Polverone - 11-10-2007 at 11:30
Yesterday morning I was editing all the trash out of the POCl3 thread when I started getting some MySQL warning/error messages. I tried to use the
automatic DB repair tool, but after it was done I was getting errors about how tables were not found at all (members who tried to visit saw them too).
I tried inspecting the database from the command line, but it looked as if all the data files were gone. I had a backup from less than two weeks ago,
so I started uploading it yesterday and attempted to restore it this morning. It turns out that the backup itself was bad (it only contained one
table)*. I contacted Micfo (our web host) asking if they had any backups of their own, and found out that the database was not hopelessly corrupted:
they'd just disabled it because the server load was too high from all the edit/repair operations I was trying to do yesterday.
I wasted hours of time and much needless worrying on this problem -- and nobody could use the forum for 24 hours -- because a few people can't stay
civil and on-topic.
*I'm definitely making a better backup, and verifying it, today.
chemkid - 11-10-2007 at 11:46
I thought the forum had beeen"busted" by the DEA or something. 
Chemkid
jokull - 11-10-2007 at 12:12
It's good to be here!
I was thinking something like chemkid was, or about a hack attack. I'm quite happy that is not the actual situation.
Phosphor-ing - 11-10-2007 at 12:16
I just thought it was a serial hacker or something. Good to have the forum back so fast. Thanks Polverone!
Antwain - 11-10-2007 at 12:32
I too was worried that the site wasn't working. Don't know how much longer I could have gone without my mad science fix 
BromicAcid - 11-10-2007 at 13:29
Being a more seasoned member I had faith that it was a technical issue and that Polverone had the ability and conviction to get it repaired
expediently. This might be a good time to remind everyone there is a Donation Thread under Forum Matters, you know, to keep the forum up and running 
[Edited on 10/11/2007 by BromicAcid]
chloric1 - 11-10-2007 at 14:06
Great work Polverone! There might be some problem with the link bar up top that goes to search, today's post , memebers list,and the text looks
stange like the spacing is messed up but it is great to be back!
Lambda - 11-10-2007 at 14:08
I thought the Forum had been hacked, and vital information deleted. Little did I know, least suspected of all, but @Polverone was the hacker afterall
....
After having checked if "www.roguesci.org" was still up and running, and if any information could be found there about what happened here, I turned to
@Madhatters FPT services to see if any messages had been put up there.
Just as a suggestion, but a Folder on @Madhatters FPT services called @Polverone may be a welcome addition. Messages, Backups (Minus PM's and
Passwords) etc.
Sorry to here about your wasted hours of time and much needless worrying on this problem @Polverone, but I am pleased to see that all is up and
running again. Thank you very much !
Regards,
Lambda.
12AX7 - 11-10-2007 at 17:40
Geez, it takes that much server action to edit a post? How, why?...
(Shoulda asked vulture to do your dirty work...he'd just crap it all into detritus or something, nuff said 
)
Sauron - 11-10-2007 at 18:44
I do not believe that Polverone's editing brought about the outage. I believe a hack did occur, while Polverone was editing.
A member made what I took to be a threat just prior to the outage. It was thinly veiled but clear. That member has bragged about his formal education
in computer science so is in a good position to hack SQL/XMB.
Sadly the post containing the threat has been deleted by a moderator. So only those who read and understood that post will remember.
However, it is my view that a malefactor like this is unlikely to refrain from further attacks, even though the proximate cause of his ire on that
occasion is removed. He will find some other flimsy pretext to extort the forum, or some other member, and he has already proven the effectiveness of
his petty little weapon.
I will not name the hacker, although I have informed the powers that be of my conclusions, as well as a few like minds.
I am not even sure that banning this hacker would keep him out of the system, so the fact that he has not been banned means little. I assume that the
powers that be are reluctant to take draconian measures without harder evidence than this circumstantial case. And given that the perceived threat, so
clear in 20/20 hindsight, is deleted.
Polverone - 11-10-2007 at 18:46
It's not the editing that's a lot of work. It's the cleanup -- restoring the proper thread post counts, user post counts, last posts made, etc. Don't
ask me why the software can't manage to keep those values straight when I edit, instead of letting things break and giving me an expensive "fix it"
button.
chemrox - 11-10-2007 at 19:16
Wasn't there an attack with similar results last spring? I share Sauron's suspicion. I want to appreciate Polverone's hard work and diligence in
getting us back up and running. Thank you host, friend and benefactor! I'm editing to add a line seconding Bromic's point to the donation link ..
when you can .. whatever you can... Thanks.
[Edited on 11-10-2007 by chemrox]
Sauron - 11-10-2007 at 19:44
Polverone makes a very strong case for there being no hack involved. Under the circumstances I think it would be unreasonable to not believe him and
accept his explanation.
Obviously kudos to Polverone for his hard work.
Antwain - 11-10-2007 at 19:46
@ Polverone - you could just change all the posts to "edit - deleted" and leave it at that. Would probably be simpler.
Sauron - 11-10-2007 at 20:03
Or dispense with the post counter and ranking altogether, if it is troublesome in cases like this, as it seems to be.
Antwain - 11-10-2007 at 20:25
I like post count actually. I realise that we all started on zero posts, myself not that long ago. And that not having posts does not mean you don't
know what you are talking about, and that having posts does not mean that you do
But there is a definite correlation. Not many kewls have a huge post count here.
Also, someone with a large post count is more likely to log in frequently and be able to answer questions you have asked of them.
Sauron - 11-10-2007 at 20:45
I can tell you that running up a high post count appears to inspire resentment (jealousy?) and gets one slanged for being a post-whore, whatever that
might be. I am not at all sure that the counter means anything at all except to soulless bean counters who ought to be on an accounting forum.
Questions are usually either put to the forum in general, or to a specific member in a thread about a particular topic in common with the rest of the
thread. Rarely have I ever seen a question out of the blue addressed as a start of a new thread, to a specific member.
I have a huge post count and am maxxed out on stars, it brings me no joy. And assholes call me a post whore.
[Edited on 12-10-2007 by Sauron]
woelen - 12-10-2007 at 03:13
Well, no need to speculate on what the real issue was. Polverone most likely knows and takes appropriate action. I also visit this site for a somewhat
longer time, and sometimes such things happen. Technical issues happen with a system, that is used a lot. Only forums, which have no activity do not
suffer from this kind of things .
Polverone, thanks again for taking the effort to make sciencemadness up and running again .