(Cries for vengeance aside – I’ve submitted the following to Slashdot and Boing Boing. Feel free to harass them too, and to spread the news even further in the hopes of preventing similar losses from happening to others…)
What is normally (and by most internet standards and measures) a cheerful and vibrant community of youthful anime/comic fans, junior political pundits, post-secondary pontificators, and all-ages spiritual soul-seekers was essentially napalmed earlier this morning by a malicious stranger who breached our vulnerable PHP bulletin board and wiped thousands upon thousands of posts from pseudo-yet-treasured existence.
FOUR years of passionate debate, communal sharing, engaging storytelling, beautiful artwork, moving poetry, emotional purging, and inspired ranting was snuffed to ash and vapor. I’m not sure why I want to share this with your audience – but I thought they might be moved by the loving and supportive reactions of our fans. And yes, I hope they might be angered by the actions of this arrogant punk who left our home in ruins.
I recommend to all of you community builders out there – patch your spidery cracks, shore up any sagging defenses, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for trouble of the cyber sort. Supposedly, this ‘group’ has brought down several major boards in the past month or so, and it feels like a storm may be brewing. Stay tuned…we’ll hopefully have a more secure ship up and running in the coming weeks. 🙁