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JapanSoc Broken, Will Start From Scratch
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Nick
JapanSoc was plagued by spam. You never saw it, but I got it in my email box and manually deleted it everyday for the last two years and three months. As a result, the database had grown to ugly proportions, filled with the remnants of deleted users, stories, votes, comments, tags, and more. In fact, it was too big for phpMyAdmin’s export feature, so I decided to run a database cleanup module I made ages ago. That module worked, and I was able to backup the database after all the spam had been wiped. Unfortunately, I then realized I couldn’t log in, and I got an email from one of our top users whose account had been deleted! I guess my module was overly keen.
I’m taking this as a signal to scrap everything and start again. Start again fresh with a new CMS, one which I’ve been developing myself, a clean database, and a spam free inbox to wake up to every morning.
To those of you who have given so much to JapanSoc over the last couple of years, I’m really sorry that all your content will be wiped. I could try moving it to the new system, but there are a lot of complications migrating from JapanSoc to Hotaru CMS, specifically with how user accounts are mapped with RPX, the provider that lets you sign in with Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I’m not a big business with a tech support department. I’m just a guy at home in the mountains of Gifu, playing with the internet.
Some of you might be reluctant to sign-up again on the new JapanSoc in case I wipe everything again, and that is totally understandable. I hope, however, that you re-join us anyway!
Notes:
1. I wasn’t planning on setting up Hotaru CMS on JapanSoc.com for another couple of months so the first few weeks will probably be buggy, and will have to be done on a temporary theme until I can get one sorted out for JapanSoc.
2. I apologize to those of you with links in the sponsors bar. I’ll do what I can to get them up again soon.
3. January’s Japan Blog Matsuri prizes are supposed to be determined by the number of socs entries got. I’ll see if I can salvage the soc counts from the database or Google’s cache.
4. A REALLY BIG APOLOGY to those of you who use the Wordpress, Drupal or plain JavaScript JapanSoc It! buttons in your blog posts. They will break the moment I take down the files.
In the meantime, you can catch up on all the latest from the Japan blogosphere at Blog Link Japan.
Get Soc'ing at JapanSoc.com - #1 for Japan blogs, news and people!
Comments
Comments are closed.
ジェイソン (Jason) 9:49 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Ouch! I’m sorry to hear that JapanSoc has been hit so hard. Is there anything I can do to help out, or is it a lost cause? Is this a regular problem for people that run the same platform JapanSoc ran on? If so, then you could see a lot of people migrate to HotaruCMS in the near future.
I hope this doesn’t get in the way of future delevelopment. 1.0.4 has been pretty solid for me on the dev server, so I hope there are no problems when you go live.
Nick 10:01 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Hey Jason, the spam has been the driving motivator in building Hotaru CMS. Pligg and its fork SWCMS are a haven for spammers and really ill-equipped to deal with them (Wordpress users, you don’t know what spam is until you run a social bookmarking site!). Pligg looks like a big, successful CMS, but the reality is that very, very few sites built on Pligg last beyond a month.
If anything, this will accelerate work on Hotaru.
locohama 10:03 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Yeah, I’m sorry to hear about your troubles as well. Good luck with the new CMS (whatever that means, I’m sure it’s something important). Looking forward to seeing it!
Loco
James 10:14 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Really sorry to hear about the spam troubles, I will be signing up again for sure! Just wish I was tech savvy enough to offer help!
Muza-chan 10:19 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
I’m sorry to hear that.
JapanSoc has been a big help to me and I would like to return the favor, so please let me know if I can be of help…
Alex 10:39 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
JapanSoc, spam plagued. A site barely alive. Gentlemen (and Gentleladies), we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s best Japanese social website. JapanSoc will be that site. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster.
Chris (i-cjw.com) 11:14 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Very punk-rock, I love it. You should do this every few months, just to keep us on our toes. “Burn the bridge. Nuke the foundation. Back yourself up against a wall.” as Mark Twight said (http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=15). We’re all Jonokuchi now!
Nick 11:21 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
I grabbed a screenshot of the Top Users from Google’s cache. Might frame it and sell you all a copy for a buck fifty. Prove to your grand kids that you really were a Yokozuna!
