Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Aaron Cross — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:41:41 +0000

Didn't you have a big problem with them earlier??

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

David Von Bargen — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:20:28 +0000

Well, it probably isn't anything that Statoil is officially doing. Probably just a bored employee. If I was on their IT staff, I sure wouldn't want someone loading a spider bot on my network.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Branko Rieck — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:15 +0000

Why just a few? I'd say they sponsor every page they've downloaded (that is not already sponsored). That would make life easier for Jolyon...

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Reiner Mielke — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:50:11 +0000

Hello David,

Why should they sponsor a few pages? You are assuming they have a conscience, which has not been thus far demonstrated.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

David DeCourcey — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:26:38 +0000

Rather than banning them or taking legal action, ask them to start sponsering a few pages.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Chris Mavris — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 09:56:40 +0000

If they keep acting like this, I would consider a legal action.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jenna Mast — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 04:53:23 +0000

I guess someone at statoil really wants the entire mindat database for Christmas. I can relate. I often worry "What if someday Mindat should be no more? Then how will I identify my mineral specimens?" May that day never come.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Keith Compton — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:46:39 +0000

Hi J

Perhaps a more permanent ban is required

Cheers

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Dean Allum — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:31:40 +0000

Jolyon,
This problem with Statoil appears to be clearly in contradiction to their stated policy shown below. The mindat website audience would normally be one of Statoil's staunchest public supporters, so their actions are mystifying.

Statoil Ethics Code of Conduct Version 2:
"4.9 Information and IT systems
The individual’s use of information, IT systems and,in particular, internet services must be based on the
needs of the business and not by personal interests.
Information produced and stored on Statoil’s IT systems is regarded as the Group’s property.
Statoil therefore reserves the right to access all such information except where limited by law or
agreement. The individual is responsible for maintaining electronic files and archives in an orderly manner.
Private use is only permitted to a limited extent. Information that may be considered illegal, offensive
or inappropriate must not be processed, downloaded, stored or disseminated. Any downloading, storing
or disseminating in breach of any copyright law or provision is prohibited. Any use of software in breach
of any copyright law or provision is prohibited."

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jolyon & Katya Ralph — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:24:58 +0000

Statoil are back to their bad old tricks and trying again to steal content from mindat with bots.

I have had to block them again.

Jolyon

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Rick Dalrymple — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:35:12 +0000

I more often than not have a problem getting on Mindat. I get the "Fatal Error-Unable to Connect to Database" a lot. Sometimes man times a day.

I am also getting the You must login to view these pages" which is ok but then I have to log out to go to a different page and then log in again.

I just thought it was my computer/lines/modem.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jolyon & Katya Ralph — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:32:09 +0000

The statoil script stopped running shortly after I banned them. Statoil are not causing any direct problems to mindat currently

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Van King — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:28:47 +0000

The real purpose to sending a bill to Statoil is not to get money, but to get their attention. A bill sent to the accounting department and to the president should receive some notice. From the various messages, it is not always clear that the Statoil script remains the only problem. Is it a coincidence or is it the same problem?

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Debbie Woolf — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:18:23 +0000

I got this message using chrome the other night "Fatal Error - Unable to connect to database."

(:P)

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Rock Currier — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 01:22:55 +0000

There are still times when Mindat is very slow, and last night there were times when Google chrome could not locate the website at all. Again!

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Modris Baum — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:18:42 +0000

Tony - you have to log in as well. According to the Member Directory you last "visited" (i.e. logged in) on Feb 10, 2010)

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Tony Albini — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:02:47 +0000

Jolyon,

For the past two days, I cannot look at the Today's Mineral Photos. I keep getting a prompt to Register which I have been for a while. Even when I follow the site's prompt, I cannot get in to look at the photos which are so informing. I hope this issue is related to your emails.

Regards,

Tony Albini

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Daniel Levesque — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:35:02 +0000

I'd hope the appropriate measures (ban) would remain in place if there was no response from Statoil's IT staff. Obviously they have an internal issue to deal with:
From "Statoil Ethics- Code of Conduct- version 5"
"4.9 ...Any downloading, storing or disseminating in breach of any copyright law or provision is prohibited."

Sounds like they have a rotten apple in the bunch!!!

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

David Bernstein — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:32:12 +0000

It may be an obvious point but without substantiation of damages in place behind a bill of any amount, such a "delivery" would be laughed at. Just sayin' in the event Van's idea gains traction.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Spencer Ivan Mather — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:04:28 +0000

I agree with Van King, send Statoil a big bill, that should stop whoever it is!

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jolyon & Katya Ralph — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 09:46:15 +0000

The script at statoil stopped running not long after the ban was put in place.

Jolyon

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Van King — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:01:46 +0000

As Statoil has been formally notified and there is still recurring denial of service due to running scripts, then their failure to respond indicates at least an unconcern if not a more pernicious attitude. I still suggest that a bill should be sent to Statoil for actions now tolerated by their management. Maybe 5,000 Euoros/day is not enough?

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jolyon & Katya Ralph — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 09:55:12 +0000

I didn't hear back from Statoil at all.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jolyon & Katya Ralph — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:15:35 +0000

the IE5.0 is a fake string designed to hide they are using a robot to grab stuff. Just not hiding it very well.

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Corie Mattar — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:28:26 +0000

Someone actually wrote this script to do exactly what it did.
And they're using IE 5.0??
Where can I send my resume to these people?
Obviously they need someone in their tech department from this century! >:D<

Corie

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Douglas Merson — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:48:45 +0000

Here in the Pacific Northwest it was extremely slow until 1500 when it died. Back and not as slow as earlier in the day but not as fast as on a normal day.

Doug

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Debbie Woolf — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:44:39 +0000

Is this the reason why I'm finding mindat slow to respond these past few nights ?

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Lloyd Llewellyn — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:28:56 +0000

It's very surprising to me that anyone at Statoil has any time to do this - they should normally all be too busy following procedures and management systems! ;)

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Jolyon & Katya Ralph — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:40:35 +0000

Alf, very sorry you were inconvenienced by this problem - I'm waiting to hear back from Statoil's network people - once they have assured me the problem has been dealt with then access to the statoil network will be restored.

Jolyon

Re: Bad performance today - Please blame Statoil!

Alf Olav Larsen — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:21:43 +0000

I am a Statoil employee, and noticed this morning that access to Mindat was forbidden through my job computer. Now I understand why. I am terribly sorry that someone in the company has hacked the site. Hopefully it will never happen again.

Regards,
Alf Olav Larsen