Neopets is down for maintenance :(

[TheClone]

Huh, seems like the Neopets team was hiding our SDB's.

[Iron Chef Tacobell]

...and one of the questions was:

"Did seeing any of the Dollar Items as merchandise influence your decision in the purchase of a Dollar Item in the last couple of months?"

My answer would have been "no", because I only eat McDonald's for breakfast, if I can help it. I'd rather have a Whopper or some Krystals with cheese than a Big Mac or anything else from McD's that's not on a biscuit.

I understand the need for merchandising, but it seems that Neopets is getting TOO merchandise intensive lately. And I don't like it.

I just hope my SDB is okay, because I'm working on getting the Pack Rat avatar. I need less than 20 items to get it. (Gonna start selling stuff left and right after I finally get it)

Last edited by Iron Chef Tacobell on Sun Aug 01, 2004 7:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

[everconfused]

I lost 6 codestones, I want them back...

Let's hope in the first place that everything comes back. And if it doesn't come back, you lost ONLY 6 codestones. I have plenty of things that are much more worth, paintbrushes, super limited t-shirt. I think you should look at people losing millions of np because of this day, the first day of hiding. Hiding the neopets team, in this case.

If things are lost, to me it doesn't matter what they are. For some of us it may be pb, bd equipment, etc.; for some of us it may be some scratchcards, bottled faeries, codestones; for some of us it may be that collection of headless von roo plushies. Yes there is a definite difference in the "value" of these things, but that codestone may be just as valuable to one person as that baby pb is to another. A loss is a loss, whether it's through a glitch, a downtime, a scammer, a hacker, a bad RE, or hitting donate instead of deposit or stock.

We're all in this together. I just really hope that we all are able to log in soon and find that everything we've all worked for is there waiting for us.

[Kimberly777]

Ok the main thing I don't get with Neo's updates, is why on the weekends? If that's what this is, and it's happened before, why would they pick a) the busiest playing time of the week, and b) an obviously overtime day for their employees? Seems like they are more justified to actually schedule them, notify us, do them early week, or mid week, and do it during their normal working hours.

Just once, I'd love to be told, hey guys, we're going to be down tomorrow to do an update, find something else to do, expect it to last approximately 20 hours, blah blah blah. Or SOMETHING, ya know.

But we get nothing, and spend too much time hoping it's only going to last 5 mins, which soon turns to hoping for only an hour, then that hour turns into a bleak feeling, then that bleakness turns to anger. Is it really impossible to plan most updates?

Oh nevermind, erase all that, it's a free site, and I need to quit complaining!

[jxpop]

Oh nevermind, erase all that, it's a free site, and I need to quit complaining!

Ah c'mon, complaining is fun! Especially if it's about something legitimate... after all, sure it's a free site, but we devote time and energy to it (well, as much energy as it takes to tap keys and move a mouse... but hey, that's more excercise than I've gotten in a week!)

But yeah, it's free thanks to advertising, but the extent to which it's gone is like having Make 7... Up Yours tattooed onto our bodies.

[Tyd]

I'm pritty sure Neopets don't plan these Downfalls...I expect that a computer server needs to be resetted or one of the main servers crashed so they need to restart...and the reason why it takes so long is because TNT don't get in until around 3:00pm UkTime(Currently 9:03) do they? And plus it's a Sunday...don't expect Neo to come back up anytime soon...

[Morningstar]

I lost 6 codestones, I want them back...

Let's hope in the first place that everything comes back. And if it doesn't come back, you lost ONLY 6 codestones. I have plenty of things that are much more worth, paintbrushes, super limited t-shirt. I think you should look at people losing millions of np because of this day, the first day of hiding. Hiding the neopets team, in this case.

If things are lost, to me it doesn't matter what they are. For some of us it may be pb, bd equipment, etc.; for some of us it may be some scratchcards, bottled faeries, codestones; for some of us it may be that collection of headless von roo plushies. Yes there is a definite difference in the "value" of these things, but that codestone may be just as valuable to one person as that baby pb is to another. A loss is a loss, whether it's through a glitch, a downtime, a scammer, a hacker, a bad RE, or hitting donate instead of deposit or stock.

We're all in this together. I just really hope that we all are able to log in soon and find that everything we've all worked for is there waiting for us.

My sentiments exactly--I can remember not so long ago when 1 codestone was the world to me. I remember starting my plushie gallery and worrying about the 400nps I spent on a plushie--would I be able to play enough games to afford it? I now have one of the largest plushie galleries around and lots of valuables in my SDB and shops.

But, you know, those mega millions I have in items are just as important as the 6 codestones someone else has. We all started out this game the same way--with nothing. Some of us have more, some of us have less--but it is all important!!!! If those 6 codestones represent everthing that neoaddict has, they are just as important as all of the PB's and limited t-shirts and millions that others have. And, a few of us need a little nudge to remember that.

[everconfused]

Oh nevermind, erase all that, it's a free site, and I need to quit complaining!

Ah c'mon, complaining is fun! Especially if it's about something legitimate... after all, sure it's a free site, but we devote time and energy to it (well, as much energy as it takes to tap keys and move a mouse... but hey, that's more excercise than I've gotten in a week!)

But yeah, it's free thanks to advertising, but the extent to which it's gone is like having Make 7... Up Yours tattooed onto our bodies.

ixpop, I have a number of tattoos. I can guarantee you that none of them are advertisements!

