OUR WEBSITE WAS ATTACKED.
Offline Did you notice the issues connecting to the RRS website over the last few days? We were in fact attacked by what is referred to as a DDOS. Such action is a federal crime but due to the nature of the attack, most attackers go uncaught. We will be working with the FBI in an attempt to locate and prosecute the attackers to the fullest extent of the law. We were struck by a similar attack in The War on Easter 06. During this attack NONE of your personal information was violated.
Now a note in how I personally operate...
Whenever someone tries to thwart or take down a project that I believe in, that I believe I can defend logically, instead of getting mad or frustrated I calmly try to determine exactly what the "attackers" intent was. Upon determining intent I make it my goal to counter that intent by working harder on the area that was "attacked." Essentially I find ways to get revenge without actually addressing the attacker at all. An example of this can be seen when I received a funny letter stating that a few Christians were boycotting our site (likely only one), in turn I used the letter as a humorous stunt to attract attention to our efforts, here is the video. Last year we had someone tell us they were going to have our myspace page deleted, I in turn used it as one of the largest single day jumps in membership the RRS ever had, and with the help of the community proceeded to expose the "hater" as someone who was plagiarizing other authors on his myspace blog (here is the thread).
Well this time it was a DDOS attack. I have a feeling the main motive was to merely shut us down, to quiet us, maybe to discourage us from our efforts. In that regard we can speak up more often, I can implore you folks to make more posts here, to talk about religion and it's flaws more frequently, and to just become more active. Aside from that, during the time that our website was down we pulled in no money. Most of you know by now that we're about to take on a heap of expenses in a new home, and therefore money has become more important than ever before. In that regard, as much as we ask for your help, and thanks so much to everyone who helps, I'd like to at least recover the money lost during our downtime, or in an ideal world be able to recover much more than we would've made had the site been up. To that end, there are 3 ways to help.
1. You can donate any amount to Squad operations here
2. You can donate any amount directly to Rook to help cover his moving expenses into the new home by using the chip in module on the left hand side of the page.
3. I have placed a special auction on EBAY. The auction is 3 sets of the same prize package. Some of these items would've been given out for free over the next year, but will now instead be used to recuperate the lost dollars. Please view the auction and bid early. There are 3 lots of the same items!
By the way, we don't think we've completely thwarted the attack yet, the site may be down sporadically until we have it resolved. Additionally as a result of the attack, Zero (our server admin) has decided to yet again upgrade our server company and speed of site. He too operates like me, and is responding to the attack by using it as an opportunity to make our sites stronger and faster. When the transition occurs at the end of the month the site will be down for a few hours. Zero is the owner of doubledoh.com, please support him.
Please become a Patron of Brian Sapient
Support our activism efforts by making your Amazon purchases via this link.
- Login to post comments
I thought so, the site seemed to be behaving like it was compromised. Good work Brian!
I suspected as much. I'd seen the site go down for brief periods before, but not for the 12-24+ hours it did this time. I can't say I'm surprised either. Theists don't have to lower themselves to do this kind of thing. A typical tactic from their corner. Ignore the debate, attack the debator. Sad really. The only real surprise is that they don't try more often.
Good to see it back up again. And though it's not likely to happen, good luck to all involved in trying to track down the culprit(s).
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
I'll bet it was a theist that did all this.
I will try my best to help, donate and be more active!
Atheist Books
This kind of attack from a theist makes even me want to donate.
Bastards.
Unfortunetly, the FBI wont touch it unless you can show something like $3,000 in lost revenue. From what I have heard, they get to many cases to handle and set that threshold amount.
They were very helpful during our War on Easter in which we lost no revenue. I'm not sure if that rule is accurate. I'm not going to call them until my own team of nerds has had a chance to thoroughly analyze everything we can so we can make it very easy for the feds.
Please become a Patron of Brian Sapient
Support our activism efforts by making your Amazon purchases via this link.
Good to hear Brian. Guess they hired more staff.
This was something I heard from Gibson Research (grc.com) a few years ago. He was DDOS'd and got no help or something.
Nice try, god. But it'll take more than an imaginary being to silence reason.
What they're doing to you is in exactly the same way they kept shutting down richarddawkins.net before his tech people finally corrected their situation a few weeks ago.
The target is your "Open DNS Servers".
See where your DNS configuration is failing:
http://dnsreport.com/tools/dnsreport.ch?domain=rationalresponders.com
Get on the asses of whoever it is that handles your domain's DNS configuration. Your DNS report should look as clean as richarddawkins.net is now (their report looked nearly identical to how yours looks now, just a few weeks ago):
http://dnsreport.com/tools/dnsreport.ch?domain=richarddawkins.net
If, in fact, it turns out to be a DOS Attack from theists, I have a question and a statement.
Question: Is their religion so weak that they cannot stand the thought of someone reading and perhaps participating in the forums with information as the kind we have on this site?
Statement: So much for good, loving and gentle theists!
Dylan, please feel free to donate. (Even the theists are using our resources!)
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
This just in: RRS Server stronger than God!!!! (Film at Eleven)
*sob* That's past my bed time.
