Hacked again... sorry for the down time all!

[brewmaster15]

Well for those that were skeptical the last time we posted that we were hacked and the hacker had gained access of our moderator section... WE were hacked again. This time it was not a simple case of sending out sensitive information. The hacker changed Admin functions...something only Ryan ,myself and the hacker could do..

Ryan has been working the past 24 hours to undo what was done with the software techs.... We believe we have it under control but if there are any signs of a repeat attack we'll have to shut things down again.

I can't thank Ryan enough for his work here. Nor can I express how Po'd I am. This hacker enjoys this BS... They have gone as far as to anonymously contact me and gloat that I could not Id them.

What has this attack cost.. It has cost the loss of this boards access to all of you the last 24 hours.. It cost every site we host valuable Business.. we had to shut down the entire server....some of which are Breeders and sellers you all use. It has cost at least one member with fish probelms.. several discus. and its cost me and Ryan a good measure of our resolve here....

So Hacker... If you are reading this congratulations....Hope it gave you a good thrill.

-al

[Jeff]

When you are the top of any profession you are a target. Simply is the largest and is the top. There are a lot of people that would like to see Simply gone. They can mess with the board, but they can't stop the momentum. It is now too big. They can play their games, but if they were not cowards they would come out and fight like men. Simply Lives!!!!!!!!

[Tad]

Ryan and Al,
Thanks for all of your hard work to get SimplyDiscus back up and running.

Looking at this wonderful site, I see over 3000 members with a common goal and love for a hobby. I can never understand why anyone would take time out of their day to cause harm to each and every one of us. Is it the love of attention in such a selfish way or is it the disdain for people who love a hobby? Whomever this person is they need to self check their life as its truly going to waste spending so much time hurting people who care. In all essence I feel sorry for this individual who has so little to offer but problems ??? What joy your getting is beyond anything I can comprehend!

JMO,
Tad

[Jason]

thanks for the hardwork Ryan and AL

if there is someone you can hire to find out who this hacker is and bring him to justice.

I will be the first of many to gladly donate to the cause!

[bikhu]

Ryan I too thank you for the effort you put into getting the board back up and I am really grateful to all of the moderators and sponsors that keep this board running. Whoever this hacker is I hope that they read this.....
You are a coward and an imbecile. Whatever the "excitement" is that you get from such a idiotic act would best be served by clinical treatment. I pray that you are soon discovered and that you are prosecuted by very strong legal measure. Perhaps then you will have the opportunity to address your pathology and turn your life into something useful. Whether your motivation is jealousy or competition or some kind of misplaced revenge you need help. Your behavior may be symptomatic of a very deep seated psychological illness. I fear the ways that this may continue to manifest and hurt you and those who love you. Please .. get the help you need. I'd be glad to help you if I could but ... please don't email me!!!!
I pray that you fnd peace within you.
peter

[Ryan]

People do not realize that we lease our own web server, and that allows us to log every click that is made on this forum and on the websites that are hosted with us. I have records for each and every member who comes here, reads posts, etc. Though the log files are extensive and take a while to sort through, they are still valuable because it allows me to see details about where people have been on the forum. I have sent them to several sources, including a few of the forum software developers and our web host, and they are trying to help us locate the root of all this.

This is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable hobby for everyone involved. It's ridiculous that people are trying to twist and turn it into something that it's not. This website has been a big help to discus keepers who need advice or suggestions. When these "hackers" screw with the site and cause us to shut everything down, they are hurting the hobby by cutting off readers from their resources. You have people battling diseases or breeding discus or setting up new tanks who have questions and need help, and when this website has to shut down for a day they are being denied that help. They are the ones who are suffering from this, and it's unfortunate.

I am not sure what this person's motives are for doing what they have done, but it is childish and stupid. They are obviously trying to upset Al or myself, or maybe the moderators, but in the end they are really hindering the hundreds of other members of this site from posting and having fun, and allowing the hobby to flourish.

Thanks, whoever you are, for trying to ruin it for everyone.

Ryan

[lkleung007]

Way to go Al and Ryan!!!!

I for one was getting SimplyDiscus withdrawal!!!!!! ;)

Keep up the great work,
Lester

[Haywire]

I can't believe how much I've come to like this forum, until it's denied to me, I was "jones'n" hard for it today.

Thanks for bringing it back up.

[oodi]

Al and Ryan... as has already been said... thanks to both of you for all the hard work.

As for any skeptics... there NEVER should have been any! And it certainly should have been obvious to anyone who was on 24 hours ago, that the board had been hacked.

Personally, I only have one word for this individual... LOSER!!

Judi

[ping]

Hi Al and Ryan,

Thanks for the hardwork. :) :thumbsup:

Regards,
Ronny

[M0oN]

Really sorry to hear about this...some people just don't have lives. Sad to see people with those talents wasting it on somthing that isn't profitable to them...

Even worse to hear that people are losing discus over this, I hope it hasn't affected their financial status too badly.

Glad to see the board's back up, stay strong and don't let these things get to you. Like Jeff said, the fact that people are trying to hack it period means this board is a great success and helps hundreds of people keep thousands of discus in better homes.

