WebHostingTalk is hacked
- Thread starter Artashes
- Start date
webfreak08
New member
If I read correctly, it seems like the hacker purposefully destroyed the backups. So, maybe put the backups on some sort of storage device and store it in a safe deposit box?
Blue
New member
That is not a practical solution.
All that is required here is that manual backups be done to a server off the network.
In general I would even say that is over kill for a discussion forum.
But here is where I think this differs.
WHT charges people for "premium" memberships.
A lot of people seemingly consider this to be of some value. Personally I don't but that is not the issue at hand.
By charging money to use so called "premium" areas of your site you are holding yourself to a much higher standard. A standard in the case that just wasn't met.
Those "premium" members' information and privacy were breached, just like all of the non paying members.
PMs and other supposedly private information are now in the hands of obviously unscrupulous people.
To me this would be very unacceptable even on a site where I was a free member, let alone if I were among those who paid the premium.
I also see a very defensive attitude by certain "mods" there, which is pretty typical even since the time I used to frequent that forum.
Never any accountability or admission of blame. Never anyone to man up and say "yes, we screwed up. Sorry." Always about covering the tracks and shifting the focus.
Ultimately, as I said before, it is the lowlife monkeys who did the hacking who are to blame, but WHT let their supporters down here as well.
I say all of this as a private citizen and not as an HD Community Advisor. My opinions do not necessarily represent the views of the owners or staff of Hosting Discussion.
Hmmm .. I am one of their Premium Members, not so much to receive any direct tangible benefits, moreso that I believe in supporting venues that add value to my business and the industry in general. The return on my investment is knowledgebase. Very much the same reason I'm on HD and other forums.
Blue
New member
Out of curiosity, what have you learned via your paid membership that has improved your membership?
Specifically, what have you learned that you didn't or couldn't have gained either here or another free forum.
You completely missed the point, Blue. Of course, I haven't learned anything that I couldn't have gained here or at any other free forum. What cannot be disputed is that WHT draws thousands of members and guests everyday, and those who participate share a wealth of information from around the Globe that helps the industry thrive. My paid membership there is to help support that cause (and that was paid out of my pocket and NOT by my company).
Blue, the benefit isn't just monetary. I benefit by helping them prosper.
Blue
New member
Ok. I don't get it.
By helping them prosper, them being a company that is far bigger and far more prosperous then you or I are likely to be any time soon, how do you benefit?
Blue, everybody benefits when forums like WHT and HD thrive. If you had Premium Membership here, I'd join it too - without any direct benefits offered or expected. 
Blue
New member
Blue, everybody benefits when forums like WHT and HD thrive. If you had Premium Membership here, I'd join it too - without any direct benefits offered or expected.
There would have been a time when I would have agreed with you on this point.
WHT used to be a great community run by some guys who really wanted to promote the industry and had a great deal of input into the forum. Those guys would never have considered charging people money for "premium" content that in all honesty just isn't there.
Since then there have been 2, maybe 3, ownership changes. The current ownership are long long removed from the way WHT once was and from the spirit of the way the forum was created.
This company bought up a bunch of very popular sites, that had always been user driven and turned them into pure profit ventures. I see no benefit in that for the users at all. They ruined a lot of very good websites in my opinion.
HD is still the kind of site that WHT used to be. Sure there is some profit motive, it only makes sense, but HD is still community oriented and doesn't put profit ahead of the people who actually build the community.
I do understand what you're saying and that's one of the reasons I'm on HD everyday.
Put quite simply, WHT let down its thousands and thousands of members. In today's connected society, hackers are just part of the system. Every bank and other such sites defend their sites from thousands of hacks a day. There will always be thiefs, hookers, cons and so on. Being a wht member for 7 years now and watching it grow, I would expect them to have an incredible system established to prevent such attacks, especially with all the money that has been invested. I know when Robert Marsh bought it up a few years ago he was telling me how secure it is and clearly that security has lagged since the ownership was passed around. When you are such a large and popular site such as WHT you must always be 100% prepared for constant attacks! Yes blue hackers suck blah blah and they deserve to burn(except for us military hackers), but they are a huge reality in today's internet market place and preparation is crucial and clearly wht was not properly prepared for what could occur.
If you had Premium Membership here, I'd join it too - without any direct benefits offered or expected.
Just to get it out there since you guys are having this discussion. I believe content and access to it should be free. Hence there will never be paid membership on this forum regarding that.
Now, its a different case if we are talking about a business service/product that is beyond content/participation in a community that creates direct value to service providers and stimulates one-on-one business relationship (such as advertising, or an add-on service that does not limit the access to information for anyone else).
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