Quite a lot goes on in this site that you will never see.

Hopefully.

I suppose you all think it's just a question of rolling out of bed, bashing a few keys and then fucking off to do my day's business?

There is quite a lot to be done.  There are spam messages which have to be cleaned out otherwise they clog up the drains.  I get a couple of thousand of those a week.  There is the occasional time where I take the database to bits and give it a good scrub and polish [it’s amazing how dusty databases can get if ignored].  There are backups.  Oh boy, the backups!!  Files to be created, downloaded and then stored in large cardboard boxes down in the shed.  It’s tedious, but it has to be done just in case the whole site gets fucked up [which does happen].  And then there are updates to be done, and the occasional round with a spanner and screwdriver to tighten up any loose screws or bolts.

Then there is security.

I don't know why, but there appears to be a large population out there determined to get into my engine room.  What the hell do they expect to find in there?  Is Supershadow desperately trying to get in so he can post his messages and inspire the world?  Are anarchists trying to hack in and spread the message of anarchy through my site?  I think I'm doing reasonably well without their help?

The way they do it is to write a programme that picks a user name and then floods the site with random passwords in the hopes of getting in.  The usual name they pick is "admin" which used to be the default user name, which I haven't used in years.  Lately they have been getting more inventive and have tried "headrambles@headrambles", "headrambles.com" and occasionally obscure ones like "wp-login.php?registration=disabled" or "wpengine".

Naturally I am not going to say how I do it, but I have a little yoke that sits in wait for these hackers, and if they try to guess a password they get locked out for a period of not less than 60 days with no remission or chance of appeal.  They aren't even allowed legal representation or indeed a fair trial.  It's off to the slammer and no arguing.

Lately they have been concentrating on this site.  Maybe it's the time of year?  Maybe they are bored with school holidays?  I don't know but they are trying at the rate of several dozens a day, and unfortunately I have to check each attempt to see if they are getting anywhere near my user name.  So far they they haven't come even remotely close but it's better to be careful?  Each one is sent screaming to the cells where they get no food or water and if they get hungry they can damn well catch one of the thousands of rats that abound down there. If you thought Abu Ghraib was bad, you should see my set up.  Fuck them.

I do wish they'd piss off though.

They are exceedingly tiresome.

And my dungeon is nearly full to capacity.