Okay we have concluded the investigation on whether or not Vadis hacked the forum, I have been working with Lehmund on this investigation, and have spent a lot of time and money on it, and was as thourough as we could be, also during this investigation, I found out that the TWT website was hacked as well, we went through the logs on both servers and got the IP from the times that they were hacked, and the IP from the time our forum was hacked, and the IP matched.

We also spent time running down people where Vadis was at during the Rock climbing contest, they can collaberate that he was there and where he was at all times, we have talked to quite a few people on this matter, It has took us both away from what we needed to do for our sites and his game program, but we thought this was worth the effort.

On the IP we found it was another individuals IP and are now investigating it out thouroghly, and if that IP is valid with who we suspect it is, it will be dealt with both by us and criminally, I want to help make this place a safe place for our community, and do not need people like this causing discontent among its people.

Okay, first of all the people we contacted can vouch for Vadis' where abouts during the night and time in question. And there are witnesses that were there where he was as well as others in the competition that can vouch as well, we talked to quite a few people on this matter and kept on at them at various times to see if any stories changed, and they stayed consistant.

Okay I have had a lot of time invested in this investigation and others have too. Lehmund had even more than me tied up on it and conciderable amount of money as well.

The conclusion of this investigation is this:
Out of what we can find, there are witnesses and others that can vouch for the where abouts of Vadis at the time of the incident, and the incident that took place at the TWT site just a little over a week or so before, during the time in question, the rockclimbers, Vadis included were our partying to unwind, and there were witnesses at the establishments they were at that can vouch for their times there, and were willing to testify to that fact.

Here is the conclusion:
With the evidence gathered, we can't find any wrong doing on Vadis' part on the hacking of the ClassicTW site, this was brought about by myself and Lehmund the CEO of the TWT site, also with help of others that I employed to look at it too.

So with the outcome of this investigation, I am going to reinstate Vadis' account, he has been on ban now for a while, and this was for his own good as well as the community, but with no evidence of any wrong doing, there is no further need to have him banned, and punish an innocent.

I have to say my apollogies to him as well, because I also originally thought he was guilty of the charge, but that was due to him coming to me to say we have an issue on our site, at that time I didn't know it was due to a recent hack of their site, that he wanted to contact me to let us know we may have an issue with our site after investigating it, he researched the portal makers and found that there was in issue with the cookie, and when he got with me we tried it, and he did find an issue while online with me, so I assumed he was guilty, and later found out that he found that info from the makers site just before contacting me, and like I said, I assumed he was guilty of the hack.

Which now I know he didn't do, and was trying to help out our site to help keep it from being hacked, and he found out that it already had been after we talked.

I now offer my appologies to Vadis on this matter and respectfully withdraw my accusations and retract the comments I made as well.

I also offer this as well to the other staff, admin and mods too, if anyone has said something to hurt the reputation of Vadis, I ask that any and all express their apollogies and retractions as well.

I hear that Vadis also is trying to get into college and other things, and being innocent, this kind of publicity can hurt and damage things for him, and can cause some major issues for us as well. Legal reprocussions and so forth, but that isn't why I am doing this, I am doing it cause it is the right thing to do. Also somehow this mess has spilled out to other places as well. Outside the TW community, and that isn't good.

Now I would like to thank Sylien and their crew on the help on this investigation, and hope we can repair any damage between our two groups and finally get along as one community under TW, despite there are two different versions, we both are dedicated to the game of Trade Wars.

I guess when it comes to it, they are as dedicated to the Trade Wars name as we are, also Lehmund has been a player of our version in the past. So now I can understand his motivation on making a mainstream game on our game.

In closing, I would like to say this, if any of this could be taken back I would like to do it, unfortunately some of it has already gotton out to the other communities. Now is the time to really heal the community and the other one as well, we need to be as one in thought and purpose, the game of Trade Wars, both ours and the TWT, ours can help to get theirs off the ground, and theirs can revitalize ours. Cause when users start playing their version, they will get curious on what the original was like, and will come to tryout our version, so we all can benifit.