[darcy]

Great job Al and Ryan!!! Keep up the good work!

Judi I agree loser is right , although I have a few better words!!

Darcy

I dare you to tell the truth!!!!!!
You damn well know nothing was done to bring your webserver down, you chose to bring it down, why, you don't want to blow that cover of yours. Why don't you post the thread about Jack, getting with Joe and Hans, that you guys where badmouthing about in your special modsection? How could you ever say things like that about Jack, I don't even keep any fish but that man is a war hero, How could you?

And I dare you to leave this post, let's see how long this lasts. let me tell you what you are going to do, lock this account. Good deal.

For the rest, you guys don't know half the story, so shut your pieholes. And I don't even keep fish. Now that is funny. Adios folks. Good luck to this site, Have fun just have an eye behind you when you deal with these folks who run it, for your own gooooooood.

[yippy]

Thanks Brew and Ryan


Kerry :wave: :thumbsup:

[Jason]

first off nothing was said about Jack that was offending to him, all of us here have the highest respect for him and nothing will ever change that. no matter who he chooses to do business with

[darcy]

Right on Jason!! No ONE said anything offending about Jack!!

What a crock!!
Darcy

[M0oN]

Shouldn't even reply to that guys post, it's just what he wants...

Hope you logged an IP on him...

[korbi_doc]

:o :o :o :o :o Boy, what a bummer!! I thought perhaps the site had crashed as I hear so many 'puters do, not knowing anything 'bout how these critters operate.
How sad to think that someone out there has it in for Simply enough to do so something so vicious! Its all been said so well by previous posters but I hope "whoever" gets his/her due & Al & Ryan have some recourse to make that happen.

Thanks guys for your never ending dedication to keeping this site the topnotch forum that it is, we're behind you all the way. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. I'm sure all of us feel the same way. Dottie ;D

[ronrca]

First off, a big huge thanks to Al and Ryan for putting their own resources into Simplydiscus. Thank you for their time and efforts to help spread knowledge around the world in keeping discus. Thank you for volunteering your capital that you invested in making this site happen. Thank you in seeing a goal, the broad vision of sharing info and putting that before your personal gain.

And to think that there are some people that do not appreciate it. There are truly 'sick, sick, sick' people in this world (find them and put them in jail with saddam. They will probably become friends!). A site such as this that is helping thousands of people to keep and breed discus, how can you not be pleased and grateful?


And I don't even keep fish. Yea! Then there are individuals that feed off the misfortune of others. I hear of people like that all the time. They usually end up in jail and I do hope that this will be the case again!

O yes! And thank you Karoola! Yes, you also deserve a thank you! ;)
Thank you for once again proving to the whole world that there really are individuals that feed off the misfortune of others even when they have nothing to do with the hobby. People that take delight in the difficulties of others. Heartless, cold individuals that do not know the meaning of the phrase 'what goes around, comes around' and' Do unto others as you want others to do unto you'! Your share will come. Good luck!

And one more thing! Lets not dwell of the fact that simply was hacked again. Lets continue to make simpydiscus bigger and better......just simply the best! Its like if someone is teasing you. If you get angry and upset, they continue to tease as this is a responsive action that they want. The best is to ignore and the teasing stops. ;)

[richgrenfell]

I'll tell ya, I was freaked! I musta hit the refresh button a dozen times in disbelief! I'm glad we're back, and as everyone has already said, big thanks to Al and Ryan!!

Rich

[djknightingale]

I am new to this forum, just signed up a couple of days ago. So when I couldn't get on I was confused as to what had happened.
Here I thought my network people had banned me from the site
cause I've looked at very often over the past week. I thought that
maybe they didn't like discus or something.

But alas, unfortunately it was the Simply server had been hacked.
Sorry to hear about this guys, some people have too much time
on their hands. >:(

Thanks to the people who keep this site running.

dave

[Larry Grenier]

Thanks for all your hard work Al & Ryan. Don't let the cowardly juvinile ones get to you. Hopefully, one day they'll be found in a hole in the ground just like Sadam.

[MonkeeFish]

Whoever it was he did a good job
but sucks for the rest of us
So now lets get over it and continue wit our discus keeping.

who kares who he is or what he wants
" God made him, God will get him "

All this insulting is only fueling his motives to hack this site again
what good is insulting him will do???

[goldengatediscus]

Thank you Al and Ryan for all the work that you put into this forum.
I never realized how hooked on SIMPLY I was, until I couldn't get on yesterday. Hackers are not wanted here.
Brigitte

[Ryan]

No one ever said the whole server was brought down. Yes, I shut it down. It was not to protect anything we are supposedly hiding, it was to protect the forum from being further tampered with. It is obvious that if someone can modify the board in a way to expose private sections, they also have the capability of toying with posts, member profiles, and more. Had the person not messed with the forum, I would not have been forced to shut down the server. It's that simple.

It is becoming increasingly clear who did this. I now have a pretty good idea.

Ryan

[paulmat]

Thanks Al And Ryan :)

Paul

[brewmaster15]

I'll address the hackers comments....

Nothing was said bad about Jack. Concern for him yes...bad no. and nothing was said that Jack did not already know was an issue with me and others here..

