be manually updated, after testing and checked for compatibility.<br />
<br />
If all of this is confusing and seems like too much work (it can be and it is), check out our <a href="https://helloworldweb.com/clients/cart.php?gid=8" target="_blank">WordPress Update Service</a>.
For only $25 a month we'll take care of all your WordPress updating
headaches, and provide you with an ongoing list of what's been updated
and when, in case you notice any issues after an update. We also create a
test site to test any plugins and themes for compatibility before
updating on your live site, so there's never any surprises.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-86487992893178002782016-07-24T22:33:00.001-07:002019-08-31T10:12:55.366-07:00[RESOLVED] Apollo Server is DownThere's a problem with the Apollo server, we're currently investigating.<br />
<br />
11:00pm PDT: Still waiting from a response from the data center. Sorry for the disruption. I swear, it's the Sunday night curse.<br />
<br />
11:12pm PDT: Apollo server is back up and all services are fully operational. We apologize for the downtime. Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-58556749674270833842016-02-09T16:53:00.002-08:002019-08-31T10:13:23.639-07:00[RESOLVED] Power Issue at the DatacenterWe were just notified there's a power issue at the data center; this means all websites will be affected. The notice reads:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Our engineers are actively working on a suspected power issue at our
datacenter. We are working with the datacenter team to identify and
resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We appreciated your patience
as this issue is addressed and resolved.
</blockquote>
<br />
It was probably my fault - just the other day I was thinking of how long it's been since there's been a server issue. I suppose I jinxed it.<br />
<br />
As soon as the Engineers are able to restore power your websites will be back up. As we receive further updates this post will also be updated.<br />
<br />
<b>EDIT 5:30pm</b>: All servers, services and websites appear to be back up. If you're still experiencing any issues, please put in a <a href="https://helloworldweb.com/clients/submitticket.php?step=2&deptid=3">Support Ticket</a> or talk to us on <a href="https://www.helloworldweb.com/chat">Live Support Chat</a>.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-50700086129796001712015-12-13T11:33:00.001-08:002015-12-13T12:46:30.805-08:00Welcome WordPress 4.4!WordPress released a new major release a few days ago. Say hello to "Clifford", more commonly known as WordPress version 4.4. It's billed as a <i>forward looking release that makes your content shine.</i><br />
<br />
WordPress' latest version offers more connectivity, making it easier for your content to be shared as well as being able to include content from other sites and services with the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2015/12/clifford/" target="_blank">new embed features</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://videopress.com/embed/J44FHXvg" width="560"></iframe>
<script src="https://videopress.com/videopress-iframe.js"></script></div>
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
</div>
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
Responsive and standards-driven, WordPress 4.4 makes all your
images responsive so they'll look good on any device or screen size.</div>
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
</div>
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/files/2015/12/responsive-devices-ipad-2x.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://wordpress.org/news/files/2015/12/responsive-devices-ipad-2x.png" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
</div>
<div class="__vd_q8vkig_pre">
WordPress 4.4 also brings with it a new default theme, TwentySixteen. It's "mobile first" with a fluid grid design, ensuring that your blog or site looks good on all devices.<br />
<br />
All that said, 4.4 is a major release. <a href="http://status.helloworldweb.com/2014/04/all-wordpress-releases-great-and-small.html" target="_blank">A major release is meant to introduce new features</a> which may also introduce new bugs. Sometimes it takes a few days or even weeks for all your plugins to be compatible with a new release. Check with each one of your plugins to verify they are compatible before upgrading a major version.<br />
<br />
We strongly recommend you re-read our <a href="http://status.helloworldweb.com/2014/04/all-wordpress-releases-great-and-small.html" target="_blank">WordPress upgrade guide</a> and follow the recommendations.<br />
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In short:<br />
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<i><b>Minor releases</b></i> should be applied automatically or as soon as possible; they won't "break" anything.<br />
<i><b>Major releases</b></i> should be applied manually, after being tested on a development site and all plugins checked for compatibility. A major release could possibly break something, which is why you need to test first.<br />
<i><b>Themes and plugins</b></i> should be manually updated, after testing and checked for compatibility.<br />
<br />
If all of this is confusing and seems like too much work (it can be and it is), check out our <a href="https://helloworldweb.com/clients/cart.php?gid=8" target="_blank">WordPress Update Service</a>. For only $25 a month we'll take care of all your WordPress updating headaches, and provide you with an ongoing list of what's been updated and when, in case you notice any issues after an update. We also create a test site to test any plugins and themes for compatibility before updating on your live site, so there's never any surprises.<br />
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Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-84680271532886300732015-08-30T14:37:00.003-07:002015-08-30T15:24:04.024-07:00Outgoing Email Issues [Resolved]We're investigating an issue with outgoing email from the server. All
incoming email is being queued (held for delivery), but one of the
processes that "sends" email is stopped and is refusing to restart.<br />
<br />
We are working diligently on this issue and expect to have it fixed very soon.<br />
<br />