Mike 11:38 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Sorry to hear that Nick! I know you’ve done your darndest to keep Japansoc running despite the spam, and it’s sad to see it go, but I know it’ll be back and better than ever soon!
Ken Y-N 11:54 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Aahhh, bugger.
At least I made it to Yokozuna, but I was only 10 points behind overhauling James…
billywest 11:56 pm on January 25, 2010 | #
Holy shit!
Seems like you’re pretty cool about, though, so it seems like you’ll be back in business soon.
And, I’ll say it for you, Nick:
Any fair-weather friends who turn their backs on JapanSoc and don’t sign up again, may you die horrible, nasty deaths!
freedomwv 1:20 am on January 26, 2010 | #
This is a sad situation for sure. Japansoc means so much to many people. It has connected the J-web in ways other sites have never done before. Those who have chosen to spam Japansoc to this point deserve to respect what so ever. They are not friends of the community.
I believe there are many people with the time and know how to help Nick out. Everything does not have to be lost. If there is a back-up of the old Japansoc then someone can help to restore at least some of the data. If I was smart enough I would lend a hand in helping to restore the old Japansoc. Sadly, I do not have that kind of knowledge. I urge those with the ability to help restore the old Japansoc to help Nick.
When the site is back up and running at full speed I will sign up again for sure. Good luck Nick!
Freedomwv(top Japansoc user)
supreme nothing 1:39 am on January 26, 2010 | #
Hey, if it helps Nick, my Matsuri entry clearly had about 2230 socs, so we can all safely assume that I like, totally won the whole thing. No really, I saw it on the screen.
But seriously, don’t sweat it sir. Put it back up whenever it’s ready. If anything, we can view it as an opportunity instead of a loss. I look forward to jumping back in once JSoc is back in action.
See ya’ll real soon!
Jamaipanese 1:53 am on January 26, 2010 | #
looking forward to the rebirth and spam free growth of Japansoc! Good luck Nick-sama!
Tori (the chemist) 5:54 am on January 26, 2010 | #
OH NO!!!!!
That is awful! I can’t believe everything is just gone.
I had an old installation of the Pligg CMS on one of my webhosting accounts. I had forgotten that it was even there until the hosting account was suspended in mid-December for exceeding bandwidth. In January I went in and found it full of dodgy spam accounts and spam stories. Since I wasn’t actually using it I just removed the files and dropped the database.
I guess spammers are hitting pligg sites hard.
Nick,
Isn’t it possible to at least salvage the old submissions as an archive? But I bet that would be a lot of work too.
By “salvage as an archive” I mean having the old submissions displayed but disabling logins, new submissions, comments, etc.
A JapanSoc 1.0 archive.
I know that in wordpress it is possible to turn off commenting. I wonder if it is possible with pligg / SWCMS. I can’t remember off-hand if there was any setting for that, but there must be.
Not allowing any login, new sign-up, submissions, or commenting would eliminate spam. And it would eliminate the need to migrate or integrate the old archive with the new Hotaru CMS – based site.
So the old SWCMS would just sit there un-editable. People would re-register on the new Hotaru site. And the Hotaru site would have a link to “archives” (the old SWCMS).
Would that be a possibility?
[blockquote]Unfortunately, I then realized I couldn’t log in, and I got an email from one of our top users whose account had been deleted![/blockquote]
Do you mean you cannot login to the admin panel? Even then, if you setup a fresh installation of SWCMS and imported the data from the database backup you have…
seems to me like an archive might be possible. (granted, with the loss of accounts, it would be an incomplete one).
Whatever happens the J-web needs JapanSoc.
Shane 6:06 am on January 26, 2010 | #
Sorry to hear about this but happy to see that you haven’t thrown in the towel and are going to keep plugging along with the new CMS.
If there is anything that I can do to assist please let me know. I have the time right now
-Paul 6:10 am on January 26, 2010 | #
We’ll all be back. Good luck and take your time.
Gotanda 8:49 am on January 26, 2010 | #
Any chance of leaving all the stuff there as a static site? Lots of good linkage and some interesting conversations. Just shut off all the inputs of stories, links, comments, etc? No input, no spam. Right?
Sanjo-chan 8:54 am on January 26, 2010 | #
It’s so saddening to hear about this. I can’t wait to see the new JapanSoc. You can do it, Nick!
