Actual Mark Watson writes
Hello. Well, what a palaver.
I was always going to post late today so I didn’t even get near the blog till after 11pm. It was only then that a number of missed calls and texts alerted me to the strange situation at hand: some person had got into my account and posted the very short message below (headlined Goodbye). The phantom blog implies that something bad has happened and is a little bit creepy.
At the moment I’ve got no idea who did this, how they were able to do it, or why on earth they would want to.
But anyway, it was definitely a hoax. I am sitting writing this now on my sofa at home. We have a Christmas tree. Things are very much fine. Thanks ever so much for all your concern. I will take steps to find out who hacked my account and then ask them why, if they were clever enough to do this, they didn’t do something funnier with the opportunity.
See you.
M. A. Watson.
Posted by Tom Beasley on December 18, 2010
Thank god. I’m gutted that we didn’t get a funnier hacker to be honest…
Posted by Lydia on December 18, 2010
I’m glad you’re okay. I really don’t see what the hacker was trying to achieve.
Posted by amycool on December 18, 2010
Andrew was the first one to pop into my head. It seems to fit.
After a far more stressful and worrying event happened earlier this week, I must admit I wasn’t even slightly concerned last night. If Mark is anything, it’s tenacious, and there’s no way he’d give up this early on in the decade.
I do hope you get the blog secure again soon though as somebody with more intelligence (and a lot more time on their hands) could come up with something very Mark-ish but with a devious sentence dropped in for effect.
Posted by Carl on December 18, 2010
Grand news. Hope the tree is looking good. Any pictures?
Posted by Ingrid on December 18, 2010
Phew! Well thank god for that. Glad that everything’s all fine.
Now im just left wondering about the A…
Posted by Aislinn on December 18, 2010
Also, Team Anthony – check Wikipedia. I know it’s not the most reliable of sources, but I’m with it on this one. I am the best middle name guesser EVER*!
*along with everybody else who guessed Andrew
Posted by Aislinn on December 18, 2010
I think the A stands for Aislinn and is a recent name-change Mark has undertaken in honour of me. Or it’s clearly Andrew.
Posted by Anji on December 18, 2010
This whole event taught me a few things.
1) this blog means an awful lot to us all.
2) I need to find a better app for twitter on my phone – one where I don’t tweet myself as a reply to someone else.
3) I can still sleep when worried.
Glad everything is ok. I think optimisim won for most of us – which also has to be a good thing right?!
I’m settling on Andrew for middle name.
Posted by Rachael on December 18, 2010
Phew! Glad everything is ok.
Alexander? Awesome? Audrey? Probably not.
Posted by Tracey on December 18, 2010
Hi Mark. I’m surprised that someone would hack into your blog, why would anyone want to do that? Relieved all is well. Hope you find out who did it and why. Take care, Tracey x
Posted by Patrick on December 18, 2010
The gust of wins you all just felt was the world’s hugest sigh of relief, from me.
Posted by Ivan (@ivanbrett) on December 18, 2010
Well thank goodness you’re OK! For a practical joke, it really wasn’t very entertaining. Many thanks to Corry for calming all our nerves last night.
Posted by Gilly on December 18, 2010
I am fully on team “Anthony”. If it is not it must be changed immediately.
Although I also guess Aaron. Or Adam. Or Alaister. (I don’t really guess Alaister. It just doesn’t seem to fit to me)
Posted by BJA on December 18, 2010
Definitely a case of opportunity missed here having gone to the effort of hacking only to come up with a much uninspired vindictive 12 words! Although it does then ask the question of if you had devilishly hacked into Mark’s account what little gem would you leave behind, I’m sure with the collective genius around this blog we could’ve been thoroughly entertained.
As for Mark’s middle name my vote is furiously swaying between Alan and Andrew, where it lands I’m not so sure.
Posted by Lisa D on December 18, 2010
It is strange that someone would go through the trouble of hacking a blog and then not do something a bit funnier or more extreme…though I suppose our reaction would be the sort of thing to make an unkind person chuckle. Still all’s well ect.