Now is the time to put the witch hunt behind us and let Vadis get on with his life and his work for the TWT game and become one of the community again. I know he can be abrasive somewhat, so can some of us, but that is just a personality flaw that can be worked on, he is really not a bad person.

I hope others can follow my lead and give a person a second chance, I know some of you people will not probably give it, but it is all I can do is just ask for it. I am willin to give my chance to Vadis, and if he proves to be an asset to the community then it would have been worth it to me.

There has been too much damage to our community, and too much finger pointing on things, now is the time to heal it and bring us all together, this is the first step in that process.

Vadis you have my heartfelt apollogy and best wishes, I hope that this mess will not cause any harm to your future to the dreams you are trying to make come true, and that your reputation can recover from this mess.

Best wishes and sincere hope and apollogies,

Vulcan

I back you Vulcan,
Thank you for your time and thourough investigation so that we can be sure we have facts, not just accusations.  I know this attack was criminal in nature, and deserved an investigation, but maybe we were to quick pulling the trigger on this, and accusing someone. You did what needed to be done, and handled it as well as any of us could have, most likely better.
Vadis,
I've talked a lot with you in the past, and I have to say I too had my questions after things you told me in private, but hoped it wasn't true.  If I really can't remember every conversation that has taken place since that hack, but if I've said something to offend you or tarnish your name, I too am sorry.  I hope you can forgive our community for their accusations, and can continue to work with us as you were trying to do in the past.  You're very skilled, and your help could be of great benifit to us.
Everyone else,
I agree that the past should be the past, and lets work on a bright future for this site, and all sites.  There is no reason we have to pit sites agains each other (Unless it's a tournament    )  I hope all forums and game sites thrive and are active.  TW is getting some new player sites poping up, some renewed interest in sysop helps, and scripters are actively working on improving their skills.  Together we can continue to grow this game, and take it to another level, maybe even farther that we thought it could go even last year.  I know there is some radical stuff in the works.

This is disturbing. The Vadis investigation was over when you choose to ban him. I thought we were waiting for the authorities to investigate and prosecute.

It doesn't really prove anything if he was at a rock climbing competition or that people could vouch for him being there. This is the Internet.

I do wonder why you guys wasted money investigating. Are you as capable as the authorities to investigate computer crimes?

It is truly disturbing that the crime was not reported to the authorities.

Cerne

The thing about IP's and the internet, what appears to be absolutely positive, may not necessarily be.  There are unlimited ways to access the internet from remote locations, and also many ways to reroute your connection through other hubs using different IP's other than your own.  Not many people can actually track down a amateur hacker, and very few can track down a good hacker.  Since this issue has gone so long without an ISP investigation, I doubt very much that the truth will ever come out. 
Good Luck, but like I said the internet is sort of like magic, all smoke and mirrors.   

sounds to me like someone was judged and accused publicly (Guilty before proven Innocent), and threats of a law-suit ensued.. thereby effecting an 'in-house' investigation.. and lo-and-behold.. justice is served, authorities need not be notified. Or maybe I watch too much Law & Order

i wonder how much vulcan is getting paid for this.. maybe a lifetime membership to TWT lol

Common guys!  What's up with this,.. sure there are ways to bend the internet just like everything else,.. I think what Vulcan has said is that the person in question wasn't even near a keyboard when the attack happened.  Not that he was in an internet cafe in a remote location.
It's up to Vulcan how he handles this,.. he's put forth the money to host this site.  If he wants to press charges, it's his business.  Who are we to tell him how to run this investigation on his site, with his money.  Has anybody paid to use this site?
Lets cut some slack here,..  He's done a bang up job to try to get to the bottom, rather than saying it looks like someone did this, and accuse him of it and leave it at that.  If the one we accused is innocent can we not step up and do the right thing and say sorry?  We're better than this. 

Why argue about it?

