{"id":427,"date":"2004-04-23T21:51:00","date_gmt":"2004-04-23T21:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dresan.com\/blog\/?p=427"},"modified":"2004-04-23T21:51:00","modified_gmt":"2004-04-23T21:51:00","slug":"a-strike-against-taurlink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dresan.com\/blog\/2004\/04\/23\/a-strike-against-taurlink\/","title":{"rendered":"A Strike Against Taurlink"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of “renewing the Library”, I’m digging up all the old “Articles<\/a>” from the “classic<\/a>” version of this site, which I maintained by hand before I trusted blogging software.<\/p>\n

So now I bring you a blast from the past: “A Strike Against Taurlink<\/a>“, from April 23, 2004. Boy, this was a heck of a rant, at least by my “can’t we be a little more diplomatic” standards:<\/p>\n

\n

Ah, the lovely state of tech support these days. Admittedly, I’ve had great experiences with tech support for *large* products produced by *small* companies — toys sold to the tune of $100K a pop, feeding 100 or less mouths. But as soon as you get to products and services produced by 100K employees at a company charging less than 100 a pop … welll… things can get difficult. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s an example, taken from a tech support chat session about a problem with a large Internet Service Provider we’ll call … “Taurlink”. Since this is fairly recent, and I remember what I was more or less thinking while the conversation was ongoing, I’ve filled my thoughts in in italics<\/i><\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Enjoy. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to TaurLink TechChat!<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Some guy from tech support will be with you shortly. Your chat session may be monitored out of habit, but don’t be worried about your privacy: no-one ever reads logs anyway.<\/i> <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

‘HelpGuy’<\/b> has joined the channel.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Thank you for contacting TaurLink TechChat, how may I help you today?
TheCentaur<\/b>: Hi, Guy. I have a problem with running CGI scripts on my web hosting account that I’ve been unable to debug. The short story is that I can run very, very simple scripts (hello world) but when I try to run TaurLink’s provided code samples, they fail with a 500 error.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Can I know which script you are unable to run?
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok … one moment…
HelpGuy<\/b>: Sure.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok, here’s an example.
HelpGuy<\/b>: TaurLink does not support custom scripts.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT did he just say?<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: Please check if you can use the Mailto script or not.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Go back to the previous note. “TaurLink does not support custom scripts.”
TheCentaur<\/b>: Is this correct?
HelpGuy<\/b>: Yes, I am sorry it is correct.
HelpGuy<\/b> : Please check with the script from the link:
HelpGuy<\/strong>: http:\/\/help.TaurLink.net\/websupport\/startersite\/mailto.html
HelpGuy<\/strong>: Once it works all the scripts should work.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, that’s nice that they have a testing script. But right now I’m not trying to run “custom scripts” … I’m running code examples THEY provided ME!<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Are you aware of the CGI hosting help at this URL: http:\/\/help.Brainboing.com\/docs\/002\/mime-n-cgi\/BEHHBCEF.php3<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s a code example they provide, that doesn’t work, that this guy’s telling me he won’t help me debug? Get real!<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Is this still valid?
HelpGuy<\/b>: Yes, you can use that.
HelpGuy<\/b>: It has the information on the scripts.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Let me be sure I understand you correctly: TaurLink permits, but does not support, custom scripts…. and mailto is a good example of a script that *should* work.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Yes, TaurLink allows you to use custom scripts.
HelpGuy<\/b>: However, it does not support it.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok.
HelpGuy<\/b>: I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you? Do you have ANY IDEA how close I am to typing
[Ctrl-Alt-G(oogle)] “internet service provider perl cgi” [RETURN]?<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: I will try out the mailto script … just a moment…
HelpGuy<\/b>: Sure.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, Guy, you may not be aware that I’ve got the site open in my FTP window … and there is no frigging mailto script, so unless I don’t understand CGI, this ain’t gonna work. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: The mailto script does not appear to be in the scripts provided in dresan.com… where is the source for that?
HelpGuy<\/b>: You need to create the two html pages and include the code that is there in the link.
HelpGuy<\/b>: I am sure it will work.
<\/span><\/p>\n

[Gritting teeth] OK-now-working-through-whole-example, step by step, just because you say so. Create a web page, containing a form, pointing to the mailto script, which doesn’t exist, uploading, uploading, opening in window, trying … ok failure, just as expected, because there is no frigging mailto script for the CGI server to run. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: I assume you mean the link <\/span><\/p>\n

“http:\/\/www.domain.com\/cgi-bin\/mailto”<\/a>
TheCentaur<\/b>: where domain.com is my domain name?
HelpGuy<\/b>: Yes, it is your domain name.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok, just to confirm … I have an FTP window open to the cgi-bin directory of dresan.com and there’s no mailto script (and I get a 404 error when trying mailto in the URL of a browser). Should it be working anyway?
HelpGuy<\/b>: Once you create the html pages it will work.
TheCentaur<\/b>: One moment…
HelpGuy<\/b>: Sure.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Uploading now…
TheCentaur<\/b\n>: … uploaded.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Okay.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Testing…
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/form>\n<\/p>\n

