Article

2007-06-16

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Posted by Fred 2007-06-16 00:38|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Any notion of why there was a "file download" agreement message whenever a log-on was attempted? No explanation expected, but it sure was creepy. Fortunately, I knew better about Rantburg and never downloaded the piece o' shite, but it was still quite strange.

Again, thank you all for everything you do to make this place happen!

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-06-16 01:05|| 2007-06-16 01:05|| Front Page Top

#2 That was a loose spring when Fred and Badanov opened the hood this afternoon. Naturally it rolled all the way under the workbench with the dustbunnies...

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-06-16 01:47|| 2007-06-16 01:47|| Front Page Top

#3 Shazam. When I heard the NASA shuttle computers were down, and then surfed over to here today and saw a malfunction message, I thought maybe rantburg was being hosted out of the Space Station!

..or maybe I should stop watching those The Jetsons reruns.

Posted by Space Cadet 2007-06-16 02:24|| 2007-06-16 02:24|| Front Page Top

#4
Suggestion for the simplest way to fight a DOS attack and database connections max issues -- put up a gateway page. Make the page very light so the server can keep up with many requests. Require a second click-through or answer to a simple math problem before serving up a database intensive page.

Not high tech, not pretty. Effective and simple.

Thanks and good luck.

Posted by Master of Ovious 2007-06-16 02:32|| 2007-06-16 02:32|| Front Page Top

#5 Zenster, are you using anything other than Internet Explorer? I got that download thingy in Firefox yesterday, but not IE. Of course, it didn't occur to me to actually try IE until late last night, but the principle still holds.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-06-16 06:24|| 2007-06-16 06:24|| Front Page Top

#6 I'm really sorry for the horrors of the past few weeks.

No apology necessary. Thanks for all your heavy lifting.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-06-16 06:50|| 2007-06-16 06:50|| Front Page Top

#7 Fred, thanks for your perserverance.

Badanov, thanks for helping Fred out.

Posted by Mike 2007-06-16 07:15|| 2007-06-16 07:15|| Front Page Top

#8 Thanks Fred. Rantburg is rocking again.

A note:

was left out of the comments buttons.

Posted by ed 2007-06-16 07:42|| 2007-06-16 07:42|| Front Page Top

#9 A simple math problem?
Oh nooooooooooes

Posted by Barbie">Barbie 2007-06-16 07:44|| 2007-06-16 07:44|| Front Page Top

#10 Err, BLOCKQUOTE was left out of comments.

Posted by ed 2007-06-16 07:59|| 2007-06-16 07:59|| Front Page Top

#11 Fred, you and Badanov have rendered service under fire far above and beyond the call of duty in the past few weeks. Thank you both so much for hanging in there to get the 'Burg squared away again.

Posted by Mac 2007-06-16 08:02|| 2007-06-16 08:02|| Front Page Top

#12 Zenster, are you using anything other than Internet Explorer?

Nope, strictly Exploder.

Oh yeah, and what Mac said.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-06-16 08:46|| 2007-06-16 08:46|| Front Page Top

#13 #1, 6, 7, 8, and 11. Amen!

Posted by Bobby 2007-06-16 08:57|| 2007-06-16 08:57|| Front Page Top

#14 When we brought up the new kernel it reconfigured Apache. It wasn't recognizing the .php extension, so the browser's response was to download the file and let the user make head or tail of it. That's a security hole of the approximate size and shape of Wyoming.

Once that problem was fixed and we brough PHP5 up we discovered that it's not automatically configured for either MySQL or Postgres, much less both of them. We hd to install additional modules.

We were doing the whole thing remote, so if anything had screwed up seriously and locked us out -- which has happened once or twice before -- I'd have had to drive downtown in my jammies, been admitted to the NOC, and fixed it myself. Not a good thing.

Posted by Fred 2007-06-16 10:09|| 2007-06-16 10:09|| Front Page Top

#15 On the plus side, I suspect that the DOS attacks are a high complement from some real enemy, not just frivolous spammer attacks, no matter their apparent origins.

Which raises the question of "Who has Rantburg really ticked off? Some government?"

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-06-16 10:33|| 2007-06-16 10:33|| Front Page Top

#16 Whoever it is that's ticked at Rantburg Good, if the truth hurts bad enough to mount an attack, they need to be ticked off when it does'nr work, and Rantburg not only survives, but grows stronger.

