It Was Just a Hoax

As it turns out, Sebastian of holdingtheman.com is actually quite alright and not badly injured at all. Thankfully. If you noticed the yellow heart and ribbon icon on the right column over there that Aaron so thoughtfully created, it generally concerned Sebatian being run over several days ago by a hit and run driver which landed him in the hospital in and out of a coma and with several other injuries.

As it apparently turns out, while Sebastian was away on business, someone hacked into his blog account and pulled a hoax on everyone. Such a shame that someone has nothing else in their lives than to pull something as childish and wrong as that. i'm not sorry that it did pull people together in some way.

Here's the announcement Sebastian posted on his site:

"THE 'SEBASTIAN HATE CRIME' IS A HOAX
FROM HACKERS TO THIS SITE.

I have been away for a week with work and my site has not only been hacked... again,
but some sicko has taken everyone for a ride at mine and your expense.

They have gotten into my email, the site, the blogger account and basically
everything I do online, as I have used the same password on everything I do online,
including forums I use and my mail lists.

These have all been secured again with new passwords (this time, different ones
for each site, forum and account).

This looks as though it has all just been a massive hoax by someone who
is trying to get to who I am in real life. I can't even begin tounderstand
what their motivations are.

I was advised of all this by phone from a friend who I know in real life and through
my blog, and I have returned to a situation that has sickened me.

I don't know what to say. I am so shocked and violated, and have
obviously removed the site until I can work out what the hell happened.

Stuff like this makes me sick to my stomach because of the broader implications
it can have to others. My online reputation is now shattered. But that pales in
comparison to what everyone else must be feeling now that their real emotion
has been cheapened by a hoax that was leveled at myself, and at those who
I have come to know as friends.

I previously had another blog that was compromised, and my identity with it.
I have spent the last 24 hours seriously considering leaving blogging altogether.

But my friends in the blogging world have overwhelmingly come out in support of me
and encouraged me to beat this, and move forward from it. I'll take a little
break and see where to go with it all in a couple of weeks.

Many thanks,
Sebastian"