<b>3:22 PM PDT: The issue has been resolved. It was a network issue and nothing to do with the server. </b>Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-5362090513015039262015-04-24T01:04:00.002-07:002019-08-31T10:13:43.279-07:00[RESOLVED] Network IssuesThere are some network issues plaguing the data center where our servers are located, services have been up and down for the past hour, with even the data center's websites and support portal unreachable. Everything is back up now, and hopefully it will stay that way. It could be from a very large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack" rel="nofollow">DDoS attack</a> or network hardware issues.<br />
<br />
We apologize for the disruption and will continue to monitor the situation.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-86456386853361648882015-02-27T13:24:00.001-08:002015-02-27T17:58:08.763-08:00Outgoing Email Issues [Resolved]We're investigating an issue with outgoing email from the server. All incoming email is being queued (held for delivery), but one of the processes that "sends" email is stopped and is refusing to restart.<br />
<br />
We are working diligently on this issue and expect to have it fixed very soon. I suspect this was caused by an update from last night, as other admins have reported the same issue in the cPanel support forums. More updates as they are available.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE 5:47PM </b>All issues have been resolved. Last night cPanel and PHP were upgraded (the PHP upgrade was a small security update). On cPanel servers PHP is upgraded through a cPanel process called EasyApache.<br />
<br />
Something in EasyApache apparently changed the permissions on several directories in user accounts, which I caught and fixed at the time. It also changed the permissions on the /tmp directory, which just about everything uses to temporarily write to while it's processing (think of it as a "working directory"), including email. The permissions need to be set as to securely allow other processes on the server to write to the tmp directory.<br />
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All email that was being held for processing should be on it's way to you now. We apologize for this issue, we know how important it is to receive email in a timely manner.<br />
<br />Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-81834933668205685262015-02-12T19:59:00.000-08:002015-02-12T22:22:58.674-08:00Server issuesWe're investigating an issue with the server, details as they become available.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmqnKFSIUqiMDDUv4dkvLaYslnH9TGGk5koLtV9NPk8MZ6PRk5_wnZ6uy0q2wCpJig_nFJT9pZJsEzWl9YAntSPUH9h1BdBbeFd7AX-mADQ41qnonyKJ72GBNJVYtEcOD6ora-FyedxUE/s1600/404_failcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmqnKFSIUqiMDDUv4dkvLaYslnH9TGGk5koLtV9NPk8MZ6PRk5_wnZ6uy0q2wCpJig_nFJT9pZJsEzWl9YAntSPUH9h1BdBbeFd7AX-mADQ41qnonyKJ72GBNJVYtEcOD6ora-FyedxUE/s1600/404_failcat.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>UPDATE 8:29 PM</b> We're back up. If I had to guess (which I do have to, because the data center isn't being forthcoming about WHAT is going on there), I would guess that this was related to the ongoing network upgrades they're doing. But in my opinion, that's no excuse for the amount of downtime we've experienced in the last few months, and certainly not without proper notice.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE 10:20 PM </b>We've migrated to a new hardware cluster to avoid any further issues. If this doesn't solve the issue, then the next step will be migrating to a different data center. <br />
<br />Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-1842909134484669662015-01-14T17:42:00.000-08:002015-01-14T21:54:30.057-08:00Network IssuesThere is a network issue at the data center. Engineers are currently working on the issue, and I will post more information on their progress as it becomes available.<br />
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Thank you for your patience.<br />
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<b>Update 8:47pm PST</b> I haven't been able to pry much information on what's going on from the techs at the data center, but I did get this much:
<br />
<blockquote>
Our team is currently working with engineers to correct an I/O degradation issue that is occurring during an upgrade of the Reston, VA data center cluster system software. We hope to have a resolution shortly, and appreciate your patience as this issue is addressed and resolved.<br />
<br />
--- UPDATE ---<br />
<br />
We are still making progress as our engineers correct the issues experienced during the upgrade process, and to bring affected customer environments back online. Again, thank you for your patience during this time.</blockquote>
So in a nutshell, they were upgrading the network and something went wrong. likely they had to power the entire system down to do the repairs, then bring it back up again, a little at a time. Websites run on PHP or HTML are displaying correctly, but any sites that require a database connection/MySQL (WordPress, forums, our support system) are down. I've tried restarting the MySQL server, but they have everything locked, so there's nothing more I can do.<br />
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The engineers <b><i>are</i></b> working on the problem, and it shouldn't be too much longer. Please check this status blog for updates. This blog should always be your first stop when there's a major server incident. Thank you for your patience.<br />
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<b>Update 9:27pm PST</b> MySQL has been successfully restarted. Our support ticket system is back up. All account databases are being checked and repaired as necessary.<br />
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<b>Update 9:50pm PST </b>All databases have been checked and repaired as necessary. If you notice any database errors, please submit a support ticket.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-79805366508349130032014-11-03T03:57:00.001-08:002014-11-03T04:26:32.685-08:00Apollo Server IssueThe Apollo server is down, and the data center engineers are actively investigating and will have the issue resolved as quickly as possible.
