IMPORTANT: Bad news ... massive password screw-up

I've just mangled the password file and lost EVERYBODY'S password.

Unfortunately, this is such a ####-up that I probably won't be able to fix it without help ... until RR comes back tomorrow.

EDITED: You can (fairly) easily restore your password. At the login page, click LOST PASSWORD. The system will E-mail you instructions and a link. Once you've used the non-intuitive password it sends you, you can go to PROFILES to put back your original.

If we do restore the original password database from backup, this will put everyone's password back to what it was, except those few who joined the forum today; they will probably have to register again.

Funny, I just don't feel like Javan

Mine still seems to work, using the cookies on my computer.

Or perhaps it is because I haven't logged out since you put the password file through the wringer.

Or perhaps it is because I haven't logged out since you put the password file through the wringer.

I'm afraid that's it exactly, Sue.

I suppose one could also re-register and create a new user name and password, although this MAY require using a new E-mail address.

I just now was able to re-establish my original password.

I still had the login cookie active in my browser, so I was still logged in to the forum.

I clicked on "Profile". I entered "geek" as my current password, and my old password as the new password.

This seems to have worked. The software accepted it, I then clicked on "log out" and was able to log back in using my new (i.e., old) password.

-Paul W.

[Robin Garr]

That works, Paul, and here's an even simpler way: Go to login. Click "LOST PASSWORD." The system will send you a new one and a link to use to enter it.

This will work for now. I also HOPE that we can simply restore the pre-disaster password database and bring everyone back, with the unfortunate nuance that any newbies who joined today will have to start over.

I seem to still be logged in... automatically.....

[Robin Garr]

I seem to still be logged in... automatically.....

Hey, Jim, welcome!

I think what happened to you is that you joined the forum AFTER the screwup, so you're in the clear.

The bad news will come if we have to restore the database to a clean-up point of this morning or last night. Then you (and other recent signatories) will be erased and will have to register anew.

Fortunately, that's not the chore that it is on the Netscape Forum ...

I have the NWLDG (New WLDG) as my homepage and sign in is automatic, and I am still getting in that way.

I've just mangled the password file and lost EVERYBODY'S password.

Not promising.

I've just mangled the password file and lost EVERYBODY'S password.

Not promising.

Who promised you a rose garden?
BP

[Robin Garr]

Who promised you a rose garden?

Roses? I think I stepped in the fertilizer!

I've just mangled the password file and lost EVERYBODY'S password.

Not promising.

Who promised you a rose garden?
BP

Several posts missing here. You don't care?

I mean, can you specify the post I made you quoted?

'Nuff said.

Do not argue with the status quo.

Nothing different, honestly, from when I left. Honestly? Sad. Very sad.

[Robin Garr]

Several posts missing here. You don't care?

I mean, can you specify the post I made you quoted?

'Nuff said.

The posts still exist, David. I moved the off-topic sub-thread to the basement.

Look, I don't know how else to say this: A large number of people seem to be happy here, and delighted that we did this. You're welcome, too. But if you're not happy, no one is making you stay.

Several posts missing here. You don't care?

I mean, can you specify the post I made you quoted?

'Nuff said.

The posts still exist, David. I moved the off-topic sub-thread to the basement.

Look, I don't know how else to say this: A large number of people seem to be happy here, and delighted that we did this. You're welcome, too. But if you're not happy, no one is making you stay.

Nice for you to finally admit such. I can't seem to be able to access such.


Look, I never had a quabble with you, just with one of your nazis. And yes, he seemed like one.

I've never responded to a post in any manner but one as requesting manner for the most part. Go back and check.

Ban me from your board? Don't even question and ask the constiuents. Do it or don't.

And if so have a damn good reason and spell it out. I won't even ask why Buckner has some special dispensation.

[Robin Garr]

The posts still exist, David. I moved the off-topic sub-thread to the basement.

Nice for you to finally admit such. I can't seem to be able to access such.

Here's a link to the thread. It's public, in a public section.

Ban me from your board? Don't even question and ask the constiuents. Do it or don't.

And if so have a damn good reason and spell it out. I won't even ask why Buckner has some special dispensation.

David, for the record, as owner and sole proprietor of this Website, I can lock out any member for any reason, arbitrarily and capriciously, and answer to no one. I've never done this, and I'm not going to start now, but for the record, I don't have to have any reason at all.

But let's not go there. I have no idea why you reacted in such a seemingly angry and hostile way to my techno-####-up. I'm as embarrassed as hell that I mangled a database table (one of several hundred in the forum structure). I'm just glad that it's relatively recoverable ... we could restore from a backup tape, but at this point I'm thinking it will be simpler just to ask folks to retrieve their new password from the system this one time.

Bottom line, I'm not going to argue with you tonight, or any other time. I'm not going to entertain discussion of my choices in volunteer helpers, which are based entirely on folks' past willingness to bust their butts to make this forum (in all its many iterations) a success.

I'm happy to have you here to talk about wine, and to be honest, I was just hossin' around about voting you off the island. Fact is, as stated above, if anybody's going to be locked out of the forum, it will be because *I* decide that they should be, and I won't ask for advice.

Let's talk about this tomorrow. I don't really have anything else to add right now.

I'm not having any problems getting straight in and posting, Robin. All is good from this end.

[Robin Garr]

I'm not having any problems getting straight in and posting, Robin. All is good from this end.

Good news, David, thanks for letting me know!

I don't seem to have a problem

Just for the record, and in case it helps in the analysis of the problem, the password screw up never affected me.
I was able to leave the site, navigate back and forth all day yesterday, and again today. I remain logged in. So I don't know what happened, but it didn't happen to me.

No problems for me either. It must be just those paranoid people who didn't check "remember my password"...

So I don't know what happened, but it didn't happen to me.

John, the stored cookies is allowing you to stay logged in. you wont see an impact with the password until you get logged out for some reason (cleaned out cookies, different computer, etc). At that point you won't be able to log in with what you think is your current password. When that occurs, you can click "Forgot Password" and get access.