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October 13, 2009

Microsoft learns the hard way: Back up our data!

There's a lesson in this firsthand account of Microsoft/Danger data outage: Backing up would have been easier

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I have had technical difficulties here at the Gripe Line that kept me from posting. Apologies! I'm back now. If you sent an e-mail recently, though, please resend it.

Technical difficulties are frustrating, but my own tribulations pale next to the problems Danger/Microsoft has been experiencing lately. That company, which provides the data service for the T-Mobile Sidekick, has been having a very bad week. And since I own a Sidekick, Danger/Microsoft and T-Mobile's bad week made my bad week even worse. I was right in the heart of this disaster, but couldn't gripe about it! Do you mind if I make up for that now?

[ Also on InfoWorld: Find out HP and JetBlue are using Twitter to respond to customers in "Tied to the Twitter listening post" | Frustrated by tech support? Get answers in InfoWorld's Gripe Line newsletter. ]

It all started last weekend. I was traveling and unable to use the data portion of my phone. No e-mail while on the road? Very frustrating! I assumed the problem was with my handset, so I did what any respectable geek would do: I popped the battery out and did a hard reset. Still nothing. I repeated that move several times while I was traveling. It did not restore my e-mail. Then I noticed I had no Web access, nor access to Twitter or Facebook through the social apps that this phone is famous for.

When I got back to my office, I hit Twitter to catch up with my peeps and there was the answer: T-Mobile was a trending topic. Clicking on that brought me a steady stream of complaints from what looked like every one of the million or so Sidekick owners who were having the same problem. Some of those tweets were from tech support at T-Mobile. The message from them? "Whatever you do, don't pop the battery out of your phone and do a hard reset!"

Oops.

My first question was, "That's an important message. Why did I have to learn this three days into the outage from Twitter?" I traveled overseas recently. As soon as I turned my phone on in Europe, I got several handy text-messages warning me that my plan didn't include overseas roaming and I should turn that off if I didn't want to incur data charges. Why no text message about this (much bigger) problem?

My second question was, "Does T-Mobile plan to charge me for this data plan I can't use?"

The answer to both came 24 hours later via text message. First came an announcement of the data outage and a warning about not powering down the phone. Then I got a text message announcing that I would be credited for a month of data.

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17 of 18 comments
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MVSAggie 13-Oct-09 12:04pm
Rumor has it that HP was in charge of the server update because of mandated layoffs at Danger. You don't think HP should get a
MAS 13-Oct-09 12:36pm
While there is no excuse for Danger Inc. not being able to manage data, what about the people who don't backup their own data? It's just as much your own fault if you rely on others do do this for you.

After all, according to her article, Ms. Tynan-Wood backs up her data.

What about you? Or you? (dramatic pause) Or you?

(Insert cheezy 50's style movie guy pointing at the audience.)

Now, I don't own or use a Sidekick, but how hard is it to back it up? Honestly? Conversely, if it is difficult or impossible to backup your data from the Sidekick, why use it?

qka 13-Oct-09 12:58pm
2 replies

@MAS - You obviously did not even try to learn what you are saying. Go away!! Maybe there is a Health Care Reform forum that needs another ignorant, know-noithing commenter.

The Sidekick backs up over wireless to the "cloud", i.e. the Danger servers. It cannot connect in any way to the user's own computer, or any type.

Danger was purchased by MS almost 2 years ago.

So Microsoft screwed the pooch.

Christina Wood 13-Oct-09 4:32pm
Actually, I back mine up by syncing it (through Danger's server) with Outlook on my desktop. Very easy to do but requires that I use Outlook. I would venture that a large part of the customer base is not using Outlook. I could also send data to my desktop via Bluetooth or USB, I believe --though I've never tried that. I certainly can connect it that way.
MAS 14-Oct-09 5:35am
@qka:

Nice ad hominem attack. Wnat an ass! Did you loose your precious data in the cloud? Do you routinely eschew backing up your data?

My point is that people shouldn't use devices/services that you cannot backup. In this regard, the people that accept such things are at least partially responsible for any data that is lost.

I have been urging people to stay away from the Sidekick for this very reason!

As far as this being a Microsoft problem, consider this: Fedex purchased Kinkos several years ago. If Kinkos "screwed the pooch" on a duplication order, would you complain to FedEx? If you have a problem with your FedEx account, can you fix it at Kinkos?

I am not especially pro-Microsoft, but let's call a duck a duck. Danger Inc. is still the company responsible for the data.

BurkPhoto 13-Oct-09 1:05pm
Just because you're not paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you... Murphy's Law will always find a way to activate.

That said, Micro$lop will always find a way to deteriorate. This is one of their more embarrassing moments. It will likely prove to be quite an expensive embarrassment for all concerned! I feel for T-Mobile. They trusted "the biggest and best" (ha!) and were let down hard.

