Error infuriates Gmail users, some down for a day
updated 11:25 pm EDT, Thu August 7, 2008
Gmail server downtime
Many Gmail users were unable to access their accounts Wednesday, confronted instead with a "502 server error." Although the problem was a minor inconvenience for some, certain businesses complained of significant setbacks to their overall operation until the problem was fixed. Representatives for Google were reluctant to give a solid time frame for a resolution, but reminded users that they were working diligently toward a solution.
The Gmail Team acknowledged the problem around 2:00pm Wednesday, identified the source of the problem before 8:00pm, before finally solving the issue just before 5am Thursday. Users across the globe were affected, but no details were provided regarding the number of accounts involved.
The problem seemed to be restricted to a "small subset" of users, most likely an issue with a particular server or cluster.












That's not right
08/08, 06:22am (1 reply) reply
Google's stable compared to MobileMe isn't it?
I laugh at all those who claimed GMail was stable and they had no problems but had nothing but problems with MobileMe.
GMail's been around for years but MobileMe has only been around for a month or so.
I guess the shoe's on the other foot now.
lowededwookie
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2008
Businesses?
08/08, 07:57am reply
I would be uncomfortable, as a business, dealing with ANY 'puplic' email host like yahoo, gmail, aol, etc.
You have little control of spam, DNS issues and whatnot. Most companies should invest in, and manage, their own email server, especially if electronic communications are essential to their business.
dynsight
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005
It's free
08/08, 08:01am reply
It's free people. You can't complain about something you're getting for free.
appleuzr
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2006
it's BETA
08/08, 08:50am reply
Sure it's been a few years now but GMail is still considered in beta release.
kikkoman
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2002
Cheapskates?
08/08, 09:53am reply
I would love to hear business logic behind using a free e-mail system as a business contact. I would also very much like to see a business willing to do, well, business with a business that uses free e-mail account (gmail, yahoo, hotmail) for, well, again, business (how about that sentence?).
Even AOL reeks as amateurish for a business; some fifteen years ago, you could get away with that, since hosting/domain name cost a lot of money. Today, these can be hand for about $10 per year, and you get your own domain name with mail, web site, etc.
Again, I'd love to meet businesspeople behind the businesses conducting business from something @gmail.com.
vasic
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005
confusing
08/08, 10:26am reply
Representatives for Google were reluctant to give a solid time frame for a resolution, but reminded users that they were working diligently toward a solution.
Then
The Gmail Team acknowledged the problem around 2:00pm Wednesday, identified the source of the problem before 8:00pm, before finally solving the issue just before 5am Thursday.
The first paragraph implies the problem still exists. The second implies it is fixed.
And maybe this is Apple's influence into Google! Then again, they solved the problem within 24 hours. I guess you get what you pay for...oh, right, it's free.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
re: Cheapskates
08/08, 10:28am reply
vasic, I don't agree with you at all. I've had many dealings with business people using hotmail or yahoo accounts. In fact, though I'm not at liberty to talk much about it (NDAs and all), let's just say I'm in the process of working a lucrative money transfer deal with a certain top official of an unnamed African country. And the entire gov't apparently uses hotmail for their email.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
No Domain, No Biz...
08/08, 10:54am reply
Our company has a strict policy of not trusting anyone who
can't afford their own domain name. It costs very little (only
$100 annually for a domain & full ISP web / e-mail service).
If you can't afford the service via an ISP or your own server,
you don't deserve our business - you're labelled a risk.
Higher understanding and use of technology for security
and business transactions is important to our business
model and is paramount as a client.
But, I've personally been willing to bend the rules a bit for
people or small businesses that I've gotten to know well
and trust but are not as technically inclined as they should
be by adding them to our own secure servers for e-mail
and FTP file transfers. Solving both security/domain issues.
DahlBryn
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
Now it's not only GMail
08/08, 08:01pm reply
Apparently Blogger is having problems as well.
It must be a web services thing.
lowededwookie
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2008