May 3, 2004
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Apology
Apology
This just in from sources that will remain anonymous for the time being. Why do I protect the hacker's identity? Good question. The truth is I don't want to perpetuate the discord. In a world of questionable integrity it does no good to add to it by compromising one's own, even if one can find a way to justify one's self in so doing.
James
I asked the individual who hacked your account to send an apology. I didn't want to give out your email, so I asked him to send it to my account so I could forward it on. Please see below... ps He said that he didn't hack your account - he somehow guessed your password based on your posts? In any case, he has promised not to do it again.
From the hacker:
Hello James. I am very sorry for harassing your account. I thought it was a unique journal name. I have nothing against your age. I have read your entries and they are wonderful. If you need help adding them back to your site let me know. Im sure it is fun to have a little excitement anyways. If you would like a gift I can give you one. You have defeated my immaturity, congratulations. I didn't realize I was stressing anyone in the least bit. You can contact me at the email (e-mail snip) I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt anyone. One day I want to be on Xanga Staff to monitor everyone who is bad. I am not a hacker at all. I am just a stupid kid. Please forgive me forever
Takes Care & God Bless
My response to the source who contacted the hacker:
First of all, thank you for tracking it down. Thank you for informing me. Thank you for confronting (name snip). Thank you for asking him for an apology. I appreciate all your efforts.
He guessed my password twice? I'm sorry, (name snip), but that is lame. There's just no way unless the kid is the Amazing Kreskin. He hacked it and he can hack anyone's site he wants to hack anytime he wants to hack it. I doubt others would be as cool, calm and collected about losing four years of pictures, posts and comments. I doubt you would be. As a matter of fact back in the middle of August of last year xanga wrote this:
This is the most concerted and determined of all the attacks we have experienced. Every time we bring the site back up, our attacker will find another avenue to renew their attack. I'm sure whoever is attacking us sees this all as a game, and is having a grand old time. I don't really get that mindset. Also, each and every one of these attacks is a felony charge.
Apparently I'm missing something about the mindset as well. Both yours and his. He says, in effect, "Oops, sorry, I was just having some fun. I didn't know anyone would be bothered." And you say, "he's promised not to do it again."? Clearly I don't have all the facts and/or I live in an alternate universe. I'm not complaining about my alternate universe. I like it better here.
Comments (46)
drawn and quartered i say! okay, that may be a little harsh
this sucks. i don't get the mindset either, is xanga that afraid of this punk?
You hit the nail right on the head there James.
what a crazy little kid!
A few weeks ago, when I got hit by the "I'm gay and I'm letting the whole world know" script that was making the xanga rounds (and before I knew it was a script), I felt so absolutely violated, and frightened. I immediately changed all my other passwords, thinking someone was hacking my xanga account and god knows what else. I thought I'd never be able to get onto my site again, and that messages would be left to others "on my behalf".. I felt so helpless. I can't begin to imagine what you felt (and are still feeling). You are dealing with the whole situation with much more class than I could ever muster up.
I'd move to your alternate universe if I could, but I'm afraid it would be one of those "there goes the neighborhood" situations, lol.
I love watching you get your Zen mojo workin' James--way to stay unattached and above the fray.
Grrr. People are really stupid sometimes.
While most of my posts and comments could go away and I'd be mostly ok, there are a few that would upset me if they disappeared. Have you looked in the trashcan? If he did not dump that your posts might still be there!
Look in the Reviews and Events place...there is a trashcan there which supposedly has to be dumped to totally get rid of anything deleted.
(Ahhhh damn, you took my props comment literally!)
I guess I don't really put forth a concerted effort to guess people's passwords, cuz nothing comes to mind reading your posts.
I guess I'm in that odd group of folks that sees nothing fun in commiting felonies, so the kid's joke is completely lost on me.
-M
My god I hope the Xanga Gods aren't parents too. Is this how they will deal with a spoiled, destructive child who coughs up such an insincere apology? Hacking any blog, for any reason, accidental or on purpose, should be grounds for an account termination from their IP address. Sheesh.
Hey James,
As usual, you handle a situation with remarkable clarity & wit - you keep teaching that there is hope for me yet...
Glad you liked the pictures at the new place, always good to get a comment from you...and hope you read the full story on my "cryptic"post.
Peace..PJ
Um. Can I have the password to your Alternate Universe?
