I looked at your post, then returned to my inbox and the inbox was shrouded in fog. Still is. Can't read anything. I found my way back here using the browsing history.
Before going to sleep I also tried the Substack app on my iPad, and there was no fog but the inbox showed very old posts. All through this, the Substack status page and other websites that track downed websites were reporting that there were no problems.
Now, early this morning, everything seems to be working again, at least on Substack. That wasn't the only problem, however. My software development system was and is still is down, mysteriously, both the main and backup machines. Our production website, however, is still up and running.
My primary development system effectively went down when the source control system, where my source code is maintained (in a git repository) "stalled", with no obvious cause and no error messages, just stalled. I tried everything I could think of, including re-installing the software (Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Community), which was in transition to the 2026 version that was just released.
I don't just jump into new major releases, but when I went to re-install the version I was using I discovered that Microsoft had not only released the new version but also withdrawn the older Community version that I was using, which is available free for small development shops (like my one-person consulting business), making the older one only available to be re-installed by users also possessing a paid license for Visual Studio Professional. Huh???
I think that was a rather rude if not crude move on their part to handle things that way, but I do run a business where I pay out lots of money in software license feels, and it wasn't all that much. But when I went to purchase it, the online "store" wouldn't accept any of my credit cards. I followed the provided "support" link to resolve the problem, and it linked to something else that linked back to the first support page in a loop, not unusual for Microsoft.
I then entered into a support "chat" with an actual person, although someone probably guided by AI, given that their replies were "AI"-like. It read like a human-AI hybrid. This is also not surprising, given that Microsoft is the host for ChatGPT, in their Azure cloud, which also happens to be where my production software runs -- I'm an Azure database and web app developer.
That chat went on for I don't know how long, ending with a support ticket being opened, with assurance that I will be contacted for further assistance within another day or so. I have worked with this level of support before, although as a consultant for my client, not as the requester myself, and they're mostly good, although not exactly speedy.
So there's still nothing terribly unusual going on here. I have worked as 2nd or 3rd level support for something like 2/3 of my life, and I know what the other side is like. But my consulting business is effectively down for the time being, and I have the strange, creepy feeling that I have been "targeted". And I see that what's happening to me could rather easily happen to the entire world, suddenly and unexpectedly, with no way to even ask for help, everything going down, for anybody or everybody (more likely the latter).
This is already in place. I don't see a need for a transition to "digital ID" for the plans to go forward. That might just be a huge distraction.
How about that? But there is another plan, one for the future of the people doing this, and it's not going to go well for them. I am deeply annoyed, but not worried. How "exciting" to be living in these times. I do hope you and others can or have come to see it this way. It's a test, and a learning curve.
Lo and behold, as soon as I posted that comment and returned to my inbox, the "fog" had returned. I don't know how else to describe it. There is something on the screen, but viewed as through a thick fog. A page does load, but it's possibly a very dark ghost screen. It's easy enough to look at the code, but I don't want to take the time to analyze it.
The Javascript console log is full of errors. It looks like my security software is heavily blocking whatever is trying to come through.
If I go straight to substack.com, rather than my inbox, I get "Substack is experiencing technical problems. We are working to restore service. Thank you for your patience."
The page includes a large Substack logo. The top of it looks like a "bat-mask" with two eye holes.
I got to this page, so that I could post this reply, through my reply archive, which also contains the links to my comments. I keep records.
That's the shortest, least visible, least meaningful title I ever encountered.
But picture is great, just hope it is not a grave stone...
Thank You Kitten.
too exhausted to write.
maybe you are equally affected by that 'special CA fog' which causes terrible 'side effects', according to my observations..
just hard work this time
https://youtu.be/dkpmcjptPrs?si=iRr-1dkdPBJMEXRX
beautiful!!!
A lovely bunch of flowers! 🤗 💜 🤗
I looked at your post, then returned to my inbox and the inbox was shrouded in fog. Still is. Can't read anything. I found my way back here using the browsing history.
I’m sorry… I think something doesn’t like me
Beautiful flowers!
Before going to sleep I also tried the Substack app on my iPad, and there was no fog but the inbox showed very old posts. All through this, the Substack status page and other websites that track downed websites were reporting that there were no problems.
Now, early this morning, everything seems to be working again, at least on Substack. That wasn't the only problem, however. My software development system was and is still is down, mysteriously, both the main and backup machines. Our production website, however, is still up and running.
My primary development system effectively went down when the source control system, where my source code is maintained (in a git repository) "stalled", with no obvious cause and no error messages, just stalled. I tried everything I could think of, including re-installing the software (Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Community), which was in transition to the 2026 version that was just released.
I don't just jump into new major releases, but when I went to re-install the version I was using I discovered that Microsoft had not only released the new version but also withdrawn the older Community version that I was using, which is available free for small development shops (like my one-person consulting business), making the older one only available to be re-installed by users also possessing a paid license for Visual Studio Professional. Huh???
I think that was a rather rude if not crude move on their part to handle things that way, but I do run a business where I pay out lots of money in software license feels, and it wasn't all that much. But when I went to purchase it, the online "store" wouldn't accept any of my credit cards. I followed the provided "support" link to resolve the problem, and it linked to something else that linked back to the first support page in a loop, not unusual for Microsoft.
I then entered into a support "chat" with an actual person, although someone probably guided by AI, given that their replies were "AI"-like. It read like a human-AI hybrid. This is also not surprising, given that Microsoft is the host for ChatGPT, in their Azure cloud, which also happens to be where my production software runs -- I'm an Azure database and web app developer.
That chat went on for I don't know how long, ending with a support ticket being opened, with assurance that I will be contacted for further assistance within another day or so. I have worked with this level of support before, although as a consultant for my client, not as the requester myself, and they're mostly good, although not exactly speedy.
So there's still nothing terribly unusual going on here. I have worked as 2nd or 3rd level support for something like 2/3 of my life, and I know what the other side is like. But my consulting business is effectively down for the time being, and I have the strange, creepy feeling that I have been "targeted". And I see that what's happening to me could rather easily happen to the entire world, suddenly and unexpectedly, with no way to even ask for help, everything going down, for anybody or everybody (more likely the latter).
This is already in place. I don't see a need for a transition to "digital ID" for the plans to go forward. That might just be a huge distraction.
How about that? But there is another plan, one for the future of the people doing this, and it's not going to go well for them. I am deeply annoyed, but not worried. How "exciting" to be living in these times. I do hope you and others can or have come to see it this way. It's a test, and a learning curve.
Lo and behold, as soon as I posted that comment and returned to my inbox, the "fog" had returned. I don't know how else to describe it. There is something on the screen, but viewed as through a thick fog. A page does load, but it's possibly a very dark ghost screen. It's easy enough to look at the code, but I don't want to take the time to analyze it.
The Javascript console log is full of errors. It looks like my security software is heavily blocking whatever is trying to come through.
The Substack app on my iPad is OK so far.
If I go straight to substack.com, rather than my inbox, I get "Substack is experiencing technical problems. We are working to restore service. Thank you for your patience."
The page includes a large Substack logo. The top of it looks like a "bat-mask" with two eye holes.
I got to this page, so that I could post this reply, through my reply archive, which also contains the links to my comments. I keep records.
There is a link on the "technical problems" page to the Substack status page. That page says "All Systems Operational".
Edit: Clearing cookies for Substack got things working again, for a short while. I'm going to go find something else to do.