I have the entire post saved in web page format..unedited. and have no probelm sharing it with Jack.... and I have nothing to hide.... When Jack went to war I stood by him and was the best friend I could be the entire time. You have no idea what the hell you are talking about. The only bad between Jack and I is a different view on how to deal with "politics". Hacker, You are a spineless coward hiding behind an alias and trying to justify what you have done to this site by using Jack Taylor.... Pathetic.

One of the Mods was concerned and brought up the topic of the partnership. ...

Brews comments...


Jack has told me repeatedly that he wants no part of Hobbies Politics.... I don't understand his decisons... as now he is part of what he didn't want anything to do with...

... I think it will be an eye openning experience.....Going from hobbyist to professional overnight is a big jump.

As for Joe and hans... Their choice of him is perfect.. he has character, and is well liked by many., and to many hes a hero.

I guess we all make our beds and have to sleep in them.... Good luck to him... he's going to need it.

-al

and

I have written a reply to that post 5 times and deleted each one.

-al
and


All,
I really don't want to discuss this topic anymore here... I'm not worried about it getting out either... I am just really bummed out by this for many reason I can't discuss.

Lets move on and hope for the best,

-al

Is it a crime to be concerned for someone who you care about.... if so I and the moderators are guilty,....Sorry to be Human. My concern is based on my experiences though, and I stand by them.

As for the "politics" . Many would like to believe everyone in the world gets along great ... the fact is this is not true .. and someone has to deal with this. As owners of this board these someones are Ryan and me., and as selfless individuals giving their time here ..those someones are the moderators. You all would give up your discus if you knew a fraction of the Politics that runs in the background,... Count your blessings if you don't know what I am talking... Keep silent if you do.

As For my concern regarding his partnership with joe and Hans..It no secret that Joe and I have issues.. Its unfortunate,... but its how it is . I will not go into this anymore and will edit any posts that try to ..This is the whole reason for the hack..not Jack and I will not give the hacker that satisfaction.. ...Those involved already know the score.

As for" your special modsection?" Get off it Loser. Every message board out there has a moderator only section where things are discussed in private. It enables us to all work together efficiently as a team and deal with Problems like You. On Simply it served as a place we we could talk about things that we felt might be a problem so we could intervene before it got to be too much a problem.. The reason so many of you like this site is because we deal with The BS so you don't have to... and thats not changing.



I will not tolerate further attempts by anyone to justify how this site was hacked by using something said by me or others. The law was broken by an individual (s) that did this. PERIOD.

If the other moderators want me to post their comments in this "terrible"post... I will do so... otherwise It is between us and Jack .


-al
And as for the hacker not having Discus..Thats BS.. Not only does he have discus... but he is also well known on the boards... and when I can prove it...I will show everyone exactly what I mean by "politics". You'll all be real surprised. The truth is The hacker was waiting for a post in area 51 that he could use.... and his motives were not anything to do with Jack.

Piehole? very unique choice of words, thanks for the extra confirmation.

[wildthing]

all I can say is..."WOW"...whoever the hacker is......he or she should know that in this age of security paranoia & Tom Ridge.......what you did is a Federal offence which can carry huge fines & jail time. ...I hope you get a bit of both......

To the Mods etc of Simply...you really should refer this to the Feds...they are currently taking this kind of act extremely seriously...what comes around goes around but sometimes it needs a little help!

[brewmaster15]

and as a message to Jack... I am Sorry Bro that you got drawn into this.. We probably should have shared our concern with you...But didn't want to rain on the parade I Guess.

Its like when we talkedwhen you were coming back.....You've seen the real world in Iraq, This stuff has no meaning compared to it.. I know well now that this is true.

-al

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Without Al and Ryan, none of this would be here. Thank you sooo much! This forum means alot to many people including me. I come here everyday to learn as much as my brain can handle and help out whom ever I could, and when I couldn't get in I spent my time wondering through the net just wasting time looking for "other" sources of discus info. Who ever hacked into the site has a really sick mind. I hope that they are caught and put away for such a crime. SimplyDiscus is like my second home, when I was without it yesterday I felt lost.....


-Ryan

[Paulio]

C'mon you twit! If I have a problem with some one as an adult I find it most effective to address that person, directly and in private. You are a coward and a liar. You havent half a clue of reality. Go ahead now and tell me I dont because I didnt read something that I have no need to read. I know these people. These are decent folks doing a good thing for the Discus world. The area you are talking about is private, kind of like the conversations you might have with your friends if you had any. Obviously you dont or you wouldnt have the time or desire to behave in this manner. How would you feel about your private conversations being made public out of context and without the benefit of explaination? As you can see the members here are not swayed by your B.S. Take it back to wherever it is you come from. I am certain they appreciate it there.

Al, Ryan and all,

Thanks so much for all you do here. Many people never would have made it three months in the hobby with out this place. Our Discus home on the web.
Sorry for fanning the flames here. I know good and well it wont do any good its just that there arent many things in life that make me want to grab a ski mask, my louisville, a few friends and go hunting.

