We are Back!

[Gary]

11-30 latest update Here.
We're back after several hours of downtime after the site was suspended for "excessive use of server resources". I've temporarily disabled several add on features including the Photo Gallery and the Ad Board while I trouble shoot to try and identify where the problem lies. We were flagged for using over 50% of the database capacity for the shared server. Not sure if this was caused by a program run a muck or a result of the recent hacking of the server.

[wrench459]

Your the man Gary!
Thanks again for all your hard work in keeping this site up and running.
mumm what does Gary want for Christmas?

[heimue]

We all know who's fault it is!

[baz]

i did say sorry

[Gary]

Well that was interesting. It's been a busy couple of evenings.

I've temporarily disabled several features to make sure there are no further problems. I ran repair & optimize programs on the entire database and ran several maintenance programs for the forum. I will be contacting the host's admin tomorrow to see if the fixes worked and discuss options. I did notice that the server we are on was runnning at 98% capacity when we were off line....

More tomorrow.

[jeff denton]

I have been absolutely worried sick. That I caused all this. I had tried to upload a photo and may have pushed a wrong button. Once when I did that every PC in this hemisphere and several in the next crashed. I won't do it again, I promise.
I envy computer-skilled people. How do you do it?

[ungermm]

I think the site was down for a good day and a half. I was getting a message when trying to access OpelGT.com that the site was suspended per hr.92. I did a google search and found that it corresponded to the server hostrocket. I found that OpelGT.com was listed on hostrocket as being previously hacked. There were a lot of customer complaints about web site down time and lack of response. I just figured we got hacked again. I also found a site that listed many hackers and a count of how many websites they have hacked, defaced, etc. Good to see OpelGT.com alive again. Jerry

[namba209]

Originally Posted by Gary I did notice that the server we are on was running at 98% capacity when we were off line.... More tomorrow.

And I thought it was because I had posted sooooooo many times. Glad that wasn't the problem. But that kinda sorta begs the question, do we need a dedicated high capacity/volume server?

[soybean]

I wonder if it's like now, 6:29 Am EST. We have 15 members and 178 "Guests" Could that be overloading the server? And the "Guests" not actually be that.
Quote "The server we are on was runnning at 98% capacity when we were off line", That sounds kind of suspicious, like we are hacked somewhere. Just a thought. We seem to have a lot of "Yahoo! Slurp Spiders" running around.
Jarrell

[cherokee]

I would bet it was a hacker, working in the IT field and in public safety makes my stuff a target....I feel your pain.

[Tru-Craft]

I'm just glad your back on line!
This site can be addicting............in a good way.
Gary, thanks for your hard work.
Lyle

[MICAH1]

Yes, "We are back"............ and I for one again have my center of the universe to focus on. Guess the saying in so correct about not missing your water until the well runs dry.

You folks ever think about this...... We no longer have OPELGT.COM, no central point to sit down in front of the computer and connect to a pastime that we all enjoy.
One central point to plan regional, local, and national gatherings to exchange information, designs, and concepts.
One central point (your opel) that you can always go to, to tinker with, talk to, or just sit inside when other things get just a bit to stressful or to far on the rim.

Anyway, Gary, what can I say ............ YOU DA MANNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!

There will be a little something, something in the OpelGT.Com Christmas stocking ... AND I WOULD EXPECT OTHER FOLKS TO SHOW THE LOVE ALSO!!!!!!

[jvandyke]

Originally Posted by cherokee I would bet it was a hacker, working in the IT field and in public safety makes my stuff a target....I feel your pain.

Not that anyone cares but a "hacker" is anyone proficient in computery things, not necessarily a bad guy. Some old school geeks still get offended when people use "hacker" in a negative sense. Not that I care.

[Tru-Craft]

Originally Posted by MICAH1 Yes, "We are back"............ and I for one again have my center of the universe to focus on. Guess the saying in so correct about not missing your water until the well runs dry. You folks ever think about this...... We no longer have OPELGT.COM, no central point to sit down in front of the computer and connect to a pastime that we all enjoy. One central point to plan regional, local, and national gatherings to exchange information, designs, and concepts. One central point (your opel) that you can always go to, to tinker with, talk to, or just sit inside when other things get just a bit to stressful or to far on the rim. Anyway, Gary, what can I say ............ YOU DA MANNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!! There will be a little something, something in the OpelGT.Com Christmas stocking ... AND I WOULD EXPECT OTHER FOLKS TO SHOW THE LOVE ALSO!!!!!!

