What to do when the GDC facility/jobs page shows an error (quick steps for families)

When the GDC jobs/facility page fails, you'll likely see "HTTP Status 500." That's a server-side error. It means the site's server hit an unexpected condition and couldn't complete your request. The error page also mentions that the full stack trace (the detailed technical breakdown of what went wrong) is available in the server logs. In plain terms: the people who run the site can see more detail on their end than you can from your phone or computer.

The error message points to something called a "NullPointerException." That happens when the website's code expects a piece of information to exist, but it comes through blank (null). In this case, the missing value is the facility name variable (shown as "strFacname"). Because that value was null, the page couldn't finish building, and it stopped loading the facility details entirely.

The error report points to a specific spot where things broke: the file /jsp/facilitydetails.jsp at line 18. That line is where the page tries to display the facility name in a heading using code that calls strFacname.toUpperCase() (so the name shows in all caps). If the facility name is missing, the site can't run that command, and the whole page crashes.

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• ✓ Take a screenshot of the full error page (try to capture “HTTP Status 500” and any visible error text).
• ✓ Copy and save the exact page address (URL) you were trying to open.
• ✓ Write down the date and time you saw it (include your time zone).
• ✓ Refresh once or twice. If it keeps failing, stop and try again later.
• ✓ Try a different browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) or switch devices (phone vs. computer).
• ✓ If you’re on Wi-Fi, try cellular data (or the other way around).
• ✓ Wait 10 to 30 minutes and try again. Server-side errors are often temporary.

If you report the problem to site administrators or support staff, the most helpful thing you can share is what you saw and exactly when you saw it. Include your screenshot (showing the HTTP 500 error or the visible exception text), the exact URL, and the time with time zone. Also note your device and browser (for example, iPhone with Safari, or Windows laptop with Chrome). The error page indicates the full stack trace is available in the server logs, so your timestamp and the page you were on help them quickly match your report to the logged error.

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• ✓ Check other official GDC pages (the jobs/facility section may be down while other pages work).
• ✓ Search the facility name in a search engine and look for official pages that still load.
• ✓ Try a cached or archived version of the page if one is available.
• ✓ Check official agency announcements on verified social media accounts for outage notes or updates.
• ✓ If you already have a facility’s contact information from past paperwork or verified mail, use that. Be careful with phone numbers you find in random directories, and verify details from an official source when you can.

An HTTP 500 error is a server-side problem. There's usually nothing you can fix from your end, and many of these outages clear up once the website team corrects the issue. I'd retry periodically (every 30 to 60 minutes or so) and hold onto the screenshot, URL, and timestamp you captured. If the page stays down, that documentation makes your report much easier to act on.