Tuesdaily, rough day even before 10 AM.

[ellenmillion]

I am an emotional wreck right now.

It is smoky as pea soup in the valley, but wet and humid, so it's like walking through a damp ashtray. This doesn't help the lingering tail of my head cold, and I woke with a pounding headache.

Posting the alert about the security breach is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, and it's not getting easier, the way I'd hoped. How do you admit something like that? I didn't even want to admit it to myself. Most of me wanted to just yank my entire site offline and retreat. I still want to retreat. Somewhere, beneath my skin, is an isolated place where I don't have to deal with disappointing people. Maybe I can breath there.

(On the plus side, no one has gotten upset about it, except on my behalf. Several cases of 'oh, that's how my email/iTunes/Amazon/Wow got hacked!' but no blame. I got an email from an individual asking to have their account deleted, but when I couldn't find one for them, it turned out they were an artist at Fantastic Portfolios who hadn't passed and they wanted their artist account deleted.)

Dropped Jake off at work this morning, and went to the Post Office to discover that my PO Box has been closed.

...!

Yeah. Between surgeries and being out of town, and being hacked and , I forgot about that bill and never got a second reminder. (It's a minor miracle I've gotten all the other bills paid on time.) I am leaving to go BACK into town now that they are open and see if I can get it re-opened. Wish me luck. The alternative could be a disaster.

ETA: *sigh of relief* Paid my $15 idiot fee and got my box re-opened, AND all of the packages that were waiting for me. Feel much better, though breathing is not particularly easier at this point (the Willow Creek fire went from 2000 acres to 3000 acres in the last day or so due to wind, blech). I'm going to have a snack and code on the Sketch Fest site for a bit to relax...

Comments

[polarbee.livejournal.com]

Depending on how long it's been, they usually leave it locked for a little bit before renting it back out. I know, I've forgotten on more than one occasion. I think the most I've gone is somewhere around three weeks past the final pay by date and was still able to get it back. I don't have an idea what their actual policies are though, so good luck!

This may not make anything better whatsoever, but Google got hacked too awhile back. I think people are just used to this happening occasionally because sucky people exist in the world.

[ryokomusouka.livejournal.com]

Completely agree.

The post office holds the box for 30 or 60 days - I forget which - and the worst that'll happen is you'll need to pay to rekey it - ten bucks or so.

As for the hacking...people understand. It's the 'Net. It happens to sites with the world's best security. You've been forthright and honest with everyone you deal with, and that makes people a LOT more willing to cut you some slack.

You deserve it, Ellen. <3

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Whew! It was $15 (though the rent fee has more than doubled since I opened it 10ish years ago, so it felt like a whammy), I paid it and hung my head and everything is fine again.

And thank you. <3

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I panicked for nothing! Indeed, they didn't blink, just charged me a solid swallow of money for the year's rent plus a moron fee and went and unlocked it for me.

And it does make me feel better that the big guys get hacked, too. Maybe it shouldn't, but it's helpful to know that even someone with a dedicated IT department can't keep these dweebs from doing damage.

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

Hell, yeah. Just for some perspective: A couple of years ago someone hacked into Pentagon systems (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/briton-who-hacked-into-pentagon-faces-extradition-477743.html). The friggin US Department of Defense.

As programming mistakes go, a few passwords and emails are also pretty harmless. Software delevopers in the past have produced bugs that even without involvement from hackers led to space- or aircraft crashes, or gave people deadly radiation poinsoning. I am not making this up. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_software_bugs)

I thought you handled it very well when you found out about the problem. Learning experience all around, including people like me who have a habit of using the same password on multiple sites.

[jenny_evergreen]

I really feel for you; I expect I'd go through the exact same thing if it happened to me.
I hope things get better soon!

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

We aren't disappointed in you for being hacked. We would definitely be disappointed if you took your ball and went home, leaving us with no website(s) to play in!

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

((HUGS))