C:\>ping uk.mail.yahoo.com

Pinging rc1.vip.ukl.yahoo.com [217.12.6.29] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from **.***.***.***: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from **.***.***.***: Destination host unreachable.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 217.12.6.29:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 2, Lost = 2 (50% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

Not getting anything from google news, technorati, or google blog search on this – but I’ve tried accessing through a few proxies, so it’s certainly not a local problem (although it could certainly be limited to a small subset of Yahoo’s tens of millions of users). This brings up two issues, our current overdependence for our communications infrastructure on large, centralised, commercial providers who aren’t necessarily capable or willing to ensure quality of service; and the difficulty of getting accurate timely information about recent events on the web.

Update: Mark Stephen’s latest Cringely column happens to focus on the latter issue.

Update 2 (01:09, 24/7/06): Problem’s now been going on for at least 12 hours! The only thing close to an explanation I’ve found is (a completely unreliable) post on yahoo answers.

I’d suggest four broad possibilities..

1) Difficulties with the MSN / yahoo messenger integration
2) A technical failure / power outage / viral infection in yahoos systems
3) A continuing denial of service attack
4) DNS misconfiguration

In any case, its monstrously unprofessional of yahoo not to have made an announcement by this point, and a sorry confirmation of the Cringley column’s criticism of news reportage in the blogosphere.

Update 3 (09:30, 24/7/06): Sites backup..Outage wasn’t quite 24 hours then..Pfft.