Agora update -- meh.

Agora just posted this brief note on the forums. No definite timetable for return to normalcy. :-\

EDIT: [speculation deleted after deposits started to appear 24 hours later. :) ]


Comments


[12 Points] gramsadmin:

I don't know what is going on over there but apparently they are directing their users with lost deposits to my thread about recovering helix deposits. In the past 2 days I have had several emails for confused Agora users asking me to fix their Agora deposits. When I ask them for some info about the helix id and such they say, they never used helix or Grams but the Agora admins told them to talk to me and pointed them to my post about recovering Helix deposits.


[7 Points] None:

meh


[6 Points] None:

Does anyone actually sit and think what it takes to run one of these sites? On dedicated hardware no less? It is thanksgiving week, they are people too. It's obvious that this isn't a scam. I understand your frustration, but there is absolutely nothing you can do. Perhaps they realized an attack vector from the recent FBI operation and are working to fix it. Please do not take this as an attack, I am seriously not trying to make you feel as though your money is worthless. But at a certain point, we just have to trust that they are doing everything they can to fix the issue. The fact that the forums are now up could be a sign. I read somewhere that the forums and payment processing were on the same server, I do not know how true this is and honestly it seems pretty dumb but maybe they had a reason. And maybe that reason is not valid anymore after the recent operation. It is shady that it happened at the time that it did, but if you look at it from a different angle it was the best time to happen.

And if they are pulling some sort of scam, nothing you say will be able to change that. I had to tell myself that many times over using DNM's.


[7 Points] kirkkommander:

Decided to make this a top comment for exposure, but others have been discussing similar scenarios below.


Agora

Agora has historically (at least in my experience) given suppressed remarks on security issues and downtimes, especially until the cause has been mitigated and the solution tested. Even then we rarely see more than a couple lines saying "alls good" or "the issue was related to [insert low-detail reason]".

Check out their forum post on why such downtimes are better than possible alternatives:

http://lacbzxobeprssrfx.onion/index.php/topic,33275.0.html

So, running a site such as this is like operating on a digital frontier. Shit changes on the daily, and there is no way to know whats coming next. Is the downtime acceptable in order to utilize more security protocols than perhaps is necessary? How would a sitemaster know what protocols are necessary, or overboard? They couldn't possibly.


BlackBank

Another thing that happened today that has gotten far less mention is BlackBanks sudden downtime. Lasted about 8 hours and all parts of the site, market, forum, and wiki, were unavailable. I was unable to find a warning of said downtime, but got a message recently saying it was simply scheduled downtime. Hmm..


Don't be hasty in jumping to conclusions

Something was found, either by Agora or BB operators, and I don't think we're ever going to get much more info besides the "forums are up" or "after prioritizing the issues they were fixed accordingly". People more in the know, please correct me or send me additional info because I am quite curious as to what exactly went down.

Finally, you can never be too careful. While I think posts such as the OP are unfounded at the moment, it never hurts to keep such possibilities in the back of your mind. Just don't be hasty with the tinfoil hat. Just keep it handy.


TLDR1: I still support the Agora team, and believe the issues are consequences of changing security protocols due to some discovered information or an educated suspicion, along with the vast population growth that has occured. Rather than fixing issues I believe they are overhauling systems.

TLDR2: BlackBank also had downtime today, could it be related? A much smaller market, but facing similar increases in usage and LE scrutiny.

TLDR3: Holy fuck this is interesting shit. Anyone with info please share! To think, we are living in the last ages of the anti-drug era. It's like a wild west out there running those markets, and it tickles me that technology, ever-changing as it is, allows for innovations that keep one step ahead of LE. Man I love it.


[3 Points] the1337one:

Yea a ponzi scheme would make sense


[1 Points] jimmyd1987:

finally a bit of sense from the mods, also please delete the shill posts so people aren't being told lies by idiots.


[0 Points] _-________________-_:

it may be a hack or something, but their post at least assures that it's probably not an exit scam (it will make certain that no one deposits $$ to the site until this is fixed).


[0 Points] None:

[deleted]


[-3 Points] None:

[deleted]


[-9 Points] 1ugly:

What's Agora? Oh yah, that old shit.