News24.com, along with other Media24 brands (Finance24.com for example), went down yesterday evening citing "technical difficulties". As I write this, it's now over 24 hours later and nothing has changed. In that amount of time, in response to this intensifying disaster, this broken page is the best response they could manage. Aside from the fact that the page is borrowed from a template for a "Newsletter subscribtion (sic) confirmation" (see the page title), the irony of the message they're sending to their 50,000 daily visitors, is that it's now old news. Over 24 hours old.

I just visited Eskom's site who, after this morning's nationwide power cuts, are redirecting their home page traffic to this Load Shedding page which contains links to regional information and their latest press release. A timely and competent response to what could potentially have resulted in innumerous support e-mails and phone calls from irate customers - although this most likely happened regardless but to a lesser degree. I get the impression they (well, their web team at least) are learning from their mistakes which for me is one of the biggest reassurances.

I realise the two can't be compared, but you get my point. News24.com should be doing more. Maybe their hands are tied, I don't know. We'll have to wait for the insider info to surface or headlines to appear once they manage to restore their site to normal operating levels.

Biggest website in South Africa falls over, technicians spend a day in vain trying to restore

I doubt they're that courageous.

When: 19 February to 18 March 2006, 11:00 - 16:00
Where: The Bin Gallery, 105 Harrington Street, East City, Cape Town

Write or print these simple words onto a small piece of paper, and you are armed with a very effective psychological tool that can temporarily shut down almost every mode or form of machinery, while at the same time communicating a very important message: that the current situation is WELL OUT OF ORDER.

Keep an OUT OF ORDER sign and a small amount of tape or tack with you at all times - you never know when an opportunity will arise for you to quickly & quietly employ this simple tool to make your feelings known - and bring one small corner of the world to a grinding halt.

I think someone placed an "Out of Order" sign over the whole city this week!

So much to look forward to.