Server Help :: View topic - Zone Name Appears In Red

Server Help

General Questions - Zone Name Appears In Red

stuperfied - Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:57 am
Post subject: Zone Name Appears In Red

Research Progress report:
Common problem - zone name appears in red.

Other threads reguarding topic:
Solutions for Server/Biller problems - Authur: Cyan~Fire
Zone is not working, name is red... - Authur: samjam
Problems connecting to Zone - Authur: DarkVirus
need helP! - Authur: BDwinsAlt

Attempted solutions:
(1) Followed instructions to the letter of the file: (How To: Make a zone)
(2) Have checked for errors in subgame2 window and found none.
(3) Have no firewall and if running WinXP have checked that default firewall is dissabled.
(4) Not behind a router or have forwarded ports.
(5) Have checked that the following are true:

Code: Show/Hide

server.ini
[Directory]
IP=sscentral.subspace.inet.fi,sscentral.ds98.com,sscentral.subspacehq.com,sscentral.subspace.net

[Billing]
IP=localhost
Password=// <---- same as in subbill.ini

Report Summery:
Results are currently inconclusive as a solution to this problem has not yet been found and although no evedince has been found to support the exhistance of any such solution the same can be said to be true of the contradiction. It has however been noted that many of the users seeking help in this area have been subjected to a common process of elimination involving certain techniques which have been prooven to be either unreliable or ineffective in the past.

Personal Notes:
After performing this research I have come to believe that many of the problems encountered by users in relation to this software are caused by user oversite during installation and/or poor detail of explanitory notes. These are simple problems to which I believe we can find a simple solution throught the use of basic Tutorial and Trouble Shooting software.

SuSE - Fri Dec 05, 2003 3:27 pm
Post subject:

if you think it's simple to make users not make minor oversites just because they're n00blets with only text on a forum to help explain it to them - YOU ARE LOOPY

stuperfied - Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:30 am
Post subject:

Im sorry Akai, I dont fully understand the comment that you just posted but I think you intended for it to read something like this "If you think it's simple to help users stop making minor oversites (just because they're nOOblets with only text on a forum to help explain it to them) - YOU ARE LOOPY

"

I think you missunderstood my post Akai. Forum support is essential and no-one is contesting that fact but if you examin the history of this forum you will see that many new users come in here complaining about problems which have been addressed time and time again in previous Threads (which is why Cyan~Fire made the sticky thread "Solutions for Server/Biller problems"). For the most part the problems encountered are due to either Incorrect Use Of Software (Where either: (1) The user is too overly anxious to get their software running and misses important information. OR: (2) The user is trying to get the software to perform a task that it has not been designed for.) or poor detail and/or lack of explanatory notes.

Many of the problems encountered by new users have been addressed in the Server Help - FAQ Index and instructions on setting up a basic server are detailed in the section entitled How To: Make a zone! yet users still come to the forum complaining of the very problems these texts are designed to address for one of 3 reasons: (1) They did not read them. (2) They read them but missunderstood or overlooked something in them. (3) Their problem was not addressed.

That last reason is something for this forum and should be studdied for revission of the Sever Help Index but the others we can address. I believe that although the Server Help Index is a valuable part of Continuum it allows too much human error on the part of the user. Idiot proof software such as a Wizzard used in conjunction with Trouble Shooting software may help to slow the steady flow of new users complaining about these problems on the forum but such software should be concidered as a complament to the Server Help Index and not as a replacement.

Cyan~Fire - Sat Dec 06, 2003 5:21 pm
Post subject:

Lol well I can understand your meaning behind this, but the major problem is that people don't read stickies. If they did, we'd have like 1 question per day (and it would be intelligent too).
So, if people don't read stickies, sorry, but they ain't gonna read this.

stuperfied - Sun Dec 07, 2003 1:29 am
Post subject:

Spot on Cyan~Fire but they are not the people I posted this thread for, you and the other helpers are. A kind of "Well that didnt work so how about trying this".

Your stickie is a very good idea and has been very helpfull to many users as you can see from the amount of views. I think you had the right idea but went about it the wrong way ie: if people dont pay attention to stickies then what will they pay attention to?

I believe that trouble shooting software in the following form may be the solution to the problem:

Quote:

I acknowledge that I have followed the instructions detailed in the Server Help Index to the letter or have run the Server Setup Wizzard - (Which I think should also be written) from my computer ...insert check box here.

