I hereby declare this a wizard-free zone

So the good news is whoever that is they haven't snatched up the brassgoggles.net domain name.

I'm on NZ time so I'm heading to bed now and will be up in about 8 hours. Feel free to discuss without me, I'll catch up when I'm awake.

I have confirmed that "the-wizard" has the ability to create OS-level user accounts on brassgoggles.co.uk, and so I am fairly certain he is who and what he claims to be.

That does lend credibility to the claim.

I feel like i'm a bit thick headed here so can anyone translate what he's saying? What I understand is we have til next month to do anything before thigns become... Icky. Something about Gapps nolonger being free, etc.

So how difficult would a migration be?

Professor Marvel and I think it's fishy as hell. If you read the same thread started by Prof Marvel you'll see that the IP address leads to "Joe's Data Center." Their website is a real business with a public website featuring photos of 5 employees including management.

Again, see Prof Marvel's post:
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,51232.msg1013092.html#msg1013092

This was our secure conversation about 9 hours ago here by private message (please note this thread can be read by"The Wizard" so he's now aware of all we're talking about since Sparegoggles is mentioned over and over in the Brassgoggles thread)

prof marvel wrote:am »
Reply to AllReply to All Reply with quoteQuote ReplyReply Remove this messageRemove
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on Today at 08:44:26 am
Urgently need a meeting at Spare Goggles re new member posting on "new admin needed" thread.

PM not secure at BG. See their post here:

http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,51232.msg1013264.html#msg1013264

Perhaps best meet in about 8 hours or so (I have to sleep! Grin)

What do you make of it?



Howdy.
Smells fishy as hell.
I told them to stand by.
Meeting on sparegoggles sounds good.
Prf mrvl
Until further notice, when BG dies, we are migrating to spare goggles

https://sparegoggles.forumotion.net/

It is fishy as hell, especially because when you followed the server IP address, you found an IP address which leads to a web host company (Joe's data center) with at least 5 people with real names and pictures on their website. We can demand he give us a phone number, compare to the website and call to Joe's data center directly to confirm identity. I'm sure if they've come out of the woodwork, then they don't mind identifying themselves. If not then I can set up a referral to a certain three letter agency and arrange a surprise party, so to speak.

OK, back to sleep now. You caught me mid insomnia.

JW

So I would not reach a deal with that person unless I call Joe's Data Center, confirm identity and do business including *receipts* for payment. I'm just very sceptical about "The Wizard" being who he says he is. Why didn't he give identification and phone number if he's a business? I don't care if he's got OS level control. He could be a hacker, or maybe Joe's Data Center went under, and someone is taking advantage of the situation.

von Corax wrote:I have confirmed that "the-wizard" has the ability to create OS-level user accounts on brassgoggles.co.uk, and so I am fairly certain he is who and what he claims to be.

Can we call him to Joe's Data Center?

Also just to remind folks that holding a website for ransom is a serious federal offence in the United States. This could be a"cousin" to ransomware attacks (fall under the same definition). Joe's Data Center is in the US. If It turns out "The Wizard" is not who he says he is, even and especially if he has control over the intellectual property, then the agency who has jurisdiction over these matters is the FBI.

https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/ransomware

Contrary to my own natural want to sledgehammer the problem? We need to show caution here. Every isntinct in me says this is a damned fishy thing, yet at the same time 'why would anyoen think this would be worth doing? We're a blip on the internet.'

Lazaras wrote:Contrary to my own natural want to sledgehammer the problem? We need to show caution here. Every isntinct in me says this is a damned fishy thing, yet at the same time 'why would anyoen think this would be worth doing? We're a blip on the internet.'

Cash is cash, and there's a sucker born every minute, as they say. That's motivation enough. I'm not sending money to a nobody over Paypal. How much is the bill? I think Von Corax knows. It's probably not a trivial amount, since service may be overdue by as much as one year.

I would have liked to read "Hello my name is (real name), such and such from Joe's Data Center. Service was interrupted on such date due to non payment. You can reach us at xxx phone number, https xxx website to arrange payment."

Well. Either samaritan or sinner? The man has given us a deadline rather than a nebulous uncertanty to work with.

That is, at hte very least. SOMETHING. So there is that.

Lazaras wrote:Well. Either samaritan or sinner? The man has given us a deadline rather than a nebulous uncertanty to work with.

That is, at hte very least. SOMETHING. So there is that.

UPDATE: The Corsair has requested more information from The Wizard. I'm on standby untill we hear more information from them. Let's see what we hear back (communication is more difficult since we're talking across several threads spread over two forums and over 12 to 14 hours of time difference ie The Corsair is in New Zealand, so we have a delay in updates).

Original message:

It's just odd. Confirmation of name/company is important when performing financial transactions. Then invite us to contact him like a real business person dealing with a real website administrator. At some point we all have to drop the avatars and become real human beings. I'm sure Proteus was not listed as "Mr. Proteus" on the account (contract) served by "The Wizard" when he signed for the service online.

well it does smell funny

I am up to my eyebrows in scheiss right now, if someone can reach out to the data center that can only help.

Prf mrvl

I've not heard anything from him since asking for a PM, nor has he posted further in that thread.

