What Happened to the Oekaki

[Repost from the previous board]

This is a long-overdue note (I'd expected to have some things resolved by now, but it's never that easy with life and the net, is it?) explaining, basically, what happened and what's being done.

If you don't follow the forum much, you've probably wondered, "Since when is MoogleMB about banking? And where's the Oekaki?" Here's the shorthand version: My host became a right ass. Here's a further explanation:

From 2002 on, I've had an account with the host (who handled the original message board and the Oekaki; the main page and Comics and Hoaxes archive are handled by a different host), and generally been quite happy with them. Unfortunately, for some reason they failed to renew my domain, or something potentially worse. This basically means the site went inaccessible, because no domain = no subdomain = no oekaki.mooglemb.com. Will just the IP work? Nope, besides configuration issues, I discovered by trying to visit with just the IP that the software that handles the accounts refuses to work because no domain is currently configured for it.

No sweat, contact them and get it sorted out, right? Except that their ticket system has gone unanswered. All e-mails are redirected to the ticket system. The phone number reaches an automated hub, but absolutely no choice or option from there will reach a valid number. You can't even wait it out for the operator, same problem. I've even set a flipping FAX in. Nothing.

And to be even more insulting, their automated system is still billing, with no way to remove my information or cancel my account. If I download my e-mail in a few days and find a bill for December, going to have a nice little chat with the credit card company.

I've checked online, and found similar reports of this happening by the host recently. My theory is that they basically went bankrupt, and are trying to scrape together as much money as they can by removing all support, but still syphoning off as much account cash as they can. Distasteful. There was no warning, nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if they get some legal threats for this, but regardless, we're left high and dry thanks to them.

But don't worry too much: I did at one point after this all happened manage to obtain a FULL backup of what was on the server (through no help of the host, again), so when the Oekaki does go back up, everything will hopefully be there that was before. No lost drawings, nothing of that.

The unfortunate part of this is that the "MoogleMB.com" domain may be lost, since it's currently "locked" to them, and I have no way of freeing it up (a mistake I don't think I'll make again). This stinks, but the only thing that can be done is moving on. Either a new domain will be employed, or things will be folded into MoogleCavern.com, it remains to be seen which I'll do currently.

Anyway, I'm sorry that this was such a sudden thing, and that it also took so long for the links on the existing banners to be changed to an explanation (instead of people wandering into the MB, confused, where we proceeded to glue them to the floor so they had to stay in it), I'd hoped to get some things resolved much faster than I have. The issues above and some offline annoyances have gotten in the way of that happening. In the interim, please feel free to share your works in this Artwork Archives area if you have the means to host them alternatively (there are several free image-hosting services, and the board now has an "Attachment" feature you can use as long as you don't actively abuse it), and join in on the MB discussion, we'd probably enjoy hearing more from you.