Please sellect the problem you are having with your server from the following list or if your problem is not listed click on the link below to be forwarded to the Server Help Forum.

(1) option 1 here
(2) option 2 here
(3) option 3.....
...

Click here for server help forum (Please read all stickies before posting).

That way when a user asks "My zones wont connect and I dont know why, can you help me" you could ask them "Did you run the server trouble shooter?" possibly saving yourself hours of time you could have been spending with someone who has a genuine problem.

Cyan~Fire - Sun Dec 07, 2003 12:25 pm
Post subject:

Hmmm I see an idea for an open-source program here... good idea!

SuSE - Sun Dec 07, 2003 1:26 pm
Post subject:

stuperfied - while you basically interpreted my post correctly, I think you misunderstood my true point:

if people knew how to read and follow instructions and use search functions on forums, that'd be great - but they don't

the only sort of wizard that would help these people is one that would take more time to code than every OS in the history of the world

if you feel like organizing or coding or whatnot for the betterment of SubSpace (or anything

) kudos to you - but I don't see much point in a thread like this unless you're trying to recruit cohorts

cool, this is my 1111th post for this forum

testforechozero - Sun Dec 07, 2003 1:50 pm
Post subject:

how do you forward ports? I followed the instructions to the letter, checked for errors (and found none), Im pretty sure im not behind a firewall,

and this:
server.ini
[Directory]
IP=sscentral.subspace.inet.fi,sscentral.sscuservers.net,sscentral.ssihosting.com

[Billing]
IP=localhost
Password=// <---- same as in subbill.ini

IS TRUE!

Im not sure how to check if my firewall is up or to forward my ports.

stuperfied - Sun Dec 07, 2003 2:34 pm
Post subject:

Thanx Cyan~Fire, does this mean your going to start writing a program?

I really do think your taking a negative approach to this thread Akai and the only reason I can think of is that maybe your interpreting my posts as some sort of personal attack against you but I can assure you that is not the case, I posted this thread because I want to help. Cyan~Fire seems to like the idea and will probably put it into action. If he does he will need a lot of support from other helpers such as yourself with sorting through all of the possible problems and solutions, especially if he is going to make it open source so that anyone can update it. Even if it doesnt work it may be fun just to try.

About that recruiting part, I really couldnt write a line of code to save my life unless it were for qbasic in which I am just about an expert. I have basic knowledge of C++ and Visual basic but the only productive thing im going to be doing anytime soon is creating web pages with maybe a little CGI Script which means that I should probably thank you for think so highly of me in the first place, lol.

Congrats on your 1111th post.

Anonymous - Sun Dec 07, 2003 2:38 pm
Post subject: Damn, I'm not logged in...

OK, found the problem. My main computer (the one connected to the internet, and the one which doesnt have continuum loaded) has a firewall up. Gonna take it down when my dad isn't around and see if my zone works.

Stuper, i dont think Cyan's gonna write a program.
Akai, Congrats.

stuperfied - Sun Dec 07, 2003 2:51 pm
Post subject:

I think you and I are the only ones in here at the moment Test so even though im not an expert I tried to help and found you a post to look at concerning forwarding ports...(Need Help Badly!!!!!!!)

Cyan~Fire - Sun Dec 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Post subject:

testforechozero wrote:

Stuper, i dont think Cyan's gonna write a program.

I think he is.
Now that I don't have a zone (unless I get another host) I have plenty of time for stupid endeavors!

testforechozero - Sun Dec 07, 2003 4:04 pm
Post subject:

Hey, if you get a host, and I dont, would you host me again?

SuSE - Sun Dec 07, 2003 5:36 pm
Post subject:

stuperfied wrote:

I really do think your taking a negative approach to this thread Akai and the only reason I can think of is that maybe your interpreting my posts as some sort of personal attack against youp

nah, that's not how I feel - I just don't get it, no worries

testforechozero - Sun Dec 07, 2003 6:11 pm
Post subject:

That forwarding ports thing didn't help... I dont have a router, so I'm totally lost.

stuperfied - Sun Dec 07, 2003 9:35 pm
Post subject:

What type of internet connection do you have test?

Cyan~Fire - Tue Dec 09, 2003 6:19 pm
Post subject:

http://forums.minegoboom.com/viewtopic.php?p=12748