In reality however ... (pun intended) I'm once again amazed and honor your ability to be ... uh ... so ... uh ...
Yeah. James. You're amazing. I'd have blown a gasket and been much less (MUCH LESS) understanding. Or whatever it is that you seem to be. In control? Mature?
'Scuse me - I'm with the Jaded one...I wanna visit that universe, man.
I would have been spitting nails and ripping flesh. I wanna be like you when I grow up.
I'm sorry but dear God in heaven, that is just too much. I try to be a calm and collected person and for the most part I really am but I have to say that none of the above even though it is none of my business is not acceptable. A hacker is a terrorist, whoever it was that did it is not a child but obviously old enough to know better (he is computing right) and no one that I know of in the total computing universe does not know it is illegal and hurtful and manytimes over costly to hack computers, private and otherwise. Twice guessed a password, I don't think so. Xanga heads, I hope you are reading this because what you did is not good enough in my book. If he had hacked your software that runs Xanga, would you still be so sweet about it?
huggs to you James...I wish this never happened...your a dear person and don't deserve for someone to try and ruffle you...you ruffle no one...I am glad your still here 'cause I'd miss you tremendously...Sassy
check it out...you've gone all spring colored on us!
i'd have 10 kinds of fits if people messed with my stuff. it's one thing to give someone permission to go onto your site...it's a whole other issue to be hacked. The 'one day I want to be on xanga staff' line is...well...nevermind. If I can't say anything nice...etc.
i honestly don't believe you can tell anything about the person who did this from their e-mails or posts or account info. it could be a 40 year old housewife who's writing like a little boy, for all we know. as for promising not to do it again, that is ridiculous. if we believe that, we should all just use the same password and make it easier for him or her. people like this rarely stop the behavior. i've met some of them - they're an interesting breed.
james, if you know who this person is, PLEASE tell me you've reported them to xanga and are demanding some sort of action to protect the community. it's the principle of the thing. being calm and collected is one thing, but the whole community should rise up against this type of behavior. not in some sort of idiotic hysteria, but in sensible action...if there is any in this case.
in any event, your response from day one of this episode has given me much to think about.
Xanga knows who it is. They asked him to apologize. The fact the community doesn't care to protect itself is enough for me to let it go. There seem to be a few who care, but it's not going to precipitate action until it happens to enough of them. I have no right to demand anything from anyone so I don't. Their game, their rules.
Interesting coincidence. MY website was unceremoniously messed with as well ...
Recently. And now I'm a wee bit concerned beyond where I was when I visited here a bit ago.
I'm writing the Ya Ya Gods ... my hopes is that this kind of stuff stops happening. Soon.
contrived?
-B
Can't someone murder the little cunt?
I wouldn't mind if someone hacked my site- there's nothing really there, since all the heartwarming wonderful stuff is already tucked away in my mind and heart. But for the folks that have pictures and other wonderful stuff...*sigh* James, you are so right. Especially about the felony thing. If he has this "Please forgive me, I'll nver do it again" attitude ( and he's done it HOW many times?? ) I'd prosecute. It would teach the little villain to take responsibility for his actions, and that Life ISN'T fair. I'm a big believer in Karma, but sometimes, we have to help it along to save the perp., don't you think? *HUGS*, Love & Pax~Z
Hacker...HA!!! He wish!!! Don't flatter the prick! SCRIPT KIDDIES *always* whimper and beg for forgiveness like little bitches when they get caught...as I tell my kids, "Sorry doesn't fix everything."
I understand you're the Zen Master, James, but if you don't press charges this crying little pussy boy won't learn anything...except that he can get away with it if he puts on crocodile tears.
At least things are always interesting.
ROFL.. I love the way you handled this. Very Graceful.
That apology was a real masterpiece. As my father (and my brother who is very much like him in some ways) says, "That guy is a piece of work." He thinks the world belongs to him. Thinks he's telling you just what you want to hear. Such power he must have!
But not in JamesWorld.
Game playing at other people's expense is more than immature, it's mean-spirited. At least the perpetrator was captured and made to apologize, as lame as the apology was. A big heads' up for us all. I archive all my posts, and keep the photos on disks as well. So sorry you had to go through such grief, James. You didn't deserve that. You are a genuine human being.
Ah, the paths we tread on the road to discovering our humanity...