I agree with that!!!!!

[cherokee]

Originally Posted by jvandyke Not that anyone cares but a "hacker" is anyone proficient in computery things, not necessarily a bad guy. Some old school geeks still get offended when people use "hacker" in a negative sense. Not that I care.

Sorry if I offended anyone, but having started working on this stuff in 1982 I think I would qualify as an "old school geek"

Sorry again if I offended. But I think I might be offended if somone called me old....does not matter that I am

[wrench459]

This is interesting

[GoinManta]

Hackers have gotten sick... I have been fighting them for about a month and a half. I had to leave ebay and create my own website for my www.ez2wire.net web address... that killed as much business and traffic as the hackers.

They didnt get away with any money, but I now a $6000 !! in ebay fee that ebay doesnt wnat to credit (It was $13000 !!) So I lost my ebay account... one I have had for 1997...

REALLY pisses me off.. so I too feel your pain Gary.. Makes you wonder whats the point of them doing this crap.

Charles

[Gary]

Originally Posted by wrench459 This is interesting

I put the brakes on the search engine spiders. I'll bet they were eating up a lot of the resources. I did a lot of things to get exposure for opelgt.com with the search engines and it showed as we were constantly at the top of Google's lists.

It seems like one problem is that we are going through is growing pains. The amount of data stored here is huge and the site is close to out growing the available capacity for a shared server. Even if we get through the current problems, something will need to be done in the future.

Dedicated servers cost $$$ so I need to figure out where this site to be in the future and how do we best manage its resources and costs.

I did not have a chance to contact the host admin today to see if the changes I made were enough to satisfy them or not.

[soybean]

Gary, what about people who have registered and made no posts? As you said a dedicated server cost $$$. For a lot of us this site has been a great help and source of great information, we would certainly hate to lose it. Just a thought.
Jarrell

[tomking]

Gary can you search who has posted on been on the site in, say the last two years? If you can sort like that then eliminate all who have not met the criteria??

[MICAH1]

Will removing all accounts that have not posted in two, three, or four years or those who joined but never post free up the space to help us to get back where we need to be??? I think that we have grown so large and require so much more space that our options are either have more space allocated to our location on the shared server, or as Gray stated run on a dedicated server and that ..........$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Life ain't simple sometimes.

[newman27]

Gary,

You probably prefer to keep this a volunteer only / free site, but have you considered requiring a small annual fee to remain active? I'm not sure what the economics look like as far as the number of active users versus the cost per year of a dedicated server. However, maybe the amount required from each member would be small and enable the site to migrate to a dedicated server.

Matt

[opelwasp]

Hell, if we required only $5 per person it would be minuscule to the benefit we have all gotten. And if everyone signed up actually paid the five'r we would take in more than 55 grand. Hell we could buy our on ship for that! I mean server.

[jeff denton]

Absolutely! Nothing is really free, and you get what you pay for (hopefully). Whatever it takes to make this site prosper must be done.
I wonder, how many members have contributed, how many have not? Let's see a breakdown as to what percentage have "paid their dues" and what percentage hasn't? This could be useful information in analyzing this problem.
And some sort of recognition for members when they do help out, this might be an incentive.
Does a significant amount of upkeep come from any one, or group, of member's pockets? I want to know. I want to be sure I am pitching in my fair share. If it's really only $5 a year I'm covered for decades, but would be willing to send more any time it's needed. Does anybody else feel that way?
I really doubt that any one of us is financially unable to pitch in at least the suggested $5. But if there is, some of us could "sponsor" another. I think that's what kind of people we are, generous and helpful.
Just my opinion.
This is a business, and it has to be run like one. All businesses do, even non profit ones. Fund raising is what keeps it alive.
We've discussed this before. There is an answer out there, we have to find it and get the problem fixed!

[pecje]

Originally Posted by opelwasp Hell, if we required only $5 per person it would be minuscule to the benefit we have all gotten. And if everyone signed up actually paid the five'r we would take in more than 55 grand. Hell we could buy our on ship for that! I mean server.

Great idea!
That's why I just donated $ 10. Gary (and all the others: keep up the good work

But please, get the photo album back online asap!
Next week I'm appearing in my companies 3-monthly magazine, bragging about my GT and pointing all my colleagues to the photo's on this site.