Spam, Diary Circles, and the long road back (part 1)

Hi everybody!

Spam

(if you’re of the generation I am, and a certain type of person, you can’t see that without thinking of Monty Python)

I think many of you have probably seen that there have been a lot of spam posts appearing on the site this week, especially in the late night/early morning hours here in the U.S. It’s a lot of ridiculous stuff, like the supposed support number for cancelling your Amazon prime membership, or buying cheap cellphones in the UK.

I first want to reassure everybody that this is not dangerous to the site, it’s just supremely annoying. The staff and I have been fighting them hand-to-hand the last few days, deleting posts and user accounts as quickly as possible. We’ve added a number of anti-spam measures, but we also don’t want to prevent “normal” people from registering or posting – so we are always walking a fine line of where to set the protection limit. There are additional measures coming from Engineering that will also help this while remaining invisible to our regular users.

If you see a spam post on the site, don’t worry about reporting it – if we haven’t already seen it, we will shortly. The one thing that you should definitely not do is click any links that you see in one of these entries. They almost never link to what they say they are, and could take you off OD to a site that is not safe for you.

Diary Circles

We’ve been regularly adding new Circles, including Gardening and Marriage just last night – so if you haven’t visited the Circles page yet, make sure to check it out. Better yet, find some that you like to join and add posts too! It’s on the main menu, under Circles.

Music Interruption

This song just came on Spotify as I was typing – since it seems to be YouTube day in my diary, I had to go find the video:

I don’t know where or when this video footage was recorded, but the audio came from a series of concerts that I was at, in-person. Loved this band when I was a youth.

I’m thinking next week’s theme might have to be about concert memories πŸ™‚

The long road back (part 1)

I thought I had it in me this morning to start writing the story of how Open Diary came back from the dead, but now that my fingers are on the keyboard I’ve lost the oomph. There’s a whole other story about why Open Diary went away at all, I definitely don’t have it in me for that one on a Friday morning, and I may never, honestly.

I was staring at this on my desk yesterday, however – and it had a very important role in the long way back:

 

It’s a Seagate 2TB external hard drive. For quite a long time, it was the repository of the OD backup files after the first version of the site shut down and was taken offline. After everything was removed from the Internet, the magic connecting tissue to the rest of the world, there was still this black box.

You see, there are laws in many of the countries that Open Diary operates in – laws that require that content that is created by users be retained in at least some backup form for seven years (or longer) in case of police action or other legal proceedings that would require that data. But I don’t think that’s why I kept it. Looking back, I think I was listening to that box almost from the day files were put onto it – there were voices in it. (not like I was hearing voices in my head πŸ™‚ )

Open Diary has always been about the stories of our lives, and there were hundreds of thousands, millions of stories, in that box. For quite a long time, it became the talisman of OD, the thing at the nexus of all those reflections and dreams and hopes and heartbreak that had been poured into OD.

Sometimes, I would look at it and think of this:

(again, sorry, apparently it’s YouTube day here)

Anyway, in retrospect, it wasn’t long after the stories entered that box, that I started to understand that they couldn’t stay there. There was too much to be lost. OD wasn’t about me, or my family, or my career – it was about the words and pictures in that memory box, sure – but so more than that, it was about the people who had created it. I didn’t create OD, I created the mechanism and the programming that enabled it – the hundreds of thousands of people who put their hearts in it, they were the ones who made it live. I was just a shepherd.

So that’s when the work began. We are almost two years past when the team that rebuilt OD started to come together – but that, I think, is a story for another time. It’s a pretty geeky story of ancient SQL Server file formats, and nosql database transitions, and evolving codebases, and mobile-responsive frameworks, and a talented group of engineers who all played a part.

But like I said, a story for another time.

Happy Friday everybody!

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April 20, 2018

Spam Spam Spam…..ooops.Β  Sorry.Β  Couldnt help myself.Β  I still laugh at that after all these year.

April 20, 2018

Oh, might I recommend a circle?Β  Collectors – Antiques or otherwiseΒ  Β This is definitely different than Crafts and Hobbies.Β  πŸ™‚

 

April 20, 2018

@paperdragon that’s a good suggestion, we will add that!

April 20, 2018

Glad I’m not the only one forced into singing that, each morning. I also think now was the perfect moment to revive the site. Thanks.