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<b>EDIT: 4:24AM PST The server and all services are up and running. Thank you for your patience.</b>Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-23521866447046923292014-10-23T02:01:00.000-07:002014-10-23T02:01:55.728-07:00Apollo Server Migration CompleteAnd ahead of schedule!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled website...
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKLPtU1_jw0TVD9LW90mOPgc5n1Nm1t1Pj-Vkyt8V8-NjReR36t1f7_D6sISZcPsB5EF8KaKkk5q2iNkpI8yq4CTQF4M3c444z2S_055IK5r2HetE6T4HVYTV1kYayJUekKARkr3GT4I6/s1600/kittens-computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKLPtU1_jw0TVD9LW90mOPgc5n1Nm1t1Pj-Vkyt8V8-NjReR36t1f7_D6sISZcPsB5EF8KaKkk5q2iNkpI8yq4CTQF4M3c444z2S_055IK5r2HetE6T4HVYTV1kYayJUekKARkr3GT4I6/s320/kittens-computer.jpg" /></a></div>
...already in progress.Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-209994099803044132014-10-22T11:14:00.000-07:002014-10-22T11:34:53.190-07:00Apollo Server Migration ScheduledOur approach to upgrades has always been a proactive one, to anticipate our users' changing needs rather than waiting until hardware breaks to fix it. Within the past 2 months we've done major upgrades to both PHP and MySQL, providing improved performance and reduced memory consumption, resulting in measurable improvements to your user experience.<br />
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Shortly after that we added an additional layer DDoS mitigation, to block the attacks that have unfortunately become a daily part of life on the Internet. It's a bit like playing "Whack-a-mole", but so far it seems to be working.<br />
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And now it's time for some new shiny hardware! Solid State, even!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EM9OcnJtUK2IstQng2scYIKYVpup_VBmCwY865w7Q5vfToS_x5IXR-B0Y1ph_71rsodl2cLVGedMg2pwxBtqWHJ-wbi3KTpY_nxuNrLOKCurWxYsSDYQH5AGJ4dB-kLC0dOgVGrr9KYe/s1600/ca9126066ce775563c83a6f7817c4721_400x1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EM9OcnJtUK2IstQng2scYIKYVpup_VBmCwY865w7Q5vfToS_x5IXR-B0Y1ph_71rsodl2cLVGedMg2pwxBtqWHJ-wbi3KTpY_nxuNrLOKCurWxYsSDYQH5AGJ4dB-kLC0dOgVGrr9KYe/s1600/ca9126066ce775563c83a6f7817c4721_400x1000.jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1159339039" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">In the early morning / overnight hours of Thursday Oct. 23rd</span></span> starting at 3am EDT / 12mid PDT** we will begin migration to a newly provisioned SSD server. There will
be some downtime while your data is being migrated. We hope that the downtime
will be minimal, but it is based on many variables.<br />
<br />
This upgrade will provide us with what's called "downtime-free OS kernel updates" and allow server-level kernel updates to be accomplished without needing to reboot the server. Currently, when the OS kernel (the "heart" of the server's operating system) is updated to patch security issues, the
server has to be rebooted, causing downtime as the containers come up
one after the other. With the new
system, such patching would happen without downtime.<br />
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<br />
But of course I saved the best for last. The new server will not only rock more RAM but a <b>SOLID STATE DRIVE</b>! <i> </i><br />
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<i>What's so great about a solid state drive you ask?</i> Only everything! <br />
<ul>
<li>No moving parts, nothing to break or wear out</li>
<li>20-100 times faster than a traditional hard drive</li>
<li>Can process 3 times as much data in the same amount of time as a traditional hard drive</li>
<li>Improved performance, faster read/write speeds allow websites to load faster</li>
<li>Improved uptime, more reliability</li>
<li>Zero downtime will be required for future upgrades </li>
<li>Green technology! SSDs require 80% less power than a traditional hard drive</li>
</ul>
We're very excited about upgrade, and hope you will be also!<br />