I just said it was disturbing that the matter wasn't turned over to law enforcement.

Step 1 would be to check the logs, obviously the hacker IP and an IP Vadis used on this site were the same or at least the same subnet or an accusation would never had been made in the first place.

Step 2 would be to notify abuse at whatever ISP owned the IP block and to notify the proper legal authorities, probably the FBI computer crimes unit since the hack took place across state lines.

Just as obviously, step 2 never happened or we wouldn't be having this conversation.

It seems very convenient that TWT was hacked at the same time, by the same person but it doesn't come to light except to attempt to support the claim that Vadis is innocent.

Its strange that although Big D, Space Ghost, and I were all implicated in the hack, we were exonerated withing hours but it takes 2-4 weeks to get Vadis off the hook.

And like I said, why argue about it. Damage is done and TWT is pretty much dead to all. (Well, to all who have ever played Traditional TradeWars)

Good luck to them.

Personally I just think Vulcan is too trusting and has let Lemund and the TWT spin doctors pull the wool over his eyes.  But that is just my opinion.



Cerne

of course, this still begs the question, "who hacked the forums?"

anybody?

It doesnt really matter to me that "valdis" was exhonerated in some fashion.....I never propreated the notion that he was guilty so it bothers me not...
BUT he is STILL the guy that threatened to make this site "unofficial".  That fact hasnt changed...He still tried to intimidate the Admins here to NOT have a "SMACK" talk forum......He also has sent several IM messages about getting back at me personally.
These are fact that can't be disputed....
It's also still a FACT that Valdis tried to tell me i had to get rid of Misbehavin as a moderator because she refused to have anything to do with him.....
I can go on about some other things with VALDIS but I will not...I am glad only for JP that the people making TWT were found blameless (??) And if you stop and think about it..How could it be otherwise? Would any of you continue to buisness with an organization that employeed someone who HACKED your customer service forum for you other products??
 
Congrats to MooMoo aka Valdis...But in my mind Nothing has changed....
 
 

OMFG this is rich. Yet still.... arg * it, it isnt worth it. Good luck some people are *ing out of thier mind.

I think you need to re-read my post.  I never implicated that Vadis did it.  As a matter of fact, I stated that it is nearly impossible to pin point any one person, because there was no investigation by people that actually have the skills to track down a true hacker.  Even the best investigators sometimes have a rough time tracking IP's if the hacker is very smart.
 

Sorry D, wasn't pointing fingers at you, or anyone in general,.. just felt like the tone of the posts were attacking Vulcan, accusing him of not handling the investigation right, and I didn't see the need for that.  I'm sorry if I steped on anybody's toes.  I just wanted to point out that we have to respect the way he handles his own business.  We don't have to agree with it, but it's his business and not ours.
Personaly I think he did a fine job.
 

Well said. I Personaly think this thread should be lock and maybe the topic posted in a disscussion area. Although it really doesnt matter what people think it... well it is what it is. If *Some People* dont like it, they should just keep it to them selfs.

Vuclan handled it the way he thought was correct. The fact is if the police were called and someones name was brought up in that its could be found out and could have made things even worse. You know with everyone being sue happy these days and all.

Lets just put it to rest and the ones that should, well chew crow and say im sorry.

Oh I didn't say that the authorities weren't involved or anything else.

also the ban was for Vadis' protection as well, and I have some new leads to follow up on as well, and when there is proof positive, then the authorities will handle thins.

If anyone misunderstands what I was doing with this, sorry. I have to put out the money for this site to stay alive, and had to take some of that operating expense to apply to the task of this investigation, and other matters that deal with this issue.

Trust me I am not letting someone go, that is guilty, but at the same time, I will not condemn a persons career on false charges either.

I know how arragant Vadis can be, but that is his nature. Nothing wrong with that, and he got off on the wrong foot on trying to make our site unofficial, his stance on that is changed now. He is now working on trying to help make things better on this site now. And as long as he is wanting to help, I will back him. As well as anyone that is a member of our community.