Good work, Medals and prases all around. Piss them off more.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-06-16 10:47|| 2007-06-16 10:47|| Front Page Top

#17 By he way, that "Download" I finaly managed it with Zip, it disgorged opened the file, and all is well (Finaly).

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-06-16 10:49|| 2007-06-16 10:49|| Front Page Top

#18 I blame Micro$oft, if you had been running a real OS this wouldn't have happened.

/Standard reply for this sort of problem

Posted by Shipman 2007-06-16 10:54|| 2007-06-16 10:54|| Front Page Top

#19 Damn, that was tacky. I'm seriously apologize for that. Thanks for yawlz hard work. I mean it.

Posted by Shipman 2007-06-16 11:01|| 2007-06-16 11:01|| Front Page Top

#20 Shipman's right: I've never had any attacks on My DEC CP/M system. [wag]

Thanks for helping out, badanov. I wish I could help out (besides the tip jar thingie.)

Posted by Jackal">Jackal 2007-06-16 11:23|| http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2007-06-16 11:23|| Front Page Top

#21 Blast it! My old nickname returns from the dead. Ah, well; that's the way the browser cookie crumbles.

Now, stay on the current name. Stay! Staaaaaaaay!

Posted by Gary and the Samoyeds">Gary and the Samoyeds 2007-06-16 11:28|| http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2007-06-16 11:28|| Front Page Top

#22 Good work, Fred and bad. I've done a bit of that kind of work myself so I have some idea of the trials and tribulations you've been through. But if this is not your day job that multiplies the headache by an order of magnitude. While it's unclear from my vantage whether the problems are caused by mere random spammers or more determined political enemies, it wouldn't be a surprise if it's the latter and in either case they deserve to be strung up by the dangly bits. There is information and opinion here that I've never seen anywhere else and it's easy to imagine that it would make some folks uncomfortable. Sometimes it even makes me uncomfortable but it needs to be faced. Congratulations and thanks for the accomplishment.

Posted by Elmereter Hupash6222 2007-06-16 13:36|| 2007-06-16 13:36|| Front Page Top

#23 Which raises the question of "Who has Rantburg really ticked off? Some government?"

A Serbian lop-eared troll. A Saudi at a techno-park (oxymoronic). A certain seriously unbalanced ex-airdale. A left-wing medical student from the DC area. The Russians. The Paleos. Any number of other Muslim-types from Houston, San Jose, Los Angeles, Australia, the UK, Pakistan and other 'garden spots'.

Take your pick.

Posted by Pappy 2007-06-16 14:37|| 2007-06-16 14:37|| Front Page Top

#24 On the plus side, I suspect that the DOS attacks are a high complement from some real enemy, not just frivolous spammer attacks, no matter their apparent origins.

I agree. This is definitely a concerted effort to strangle the 'Burg. I composed a polite and open letter to the spammers that I wanted to post in "Opinions" but have hestitated to do so because I don't want to aggravate the situation. Would such a thing be permissible? Or is it better just to let sleeping dogs lie?

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-06-16 14:37|| 2007-06-16 14:37|| Front Page Top

#25 Fred et al - You guys have nothing to apologize for. We knew the attack was underway from your previous announcements and besides, you guys do the really heavy lifting of keeping this forum up and going.

Time to hit the tip jar on my next payday.

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-06-16 15:34|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2007-06-16 15:34|| Front Page Top

#26 Did anyone else get an e-mail titled "Rantburg" asking for Fred's e-mail address?

I blew it away.

Posted by Skunky Glins5285">Skunky Glins5285 2007-06-16 16:02|| 2007-06-16 16:02|| Front Page Top

#27
Fred: I'd have had to drive downtown in my jammies, been admitted to the NOC, and fixed it myself. Not a good thing.

It's a gauntlet out-there Fred, in the event thatr worst turns to worser don't forgets Top Camouflage.

Posted by Red Dawg">Red Dawg 2007-06-16 16:09|| 2007-06-16 16:09|| Front Page Top

#28 John is that you, Skunky Glins5285?

Posted by Red Dawg">Red Dawg 2007-06-16 16:10|| 2007-06-16 16:10|| Front Page Top

#29 ya know? you can prevent skunky glins by applying the Stiff Wire Brush and suitable anti-Islam soap

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-16 16:33|| 2007-06-16 16:33|| Front Page Top

#30 Did anyone else get an e-mail titled "Rantburg" asking for Fred's e-mail address?