Nick 12:36 pm on January 26, 2010 | #
Wow, I’m quite overwhelmed by all the responses here! Thanks everyone. As I type this I’m downloading the last backup made by the brilliant support staff at Liquid Web. It *should* be a backup of the site from the day before I screwed up. If so, that gives me some options, but I won’t dwell on them until I know this is the right backup. More updates later…
Kevin 1:29 pm on January 26, 2010 | #
I’ve really enjoyed the site and appreciate all the work you’ve put into it. Sorry about the spam problems.
I look forward to you getting it back up and running – will definitely be sure to sign in again.
Best of luck!!
Kristy 1:38 pm on January 26, 2010 | #
Awww…a dreadful thing to happen. But no worries, I will still be looking forward to the new Japan Soc! As I enjoyed reading everyone’s entries here. For the meantime, ganbatte Nick!! (can’t help in anyway cause I sux at computer stuffs. Haha I’ll be giving my moral support to everyone. LOL )
Honor 2:18 pm on January 26, 2010 | #
I’ve been absent for a while simply due to a lack of organization/co-ordination and what have you on my own part. Personally I’m going to see this as a fresh start for me too Nick. A big big thanks for building JapanSoc in the first place… and for taking the challenge of building it a second time
Brett 2:53 pm on January 26, 2010 | #
Good on you Nick. I’m sure JapanSoc will be back better than ever. I will be when you get things sorted.
Amy 8:56 pm on January 26, 2010 | #
Thanks for all of your hard work, Nick! Looking forward to the resurrection.
Nick 12:42 am on January 27, 2010 | #
Quick update: As I mentioned above, I was able to recover the database from the day before I screwed it up. I then managed to get it set up offline, fixed the “Database Clean Up” module that caused the problem in the first place, ran that, and then imported all the users, stories, tags, votes and comments into Hotaru CMS. Now I just need to upload everything and we should be up and running again with only one day’s worth of content missing.
I’ll blog more about this soon.
freedomwv 1:20 am on January 27, 2010 | #
Way to go Nick! You are burning the midnight oil for all of us. Thank you for all of your hard work pal!
TheTokyoOtaku 1:55 am on January 27, 2010 | #
Looking forward to seeing the new CMS in action. Sorry about all the spam issues, I’ve also had issues with spammers in the past, though those were on some web forums I ran. JapanSoc is awesome and I’m glad I ran into it, it is my source for all thinks Japan and the community here is awesome. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a flying leap forward, I’m sure this will be one of those times..
JonH 11:40 am on January 27, 2010 | #
If you’ve kept track with what Nick has done with HotaruCMS you’ll know that JapanSoc has nothing to worry about, it will be even better than before!
Spammers will be scratching their heads wondering why they can’t even register lol.
Jason Hill 2:39 pm on January 27, 2010 | #
I just got started here, so I’ll be joining again for sure. If there is anyways I can help, please let me know. Stupid spammers!
ジェイソン in 東北
The Envoy 9:05 pm on January 27, 2010 | #
Oh, well, everything is transient….
JapanSoc Restarted – Help & Feedback Thread « Blog « JapanSoc.com 8:49 pm on January 28, 2010 | #
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Michael 9:52 am on January 29, 2010 | #
I’m very sorry for your problems, Nick. I’d be glad to lend a hand in the fight against spam. I’ve recently devised this, for instance: a routine that prevents automated spam while allowing comments without a captcha or login required. I have included the code & schema’s table definition.
http://emuu.net/?0174
I’ve also written my own CMS and am a former database admin. If you’d like to sort through some issues/ideas drop me a note.
Nick 10:56 am on January 29, 2010 | #
Hi Michael, looks like a great script you’ve put together there. Unfortunately, it was manually submitted spam that was causing the trouble. When they are being paid to get batches of backlinks for clients, these SEO guys have no problems registering, filling in a captcha and confirming their email address.
I reopened JapanSoc yesterday on Hotaru CMS. Here are the anti-spam features I’ve put in it. Would love a guy with your technical ability to join us. Maybe whip up a plugin for your anti-spam routine? We’re mostly Japan-based so you’d fit right in.