Organised religion is the ultimate form of blasphemy.
Censored and blacked out for internet access in ANZ!
AU: http://nocleanfeed.com/ | NZ: http://nzblackout.org/
One, dnsreport.com rules (thanks for showing that to me).
And two, your right. Recursive DNS could be used to kill a site by killing its name servers. For nameservers like that it should only resolve itself and domains directly associated and tell any other domain to go away.
Go here if you would like to donate to help pay for server costs
Ivy and I put a bid up on the items on ebay we hope we are out bid because we want as much money to get to the RRS as possible. But we will be happy if we win.
Operation Spread Eagle, Kent Hovind, Creation Science, Evange
Ya think? Either that or Sapient sabotaging himself to drum up further support, which would be a pretty good strategy if he didn't get the FBI involved.
It's because despite their "faith" in their teachings and the absolute power of their god to control the universe, they feel threatened by RRS and a few media personalities. A strong belief system should value skepticism because it tests one's faith, which leads to stronger faith as long as that belief is verifiable as the truth. Only false prophets, teaching a weak faith, fear the questioning of that faith, because they know they might be wrong.
Incidently, the resurrection of RRS supports Old Testament prophecies. The Messiah has returned, and his name is Rational Response Squad.
Yes.
I would buy and donate, especially buy some shirts, but I'm a minor. I guess I'll have to wait a couple of years [I'm 16], get a credit card, and hope the site's still up by then. XD I'm sure it will be, though. I only have faith in you guys! Lol.
myspace.com/miyao
I'd say that my prayers go out to you guys, but that'd just be silly. Keep up the good work- I'm one of those read a lot/say a little types, but thought I should at least voice my support.
This has been going on since the first atheist website was put on the web. What makes these people think that atheists will back down? This site or any other.
It is pathetic that someone would resort to distruction of property to make a point. Atheists expect the criticism and demonization. But most Americans theists or not should value the rights of others to their own personal property.
Whomever you are if you read this, you are no better than animal rights zealots or environmental zealots who distroy personal property. It shows complete inmaturity and lack of respect for the freedom of others.
It is one thing to dissagree with us or even hate us. In this country you can do that. BUT, no atheist I know would attack a Christian or Muslim site merely because it may say something that offends us.
And lets say you did end up shutting this site down(highly unlikely) considering all it's supporters who are determined now more than ever to make it grow, thanks to your pathetic tactics, but lets say......
There are other sites just as big and bigger than this one with just as much resources if not more. Are you going to waste your life pathetically trying to eliminate atheists? We have always existed and will always exist. Insted of risking your freedom by commiting felonies, why not do the right thing and face us and debate us. No one on either side should resort to distruction of property.
Whomever you are, you will not win. The atheist voice will continue to grow. Decent people debate, cowards sucker punch.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
As with any controversial site, I guess this is to be expected. However, I do question the faith these people have. It seems as if their faith is not strong enough to endure a petty website
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server which houses Celebrity Atheists.
I wondered if that might have been why it was down all night Monday and much of Tuesday. Be nice to know who the bitch-ass motherfucker that did it was!
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
They think they are accomplishing something by getting the site off the air for a few hours when in fact they are attracting more atention to it... This agressive mentality is only going to hurt THEIR cause, not ours. We come back stronger and they just look dumber and dumber. I can almost feel sorry for this kind of people.
Good luck with the fundraiser, Brian, I intent to help as soon as I can (don't even have a bank account)! 'Later.
http://youtube.com/phillipetrindade - Reasonable dialogue about atheism. Please visit, rate it and comment. Thanks!
Christians want to fight a Culture War because in such a war, they have the advantage since most of American Society is Christian. But in the War of Ideas that we are fighting, we have the advantage because God is dumb.
-Staks
When the site was down, I felt the pain of the lack of rationality. I thought what it would be like to have no RRS in the world. I tried to remember what the world was like before the RRS, the War on Easter, the Blasphemy Challenge, major news coverage, and before the president of Liberty University was pwned for the world to see.
That is a world much poorer than the world that has come to be.
Shaun
I'll fight for a person's right to speak so long as that person will, in return, fight to allow me to challenge their opinions and ridicule them as the content of their ideas merit.
After seeing how successful this site has been, if it did die, I'd have to create one myself to make up for the loss.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Aw heck. If it did die, it would be resurrected in three days.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
And here I just thought I was having computer issues again.
Well, I'm sorry, guys, but the theist has to say this: if God wanted your website down, it would be down. The quick recovery only shows that somehow, even your site furthers His glory and is part of the divine plan.
That said, the Christian faith has nothing to fear from this site. I hope that the offenders are caught and prosecuted. Sapient hit the mark when he stated that he uses things like this to bolster donations and to advance the project. This kind of attack only helps your efforts, when the goal was obviously to hurt them.
These guys should think twice before pulling a stunt like that again! Instead of shutting down, join the debate!
I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. --Galileo Galilei
Today was the largest amount of registered users to visit our site ever.
