#stuff Apologizes for Holding Retro Accounts “Hostage”

Duplicate Accounts on Side Forum Deleted

The hundreds of Sonic Retro forumers who had their account information copied over to a somewhat unrelated side forum need not worry about the security of their data any longer.

After tense discussions overnight, a truce has been forged between Retro forum head Tweaker and the man who copied that information over to a separate area on PoundStuff.Net, x64.  It had been alleged–though not yet proven–that x64 would attempt to phish or sniff passwords and other sensitive information from Retro forumers who had followed E-mail instructions to login to #stuff forums.  That E-Mail was mailed out to all Retro members.

As a part of the agreement reached between Retro and #stuff, all accounts carried over to the secondary forum but not yet activated have been purged.

Here’s the statement released early this morning by x64, announcing the agreement:

After a heartfelt night of arguing, bitching, yelling, screaming, apologizing, crying, on skype. Tweaker has agreed not to be an asshole to me anymore, and since he’s no longer being an asshole to me, I no longer am going to be an asshole and hold 1700 users hostage. I’m not going to lie, this was a dick move, and I’m sorry for screwing you all over and spamming you because I had a fight with my friend.

Every user that has not explicitly posted on Stuff, has been deleted from our IPB. Also deleted are users that expressed interested in being deleted.

#Stuff and Sonic Retro are no longer tied to each other in any way except through the few users that are common members to both communities.

Prior to the agreement, another mass E-Mail was sent to Retro forumers by #stuff. Among other items, it denies having access to users’ passwords, or using a password sniffer to obtain that information–and proclaimed a good relationship with Sonic Retro and its administrators. The letter also clarified details of an attack yesterday on the Sonic Stuff Research Group forums, in which a user’s account was compromised by a now banished member of #stuff.  According to the letter, the matter was promptly resolved with cooperation between #stuff and SSRG administrators.

The E-Mail in question was apparently sent out in response to a story TSSZ News ran yesterday regarding the conflict between Sonic Retro and #stuff. Within the letter were accusations that some material in our story was “completely wrong.”

On Retro’s side, Tweaker informed Retro members that the matter has been resolved, and that users need not worry about the security of their accounts.