Paul

[DonnaMite]

Al, Ryan, and all,

Sorry to hear you guys and this site have been targeted by such a Loser! :soapbox:
I'm new to this forum, but I gotta tell ya, this Really Burns me-
What could possibly prompt this person to take pleasurable things away from people who have never done anything to you?

Shame on You! (Hacker)

Donna
OK, I've said my piece. Now I'm off this subject and going back to have FUN on this site! (And maybe, just maybe, learn some more about keeping both discus AND friends)

[paniza]

all righty!!!

Good job guys, few hours without this forum drove me crazy...er. ;D

Cheers,

[fcdiscus]

How sad and how stupid! Glad you are back up and running. Frank

[April]

well.. im happy simply is back..this is my home and i have many people on here i love dearly.. including jack. :thumbsup:
thank you Ryan and Brew for spending all night working on our site. we all owe you both a nights sleep uninterrupted!!
ok.. tony one post..for today done!! :P

[yippy]

OK Last one for me too

Kerry

[Ardan]

Thanks Al and Ryan for all you do and all you put up with!
Thanks for all the time you put into this for us!

As to Jack, there is nothing wrong with having concern for a friend! It is a major undertaking for him with a lot of risk and a lot to learn in a short time ( a steep learning curve). Best of luck to Jack! That was the only concern!



These are decent folks doing a good thing for the Discus world. The area you are talking about is private,...
How would you feel about your private conversations being made public out of context and without the benefit of explaination?
Well said, Paul!

Anyway, I am glad Simply is back

I couldn't do another day without Simply!! :(

But I'm sooo glad we're back up and in number one position. This creep (or creeps) will be caught shortly, without a doubt.

Al and Ryan: You'll definitely see how many times I've entered the website when I got that error message. I couldn't get over myself when I saw the dialogue box. I knew when it went down because it happened shortly after I posted my last photos of my tank. Whew. Glad I'm out of that ring of fire. I would never think of doing such a daring and awful thing. Get 'em boys and collar them in jail for sabbotaging our forum. **Angie**

[Discus_Hans]

Ryan & Al good work. I hope you find the one who did this.

On the other hand some things came up that worries me and that was the talking about the things between Jack & me, it seems that there are said some nasty things and everybody says it was not about Jack, that leaves one............me. I hate back talking while smilling in my face, if any body has any problem with something, just email me.

I know I don't need to explane anything but Jack is not in as a partner or something, we only made a deal with him that can be very nice for him as for everybody to get high quality for a cheap price.
The first who have the guts to say in my face I'm ussing Jack for something I would be happy to meet at the ACA, I can tell you I'm not a fighter, but with that one I'm not going to drink a Heineken.
For any comments feel free to Email me at:

hans@discus-hans.nl

I'm happy the forum works again, Hans.

And Yes Cary I know before you email me :) :) :) :) I tell you every time:
"High trees catch a lot of wind"

[susankay1]

Sure am glad the site is back up and running. Good job you all. We missed you.

[Chad]

WOW guys sorry this has to go on!! What a joke i hope you can all find out who this is and expose him for the fool he or she is!! If you need to cross reference any IPs Ryan let me know i would love to help!!!



Chad ;D ;D ;D

[brewmaster15]

Hello Hans,
I said I will not go into this on the board and I will not except to say that nothing was said in that thread about you....Take that however you like. I am thru playing games and not in the mood for more.

Jack Taylor is welcome to the entire thread..If he wants to share it with you thats his business... If he does you will see there was nothing said about you. In reality there was not much said at all. You have not caused problems for any of us.. You come here...sell your fish and move on.. which is fine.

If you have heard that there was "nasty" things said,... I suggest you examine the source of your info... Odds are its the person that hacked this site...In which case...I would appreciate your help by giving me that persons ID or Email.. so I can prosecute this person.

Further concerns can be directed at me by Im or email. You have never had a problem with that before.

-al

[brewmaster15]

Thank You for the IM Hans.

-al

[Jean]

;DSorry to hear you guys went through all this! I am glad you are back up and going strong. This is a hobby where we should be coming together and learning and doing better and working together; not against on another.

Jean ;D 8)

[RyanH]

Brew & Ryan:

I'm not sure what happened to cause this person to hate you so much and frankly I don't really care. What they need to realize is that they're actions have affected alot of innocent people who had nothing to do with this dispute. This seems quite selfish to me and reminds me of an event that occurred a couple of years ago in September if memory serves. Although the consequences were infinitely more severe in that case, the mentality of the perpetrators are exactly the same.

I hope you nail this SOB to the wall. Post a picture for us when you do.

[Rod]

Hi Karoola,

I shall be praying for you tonight, i hope one day you will learn it is better to love your fellow man than to hate. It will only eat you up inside. Peace!

Rod

[gump]

I hope you get this all worked out Al & Ryan. Prosecute to the full extent of the law. Great work you guys. I had the day off work yesterday(BRRRR) & had a great chance to catch up on all the posts.... NOT.
This person is just an a**hole!!
Pierre

Modified by RandalB for profanity. While we all agree he's an A**hole, we shouldn't spell it out. Family oriented board..

