6 January (Part 2) - Would I like to? No I wouldn’t
If you think that keeping BiB going - somewhat intermittently over
recent weeks - is no way to spend one’s retirement then you may agree that beta testing facilities for
the small ISP that provides the
technology on which Bonkers runs is even sillier.
(The upside is that BiB does not cost me anything.)
I was asked to check out their new mail server before the end of January and I
planned to do it over Christmas when things were quiet but then realised I
would have no one to call on if things went pear shaped, so didn’t start work
on it until last Tuesday. The job involved moving about 200 email accounts
spread over 19 domains and updating two dozen internet connected devices to work
on an IMAP mail server instead of the old POP system.
The mistake I made was thinking I could maintain the old mail service while seamlessly migrating to the
new server. It was simply impossible with too many ‘chicken and egg’ situations
which made it a total non-starter. As some of you noticed, I eventually gave up and
everything was switched off from late afternoon yesterday to around lunchtime today.
The main bonkers mail addresses are probably working again now although not without
the odd glitch. A very few emails are not being collected from the server and
some are arriving in duplicate.
However that is not the real reason for retelling this tale of woe. Internet
connected devices are attacked constantly by robots and strong passwords are
needed. I don’t often look at their log files but during the update procedure I
did. A large number of the attempted break-ins were Bexley Council related. I
know that someone at Bexley has tried to bring down the servers before but some
of their guessed user name and passwords are a bit beyond the pale. The attempt to
break in using ‘Wouldyouliketo****teresaoneill’ must have been an act of
desperation but it is perhaps an indication of the depths to which some people will
stoop to bring down BiB.
They should remember that I can call up the Technical Director at my ISP any
time I like and ask for a trace. Last time I did that they found
the Peter Craske connection within a few hours, the police took something like five months.