Conservapedia server problem

kara...@gmail.com, Sat, 17 May 2008 23:16:48 -0700 (PDT):

(Can't contact the database server: Can't connect to local MySQL
server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (11) (localhost))

Received the above message when it just plain stopped a few minutes
ago.  I don't like the reference to a sock, so I guess this would need
a little questioning of the server host to see it the site was
compromised.

DeanS <dean.conservat...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 01:44:17 -0700 (PDT):

I saw that message a couple of times myself.

"Tom Major" <ymmotro...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 08:47:57 -0400:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/cant-connect...

Tom

"Philip Rayment" <PJRaym...@yahoo.com.au>, Sun, 18 May 2008 23:39:50 +1000:

A "socket" is nothing to do with a "sockpuppet", other than both being
abbreviated to "sock".

Philip Rayment

Geoffrey Plourde <geo.p...@yahoo.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 10:58:46 -0700 (PDT):

I think the Ides plan is responsible for this.
http://www.patentmonkey.com/PM/PatentID/6775704.aspx
The impact of a spoofed DoS attack can be enhanced through amplification, which can occur when more than one server is willing to respond to the same request. Amplification can also be achieved when a "stooge" server is willing to respond to a single request packet with more than one packet. Amplification can be used to attack a victim server by causing multiple "stooge" computers to generate a flood of unsolicited response packets.

"Philip Rayment" <PJRaym...@yahoo.com.au>, Mon, 19 May 2008 07:03:12 +1000:

Yes, I did wonder if the Ides plan was responsible for Conservapedia's response problems.  It doesn't fit with their talk about changing user rights, but then perhaps that was just to mislead us?

Or perhaps one is to facilitate or cover for the other?

Philip Rayment

aschla...@aol.com, Sun, 18 May 2008 17:57:43 -0400:

The Special:Wantedpages works for me now.? Perhaps the problem last night was just due to heavy usage.

In Christ,

Andy

DeanS <dean.conservat...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 15:53:27 -0700 (PDT):

Special:Wantedpages works for me too.

Temlakos <temla...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 19:49:02 -0400:

Wanted pages works, but Mostlinked doesn't. I still get nothing but a
blank page.

TerryH

DeanS <dean.conservat...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 17:05:03 -0700 (PDT):

Special:Mostlinked gives me the message "The page cannot be
displayed."

"Brian Macdonald" <kara...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 19:13:11 -0500:

Same with me.  I think this was deliberately done.

aschla...@aol.com, Sun, 18 May 2008 20:20:16 -0400:

 I wonder if that used to work.? Presumably it did, but I never used that particular page.

In Christ,

Andy

"Brian Macdonald" <kara...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 19:31:01 -0500:

Any way to look at the user history from the server for the past couple of
weeks, to see if anyone unauthorized tampered with it?

"Tom Major" <ymmotro...@gmail.com>, Sun, 18 May 2008 23:33:06 -0400:

I really don't think this is a tampering. I've seen problems like this on
other wikis too. We have to be careful not jump to the paranoid conclusion
that it was RW or other weirdos. Some of the Special pages use more
resources than normal pages, and I think it makes sense that the site is
just getting bogged down. Also, the MediaWiki software is a few versions out
of date now, and possibly a software upgrade would make this problem
disappear.

Tom

"Brian Macdonald" <kara...@gmail.com>, Mon, 19 May 2008 01:31:56 -0500:

But the point is we want to make sure.  Whether it is RW or just a glitch in
the software, we want to make sure as to what, how it got there, and get it
corrected as swiftly as possible.

Geoffrey Plourde <geo.p...@yahoo.com>, Mon, 19 May 2008 10:13:30 -0700 (PDT):

In parts of their Ides plan, they talk about using a botnet and a viral extension. Generally this is not good. 

Geoffrey Plourde <geo.p...@yahoo.com>, Mon, 19 May 2008 10:29:38 -0700 (PDT):

Their talks of using stooge computers are consistent with a DDOS attack AKA heavy usage.