Sat 3 Feb 2007
The storage system serving mail.usf.edu accounts is having problems again. Mail and Blackboard admins are working on the problem with Sun engineers. We will post updates as they become available.
Update (5:37PM) The system was available briefly, but it is still having problems. We are continuing to work with Sun engineers on this issue.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:24 am
This is unacceptable.
Please. Do us all a favor and put these servers out of their misery, like they did with Barbaro. Then find the idiot who signed the contract with Sun and put him out of our misery too.
Does USF have any recourse here? Is there a lemon law on technology? Screw Sun Microsystems and the horse they rode in on.
Learn something, Go here:
http://www.apple.com/xserve/raid/
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:34 am
This is just great, I have emails waiting for me I hope, and I can’t even get to them.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:51 am
So I can understand that your dept. is doing the best with what it has, so thanks. But this is really worthless. Is this a problem with staffing? Funding? Unavoidable software problem? Old hardware you’re not allowed/approved to replace? New hardware that turned out to be terrible? Poor quality software/planning?
What does your dept. need to make this a stable service? Many professors require students to only use their official USF email account, and we can not.
If the front page of www.usf.edu was down this much, heads would roll.
Who is the person that has the power to grant the required staff/equipment/funding for this to be properly fixed?
Enough students are not happy with these frequent problems to the point where we could bury the right people in mail until they authorize whatever you need to get this system properly functioning.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:51 am
I think we’d all be better off using our personal email accounts for communications.
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Andrew I have three words for you, Student Goverment Senate, they have the power to do something about this.
When tution increases come to their table, they can do something, promise a part of that tution to for services like this, and if they can’t get that part they can just not agree to the tution increase.
I don’t know how much power they have in that regard, but the Senate and other students will be able to make it clear we are upset, and will not stand for our mail system being down this often.
At this point I too am wondering, who needs to get fired, and why this has happen again.
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Robin -
That solution doesn’t necessarily work. I do have a personal email account. And it is personal for friends and family. As a teaching assistant, there’s no way I’d give that email to my students. And given the general delays between other accounts that use filters and usf, I can’t imagine trying to send my students last minute information forwarded through blackboard through their usf email accounts to their other accounts.
The solution is money. We have over 40,000 students. We can’t buy some servers? WTF?
Join us at:
http://usf.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2232349424&ref=mf
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Great, I have a powerpoint project to do and need access to info. in my mail. This is just wonderful. Do you people want to explain to all of my professors that I couldn’t finish the necessary work because of the system (or your) incompetence?!?!?!
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:59 pm
As much as I would like to say something like “this happens every so often to even the best setups”, the downtime experienced throughout this semester has been absolutely unacceptable.
Between Sun and USF, hopefully someone will come to a solution to keep the mail server up for a few weeks. I honestly feel like we need a complete change. As the administrator of two email servers (one personal and one for the company I work for), I know how difficult it is, but I can singlehandedly maintain 99% uptime, and unlike those working for Academic Computing, I do not have any IT degrees, certifications, or the like - I started on this as a hobby.
The frequency and nature of the problems that have been experienced have shown that the problem is not money, but rather the attitudes, skills, and commitment to quality of the people and companies involved. We’re likely to hear the same sob story about not receiving enough money from the same people we’ve heard three or four times this semester. I would honestly like to know where the portion of my tuition money that becomes Academic Computing’s budget is going before paying another dime in tuition.
Oh, and someone should get into the Wordpress config files that generate the pages and remove the checkbox for “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail”. This checkbox is absolutely worthless considering that everytime someone posts a comment on this, it is because email is down.
For those that feel the same way I do and as at least one of the others previously posted:
I intend to send my feelings to the Student Body President, Frank Harrison (fharrison@sg.usf.edu), The Student Government Senate President, Senator Barclay Harless (brharles@sg.usf.edu), and the University President, Judy Genshaft (jgensha@admin.usf.edu). I recommend others to do the same.
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Oh for the love of God. Again??? This is ridiculous.
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
As always, I agree with Andrew Herrmann… my students do not & will not have access to my personal email - isn’t that one of the reasons that USF provides email to all students, faculty & staff? So that we all have free & unlimited access to email?? Altho it does my students (or myself) any good if it’s sooo unreliable. So now what? I guess I need to go create a gmail or yahoo account, for these increasingly frequent times that USF has let the student body down?
Andrew, which of us will write a letter to the Oracle?
February 3rd, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Wow.
I have give the acomp people the benefit of the doubt but I am very sick of this, now. It is obvious that this is some one’s fault.
