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[Update Aug 31] Maintenance Updates: The Forum is Back Online!

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Aug 7, 2018 11:02 PM
#1

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Mar 2015
282
Dear Users,

Thank you for using MyAnimeList. As of today, the forums are back online.

Why was the site put on maintenance mode?
We made the decision to have the website undergo a complete security review after discovering a security flaw in the API along with other potential vulnerabilities found within the website. We’re happy to state that the site was not compromised, and user accounts remain secure. We have also taken steps to address these vulnerabilities, and to increase the site’s security.

Is there still work to be done on the website?
While most of the site has been cleared and made available for use, the security review will continue until all pages and features have been checked. The All-Inclusive Search and Featured Articles should be back at the end of the week. Clubs should be up the following week. Blogs, Panel Settings, List Comparisons/Shared Series, and Episode Videos are then up next.

What about the API?
MAL is concentrating on bringing the site back to its full functionality before work on the API can begin. At this time, the work on the API has not yet been scheduled, but we will provide an update later this month.

What to expect in the upcoming months
More features will continue to come back online as we conclude the security check. Please continue to check the site announcements frequently for the latest updates.

We hope you enjoy the forums and thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support of MyAnimeList!


Update August 17th (by Kineta)
Clubs are back online!

Update August 24th (by Kineta)
ETAs for next features.

Updated August 28th (by Kineta)
Blogs (and more) are now back.

Updated August 31st (by MyAnimeListLLC)
API Development Update.

Updated September 14th (by MyAnimeListLLC)
Final Features Restored, API Development Update
myanimelistllcSep 14, 2018 12:24 AM
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Aug 7, 2018 11:26 PM
#2
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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Aug 2007
6303
It is difficult for me to express my deep disappointment in the broken state of MAL over the last 2.5 months. The moderation staff strongly feels the execution and communication of these events has failed our community and volunteers. I, as well as Xinil, deeply apologize for the undue stress caused by the illusion and fear of data losses, account recovery problems, and frustration with the inability to use MAL normally.

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. While intent on ensuring MAL's safety and risk-free experience, our users were left feeling unsafe, angry, and frustrated instead. As representatives of the community and moderator teams, Xinil and I will continue to press the best interests of the community forward.

Thank you for your extraordinary patience and understanding over these difficult months. We truly feel MAL would be nothing without its supportive community. I look forward to the security review finally being finished; to seeing a better situation for the API and 3rd party apps; and to new features and improved user experiences on MAL.

PS. Please try not to give the Forum Moderators too much work in your excitement of the forums being back. They may be a little cranky after all of these weeks.
Aug 7, 2018 11:30 PM
#3
Overlord

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Nov 2004
5752
To add to what Kineta has said, I want to personally apologize to everyone for the stress and inconvenience this has no doubt caused you all. I will do my very best to ensure we steer clear of something like this again in the future.
Aug 7, 2018 11:32 PM
#4
Anime Moderator
Grammar Queen

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Jun 2008
3883
Yay! I'm so happy MAL is (almost) back! I miss reading what other MAL users think about episodes I'm watching or chapters I'm reading.
p r o f i l e 👀
Aug 7, 2018 11:32 PM
#5

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May 2009
5771
I can't believe it's been this long. Welcome back everyone.
Aug 7, 2018 11:33 PM
#6

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Jan 2014
11670
AYYY MAL BACK ESKETIT

Aug 7, 2018 11:34 PM
#7
Ready to Ruffle

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Oct 2014
576
I mirror Kineta's sentiment; it was as frustrating for us as moderators as it was for all of you as users and we're just as happy to finally be near the end of this. Thank you all so much for your support throughout :3

I for one can't wait for the return of Featured Articles so that I can continue to have the privilege to administer and publish the written works of many fantastic users.
Aug 7, 2018 11:37 PM
#8

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Feb 2013
2364
Yes!!!!
Aug 7, 2018 11:37 PM
#9

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Dec 2017
1166
After 2.5 months it's good to be back.

Looking forward to weekly discussion about this season's anime!
join the hyper going home club!


Aug 7, 2018 11:39 PM
News Team
꙳•❅*°⋆❆.ೃ࿔*:・*❆

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Apr 2010
3379
Disappointed as much as everyone else, but at least the forum finally returned. No more empty news threads! \o/

Submit News × GuidelinesPart of U × Color Your Night × Limelight × Headline˙⊹܀⁺☁︎˚˙⊹⁺.˙⁺
Aug 7, 2018 11:40 PM

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Jul 2014
702
Aww yiss!!
Aug 7, 2018 11:41 PM
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Jul 2016
81
2.5 months already? Its good to be back.

