Author Topic: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust  (Read 14160 times)

Offline smartcooky

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Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« on: September 01, 2017, 01:11:54 AM »
All roads lead to

http://www.searchingmagnified.com/?dn=internationalskeptics.com&pid=7PO3424GE

The domain is parked... not a good sign
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline bknight

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2017, 08:39:12 AM »
So um , what does the domain is parked mean?  Other than that is the link result?

EDIT:
The site worked for me this morning.  Maybe you server had a hiccup?
« Last Edit: September 01, 2017, 08:45:25 AM by bknight »
Truth needs no defense.  Nobody can take those footsteps I made on the surface of the moon away from me.
Eugene Cernan

Offline grmcdorman

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2017, 08:47:36 AM »
Odd, the forums are fully functional. There was a brief period yesterday where I got 'domain not found' for it, but that went away quickly.

There's a brief discussion in the forum help section (http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322650); looks like some DNS issue.

You can also try the IP if you have issues, http://104.131.54.4/

Offline Ranb

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2017, 10:18:14 AM »
Also works for me.  Hope it stays that way.  I've got more posts on ISP than most other forums I post on combined.

Ranb

Offline smartcooky

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2017, 04:21:49 PM »
Last night (my time) I flushed the dns (ipconfig /flushdns), cleared the browser cache (CTRL-F5) and deleted all history. I used the IP number 104.131.54.4 - It worked again (although the url still redirected until later in the evening (presumably that was the time the ISP took to clear whatever was going on with the DNS)

This morning, it doesn't. It redirects to the domain park, and no amount of flushing cache or dns will get me there, not even  104.131.54.4 
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline Geordie

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2017, 04:44:43 PM »
Last night [I did a bunch of stuff and] it worked again.

This morning, it doesn't [....]


I get the same result as smartcooky when I try to browse http://www.searchingmagnified.com/?dn=internationalskeptics.com&pid=7PO3424GE

I was able to register a new IS account a few hours ago by following grmcdorman's link: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322650)

Simply punching in internationalskeptics.com takes me straight to the IS forum.


Offline bknight

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2017, 11:10:41 PM »
This is the link I use, works tonight.  I go to the conspiracy threads, about the only place I visit.
Truth needs no defense.  Nobody can take those footsteps I made on the surface of the moon away from me.
Eugene Cernan

Offline smartcooky

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2019, 01:01:15 AM »
Looks like Icerat has forgotten to pay the bill again

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums

"This domain is parked - for further information, please click here."
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline smartcooky

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2020, 04:00:18 AM »
And again... on the one year anniversary of the last time he forgot

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/subscription.php

Jeez, how hard would it be to just set up an annual automatic payment from his bank account!?
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline smartcooky

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2023, 06:03:14 AM »
OK, this time it looks like its for real. Its been down over 36 hours now, and there are some concerning and conflicting observations.

While the website's IP address (104.131.54.4) still pings and tracerts OK, its a different story with the domain registration.

The domain registration information for ISF on whois.com shows that the domain expires 2024-08-15, and we know August 15 was a date on which we had previous downtime in previous years. However, the registration was updated on 2023-07-31, which means someone has paid the bill. That is only a month ago - it seems odd to register for another year, and then pull the plug.

However, what is concerning is that whois.com also lists two "name servers".
ns1.tribetech.net
ns2.tribetech.net

Now I would expect that if you went to the name server site website, it would take you to the domain hosts website. For example, perform a whois search of Apollohoax.net, and you get three nameservers

ns1.dreamhost.com
ns2.dreamhost.com
ns3.dreamhost.com

If you go to dreamhost.com you end up on the homepage of the web hosting company for apollohoax.net. However, if you try going to tribetech.net it takes you to a page that says "This domain (tribetech.net) expired on 01/09/2023". That is the date ISF went down. This looks like the domain for the site that hosts ISF has expired.

Now if I understand this correctly, nameservers organize DNS records, and these records pair a domain name with its IP address. Effectively, it acts as a translator to turn the domain name (www.internationalskeptics.com) into an IP address (in this case 104.131.54.4). If the nameserver is down or not  working, there is no way to find the IP address.

If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline grmcdorman

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2023, 08:51:52 AM »
It was only resting  ;D - it's back up now.

Offline smartcooky

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Re: Looks like International Skeptics Forum has bit the dust
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2023, 03:38:19 PM »
It was only resting  ;D - it's back up now.


Ah, not pining for the fjords then?
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.