And of course, it doesn’t work, because there is no frigging mailto script for the CGI server to run,<\/b> a fact which does not change<\/b> just because I rewrote my script. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok, when I ran it I get: http:\/\/www.dresan.com\/cgi-bin\/mailto
HelpGuy<\/b>: Okay.
TheCentaur<\/b>: HTTP 404 – File not found Internet Explorer
<\/span><\/p>\n

There’s a long pause. Guy appears to be processing this. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Hm. I have an idea. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps my website, which is pre-TaurLink, is missing files he expects me to have! Perhaps that’s the confusion. Maybe if I ask the nice web guy he’ll recognize the problem and load my site up with the right stuff. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Dresan.com is a fairly old web site … I originally got it via Brainboing before you became Taurlink. Could it have an outdated collection of scripts?
HelpGuy<\/b>: No, the address is not what you are entering.
HelpGuy<\/b>: The html page should be one of the pages of the website.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok.
HelpGuy<\/b>: When the visitor submit the form then it will work.
<\/span><\/p>\n

[grit-grit-grit] Aaalright. Stay with me, Guy. Let’s go through this step by step, just so you understand. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok. Here is what I did:
TheCentaur<\/b>: (1) I visited and read the URL: The page HTTP 404 – File not found Internet Explorer
TheCentaur<\/b>: Shoot
TheCentaur<\/b>: try again \ud83d\ude42
<\/span><\/p>\n

[laughs] Egg on face — make sure the URL actually copies this time, centaur, or how can he follow you? Better start over, from step one. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Here is what I did:
TheCentaur<\/b>: (1) visited url: http:\/\/help.TaurLink.net\/websupport\/startersite\/mailto.html
TheCentaur<\/b>: (2) copied first code sample to test1.html
TheCentaur<\/b>: (3) updated “domain.com” references in test1.html to point to “dresan.com”
TheCentaur<\/b>: (4) copied second code sample to test2.html
HelpGuy<\/b>: Okay.
TheCentaur<\/b>: (5) uploaded to dresan.com via LeechFTP
TheCentaur<\/b>: (6) visited http:\/\/www.dresan.com\/test1.html
TheCentaur<\/b>: (7) entered stuff into form and hit send
TheCentaur<\/b>: (8) got a 404 error on http:\/\/www.dresan.com\/cgi-bin\/mailto
HelpGuy<\/b>: One moment please while I check it.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Suuuuper long pause. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Maybe I made a typo \ud83d\ude41
TheCentaur<\/b>: Inspecting the source of test1.html, it seems like I’ve got the right URL. Did I read it wrong?
<\/span><\/p>\n

The long pause… continues. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: My hypothesis is that the mailto program is simply not present in the cgi-bin directory of dresan.com.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Kindly hold on.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Perhaps this is because dresan.com was created back in the days of Brainboing? I see a whole bunch of cgi* programs in that cgi-bin directory.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok, sorry…
HelpGuy<\/b>: One moment please.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Typing over each other here … best wait for Guy to catch up. Is there something that I can debug here? What about these other old scripts. Ferret, ferret, ferret … hm, there’s at least one script that works, the site counter (which I don’t use, but hey, it works). <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Waiting… waiting… ok tired of waiting now.. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Note that the “counter” script seems to work.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Yes, both the scripts should work.
HelpGuy<\/b>: The mailto will also work.,
<\/span><\/p>\n

KA_GOTD_AMN_FUKKIN_BOLL_SHAT!<\/b> ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? ARE YOU EVEN PAYING ATTENTION? NO, the mailto script will not MAGICALLY start working just because I found a DIFFERENT script that DOES work … because the mailto script DOES NOT EXIST! <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Whooo… deep breaths, deep breaths. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s explain this as to a novice. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Guy, the contents of the cgi-bin directory are: cgicso, cgiecho, cgiemail, cgifile, counter, justcgi.pl, simple.pl, and test.pl
TheCentaur<\/b>: There is no mailto script.
HelpGuy<\/b>: It is not required there.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Alright, the novice doesn’t want to even listen. But let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. What if I’m wrong?
[Ctrl-Alt-G(oogle)] “cgi scripting standard” [RETURN]
Browsa… browsa… browsa… Google sez: no fuckin way. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: I suggest that you recreate the two html pages once again.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Smiles patronizingly. Ok. I can play this game. How would I do it? What can I check? What could I have done wrong? Perhaps Guy, uberwebguy who can make scripts that don’t even exist run, can perhaps work this out for me? Here, Guy, check this out? <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok. Perhaps there is a typo in my form: “http:\/\/www.dresan.com\/cgi-bin\/mailto”
xenotaur@Brainboing.com: Can you see what’s wrong with that?
HelpGuy<\/b>: It appears to be correct.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Shocked, shocked am I that ten years of web experience could enable me to enter a form. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: Please recreate the 2 html pages once again.
TheCentaur<\/b> Alright.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Okay.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Suure. Why the fuck not? Hey, I’ve done this what, three or four times now? I’ve gotten good at it. It should only take … timing… <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Created form.html.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Edited to point to right domain.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Created thankyou.html
HelpGuy<\/b>: Okay.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Uploading…
HelpGuy<\/b>: Okay.
TheCentaur<\/b>: …done.
<\/span><\/p>\n

