The Great TCS Crash of 2004

It was one fateful day 5 years ago that a lot of us tried logging onto TCS.

And got nothing.

For several days we would hit the refresh button over and over and over.

No familiar page loaded.

We were lost. Where was our beloved Cat Site?!?!?!?! Where were our comrades, lovers of all things feline?

Where was our 2004 Virtual Vacation Thread?

A few days later the site returned and we were to discover that not only did the site crash, but also the backup and 5 months of posts were lost.

I was reminded of this when I looked up into the corner of a post and noticed it says I joined 5 years ago this month. That is a tad misleading because I first joined in early July 2004 only to lose all my posts from July to December in one fell swoop. Anyone who had joined in those months had to reregister.

I forget how many days the site was down, but it was one day too many.

I wasn't on TCS then, but I would have been frustrated! No TCS friends, no cat talk, no gnome talk?

I remember that all too well, Jan. I think it may have been four days, but I am pretty sure that the downtime in my memory is longer than it was in reality. Not a fun time! I think that was when I realized the extent of my addiction.

Jan! Why did you have to bring up that traumatic event?

It was truly a sad day in history when many of us could not log on!

Has it been 5 years already? Oh my goodness, it was horrible! Thought I was going to have to go into rehab without my TCS! I still remember the relief when MA called to tell me we were back up and running!

I remember that! I came back on after a few days and had to create a new user name (just added a "2" so not that big of a deal). So everyone got reset at that point? I never did know what happened.....

I remember everyone was also so bummed about their post counts - I had no clue what mine was. FAR more traumatic was not being able to access TCS!

I remember that day as well Talk about withdrawal symptoms!

OMG Jan yes!, the vacation thread!! I remember leaving the office at night giggling away at our posts in it

Originally Posted by Kiwideus

Jan! Why did you have to bring up that traumatic event?

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... Oh my Kellye what you said!...

But to be honest it was really terrify!... ...

Glad that TCS is here to stay Purrrr-ever!

Oh my! I cannot believe that was 5 years ago! Yes, it was horrible, being down for several days, but in reality it was worse afterwards when we realised we had lost so many posts, so much advice and wisdom and humour. I remember so many times looking for something and discovering it had vanished.

Originally Posted by calico2222

I remember that! I came back on after a few days and had to create a new user name (just added a "2" so not that big of a deal). So everyone got reset at that point? I never did know what happened.....

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Only those of us who joined from late June to the begining of December were reset.

Fran, if four days, then it was the longest 4 days EVER!

Susan, I still remember and giggle over those vacation posts and running gags.

I looked up some old threads while snooping my SS this year, and I noticed a few "I survived the December downtime" siggys. I remember seeing them back when I joined, 2005 I think, and wondering what that was about!

Ah that would suck... How would we pass our days without this side? And i am only now working my way up to adult cat...to have to start all over when you were much farther in your member perks!!! To lose all previous posts and conversations and have to readd friends! Wow..yeah that would suck!

Originally Posted by gemlady

Only those of us who joined from late June to the begining of December were reset.

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Yeah, I joined in August of 2004 when Monster started having seizures so I wasn't completely addicted...yet. If it happened now I would go into serious withdrawal!

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Oh my! I cannot believe that was 5 years ago! Yes, it was horrible, being down for several days, but in reality it was worse afterwards when we realised we had lost so many posts, so much advice and wisdom and humour. I remember so many times looking for something and discovering it had vanished.

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Oh my God...have I been hanging around here for five years???

I agree Jenny that we lost a bunch of great threads. We lost Penguin The Cat who Lives under the Bed, and there was also a girl Julie who used to post about her orphaned kitten....I forget the kitten's name now, but it was that adorable little b/w kitten that she bottle fed.

There are a bunch of us with the December 2004 join date...tons of our memberships were lost.

I thought it was a lot longer than 4 days though.

I often wonder about that kitten - Julie lived in Croatia and I was in Bosnia at the time and I managed to send her some stuff to help. But then I know she left to go back to NY, and I have no idea what happened to her or the kitten, whose name I forget. She had a dog, too.
Penguin under the bed - I remember that!

Not being too computer literate, I didn't realize that could happen! YIKES!

Wow, does that bring back bad memories. I think it was for four or five days, and the worst part was the loss of some great threads. I remember Julie and Penguin, too.

I remember those days! Didn't we lose a lot of the Story of Lucky during that time? If it wasn't that one, it was another about a feral cat.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

I remember those days! Didn't we lose a lot of the Story of Lucky during that time? If it wasn't that one, it was another about a feral cat.

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We also lost a chunk of the thread about Sasha the Coyote Clubber.