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Facebook Apologizes for Outages, Says It Has Resolved 'Server Configuration' Error That Led To Access Problems (variety.com)

Facebook is sorry: The social media giant apologized for the technical errors that left many users globally unable to access apps for Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp starting Wednesday and stretching into Thursday, and said it's fixed the glitch. From a report: About 24 hours after users began reporting problems with Facebook, Instagram and other apps, Facebook announced Thursday -- on Twitter -- that it had resolved them and that its systems are "recovering." "Yesterday, as a result of a server configuration change, many people had trouble accessing our apps and services. We've now resolved the issues and our systems are recovering," the company said in a tweet. "We're very sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate everyone's patience."

80 comments

  1. Why? by servo335 · · Score: 2

    Why dd they use their own competition to say they fixed the issues.

    1. Re:Why? by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      I guess that's where people go when FB is down?

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    2. Re:Why? by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Facebook is going to go down? Do you know when - I think I need to unroll the body bags I store in the basement and get ready for the people who die of it's lack.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  2. Re:huh? by hjf · · Score: 0

    Go away.
    Really, you don't look any smarter for that comment. You just look like any other smug idiot.

  3. Let me guess... by Crash+Dummy+Redux · · Score: 1

    A misplaced colon or semicolon in a CLI command to a Cisco switch or router?

    1. Re:Let me guess... by jythie · · Score: 1

      I suspect it started with something like that and then cascaded from there.

    2. Re: Let me guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A misplaced colon or semicolon in a CLI command to a Facebook whitebox knockoff of a Cisco switch or router?

      Fixed it for ya... Facebook uses whitebox systems they designed themselves. Oh, and FWIW, Cisco IOS doesn't use colons or semi-colons. Maybe you mean mikrotik?

    3. Re: Let me guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No.

      A black trans diversity quota hire literally was the cause.

      Not even joking. They've threatened to fire anyone who talks about it. Our anonymous employee kik is going fucking nuts.

  4. LifeLog Cover Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Server Configuration Error?
    More like dumping all traces of the DARPA LifeLog program from their databases in an effort to cover their tracks ...

    1. Re:LifeLog Cover Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Everyone knows LifeLog was killed off years ago.

      Oh, wait, looks like LifeLog was stopped the very same day that Facebook was created ...

      https://www.wired.com/2004/02/pentagon-kills-lifelog-project/

    2. Re:LifeLog Cover Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Everyone knows LifeLog was killed by the pentagon back in 2004.

      [me Googles LifeLog Facebook DARPA] ... oh wait, looks like LifeLog was stopped the very same day Facebook was founded ...

    3. Re:LifeLog Cover Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I cannot believe a "configuration error" caused a world-wide extended outage

      It's clear you've never configured critical infrastructure.

        - Peder

    4. Re:LifeLog Cover Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hillary, is that you?

    5. Re:LifeLog Cover Up by mschuyler · · Score: 2

      If you ran a system as big as Facebook and designed it so a "configuration error" would bring down thousands of servers, you ought to be fired--now.

      --
      How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.
    6. Re: LifeLog Cover Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FB isn't CI.

  5. Re:huh? by sabri · · Score: 0

    No, it should be "Variety who?". Why the fuck does msmash link to an article with a page-sized ad instead of just linking to the statement that's in the article? Must be getting kickbacks.

    --
    I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
  6. Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for something by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 2

    yet nothing ever changes.

    Also: /. is FB's availability page now? What gives?

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  7. Python by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Must have been one of those one line wonder Python scripts that do 30 things. Get something out of place and the whole thing crashes

    1. Re:Python by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Must have been one of those one line wonder Python scripts that do 30 things. Get something out of place and the whole thing crashes

      It's even worse than that. It's ... ... PHP!!!! *eerie music*

  8. Re: Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are all sorry

  9. If they were ethical.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If they had any ethics, they'd apologize for the service coming back up again.

    This thing is a cancer on the internet.

  10. Re:huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think he meant it's irrelevant.

    Why so butthurt? You friends with Zuck the Cuck?

  11. Re:huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Facebook who?

    Would you also like to brag to us about not owning a TV?

  12. Re: huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do you get to tell people to go away. Your post was more useless than the one you replied to. Google sence of humor..it will make your life better.

  13. Re:Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethin by alvinrod · · Score: 2

    Also: /. is FB's availability page now? What gives?

    The editors probably just piss away time on Facebook all day, which explains why the story was so timely. Typically I'm used to stuff taking a day or two to show up here, which isn't necessarily bad, but they had that story up right away. I think there was a previous time within the last year when the reported that Facebook was down. They might have been aware of it before someone managed to get the message to Zuck.

    After the spaghetti link in an article summary the other day, it's pretty obvious that there isn't a lot of editing being done, not that this site was every really know for it. This really is stuff that matters, only to myopic nitwits.

