Even if the master account is broken, unless they gain access to the database, the site is recoverable. EVEN if they trash the database, there is at least an outside chance the provider has backups going back far enough to get most, if not all, of it back.

If they tried to hold a vBulletin site I was hosting or managing for "ransom," that tactic might just work. I'd be laughing so hard I couldn't type to fix it.

I am really surprised it hasn't been fixed before now. Shouldn't be difficult. I don't know who they use as a provider and if it is shared hosting (I suspect it is, based on performance), or a dedicated server set. But I'd think step one is to get the provider to add some network-level blocks to stop the bleeding and then just get out the mops and brooms. Perhaps there is more to it than the obvious.

I truly (not being sarcastic) hope they don't lose the data base.
There is just so much in the archives.
It would be a crying shame if all was a poof.

Don't worry, Wolvie could sell them their history back

The problem with that is that it's no longer searchable.
They become simply graphic files.

Well anyone can use Website Ripper Copier like I do and buy some robo hardrive mini racks and have their own copy of the site
or any site for that matter and search away.

Dang I never knew of such a thing.....you probably used to work for the FBI.....

There have been website crawlers available since the beginning of the Internet. That's how we found stuff before search engines. In those days, we weren't interested in the page unless it met the criteria for which we initiated the search. But even then, you could save all the pages you looked at, for a particular website or otherwise.

What you don't get with crawler software is the mechanical bits. Crawlers can only get the result of a PHP, CGI or other script and not the script itself, so you just get static results. You also do not get results from pages that use variables in the URL, unless you can provide each and every possible option for every variable in every possible combination (a feat near impossibility). Another issue is that some pages display differently for different browsers (especially now, with mobile sites). Crawler software will identify itself as one particular browser platform, and you will only receive the output for that platform. You also may not get all the cascading style sheets, javascript or other support files required to create the pages from non-static content. That's OK, because the static pages will already be formatted for the platform you pretended to be, but it won't help putting together a dynamic site again.

So yes, you can capture a whole site, if it is a simple site without options or variables. You will get one representation of the site per site-grab operation. You can change your parameters and get other platform representations, it will just take more time and disk space. You will save most of the data in one form or another. Putting that data back into a working dynamic form, however, will be a massive undertaking. Still, beats losing it entirely, I suppose.

Yes I remember using WebCrawler!!!! And then we had the ICQ and the primitive AIM!
Good old days..... I had to type the commands...
In the beginning I had a Sinclair ZX Spectrum!
Used a tape player to load the programs

LOL Fuck Book Investigations.......? No Such Agency

No no I'm just a plain ole shit stirrer and A-hole....according to Dennis Fucktard and a few others.

Anyone know specifically where in California he is? Just wondering.

Jon.......your info is accurate but it's the best solution I can afford and I am really only interested in preserving the content as
a whole in it's as is format.

Recreating is not the intent. I have other software that does that and puts it in a custom database that organizes it in a
form that is reproducible and use-able with structure. Damn that kindof sounded NSA like.......never mind it's just a conspiracy.

So RWF is basically fucked now? I just went there to see what's with this whole shenanigans and my browser took me out of there faster than I could blink.
It said some threat something and gone.
So I tried Chrome with the same results.
WTF is going on there?
Can't even go the main page?
Is it just me or everyone has the same result???
Not good! We are going to have Bensen Days and a lot of lurkers won't know shit!
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!!!

Nope, I get the warning window still.

The Russians are responsible,,,,,,,,,

Win 10, Google Chrome and no problem getting on the site.

BUT, when I hit info it say's unsecure.

Jake:
Windows 10 has insecurities about every site that isn't protected with a site certificate. The message we are getting is a google redirect. If Bing (or none) is the default search engine, it lets you go where you want.

Wolverine:
I understand your intention and applaud your efforts to preserve the data. I was merely trying to provide little history, depth and detail in the process, in that some were not aware such methods existed. Despite the limitations, there is no better way to proceed without login access to the server on which it is hosted. My comments were in no way intended to be a criticism.

Jon I can't even get to it because my anti virus won't let me.
It's OK I got no business to be there anyways.
I was just testing to see what it was doing.
If there are others with similar anti virus they can't access it either I assume.
Shitty situation either way.

Jon...no problemo here.......u r exactly right and I was pointing that out......I did not think it critical at all. U r spot on. I was agreeing completely. My methods are just a work around for lack of a better way for me to do it given my level of knowledge
or laziness at this time. It works for me. There is a whole lot of good and valuable info on RWF and I am a info hog and at least I can use my database of things for my own education on things gyro related and then some.

When I die it will all be lost anyway and thrown in a dumpster when my relatives clean out my estate and liquidate my stuff into cash. i am sure my computer stuff will go first.

Jake, I think you will find windoze recognises that the PEOPLE on the site are insecure.... it is trying to warn you

Just saying..........seems I was right. Why should President Trump have all the fun for being blamed for a Russian connection.

WOW.... 27 mill!!!! That's a hit. I was thinking about going v Bulletin but decided to just create our own and have a little learning curve with the new format.
I do like the fact that we stay under the radar