Take care
-J-
Anyway you look at this whole situation it stinks. You have handled it in James style and you are once again proven to be above such things. However, this is a malicious and destructive thing that has been done...Xanga is remiss if it does not try to protect it's members
I am angry if you are not! 
*chuckles*
Steve
I'm a new comer to JamesWorld and pretty much to xanga. So I had no idea what had happened to you or that there were hackers out there doing this. I gotta say you have a better attitude about it then I would. His "just having fun" attitude is truly bull!
Hats off to you for not losing your cool *lady curtsies to noble man*
I do have one question though . . . did xanga ban this guy or what? I suppose it wouldn't be that simple . . . but still did they at least axe this guy's current site?
No, they asked him to apologize and made him promise not to do it again. Third time's the charm.
That sucks. My site seems intact, but I need to download it when I get the new computer.
Fun to have excitement? I'll be the judge of that. I better stop here with it. Burns me up.
I am glad to have you back.
i can' t be quite as... zen... about losing the chance to catch up with you.
it's vicious, i'm feeling moderately vicious about it, and if xanga has security holes that big, they better figure out a way to fix it.....
i'm glad i've hard filed most of my entries.
The oddest thing about this to me is the attitude of the one "in charge." A slap on the hand is not what that individual should have given the attacker/hacker. It sounds like it was his kid brother... and the kid acts like he knows he's untouchable. *sigh*
Needless to say, I'm rethinking renewing my Premium account. Mostly, I'm just glad you're back and the drama (for now) has ended. I still want to know who the hell Clarence is. LOL
One more thing... I noticed the banner up there. You aren't Premium. Isn't that odd... considering your history around here. A high-profile blogger and ex-Premium Lifer, who was upset with the lack of good service you were getting before, who went back to the general run-of-the-mill Xanga site gets hacked, and it's "apologize to the nice man, or else!" I have to wonder if a Premium Xanga member would have been treated more fairly. Even more, I wonder if the Hacker himself is a Premium customer... Also, is he over 13? Xanga's policies used to state that you have to be, even though I know for a fact that they don't enforce that... I'll bet he's 8.
I always wanted to be a Forensics specialist.
I do detest what happened to you. But in a way it is a complement my friend. For you were the "chosen one" to be hacked. Not that I invite that for myself, just that you were chosen for a reason. Your blogs touch people.
And I will say this time that you are wrong about something. You would be missed. If something were to happen to you James you would CERTAINLY be missed.
Love to you and yours from us
Songsmith
someone would be doing this "kid" a favor by prosecuting, and I say that with all sincerity. He will either learn their are serious consequences to his actions (being prosecuted usually sends this message), or continue to find humor in disruptive hacker behavior.
Wow! I am stunned by Xanga's reaction to this. You are a charter member here. He was just playing around? No harm was intended??? Wow!
Am back because I wanted to read all the comments. Not wishing undeserved bad things for anyone but, the thing is, does he get into trouble now before he hacks into something that will cost someone really big bucks and possibly a prison term for having done it. That is what he needs to know faces him if he does something like this to the wrong person or place. Naive, nope.
what the bloody hell? i'm gone for two days to Montreal, come back and see some more insanity has been happening with hackers? i'm going to have to go back and read all your posts now. you lost pictures? oh nooooooooooooo, no photos of Buddy Love????
i'm really upset now. why are people so malicious? why?
what can we do to help stop this sort of thing...will you let me know on my site...Im glad you up and running again...
Ugh and Phooey! I hate when people act like all they do should be OK and they shouldn't have been bothered by anyone calling them on an issue where they were clearly wrong! grrrrrr at this person, who by the way, I feel is NOT really a child.
What options were you given? I mean, did Xanga ask if you'd like to press charges since it is a felony? Should you not be given that option at least? Ohhhhhhh I hate injustice!!!!
No, xanga asked me nothing other than how I got the site back. Injustice is not an exception.
He apparently has no life to call his own.
I would be mighty pissed if it were to happen to me, I'm not implying that you aren't but just stating how I would feel.
Hugs!
wow, I missed all this due to the sasser worm. I tell you what, brudda, I really don't understand the motivation behind ANY of it, if you know what I mean... well, I guess I do, now that I mention it. I understand the motivation, and am glad that's not who I am.
Comments are closed.