In recent days, millions of people around the world have noticed that connecting to various sites has sometimes been taking longer than normal.

It seems that a major organisation which helps email providers to eliminate spam etc had blocked servers of a Dutch website which says it will host anything like pirated films etc unless it's child abuse or terrorist related.

It's claimed that the Dutch website has retaliated by launching the biggest cyber attack around the world with the assistance of "criminal gangs" from Eastern Europe and Russia.

5 national cyber police forces are investigating to try to stop the attacks.

So if you are finding that getting onto your email provider, your online bank website, the BBC website, and many other sites is taking much longer, it's probably due to this rather than something else.

The attacks are random but seem to be intermittent.

More details on this BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21954636

Things have been a bit slower and coggy.

It's a little alarming to realise that someone or some country with a grudge can slow the whole of the world wide web.

I know there's a programme coming up on Sky 1 soon about a world where electricity has failed entirely.  So no power, no cars, no lights, it certainly gets you thinking.  I am not even sure we could cope now when you think of the ramifications, frankly the mind boggles.

I'm quite intrigued by it but offput a bit because those series on Sky 1 seem to go on forever and not get anywhere.  Will you be watching EL?

My post was about the internet generally so it does not necessarily be the cause of coggy problems on this forum though it may be.

 It's claimed that the Dutch website has retaliated by launching the biggest cyber attack around the world with the assistance of "criminal gangs" from Eastern Europe and Russia.