Cuban Cigar Website Update


Recommended Posts

I don't warrant any thanks whatsoever. The folks involved with this other site do if their intentions are honest. I really haven't the foggiest on how these sites work, I just tend to fluke into finding stuff :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 91
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

I occasionally do......and I cringe a little at my early versions.  I'll be coming out of retirement to help Alex re-establish the website.  It will be a bit like 2008 again.

A few more details have emerged: basically, the host had an automated process in place to create two backup copies every night. The automated process would back up the different sites in the same orde

So the latest is: all is lost. All data on the CCW server is irretrievably erased. Many of you have asked how something like this could happen: it’s as incomprehensible to me as it is to you. The

6 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Yes, it certainly is. I'd say last updated in early-mid 2016? Only the most current 2016 releases are missing like the Edmundo Dantes Belicoso. Hopefully this is all they need to get 99.9% of the info recovered. The last 12 months would be a piece of cake. This may be a great stroke of luck.

Thanks, Rye.

Still hard to believe for me that the CCW host doesn't do backups, and that stuff indeed CAN get lost. Shouldn't. Happen.

It won't be a sabotage act from anti-smoking activists?! :huh:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Still hard to believe for me that the CCW host doesn't do backups, and that stuff indeed CAN get lost. Shouldn't. Happen.

It won't be a sabotage act from anti-smoking activists?! :huh:

Absolutely should not happen. Shoot, even if the data center would burn to the ground... good safe guards would ensure no loss.

If there is any question that adequate safe guards are not in place... then move site asap

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

Still hard to believe for me that the CCW host doesn't do backups, and that stuff indeed CAN get lost. Shouldn't. Happen.

It won't be a sabotage act from anti-smoking activists?! :huh:

Im certain they had backups of some sort. But everybody seems to be forgetting the cost of hosting and regularly backing up a website. Ive never given money to or seen an ad on the site. Somebody is still footing the bill for that backend. Im sure that (just like the rest of us) they had options for quadruple redundancy, regular analogue tape backups stored off site, daily monitoring and guarantees from the hosting company. But since CCW isnt a company, with regualr income, the cost to implement that level of backup is absurd. 

Maybe all the huge fans of the site(me included) can buy one less 5 pack next year and pass that $ along to the guys at CCW to help ensure this doesnt happen again. Free or paid, its the best source Ive ever seen for this info. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Corylax18 said:

Ive never given money to or seen an ad on the site.

That is a great point.  They have a donate button on the site.  I don't know if it was always there or if they added it in the past couple years.  But I recall someone mentioned it within the last couple years and asked for help maintaining it's free and advertisement free service.

Even a modest contribution goes a long way if enough people do it.

I see that the contribution link is on the static page that rye linked to.  Can Alex or Trevor confirm that money to the link on the static will get to the right hands?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, topdiesel said:

That is a great point.  They have a donate button on the site.  I don't know if it was always there or if they added it in the past couple years.  But I recall someone mentioned it within the last couple years and asked for help maintaining it's free and advertisement free service.

Even a modest contribution goes a long way if enough people do it.

I see that the contribution link is on the static page that rye linked to.  Can Alex or Trevor confirm that money to the link on the static will get to the right hands?

If I am not wrong when John interviwed Trevor or Alex he said that the contribution was small but important. I think just them have access to the money/site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, oliverdst said:

If I am not wrong when John interviwed Trevor or Alex he said that the contribution was small but important. I think just them have access to the money/site.

Thanks for responding, but I am just not sure how to contribute now.  If there is a way to do so before they get back up and running I will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

Im certain they had backups of some sort. But everybody seems to be forgetting the cost of hosting and regularly backing up a website. Ive never given money to or seen an ad on the site. Somebody is still footing the bill for that backend. Im sure that (just like the rest of us) they had options for quadruple redundancy, regular analogue tape backups stored off site, daily monitoring and guarantees from the hosting company. But since CCW isnt a company, with regualr income, the cost to implement that level of backup is absurd. 

