What funny message do you keep in your 404 file

[Imaster]

Burp! The server was hungry and ate the file that you are requesting. ;)

[chairwars]

Well done, you've broken my website. Thanks a lot.

[moltar]

not my site, but very funny ;)

[rini.org...]

[PsychoTekk]

i wish i had 404 pages but for some reason requests for
not existing files return 403s :(

[ncw164x]

This is one of the best I have seen
[scintilla.utwente.nl...]

[Imaster]

http://www.rini.org/error2.php

LOL, that one was funny ;)

[digitalghost]

There's a whole collection of 404 pages here: [plinko.net...]

I had a picture of one of my dogs up, explaining why he ate the page.

[olwen]

I did one for a site that sells schnapps that gives 3 random cocktail recipes from the database and invites the reader to pour themselves a <brand name omitted>

[TheDoctor]

My 404 page is boring, full of useful advice on how the user can find what s/he is looking for.

My 403 page, however, goes

You have tried to gain access to somewhere restricted.

If you have come here via a link on another site, please inform the webmaster of that site of the error.

If you came here from a link on our web site, please email us to tell us where this incorrect link is.

If you typed in the URL yourself - naughty, naughty!

Just about covers it, I think.

[Ankheg]

My 404 on one site is a nice little poem that (though clean), I shan't repeat here.

One of my mailservers, though, used to return the following in place of the boring "user unknown": 'Warning: Invalid DNA marker for selected phylum: session terminated.' I changed it after several confused, and irate, emails from folks who'd mistyped an address. :)

[gangstah]

I'm sorry Dave, but I'm afraid I can't provide that file.

[ukgimp]

The link that DG has up has one where 4 blokes are sitting on a sofa looking into the screen with the caption

"we are all rooting for you, we hope you find what you are looking for"

Made me smile

[StanBo]

It might all be KEWL, but if you're running anything but the jokes site, the best bet will be to place a site map at 404 with a small disclaimer that the actual page is.... whatever. All the rest might be good for fun, but definitely none too good for business :(

[ams_david]

404 Don't Panic

[TheDoctor]

if you're running anything but the jokes site, the best bet will be to place a site map at 404

As I said, I have a boring 404 page that tries to give useful information to the user as to how to find what they are looking for. I don't think I even mention the figures 404 anywhere on the page.

I've tried to make it look as much like the other pages on the site and as little like an error page as possible. Experience as a support programmer taught me that unsophisticated users tend to panic if they hit an error ("Oh ****! It's broken! What did I do wrong?"), so I tend to disguise the fact from them.

[pmkpmk]

I have a bi-lingual help message, an online "Chat with the operator" tool, AND a search-engine preloaded with the requested page on my 404 site. PLUS I get an email for each 404 ocurring.

To be funny is one thing. The help visitors staying on your site si the other thing.

[Adam_C]

check the 404 at [juicenewmedia.net...]

[digitalghost]

>>To be funny is one thing. The help visitors staying on your site si the other thing.

You can be funny and keep people on the site. My 404 provided complete nave instructions, looked the same as the rest of the site and incorporated a bit of humor. It also generated some positive email and allowed for a bit of humanity to encroach into a sterile tech world.

[too much information]

Adam_C - you may want to try a <META http-equiv=imagetoolbar content=no> to get rid of the IE6 toolbar that blocks the view in the Pong window.

-I almost lost by the way. ;)

tmi