FlyTheRoad Vanished?

[Mark Tomlinson]

Probably not the right forum to post this (feel free to move it, other moderators). But it seems that http://flytheroad.com/ is suddenly coming up with "404 Page Not Found". I was busy posting a polite welcome to Steve Parry after his post went sticky, then the whole site vanished! That would be about 3:30 PM CDT, or about 1:30 PM PDT.

My thought is that we're suddenly going to get a brand new site in conjunction with a major announcement (even a minor announcement would be nice). Someone fat fingered the publishing of the site, or the default pages are named incorrectly.

I hope it's nothing nefarious.

[esuorc2]

This is NOT a good sign!

[JoeU]

I just tried it too and "Page Not Found":(u:n:s;ure;5(du:n:n:o(o:h"we"ll1:mad: j:a:w:drop(((1

[RAN]

As of 2:27PM PDT, it says: "This Site Is Under Construction and Coming Soon."

[rogwild]

Trying to look on the good side. If "SEP's" thread went 'Sticky' then someone in admin has been reading the recent posts, OR Ian turned it over to someone new (and perhaps inexperienced with the forum) who was trying to 'fix' some of the glitches...... and pushed the [delete] button at the wrong time!
Perhaps Steve convinced Ian to 'revamp' the entire site, and they are installing a more 'modern' Forum system (hope they back-up all the old posts). Only time will tell.

[Derwin]

Well, all I can say about this is that it is GOOD NEWS, not bad. Ian told me on the phone that certain things were happening, and this may indeed be one of them!

Many of you "old timers" in the club should remember last year when I posted that Rick Balsiger (the head of the VV marketing company) told me that they would be putting up an entirely NEW SITE and an entirely NEW FORUM by April of 2008 or thereabouts. Well, it's long past April, but maybe they finally got it all together and this is what is happening now.

Derwin

[dalton478]

I've been lurking for about a year now on the VV forums and this is my first post on either site.

About the site going down, I can share that my company has many times considered creating a forum for our customers. So far it has not happened, primarily on fears that most forums tend to have flames that look bad for the company. While that point in itself has merits on both sides it does make you think about what has happened recently.

The lack of updates on such a regular basis in conjunction with a truly dismal outlook in the recent past look bad. The 'very' negative posts, whether deserved or not, in the more recent weeks would have prompted us to pull the site and start over with a positive look and feel. I expect something along those lines is what is happening now. Especially with the recent good news from Derwin and Steve.

[Derwin]

dalton478... Good to have you in the club! wel;co;m;e101))

Derwin

[rogwild]

Lets just hope Steve DID take a look over here at the 'Club Site', and convinced Ian that Vv could do a much better job than their present (past) website/forum; and gave the 'go ahead' to revamp it.=y:

It is a little 'disconcerting' though that this would be done WITHOUT any announcement or 'warning'. Seems that Vv just can't break 'old habits', about keeping forum members 'INFORMED'!!!!!:(

Lets all hope that; "This Site Is Under Construction and Coming Soon." is based upon 'Normal' time, and not "Ian Time".du:n:n:o(

[MikeB]

I have mixed feelings about VV getting a new website & forum. One, they really desperately need better forum software, and a website refresh wouldn't hurt. :)

However, with a new forum, I'll probably loose my place as userId #6, registered on day one. :(

[rosesj]

Well... why in the world, if everything was on the up and up, wouldn't a respectable company who values its potential customers just put up a post saying, "New site in the works, expect this one to go down soon."

You don't just drop off the face of the earth ie Youtube and your company website, if you give a damn about those who are reading your information.

But if you are out of the picture completely...

It is odd though.

I SAW the video Ian posted with the prototype drive train. It seemed like it was working pretty well.

Things just aren't good IMO. You don't just do this sort of thing. You give a 'heads up'.

IF they ARE just revamping the site, they are doing and incredibly LOUSY job of it.

[waboom]

There could be multiple reasons for the site-wide unavailability.

They could be switching web hosting providers and the information hasn't propagated before the old site was shut down.

They might have forgotten to pay the web hosting bill and the host pulled the plug until they get paid.

If they are replacing the entire site (new images of the V1 hopefully!) this is a surprising way to do it. You'd usually just ftp up your new site to a new directory, then point the web server over to the new files - seamless. And your "Site is down" page could at least show an outline of the V1 (maybe they're unveiling the official company and vehicle name? Rampant speculation!)

Well, revamping/replacing the forum can only be an improvement over how things were. And maybe if they have someone who has the time to do this, maybe they'll continue on to be the "Darling Debbie" moderator that we've been hoping for as well!

[Derwin]

And maybe if they have someone who has the time to do this, maybe they'll continue on to be the "Darling Debbie" moderator that we've been hoping for as well!

Hey, aren't you happy with how "Darlin Derwin" has been running things?! j:o"k'e)

You know, fella's... I would feel the same way as some of you, and I would be very nervous, and even upset, if I didn't personally speak with Ian myself. Have they screwed-up in all of this? And could they have done this better? A RESOUNDING YES is the answer! But let's just wait and see what pops up. I'm actually very excited!

