This is probably off-topic and I apologize, but I am hoping that the collective wisdom on this list might shed some light on my problem.
For several weeks now I have been unable to access slashdot.org and freshmeat.net. The connection either times out or ends up with HTTP error 500: unknown host. And lynx adds a long message with "... the server does not have a DNS entry..." But if I do: ~$ host slashdot.org slashdot.org A 64.28.67.150 Interestingly, if I try accessing www.slashdot.org instead of just slashdot.org then the page downloads but without the graphics. Any link that uses plain slashdot.org does not work. Some links however get the www and they work. Same thing happens if I use the IP address instead of the name. The links that work, use the IP number. (Morphing links? How do they do that?) On freshmeat.net I get nothing, even if I use the IP address it still returns Error 500. And ~$ host freshmeat.net freshmeat.net A 64.28.67.35 There is more. This looks like it is a system wide problem with my ISP. It is not limited to my site, and I verified that. Obviously slashdot and freshmeat are not the problem: I would have heard. Neither is my DNS since everything else works. Web, E-mail, AIM, Napster, whatever. I have alerted my ISP and they never actually warmed up to finding a solution. I have a feeling they don't know how. Does anyone have any idea about what might be causing this problem? Thanks in advance and again I apologize for being off-topic and long. Best regards, Philippe Clérié (philippe[at]gcal.net)