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5 stars ANSWERED on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 1:50 pm UTC by davidsarokin

Question: How long has Google Answers been offline?

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Asked by waxpancake on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 12:07 am UTC:

I just noticed that Google Answers is returning a 403 Forbidden error for
all pages.  How long has it been like this?

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher pinkfreud on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 12:36 am UTC:

By golly, you're right. I hope this is a temporary glitch. I looked up a GA
question and answer earlier today with no problem. 

The GA FAQ page is still operative:

http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher nancy on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 12:44 am UTC:

I'm encountering the same 403 problems; however, cached Google Answers
links are coming up fine.

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher digs on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 1:17 am UTC:

It may be temporary, I hope.  Else I will have some serious linkage
problems in my directory pages where I have linked to GA as a resource.

In the majority of cases, error 403 access forbidden, will mean that a
request for a "bare" directory path has been made and that no default
directory index page is present, and the site owner or manager does not
want a file listing displayed in its place.

Once again, I hope it is temporary.

Digs

Comment by User probo on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 2:07 am UTC:

Well spotted, Wax, What a GREAT question!

GA is definitely 'Out of Bounds' (as of now) but for 'How Long?' you ask
...

I can exclusively reveal that the plug was pulled on Wed 11 Apr 2007 at
6:00 pm MDT ...

The lights at Googleplex were then dimmed as the Ceremonial Trumpeters
played 'The Last Post' - the most appropriate tune in their songbook.

Plans to engage Myoarin to sing 'The Requiem' were cancelled after the Head
Honchos saw (and, more importantly, heard) his recent video.

Ah Well, Nothing Lasts Forever.

                        Google Answers
                          2002-2007
                             RIP
 

So, the Answer to your Question is precisely SEVEN MINUTES from when you
asked it.

Sadly, I am not a Researcher so I cannot invite you to invite me to post an
Answer.

Probo

Comment by User fp on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 7:37 am UTC:

I read a GA question yesterday evening having no problems at all.
According to Google Desktop it was then
Apr 11 2007, 8:38pm (local time),
i.e. - 8 hours = 12:38 pm MDT

Comment by User probo on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 8:21 am UTC:

It certainly isn't there now, Freddy!

Maybe you were dipping into Cache?

Or, more likely, you have Special Privileges because of your work (Wink,
Wink)

And quite right, too.

Envious of Hove



Comment by User myoarin on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 11:17 am UTC:

Quite so, but as pointed out, one can access the cache and then enter
something in the box (xxx) and get "xxx site:answers.google.com".
When I entered just a space, I got some 270,000 hits; when I entered
"myoarin", I got about as many hits as I thought appropriate.  Entering
"Pinkfreud" got about 25,000 hits.
So it seems that the files are still there.

Probo, I don't usually sing unless people have to pay, but as an
acception:

The opening of Mozart's Requiem Mass is inappropriate:

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,  Grant them eternal rest, 
et lux perpetua luceat eis.	    O Lord, and may perpetual                  
               .                                   light shine on them.

I will skip to:

Dies irae, dies illa	    Day of wrath, that day
Solvet saeclum in favilla,  Will dissolve the earth in ashes
Teste David cum Sibylla.    As David and the Sibyl bear witness.

Quantus tremor est futurus  What dread there will
Quando judex est venturus   When the Judge shall come
Cuncta stricte discussurus. to judge all things strictly.

I hope that doesn't come through mangled.

David we know, Pafalafa. Sybilla, I assume, is Pinkfreud.

So, here goes, everyone put on their headset or turn up the volume on their
speakers. ...

Myo

Comment by User probo on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 12:19 pm UTC:

Sorry, Myo, but 'twas not 'Mozart's Requiem Mass' that you were almost
engaged to sing ...

Which, as you rightly point out, has a most inappropriate opening ...

'Twas actually Elvis's version which is known just as 'The Requiem'.

My fault, I should have made that crystal clear.

Not to worry, most probably either version would have been delivered 'off
tempo, as usual.

Really, you must pay more attention to your vocal coach or you will NEVER
play the lead in a Broadway Musical.

Sorry to be so blunt but it's for your own good.

Probo








 

Uclue Researcher 5 stars Answer by Researcher davidsarokin on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 1:50 pm UTC:

waxpancake,

Love that user name!

As for our beloved GA, I can only say "What the ****???"

Access to Google Answers appears to have vanished shortly before you posted
your question.  I had accessed GA myself around 5:00 MDT on April 11, but
it had disappeared by the time you posted your question at 6:07 pm.

Actually, Probo's Requiem comment posits an RIP time of 6:00, which is
probably as close as anyone's likely to come to the actual moment of GA's
(hopefully temporary) disappearance.

A number of former Google Answers Researchers have queries into Google
about this situation.  If we hear anything back from them, I'll be sure to
update this answer with any new information that comes along.

Let me know if there's anything more I can do for you.

David

Comment by User myoarin on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 2:47 pm UTC:

Probo,
You can be so cruel.  I hope you were the only one listening.

I couldn't find "The Requiem" with Elvis, only something called "Franklin's
Requiem" from the soundtrack of "3000 Miles to Graceland", but it was
written and sung by George Clinton.  I don't think anyone has related
"Requiem for Heavyweight" to Elvis, besides, it is a play.

Cheers, Myo

5 stars Accepted and rated by waxpancake on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 5:00 pm UTC:

Thanks for the information everyone.  I'm in contact with a friend at
Google who's looking into this for me.  I'll update here if I find out
anything.

Comment by waxpancake on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 5:29 pm UTC:

My friend at Google says it's a bug that the 403 Forbidden errors are the
results of a bug that they've isolated and are fixing right now.  Hooray!

Comment by waxpancake on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 5:31 pm UTC:

Ugh, that's what I get for multitasking while writing a comment.  Let's try
this again: My friend at Google says the 403 Forbidden errors are the
result of a bug that they've isolated and are fixing right now.  (Phew!)

Comment by User probo on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 5:40 pm UTC:

You're right, Wax, GA is again accessible.

Hallelujah!

Probo

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher davidsarokin on Thu 12 Apr 2007 - 5:58 pm UTC:

You're clearly more on top of this that most, so thanks, wax-pan, for the
info, as well as the kind rating.  Both are much appreciated.

David

Comment by User myoarin on Fri 13 Apr 2007 - 9:51 pm UTC:

I keep wondering:  is it a wax pancake, or a wax-pan cake?

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher Roger B (eiffel) on Sat 14 Apr 2007 - 1:28 pm UTC:

Myoarin: I see that the question has been linked to from the right-hand
column of http://waxy.org/

So I think we can assume it's a waxy pancake rather than a waxpanky cake.

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