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During the migration our support desk will be unavailable, but <a href="https://www.onlinechatcenters.com/chat/27123-60012" rel="nofollow">Live Chat</a> will be.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666;">** We apologize for the short notice. I was notified only yesterday of a planned migration that was scheduled by the data center for late Thursday night; the migration is required due to a aging hardware on our current server and they like to keep everything humming along. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Rather than have two incidents of downtime and disruption (one for the needed migration, then another in a month to upgrade to a better SSD server), I decided now would be the time for the SSD upgrade. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">This was scheduled at the slowest time of day, but had to be scheduled to occur <i>before</i> the other already planned migration on Thursday.</span><br />
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Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-32024721517089269932014-09-24T18:04:00.000-07:002014-09-24T18:06:57.532-07:00Bad bash, no cookie There's <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/24/bash_shell_vuln/" rel="nofollow">a very nasty vulnerability</a> that's been discovered in <i>bash</i>, a command processor (it can be compared to DOS in Windows) that's included in most Linux and Unix systems including Apple's OS X. <i>Ubuntu and other Debian-derived systems typically use Dash, and unless bash has been installed they are exempt from this vulnerability.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAueAInIpnK0iCK40KjzAP9rLQPK-I5sCXZ7qQpQ8yV4mM54-ondF6F7vY8IH35Pd0cb7e2tCKhIhK6AOjcUu-vt3cQXosmLij4bqp0cHw4iMs6BdYU7im4Tab0pf8O2dudpZd_1B390sS/s1600/bash.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAueAInIpnK0iCK40KjzAP9rLQPK-I5sCXZ7qQpQ8yV4mM54-ondF6F7vY8IH35Pd0cb7e2tCKhIhK6AOjcUu-vt3cQXosmLij4bqp0cHw4iMs6BdYU7im4Tab0pf8O2dudpZd_1B390sS/s1600/bash.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bash is a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command-line_interpreter" title="Command-line interpreter">command processor</a>, allowing the user to type commands
which cause actions on the server. As such, <a href="https://securityblog.redhat.com/2014/09/24/bash-specially-crafted-environment-variables-code-injection-attack/">in the wrong hands</a> it can be disastrous, which is why this particular vulnerability is very serious.</blockquote>
<br />
The <a href="http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2014-6271" rel="nofollow">NIST vulnerability database</a> rates the flaw 10 out of 10 in terms of severity. Jim Reavis, chief exec of the Cloud Security Alliance, claims the hole is comparable in seriousness to the infamous password-leaking Heartbleed bug in the OpenSSL library that was uncovered earlier this year. This vulnerability also affects Apple's OS X – and is useful for privilege escalation.<br />
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The good news is, at least for Linux servers, is that a patch/update to bash was released earlier today, and it's a very simple fix. By "very simple" I mean it took less than 5 minutes to accomplish, so there is no reason for any hosting server admin to not apply this fix. <i>OS X users may have a harder time patching your system.</i><br />
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But if you're one of <b>our</b> hosting customers...<i> we've got you covered.</i><br />
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<br />Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971329274235781490.post-67580308167636943822014-09-15T20:08:00.000-07:002014-09-15T23:17:57.686-07:00Support system upgrade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The support, billing and ordering system is currently being upgraded. We'll be back momentarily... all shiny and stuff!</b></div>
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If you need help while the support system is being upgraded, we're available through <a href="https://www.onlinechatcenters.com/chat/27123-60012" rel="nofollow">Live Chat</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>EDIT 11:13pm</b>: Aaaaaand we're DONE! If you see images that look out of place, try a hard refresh (Control + F5) or clear your browser's cache. This was a major upgrade and we tested thoroughly after the upgrade, but if you find anything isn't working, feel free to let us know.</div>
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This is the first step of many planned upgrades to all areas of our website.... stay tuned for more!</div>
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Hello World Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650391255145187099noreply@blogger.com