…aaabout a minute. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: Let me check it.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, there’s no need, Guy. I’d ALREADY checked it. And this is what I found: <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Verified form presence: http:\/\/www.dresan.com\/form.html
TheCentaur<\/b>: Entered values, hit send…
TheCentaur<\/b>: And 404 error.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Again: shocked, shocked am I. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: Kindly hold on.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Suuuuper long pause. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: Thank You for waiting.
HelpGuy<\/b>: I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.
HelpGuy<\/b>: I am escalating the issue and it will be resolved soon. Please allow 2-72 hours for the issue to be resolved.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Please do not delete the two test1.html and test2.html files.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Ok.
<\/span><\/p>\n

He finally gets it. THANK YOU. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TheCentaur<\/b>: Before you go, I want to bounce an hypothesis off you.
HelpGuy<\/b>: I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you in this regard.
TheCentaur<\/b>: No problem.
TheCentaur<\/b>: Thank you for helping.
<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point I start to type my hypothesis about the presence of the script files he was expecting. Halfway through that sentence… and I mean, just a few seconds…. <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

HelpGuy<\/b>: You’re welcome and thank you for using TaurLink TechChat. Should you need further assistance, please feel free to contact us again.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Thank You for your patience and understanding.
HelpGuy<\/b>: Have a good night.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Uh, Guy? Didn’t you just read me say “I want to bounce something off of you? Quick, type:
“Hey, wait!” [RETURN] <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Chat session has been terminated by the site operator. When you close the chat window a survey window will open. Please take a minute to fill in the survey and let us know how your chat session was.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!<\/b> <\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Thirty minutes later….<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To the web hosting team,<\/p>\n

I recently had a chance to chat online with one of your
technical support representatives. Upon the termination
of the call, your site attempted to pop up a chat survey
window but was blocked by a pop-up blocker.
However, I saved that chat session, appended below.
And I have the following comments:<\/p>\n

1) Thank you for making technical chat sessions available.
<\/b>Talking with TechGuy. helped me realize what was wrong
– namely, that I was trying to use code samples from<\/p>\n

http:\/\/help.Brainboing.com\/docs\/002\/mime-n-cgi\/BEHHBCEF.php3<\/p>\n

when I needed to look at the more modern help at<\/p>\n

http:\/\/help.TaurLink.net\/websupport\/startersite\/mailto.html<\/p>\n

This dialogue enabled me to get more debugging
information about my problem, construct several
useful working hypotheses, and has given me new
potential actions to try to resolve the problem.<\/p>\n

2) Update your web hosting help for former Brainboing customers.
<\/b>This is the biggest thing that led me astray.
The code samples I found there<\/p>\n

http:\/\/help.Brainboing.com\/docs\/002\/mime-n-cgi\/CHDDCFCH.php3<\/p>\n

do not appear to work. At one point I carefully tested
this particular code sample and could never get it to run
in any permutation. After talking with Guy, however,
I was able to find some useful code to use as a starter.<\/p>\n

3) Make sure that your technical support representatives listen carefully to their customers.
<\/b>I understand that many users often make bad assumptions
which lead them to make mistakes which lead them to
assume that you guys have done something wrong
when you haven’t. I know I fall in this category
from time to time.<\/p>\n

However, with all due respect to Guy, I empathize with
techncial support representatives and myself have some
experience with server-side software, and so had carefully
read
\n the available online documentation and attempted to
run code examples before I ever contacted you guys.<\/p>\n

Now, that doesn’trule out a short between my screen and
my keyboard or some other id10t error on my part, but, I
must admit that it was somewhat trying for me to be asked
repeatedly to run the mailto script when I was looking at the
cgi-bin directory in my FTP client and could see that the mailto
script was not there. Now, Guy suggested that it didn’t
need to be there, and perhaps I don’t understand how
your common gateway interface is configured, and if so,
I apologize, BUT then you should reword the following
<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

What standard CGI scripts are provided by TaurLink? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

TaurLink provides the following ready to use scripts: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n