Did Laura hack Blogrolling.com?

November 17, 2003 7:51 AM

Blogrolls around the globe now all point to Laura's blog. Laura doesn't sound like your stereotypical evil hacker to me, but something sure went wrong at Blogrolling.com. Anyone know what? Laura's blog seems to have gone down what with all the hits it must be getting, but you can still read Google's cache of it.
posted by jill (31 comments total)

I hate it when I don't understand an FPP.
posted by Outlawyr at 8:06 AM on November 17, 2003

Perhaps someone can point out what is the pointing is about.
posted by ginz at 8:12 AM on November 17, 2003

Blogrolling.com is an online service that allows users to maintain their list of favorite links (which is popular with many bloggers) online. Somehow, apparently, the service's database got corrupted and this one entry appears on all blogrolling's users' lists. Which is bad.
posted by jpoulos at 8:12 AM on November 17, 2003

Umm, ok.
Wow?
posted by signal at 8:13 AM on November 17, 2003

The question is to the poster, though, how do you know this is happening--none of your links explain it.
posted by jpoulos at 8:14 AM on November 17, 2003

The net effect is like a blogroll-distributed DDoS attack. (Or in this case, BRDoS, eh?)
posted by brownpau at 8:14 AM on November 17, 2003

I understand it.
Wish I didn't.

Basically, if you've a blog, you can keep your links to other blogs at blogrolling.com. Using a small chunk o' Javascript, those links can be displayed on your site and can be edited at anytime. Many of blogrolling's users -- like me -- found our lists replaced with multiple links to the blog of a seemingly nice person named Laura.

And there you have it.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:14 AM on November 17, 2003

So I would need another blogroller's blog to see it?
posted by ginz at 8:15 AM on November 17, 2003

Doesn't seem to be true anymore. In fact, the Blogrolling database seems to be thoroughly hosed. Their "top" link, boingboing, has (as of 30 seconds ago) only two linkers.
posted by SealWyf at 8:15 AM on November 17, 2003

It's annoying, thats for sure. Has BR released a statement? Specifically, are the normal link lists going to return, or will users have to rebuild them manually?

I concur with the author that reading this Laura's site makes me think it's exceedingly unlikely that it's intentional some act of hers.
posted by BigPicnic at 8:15 AM on November 17, 2003

I just deleted my blogroll and started over.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:20 AM on November 17, 2003

My theory:

Courting in the Internet Age

"Morgan Web will you marry me?"
posted by KnitWit at 8:28 AM on November 17, 2003

The general ennui that prevades her site makes me feel sorry for her, and I hope all this attention doesn't prove diasterous.
posted by BigPicnic at 8:30 AM on November 17, 2003

It seems to be fixed now where I encountered it, at J.D. Lasica's New Media Musings.
posted by pmurray63 at 8:34 AM on November 17, 2003

fixed
posted by KnitWit at 8:38 AM on November 17, 2003

Think of Laura. But laugh, don't cry. I know she'd want it that way.
posted by staggernation at 8:40 AM on November 17, 2003

This note from Jason is on Blogrolling.com...

"Monday, November 17, 2003

Blogrolling has been the victim off a malicious hack in the past 9 hours. The blogroll links have been restored from an offsite backup from Saturday. I'm tracing the cause off this now and the site may go offline at some point today while I make changes and collect evidence. All new links since Saturday afternoon have unfortunately been lost due to this. I'll post more here as I know it."
posted by dewelch at 8:40 AM on November 17, 2003

Well played, staggernation.... well played.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:46 AM on November 17, 2003

The original blog is back up. Sounds like people aren't being very nice.
posted by Mbarron2896 at 8:51 AM on November 17, 2003

I've never seen the point in sites like Blogroll. Just spend 0.3 seconds learning how to make links in HTML, and keep it updated yourself, on your own page.
posted by Orange Goblin at 9:05 AM on November 17, 2003

People have underestimated Laura's power for too long. Now they will pay.. THEY WILL ALL PAY!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Revolution Laura.. NOW!
posted by tittergrrl at 9:07 AM on November 17, 2003

Now that I understand it , I'm more confused than ever. Thank you jpoulas.
posted by Outlawyr at 9:13 AM on November 17, 2003

I've never seen the point in sites like Blogroll.

OG, it may seem like blogrolling is as simple as a list of links, but the one cool thing the service does it tie into various update services like weblogs.com, so you can get your list sorted by last updated (so you can just keep reloading your own page and reading the top 2 or 3 links to see new posts from your friends). Also, they've got xml importing and exporting which allows you to say, copy your blogroll into an RSS reader easily.
posted by mathowie at 9:27 AM on November 17, 2003

Not to self-link, but the person responsible is someone I know and she has commented about the whole incindent to my post on my own blog
posted by briank at 9:39 AM on November 17, 2003

Just FYI briank -- self-links are allowed in the comments of a MeFi thread, if it's relevent and furthers the discussion. It's in the MeFi posting guidlines ("note").
posted by jennak at 10:34 AM on November 17, 2003

The encrypted post was easier to understand than this was.
posted by tiamat at 10:49 AM on November 17, 2003

jennak -- yes, I know, thanks, I was just being polite about it.
posted by briank at 10:52 AM on November 17, 2003

I don't know how to be popular. I don't think I can keep everyone entertained. You know what? I'm not going to try..... L.

Hey, the laissez-faire popularity system seems to work.
posted by orange swan at 10:54 AM on November 17, 2003

A similar thing is happening to my site. I note new URLs in my referer logs and check 'em out for reciprocal links. Well, what they're linking is mysitename.com:2082 (trying not to self link) which opens up my config panel of all things, without requiring a username or password. These blogs that that addy is popping up on are all hosted on the same server are strangely void of any pertinent info, especially contact info. I'm thinking it's some kind of data/IP mining for comment spam, but I've no idea.
posted by moonbird at 1:41 PM on November 17, 2003

i love it when i actually understand a FPP
posted by prescribed life at 6:51 PM on November 17, 2003

A similar thing is happening to my site. I note new URLs in my referer logs and check 'em out for reciprocal links. Well, what they're linking is mysitename.com:2082 (trying not to self link)

I noticed that in my logs today too, is there any way to stop it/protect the config panel?
posted by drezdn at 8:58 PM on November 17, 2003