The Road Ahead

When a website falls over the cause may typically traced to either bad coding, the web server, database or just plain old human failure. LeafURL stopped working at around 19:30 yesterday for an odd and unexpected cause. The AntiVirus software suddenly and falsely considered our CalzadaMedia.Web code library to be a virus.

As its' name suggests, CalzadaMedia.Web is entirely written by us and it is used in many websites we have built. It provides common functionality and controls that are required in most ASP.Net websites. It's just one of many code libraries we have created to make life simpler. Instead of copying code from one project to the next, we just use the library.

The really strange thing here is that the exact same version of the library is in use by other websites on the same server and they weren't identified as being viruses. The AntiVirus software has had a good talking to and this problem shouldn't (crossed fingers) raise its' head again.

As we frequently use shortened Urls, some users may have experienced a few problems whilst LeafURL was offline. Our apologies to anyone that was affected.

Some changes are afoot at Calzada Media. Some you’ll see soon with others appearing in the near future.

One of the first changes is to our free URL shortening service, LeafUrl. After careful consideration, we have decided to close LeafURL to anonymous users with immediate effect.

This does not mean LeafURL has ceased to be. Customers and registered users may continue to create and manage FREE short Urls through the customer portal. Go to My Account and then click on the LeafURL tab.

All existing shortened Urls created by registered users will continue to work. Urls created by anonymous users may be removed or pruned.

In the last few days we've upgraded our free URL shortening service http://leafurl.com" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">LeafURL. As before, LeafURL is completely free to use, and if you register for an account, you are able to manage and monitor the performance of your shortened URLs.

In the next couple of months we will be enhancing LeafURL with improved and enhanced reporting and management capabilities for registered users. If you have any suggestion or ideas, get in touch.

We will be upgrading LeafUrl, our free Url shortening service, between 14:00 and 16:00 today. The installation of the upgrade will require some downtime, so access to LeafUrl will be impaired betwen 14:00 and 16:00.

If you have a LeafUrl account, you can add, edit manage and monitor your shortened Urls through My Account on this website. Click on the Customer Login link at the top of the page and log in using your LeafUrl account details.

Update 17:00

The upgrade was successfully installed.