401 error message

Rebecca0 · ‎25-04-2016

Dear Airbnb Tech Peeps

Respectfully, put your latte/goatmilk down, get your arse off the beanbag and PLEASE SORT OUT whatever is producing the persistent 401 error when messaging guests. It's UNACCEPTABLE to have such basic recurrent problems. Don't tell me to use a different browser, don't tell me to clear my cache or (and yes, this really was a suggestion by an airbnb advisor) to re-start my pc. This is 2016, not 1990. If you can't manage to run the site consistently across different platforms and browsers maybe you could get some Silicon Valley experts to help? Or maybe consult with ebay or amazon for some tips? They seem to manage ok. Seriously. It's feckin embarrassing.

Dede0 · ‎25-04-2016

@Rebecca0 -- You posted your rant to a forum for AirBnB hosts, *not* to AirBnB support, as you cluelessly seemed to assume. Maybe you should try again by submitting your rant in a more appropriate place. And, yes, you should consider using the recommended/supported browser, clearing your cache, and restarting everything, including your "feckin" attitude. AirBnB can't control whatever stupid/illogical settings you or your non-compliant browser might use.

I, too, often make quite scathing complaints about AirBnB's bugs and its obviously (!) deficient coding, but I tend to engage my brain first and provide specifics when I do. Try it. Or not. It's up to you. I've been in the software business since feckin' 1985 and in the feckin' web biz since feckin' 1992. You need to get a feckin' clue.

Robin4 · ‎27-04-2016

@Dede0 Hey Dede, you didn't 'mince' your words there did you!!!!...... but I do understand your frustration. These same comments come up so often that you tend to end up with a short fuse responding in the same way over and over again. I know, I have done the same thing! But @Rebecca0 did have a point! Last year this platform used to run smoothly and then they started tinkering around with it and, as you know, there has been nothing but complaints since about November. SMS notifications disappeared, Instant book has been a disaster for many, payouts don't arrive, reviews cannot be given or received, or are delayed, many listing have been cancelled with no explanation plus numerous other 'glitches'! That fantastic band of regular contributors are flat out trying to offer solutions to a lot of problems that should not be problems! It is about time Airbnb got their IT department in order, it happens in others platforms, why can't it happen with this one.....or at the very least accept some responsibility for shortcomings in their programming and keep hosts informed of ways around issues that are important to them instead of the 'stonewalling' we seem to be receiving.

I loved your bravado Dede but Rebecca wasn't totally off the mark, she just directed it to the wrong place!!! cheers.....Rob

Rebecca0 · ‎27-04-2016

Thank you @Robin4. Yes, it was foolish of me to post this here. I suppose I entertained a vain hope that somebody from Airbnb may actually read the posts. It would have been better to vent my frustration on the old Airbnb Groups or on one of the Facebook groups or other for a that I frequent. At least in those places there actually exists a community spirit (unlike this godforsaken place) and it wouldn't have received such puerile and aggressive rudeness. But my rant was a bit childish, it's true, so fair enough. I did chuckle, though, at the irony of being called “clueless” when the vast majority of posts on here could be answered by actually reading the articles 'How it works'.

@Dede0, I did check my attitude and my “stupid/illogical settings” (LOL!) and guess what? Still regularly getting the 401 error so I have to close everything down thereby disrupting other stuff that I'm working on and then I have to type the whole damned message again. And of course it always happens when the message is long and complex! And I do use the recommended Google Chrome and regularly clear the cache etc etc. No other interface that I use causes these problems. Only Airbnb. It's not acceptable, it really isn't.

Dede0 · ‎27-04-2016

@Rebecca0 My apologies for being a bit harsh and rude. It did seem to me that you didn't seem to know your were in the wrong place. (I know know you did know that.) And starting off by telling people to get off their ass is hardly a way to prompt friendly responses. You also didn't seem to be willing to use the fully supported browser, clear your cache to see if that made a difference, or even reboot to see if that made a difference. I'm not defending AirBnB's coding. (I think it's pretty horrible myself and have said so many times. In fact, I think it's horrible because they either have no design planning and/or they bid out most of their coding the the bottom-of-the-barrel lowest bidders.) All that said, there are plenty of legitimate reasons not to support some of the other major browsers. Browsers have bugs themselves. And some of the majors lag behind, not supporting the fuller feature sets that others do. Also, some of the majors are security nightmares, and many software platforms decline to support them.

To tell you the truth, I used to file defects with AirBnB on a regular basis, but I've just about given up. I find the workarounds that work for me, and I try to tiptoe around all the bugs.

Best of luck with those 401s! 🙂

Rebecca0 · ‎27-04-2016

No worries @Dede0! One glass of wine too many probably and yes, you guessed it, a long detailed message giving lots of info & links disappeared and I just lost the plot! It's almost like a little gremlin sits there patiently waiting until a complex message is typed and then POOF! with an evil cackle the 401 appears. Anyway, hats off to you and others who so kindly answer some of the crazy questions on this place. Peace 🙂

Dede0 · ‎28-04-2016

@Rebecca0, Something I do when composing long responses on the web is to do the writing elsewhere on my laptop (in a note or plain-text file). Take as long as I like, save every so often, come back the next day to finish if I want. When I'm done, simply cut-n-paste into the message field for whatever web thing I'm really trying to use. Saved my ass a thousand times...

Robin4 · ‎28-04-2016

@Dede0.....Not only that Dede but it calms the passion. Thoughts are always more constructive over a cup of coffee. I always tell people to think about their review long and hard before hitting that 'submit' button....even sleep on it, and remember that those words will stay with you for as long as you host.

Yours is excellent advice Dede, not only from the point of having a saved reference but, you get the help of the spellchecker which saves you from the embarrassment of looking like an intellectual moron!!!!!...cheers.....Rob

Julia0 · ‎27-04-2016

Ooh Rebecca! You got told!!!

I completely understand your frustration! I now copy every message to guests just so that WHEN (not if) they disappear, I can paste the message and se-send. These so called bugs should have been sorted by now for goodness sake! Those bean bags must be too comfortable...

Maxine commented on this back in February, and it goes back longer I think.

Rebecca0 · ‎27-04-2016

Hello @Julia0! It's nice here, innit? Such friendly peeps 🙂 Did you get my email about the FB group?

Julia0 · ‎28-04-2016

Rebecca - Requested to join today!

Susana-and-Luis0 · ‎23-05-2016

Just found this when looking for a solution for problem 401.

Love it that you guys sorted things out so gracefully, had a good laugh, thanks.

On the other hand, Problem 401 is still a problem.

Like the Chewbacca lady says: "It's all love, it's all love" 😉

Cheers from Cascais/Portugal.