Ok, we don't actually know and better shouldn't speculate on what actually happened (difficult enough as the situation is right now for Trevor and Alex). But a basic level of data safety I should be able to expect as a customer/user, irrelevant of the tariff I am paying. Not being confronted with the risk of data loss should go without saying. That's the absolute minum prerequisite for a working business concept of any web-hosting provider out there. Cost or price-model is a non-acceptable excuse. I will call that a shitty business that is arguing with cost and pricing and otherwise giving it a shrug.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

Im certain they had backups of some sort. But everybody seems to be forgetting the cost of hosting and regularly backing up a website. Ive never given money to or seen an ad on the site. Somebody is still footing the bill for that backend. Im sure that (just like the rest of us) they had options for quadruple redundancy, regular analogue tape backups stored off site, daily monitoring and guarantees from the hosting company. But since CCW isnt a company, with regualr income, the cost to implement that level of backup is absurd. 

Maybe all the huge fans of the site(me included) can buy one less 5 pack next year and pass that $ along to the guys at CCW to help ensure this doesnt happen again. Free or paid, its the best source Ive ever seen for this info. 

Given the site doesn't change too often, backups would be easy to maintain. I've mirrored a copy of the site in the past for use on my tablet. It's not very big.   As someone who was in the data center/hosting business.  This kind of an outage is brutal.  Even our most basic clients were given very affordable backup solutions if they chose our "bronze/silver/gold"  fully managed offerings.  If they chose to go their own route, we'd swap tapes/CD's/DVD's for them.  Whatever happened here must have been scandalous and a complete lack of due diligence on the part of the provider.  Maybe we should be donating to the site and to hosting mirrors in different parts of the world and put in place some simple load balancing? If that is something Alex or Trevor want to contemplate, I'd lend a hand. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, MaxG said:

Here's an archive link I found on another site.  Using the arrows at the top, you can pick a date.  Looks like the last copy was Nov 28.

https://web.archive.org/web/20161128095326/http://cubancigarwebsite.com/default.aspx

- MG

 

Excellent! :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, MaxG said:

Here's an archive link I found on another site.  Using the arrows at the top, you can pick a date.  Looks like the last copy was Nov 28.

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20161128095326/http://cubancigarwebsite.com/default.aspx

Looks like the mirror link http://cubancigarwebsite.greatcanadiancigarheist.com/default.html  that's up now with the note about Alex (thank you to whomever is hosting this right now!) is slightly more current than the above link from MaxG. I'll also be donating to help assist in the resurrection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex thanks for the update and sorry the recovery isn't possible, I'm glad to hear the resolve in your words and feel positive that CCW will rise again.

I do recall when Trevor was first bringing the site to life on FOH and as has been stated, there is no other more definitive resource for Cuban Cigars information.

Keep the spirits up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assume the back end was either sql server or oracle. There are companies that specialize in fixing corrupted db files or recovery of data from them... as well as servers. I would continue to follow up... that in fact all has been done... as i doubt it. You and many others have suffered a huge financial loss.  I think they are weighing their efforts against cost... and will not exhaust all efforts unless threat of being sued

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ATGroom said:

 

Many of you have contacted me offering donations: unfortunately, this is not a problem that money can fix (believe me, I’ve tried). I was trying to get some scratch together for professional camera setup with a hope to someday doing a print version of CCW, so you can donate towards that if you like. The PayPal link is https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7LAS5ZQPPJAYJ

 

Hi mate just donated $50 to help you get back up and running. Thanks for the hard work for the community's benefit.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, ATGroom said:

May all your smoke rings be round

Ditto, Alex!

Many thanks for taking the time explaining it. Unbelievable, that's a real bummer!

Keep your spirit up, and do let the community know if we can be of any help besides donations.

Cheers,

Goo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Donated as well.  Use it for whatever you want.  Buy beer if that will help.  I'm of course disappointed in the loss of an invaluable resource, but more so I'm absolutely gutted for Alex and Trevor to have poured so much labor into this, only to have it taken away under the worst of circumstances.  I'm sure you both have an idea of how much your efforts mean to the community.  It's great to hear that you're planning to rebuild at some point, although I think everyone would certainly understand if that's too much to ask.  Godspeed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Community Software by Invision Power Services, Inc.