[Mattzilla]

hey hacker...you're a piece of crap mate!!!

i'm a huge believer in "what goes around, comes around"

for you hacker, that means something bad is coming your way! and i hope it hurts.

for the guys who bring us this amazing forum every day, something great is coming your way!

matt

[Barb Newell]

Hi Al and Ryan. Sorry that this is happening again and thanks for your efforts/energy/time to keep Simply going. I can only speak for myself, but I'd be lost without Simply Discus and all of you. I hope that we never lose this amazing site that you guys have worked so hard for.

To the hacker >:( :-\..... if you're needing attention, there are other ways of getting it. If you're enraged and are out to hurt and "try" to destroy innocent people and relationships, why not honestly ask yourself who, then why....???????
I seriously doubt that the answer will be the members of Simply Discus. ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

Often when people do cheap destructive crap like this it's because someone has done something to them in their past, they can't face it or deal with it, so they wrongfully dump it........ :puke: on others. It is no excuse, it's the cowards way out. Stop trying to hurt others and deal with your truth. One day, you'll be a better person for it.


Barb


It's strange.... hackers believe that they are disguised, hidden, no one can find out who they are ----- you have told us more about who you are than you'd probably like to believe.

[LEM504]

Many thanks for going the extra mile, and getting the site back up and running!
It has been a source of information and support that I could never have found locally.
Keep up the good work!
It is both needed and greatly appreciated!

Larry

[keith_cny]

Al and Ryan

Again ...many thanks for the hard work to get thing back to normal. Success and popularity apparently make you at taregt. Wonder if the "Perp" has his own website and if anyone bothers to hack in there? My guess is probably not.

I for one would be interested to know the ID of the "Perp" just in case there were any chance of doing business with this individual, I could factor this 'tidbit' in.


Paul!
"I know good and well it wont do any good its just that there arent many things in life that make me want to grab a ski mask, my louisville, a few friends and go hunting."


LOL...atta boy! Count me in!

Keith

[Jeff]

Hackers are nothing new. DAAH had an unfortunate incident a year or so back just as it was growing nicely. People always attack on the upswing to stop momentum. Guess what it didn't work. DAAH is doing well and Simply is still here. As long as these boards are around and helping people at no cost for their services they are targets.

[Miles]

It is a shame that things like this happen.

Miles

[aquatechnics]

Al and Ryan,

Yes, it is really a shame that these things happen. As always, bad people (with nothing better to do) is out there trying to destroy what others have built with hard work. >:(

Anyways, rest assured that everybody here will stand to support Simply in any possible way. Of course, count me in! ;)

Alberto

Well I think the hacker should be stung up in the Center of Times Square for what he/she has done and is doing.
But I guess sometimes it takes a fool like him to bring out the foolishness of others.
.....After many many phone calls and emails between friends I decided I can not agree with the policy here anymore due to all of the back stabbing going on behind closed doors in the mod section, so I wish everyone the best in their discus keeping and look foward to talking to my friends on the other boards but Simply I will not be part of anymore.....

Randy

[Carol_Roberts]

Nobody was stabbed in the back Randy. There was an expectation of privacy where opinions could be expressed without impacting the people involved.

I had an opinion and made comments. Probably comments in the same vein as in your recent private emails and phone calls back and forth that you alluded to above.

Pay close attention to the source of the information. You've been around awhile and know how alliances change.

[Ryan]

I agree with Carol. No one was stabbed in the back. There is a mission statement at this site that we as mods and admins try hard to follow. Sometimes it is touchy and sometimes decisions are hard, but we do our best. Though we're mods and admins, we do have our opinions of things like everyone else. However, we follow the mission statement by not posting those opinions publicly on the board. The mod-only board allowed those things to be discussed privately between the mods without us having to IM everyone on the mod team individually. It was intended to be private, just as emails and IMs between users here are private. We do not read your IMs or emails, why would you need to read our mod-only board?

AquaForums, DAAH, and many other boards out there have a private area, and no one is trying to hack those. Why the one here at Simply was such a big deal is beyond me. Most of the things shared between mods and admins there is common knowledge to those of you "in the know," because you've discussed them with us via phone, email, IM, even in person. You should look up the definition of back-stabbing before you go around accusing someone of it.

Personally, for me, it is difficult to remain neutral on these types of forums. Personality types conflict, people have disagreements, some folks just don't get along. A lot of you reading this have opinions of other members of the discus community, whether good or bad, and I'm sure you've shared them with your friends. Though I'm an administrator at Simply, I am still a hobbyist and a human being, and I like to vent and talk things through with friends. The mod-only board made that possible.

There is a double-standard here, and frankly I'm really sick of it. Some of you like to accuse us of "back-stabbing" and you try to paint a bad picture of us, but all of these e-mails that are circulating regarding Simply and Al and the rest of us have been going on for nearly a year, before any of this ever surfaced. It is okay for all of you to criticize and belittle us, but God forbid I have an opinion of my own. The same goes for Al and the other moderators on this board.