Mission Anti-DDOS attack: SUCCESSFUL
Please become a Patron of Brian Sapient
Support our activism efforts by making your Amazon purchases via this link.
lol man you people crack me up. If I took a really big shit, does that further His glory too? Humans fucked with us, and humans fixed the problem, none of God's divine intervention was involved here.
----------------
And Sapient, I think this should be shown to be yet another example of how morality is not found through Christianity, but instead Humanism. RRS wouldn't try to shut down the freakin Christian Coalition's website; even though it is exactly the kind of organization that threatens the secular government that we all would want. In a way, it makes me happy when I see this. It reminds me that one day Christianity will destroy itself from the inside out, and I honestly believe that the only thing left for humans to believe in will be ourselves. Perhaps only then people will learn to respect eachother.
ASK A PRIEST!!!!
I am collecting questions for the next couple of weeks. Do you have a question you'd like to ask a priest? Post it here:
http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/sapient/atheist_vs_theist/5959
If this does, in fact, turn out to be an attack from theists, I think we can all howl with laughter. Yup, even point and laugh at the xian morals being embodied and exemplified by these folks.
If it was an attack from thesits, apparently they think:
WWJD = DDOS
hee hee
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
mind you, there is one site that could do with a little fooling around with.. and that's:
www.godtube.com
it's hilarious..
Fool around with that site? NEVER! It's a brilliant site, perfect for when you've had absolutely shithouse days that just compound pretty bad weeks and you're in the foulest of foul moods as I am right now. Just find a random video and you're garanteed to get a smile back on your face. Humour like that needs to be preserved at all costs.
Organised religion is the ultimate form of blasphemy.
Censored and blacked out for internet access in ANZ!
AU: http://nocleanfeed.com/ | NZ: http://nzblackout.org/
If Christians are responsible for the attack then they must not have paid attention when Jesus said, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matt. 5:44)
Great to see the site's back up! I hope you can get enough info to bring it to the FBI!
Atheists do apreciate the empathy that transends on the issue of personal property. No one should resort to that tactic. But you should take your own advice. Insted of making naked assertions in a thread not intended for debate, start another thread for debate or join a thread that already has a debate going.
Claiming that God had anything to do with this is not the issue of this particular thread.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Well, that explains it thoroughly I guess....
We need to thank god for bringing this ATHEIST site back online and allowing us to discuss his fallacies and non-existence?
Really this is not the tread to debate this. So as far as I am concerned I am going to thank Brian and the rest of the team for working on the problem diligently and getting my home on the web back up!You should expect this when you attack the faith of snake handlers and abortion bombers, and stay away from intellectually robust forms of theism. Keep on with the strawmen.
Come on now Sapient and Co. it is well known that you have been challenged by the fellas at Tria****, but you have been to cowardly to respond.
[edit in by Sapient: Your lies wont be tolerated. Feel free to ask questions, keep the lies going, get banned. I actually exposed your leader on Richard Spencers show last night while he was on, as an immature child. He helpfully proved why he doesn't warrant a response. We respond to theists who at least take a stab at honesty Paul Manata does not. I will have ONE audio file for you within a month or two, and Manata will never be addressed again.]
Do you really think he has time to respond to all the bullshit out there? If you really want a debate volunteer to appear on the show. The RRS has debated all kinds of religious types. I bet they'd tear you a new asshole. At least post the garbage on here.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
Thats cute... That is the same thing young earth creationist say when they cannot answer someone's arguments. You are like the Kent Hovinid of Atheists! I have a new name for your website!
Irrational Responders: Carrying on the Tradition of Madalyn Murray O'Hair.
Dickhead. Try responding in the appropriate area. We probably already dealt with your bullshit, asshole. Again, try asking to be on the show. Bet you don't have the balls.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
He's not welcome on the show. Fans of Manata are just too stupid to warrant our time.
Please become a Patron of Brian Sapient
Support our activism efforts by making your Amazon purchases via this link.
Gosh, I missed you'all !!!
I haven't been able to get on the site since last thursday! I was actually starting to get some work done at my job ...
I'm off myspace.com so you can only find me here: http://geoffreymgolia.blogspot.com
You mean you weren't just sitting there hitting refresh over and over?
Please become a Patron of Brian Sapient
Support our activism efforts by making your Amazon purchases via this link.
Only for the first three days, then I put on some pants, went outside for some pizza and a gin & tonic, came back in and tried again.
I'm off myspace.com so you can only find me here: http://geoffreymgolia.blogspot.com
During the outage the refresh button on my browser broke and I had to go out and download a new browser. Stupid attack!!
Lol. Manata and co. are a bunch of idiots who destroy themselves before anyone else gets a chance to. There's no debate to be had.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
ROFL @ the video sapient made...i've never laughed so hard.
I'm glad the site is up and the douches who are the reason for messing it up pay in every sense.
---George Carlin---
Yeah, my productivity was through the roof during the outage. I'm starting to think that RRS is a theist plot to distract atheist.
Not RRS, but the trolls who post here ... you'all know who I'm talking about ...
I'm off myspace.com so you can only find me here: http://geoffreymgolia.blogspot.com