No, but because of my Rantburg postings about him, someone emailed me seeking contact information for Yusuf Qaradawi. They must not have read my posts.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-06-16 16:42|| 2007-06-16 16:42|| Front Page Top

#31 From RB postings I check my spam once in a while and I get some pretty weird stuff, even in chinese script, Korean, Arabic. One button and it goes to the sludge digester. Booooshhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2007-06-16 17:16|| 2007-06-16 17:16|| Front Page Top

#32 AP - do you wash your hands and clean your mouse with alcohol after? I hope so...I had lunch with you and shook hands..

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-16 17:21|| 2007-06-16 17:21|| Front Page Top

#33 That I do, Frank. I always wear surgical gloves when I read up on the WoT stuff, and safety glasses and a surgical mask when I go to MEMRI, heh.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2007-06-16 17:24|| 2007-06-16 17:24|| Front Page Top

#34 LOL - K....

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-16 17:29|| 2007-06-16 17:29|| Front Page Top

#35 hey ima a Craving Platypus today! no gloves just webby feets..

;-p

/my multiple personalities knu it all along

RD

Posted by Craving Platypus1729">Craving Platypus1729 2007-06-16 20:39|| 2007-06-16 20:39|| Front Page Top

#36 RD, my laptop seems to think I'm Skunky, my desktop calls me John. If the shoe fits...

Posted by Skunky Glins5285">Skunky Glins5285 2007-06-16 21:04|| 2007-06-16 21:04|| Front Page Top

#37 If the shoe fits ...

you must acquit?

(still on a high about the Duke lacrosse DA ethics hearing today)

Posted by occasional observer 2007-06-16 21:20|| 2007-06-16 21:20|| Front Page Top

#38 Pappy: I have never been called "...A certain seriously unbalanced ex-airdale..." but I thank you for that. But having said that I would not be fiddling under the Burg hood. Bad things happen to them what do.
Thanks to Fred and Bad for keeping the firing order straight.....

Posted by USN, ret. 2007-06-16 22:57|| 2007-06-16 22:57|| Front Page Top

#39 Yes, my role while Fred was rebuilding the server was to keep asking:

Are we there yet?

Posted by badanov 2007-06-16 23:18|| http://www.freefirezone.org]">[http://www.freefirezone.org] 2007-06-16 23:18|| Front Page Top

#40 Fred, Bad & everyone else who's been helping - thank you so much for all you've been doing over the past few weeks. You've all done an amazing and impressive job under trying circumstances. The web is like the wild west with an intensive arms race - and you guys have not let the bastards deter you. Keep up the good work and I will be hitting the tip jar soon as well. God bless Rantburg!

Posted by ryuge 2007-06-16 23:22|| 2007-06-16 23:22|| Front Page Top

#41 USN ret.? I never got the impression you were unwelcome...am I missing something? Or just ignorant? I know, not necessarily mutually exclusive...

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-16 23:34|| 2007-06-16 23:34|| Front Page Top

#42 thks Chris and Fred - for all you do

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-16 23:35|| 2007-06-16 23:35|| Front Page Top

#43 Pappy: I have never been called "...A certain seriously unbalanced ex-airdale..."

Oh, Lord- not you, USN ret. You aren't unbalanced. My apologies for not being clearer.

There was another poster here briefly - ex-AO. One very rude, strange dude. He was troll-dumped, and came back in various guises and IPs (including some odd places).

Posted by Pappy 2007-06-16 23:44|| 2007-06-16 23:44|| Front Page Top

23:51 twobyfour
23:44 Pappy
23:43 FOTSGreg
23:41 USN, ret.
23:36 FOTSGreg
23:35 Frank G
23:35 Mike N.
23:34 Frank G
23:22 ryuge
23:21 Mike N.
23:21 Zenster
23:20 USN, ret.
23:18 badanov
23:03 Frank G
23:02 Steve
22:57 USN, ret.
22:42 twobyfour
22:41 Zenster
22:38 Zhang Fei
22:38 Phineter Thraviger
22:35 Barbara Skolaut
22:33 Barbara Skolaut
22:32 Zenster
22:32 Natural Law