This website remains running because it has been an invaluable resource to many people. I know this because they have emailed and IM'd myself and the mods to tell us so. This site is for them. They appreciate the service this community provides, and I am proud to be part of the team that makes it possible. It is truely a rewarding feeling. As for those of you who have a problem with me or Al, or the policies of this board... why do you bother coming here to let us know? This is not the only discus site on the internet, and you're not being forced to read or participate in this forum. You think what you need to think, but don't drag the rest of us into it.

To everyone on the forum that have expressed your support and gratitude, thank you so much. You are what makes this a wonderful place to be. I am sorry that those who do not appreciate or enjoy our site are trying to ruin a good thing for the rest of you.

Ryan

[darcy]

Well said Carol and Ryan!! It's funny how some of these people are such "saints"!! Give me a freakin break!!

That's it thats all from me cause I'm startin to get a little choked at the crap some of these people are writing.
Darcy

[M0oN]

Don't know why all of this is such a big issue to begin with, seems like drama that isn't needed.

As far as I know this board is used for the purpose of advancing the discus hobby and helping people who aren't far along in it. Personally I don't see why people should even give a hoot what somone else thinks of them or says about them, good or bad...it's not a contest, it's a hobby.

Sad to see that some people have nothing better to do with their time then start fights on the internet, even if you do know eachother in real life...let alone making things completely public to try and make folks come off in a bad way...not only is it childish but it's really just not that big of a deal...

Awsome posts Carol and Ryan....I couldnt agree more!!

Tony :thumbsup:

[iceman_373]

Moon i agree with you totally.....no matter what your position is on this board in the real world you are equal to everyone else....I appreciate what the people do who run this forum ...but taking everything to heart is unnecessary....who really cares what others think...what it really boils down to is that those who sit at your dinner table are the ones who really matter.......it only matters what they think.......;)...

[Barb Newell]

Well said Carol and Ryan.

Barb

[fshngal]

Thank you for bringing the Forum back online late Friday. I was beginning to think we were having t1 problems in my office when the site was down.

You would think that most Discus folk just don't have time to waste doing childish things such as hacking the web, but some never grow up and get their attention in this manner.

You guys are doing a great job with this Forum and there is not a hacker in the world that can ruin it for you. I believe it is the best knowledge base on the web when it comes to Discus.

Keep up the great work,

Mary

[ramblin101]

Hey All,

I too was having withdrawal symptoms from not being able to get on. I started medicating my tank because some of my fish had hex and wanted to refer to one of the threads about medicating and couldn't get on. I thought that something like a hacker might have been the culprit of the closure. This is the best forum ever and the most informative and I think it's because of the people involved. I bought Discus from Jeff before X-mas...which are doing great. But it they probably wouldn't if it weren't for Simplydiscus. Keep up the good work!

Ed

[M0oN]

Moon i agree with you totally.....no matter what your position is on this board in the real world you are equal to everyone else....I appreciate what the people do who run this forum ...but taking everything to heart is unnecessary....who really cares what others think...what it really boils down to is that those who sit at your dinner table are the ones who really matter.......it only matters what they think.......;)...


Well, the post wasn't really directed at anyone in particular except for the hacker and those who take it personally when reading it, because obviously if they are, then they should be listening to what it says.

[MonkeeFish]

This is a GREAT forum
But you know what

"what's done is done"
"so move on and get on with your lyfe"

If you dont like what people say
then skrew them and if they hate you
then hate them too, Why it is everyone gotta stick to this thread and say the thing over and over again??? He hacked to site now he'll get what he deserved!!!!

If i could i would myself help out this forum,to bring it to it's highest peak etc etc so juss forget about what happened and move

[Murphy]

Some people should get a real hobby like...raising and breading Discus!. But I guess this individual was defeated by the King of the aquarium and this was the only way that they could get revenge.

Sorry to hear that the probs are still going on.
Just hope you get that person/s soon so it will end.

Ronald

[brewmaster15]

Jason (Moon) , Tom H and others...

You are very right in many ways... This is really just about a hobby and a fish. There are far more important things in the world than any of this. I can appreciate your point of view.

So Why is it a big Deal?

Because to some of us it is more than a Hobby. Its a major part of our Life. I have logged in over 6500 posts on this board in the last 1 and 1/2 years, dumped $1000 's of my money into it , spend an average 10-12 hours a day online, some days more. If not here, I am on the phone with hobbyists and breeders helping them with problems or answering emails... Additionally I have about 35 tanks of Discus . My entire circle of friends revolve around this hobby with exception of 1. Most in the world would think I was strange and in need of help, and I guess they are right.

My partner Ryan is also extremely involved and dedicated., as are our moderators and many strong supporters of this site that you see posting everyday.

I realize that many great sellers spent an equal amount of time because they love the hobby.. I am not a breeder or major seller though. I do what I do because I Love this Hobby., and this "fish", and this site. I do what I do because I want to help people in the small way that I am capable.

No one realizes more than I what my short comings are as a person.. but I try my best to do what I feel is best for the Hobby and this board... and I know others do the same. I have screwed up countless times...I'm human... it happens, when I do... I make amends and try again. I have tried to be a positive force in the hobby. What I don't appreciate is the critics with more skeletons in thier closet trying to trash what we have done here... I can also say that though I am involved in the politics of this hobby.. its not by choice , its by necessity...It goes hand in hand with having a board this large in the hobby...My goal has always been to keep you all from having to deal with it. If I spilled a fraction of what I know about the Politics of the breeders/sellers in this game all hell would break lose.. Did it spill over into area 51..absolutely..that was one of the areas purposes. There are times when what I know makes me sick to my stomach.

