About
Learn More about our progressive online community for the Granite State.

Create an account today (it's free and easy) and get started!
Menu

Make a New Account

Username:

Password:



Forget your username or password?


Search




Advanced Search


The Masthead
Managing Editors


Jennifer Daler

Contributing Writers
elwood
Mike Hoefer
susanthe
William Tucker

ActBlue Hampshire

The Roll, Etc.
Prog Blogs, Orgs & Alumni
Bank Slate
Betsy Devine
birch, finch, beech
Democracy for NH
Live Free or Die
Mike Caulfield
Miscellany Blue
Granite State Progress
Seacoast for Change
Still No Going Back
Susan the Bruce
Tomorrow's Progressives

Politicos & Punditry
The Burt Cohen Show
John Gregg
Krauss
Landrigan
Lawson
Pindell
Primary Monitor
Primary Wire
Scala
Schoenberg
Spiliotes
Welch

Campaigns, Et Alia.
Paul Hodes
Carol Shea-Porter
Ann McLane Kuster
John Lynch
Jennifer Daler

ActBlue Hampshire
NHDP
DCCC
DSCC
DNC

National
Balloon Juice
billmon
Congress Matters
DailyKos
Digby
Hold Fast
Eschaton
FiveThirtyEight
MyDD
The Next Hurrah
Open Left
Senate Guru
Swing State Project
Talking Points Memo

50 State Blog Network
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Help Put Soapblox Over the Top! (Plus a Progress Update)

by: Dean Barker

Mon Jan 12, 2009 at 20:44:53 PM EST


Update (Tuesday): We did it! Many thanks to those of you who helped strengthen this and many other worthy progressive blogs.

We're less than $300 away from raising the necessary funds to secure Soapblox's future.  Help put us over the top!

And for those of you wondering about the what and the why, click here for an overview of the crisis/opportunity.

And an update from Paul at Soapblox on what steps have already been taken below the fold...

Dean Barker :: Help Put Soapblox Over the Top! (Plus a Progress Update)
From Soapblox:
To all customers, bloggers, and the world.

It's been an amazing week.  I thought I'd give you a status update on what exactly is going on.

First off: SoapBlox is no longer a one-man operation!

A System Administration group has been created, with over half-a-dozen people working on the new hardware/security concerns of SoapBlox Network, Inc.  A new server has been created which is going to be the model for a new server paradigm.  This server should be up and ready to hosts sites within the week.

When the server is ready, we will begin the process of moving sites on to this server, freeing up existing hardware where to be basically reformatted and reinstalled from scratch.

Eventually every SoapBlox site existing now will be moved.  During this move we will also be upgrading you to a NEW version of SoapBlox.  This new version as a lot of cool features that you can read about at a link provided below.  Also, new code has been added since our security incident early to help prevent future compromises and make the software more secure.

Another group of people have been established to serve as the Customer Service/Bug Monitoring portion of the SoapBlox Network, Inc. team.  We will be creating a portal for all customers to use to report issues and have the handled in a timely manner.  We will be establishing business hours where our Customer Service will be on-call to deal with issues that arrive.

Along with this, a 24/7/365 Sys Admin will be on call to deal with any up-time issues on our end of things.

All of this will be up and running within the next couple weeks.

We've also established an Accounting position to manage the billing and payment side of the operation.

So as you can see, SoapBlox now has more than little old me around handling this stuff, which is a huge change in just the past week.  A lot of lessons have been learned by me, and even though it was a little scary there for a while, SoapBlox is now a stronger platform and company because of the generous out-pouring of so many individuals.

It is completely understandable that many of you could have your confidence shaken in SoapBlox.  I offer this message of things currently happening to help foster a better relationship between us and sense of security as we move forward.  This has always been a labor of love, and as when dealing with love, sometimes the drama and irrationality creep into things.  I hope you will forgive me as SoapBlox takes the next step.  I thank you for your business and your continued support now and in the future.

Thank you,
Paul Preston
President,
SoapBlox Network, Inc.

Link to new features in SoapBlox

Tags: , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
Every new communications technology (4.00 / 2)
begins as a tinkertoy, a hobby thing (h/t to the late Erik Barnouw), then either dies or evolves to a more robust state. This usually means that it becomes the work of many professional hands rather than that of a few zealous individuals. This is precisely what we have witnessed here and in other places like it over the last couple of years. The power of this medium to exchange ideas, influence events, and raise money (quickly!) has become evident, and it is showing signs of maturing as a result.

It is no accident that the technology is moving from adolescence into its early adulthood at this particular point in history. Any successful communication technology requires a purpose, and while the timing for this has been serendipitous in terms of world events, its success is due in great measure to the purposes it serves. Convergence of available (and suitable) technology, need, and timing does the job, as FDR learned early on in his administration.

Congratulations to all who contributed their dollars toward supporting this particular resource; it's a reminder to all of us that nothing truly worthwhile is entirely free (as in free beer).

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.


S curve (4.00 / 2)
I repeat: Our constructive response is admirable, but we are denying our hands if we fail to wring them just a little.

We were hacked, dude. What does that mean? Could it even be good, that we were deemed hackworthy?


[ Parent ]
As with imitation, (4.00 / 1)
in some measure hackery could certainly be a form of flattery, as you imply. Depends, of course, on exactly who is doing the hacking...

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.

[ Parent ]
Blogjamming? (0.00 / 0)
Somebody call Allen Raymond.

--
Hope 2012

@DougLindner


[ Parent ]
Don't know what it means... yet. (0.00 / 0)
While a complete ignoramus on web tech, my understanding is that hackers either a) do it to show that they can, and so leave a trace or b) do it to use server space for some pharma or music hosting type scam, where they do not want to be detected.

Looks like maybe A here, except that the hacks pointed to a site that is not from the hackers.

Investigation is ongoing.

birch, finch, beech


[ Parent ]
alt (0.00 / 0)
I'm not exactly sure I understand what you are getting at, but please know I will be looking at a some alternatives for us while soapblox takes its next steps.

Hope > Fear




Create a free Blue Hampshire account and join the conversation.


[ Parent ]
Not an action item (0.00 / 0)
It wasn't directed at BH per se, Mike. I was just thinking that we the liberal blogscape are living down our stereotype of hysteria at a time when hysteria might be cathartic. But I am outvoted by more mature heads ...


[ Parent ]

Connect with BH
     
Blue Hampshire Blog on Facebook
Powered by: SoapBlox