2.5 months of no exposure in toxicity of other people, feels refreshing.


Glad the forum is back I can't wait to check featured articles as thats where I get most of the things I watch next.


Keep it up everyone.
Aug 7, 2018 11:42 PM
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Jul 2018
564088
I really do love this site, and I am glad it's successfully returning to it's proper state!
Aug 7, 2018 11:43 PM

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Nov 2012
436
1st! awwwwww.....
Aug 7, 2018 11:44 PM

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Dec 2015
3212
The communication was very bad. With the new hint on the GDRP when logging I think some people first thought they re-coded the site because of stricter European laws. (Some other websites I use enforced ssl (https) everywhere even for embedded pictures ... but then again those were European-based sites not websites owned by Japanese with servers in the US.)

There was too much downtime with not enough communication on how long it might take. Not understandable to suddenly have such big issues. And main communication was on twitter ... instead of here on the announcements. Much more info (ETA) was on twitter ...

Feels almost like the company that bought MAL wanted to make some big/fast money (with adding "supporter" and the manga store) and never cared about the customers. If they did they would have thought about security stuff regularly ... making small improvements every now and then. + better communications ... instead of waiting until a certain point is reached where where the security issues are that big that you have to take down the site for months.


My advice to other users is: Try not to pay money to this site (by using manga shop or supporter option). At least not for now ... wait a bit - a year or so - to see if they can keep it stable. (Of course ads are okay - I never block them. That's "good manners" for me if I use a site for free to not block ads.)

Advice to the website owners it to try improve their way of doing things - especially communications should there be a bigger downtime again.


(And I always thought in Japan ... and even in US ... the companies care a lot about customers. And in EU it was the worst. :D If this DeNA or whatever it is called really is a Japanese company ... they have a lot to learn. Especially online and with international customers online. Or with "web site users" ... but I guess everyone is a "customer" if they earn money in some way even if it is by ads only.)
Aug 7, 2018 11:44 PM

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Mar 2018
87
I feel like I personally broke MAL as it went down right after I finally signed up for an account. Oh well, now I can participate. Keep up the hard work, hopefully I can use the phone app again soon. o7
Aug 7, 2018 11:46 PM

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Dec 2011
8944
Welcome back, MAL forums :)
There is no such thing as shit taste. Only idiots who think everyone should have the same taste as they do.
Aug 7, 2018 11:49 PM
Review Moderator
(。•̀ᴗ-)⌒✧

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Jun 2007
1944
Get ready for it.

Ah, finally I can speak! I don't know from where to start, but I suppose everything leads up to my huge disappointment with everything that happened. With everything that MAL owners have done the past couple years (or more precisely HAVEN'T done), I still had hopes that if they don't care about MAL as a site, they would care about MAL as profiting project, but I was shot down even in that regard. You would think after Crave, we couldn't do much worse, but apparently we could since it is like they are actively trying to bring down MAL...

Taking so much time without even explaining anything other than "yay, more security for you" for weeks on end, does this show competence? 2 months and the site is still not back fully? I really do not want to offend actual employees, but how much were they working? 1-2 hours per day? Was there a single person doing completely everything? If this is the pace everything on MAL will take from now on (because why would something change?), is there any decent future? :'D

And I am not surprised by this faceless announement even. It doesn't say remotely anything we didn't know, "yay, more security for you, yada yada. You'll get api one day yada yada. More features will be finally back in the upcoming MONTHS" So maybe we did learn something new... Is there even an apology in there and I missed it? :'D I realise it's a company and I realise that they see MAL as a site like no other, but MAL ain't faceless like amazon and writing such a vague announcement is like not writing at all.

I am really tired trying to support a company that seems to not know how to support MAL back. I still adore MAL and will stick around for as much as I can, or at least as long Kineta is around, because she's a great "boss" and the one trying for the best all the time, but I can't say I expect much more anymore. At least, they didn't bring the store first thing, I'd have laughed.

