On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:07:31 -0400, Stephen K. Gielda wrote:

> Borked Pseudo Mailed says... 
>
> You are really working hard to keep pointing the finger at us.  Why the
> hatred?  I don't know what you think is going on in these groups but no
> one from Cotse is involved.  I'm not even reading Usenet anymore because
> of all the crap in it and after this response will go right back to
> ignoring it.  I'm tired of getting mail about the goings on in this
> cesspool, so a single response here and then please stop mailing me
> about it, I really don't care.
>
> First, do get your facts straight, it was five days, not four.  It was
> the email servers only, incoming, outgoing, and webmail.  They are
> located in our own data center.  SSH servers, proxies, and others are in
> other data centers and were up and functioning.  There was a brief DNS
> issue that restricted access to them for a bit because of the loss of
> teh primary and secondary and a failure of an off site tertiary (we
> since added even more DNS), but that was resolved before the weekend.
>
> What happened:
>
> A Verizon tech working on the place next door yanked out every circuit
> to our data center at the junction box.  Multiple ISP connections and
> two different phone systems.  All the wires gone.  We are not a Verizon
> customer.  We had to call our providers, who each then had to call
> Covad, who then had to dispatch a tech, see the wires really were
> missing, and finally dispatch Verizon.
>
> Being that we are not a Verizon customer it is not all that easy getting
> them to move on anything, especially when there is no way for you to get
> in verbal communcation with a manager at either Verizon or Covad.
> Verizon owns the wires, Covad handles the CO.  The best you can do is
> yell at your providers who trickle it down.
>
> It happened on a Thursday and Friday was wasted because they would not
> dispatch a Verizon tech until a Covad tech had been here to verify that
> the problem was Verizon.  So Covad tech came Friday, wrote down "Wires
> missing, dispatch Verizon", but Verizon doesn't have a tech close by at
> that time on Friday and of course won't dispatch to a non-customer on a
> weekend.  So it's Monday.  Monday I went through this after calling
> first thing am to verify status:
>
> Them: "Your ticket?  Ok, let us run some line tests"
> Me: "You have done this three times, my other providers have done this.
> You all have the same problem, the wires are gone.  A tech has even been
> out to verify, the wires are missing.  We need a Verizon tech.  I'm just
> calling to ensure one has been dispatched by someone"
> Them: "I just need to run some tests"
> Me: "You are wasting your time"
> Them: "It will only take a minute"
> Me: "Fine."
> fifteen minutes of hold time
> Them: "We're showing them open about 1000 feet from the demarc"
> Me:  "No shit.  The wires are missing."
> Them: "We also have a note that Covad wants to send another tech out".
> Me: "No.  The wires are missing.  We need Verizon.  Covad sent a tech
> out Friday who wrote down "The wires are gone, need Verizon dispatch"
> why do they now need to send out another one?"
> Them: "That was probably for one of the other providers, sir, our
> records show that we scheduled a Covad tech and they canceled a Verizon
> tech to the same location because they want to run more tests."
> Me: "Oh hell no, I'm not getting caught in this mess.  You call Covad
> and you get them to get a Verizon tech here today".
> Them: "Let me call Covad and verify, I'll call you back on the number we
> have listed"
> Me: "You can't, you have to use the cell phone number I gave three
> different helpdesk techs and asked each to ensure it was in the ticket"
> Them: "Why?"
> Me: "The wires are gone.  Not there.  Yanked out.  This should be in the
> ticket.  You can call that number but no one will answer until a Verizon
> tech is dispatched to put the wires back.
>
> Which apparently Covad has cancelled because they didn't believe the
> first tech who told them the wires were gone and must send another to
> also go "Doh, the wires are gone, we need Verizon" and nobody knows when
> I'll be back up functioning as a business.  It's been four days now.
>
> When the wires are finally back you can call that number and hopefully
> that phone will ring again, then I can tell you we're all set and you
> can close the ticket.  But right now get a Verizon tech here today and
> make that happen".
> Them: "I'm sorry sir, I'll see what I can do".
>
> They could not get a Verizon tech back into the area that day, of
> course, after Covad had called them and cancelled.  Everyone promised
> Tuesday am.
>
> Then when the tech does arrive it is a fight to get him to do the other
> lines.  He can only do the one he was dispatched for, the others have to
> go through their respective channels.  It was also this that delayed the
> fix when Covad canceled a Verizon tech when they got a ticket form
> another ISP.  Absolute frustration.
>
> But our e-mail did go down for that reason and was down for that long
> because of it.  Every wire at the junction box for us was yanked out.
> The only two services where the last mile does not cross the company
> that owns all the wires, Verizon, is cable and Sat.  I'm working to get
> a cable backup, provided they can cover the upload bw needed, so this
> does not happen again.
>
> Whether you believe this or not, I do not care.  As far as gag order,
> I'm not under any.  And Black box, they don't need that, we state we
> have five days of logs, we show what information we do have, and we
> clearly state that we can't protect people from the government.  They'd
> just subpoena a specific account for the info we had relating to that
> account.  If we refused to provide it they'd just walk in and seize
> servers.  If that happened I'd post that the servers were seized and
> most likely seek help from EFF.
>
> As far as monitoring, read the press, all Internet is monitored.  No
> need for black boxes at the ISP level when they have the ability to put
> them in major Internet choke points and cover far more with less.  There
> is evidence of them having done that with AT&T documents released.
> There are also plenty of Echelon documents around showing them doing it
> all over the world.  Plenty of proof that the Internet is monitored.  So
> you don't need to believe me when I say they wouldn't need a black box
> in our data center, just read the press.
>
> But again, all your accusations here about Cotse this and Cotse that,
> nobody from Cotse would involve themselves in this drivel.  Someone is
> using your hatred of us as a screen for their pounding on you.  Hit you,
> watch you scream at us, loads of fun for them.  Nobody from Cotse is
> involved.
>
> I am going back to ignoring Usenet and will not see any responses.  It
> is an extreme waste of time.  Usenet is just a giant day care center
> full of unruly children with sociopathic egos.  Not only that but I have
> found myself a lot less stressed without it.  Usenet just puts you in a
> constant defensive ready to argue at the drop of a word state of mind.
> That transfers to other aspects of life.  It's much more pleasant
> without it.
>
> If anyone has any questions please feel free to stop into our live
> support form or e-mail helpdesk@cotse.net.  I'll answer any questions
> anyone may have.
>
> /steve

oops, sorry, I forgot to change my identity.

/ari

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