In all honestly this feels moot. If we're already in the process of planning to migrate to a new site why roll the dice on engaging in this extremely suspicious "opportunity"?

If we're going to be spending money anyway, let's spend it on setting up our new site.

The Corsair wrote:I've not heard anything from him since asking for a PM, nor has he posted further in that thread.

In all honestly this feels moot. If we're already in the process of planning to migrate to a new site why roll the dice on engaging in this extremely suspicious "opportunity"?

If we're going to be spending money anyway, let's spend it on setting up our new site.

I agree with you. Not only that but we don't know how much money it costs and how much we owe. I would wait for "The Wizard" to reply, but I'd demand contact info (must match Joe's Data Center) or explain why/if management has changed, an outstanding bill, available service plans (they must offer those), and any other info such as how to get a backup of the site.

That's fair if they're business folk, isn't it?

I have had some correspondence with the-wizard, including a response to The Corsair's questions. I have forwarded those messages to The Committee in a PM at Brass Goggles.

From our end we'll start to set up our new site.

It very much looks likely people are settling to migrate here at Spare Goggles at least for the time being.

I was suggesting we do some housekeeping and split the Spare Goggles forum in two segments. One with the same directory structure as Brassgoggles, and one with the contents of Sparegoggles, so we start with a blank slate on the new one, and potentially migrate to another, and we can then start linking to the way back machine or whatever server/host carries a hard copy of the old Brassgoggles.

It's paramount that we finish the backup of Brassgoggles that Prof Marvel is processing at the moment. I'm working in the meantime to open communication with other platforms. Pinterest may only be doable manually, like the Brassgoggles Blog. IFTTT on the other hand is showing an ability to post automatically on Twitter from the RSS feed: https://sparegoggles.forumotion.net/feed. It's controlled from a third party computer (my phone) at the moment, and I'm experimenting on it's limitations/capabilities

von Corax wrote:I have had some correspondence with the-wizard, including a response to The Corsair's questions. I have forwarded those messages to The Committee in a PM at Brass Goggles.

Let's see then...

Ok so looking over the correspondence he does seem on the up-an-up. This would be a very elaborate scheme otherwise.

He does also give us the option to have an out. I think we take that option assuming he's being truthful.

I'm going to register Brassgoggles.net. Let's see about getting the site migrated to said domain with a new hosting package (or new site set up, whichever is easiest).

That part I feel is up to the 'Von Corax'-es of the world.

Quick update, URL purchased. Let me know who I'm transferring this to. Cost is $23NZD per year, so I'm happy to just pay that out of pocket each time it renews.

The Corsair wrote:


Quick update, URL purchased. Let me know who I'm transferring this to. Cost is $23NZD per year, so I'm happy to just pay that out of pocket each time it renews.

Huzzah!

The Corsair wrote:[url=https://servimg.com/view/20404342/1]
Quick update, URL purchased. Let me know who I'm transferring this to. Cost is $23NZD per year, so I'm happy to just pay that out of pocket each time it renews.

Do you have a paypal acct?
if so please pm details to myself and other appropriate interested parties

prof marvel

May I suggest that someone set up a gmail account for admins, that only the top 3 people in future BG know the password for, but so that that can be used to set up ownership of the website etc. Position-specific emails are great for clubs etc that change who is in control.

Obviously BG isn't a club in the sense of a legal organisation, so I understand that setting up a shared bankaccount isn't viable, but where possible we need to make sure any future BG 1) isn't reliant on one person's email 2) is still secure enough that BG's name isn't misused.

Sorontar

Sorontar wrote:May I suggest that someone set up a gmail account for admins, that only the top 3 people in future BG know the password for, but so that that can be used to set up ownership of the website etc. Position-specific emails are great for clubs etc that change who is in control.

Obviously BG isn't a club in the sense of a legal organisation, so I understand that setting up a shared bankaccount isn't viable, but where possible we need to make sure any future BG 1) isn't reliant on one person's email 2) is still secure enough that BG's name isn't misused.

Sorontar

In connection with another web site I manage, I am currently investigating web hosting packages. One of my criteria is the inclusion of email in the package, so we wouldn't need to deal with gmail as well.

Well, regardless. We have established a single point of administration is the same as a single point of failure.

I Couldn't access brassgoggles.net, so I guess it's not exactly open for business yet. Don't know where anybody is. I guess it's back to the soulless wastes of the 'net for me. Somebody let me know if anything works out.

mwbaaailey wrote:I Couldn't access brassgoggles.net, so I guess it's not exactly open for business yet. Don't know where anybody is. I guess it's back to the soulless wastes of the 'net for me. Somebody let me know if anything works out.

Brassgoggles.net requires something like a "pointer" to link it to Sparegoggles or alternatively the IP address. It hasn't been set up at all. We just purchased the name!

A far as where's everyone, I slept until very late knowing it's very cold outside, and then woke up with benign vertigo. (A condition I inherited from my grandfather) I've spent the afternoon performing vertigo self- diagnosis tests and performed two Dempsey maneuvers to get any loose otoliths back to the middle ear on both ears. Plenty of coffee, Advil and afternoon breakfast, and I'm feeling like myself again.