No more hopes or trust from me, but hey, feel free to change my opinion, but I doubt you can, MAL owners :) Have a nice day~
Aug 7, 2018 11:51 PM

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Jan 2012
8121
Back at last eh? Well it sucked, but no use dwelling on it. Just glad to be back.
Aug 7, 2018 11:52 PM

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Feb 2010
11813
Time to regroup after that MALpocalypse O_o

Aug 7, 2018 11:54 PM

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Mar 2018
74
Glad to see forums back up now that getting more into anime, perfect timing
Aug 7, 2018 11:54 PM

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Dec 2012
513
You mean I can finally read episode discussions again! nice, was sad when I'd binge watch something to come back to MAL to see what people thought and just couldn't, look forward to MAL being fully functional again, I won't lie, I was tempted to give up on it multiple times.
Aug 7, 2018 11:55 PM

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Aug 2009
30
Welcome back!

Aug 7, 2018 11:57 PM

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Nov 2017
201
It lives.
Aug 7, 2018 11:58 PM

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Jul 2009
5807
Feels weird seeing the layout again after three months. Still, finally glad to see the forums back online!
Aug 7, 2018 11:59 PM
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May 2016
1113
I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but I'm just happy that the actual staff and admins have been working their asses off to get this site back to full operation again, perhaps in spite of the owners.

Good to see the forums back. I've got a lot of typing to do >:D
Aug 7, 2018 11:59 PM

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Jun 2014
9689
\o/ Welcome back everyone and thank you for enduring the agonising downtime.
Aug 7, 2018 11:59 PM
Review Moderator
(。•̀ᴗ-)⌒✧

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Jun 2007
1944
llamathrust109 said:
I feel like I personally broke MAL as it went down right after I finally signed up for an account. Oh well, now I can participate. Keep up the hard work, hopefully I can use the phone app again soon. o7


But you signed up on March and this happened 2 months later o_o
Aug 8, 2018 12:00 AM

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Jan 2011
26681
If you missed it there was some sneaky uptime two days ago.
Aug 8, 2018 12:00 AM

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Jul 2010
55
Finally.
Aug 8, 2018 12:02 AM

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Oct 2008
2399
Nice job.
Aug 8, 2018 12:03 AM
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Jul 2018
564088
So are you going to admit that this is all DeNA's fault or are you going to continue to stick up for the shitty corporation you sold out to?
removed-userAug 8, 2018 12:08 AM
Aug 8, 2018 12:07 AM

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Feb 2012
146
MAL IS BAACCKKKK!!!! WOOHHOOOO .... xD im dying here. excuse my excitement.
i wish and dream for the Future where everyone i care can Smile happily from their heart. But no matter where i look. how ever i see... there s no me. im not there. Just like that.


I'm level on mal-badges. View my badges.

Aug 8, 2018 12:10 AM
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Mar 2014
770
Finally. It's good to have the forum back!
Aug 8, 2018 12:11 AM

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Jul 2012
48255
Been forever! Glad to see it back
Aug 8, 2018 12:12 AM

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Feb 2010
11813
@myanimelistllc
@Kineta

So on my list it says

Warning: The @import statement is only available when viewing your own list. URL statements only work for *.jpg, *.gif, *.png images.


Is this temporary or permanent? Anyone know? I don't see any info about it in this thread.
Aug 8, 2018 12:12 AM

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Aug 2014
70727
Finally it's back. It's been an extremely frustrating 2.5 months for us, but I'm glad things seem to be back to normal now. I missed this place <3
Aug 8, 2018 12:14 AM

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Mar 2008
49534
I'm just curious. Why was the whole site shut down at once instead of shutting down one part at a time, clearing it then moving on to the next? Was it really so urgent everything had to go?
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Aug 8, 2018 12:14 AM

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Mar 2010
181
Please consider the importance of API. Personally without it I will continue to use an app with other website as a backend even if MAL for now is preferable to me as a website.
But if the arrow is straight
And the point is slick
It can pierce through dust
No matter how thick...
Aug 8, 2018 12:16 AM

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Nov 2012
15463
eh, not moving back here from my backup list until API is back. but nice to finally see the site coming back i guess
Aug 8, 2018 12:17 AM
Ribbit

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May 2015
220
It's been a while, but I'm glad the forums are finally back!!!

It's been a long 2.5 months, and some may argue that until the site is fully functional or until clubs are reopened that the "malpocalypse" isn't truly over. Perhaps there is truth in that, but for me, with the reopening of the forums, the biggest hurdle has been cleared.

