Web vigilantes "occupy" author website

How utterly stupid and invasive. Chances are, it's one person, with one point of view, and very little tolerance. I don't think there's much to understand - hackers have been on the Internet since there was an Internet to be hacked, and some individuals are more primitive than others. They are not universally liberal or punk, either.

That's awful.

But, on the plus side, it's great free publicity for her.

Reading the original post, this sounds horrible. Having clicked on the link though, it appears that someone has made a very quick fix.

I must offer one of two:

1) good job on the very quick fix. or
2) hmmm... a thread such as this might be very good publicity???

I hope she'll see a big uptick in sales as erotica-inclined (or merely curious) people think, "Whoa, she must write some REALLY HAWT FILTH, lemme see."

I think it's very unlikely that the hackers are actually concerned about "family friendliness" or cleansing the Internet of filth. This looks like something one of the idiot children of anonymous would do. Ms. Blisse was probably just a random target of opportunity (or maybe she did something to piss someone off).

This is slightly unrelated, but I recognise her picture. Was this author, by any chance, featured in an article from a UK women's gossip/real life magazine? One of those like Closer or Take a Break.

Those things are good waiting room reading.

For all authors (or anyone, really): Strong passwords, don't share them, and change them frequently.

That stops 99% of intrusion attempts.

(If the folks you're dealing with have "Password recovery" options with security questions: When your "security question" is "What is the name of my dog?" and you have the name of your dog listed on your web page, that isn't a strong setup.)

Adding to Uncle Jim's solid points -

Those security questions? They are just there to see if you know the answers that you provided earlier, when you were securing the account, not to see if you know the true answer.

Example:
What is the name of my dog? A: Sch1zzlefitz
What town was I born in? A: Sch1zzlefitz
What's my Mom's maiden name? A: Sch1zzlefitz

(While it is not good to have ALL of your security question answers the same bogus word? You get the idea.)

Also? It's okay to write your password down. If the bad guys break in to your house, stealing your password isn't what they're after: They're going to install a hardware keylogger in your computer and monitor it from a black van parked just up the street. (You were wondering why that black van was parked there, right?)

If you're worried about someone who has access to your house (e.g. Mom, wife, pesky little brother), you can disguise it: Shopping list: corn, Coke, 1 gallon milk, see if they have Ring-dings, Fritos. Your password is SlcC1sF

I used to think hackers were cool. Like swordfish. Mission Impossible.

Then I grew up and realized hacking is rather sad and pathetic. I rather think hackers are selfish little children whose parents always gave them what they wanted, and because they have computer knowledge can push their agenda around.

Where are these people on easily accessible internet porn sites? Not infiltrating those. These people are obviously either trolling or backwater moralists who need to refrain their comments to within the borders of the mountains where they live.

First hackers crash PSN for like a month, then they do this. Yes because you are "occupying" aka you think you are participating in democracy versus just shoving your ignorance around. Have fun. I'm sure the readers of erotica think you're real cute.

Hope this backfires as it always does and brings her a lot of publicity.

Amadan said:

I think it's very unlikely that the hackers are actually concerned about "family friendliness" or cleansing the Internet of filth. This looks like something one of the idiot children of anonymous would do. Ms. Blisse was probably just a random target of opportunity (or maybe she did something to piss someone off).

Click to expand...

Well, no--this is NOTHING like something Anonymous would do.

Anonymous goes apeshit over any form of censorship; they hate it. They went after Scientology for its campaigns to muzzle people who are attempting to speak out against Scientology.

This act of vandalism is clearly an attempt at censorship. Thus, it's NOT likely to be Anonymous.

This is probably one, politically-conservative person.

Also, this is not "hacking". Please see this XKCD comic for my reasoning:

http://xkcd.com/932/

This does not sound like the style of any ACTUAL hacker groups I know of. Most people who are fundamental in their religious beliefs to the degree to care about what one author puts in a book are too stupid to get past sending e-mails.

Who wants to place bets that it's her PR firm "Occupying" her website.

Of course if it is they'll have covered their tracks, so nobody will ever figure out who really did it.

I agree with James that strong passwords will stop intrusion.

That said--once again, some internet person has way too much time on their hands.

jjdebenedictis said:

Well, no--this is NOTHING like something Anonymous would do.

Anonymous goes apeshit over any form of censorship; they hate it. They went after Scientology for its campaigns to muzzle people who are attempting to speak out against Scientology.

This act of vandalism is clearly an attempt at censorship. Thus, it's NOT likely to be Anonymous.

This is probably one, politically-conservative person.

Also, this is not "hacking". Please see this XKCD comic for my reasoning:

http://xkcd.com/932/

Click to expand...

I said "idiot children of anonymous," meaning it's a wannabe, not anonymous. They wouldn't bother with some obscure erotic fiction author, unless she'd done something to draw attention.

But I doubt very much it's someone with an agenda beyond "be annoying."

As for the term "hacking," trust me, I'm in the industry, I know, but the battle over popular usage of that word has been lost. Computer geeks are never going to reclaim the original definition.

Susan Littlefield said:

That said--once again, some internet person has way too much time on their hands.

Click to expand...

Things like this take no time at all if you have the know-how.

Becky Black said:

Who are these people to decide who is a pervert? What is it about Victoria's work they're objecting t

Click to expand...

They shouldn't be taking over the website, but that's always a silly question. It makes no more sense that asking who you are to say something isn't perverted?

Everyone alive, including you, makes a decision on who is and who isn't a pervert, on what is or isn't immoral, or what is or isn't good for society and children.

Some people have one set of moral values, some have another. I prefer theirs over yours, and certain theirs over Victoria Blisse's.

Yikes. If I ever get published, which is very unlikely, no matter how my sales are affected, I was just deterred from ever starting a website.

Jamesaritchie said:

They shouldn't be taking over the website, but that's always a silly question. It makes no more sense that asking who you are to say something isn't perverted?

Everyone alive, including you, makes a decision on who is and who isn't a pervert, on what is or isn't immoral, or what is or isn't good for society and children.

Some people have one set of moral values, some have another. I prefer theirs over yours, and certain theirs over Victoria Blisse's.

Click to expand...

So just to clarify, you are saying you prefer the moral values of people who illegally hack into other peoples' websites for the purpose of vandalism and harrassment to the moral values of people who write erotic fiction?

So, you're judging an author by the work she produces, huh? Classy, JAR, real classy.

Never mind. I'm sure plenty of people judge you by your posts.

To say you prefer the morals of a person or people who'd do this to someone else's website over those of a person who thinks such behaviour is wrong is just...

Well. I don't need to spell it out. Which is just as well, 'cause if I did I'd get myself banned.

It's totally okay to have an opinion. It's totally okay to find someone distasteful.

It's totally NOT okay to vandalize their property.

Protest is one thing. Bullying is another.