NoStream Update 12/13/16
As many of you are aware, NoStream experienced downtime after a dump of user’s information were released and maximum permissions were granted to every user on the site. This data breach was the direct result of launching the site early on a development server combined with the betrayal of two former staff members. For reasons still unclear, these two staff members decided to lash out by getting ahold of user’s information, changing the email addresses of administrators to disposable email addresses so that they could regain access, threatening to leak more data if the site was not shut down within twenty-four hours. However, they did not need to release any more information as an observant 4chan poster recognized after testing temporary email addresses included in the email leak that the temporary addresses belonged to administrators, using this information to cause havoc and changing the permissions of the user class to the equivalent of sysop.
We are deeply sorry for the effect this had on users, you put your trust in us and we let you down. We had two options: let this be the end or to learn from our mistakes and move on, and after some reflection we decided to try again, this time making sure we got it right. We have moved the site to a secure location that is hidden behind several reverse proxies, purged the entire database implementing a new instance of Gazelle, removing the individuals responsible for the breach, and limiting direct access to the site server to only one user.
Currently we are busy rewriting and organizing Gazelle’s core code to make it easier to add new features, such as the open source log checker, a plethora of design changes, and many more features we hope will enhance the site experience for the casual user. We have also started making changes to the way the ratio system works to incentivize seeding— contrary that off the old system which rewarded users paying out to seed boxes and downloading torrents made free leech before everyone else is made aware.
I know many of you are still hurt and angry about the leak of personal information, as I am myself. The email address I had used for many sites is one of several included in the leak. It would have been easy for us to walk away and give up, but that would not have been fair to all of the users who had put faith in us to begin with. We will strive to go further than the level of quality many trackers have since become satisfied with. Ideas will be sourced from the community, and the best will be implemented in the site. We are all here for the same reasons; to build community and to share the music we love and sometimes it is easy to forget that at the end of the day we are all ordinary people who originate from different regions and different environments who can come together despite all of our differences to express our passion in our favorite artists and bands. As we will not let the downfall of What.CD be the downfall of us; we will not let the downfall of NoStream.co be the downfall of us; we are here to stay until the very last song.
Yours truly,
--aVid