So what happened?

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  • So what happened?

    So what happened to Chesstalk to make it break down so badly?
    Will the missing posts ever return?
    Can the same happen again?

    (PS: My money is on the Donald Trump thread as the breaking factor. The server couldn't take it any more and had to erase it for its own survival. ).

  • #2
    Re: So what happened?

    Originally posted by Garland Best View Post
    (PS: My money is on the Donald Trump thread as the breaking factor. The server couldn't take it any more and had to erase it for its own survival. ).
    As I understood it was the thread only with two posts.

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    • #3
      Re: So what happened?

      So What Happened?

      September 22, 2016

      If I recall correctly, on September 15, the CT Forum went down and we lost all the postings from September 10 to 15. I felt very bad because all of the results and excitement from the Olympiad was lost.

      There were a number of difficulties however with some browsers and some ChessTalkers could not navigate or see postings.
      When it looked like there was no backup for these days, I went into my files and reposted the missing games from the Baku Olympiad both Open and Women’s.

      Then, the site went offline for maintenance for September 19 and 20. When it came back on, a whole month of postings was gone.
      Garland Best made a posting called “The Lost Month”. In it Kerry Liles wrote, “CT is now sort of running but the various optional thread views are not working (hybrid view) and a bunch of icons are missing and, as you and others have noted, some other threads are missing. Larry was/is on vacation and probably will deal with this when he returns... Anyone who knows more (or actually knows) can jump in and add to this note.”

      ________

      Summing it up:

      1) We have lost a month of postings
      2) Nothing official has been said about the source of the loss – hacking? Virus? Poor editing/censorship?
      3) It is not obvious if a backup somewhere can restore what has gone.
      4) I think ChessTalkers would like Larry to make a definitive statement about the Forum. Also it would be good to know if he is going to sell the site name or whether things will continue as is and we can still post.
      _________

      I have noticed a reluctance of some regulars to post while there is this uncertainty.

      I reposted the Canadian games of the Olympiads and then they were lost again. I would like to know if they can be restored or whether it is worthwhile to try to post them again.

      No one has greater respect for Yuanling Yuan than myself, but if I were to post her 99 second interview for the third time, I would be afraid of a gathering mob outside my front door complete with torches and pitchforks!

      Can we post without fear? Can previous threads be restored? What is the Forum’s status?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: So what happened?

        So what happened?

        Simple enuff ... those CT admins (lesser or greater) that meddle in what is otherwise a commonplace task of backing up data have learnt much from Clinton on just how to delete critical data and not tell us why or how it happened.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: So what happened?

          Originally posted by Neil Frarey View Post
          So what happened?

          Simple enuff ... those CT admins (lesser or greater) that meddle in what is otherwise a commonplace task of backing up data have learnt much from Clinton on just how to delete critical data and not tell us why or how it happened.


          Congratulations, Neil! You have hit the nail on the head!

          Any and all data that Clinton deleted was as "critical" (and as "classified") as any of the data lost here on ChessTalk! :D:D:D
          Only the rushing is heard...
          Onward flies the bird.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: So what happened?

            As someone in the know, here's the explanation I was given:

            Since CT uses a relatively common forum template, known security issues in a previous version of the template were exploited by "hackers" to link certain pages / threads to adware. The threads that were removed were essentially quarantined to remove the adware. When the site was down for of a couple of hours, the security flaws were being patched. As to whether the threads can be recovered, that I'm not sure of, but can find out if its keeping anyone up at night :p

            TL;DR: Definitely the Donald Trump thread ;)

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: So what happened?

              So What Happened?

              September 23, 2016

              Drew, can or will the missing threads be put back on the forum or are they too contaminated and gone forever?

              Knowing the answer will allow me to sleep easier.

              Who is this Donald Trump of whom you speak?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: So what happened?

                Wayne, I looked into it and unfortunately it looks like we won't be able to restore the threads anytime soon without incurring serious risk of the adware spreading to other parts of the site. I hope that eventually we can restore them, as I know there was some good quality discussions that were had in those threads. Sorry for the inconvenience :(

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: So what happened?

                  I visited the site just before it was taken off line and was surprised to see all sorts of stuff popping up in browser windows. As a web developer, I was filled with a sense of morbid curiosity and a definite sense of "there but for the grace of God go I" and was just starting to look at the source code when the site went away. Was it cross site scripting or SQL injection?

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