[Wikipedia-l] German Wikipedia Inavailability/Hardware Status

[Ulrich Fuchs]

> Keep in mind that some of the December troubles might have been avoided if
> the new hardware had gotten more testing before being put online, so let's
> not be so impatient this time around. All the Wikipedias are slow, it's not
> just the German one.

I don't think you have to do much hardware testing. Hardware it's working, or 
it's not working. Some errors may shine up only if the hardware is running 
some weeks. Ok.  If there's an error, hardware as simple as we are running 
right now should be replaceable within days.

We need to overcome the current problems fast with a solution that isn't for 
eternity, but that works for now. It's a bad idea to wait for the new 
hardware, since *this* hardware and *setup* needs to be tested, probably 
software must be rewritten and so on. I do not believe the new server farm 
will be up and running smoothely before end of february.

I've got the feeling that everyone right now is concerned with and waiting for 
the new hardware, and forgetting the one we have. As I said, we get 
complaints from contributors, we are losing contributors. Today we got a mail 
from the PhD assistant of a german university professor announcing he and his 
boss would like to write an article. What do I tell them? "Sure, we like to 
have it, but keep in mind to save it well on your hard disc, probably the 
ipload will fail. Or please, wait until end of February, probaly we have new 
hardware then, but probably we have not? " That's ridiculous. This guy will 
turn away faster than you can watch.

Uli