MTFCA Forum

Am I the only one getting greyer waiting on this site again ????

All good here Steve!

Thanks for the reply, Kevin - must be time to reboot the modem !

Slow here. Cannot download Ron Patterson's post.

For those complaining about slow Forum, just try to remember dial-up modems, or maybe sell the Model T and get a Corvette.

No one was complaining. Just stating facts and asking if others are having the same issue.

Seems pretty good here. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Don't know why it might be slow. Wasnt it nice when you just assumed you might be getting spied on?

Yes we are working on the problem .... again.

We thought we had it beat but the bad guys keep dreaming up new ways of attacking.

Chris et al

glad to know it was not just me that was having a issue

Response is still not where it should be but at least it is useable.

We are continuing to work on the issues.

Chris

And sorry Chris but I'm still gonna say we need to quit providing the bad guys with all our private info at the right of these posts. It's NOT necessary.

It is a Model T Forum!!!! T's are noted for being slow to start, slow to warm up, slow to drive, and slow to stop! and I am old and slow to learn!
Norm

Norm, when I first open the website for the forum, there's this page that comes up that says "there is no posts for this forum" or something like that. But it's "normal" (whatever that is) when I log on. Weird.

Just curious, last night there was a record 8635 users on the forum….. when it was almost impossible to get on. Is this a real number, or is it connected with the people messing with the site?

We set the Guests to not have access to any forums but this really didn't affect anything that's we you don't see the forums before you log in.

The reporting of guests is all these bots and what have you trying to get in.

Chris

"We set the Guests to not have access to any forums but this really didn't affect anything that's we you don't see the forums before you log in."
Sorry but could you please clarify that. I/others post links to information/posts on the site to other pages. Will people who are not signed up to this site be able to open and read the linked pages?

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 24, 2025 7:08 pm

Am I the only one getting greyer waiting on this site again ????

Yesterday was: Oh NO. Not Again. Today is OK, again.

Any idea why this forum is being targeted and not others?

Jim Eubanks wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 05, 2025 4:20 pm

Any idea why this forum is being targeted and not others?

I don't know, but maybe Dan McEachern had the best solution; Limit access to the website to users who are valid members of the MTFCA and MTFCI and require them to enter their membership number to gain access.

Steve,

I'm in Marysville Wa and have not had any slow down since the upgrade several months ago. My server is Comcast. I use a cheapo laptop with not special upgrades. When I sign on now it takes a few seconds to see if I'm a human(there is some consideration by my significant other that I might not be).

Every 3 months I take my laptop to the geek squad for a clean out. Not due to a slow running laptop but gets rid of the garbage in the background.

brasscarguy(frontyboy)

I posted over 2 years ago about shutting down the site to guest and other non payers. You are not going to win against the "AI Bots". They learn your defenses and counter measures at a rate of 1,000 % plus. They are currently testing your system before coming in for the ultimate kill. The NSA knows this and the "Cubic" in quantum has been compromised and breached. Log in/log out. Be Careful!

If there is a way to get around the safeguards there are folks who will figure out how to do it. In the digital world it’s always going to happen. I don’t always get on quick and for some reason it’s usually slower in the afternoon. More use in the afternoon and evenings it seems. Thanks Chris for keeping out digital pirates as best as you can.

Sunday, April 6, and unfortunately it has slowed down again. My questions are why do we continue to use this company to host our forum? Is it the cheapest? Is it the only company left in the US that hosts this software? Do they offer any kind of support or do Chris and Jeff have to do it all?

Up to 578 guests again tonight and it’s pretty much unusable.

Admins what can we do to help, anything?

ModelTGal

It's back up to speed for me.

Allan from down under.

No access yesterday; OK today.

We are continuing to work on the problem, trying different options.

It is not a problem with our host, it is a problem with unauthorized access mostly due to the current situation with AI bots et al.

It is also not a problem with being an authorized (or paying) user.

Chris

If this situation keeps up, I will be forced to abandon this Forum and go back to working on my cars.

ChrisB wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:34 am

We are continuing to work on the problem, trying different options.

It is not a problem with our host, it is a problem with unauthorized access mostly due to the current situation with AI bots et al.

It is also not a problem with being an authorized (or paying) user.

Chris

You can report the IP address(s) that are hitting your site or they can ID them.
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber

I know a member has asked the question, previously, (I just don't remember who it was) but WHY, the MTFCA? Why do hackers and people with ill intent, pick on the MTFCA website? It is the ONLY website on the internet that I have ever found to be attacked in such frequency.

TMiller6 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 07, 2025 4:42 pm

If this situation keeps up, I will be forced to abandon this Forum and go back to working on my cars.

Now that's a drastic measure, Tom.

Could not get in for 3 days

ModelTWoods wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 07, 2025 5:30 pm

I know a member has asked the question, previously, (I just don't remember who it was) but WHY, the MTFCA? Why do hackers and people with ill intent, pick on the MTFCA website? It is the ONLY website on the internet that I have ever found to be attacked in such frequency.

