NEWS - HadIt.com - Update HadIt.com To Remain Open

[Tbird]

NEW!!! HadIt.com Veteran to Veteran To Remain Open

A group of volunteers has stepped up to keep HadIt.com up and running. We need more volunteers and we would love your input on the future. Join us at one of the following Zoom Meetings to be a part of the conversation.

Dec 17, 2022 14:00 MST

Jan 7, 2023  14:00 MST

Jan 14, 2023 14:00 MST

[Bonzai]

Tbird,

Not much can affect me anymore, but this posting brought tears to my eyes.  I know how much time and effort you and others put into this labor of love.  I still miss messing with Carlie...

Louis

[capitan]

55 minutes ago, Tbird said:

IMPORTANT UPDATE about HadIt.com Veteran to Veteran 

I am writing to you today with some important news about the future of HadIt.com Veteran to Veteran. Dec 17, 2022, will be HadIt.com's and our Community's last day on the web.

First and foremost, thank you for your service and sacrifice to our beloved country—and each other on HadIt.com for over 25 years.

What Happened

After several months of investigating why the site's traffic and revenue dropped, I am sorry to report that HadIt.com is the victim of a Negative SEO Attack. This malicious attack has destroyed our traffic, Google rankings, and advertising revenue.

The Future of HadIt.com Veteran to Veteran

I planned to retire early next year and had wanted to sell HadIt.com to someone who would keep this Community online and continue to help disabled veterans file their VA disability claims.

Unfortunately, this attacker has taken that possibility away from veterans.

Try as I might, I cannot recover from this. It is devastating, mainly because it was not a random attack.

Dec 17, 2022, will be HadIt.com's last day on the web.

Timeline

• Nov 17, 2022, No new registrations in the community.
• Nov 30, 2022. No new posts or replies in the community.
• Dec 17, 2022, The Community.HadIt.com and HadIt.com will go offline.

HadIt.com will remain online until Dec 17, but no new content will be added. Community.HadIt.com will also remain open for reading, but no new users will be able to register, no new topics can be started, and no new replies can be made. 

Why This Happened

We all deal with our issues differently. Unfortunately, some people lash out and hurt others. It is challenging to discover who initiated the attack, though we've had some luck. Loose lips sink ships.

This site was my life's work, and for whatever reason, they did this without concern for my well-being or the well-being of the thousands of veterans this site helps.

Things to Know About HadIt.com

HadIt.com has always been different from the many other sites that assist veterans in the VA claims process. When I started this site 25 years ago, other websites weren't doing what we do. There are many competitors, but they often come with a catch; some require subscriptions, some sell books, and others herald their own hero stories. When I started HadIt.com 25 years ago, other websites weren't doing what we do. There weren't many sites at all, let alone for veterans trying to file a claim.

At HadIt.com, though, you were the hero. It was a place where the average veteran could make a difference in another veteran's life. That was the story of HadIt.com.

On at least three occasions, I spoke to a veteran contemplating suicide and talked them into calling the crisis line. Frankly, if that is all I ever accomplished, I would be good with that. Yet I have accomplished everything I set out to do and more—more than I could have dreamed possible.

As a female Navy veteran with Complex PTSD, Major Depression, and various physical ailments, starting and running this site was not easy. I taught myself VA law and HTML from scratch beginning in 1994. After yet another frustrating call with the VA, I said, "I've had it!" and the domain name was registered that same day. I did all the work on the site. There was no staff except for a few volunteer moderators over the years. Those volunteers deserve our gratitude. They certainly have mine.

I learned a lot about VA Claims, shared that information with you, and created a community where you could share information and support each other. I shared some of my struggles on the site to let you know you are not alone, and so did you. I am so proud of what we accomplished together.

You Should Know

This culprit has enabled me to move on to my well-deserved retirement. But I deeply regret not being able to pass it on to someone who can continue to support veterans in the same way.

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the support you gave HadIt.com and me for 25 years. I am gratified that my small attempt to help my brothers and sisters has succeeded.

Please continue to help one another in any way you can. You are not alone. There is help. Getting the compensation you deserve is possible. What doesn't kill us will make us stronger.

"Leave No One Behind, Not On A Jungle Trail, Not On A Desert Trail, Not On A Paper Trail" ™

"One Person Can Make A Difference. Be That Person."

"Tbird" Theresa Aldrich

My mission has come to an end. It's time for my watch to stand relieved. "Boatswain...Standby to pipe the side...HadIt.com Departing..."

Fair winds and following seas.

This disabled combat Marine vet (Capitan) finds it hard to believe that a website such as this could be the victim of a malicious attack. Many of the hopes of America's defenders of freedom are going down with the ship, without a shot fired.

[Tbird]

21 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

I've got a masters in IT Sec, I know how they (SEO attacks) work. I just wondered if the content itself could be saved, at least for a period of time, like a year. Eventually VA regs changes world render some of the information obselete but that's always been an issue. At least it would keep the info up for awhile. 
 

What is the status of members identifying information? I'm assuming that was encrypted so there isn't any chance of that coming to bite people? 

Sorry didn't mean any offense. I've spent weeks explaining the situation to many folks who are not as computer savvy as you.

There is no threat to member information. It is encrypted and has been scanned regularly.

As far as keeping things online. I am sorry no that is not an option.

[Tbird]

22 minutes ago, Bonzai said:

Tbird,

Not much can affect me anymore, but this posting brought tears to my eyes.  I know how much time and effort you and others put into this labor of love.  I still miss messing with Carlie...

Louis

I miss Carlie all the time and so many others we have lost over the years.

[Tbird]

24 minutes ago, capitan said:

This disabled combat Marine vet (Capitan) finds it hard to believe that a website such as this could be the victim of a malicious attack. Many of the hopes of America's defenders of freedom are going down with the ship, without a shot fired.

oh there have been plenty of shots fired at me, I can assure you.

[brokensoldier244th]

12 minutes ago, Tbird said:

Sorry didn't mean any offense. I've spent weeks explaining the situation to many folks who are not as computer savvy as you.

There is no threat to member information. It is encrypted and has been scanned regularly.

As far as keeping things online. I am sorry no that is not an option.

Oh, none taken!

Just tossing out ideas. I suppose someone could locally archive the whole site for reference purposes but your Host likely has something in place to deter that, too. Site-rippers hit 10,20, 30 links at once to download the info and then reconstitute on the other side, its a pretty invasive process not really meant for whole sites, more like, parts of sites.