Technically the site is free, yes. But as has been pointed out many times every time you go on the site and click a link to a sponsor game, fill out a survey, sign up for the sponsor np stuff (has anyone ever gotten the np from doing those? I never did -- just alot of junk email)...even just being on a page when a sponsor ad is in the shockwave box on the sidebar -- that's tracked and the information sent to the sponsors. It must be. Wouldn't you, if you were paying someone to advertise something for you, want to know how many people saw/participated in that advertising?

[SierraRaven]

Does anyone know for sure if the transition has already been made to the database/server company that TNT is outsourcing their server operations to?? If it hasn't, it's possible that that's what's happening now. As far as it being in the middle of the night, and on a weekend to boot, that makes no difference. I worked for 15 years for one of the leaders in database design, construction, and maintenance, and a lot of our programming was done in the middle of the night. We staggered worker shifts, so there was usually a number of workers on the weekend, and no, they were not paid overtime. You only are required to receive overtime if 1) you're not salaried, but on hourly wages, and 2) if you work more than 40 hours in a 1-week period.

[jxpop]

Oh nevermind, erase all that, it's a free site, and I need to quit complaining!

Ah c'mon, complaining is fun! Especially if it's about something legitimate... after all, sure it's a free site, but we devote time and energy to it (well, as much energy as it takes to tap keys and move a mouse... but hey, that's more excercise than I've gotten in a week!)

But yeah, it's free thanks to advertising, but the extent to which it's gone is like having Make 7... Up Yours tattooed onto our bodies.

ixpop, I have a number of tattoos. I can guarantee you that none of them are advertisements!

Sorry, didn't mean to offend ^_^()

Just trying to make a point that it most likely works as a dissuasion to incorporate things like that into the very fabric of Neopia.

"Hmm, the kids are asleep and I want to just relax and forget about today... I know! I'll have my neopet visit McDonalds!"

"Creeping in the lost jungles of Mystery Island, the brave Kougra encountered... a McChicken Dollar Sandwich!"

[Keith]

I lost 6 codestones, I want them back...

Let's hope in the first place that everything comes back. And if it doesn't come back, you lost ONLY 6 codestones. I have plenty of things that are much more worth, paintbrushes, super limited t-shirt. I think you should look at people losing millions of np because of this day, the first day of hiding. Hiding the neopets team, in this case.

If things are lost, to me it doesn't matter what they are. For some of us it may be pb, bd equipment, etc.; for some of us it may be some scratchcards, bottled faeries, codestones; for some of us it may be that collection of headless von roo plushies. Yes there is a definite difference in the "value" of these things, but that codestone may be just as valuable to one person as that baby pb is to another. A loss is a loss, whether it's through a glitch, a downtime, a scammer, a hacker, a bad RE, or hitting donate instead of deposit or stock.

We're all in this together. I just really hope that we all are able to log in soon and find that everything we've all worked for is there waiting for us.

My sentiments exactly--I can remember not so long ago when 1 codestone was the world to me. I remember starting my plushie gallery and worrying about the 400nps I spent on a plushie--would I be able to play enough games to afford it? I now have one of the largest plushie galleries around and lots of valuables in my SDB and shops.

But, you know, those mega millions I have in items are just as important as the 6 codestones someone else has. We all started out this game the same way--with nothing. Some of us have more, some of us have less--but it is all important!!!! If those 6 codestones represent everthing that neoaddict has, they are just as important as all of the PB's and limited t-shirts and millions that others have. And, a few of us need a little nudge to remember that.

Exactly. Some people have more money than others, but I think it comes down to how much you worked for that item and the time you spent to get it..

[Tyd]

Does anyone know for sure if the transition has already been made to the database/server company that TNT is outsourcing their server operations to?? If it hasn't, it's possible that that's what's happening now. As far as it being in the middle of the night, and on a weekend to boot, that makes no difference. I worked for 15 years for one of the leaders in database design, construction, and maintenance, and a lot of our programming was done in the middle of the night. We staggered worker shifts, so there was usually a number of workers on the weekend, and no, they were not paid overtime. You only are required to receive overtime if 1) you're not salaried, but on hourly wages, and 2) if you work more than 40 hours in a 1-week period.

o.O you worked for neo?

[jxpop]

You know, that actually makes sense... if they had to do things to the site, this would be the time, cause it's around twelvish on the West Coast, and about three-fourish on the East Coast, so there'd be a minimal amount of players on-line.

[everconfused]

Oh ix, absolutely no offense taken! I meant that as kind of a joke (tries really hard to picture the look on my tattoo artist's face if I walked in with a Neopets logo asking for that to be inked on me -- and then he'd throw me out!).

I think you made a very good point! It's completely valid. Too much advertising/merchandise, not enough attention to the site/players problems and satisfaction level.

Sierra, TNT's outsourcing their server operations?! Gah, if what's been happening is any indication of that company, they better rethink that decision and fast.

[Sankaras Mansion]

Say, what are people doing until Neopets comes back? I'm watching Nick@Nite and TVLand. Most of it is new to me, seeing as how it came on before my time.

That, or I'm was too buried into the computer or didn't bother to find out when it came on.

MacGyver comes on TVLand at 4:00am CST, which is 32 minutes from when this message was finished being typed.