Let me remind everyone what it was like 2 years ago on many other boards (before simply)...Politics ran rampant... Breeders teamed up with others to slam the competition.. supporters of various breeders slammed the competitors supporters...It was so bad that few new people in the hobby wanted to post .... Hours were spent arguing over the most stupid things. Ask your selves why many of the Breeders/sellers out there do not post on the Boards. The reality is Those politics still exist... But we try to keep it down here..... area 51 was where management here could talk about these things.. so we could prevent them from spilling into this board.... It wasn't a place for back "backstabbing". I could tell you all a thing or two about political backstabbing among the sellers if I wanted. Area 51 was a place where we could talk about issues and take a consensus on appropriate actions for us to take as a board.

I also have a message for all the fence sitters out there.. The ones that know what goes on but won't or can't say anything for various reasons... It ain't going to change on its own... maybe it never will.. but its worth trying. I know its easier sitting there watching the world go round...but sometimes you need to do something about what you see. Ryan and I got off the Fence when when we and April made Simplydiscus....it hasn't been easy... choices never are... but at least I know I did something.

The Reason why this board is here and is helpful is because to large group of people... It means much more than just a message board about a fish.

To me, personally it has become the single most important thing to me outside of my family, so though I understand your point of view... I hope you can undestand mine. It is a major issue to me when someone hacks my site. and I do take it personally. I also take it personally when people come here to stir up trouble, start flame wars and attack others. I take it personally when people openly talk about seeing my site go down in flames., or contact my friends and try to belittle me in their eyes. I take it personally when people come here selling sick or low grade fish.. or taking peoples money and not providing the goods agreed. I take it personally when people do everything in their power to try to hurt this site. Should I be a better person than them.. absolutely... If you were in my shoes... would you be able to?

I hope that clears up why It is important at least to me.

-al

Hi Al:

You said it very well and I understand you one-hundred percent. It's awful when you put your entirety into a project for a good cause whether to help others, or to assist in the preservation of Discus, and there are some folks who just go into a negative tone to overthrow your work of art.

You have my support, Al, and the rest of the GM's. Please continue to keep the good spirit because it's well worth it to me and to many of us on board when we all login to SimplyDiscus. **Angie**

[iceman_373]

Al,

I understand the time and dedication toward this board and I truly appreciate it, I by no means was referring to any of the hard work you and others perform,. it is greatly appreciated. I was thinking on very basic terms when I made that statement. It is unfair to you and others who have made this become what it is. I am an admin on a forum and I understand all the work involved on that level, I can only imagine what work it entails to own it. I by no means was trying to offend you but merely offer some support from a very basic viewpoint. If I can offer any help on here I am more than willing, If you need it, please let me know. Sorry for any confusion, wasn't meant to offend!!! :)

Tom

PS...have any lonely females????....;)

[Jeffery_Doty]

--Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.--

Abraham Lincoln

Brew,

Don't forget that your shadow has grown in proportion to your character. Those of us who know your character, understand your goodness and your desire to help others.

Jeff
Oregon

[fcdiscus]

A great post Al! Frank

[M0oN]

Jason (Moon) , Tom H and others...

You are very right in many ways... This is really just about a hobby and a fish. There are far more important things in the world than any of this. I can appreciate your point of view.

So Why is it a big Deal?

Because to some of us it is more than a Hobby. Its a major part of our Life. I have logged in over 6500 posts on this board in the last 1 and 1/2 years, dumped $1000 's of my money into it , spend an average 10-12 hours a day online, some days more. If not here, I am on the phone with hobbyists and breeders helping them with problems or answering emails... Additionally I have about 35 tanks of Discus . My entire circle of friends revolve around this hobby with exception of 1. Most in the world would think I was strange and in need of help, and I guess they are right.

My partner Ryan is also extremely involved and dedicated., as are our moderators and many strong supporters of this site that you see posting everyday.

I realize that many great sellers spent an equal amount of time because they love the hobby.. I am not a breeder or major seller though. I do what I do because I Love this Hobby., and this "fish", and this site. I do what I do because I want to help people in the small way that I am capable.

No one realizes more than I what my short comings are as a person.. but I try my best to do what I feel is best for the Hobby and this board... and I know others do the same. I have screwed up countless times...I'm human... it happens, when I do... I make amends and try again. I have tried to be a positive force in the hobby. What I don't appreciate is the critics with more skeletons in thier closet trying to trash what we have done here... I can also say that though I am involved in the politics of this hobby.. its not by choice , its by necessity...It goes hand in hand with having a board this large in the hobby...My goal has always been to keep you all from having to deal with it. If I spilled a fraction of what I know about the Politics of the breeders/sellers in this game all hell would break lose.. Did it spill over into area 51..absolutely..that was one of the areas purposes. There are times when what I know makes me sick to my stomach.

