Can't login and posts erased

[Ian Stewart]

I have been a user of this forum for many years but have found all my posts have been erased and I was not able to login. I have never posted anything offensive and I am worried in case my account has been hacked. Now I have re-registered using the same username and wondered if anyone could explain what has happened?

Many thanks for any help.
Ian

[miker]

No idea, here. Not a Moderator action. I’ll check with Admin.

[Peter Thomsen]

Ian Stewart,

Weird things have happened in this forum before.

The fact that you were “not able to login” is an important clue.
I suspect that only the Administrator has the permissions to remove a user’s ability to login.

Do you remember
- on what date and year you registered (approximately)?
- on what dates you have posted (approximately)?

Such info might be useful for the Administrator.

[Ian Stewart]

Thanks for your replies. I can't remember when I joined but it was a long time ago. The only activity I can find is when I have been quoted, as in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17726&p=67390&hilit ... art#p67371

but I am sure I have posted after this.

[miker]

Not much help, I’m afraid, but this from Admin:

The only way his account and posts would have been deleted is if his account posted spam. Maybe he was hacked ahd his account posted spam? The previous database issue that was caused by the server company did remove some posts, but not accounts.

[Ian Stewart]

Thanks for that. I have never posted spam on any forum, ever, and my password is strong enough for financial accounts. I don't know how my account could have been hacked but it seems the most obvious explanation. Another strange thing is I tried to re-register with an email address that ended in .xyz but the register page said I had to enter a proper email address.

The only other thing I can think of is my website was a .eu address, which I was not allowed to renew because Britain has now left the EU. For a short time someone registered my web address and used it to link to a *** website. I wrote to the domain name organisation and asked them if they could stop it. I explained that I was unable to renew it, and I got visits from people at school and young females and it could be very damaging. The link has since been removed and the name is now for sale.

[FinaleForum]

Ian,

The server company for this forum accidentally corrupted the database a few months ago and some posts were lost. No accounts were lost though.

My guess is someone posted spam from your account and your account was removed along with any posts. OR you had not posted anything in so many years that your account was pruned after your posts were lost in the database corruption. Frankly, both scenarios seem unlikely to me. Is it possible your previous username was slightly different in some way? Send me a private message with the old email address you used on your previous account and I will see if I can find something in the database.

[Ian Stewart]

Thank you for looking into this, I have now sent you a private message.

[FinaleForum]

Ian,

I could not find any of the email addresses you sent me. Are you sure you were a member of this forum and not the MakeMusic forum? We are not affiliated with them.

The fact that you don't remember what email address you used makes me question whether you have the right forum because I found no evidence of any of those email addresses anywhere. If you were a member of this forum, you should have notification emails from the forum. Those would tell you which email address you used.

In any case, I'm sorry but we could not track your account down.

[motet]

But if you look at the thread Ian referenced

viewtopic.php?t=17726

Peter addresses him as Ian Stewart, and the entire thread starts off with what sounds like a reply, implying something is missing.

[Ian Stewart]

Thanks for your reply Motet. I have found another link where my name is listed but everything erased:

viewforum.php?f=8&start=50

My name is about two thirds down on the 'Garratian Instruments Wishlist' thread. It mentions three posts but only two are shown, mine is missing.

I am certain I listed all possible email addresses in my PM. I frequently erase all previous login information so usually only have current login details. I also erase emails when they are no longer needed.

[FinaleForum]

Good find!

Unfortunately, the only explanation I can come up with is the account must have posted spam. That is the only reason both the account and the posts would be deleted. Sorry I don't have a better answer.

[Ian Stewart]

Thank you for looking into it. In that case it's a mystery. I have never, ever posted spam on any forum - ever. My passwords are so strong they would takes several hundred years to crack on a fast computer. Is it possible someone could have reported me, I know a few vindictive people in the music business? Malicious lies behind your back is used as a marketing technique but some people I know.

[Ian Stewart]

Here is a post that refers to what I said, and my original post, in the index for the Wishlist section:

search.php?keywords=range&fid%5B0%5D=8


I agree completely with Ian. I'm only an amateur player but even I can go a long way past the range of the brass samples in GPO, both up and down. It is sooo annoying when the sound cuts out!

No no no! please don't ever introduce this as Finale would cease to be suitable for professional composers/arrangers. The range is not fixed for numerous instruments : There are 5 and 4 octave marimbas Classcial saxophone players can go above the range depending on their skill; ...

Here is another thread where I am quoted twice, I remember this thread well:

viewtopic.php?t=17755

And twice on a much earlier thread:

viewtopic.php?t=6648

I really hope it was an accident, I would hate to think someone was out to get me by underhand means.