Re: "The users are getting dumber..."

Small as it might be, I put my voice with David's. Although the users
aren't getting any dumber (really), they aren't getting any smarter or
better-informed, either.

And, yes, I have a feature vote for squid 1.2 that deals with
error-messages. It's built around the query raised a few weeks ago about
custom error-pages.

Would it be possible for Squid 1.2 to add a header-field to an error
message, specifying the type (and cache-id, and other operational
details) of an error, so that a hierarchy descendant can choose to
substitute it's own custom file (with the supplied data)?

Say:

X-Squid-Error: ERR_CONNECT_FAIL, squid-1.2.xx, proxy.somewhere.net

Umm..Stupid phrasing. I know it's possible to do. Does it look like a
good idea, though? One or two of us patching our squid proxies to do
this is not going to be worth it...it would have to be a generic feature
to be of any real use.

You see, I have all these squid error files carefully typed out
explaining errors in nice, friendly language...but as part of a
hierarchy, where only our local pages will ever be -not- fetched from a
parent, those error-files will almost never be seen by a user. :(

D

David J N Begley wrote:
>
> *sigh*
>
> "Feature request" for 1.2 (and any additional versions in the 1.1.x train,
> for that matter) - could the default error messages generated by
> Squid have their trailing line reworded so that people don't try to do
> something incredibly stupid (to admins, anyway) like, oh, I don't know,
> send email to "squid/1.1.21@proxy.mydom"?? :-(
>
> For example, a typical error page will end with a line similar to:
>
> Generated by squid/1.1.21@proxy.nepean.uws.edu.au
>
> Given that the "contact the cache admin" hyperlink does not appear on all
> (default) error pages (and adding it to err_html will only duplicate it on
> pages where it does appear), some l^Huser is bound to think, "Hmm, I know;
> despite having had support contact details beaten into my head a few
> million times, I'll fire up my email client and send a message to this
> wierd looking address at the bottom of the page!" Argh..
>
> How about an alternative, such as:
>
> Generated by proxy.nepean.uws.edu.au (squid/1.1.21)
>
> May not make much more sense to the average end user, but conveys the same
> information for admins and at least doesn't look like an email address...
>
> Whilst we're on the topic of the "contact the cache admin" hyperlink, it
> appears on some pages (eg., "Access Denied") as per:
>
> Please check with the _cache_administrator_ if you believe this is
> incorrect.
>
> The words "cache administrator" are a hyperlink using a "mailto:" URL
> which is fine for people who have email in their browser, but if (for
> example) you're using Netscape Navigator standalone (wherein "mailto:"
> links won't work) then you're stuck; the intelligent user will point at
> the link and note the email address at the bottom of the window, but this
> is neither intuitive nor does it cover the vast majority of end-users.
>
> How about an alternative, such as:
>
> Please check with the cache administrator at <_cacheadm@proxy.mydom_>
> if you believe this is incorrect.
>
> Here, the address inside the angled brackets becomes both the address in
> the "mailto:" URL and the text of the hyperlink.
>
> Cheers..
>
> dave

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