Climate Change: The Next Generation: Chinese hackers have hacked my blog code, disabling followers

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Chinese hackers have hacked my blog code, disabling followers

UPDATE: September 24, 2009

OK, maybe I over-reacted. Well, make that: yeah, I over-reacted.

But I did have Chinese characters from out of nowhere running up at the top of my browser.

I just tried to go to a certain innocuous seeming site called www dot chinajeweler dot com

Guess what? Chrome strongly advised me not to go there!

Whoa! I must be pretty isolated -- I have never been warned off a site before. I guess I don't get out much.

September 23, 2009 UPDATE

Apparently, I am not the only blogger in the world who has lost their "followers." http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=0ec7484f9f4cee69&hl=en&fid=0ec7484f9f4cee6900047442a9bbda85

However, it was on the same day that Chinese characters appeared at the very top line of my Mozilla browser screen.

I expect blogger will get it fixed, sooner or later.

Thanks for sending comments and e-mails to let me know what you could see and not see -- I really appreciate it!

Tenney

Dear Readers,

Although this blog is primarily about climate change science, I have always believed that Chinese government policies are an equal danger to the environment and maintaining our freedoms.

They have already hacked into the U.S. military computer systems and the U.S. electrical grid.

They did this with complete impunity and with the full realization that their hacking would be recognized and they just didn't even care.

Nearly every time I post an article about China, I receive e-mails from Chinese people or I get a Chinese follower.

Well, sorry, but I do not respond to the e-mails and I delete Chinese followers. I know that this is painting all Chinese with the same brush, but yet I do this.

So, anyway, this past week, I posted about China spending over $70 billion to buy up fossil-fuel assets around the world, and what do I get? A Chinese follower.

I subsequently blocked said follower.

What happened next is interesting.

Chinese characters appeared at the top of my Mozilla browser.

My blog's followers have disappeared, and I can't see them.

If you can see the followers to this blog, please let me know at:

apaixonada.por.rio@gmail.com

Thanks!

Tenney

Cynthia McPherson said...

I'm not sure what you mean by "followers". I assume you're referring to posters who make comments following your essays. I didn't see any posts after what your wrote. (?!)

September 22, 2009 10:59 PM

Tenney Naumer said...

I personally dislike the term "followers," but it is the term for the gadget that permits readers to be informed when there are new posts -- there were 54 people connected to this blog, each with their own atavar. Now, where the atavars once were is a big blank space. I will try to contact google to see what can be done to restore them.

September 23, 2009 12:25 AM

owl905 said...

It says 54 bloggers, and there's a square of tiny pictures. Didjeridust is in the upper left corner with a beard.

September 23, 2009 4:24 AM

Anonymous said...

You may already know this - but it looks like your followers are back! Says 54 - is that about right?

September 23, 2009 5:11 AM

Tenney Naumer said...

Well, I am glad you guys can see the 54 "followers" because they are still invisible on my machine. I have a completely separate google account for another blog, and those 6 are also invisible, even though I use Chrome to look at it instead of Mozilla. Does it get any weirder than that? Other blog: gringa-gem-news.blogspot.com

September 23, 2009 8:25 AM

Rick said...: At first, I thought the followers info and icons had gone away after I reopened your site, but then I realized that they had just moved from the TOP of the left-hand column to the BOTTOM of the column. Maybe Google did some reformatting. BTW, thanks for this fantastic blog.
September 23, 2009 7:51 PM
Tenney Naumer said...: Dear Rick, Thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it. I myself moved the followers section to a different location because I still cannot see them. I am glad that others are able. I went to blogspot help and found a discussion where many people are complaining (beginning on the 22nd) that their followers have disappeared. Some say they have reappeared and then disappeared again. Anyway, we will just have to be patient and wait for google to solve the problem, whatever it is. Nevertheless, Chinese characters appeared at the top of my browser on the same day. Best regards, Tenney
September 24, 2009 9:38 AM

7 comments:

Cynthia McPherson said...: I'm not sure what you mean by "followers". I assume you're referring to posters who make comments following your essays. I didn't see any posts after what your wrote. (?!); September 22, 2009 at 8:59 PM
Tenney Naumer said...: I personally dislike the term "followers," but it is the term for the gadget that permits readers to be informed when there are new posts -- there were 54 people connected to this blog, each with their own atavar. Now, where the atavars once were is a big blank space. I will try to contact google to see what can be done to restore them.; September 22, 2009 at 10:25 PM
Unknown said...: It says 54 bloggers, and there's a square of tiny pictures. Didjeridust is in the upper left corner with a beard.; September 23, 2009 at 2:24 AM
Anonymous said...: You may already know this - but it looks like your followers are back! Says 54 - is that about right?; September 23, 2009 at 3:11 AM
Tenney Naumer said...: Well, I am glad you guys can see the 54 "followers" because they are still invisible on my machine. I have a completely separate google account for another blog, and those 6 are also invisible, even though I use Chrome to look at it instead of Mozilla. Does it get any weirder than that?

Other blog: gringa-gem-news.blogspot.com; September 23, 2009 at 6:25 AM
Rick said...: At first, I thought the followers info and icons had gone away after I reopened your site, but then I realized that they had just moved from the TOP of the left-hand column to the BOTTOM of the column. Maybe Google did some reformatting. BTW, thanks for this fantastic blog.; September 23, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Tenney Naumer said...: Dear Rick,

Thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it.

I myself moved the followers section to a different location because I still cannot see them. I am glad that others are able.

I went to blogspot help and found a discussion where many people are complaining (beginning on the 22nd) that their followers have disappeared.

Some say they have reappeared and then disappeared again.

Anyway, we will just have to be patient and wait for google to solve the problem, whatever it is.

Nevertheless, Chinese characters appeared at the top of my browser on the same day.

Best regards,

Tenney; September 24, 2009 at 7:38 AM