E-sangha news

[christopher:::]

Meaning we'd probably all have to re-register, and we would no posts associated with our names. And there are a great deal of moderators with different permissions to different parts of the forum. And people might not register with the same names as before, so if there was a restore, it'd be hard to know who was who. There's also the banned users and IPs. Gives me a headache to think about it!

-M

It's only a headache if one feels compelled to recreate the past, perfectly...

[tiltbillings]

Meaning we'd probably all have to re-register, and we would no posts associated with our names. And there are a great deal of moderators with different permissions to different parts of the forum. And people might not register with the same names as before, so if there was a restore, it'd be hard to know who was who. There's also the banned users and IPs. Gives me a headache to think about it!

-M

It's only a headache if one feels compelled to recreate the past, perfectly...

It is silly not to restart the forum, if needs be from scratch. A new beginning and maybe a chance to undo some of the very serious mistakes of the past.

[Paññāsikhara]

From what I've heard, the membership database is still fine and intact.
It was only the posts database that has the problem.

Maybe I'll try to get in contact with Leo today, and Todd too, and see what's up.

[Karunika]

They are still working on the problem, which also involves the web host.

[Su Dongpo]

Hello David,

Recently I found that I was unable to log into BuddhistCommunity using FireFox because of the warning that you describe. I am now successfully logging in using Internet Explorer with no signs of malware... yet.

I just alerted my buddy Goat to a related concern, so this is a general announcement for anyone else attempting to use the Buddhist-Community site. It has almost certainly been hacked, perhaps by the same person(s) who've messed up e-sangha, or perhaps through a malware spread from e-sangha to B-C. Either way, if you get the warning I just got while using FireFox to check in on Buddhist-Community -- the same, or similar, to that quoted above warning of malicious downloads, etc. -- I highly recommend you do NOT attempt to gain entry to the site with IE. IE is notorious for its vulnerability to malware. Remember, most hackers are aiming at Microsoft products, or at least that is the word I have gotten from my techie friends. If you think you MUST visit a site you know has problems, a Linux OS is probably the safest route.

I am not saying you will automatically foul up your OS if you visit Buddhist-Community, but until the kinks get worked out and security is restored, I believe it is better to stay away and not to try to circumvent security warnings with alternate browsers. If you do, you're asking for trouble, and we all know what happens when you go asking for trouble....

Stay safe and be well.
heybai

And now for the real reason I came here:

cheerios --

[tiltbillings]

They should simply cut their losses and start from scratch or just scratch e-sangha off. We can then hold a memorial service.

[Su Dongpo]

They should simply cut their losses and start from scratch or just scratch e-sangha off. We can then hold a memorial service.

I don't know any more about the problem than I've read in this thread, but I don't see why e-sangha should be abandoned permanently. Perhaps the database of old postings will have to go, but I bet many of the best materials can be re-posted.

[christopher:::]

From what I've heard, the membership database is still fine and intact.
It was only the posts database that has the problem.

If this is indeed true, they'd be able to Re-create the Cup, without the Tea... A much respected approach in the Zen Buddhist tradition...

A Cup of Tea

[tiltbillings]

A much respected approach in the Zen Buddhist tradition...

Some of us might see a touch of ironical humor in that.

[pink_trike]

They should simply cut their losses and start from scratch or just scratch e-sangha off. We can then hold a memorial service.

I don't know any more about the problem than I've read in this thread, but I don't see why e-sangha should be abandoned permanently.

Setting aside the question of motives for creating such an environment, I think the whole premise of a massive "Buddhism Central" talk-atorium covering nearly all traditions with 20 thousand members needs to be carefully rethought, setting aside any knee-jerk tendencies toward "Buddhism is good in any form" and looking at the potential negative effects such a massive electronic talk-atorium may have had on the viewing public and on the body of knowledge known as "Buddhism". We don't even fully comprehend the negative effects of television on the human mind and society after 70 years in existence. What might be the toll of such a large scale electronic fora on a body of thought and knowledge and on the thousands of average under-informed viewers who are being introduced to Buddhism in this wild west environment?

Setting aside this concern, if there is to be a "Buddhism Central" then at the very least the Buddhist community would be better served if the forum had a board of directors made up of ordained teachers from every tradition because what fool would believe that a forum with such traffic could be ruled like a fiefdom?

[retrofuturist]

Please keep posts related to E-Sangha and their technical issues only. Off topic posts may be removed.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Metta,
Retro.

[christopher:::]

A much respected approach in the Zen Buddhist tradition...

Some of us might see a touch of ironical humor in that.

:focus:

Please keep posts related to E-Sangha and their technical issues only. Off topic posts may be removed.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Metta,
Retro.

sorry!

[Dhammanucara]

So is now Esangha accessible? Because right now, I still cant access it.

Metta,
Dhammanucara

[Ben]

Hi Dhammanucara,
You've answered your own question.
kind regards

Ben

[Laurens]

I don't think I'll be using e-sangha again, even if it does get up and running. Its probably not the topic to say exactly why. I feel that this is a much better forum though, I like it here

[catmoon]

It looks like the problems are spreading. Now Buddha Forum is suffering slow response, failed page accesses and various other glitches. Hey, let's start a conspiracy theory! It's the Chinese government hackers at work...

Then again, it could be true that Buddhists just are not good at net security for some reason...

[James the Giant]

Then again, it could be true that Buddhists just are not good at net security for some reason...

Fortunately I understand Retro here at DhammaWheel is a Certified Buddhist Geek, so we should be okay.

[Paññāsikhara]

It looks like the problems are spreading. Now Buddha Forum is suffering slow response, failed page accesses and various other glitches. Hey, let's start a conspiracy theory! It's the Chinese government hackers at work...

Then again, it could be true that Buddhists just are not good at net security for some reason...

Catmoon, I know you are joking about the conspiracy theory thing, but I think that off the cuff comments without any evidence like that are not so skillful. Particularly when directed at such a sweeping range of people, which easily looks like China-bashing. In fact, such comments may just be the sort of thing that attracts such people to hack. And then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[LauraJ]

It looks like the problems are spreading. Now Buddha Forum is suffering slow response, failed page accesses and various other glitches. Hey, let's start a conspiracy theory! It's the Chinese government hackers at work...

Then again, it could be true that Buddhists just are not good at net security for some reason...

Catmoon, I know you are joking about the conspiracy theory thing, but I think that off the cuff comments without any evidence like that are not so skillful. Particularly when directed at such a sweeping range of people, which easily looks like China-bashing. In fact, such comments may just be the sort of thing that attracts such people to hack. And then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I had the same thought until I realized catmoon's talking about the PRC.

[poto]

It looks like the problems are spreading. Now Buddha Forum is suffering slow response, failed page accesses and various other glitches. Hey, let's start a conspiracy theory! It's the Chinese government hackers at work...

Then again, it could be true that Buddhists just are not good at net security for some reason...

Catmoon, I know you are joking about the conspiracy theory thing, but I think that off the cuff comments without any evidence like that are not so skillful. Particularly when directed at such a sweeping range of people, which easily looks like China-bashing. In fact, such comments may just be the sort of thing that attracts such people to hack. And then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Chinese government does employ an army of hackers and has vast botnets at their disposal. Although, I don't think there's any evidence to say Chinese hackers are behind E-Sangha's problems specifically, it's not inaccurate to say China employs hackers. I've had to filter traffic from China on some of my websites because of the problems they cause.