Please leave an update on when you expect it to be back up. I am so fuming… ugh!
February 3rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I cant do my online class. thank you for ruining my day.
February 3rd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Andrew R
I am running for Senate ( I won’t say which department, due the rules ). I am running only because I want to be part of the solution, and find out where every penny of our tution is going. I cannot promise a solution for us, but I will give my word I will do my best to protect future students from the same issues we have faced.
I suggest everyone come to a Senate meeting, I know I will, and everyone remember to vote on the Feb 27th and 28th
All I know is, tution is broken up into 3 parts, and I want to know what money is going where. I do understand that this is public information, perhaps something has to change, for progress to be made?
All I know is, my cousin who is working in the same department over at UCF has all the equipment he needs. So if its about money, there is a solution to the problem.
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:07 pm
At least I can use my yahoo account 100% of the time versus….this.
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Linda -
I wrote a letter to the Oracle a few weeks ago. I sent it as an open letter to Genshaft. Unfortunately The Oracle changed it from that format into a standard letter whic limited its impact. Of course they also, edidited it for content and screwed up my name and affiliation.
They are useless….
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:20 pm
I’m beyond furious. The previous outages never impacted my grade but now an important paper will not be finished today. I can only access it from my e-mail and thanks to USF’s terrible server/tech staff, I will not be able to finish it today. Why does this ALWAYS happen? Why haven’t they figured out a way to prevent these outages? I’m sick of teachers always saying “use your USF e-mail, don’t use hotmail or AOL because they aren’t as reliable”. Bullcrap is what I say. The only unreliable e-mail system is USF’S!!!
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Krystle -
It isn’t that Yahoo, et. al. are unrealiable. Th edilemma with those systems is that they use filters that delay forwarding USF email by up to three days. And then sometimes they filter those directly into the ‘junk’ mailbox. The latter is obviously a problem and can be corrected by adding the USF email to the ‘acceptable’ address list.
The former is only a problem when a professor is sending someone time-sensitive information. For example, when I send out the review sheets for my exams, I send them out to all my students via Blackboard. Those with USF email get those sheets immediately (when its working, anyway). Those using other email get them later or not at all. That leaves them either completely in the dark or with three fewer days to study what is important.
The solution is not to abondon mail.usf.edu. The solution is to get the problem fixed correctly once and for all with reliable servers, a new back-up system that works correctly, and the reliable budget to take care of revamping the system when it gets toward end of life.
As a former IT professional, I can guarantee these guys are totally frustrated with applying bandages to this POS system. They lost their Thanksgiving weekends, part of their Christmas vacations, and now this weekend. I’m sure they don’t want to troubleshoot this crap every few weeks.
So the dilemma is institutional…and those dilemmas start at the top. My sights are set on Genshaft.
What’s she gonna do, fire me? I’m graduate student. I make shit money as it is.
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:52 pm
PS: If you want to keep on kvetching, join us on the “mail.usf.edu sucks!” facebook page.
http://usf.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2232349424
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Do we have an estimate of time for the outage?
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Thanks for that response Andrew. I’ll definitely be joining the Facebook group
and Jeff, I called and was told that there is no estimated time as of right now. Fantastic eh?
February 3rd, 2007 at 4:45 pm
AGAIN……….This is just amazing!!!
WOW
February 3rd, 2007 at 5:19 pm
you can sign into your mail now… at least i can. just click on “click here” on the mail webmail page.
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:03 pm
This is getting ridiculus! It’s down again? It’s been down longer than it has been working properly.
I am seriously hating webmail right now.
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Seriously, though. Tuition here is a fraction of other schools. you get what you pay for, unfortunately.
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Ok… so in order for an institution to function right, all of its parts must be working in concert with each other. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS SYSTEM?! This is completely unacceptable, and I can’t fathom WHY this is happening? WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?! GET BETTER SERVERS
PLEASE… so we can use EMAIL. Besides, where else is tuition going? Anyone?
It’s 2007, people, this shouldn’t be an issue…
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Honestly, I too am mad and frustrated as everyone else is here about this situation. However, I also feel bad about the situation the maintenence folks are in. I only assume they are working with what they have, what their budget is, and the whims of thier superiors.
Having said that, the university policy makers and power brokers need to be made aware or more aware of the situation. Has a big stinker about this been written about or discussed in the venerable Oracle? If not, than it might be a large venue in which to voice our dissaproval.
That or hold a huge protest with signs in front of admin buildings with such dialogue as,
“What do we want?!?”
“Servers that work!”
“When do we want it?!?”
“Right now!”
Repeat as needed.
any thoughts?