Coupla thoughts here....first, when AI started rearing it's ugly head last year, I warned about how big of a problem it WILL be. Well, it's HEEEERE! I believe many didn't believe me or it. Buckle up people, we're in for a bumpy ride. I myself have been attacked by AI and it's threats. Nuff about that. Second, this is why I keep harping as to why in the heck do we have to put out to the right of each post what seems to be "innocent, minimal personal info:?? " People, it's a starting point for any hacker who also happens to use AI for no good purpose. I'll say again, I chose a random name months ago, googled it, and long story short I was able to practically look into his front door from his almost $500K house in florida! If I were up to no good on AI, trust me, I could then go a lot further. We need to stop this nonsense on here. There's NO reason for our personal info out to the right. If a person wants to know more about the posting author then that person can make contact through the OP's profile which of course requires the inquirer to be REGISTERED here on the forum. Why is this so difficult?

First time access for several days here too.

switch the server to magneto

“Love2Ts” has a very good point regarding our personal information, and security issues. Folks who have been burned by hackers are understandably gun-shy of being so easily exposed to crooks (world-wide) who seek to use technology to commit crimes.

The easy transparency of this forum is likely the “bait” attracting con-men, fraudsters and evil doers. Sadly, it seems the days are gone when we could use the web without being victimized. Any thoughts ?

Rich Bingham wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:00 am

“Love2Ts” has a very good point regarding our personal information, and security issues...

Any thoughts ?

My thoughts are to please remove your membership numbers from your personal info. NOBODY viewing our postings needs to know that. I just updated mine.

Rich Bingham wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:00 am

“Love2Ts” has a very good point regarding our personal information, and security issues. Folks who have been burned by hackers are understandably gun-shy of being so easily exposed to crooks (world-wide) who seek to use technology to commit crimes.

The easy transparency of this forum is likely the “bait” attracting con-men, fraudsters and evil doers. Sadly, it seems the days are gone when we could use the web without being victimized. Any thoughts ?

I agree with Rich, Jerry, and "Love 2 Ts, point. I don't know how I missed the fact that all our information is displayed with every post for all hackers to see. I had previously posted that Dan McEachern had previously posted that access to the Forum be limited to members of the MTFCA (and MTFCI, too, as this is the hobbies most popular Forum), assuming membership numbers would be used as the "key" to log into the Forum. I, blindly, overlooked the fact that all our personal information (including MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS) are posted by every post. As long as the membership numbers are posted, using them to limit access to the Forum would be like locking and leaving your house and leaving the key to the lock in your front door lock. Assigning new membership numbers or any other log in numbers or codes would be a monumental task.

wow, like lightning at the moment~!

as for members and non members posting, not everyone that is interested in a model T wants to join a club just to learn a few basics. i don't know a good solution but blocking everyone except for the few in the "clic" does not help the hobby grow.

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:25 am

My thoughts are to please remove your membership numbers from your personal info. NOBODY viewing our postings needs to know that. I just updated mine.

Please don't do this, this is what sets you into the MTFCA Member group.

I have changed the setting to not display the membership numbers.

Do not request that we hide all the information, your name & location are required to register and will continue to be displayed.

Chris

I really liked it before when I could just view the forums without logging in. It was a fast way to check to see what was going on and then log-in if I had something to contribute. That being said, I SUPPORT CHRIS in whatever he needs to do to keep this site working! If it takes me an extra minute to see what's new, then so be it.

If a hacker wants to pay for a lifetime membership for me I’m all for it.

ChrisB wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 08, 2025 6:49 pm

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:25 am

My thoughts are to please remove your membership numbers from your personal info. NOBODY viewing our postings needs to know that. I just updated mine.

Please don't do this, this is what sets you into the MTFCA Member group.

I have changed the setting to not display the membership numbers.

Do not request that we hide all the information, your name & location are required to register and will continue to be displayed.

Chris

Chris,

Thank you! I'll restore my membership number.

Thank you Chris!
I don't say much on the forum right now but I hadn't been allowed in for more than a month.
Again, thank you.

I'm confused. Who or what the hell wants to attack this Forum? The chevrolet club of America? Just who? What's the point?

Charlie, This is a family oriented forum. Please refraine from usig the "Ch..." word in futire posts.

Good one Noel!

Chris and whom ever else helps with keeping the forum going thank you for what you do.

If people knew all the information that has been collected concerning them, many would probably quit using their computers. Just go through a TSA pre check or Nexus interview. It's is kind of unnerving the amount of information the government has on it's citizens and I don't have any social media accounts.

Noel ... Charlie may say that word a few times but he is a real good Model T guy... I guess we all have a little divergence once in awhile.

I glanced at the Lincoln Forum last night and saw bad news. Apparently they experienced a similar attack on March 11 and their server provider shut down their site. They now have a splash page explaining the outage and they’re in the process of backing up the forum to preserve the information.

I see that what happened on this Model T site could have gone very wrong and I’m happy this site remains alive.

I really get along with the forum pretty well a look at it everyday. I happily even received my March/April Vintage Ford yesterday, which is a huge improvement over getting the January/February issue on March 31ST . The USPS in central Indiana is hopefully the mend !!! Happy Easter to you all !

On the mend !