Have you ever seen a message on a webpage like this?
This is a 404 error, meaning the page cannot be found.
Former AsOne Digital Marketing Analyst Ben Schofield once stated that error codes could be more easily understood if you pretended to ask the server for a coffee.
Imagine asking somebody for a coffee, then receiving in response:
“I can’t find the coffee.”
That pretty much explains a 404.
Here’s a list of common errors with a coffee related description:
- 204 – No response: Try asking a bloke to make you a coffee while he’s playing on FIFA, it won’t happen.
- 301 – Moved permanently: This is like asking your dad for a coffee and he just points straight to your mum without replying.
A 301 is often used to redirect when you have changed the URL of a certain page, so that the user doesn’t end up on a 404, but on the page they were actually search for.
- 400 – Bad request: That’s like asking “Tráeme un café, por favor.” The ‘server’ won’t understand what you are requesting (unless they speak a bit of Spanish).
- 402 – Payment required: Ask for a coffee in Costa, they tend to ask for a payment.
- 403 – Forbidden: “You’re not allowed a coffee!”