To keep it in perspective, this was mostly a customer inconvenience, and not a natural disaster. DID anyone become seriously injured or lose a life over this?

Keep us posted, Christina. There's a HUGE lesson or twenty in this one.
qka 13-Oct-09 1:05pm
2 replies

It has also been reported/rumored that the data loss may be result of sabotage or MS attempting to move the system from Oracle to MS products.

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/10/12/microsofts-sidekickpink-problem...

TechieXP 13-Oct-09 1:59pm
speculation at best...if it was true...some one could see soe considerable prison time.
MAS 14-Oct-09 5:45am
1 reply
@qka:

Obviously, you are a rumor-believing, MS-hating, "ignornat, know-nothing commenter". Why the data was lost is not really relevant.

After all, if anyone wanted to move the system to another platform, a good backup of the data is still necessary.

@everyone else: sorry for the acerbic reply, but qka insulted me personally.

Dan Aquinas 14-Oct-09 7:30am
1 reply
So if somebody insults you personally, you have two choices: 1) claim that insult as license to be equally nasty, or 2) help maintain civility and make allowances for the "weakness" in your opponent's remarks. I think you could have done better in your choice. I think you have good technical insights, but they lose their effectiveness when mixed with name-calling. You call a man a gentleman (or a woman a lady) not because of being soft or a Caspar Milquetoast, but because of the magnanimity, strength and self-control in responding to immature statements. Let us *all* (you too "qka") try to shoot for that better nature.
MAS 14-Oct-09 9:51am
Mea culpa.

I was not trying to be a gentleman (nor am I usually confused for one). I was just trying give "qka" a dose of his own medicine.

graya 13-Oct-09 1:43pm
1 reply
Good article, but there are things you are missing, 2 important facts. One there was a backup that had also failed and two it isn't complete Microsoft on this one. When they bought out Danger nothing was moved over and with the various third party applications running made things complex. Also a side note neither one performed the upgrade that was done by Hitachi.
gunner@gulftel.com 14-Oct-09 5:51am
I have 2 points to make myself: 1) When you're the one responsible for a backup, you should test the validity of that backup at various intervals - and it's just common dammed sense to TEST it when doing a server upgrade!!!!! 2) While it could be argued that a customer is STILL liable for their own backup, this "cloud backup" is a service that is touted as BEING a backup - not being "another" backup. For a vast majority of users, it was intended as their only backup, and why not?
TechieXP 13-Oct-09 1:50pm
1 reply
I am trying to understand how MSFT is the fault for a companythat is only a subsiduary? Or better...Danger was hosting T-Mobile data before MSFT bought them...why didn't they already have backup measures in place. It seems this was an accident waiting to happen. Why not put the blaome where it is due. Also, why would T-Mobile pick a company without checking to see if data is backup daily? Its so easy to blame MS isn;t ot? But MSFT isn't the fault. USERS ARE FIRST. Why would anyone depend on someone else to backup YOUR DATA. Its a service...last time I checked..services have failure rates...very high ones. Look at AT&T. The blame startes with the user...teh user didn't back up his or her own data. If the sidekick doesn't offer a way to backup data using a PC...there is good ole pen and paper..it always works T-Mobile is next to blame for choosing a company that didn't backup data. Danger is to blame for not using the monet MSF gives them or they earn from offering the service to make sure they had backup measure. MSFT only blame is buying a POS company in the first place and not making sure teh infrastructure is up to par in the acquisition or making sure they provided the needed resources...however those resources should have already been in place. So T-Mobile is the biggest weakest link in the chain. T-Mobile was cheap and they got burned...users were careless and they got burn...MSFT is getting burned bec they own the company...so much balme to toss around.
lawryll 13-Oct-09 3:20pm
IMHO, I believe T-mobile promoted that you don't need to back up your device. Again, this was targeted at the Teen market, so assuming people are going to make backups is crazy. In any case, there is no excuse...no excuse whatsoever for not having adequete backups AND testing that they restore correctly before mucking with 800,000 users worth of data. PERIOD. Someone is most definately (and rightly so) getting caned over this. As far as the customer, they bought the device from T-mobile, not Danger or Microsfot. The customers SHOULD complain to T-mobile. T-mobile then should complain to Microsoft and in turn Microsoft should hand Danger their --- on a platter over this. For example, if I bought a Dell computer, I'm not going to complain to the hard drive manufacturer if it fails - I'm going to complain to Dell. That's the chain of command for complaint IMHO.
JohnnyR 14-Oct-09 6:54am
tinfoil hat time lol What is the biggest threat to MS's monopoly? The Cloud! And does this not set back cloud computing 5 years? according to an article in Infoworld today it does. Add 2+2 and you get the answer!
raargh 14-Oct-09 7:36am
Microsoft = Danger! "When in Danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!"

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