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I think the SGA needs to demand that USF allocates more money for getting a first-class server. This is sick.
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Great the mail is down. Just what I needed. Now I can’t get the chapters I have to do for homework in my e-mail that is due THIS MONDAY.
Seriously…. you guys have to figure something out. I’ve never heard of a mail server that crashes every week. Come on now!
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:05 pm
I don’t fault the folks who sacrifice their vacations to do damage control when Webmail goes down. As an employee of this university, I understand how difficult it can be to do what’s necessary when you’re beholden to the whims of SGA and pencil pushers who decide each cycle how much money your department gets and what it can be spent on.
I propose a salary decrease for Genshaft to pay for whatever is needed to fix Webmail.
February 3rd, 2007 at 10:49 pm
I’m so glad I’m paying USF more than half my yearly salary so they can keep servers that break down every few days. AWESOME. Almost as good as the parking situation at USF.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:22 pm
agreed, this is getting ridiculous!!! i’m right there behing you! i vote for decresing her salary!! so many people count on the email servers to do their job, and when they don’t for whatever reason, we expect someone to fix them in a timely manner. if this is going to keep happening one might think that the people “fixing” the servers would atleast become more efficient in repairing the issue because they’ve done it so many times already??
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Problems AGAIN, huh? USF WebMail has never been so unreliable. This is absolutely ridiculous.
February 4th, 2007 at 12:16 am
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?!?!?!
February 4th, 2007 at 12:21 am
Hello everyone,
I too agree with much of which is being said, but lets be real with each other. The only power we have is in numbers, but how many of “us” are even willing to do so. Truthfully the answer is none. Each and every one of you speak of change, but not one of you possess the will nor the want to actually do anything about it. Some of you may try and you will eventually fail.
I do encourage “you” to use your only resource, SG Senate, to express what little care you actually have. They will listen, they will try, but they have nothing without each and every one of you!
So, enough said, just deal with it.
February 4th, 2007 at 12:37 am
John Doe speak for yourself, you might not have the will, but I am running for Senate, whats your excuse?
I have a bark as well as a bite, I won’t promise nothing, but I am going to listen to what solutions that are on the table then suggest my own.
February 4th, 2007 at 12:45 am
i say we send somany emails to whoever is in power that someone will get mad and do something about it, ha.. from our personal accounts you know (USFEMAILSUCKS@yahoo.com Subject title: FIX USF EMAIL SERVER!!!
i say to all these “Stpt.usf.edu” people … how are they always still getting email? do they have a VIP account or something?
February 4th, 2007 at 12:57 am
President’s office, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, ADM241, Tampa, FL 33620 — (813) 974-2791
Direct questions or comments about the Web site to
Copyright © 2002-2005, University of South Florida
maybe when the server gets back up they can read how people feel…
February 4th, 2007 at 1:11 am
I really hope people are not going act really poorly, your not going to solve anything if you send email like the person that goes by “Car” suggested.
February 4th, 2007 at 1:42 am
By NO means am I saying being hateful. If it gets peoples attentions then I think it would be a good idea. Why would they post an opinion email if we can’t send our opinion?
Today in politics, or advertising, or anything; the fastest way to send information is what? The internet. If we don’t show that we care and act as though we are “too good” to stand up for ourselves then apparently we never needed MLK, John Adams, Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Princess Diana, Ellen, the people of the French revolution? (And most of all we really don’t need the USF email?)Do I need to go on? Because the people in history who thought they were “too good” to speak out against something that is OBVIOUSLY! Not being dealt with in a timely manor were usually just scared.
And no one ever remembered them now did they?
February 4th, 2007 at 1:46 am
we should all be thankful, imagine if you had to walk three blocks just to get to an internet cafe and pay 5 bucks for a half hour of internet like you do in some latin american cities.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I am still having difficulty retriving e-mail….when may I expect the system to be operational????
February 5th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Karen Dearolf,
Your account should work now. There were some system files pertaining to your account which were out of sync.
February 5th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
I can send mail but I cannot receive mail, I reported the problem by phone over a week ago but the same issue persists. Please help, I cannot download software that is required for class because the registration requires a USF e-mail account, which I cannot use.
February 7th, 2007 at 12:09 am
Is anyone else having the problem with it saying that your mailbox does not exist?!?! It won’t let me see any of my mail.
February 9th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Catherine,
Your account mailbox exists now.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Moises Suarez,
Your mail.usf.edu account forwards to a moffit.usf.edu account. When forwarding is enabled no local copy of the mail is kept. Any missing mails should be in your moffitt account.
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
i am not getting emails in my account.