PS I agree with Josh, I too am hoping it’s Anthony.
Posted by Alex on December 18, 2010
What a peculiar turn of events. I’m very relieved that there was a proper blog by the time I got in tonight. Would have been very worried.
Posted by Dean on December 18, 2010
Of course, you do realise now you’re stuck doing this for the full ten years, no matter what, as if you ever try to actually quit, no-one will believe you
Posted by Josh on December 18, 2010
Guys, we’re missing the big picture here. Mark has a middle name beginning with A, we must ascertain it.
I hope to god it’s Anthony. Mark Anthony Watson.
Posted by Matthew B on December 18, 2010
This is a very scary hoax, not that some technologically can do it. But rather that someone would, what would leave someone to do something like this? It’s very odd and worrying behaviour indeed.
Glad your well Mark. Feel very sorry and worried about your hoaxer.
Posted by Helen on December 18, 2010
Very glad to hear all is well x
Posted by Gabi on December 18, 2010
Thank bloody god… Glad you’re ok Mark
x
Posted by tinkissarah on December 17, 2010
I’ve only just caught up with the blog over the past few days so missed the short while it appeared you were gone. But yehhhh that you are still here. And boo at whoever did that!
Posted by Tibbs on December 17, 2010
I am very glad to see this; I didn’t want to go to bed until the blog was posted, but the room is spinning quite a bit and staring at a computer screen isn’t exactly helping me recuperate.
Whoever did that deserves a good booing. Nonetheless, I’m glad to hear that all is well. And I agree with Kate W, palaver is a good word, but I it is definitely not worth all this stress just to have a context in which to use it.
Posted by LollyPolly on December 17, 2010
*Phew!*
Posted by Catherine aka Cathy on December 17, 2010
Change your password! Glad all is well.
Posted by Simon on December 17, 2010
Hooray. All does sound well. Nasty hacker, malicious – though I like that “ha was that the best you could come up with” tactic.
Posted by Phill on December 17, 2010
Hi Mark, I’m sure you’re going to do this anyway but it might be worth getting whoever manages your website to take a look at WordPress, just to ensure it’s at the latest version – they updated recently and sometimes it’s possible to get hacked like that when running an old version.
Um, anyway, apologies for geekiness.
Yours sincerely,
Phill “I can kill a conversation at five paces just by telling people I’m a computer programmer” Sacre
Posted by Juliet on December 17, 2010
Relief at last. Happy everything’s fine with you. Anyway, I do sense some anger in your post, I’d feel the same way. So I hope you find the person who did that. Have a nice weekend!!! xx
Posted by Meg on December 17, 2010
Wow, that’s a relief! Thank you Mark and Corry. We can all relax now. What a dramatic evening! I’m so glad everything is okay. Though I no longer have an excuse to stay out of bed. Mum is getting annoyed. Night everyone x
Posted by Kate W on December 17, 2010
Palaver is a good word and should be used more often, but I hope never again in connection with you. Glad everything’s fine and the Watson Christmas tree’s in place.
Posted by h2osarah on December 17, 2010
Posted by Laurs on December 17, 2010
Thank god for that, I was actually really quite worried then for a long time. I worry about myself and how involved I’ve become in this blog, it’s become a huge part of my daily routine…
But anywho, thank goodness the drama is over for this evening, bed time now! x
Posted by Amy B on December 17, 2010
Massively relieved to hear all is well. Whoever is responsible needs a serious wrist-slapping/ lesson in humorous and non-creepy hacking.
Posted by Katie on December 17, 2010
Thank God for that! At least it was really rather exciting, eh? x
Posted by Misha on December 17, 2010
Thank fuck for that.
I can now go to bed for a relatively short time before some “watsonian meet-up” thing I seem to have agreed to tomorrow.
Glad all is well.
Posted by Simone on December 17, 2010
I’m so glad you’re okay. x
Posted by Corry on December 17, 2010
PHEW!