April 20, 2018

@poisonnoir I thought so too, thanks!

April 20, 2018

Too bad everything comes with spam. I don’t like spam.

I do hope you tell us all the ‘long road back’ story some day.

April 20, 2018

@d-_-b yes so true, about spam, but we will do our best!

April 20, 2018

Thanks for bringing it back. It came at a good time.

April 20, 2018

@emiliasdance you’re welcome, I think so too!

April 20, 2018

May I recommend a Circle? Mental health. It’s one I would like. If not, it’s okay. πŸ™‚

April 20, 2018

@soldis yes, we have been thinking about adding one or more that deal with mental health issues and support – just trying to figure out the best way to organize that, but we will add something in the near future. Thanks!

April 20, 2018

@thediarymaster Awesome, thanks!

April 20, 2018

There is always going to be a spam no matter how hard we try to get rid of it. That goes for internet spam as well. 😝

I can understand the voices talking to you. I’m sure it was not a easy decision to shut down in the first place. We sure are glad those voices haunted you.

April 20, 2018

@sillysillysandee me too πŸ™‚

April 20, 2018

I’m of *that* generation, too, and started humming the tune before I noticed you posted the video (which I watched twice. Just because).

Strange to think of all my entries (Probably more than 1,000) sitting in that black box……waiting. Suddenly, I feel a bit like Lazarus.

April 20, 2018

@gypsywynd I know, right?

April 20, 2018

Thank you so much for beginning to explain the hows and whys of Open Diary’s demise. Β It’s greatly appreciated by many I am sure. Β It also adds a dimension of understanding which couldn’t be obtained in any other way. Β Yes, the voices of Open Diary will never die and they are the impetus of the reawakening of Open Diary. Β Thank you for bringing back our voices.

April 20, 2018

@wildrose_2 you’re SO welcome!

April 20, 2018

I was curious about those posts.
LOVELY to see new circles!!!! So excited about that πŸ™‚
I have been curious for a time if a mental health circle would come along.

April 20, 2018

@silversatan yes, we have definitely been giving it thought, it’s just we want to be respectful of all the various kinds of conditions when we do.

April 20, 2018

@thediarymaster
Yeah I was thinking that would be a hard thing to tackle, then I read your comment.
Also I should of mentioned it in my first note but thank you for sharing your memories πŸ™‚ It means a lot to hear them. Heal’s parts of the past, not that I’ve ever thought you responsible for such a thing, things happen they have to that’s life. πŸ™‚
I am glad to have OD back πŸ™‚

April 20, 2018

@thediarymaster
Just a suggestion and not expecting a reply one way or the other but
Anxiety & Depression, Abuse & Addiction, Living with Mental Illness, Might cover much of it. I certainly don’t envy needing to make those choices -hugs-

April 20, 2018

@silversatan thanks!

April 20, 2018

Wow, they call that a tease on the radio or tv.Β  Β I sure hope there are more segments to come.

April 20, 2018

@sassymimi eventually πŸ˜‰

April 20, 2018

Happy Friday.Β  Your commitment is obvious.Β  I find it unbelievable that you are able to read and comment on the number of entries that you do. Β  We all feel a loyalty to OD and to the friendships that developed here.Β  We are growing old together.Β  It’s good to see that many that were struggling way back when are now on more level ground and enjoying life. Β  I’ll look forward to more!

April 20, 2018

@dlk082244 I do get a lot of pleasure from people who feel like OD has helped hem grow over time in a positive way!

April 20, 2018

@thediarymaster Oh, yeah. I would definitely be one of those! I probably could not have survived my marriage without it.

April 20, 2018

I made a suggestion post on my diary where everyone can list what circle(s) they want added.
https://www.opendiary.com/m/13spirit/lets-all-vote-5077228/

April 20, 2018

@13spirit thanks, that’s awesome!

April 20, 2018

I have never understood that scene from 2001. I haven’t seen that movie since it was released. I would really be interested in hearing the story of the death and rebirth of OD. I have enjoyed what you have written here. I understand Your reluctance to rehash the past.

April 21, 2018

@startingover_1 me too, always thought it was weird πŸ™‚

April 20, 2018

Your efforts to fight the spam are greatly appreciated.