I truly believe that MAL is the best place to track anime and manga, interact with other fans, and discover things to watch and read that you may have otherwise never come across. Among the myriad of sites with similar functionality that exist on the internet, MAL stands atop as the pinnacle; it is the best of its kind.

While it looks like there is a ton of positivity on this thread so far and I imagine there are many likeminded people who give MAL their full support, there will inevitably be some angry users who will berate the staff or site, or say "I've already gone to X site!" (seen a lot of that in twitter replies).

I hope that y'all on the MAL staff don't get discouraged and that you continue to improve MAL and make it the best it can be. It was a dark few months, but we can only go up from here!

Once again, thanks for all the hard work, for creating and maintaining this haven for anime fans, and for the passion and commitment y'all have to making MAL the best site of its kind. I hope MAL will continue to improve for years to come!
Aug 8, 2018 12:18 AM

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Aug 2013
2274
traed said:
I'm just curious. Why was the whole site shut down at once instead of shutting down one part at a time, clearing it then moving on to the next? Was it really so urgent everything had to go?


That's my question.

My other question would be, MAL says they discovered a security flaw, but does it even matter? Was there any actual security breach, or was it like looking at a chain link fence and one of the links was broke?

And even if there was a security flaw, what information is at risk? I'd presume that the majority of MAL users have fake usernames and fake/satirical profile information. Aside from whatever people might use the store, I cant imagine that much secure and sensitive personal information would be affected by a security flaw.
Aug 8, 2018 12:20 AM

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Aug 2014
9961
still waiting on clubs but i guess thats only another week o.o


△ ▼ △
Deliveries
Anime Guild
Inquiries
Set by coziitsu
▲ ▽ ▲
Aug 8, 2018 12:20 AM

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May 2010
6694
It's been too long, sniff sniff.

But I'm glad I can finally say it
Tadaima~
Aug 8, 2018 12:25 AM

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Aug 2012
214
I still can't believe how long it took to get the forums back.. Hopefully at this pace we get API back before the end of the year..
Aug 8, 2018 12:31 AM

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Dec 2015
3212
@Maffy :

Nice post. You even found the right words without trying to insult. So far we see a lot of people that are happy. And I guess a lot of people that are not happy with MAL started to use other websites. Some of them might come back to use MAL.

I only hope the mods/admins aren't going to be tooo harsh in deleting posts. Some might be less nice. (Even I feel like I'm a bit in an area where it is possible to get deleted/warned when I advice people not to pay any money.)

Would be a very bad idea to delete/warn ... better just to let the people post it. And hopefully in some months the thread dies ...
... and hopefully the company behind MAL learned something.


As for the "If this is the pace everything on MAL will take from now on (because why would something change?), is there any decent future?":

To me it seems MAL has always been slow regarding changes and giving feedback/accepting suggestions. We can see that with the very flawed genre system that exists since MAL exists.

My hope is that this big down time marks the start of active development. (Before that no one actually seemed to care ... that why it took such long time to fix everything. Wouldn't have happened if there were regular small fixes every now and then with some active developers that cared.)



I still prefer MAL. There is a German database with forums ... but the active userbase is too small. Other English databases I don't like from the design or community or other stuff. MAL (still - I hope this stays) offers the nice old classic default list design - which I prefer. (Clean and compact.) Yeah the genre stuff is flawed ... but I just stopped caring. Not using the search anyways since I mainly use currently airing stuff.

And for airing stuff forums are most important. Full reviews/recommendations can only really help once shows are fully released. (Full/complete info that needs to be in a review.)


For the airing stuff - especially for complicated shows where people with source knowledge might help - forums are important. I tried to use reddit but couldn't get into it. There always have been a lot active users hare and a good userbase where - if the show wasn't totally unpopular - always enough people with source knowledge (manga/novel) helped if you had questions.
Aug 8, 2018 12:32 AM

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Dec 2016
307
Welp that was my whole summer vacation (and more) without mal. But i'm glad it's (mostly) back. I've never really done episode/chapter discussions but i really felt like doing it while the forums were down haha. i should try it sometime!

Aug 8, 2018 12:33 AM

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Aug 2012
4166
Ayyy, we back.
Aug 8, 2018 12:35 AM

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Apr 2016
108
Ayy feels good to be posting again :D
Aug 8, 2018 12:40 AM

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May 2016
54
Holy cow I can't believe it it's finally back
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