Derwin

[ziggy951]

As of about 5:30 Mountain time it is listed as "under construction". SO that at least is a step forward.




Z

[chiodeguate]

I too have never posted but have been here for a while, just reading and waiting in the shadows....shadows that seem to have taken over the site and/or company. Did anyone else log onto YouTube and notice that Ian's account is suspended/gone???

[waboom]

Oh, an update - flytheroad.com is down, but venturevehicles.com is up & running (with the same old stuff, btw.) If you try to click over to the forums, it gives you the "under construction" page. BUT, if you explicitely type in http://www.venturevehicles.com/blog/forums/, then you get back to the forums page, with everything the way it always was.

Sorry guys - just looks like all the hoopla is just over a DNS updating issue.

[waboom]

Hey, aren't you happy with how "Darlin Derwin" has been running things?! j:o"k'e)

Ah, Derwin - we couldn't exist without you! Not just the obvious "hosting the forum" stuff, but all your comments, drive, cigars, excitement & overall tenor have helped make this a great place to hang out! We can't thank you enough (and probably don't.)

So, Thank you!2thumb:up

[AZEqualizer]

Actually both are back up.... it was 'chicken little time'

[Derwin]

As of 7:14pm central time, the flytheroad site is up, but the FORUM is not. At least it does not come up when you click on the forum link.

Actually, if the sight was down for good as some thought, that would not be the "sky falling"...... it would be a sign that things are changing, and that's a good thing!

Derwin

[AZEqualizer]

They work for me so it must be on your end. u:n:s;ure;5(

[Derwin]

AZE, What are you doing to get the forum? When I go to the website... FlyTheRoad.com and then press on the forum link, this is what I get:

http://www.flytheroadclub.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=719&stc=1&d=1219969948



Is anybody else experiencing the same thing?

Derwin

[Mark Tomlinson]

It's back now. Looks to me like they were trying to roll out a new site, but ended off backing it out. That's just a guess, but it happens a lot with smaller companies that don't have an Internet change management methodology.

[Hardtime11]

I agree with rogwild and MikeB about the site. It is there and it appears that someone is working on it. The page holder redirect is what Network Solutions throws up when there is no index page or home page.

If it is still not working go delete your flytheroad.com cookies from your browser and refresh. The login is still not connecting which shows someone might of tried to work with the site on their private or workstation machine and it blew the directory links for the sites subfolders or referencing. It is normally a box or something that needs to be checked or unchecked when using a lot of web page helpers/software. They are still apparently working on the site as I have checked a lot of the links and they are not functional at this moment.

MikeB, I would not worry about the #6 slot as you were #1 as a non-employee or management type and I was right behind you. I double checked and if they kept copies of the site and used the same software manufacturer there should be no problem with the updating and such. They just need to back up to an original copy and try it again. If it is someone that knows nothing about it we are in a world of hurt.

That is one thing I did not spoof was the membership list and maybe Ian retained a copy for future use.thu:mbs:up:22

[Mark Tomlinson]

Oh, an update - flytheroad.com is down, but venturevehicles.com is up & running (with the same old stuff, btw.) If you try to click over to the forums, it gives you the "under construction" page. BUT, if you explicitely type in http://www.venturevehicles.com/blog/forums/, then you get back to the forums page, with everything the way it always was.

Sorry guys - just looks like all the hoopla is just over a DNS updating issue.

FlyTheRoad and VentureVehicles resolve to the same address. Flytheroad.com has been registered to it since last April (renewal?) and VentureVehicles.com has been registered to it since 2006.

Pinging flytheroad.com [205.178.145.65] with 32 bytes of data:
Pinging venturevehicles.com [205.178.145.65] with 32 bytes of data:


I'm thinking they were messing around with their virtualhosts trying to bring a new site online, and had to go back to the old site. Doesn't matter, it's back now. But all the more reason to hire someone who knows what they are doing. (FrontPage on Apache? Holy crap!)

[Hardtime11]

Mark did you try to login. I already did check both sites and it appears that they are still messing with it. The only thing I find solid is the old blog page.

[Derwin]

Well, I deleted all browsing history, as well as all cookies, and I am still getting the same thing. The main site is up, but the FORUM is not showing up for me. I am still getting the above page. Here is the address of the forum page:

http://www.flytheroad.com/blog/forums

What are you guys seeing when you go to that page?

Derwin

[Hardtime11]

I am getting a little bit of sporadic pages.

[Derwin]

I don't know about you guys, but I really am excited about this! Maybe the time has indeed finally arrived for a new user-friendly company forum. At least we can HOPE!

Derwin

[Hardtime11]

It is back up now and I do not see any immediate changes but maybe they are working on it.2thumb:up

[Hardtime11]

The FAQ's off of the main site look good (shows I have not gone there for awhile :-)) and everything else is the same

[Derwin]

OK. Something is wrong here. I still CANNOT get the FORUM to come up. I am still getting the same page that I posted above, and I have deleted all cookies.

IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT CANNOT GET THE COMPANY FORUM? Please post here so I know I'm not the only one.

Rogwild..... What are YOU seeing? Can you see the company forum?

Derwin

[RichDC]

http://www.flytheroad.com/blog/forums/

Deleted my cookies and all is fine here. Recent post from one hour ago. Site seems to be moving a good bit faster though. I'm guessing a server or host upgrade?

[dalton478]

I can get to the forum from the flytheroad.com homepage link. Didn't mess with cookies or browsing history to see it. Although, I don't have a login there so it may be a touch different.

[willk]

I read this thread and I had no idea what you guys were talking about because I loaded up the site fine. the only change I saw (there may be more) was SEP article is now "sticky."

[chiodeguate]

Im still curious...where's Ian?? Sounds like the big guys with the money didnt like the way things were going, and good-bye Ian. Anyone know anything about it? Does this mean we might see this vehicle before 2010?? Wow, Id love it!!!

[dalton478]

Chiodeguate, based on recent posts that does not appear to be the case. I think he is just busy working and not that concerned with keeping the forum informed.

[Derwin]

Yep. The sight is back up again. And they made the SEP "Progress Updates" thread a sticky, so we know for a fact that it was the "REAL" Steve Parry posting. Good news, but I was expecting a new site. Guess that's still coming in the future!

Derwin

[Mark Tomlinson]

Yeah, someone botched up an upgrade and had to roll it back. I'm sure of it. Might have been a site upgrade, or maybe a new server that wasn't configured correctly. But right now it's the same old site fully functional (if you can call it that).

[Miracleman89]

Well I am glad I was busy with the DNC convention and missed all of that or I would have probably panicked!!! "The Sky is falling the sky is falling!!!" I am glad things are working now and I tend to agree with the concept that they tried a new site and had to back up!

[wireman]

Yeah MM89. I missed all the hoopla too! I was never glad that I am not online at home before today! I have to go to the library to do my surfing, so everything was "business as usual" by the time I logged in!

Derwin, I believe your notion that things are about to pop is right on.

[chiodeguate]

Chiodeguate, based on recent posts that does not appear to be the case. I think he is just busy working and not that concerned with keeping the forum informed.


Wow, I hope youre right. Im just ready for any type of good news from anyone in the company. Still curious as to what happened with Ian... he was a YouTube "friend" and now his whole page, to include all videos of the carver and related items, are gone. Where is Ian>>>??

[Derwin]

Ian... he was a YouTube "friend" and now his whole page, to include all videos of the carver and related items, are gone. Where is Ian>>>??

I spoke with Ian on the phone the other day, and all is well with the company. There are MAJOR things underway, and absolutely nothing to worry about.

As far as Ian's youtube account.... He had to take it down for various reasons, but he will be creating a NEW account, and putting up NEW videos soon (don't ask me to define "soon"!).

Derwin

[RAN]

Soon as the paint dries? Soon as the cows come home? Soon as I finish my novel? But before we land on Mars, right? :-{)]

[Derwin]

RAN, you should know the answer to that. It's as soon as the "paint" dries! And it just do happens that they are putting on a SECOND coat! hy:per1)

Derwin

[chiodeguate]

I spoke with Ian on the phone the other day, and all is well with the company. There are MAJOR things underway, and absolutely nothing to worry about.

As far as Ian's youtube account.... He had to take it down for various reasons, but he will be creating a NEW account, and putting up NEW videos soon (don't ask me to define "soon"!).

Derwin


Derwin, as usual, you provide the coolest of infos. Thanks for the update, I'll keep waiting...I really dont have a choice either way.

[foreeyes2]

Wow, thanks to you guys in da club for these posts... I was mighty scared today when I went to the web site and it was gone!
BTW, anyone else get a link to an online survey to answer questions about the VV? v:i:c:t;o;ry1)

[cpaddock]

FTR is blinking GONE! A glitch? New site about to happen? The "Big One" hit CA?
WAZZUP?
Curves Ahead!

[Hardtime11]

Wow, thanks to you guys in da club for these posts... I was mighty scared today when I went to the web site and it was gone!
BTW, anyone else get a link to an online survey to answer questions about the VV? v:i:c:t;o;ry1)

Just to let you know it came back up the other day and showed the SEP thread as a "Sticky".

However it is down again with no directories or anything on the site. It is currently in a state where your browser will go crazy trying to refresh the blank page. It is as if it is there but the index.html page is messed up. It was not even doing that earlier.

We shall have to wait and see.

[Hardtime11]

Guys I started a new thread: http://www.flytheroadclub.com/forums/images/misc/subscribed.gif "Be Patient" Venture Vehicles site will be up soon (http://www.flytheroadclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=604)

Just so everyone would see the response references contact that I made.