Let me remind everyone what it was like 2 years ago on many other boards (before simply)...Politics ran rampant... Breeders teamed up with others to slam the competition.. supporters of various breeders slammed the competitors supporters...It was so bad that few new people in the hobby wanted to post .... Hours were spent arguing over the most stupid things. Ask your selves why many of the Breeders/sellers out there do not post on the Boards. The reality is Those politics still exist... But we try to keep it down here..... area 51 was where management here could talk about these things.. so we could prevent them from spilling into this board.... It wasn't a place for back "backstabbing". I could tell you all a thing or two about political backstabbing among the sellers if I wanted. Area 51 was a place where we could talk about issues and take a consensus on appropriate actions for us to take as a board.

I also have a message for all the fence sitters out there.. The ones that know what goes on but won't or can't say anything for various reasons... It ain't going to change on its own... maybe it never will.. but its worth trying. I know its easier sitting there watching the world go round...but sometimes you need to do something about what you see. Ryan and I got off the Fence when when we and April made Simplydiscus....it hasn't been easy... choices never are... but at least I know I did something.

The Reason why this board is here and is helpful is because to large group of people... It means much more than just a message board about a fish.

To me, personally it has become the single most important thing to me outside of my family, so though I understand your point of view... I hope you can undestand mine. It is a major issue to me when someone hacks my site. and I do take it personally. I also take it personally when people come here to stir up trouble, start flame wars and attack others. I take it personally when people openly talk about seeing my site go down in flames., or contact my friends and try to belittle me in their eyes. I take it personally when people come here selling sick or low grade fish.. or taking peoples money and not providing the goods agreed. I take it personally when people do everything in their power to try to hurt this site. Should I be a better person than them.. absolutely... If you were in my shoes... would you be able to?

I hope that clears up why It is important at least to me.

-al


I totally understand Al and I think my post may have come off the wrong way.

Most of the comments were moreso directed at the hackers and other childish people who find it necessary to stir things up on public posts, they've made hypocrits out of themselves in doing so, for one.

I can totally understand defending yourself against allegations like that, in fact, not doing so would be the same thing as admitting that you don't care.

It just seems like a lot of this hatred really isn't needed and it's sad to see how it can hold progress back. I'm a firm believer in letting dead dogs lie. Of course the moderator section is private, if it wasn't meant to be then it would be public. People who take it as public commentary are too wound up, and those who hack into it just to read it and start gossip? Well it's childish and I think they should find better things to do with their lives.

Would it not be easier to resolve these issue's in private with the people you have them with then to try and defame and entire site, which helps thousands of people in need at no charge and is doing a very good thing for the discus hobby? Yes, it would.

That was the point I was trying to get through. You are a very hard working person dedicated to helping people in need and a very spectacular fish. For that you should be proud, no matter what anyone else has to say. The majority's voice is what is true and your personal life is of no interest to me unless it is involving discus or some very serious problem with your health and well being. You have no need to explain yourself to anyone and should not feel bad in any way about what you are doing or have done in the past. The fact of the matter is that as of now you run one of the most recognized sites on the internet for hobbyists and that's no small feat.

I can't begin to tell you how much I personally appreciate this site, the fact that I spend hours daily reading through the posts and the joy that keeping healthier discus bring me can never be expressed in words.

So once again, thank you Brewmaster, Ryan, Jeff, Carol, Cary and everyone else who dedicates so much time and effort to this board and the hobby, you are truely wonderful people.

Jason

[Martinphillip03]

Al,

I am new to this site. I own no discus; one day I will. This is my favorite discus site! It is nice and informative. Also you get quick answers to your questions. Now my two cents. Its your site, if you want a private area, its nobodies business. If other people don't like how this website is run, leave, and start your own website. Show Al how its done and put him out of business. But leave the website alone.
Unfortunetly Al, you have to upgrade your antihacker software.

Marty







Because to some of us it is more than a Hobby. Its a major part of our Life. I have logged in over 6500 posts on this board in the last 1 and 1/2 years, dumped $1000 's of my money into it , spend an average 10-12 hours a day online, some days more. If not here, I am on the phone with hobbyists and breeders helping them with problems or answering emails... Additionally I have about 35 tanks of Discus . My entire circle of friends revolve around this hobby with exception of 1. Most in the world would think I was strange and in need of help, and I guess they are right.

The Reason why this board is here and is helpful is because to large group of people... It means much more than just a message board about a fish.

To me, personally it has become the single most important thing to me outside of my family, so though I understand your point of view... I hope you can undestand mine. It is a major issue to me when someone hacks my site. and I do take it personally. -al

[chuck]

Geezzz I'm glad i'm not into politics.. :-\
good post Al, Keep up the good work and don't let this crap get you down.. Yer all doing a terrific Job with this board!

Chuck

[thebaglady]

Ditto..

Jen K.

[vickie s]

Thanks for hanging in there dispite the politics and attacks. Without the information in this board and the help of the contributors to this board, I would never have given discus a try. I am probably not the only one.
vickie

[kalawai]

That is strange about this forum being hacked....do you guys have some kind of firewall that protects the system?? It would protect your server in the future from such outbreaks.