Since when did posting on here form some sort of contract to be a pirate and think like the pirates do?   I guess that makes Johan a hypocrite since he posts here and one assumes he cosies up to himself as well as Thomas.   Or is it ok as long as his post count remains under 800?   Lol have you even *read* any of my 800 posts?  Have I ever sounded like an anti-paysite militant?

I happen to find Johan a very likeable and intelligent man and always enjoy chatting to him.  So now you know

Dear minionsRmine, your world is so black and white that if you have one disappointment with a company you think everyone in it is evil and everything that company does is evil?  Do get a perspective.  Point to anywhere where I have said TSR are entirely evil and that I therefore would not be up for a cosy chat with Johan?   The chat snippets recently posted were in a room whose logs are published for anyone to read, just like this forum.   You can see that what I said in that room is pretty much exactly the same as I have said in here and vice versa.

I've actually been done twice - one DOS and one database assault, but I have reason to believe it was much more in line with what I have suggested in these recent threads (ie related to a local personal issue) than anything to do with either random hacks or a corporate action.  Notice I didn't make any huge public outcry as I was aware the entire issue began and ended locally and was not a matter of public interest.  I could have easily taken the opportunity to implicate someone high profile and unpopular.

Time will tell

I am only talking about this particular outbreak, all of whom are connected to witchboy as in they are all friends or ex-friends of each other.  I have my reservations, but none of them are triggering my TSRdar.

All these attacks have been restorable, and restored, to pre-hack status in under an hour of happening.  A really clever hacker who was a true enemy of the site would have caused more damage.   These are token hacks (some of them possibly self-inflicted or invented) in order to create suspicion around TSR.    This will ultimately be counter productive.

No, I am going one further now and wondering if Witchboy and co are actually doing it.

The only thing all these hacks have in common is that they are noticed first and reported by Witchboy.   The one person you can always rely on to be first at the scene of a fire.

It still leaves the impression of rather distasteful pro-active snooping, if FAs are having to download sample items from websites, open them in some tool, and examine their watermarks.  Like, is it really necessary?   I'm sitting here with an expression on my face like a cat who has just smelt a funny smell.  You know the one.

I mean, do these FAs not have something more fun and interesting to do than volunteer for this activity?   I did precis the chat extract as posted above, but one of the surrounding remarks gave me the impression it was not necessarily Thomas's idea in the first place.  Immediately after that first line above, the following was said:
[17:20] <Inge> You been sending out emails on behalf of TSR?
[17:20] <Murano> On behalf of the FA Panel, asking Thomas first

A few lines later I said
[17:23] <Inge> I will gather a few creators who have used s3oc and get them to send emails to people who shared stuff made with it
(which illustrates how bizarre I was finding the idea)

Does joining TSR turn creators like this?  I knew Murano (slightly) before, and I am sure he wasn't like this!

It just *feels* odd.  It's not their natural role.   And it stirs up memories of FAs being given the email addresses of members even if no such thing happened this time.   It just seems like poor PR all things considered.   I mean if Thomas needed help, he could have asked the FA team to discretely look for breaches in crediting, and collect email addresses from the relevant websites, and then he could have sent a mailshot in his name to all the addresses on the list.   So although nothing morally wrong may have taken place on this occasion, it is another example of where a slightly more sensitive decision could have been taken, based on understanding psychology.

That was today.  Those are GMT times.   I pretty much came straight here as I was so shocked by the idea they may be still committing the same error of judgement re FAs as already got them into so much hot water.   Apparently you have to put in your email address in order to register TSR Workshop, so it may not be from the userdata on TSR's members, but it's still stuff I had assumed would go only to admins, not to the FAs they have made clear are not vetted.

Even if it is as Murano says, and they only contacted people who publish their emails, it still seems a bit distasteful to send creators after one another when it's not even really their business to police Workshop use.  It can't help community relationships at all.

I am now convinced these hackings have a different motive from the one claimed.  One a lot closer to the site owners than TSR.

I am now wondering whether there has been a further release to FAs of people's email details - TSR Workshop users this time.

To precis:

[17:19] <Murano> Inge, I want to get some things straight with you. I'm going to start first with those emails we (FA Panel = Thomas, CSue, Anoeska and me) are sending out to external sites. We simply ask in a friendly manner for a credit and link back to the tool they can use free of charge. I don't see what's wrong with this.
[17:30] <Inge> See this is another example of TSR using their FAs as if they were admins
[17:31] <Inge> Don't you see, this means another lot of people have JUST HAD THEIR CONTACT DETAILS REVEALED TO CREATORS
[17:34] <Murano> ?? Usually sites have their contact details somewhere
[17:34] <Inge> well did all your emails go to creators who had their email details on their sites?
[17:35] <Murano> Sure, how would we relate a user with a site anyway?
[17:35] <Murano> Those with no contact details we didn't do anything about it

Ok so it's up to the reader what to make of this.  But it makes me wonder.   And in any case what business is it of FAs to worry about the EULA of a tool they don't own?

Guys and gals, don't give your site contributors admin rights on your site.  A small private site only needs one admin to keep it going.  Everyone else should only have the powers they absolutely need to carry out their legitimate activities.  Usually "post" and "post attachments" lol.  You don't even need to allow them privs to delete their own attachments.

If they have ftp access you can have them upload to a holding area, and you move the stuff from there yourself to folders they cannot access.

Admin access is not something you should grant just to demonstrate friendship.  Ex-friends make the very worst of enemies.

There's a queue.   But come armed with a pin, to disarm your encumbant rival.