Real life stories from a single hosting, or dinosaur memories FirstVDS

Today is our birthday, 15 years old. No, not so.

Today is our anniversary, and we called all the friends. That is, they were collected from all departments and asked around for life. We learned how it was at the dawn of FirstVDS and what incredible stories were remembered the most.

Stories of the CEO, Alexey Chekushkin

Evgraf Shmatkunos - 2003
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At the dawn of the Internet, it was not customary to subscribe to real names. In the course were nicknames, and we also used them. And always loved to laugh, so Dima S. had the pseudonym Evgraf Shmatkunos.

Once he did a mailing and instead of the % client_name% macro in the greeting put % admin_name% (copy-paste and mixed up). All customers have gone letter starting with the words "Hello, Evgraf Shmatkunos!". In those days it did not seem like a big tragedy. Chukhnuly, neighing and gathered to forget. But Dima did not stop at this and started the following newsletter:

You are not Evgraf Shmatkunos

Hello!
We apologize, you are not Evgraf Shmatkunos. But the information on your server in the previous letter is up to date.

Respectfully,
FirstVDS command

This is where our customer focus began.

First billing - 2003

In the spring of 2003 I wrote a billing for the site. Prior to this, we led our clients in ekselechka and considered expenses by hand. Now it’s ridiculous to boast, but before everyone lived like this: they received a letter from the client with the order - they went to open the VDS, they ended up at the client’s money - they went to close. And each letter they themselves wrote - an individual approach, the most that neither is.

Of course, so stupidly did not want to spend time. Therefore, I pored for 3 months over billing - for those times it seemed like a terribly long time. Automated the opening of the VDS, a letter about this event to the client, billing, service management, etc. The team then had only five to seven people, and everyone knew about my works, but a solemn day of release was appointed.

I was preparing almost like a diploma, it seems that I even put on my jacket and combed my hair more carefully than usual. But he tried, of course, in vain. Because Sasha B. is a newcomer who, in a week, has already grown fond of everyone and has liked - has removed all my work. That's so merciless and, of course, unintentionally. From this it was even more offensive. Sasha himself was so discouraged and so sincerely apologized that it was impossible to be angry.

Backups, of course, was not. So I waved my hand and rewrote everything in a month. It turned out even better than before - caught a bunch of bugs, architecturally reworked a lot of things. But I still remember this to Sanaa on occasion, but I keep quiet about bugs. Well, now he will know everything :)

Fire in the office - 2003

It is now we occupy three floors, one of which was built by ourselves. And at first they were sitting only in the second, in two cabinets.

And the neighbors on the ground floor caught fire. But it managed - they quickly extinguished and there was no real threat (I checked it myself). However, it was normal - it was impossible to work, but it was necessary. I made a willful decision and dismissed everyone home. Work. He closed all the doors and left. I come back for tomorrow, and the front door is almost at the jamb. She staggered and collapsed under her feet - literally waiting for me, holding out the last effort.

It turned out to be her firemen. We decided to check whether everything is in order on the second floor, collided with a closed door and, without thinking twice, opened it with an ax. Thank God, during the absence of us and the door is not lost.

Marketing Director from 2012 to 2017, Tatyana Grebenyukova

How I mined Sheremetyevo - 2016

At one of the RIWs, we took with us a model of Atlanta - our failover cluster. They printed it on a 3D printer, glued it together, soldered multi-colored light bulbs and powered them with batteries. Atlanta blinked, beamed and drew general attention to our booth. People approached, asked - in general, everything, as we wanted.

After the exhibition, I lagged behind my colleagues - I was late for checking in baggage. I changed the ticket and waited for my flight in the cafe. Layout Atlanta with all the wires and light bulbs lying next to the box from under the PS3. There he stayed.

I realized it just before going on board. I called the cafe - I ask about my box and I understand that I am describing something that looks like a bomb. So it is, our Atlanta was at first frightened by visitors, then the cafe staff, finally the police and the sappers. They were frightened by passengers of terminal D. And the whole story frightened me a little.

The cafe staff carefully advised not to return for the box. I wanted to flee the country, but decided that it was quite enough to go to my native Siberia.

Head of Sales, Natalia Duzenko

The site does not work - 2015

Somehow the director’s friend came to our office (let's call him Oleg). He complained that the site was not working, and Aleksey called me to help someone, find the right server.

- I have invested in the creation and promotion of my online store of the crooks! And the site does not work.

But finding out that Oleg would be fine was not so easy. He was not very well versed in the subject and had difficulty answering my questions. At one of them, I was completely confused and offered to see it live. I was very surprised, because "the site does not work." However, Oleg easily opened it in the browser.

The site quickly loaded, all pages were available. Of course, the photos of the goods and the overall design were inferior ... But Oleg calmly opened the pages, followed the links, stating with the same indignation that the site was not working. My eyes grew wider. Finally, it became noticeable even to Oleg, and he decided to clarify what surprised me so much.
- The site works! - I said with joy and bewilderment.
- But how does it work! Not a single order, not a single sale, not a single appeal!

Head of IT-service, Artyom Artemyev

How we collaborated with the authorities - 2017

Sit this fall in the office. We do not touch anyone, we work. The doorbell is the police. Well, yes, I should have come to abuse for some pieces of paper, Julia thought, the secretary, and opened it. Then she looked at the monitor, and there the guys with guns all come in, go in and don't end there.

They asked everyone to leave the offices (for some reason). They found out who the director was and went to talk with him. It turns out they were looking for drugs that were sold from one of our VDS approx. That's right in the office looking for. Well, we are not very surprised, once we have already asked the machine for printing diplomas. Now we are waiting for the ladies to come.

Here such stories happened to us. In some places incredible, in some places completely mundane. Funny and sad, often at the same time. And what you have interesting at work going on? Share in the comments :)