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-   -   Terrible Hack = Long Downtime (https://www.ablemuse.com/erato/showthread.php?t=28860)

Alex Pepple 11-30-2017 01:50 AM

Terrible Hack = Long Downtime
 
Dear Eratosphereans,

I'd stopped posting news of hacks and recovery for some time now due to an apparent lack of interest in those posts of woe, and the rather esoteric technical explanation of what's going on. But given how badly we were hit this time, and how long a downtime resulted from it, I figure a word or two on it won't hurt.

At some point in my recovery attempt it looked liked like all was lost and I'd have to load the forum software afresh and thereby destroy all the recent member data and posts, and all the years of archived data. I persevered with it, though, for several days and it looks like, in the final analysis, we didn't take too bad a hit in terms of data loss. Still, it's possible that a couple of days or so of member posts might be missing (but it could have been much much worse here too, as is now the case with the Able Muse Press website that's lost a couple of years of data!).

The downtime got extended this time because in the process and steps I took recovering from the hack uncovered some software bugs in the vendor-provided server software, and the ISP/web-host wasn't much help in fixing it, so I had to figure things out myself, but then the server software kept crashing each time I thought I'd recovered and stabilized the system, and each time it crashed, it kept corrupting the data from the member posts, so much so that that data appeared unrecoverable for a long stretch of time--essentially, a perfect storm of hackers, poor support, bad software and software bugs! ... And this went on for days, resulting in the several days of total server failure and downtime. That's about the gist of it--luckily and with lots of debugging and patching work, we're back!

Cheers,
...Alex

Seree Zohar 11-30-2017 03:10 AM

You never cease to amaze. Major kudos for your time, caring, and efforts. Warmly appreciated, Alex!

John Isbell 11-30-2017 04:15 AM

Ouf. Thank you, Alex, thank you, for your inspired work in putting the Eratosphere back online. You brought it back!
Who would hack a poetry website? What is the payoff in that? One can only wonder.

Cheers,
John

Jayne Osborn 11-30-2017 04:58 AM

I've been frantic -- because I was utterly helpless to do anything!

When my thread Strange Goings-on at Eratosphere completely vanished after a couple of hours I was in further despair, afraid that all was lost. I couldn't PM anyone or do anything, in fact...

You're an absolute marvel, Alex, a STAR, and I could cry with relief now that we're back on track!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Boss :D

Jayne

Edited in: As I've said on another thread, please lend your (financial) support to Alex in any way you can, here, to assist him in the fight against the would-be destroyers of our precious community.

Catherine Chandler 11-30-2017 06:37 AM

Thank you, Alex, for your perseverance. :) I was worried that this time, that was it! It's a shame you lost the Able Muse Press website data. It's beyond me who would be interested in this continued hacking of Eratosphere. :mad:

Maryann Corbett 11-30-2017 07:30 AM

Thanks from me, too, Alex, for your perseverance in all things.

Nausheen Eusuf 11-30-2017 08:27 AM

Many thanks, Alex -- you are awesome! :)

Nausheen

Allen Tice 11-30-2017 08:55 AM

"I'd stopped posting news of hacks and recovery for some time now due to an apparent lack of interest in those posts of woe, and the rather esoteric technical explanation of what's going on."

Alex, I'm kinda interested in this sort of esoterica actually, and also how you analyze and manage digital frustration, but understand that others might not be so much.

Why this site? Obvious thoughts would relate to its international reach, its size as such, the desire to penetrate the software vendor's product, and simply because it is there. A dog gnawing a bone doesn't care what kind of bone it is, it just gnaws. Simple smash and destroy vandalistic joy doubtless plays a part. This is a thrill kill, spray paint anything, schizo world.

Michael F 11-30-2017 09:24 AM

Yes, thank you, Alex.

It is bizarre, but some twisted souls just like to pee in other people's porridge.

Ann Drysdale 11-30-2017 11:40 AM

Thank you, Alex. Bless you for your hard work and perseverance.


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