O Scale Yard Sale website down

[up148]

I thought this problem would go away, but at least on my computer and another members computer, there have been no new posts since August 5th. Normal activity is a few to a dozen posts per day. Anyone else on MTJ who frequents Yard Sale and is experiencing the same?

[Chris Webster]

This was posted to the OScale2RailProto48Modelers group on August 6:

I want everyone to know that this morning when I checked my email I found out that I am no longer the owner or moderator of Oscaleyardsale@groups.io.

I do not know why this happened and or if someone hijacked my group. Please let me know if you receive any emails from it. I currently have no control of it.

I am trying to find out what happened.

Jim Allen

[up148]

Thanks Chris,

I expected something similar to that, but wasn't sure. Hope Jim can straighten it out.

New Info:

Just went to that sight (forgot about it actually) and this was posted by Jim.

You are more than welcome to post here. The oscaleyardsale group will be back. I am waiting for the right person to return from vacation.

Jim Allen

[E7]

Back up as of last evening.

[Erik C Lindgren]

Gosh what a bummer. It's a great place to sell! Hope it gets worked out.

[up148]

Understand you concern Erik. But if you think you're safe, not selling on OSYS, think again. As long as you use the computer and a cell phone you're being harvested, using a real, stage or imaginary name. Look at Amazon, Netflix, Disney and any other channel on TV....you're at risk. With smart TV's and Appliances in our homes what "they" learn about us is scary.

Every forum on the web, including this one, allows those who want to harvest do it. EB, PP, cell phones and more are the same way. You might be making it a little more difficult for the inexperienced hackers and harvesters, but the good ones can get just about anywhere they want..........and do.

I think you're more at risk with CC's and all forms of non cash transactions, than you are on YS. If you don't want your information stolen, you have to stay off the grid....which in our world is just about impossible.

BUT, if you know the forum was down due to a hacker and not a glitch, then by all means members need to change passwords as a precautionary move. You seem to get insider information sometimes so if hacking was the problem please confirm and thank you very much.

[DaveJfr0]

Dubious that that the "downtime" of OSYS was a hack that got people's cred's exposed. The group admins definitely cannot see your password. If groups.io itself was hacked and didn't store passwords correctly on their backend, I imagine there would be a larger commotion across the 30 or so groups I'm in or at least some notice of a breach. If Jim somehow had his account breached, that's really only relegated to him.

None of my other groups had any "downtime". The only reason OSYS was even affected by whatever issue Jim had, was because they have it configured to approve every single message. We'd never have probably noticed, if they didn't force every single message through manual review. I sort of wonder what the deny rate is for them to have to still continue to check every message before its sent. That has to be a lot of work. I'm surprised that hasn't loosened up yet. Not a complaint, just an observation.

Butch is right about the current state of privacy in the US. Not much you can do if you want to participate in today's world around you. As for someone trying to directly target you, they most likely will be successful. Google yourself right now and see what free information is available. You may have to add where you live to get specifics. Good luck removing anything you find that you don't like. You're lucky if not much is there, but there is a lot more behind pay walls. If you've ever rented/owned property, had a phone line in your name, opened a CC, had debt/loans, or any other recorded action thats on the books, someone will be able to piece together a decent portion of your and/or your family's life and continue from there. It's unfortunate, but IMHO, I refuse to live life in that sort of fear. I do hear the US is maybe considering european-level privacy laws here, but that's probably at least a decade away with how things move. It doesn't exactly help what's already in play either.

In any case, glad OSYS is back, though its mostly the same folks posting the same or similar items repeatedly. Also not a complaint, but an observation. I have bought a thing or two off of there, but not recently. If I can attend York/Strasburg in October, maybe I'll make a post. Shipping is a PITA, so I rarely post anything on there, unless I know I'm going to a physical show.