So I have been pushing my twitter, facebook, and all other social media tools like no other over the weekend. I start to really realize connecting to friends online now is big business, and its not really friends anymore, its the new link trading and public relations. I have been saying how facebook is copying twitter, and that facebook will probably win over time - as it has a bigger and more loyal userbase.

The main difference being that twitter is public profiles and information for the world to see, while facebook users are a bit more private and have to be friends before seeing their status updates.

Well, this Monday morning I head to my computer to check my twitter - and it was SUSPENDED!

I check into my API tools, maybe its tweetlater, as a few of my accounts have been suspended - so I check their blog - twitter account suspensions then I start to wonder, is it this tweetlater tool that is behind my account being suspended?

Then, just twitter posted an update about the situation and specifically said it is not tweetlater’s fault.

Its just amazing how this has become a part of my life, and so many others. And how people like to point fingers so quickly. Hope it all works out ok.

Ouch, what a way to end a week. Late last night talking to Andrew at New York Bar Store and then he tells me about a phone call he got from a customer saying there was some spam on our site, newyorkbarstore.com. Then I take a look, view source, and a HIDDEN iframe inserted on the footer of the majority of the pages in the site! WTF!!!
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HACK CODE BELOW
iframe src http://greatshopfilm . cn:8080/index.php width=184 height=158 style=”visibility: hidden” iframe
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I quickly start to re-upload a backup of the site I have in my computer, as it was before this hacker code was inserted on the page. Then I see its FLAGGED ON google results. Luckily the rankings have not been affected, but as you can see below - THERE IS A WARNING on the top of the page that my site may be have harmful viruses! I can only imagine that this is going to do to my site traffic…..

I have fixed the problem, and resubmitted to Google Webmaster tools, lets see how long this takes to be removed from the google results…I’m told from 1 friend this happened to him before, and it took 2 - 3 days!

Also, I’m doing a virus scan on my computer right now, and it found a trojan virus in my TENCENT QQ instant messenger files. Must have been downloaded in a chatlog. This business of hacking has been picking up, I’ve been hearing and reading that blackhat SEO people are hacking sites, pumping them with malicious codes to benefit themselves (not exactly sure though)

Is this in response to the tough economy, and people finding ways to earn cash the evil way….sad….

I also hope none of my website visitors on newyorkbarstore.com were affected. The internet can be a scary place. I understand google and the search engines have to protect their users, its just horrible this scumbags can hack my site and place this malicious code there.

Keep on.