I remember we discussed giving the Politics circle another chance. Most of the trouble makers are not here, and I think it will not be as insane as it was before because of that.

Religion and Spirituality is another that I remember, but I would recommend creating separate circles for Religion and Atheism. Give everyone their own corner and that will reduce potential conflicts.

April 21, 2018

@peter_24601 yes, good suggestions – thanks!

April 20, 2018

Howdy.

April 21, 2018

@thegodfather howdy!

April 20, 2018

You can tell the site means a lot to you & the users. It is such a peaceful retreat from what a lot of the internet has become. It’s my favorite place to spend time online now.

April 21, 2018

@cherrywine_1 I’m so glad!

April 21, 2018

I so wish I knew how and if we could post videos in our diaries!Β 

April 21, 2018

@dreamstorm you can post Youtube videos like I did above just by pasting the link into your entry and then hitting Enter after the link – that will make it show up.

April 21, 2018

@thediarymaster oh AWESOME! I have a couple of videos blogs that I had made and would like to share!

April 21, 2018

I am grateful you’ve brought back this superior site, and interested to hear hints of the story of the demise and return.Β  It was a generous gift of your creativity and time to create it in the first place, and yet more of your self sacrifice and generosity to bring it back, to again shepherd this voluntary flock, despite the angry and bitter entitlement so many have expressed.

April 21, 2018

@trueconfessions_1 thanks for that, I appreciate it πŸ™‚

April 21, 2018

A beautiful black box filled with so much laughter and tears!

April 21, 2018

@kelleyfrancis I know, that’s what I thought!

Cat
April 21, 2018

I love this! Thank you for keeping us safe, 2001 box.

Also love J. Geils.

April 21, 2018

@cat yes, thank you box πŸ™‚

April 21, 2018

My first thought was the Weird Al song, lol πŸ˜€

Also for a REALLY long time, I thought it was ‘Jake Isles band’. LOL.

I’m really excited about hearing more – I actually was wondering why you still had all our data, since I assumed it was gone.Β Β  I mean, I guess nothing is really gone – you can find some old entries on the Internet Wayback Machine and all that.Β  But I love all the geeky details πŸ™‚

April 21, 2018

@asilliamagdalene “Jake Isles” that’s hilarious πŸ™‚

April 22, 2018

thank you for this entry. I am a bit teary now, and it is too early for that nonsense, but thank you anyway.

April 22, 2018

@e3 you’re welcome (and sorry)!

April 22, 2018

@thediarymaster – good morning, sunshine. First, no worries on the teary bit. With each passing year, I get closer to “sentimental old woman.” It is as likely to be triggered by a little thing as it is a big thing, or nothing specific at all. I am stirred by the black box holding us all inside. I am stirred at how much spirit that thing holds. If such a thing could be measured in mass, it’d sink right through the Earth and into space.

Since I have you here, a couple technical notes? Replying to replies (as I am doing now) has been kind of hit or miss, lately. Hit the arrow, nothing pops except cancel or add note. (No entry box.) A secret handshake or two and in comes up, but just a little heads up there.

Also, I (and I am certain many others) am now doing 100% of my writing here via phone. I use the Chrome browser. I wonder if it is supremely difficult to get the editor to accept the phones recommended words? I don’t know how to properly word this..but when I am mangling a word (often, because of the non tactile nature of our phones these days), it pops up three choices for better spellings. Sometimes these offerings are comical, mostly they are good. But actually trying to use them at OD is ALWAYS comical. They create a mishmash of my mangled word, and the right word, created a SUPER MANGLED word- which may cause the entry to go insane, and keep on mangling as the given sentence continues.

 

Since I do enough mangling on my own, I was wondering if there is a convenient fix??

April 22, 2018

@e3 thanks for those – we had noticed the problem with replies and are already looking into that.

The writing in Chrome on mobile, we will do some testing – you’re the first to have brought it up so thanks for that!

April 22, 2018

@thediarymaster thank you for caring. I was surprised that no one else mentioned it, but maybe everyone else is just a much more proficient Swyper than I am.

April 24, 2018

Thank you.

April 24, 2018

@singer you’re welcome!

April 25, 2018

I’d like to hear about both stories in all their geekiness.