Man, I can see why hackers would attack major corporations and stuff, but it looks like one of them decided to pick on a small independent craftman. I went to www.concertina.ca and found the front page has been replaced by a hacker. That really steams me.

I've tried, since reading the first post in this thread, to check the www.concertina.ca site without success. Looks like the site is down - anyone have any other news?

It's only the home-page. The rest works:
links
ordering
music
FAQ
testimonials
construction

Which is great for us that know the rest is there, but not for someone who might be looking here or somewhere else where there is only a reference to the home page. You never know, it could cost Frank a sale because someone can't get to the homepage.

I agree with you Bill I just cannot understand anyone gaining from this scheme.Some sick person thinking this is amusing,having what they think is a bit of fun at Frank`s expence.
Hackers and writers of computer viruses do not realise the harm they are doing to the normal hard working man.
It cannot however harm the good name Frank has in the Concertina world.
Al

You know the part that gets me is the attack on a small business. I am not saying attacking MicroSoft of GM or a similar company is right, but they literally have departments responsible for maintaining their web pages and the damage done to them is usually minimal with the impacted site usually back up in hours if not sooner. A small company could be down for days because of this pernicious activity. Also I can't see how a small business, particularly something dealing in something as innocuous as hand crafted musical instruments would attract the malice of the hacker. Maybe the Button Box is feeling threatened by Frank Edgley's concertinas? (Just kidding, I know that any rivalries that might exist in the small world of concertina makers are strictly friendly ones and each maker and seller wishes nothing but the best for their "competitors".)

I hope this doesn't impact his email... I sent Frank one the other day asking for info about the instruments.

--
Bill

On the contrary, most of them do realize, and that's why they do it.
They get their gratification by causing trouble.
It gives them a sense of power, and who they use their power against doesn't much matter.

In a sense, they're the playground bullies of the internet.
Some of them have even "grown up" into random snipers.

Concertina.info was cracked once (personal hangup: I prefer the use of the word cracker for these prats, in memory of the time when hacker was an honourable title). Most of the sites on one particular host machine for the ISP had been similarly cracked. The cracker was exploiting a vulnerability in the server and clearly didn't care about the sites he/she damaged provided as many as possible were so damaged.

The ISP restored the machine from backup pretty quickly, (though I got my site back to normal quicker!) and fixed the vulnerability, and I would hope Frank's ISP will do similar.

Does anybody know if Frank has been notified?

Chris

Frank may be out of town and not able to deal with this issue remotely. I seem to remember him mentioning to someone recently that he would be gone for a few weeks.

Any concertina hacks (er hackers ) can break in and fix his site? ... just kidding

Thanks to Bill I found out about it tonight. I had my daughter, the computer programmer, put it back up. (I am out of my depth on this.)However, it must be an older version as some of the newer pictures are missing. I'll get the newre version up as soon as I can. Thanks for everyone's concern! (You know, I think these people , the hackers I mean, need a really good thrashing!!!)

Excellent that you're site is back. I agree with the sentiment, although as I say above, I am saddened to see the word "hacker" brought so low. These rats are crackers, good people, and many have little facility or knowledge of the real workings of computers, just an ability to use the tools that other more skilled crackers have made for them.

For some insight into the world view of the true hacker, and why he would never try to crack someone else's computer, look at the Jargon File. See particularly chapter 9, "Crackers, Phreaks, and Lamers". It's a very good read. In its pages you might even learn why so many hackers (in the true sense) also play concertina.

Chris