  14. Fragility of the the servers by xack · · Score: 2

    If a single "misconfiguration" can take down a system with thousands of redundant servers then you must see the total incompetence of the Facebook system. Is this who you want to give your data to? Want a "misconfiguration" to leak your data and passwords?

    1. Re:Fragility of the the servers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If a single "misconfiguration" can take down a system with thousands of redundant servers then you must see the total incompetence of the Facebook system. Is this who you want to give your data to? Want a "misconfiguration" to leak your data and passwords?

      99.999% of those on Facebook could give a shit about privacy or security.

      That's why they're on Facebook; to share everything about their pointless lives with a bunch of "friends" who feel equally as self-important.

    2. Re:Fragility of the the servers by eaglesrule · · Score: 1

      It probably was a 'misconfiguration' that leaked data and passwords, and it took the duration of the outage to update and deploy the code worldwide.

    3. Re:Fragility of the the servers by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      No profit in redundant servers funded by ads.
      The ads pay for servers and allow for profits.
      The ads won't pay for global redundant servers and the needed profits.
      The servers are for selling ads not giving users redundant services.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    4. Re:Fragility of the the servers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If a single "misconfiguration" can take down a system with thousands of redundant servers

      Now isn't that reassuring..... ;)
      Rubs chin...........

  15. Why is this news? Really!!! by bogaboga · · Score: 0

    I wasn't directly affected save for fellas around the office, who bitched over this relentlessly. I loathe FB with a passion.

    I just wonder when it will go the way of MySpace. Can't wait.

    1. Re:Why is this news? Really!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was hoping that they had been destroyed by an orbiting super-laser weapon!

  16. Nice try by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ever since the news story that they were down, they probably got more pageloads than in any other day in history. Gotta admit, I tried loading Facebook several times yesterday, just to see if it was still broken. The final time, it actually loaded so I assume some ads would have been there. How many weeks since I had last checked?

    I smell a rat; the downage could have easily just been a publicity stunt to try to keep Facebook in our URL histories.

  17. "Server config error..." by Amigori · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A "server configuration error" that prevents login and access issues happen to a small business with A rack of servers. NOT to one of the largest IT companies in the world. That would be an incredibly fast replication across how many globe-wide datacenters?

    What happened? Who knows? The QAnon crowd has a DARPA / Lifelog / Building8 theory. Give that what credence you need to. Seems plausible to me (without too much tin-foil).

    --
    "The quality of life is determined by its activites."--Aristotle
    1. Re:"Server config error..." by azadrozny · · Score: 1

      I genuinely hope that we will get a detailed account of what happened. Something this big was likely more than an intern checking in a bad config file. While embarrassing for those involved, there is likely a good lesson to be learned. It would go a long way in improving my opinion of the company if they shared those lessons.

    2. Re:"Server config error..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A "server configuration error" that prevents login and access issues happen to a small business with A rack of servers. NOT to one of the largest IT companies in the world. That would be an incredibly fast replication across how many globe-wide datacenters?

      What happened? Who knows? The QAnon crowd has a DARPA / Lifelog / Building8 theory. Give that what credence you need to. Seems plausible to me (without too much tin-foil).

      I agree with the Q team. They are getting rid of evidence.

    3. Re:"Server config error..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The QAnon crowd has a DARPA / Lifelog / Building8 theory.

      Maybe, what is it? Does the theory explain how a service disruption *could* propagate worldwide quickly, where as server configuration error is implausible because it happened so quickly?
      I have no idea what happened (and I enjoy a good conspiracy) but it is entirely possible to replicate a change from one master to every continent, then each continent to all its data centers, and each DC in propagating to 500 servers, in about a second or two.

    4. Re:"Server config error..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're a moron, I agree with your doctor, your parents were siblings.

    5. Re:"Server config error..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Absolutely. This is an opportunity as well as a black eye for FB.

    6. Re:"Server config error..." by Trogre · · Score: 1

      I believe this is how it went down:

      "Look, Mr Zuckerberg. Either you co-operate with our demands or we'll take you down."

      "Oh yeah? What do you think you can do?"

      (Fed takes a phone out of his pocket, hits Send)

      (Zuck pulls out his phone, refreshes a couple of status pages, puts down phone)
      (quietly) "Would you like that data dump scheduled hourly or daily, sir?"

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  18. Please let me euthanase you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone who uses facebook is retarded. Everyone who doesn't is at least smarter than that.
    Social media has ruined the internet by onboarding literally billions of retards (conservatives).
    Forget eternal September. We're stuck in eternal 2007 forever.

    1. Re: Please let me euthanase you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      After putting down so many people, I'd like to hear... Do you think your comment is a good example of how people should behave online?

    2. Re: Please let me euthanase you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, you're right.
      The last line should read "We're stuck in eternal 2007 ... forever", otherwise it's not clear that this was a tautological play on words.
      Other than that it's a perfectly cromulent 2000-2015 internet comment.

