Dunno if our Nocturnal Predator groks "hosts" - if so, just ignore.

Whenever you go to a URL which is a name (and not unique address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) there occurs a "DNS lookup" to convert to the actual server address. In principle, such a change percolates down to your nearest switch/whatever "pretty quickly" and you never notice a few millisec. wasted lookup time for every URL. As Greg notes - not necessarily so quickly to percolate down, today.

IF you *have a "hosts" file in the locations mentioned above, AND type in the above entries:

Instead of using web DNS lookup, your Stack will first look in hosts. Problem solved. Note that another use for this file, is to obtain any number of collections of AD-server [doubleclick.net et al] locations and assign each one an address of, "127.0.0.1" == which is your own "localhost" address and means:

That ad will go directly to pugatory (or your fav other imaginary place).

*sometimes "hosts" is renamed to 'hostx'(or other) so it WON'T be queried. While hosts will speed you on your way, it can also miss the fact that a URL has changed address, and produce an error / or no action - for a working site. SO you have to remember you *are* using a hosts file! when a popular site "goes missing".

You can then use "DNS lookup" to find out the new address and correct your hosts file. It's ANNOYING when one forgets hosts is in use...

HTH,

Ashton

-with Rock of Gibraltar cluster.

If a server were a cello, yours would be a Strad without worm holes.

Thing is, Jason - it may seem that you haven't gotten a lot of "regular" ink here, since your name's been visible mainly on those rare occasions of a glitch needing some attention. But if you've only checked out the content periodically (you might have had a few other things to do ;-)

Your sterling performance has been noted many times. I for one, having seen the humongous number of things which one wrong byte can mess up - think it's fucking Amazing how-many-9s would describe our up-time! Why.. some of those bytes travelled all the way from.. Oz!!

I hope that there's a place on your resume for getting *Some* Brownie Points for such an accomplishment. You've got our Stats page for proof. (And I can think of so many counter-examples - with big-$ behind them, too)

May your next gig be a piece o'cake :-\ufffd

THANKS,

Ashton

(Yeah too - Scott already knows He's a God; now.. if he just cleans up his alliteration addiction..)