Where did all the posts go?(answered here)

hi guys,

If you visited the site during the weekend, chances are you already know, but for those who are bound to ask the question:

Gone forever and ever.

Ever since my move into the tranquil woods, I've not been able to update the site, so we had been running behind about a year on security updates and such.

Two weeks ago, somebody began utilizing an exploit in the old system to create a "super user" for himself, which allowed him to change all the properties of the site. Things began missing, and in general, it just became a ****** deal. I'd delete his status, then he'd create a new one.

Thursday night, he created another account, and deleted my admin status.

So I began the search on how to patch the old system. However, it had been so long, that nobody was able to help, so I had a site that I couldn't administrate, while some dweeb in Washington state was.

Time to update.

First order of business is to back up the info right? Well, on a 19-23 kb connection, this is easier said than done. So I began backing up one module at a time, which went fine until I got to the forum. It's database consisted of 48 mb worth of data. So I crossed my fingers, rubbed my lamp, and started the download and waited. My connection was interrupted, and the download stalled, but no biggie right? I'll just do it again. Well, two problems with that:

1) I mistakenly ordered it to "drop" the tables after backup
2) The file was a temp file on the system, so upon server restart that night, it cleared the files.

So, here we sit, broken hearted...

I've already received one email asking why on earth I wouldn't back up the db, for God's sake, after all, we all know to do that don't we?

This is why it wasn't backed up.

thanks,
json

well, I wrote to the abuse dept. of the ISP, but rarely does anything come of that....

To be truthful, I'm surprised that it made it as long as it did with no updates.

I'm no php guru, and it's an uphill battle for me to fix even the most mundane problems, unlike some of the zoomy forums you would visit.

json

Hi Robert,

they back up their server-specific info, and I'm to back up my info. Great thinking though...

I now get physically ill when I see the old posts revisited on the forum... These are the types of things that keep people awake late at night until they snap and eat a case of Ho-Ho's.

You guys are all way too kind, though you're not supposed to cheer on the guy singlehandedly responsible for the destruction. I hope IRL, you all don't act this kindly to the guy who burnt your checkbook or Dale Carnegie "Win Friends" videos.

thanks,
json

If they were the type of people that would feel dissed at my phuq up, then they wouldn't have been the type of people to help the members as much as they have...... (I HOPE)

json