      (For comparison a 2019 internet comment would simply be: "HURRRRR LIBTARDS!!! Chemtrails cause autism HURRRRR".)

    3. Re: Please let me euthanase you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately for your narrative, recent studies indicate conservatives are more informed and generally more intelligent than left-leaning people.

      They also are 0.8 inches taller on average as well.

      So it's likely that you're a short, emotional, stupid faggot.

    4. Re: Please let me euthanase you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure that's what all the studies say in soviet russia

  19. "Glitch" ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    24 hour outages are not Glitches nor is it acceptable for ANY company to think otherwise. I cannot stand Facebook but at least get the the fucking terminology right.

    Calling it a "glitch" is what pompus, arrogant asshole managers give to clients. What a shithole company.

  20. Re:Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethin by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

    The "editors", and I use the term loosely, have always been lazy fucks.

    With the sheer number of dupes I've seen over ~20 years it is obvious they don't actually read the site let alone know how to do a basic search to see if a story has been already been posted before. But I guess that keeps the memes alive. /. has editors? LOL, yeah, right.

  21. New internet, who dis? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    Hadn't even noticed until someone mentioned it yesterday in passing.

    Maybe this is something old people care about?

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:New internet, who dis? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, for those of us who have been on the internet since the day it was opened to the public, it matters.

      Those of you who don't even know what perl is... well... go and enjoy grindr.

    2. Re:New internet, who dis? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      I was on ARPA before it was open

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  22. Re:Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The editors probably just piss away time on Facebook all day

    As if you're doing anything different... fucking hypocrite.

  23. yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    'server configuration' ? That's not how to spell 'grand jury subpoena'.

  24. Q team says.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Q Team says FB did a massive data dump that incriminates FB and other foreign entities. Wonder what FB was trying to hide?.

    https://qanon.pub

    The 'cleaning crew' is active.
    Size = time+ to complete.
    Q

    LifeLog problems?
    Garbage File?
    Q

  25. Re:huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I literally don't own a TV.
    Does that make me a better person? Yes of course it does.

  26. A question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why are you testing server configurations on production system?

    1. Re: A question by astrofurter · · Score: 2

      I believe the term is "Agile(tm) Continuous Delivery".

  27. Re:Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shut up you moron.

  28. Re: Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    20 years? And yet you still come here.

  29. Re:Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethin by sjames · · Score: 2

    Facebook announces new C level position, the CS(NS)O, the Chief Sorry (Not Sorry) Officer.

  30. Re: Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethi by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

    Came for the stories, stayed for the user comments -- there have been some amazing gems over the years.

    Why throw the baby out with the bathwater?

  31. Facebook was down? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    I couldn't care less.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  32. Productivity Goes up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wednesday, March 13th, 2019. Most productive day for businesses in the past 10 years.

    1. Re:Productivity Goes up! by Bryansix · · Score: 2

      Ahem, Facebook was down, not Slashdot.

  33. DO NOT Apologize! by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Facebook: DO NOT apologize for the outage.

    Apologize for getting Facebook back online.

    Now that Zuckerberg got it up again, the only question is how long he can keep it up.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  34. Lost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There was a solid few hours there where I didn't know what my racist uncle thought of Obama or which essential oil would help my sisters stress

  35. Poor guy ... by nichogenius · · Score: 1

    ... here's a good case of whether or not to fire the system admin that just learned a multi-million dollar lesson at your expense.

    1. Re:Poor guy ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no question about it. You fire them and you do it without hesitation, pity, or remorse. They're not being paid to lose you millions of dollars.

  36. Re: huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just because Mom put her old one in the basement doesn't mean you don't have a TV.

  37. ... and what about Google? by mrobinso · · Score: 1

    Can we maybe get Google to fix Google Home integration with Android TV?
    Broken for weeks and not a peep from Google. Nor /. for that matter.

    --
    -- Karma whore? You betcha. --
  38. Hacked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Their response being tepid, as expected; but can we rule out a cyber attack or something of that nature? Would they even ADMIT to this, in light of all the other troubles they've been having. Methinks there is much more to this.

  39. Finally configured by gabrieltss · · Score: 1

    They finally configured mod_evasive on their servers to protect against those pesky DDOS attacks! LOL!!!!

    --
    The Truth is a Virus!!!
  40. It all runs behind one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nginx docker container.

  41. 24 hours by jmccue · · Score: 1

    And for 24 hours, peace descended upon the internet, but atlas it did not last

  42. Re: Facebook and Zuck are always sorry for somethi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're a poopy-head!!

  43. One day by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One day Facebook will be dead. And the world will be a much, much better place.

  44. And nothing of value was lost by dkman · · Score: 1

    I came here looking for the comment I stuck in the subject. I'm surprised that I haven't seen it.

    --
    I refuse to sign