Filed under: Software, Productivity
DON'T USE PROCRASTINATR
UPDATE: A commenter on this post has published a fix for the Procrastinatr damage which I've tested multiple times. We have a new post here with instructions and a download.TUAW readers: I sincerely apologize for the damage that Procrastinatr did to iCal. I didn't notice any discrepancies in my calendar after trying this out (as almost all of my calendars are synced from Google Calendar), but please know that I have learned my lesson, and I will take much better care in the future before posting anything like this again.
One commenter has created an AppleScript that supposedly fixes the problem, which we are testing (and re-testing) right now. Again, please accept my sincerest apologies, and we will update as soon as we learn anything more.
If you're feeling overwhelmed from the onslaught of YouTube forwards, newsreader headlines, Miniclip games and software demos we tirelessly blog for you, Procrastinatr just might be your solution. Even though it's only a 0.8b version, this handy little app can help you make molehills out of mountains and start managing your time again.
Procrastinatr is provided free of charge from Procrastinatr.com.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
David Chartier said 4:33PM on 6-21-2006
Guys, I'm trying to test out a solution with Brian's script here and as far as I can tell: it fixes the problem with ToDo dates, but it seems to either duplicate my events or lengthen out their times by a day or two. I'm not sure if it's a bug in his script or if it's malicious, but I recomment NOT using it to try and solve Procrastinatr's damage.
Guys, I am so, so sorry about the havoc this has created. I'm looking for any solutions I can, and I'll post something asap.
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Mark McElroy said 4:36PM on 6-21-2006
Here's the info for bsuto.com, Brian's website:
Domain Name: BSUTO.COM
Registrar: MELBOURNE IT, LTD. D/B/A INTERNET NAMES WORLDWIDE
Whois Server: whois.melbourneit.com
Referral URL: http://www.melbourneit.com
Name Server: NS1.STARTLOGIC.COM
Name Server: NS2.STARTLOGIC.COM
Status: ACTIVE
Updated Date: 05-dec-2005
Creation Date: 20-nov-2005
Expiration Date: 20-nov-2010
Check the nameserver. Look familiar?
The same guy who created the malicious code is the guy who posted a "fix." TUAW was duped twice in a row, it seems.
Shmucks.
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Brian said 4:50PM on 6-21-2006
Look, this whole thing was intended to be a joke for a couple of my friends and never to be seen by such a wide audience. I don't even pretend to command a wide knowledge of applescript. If you look at the procrastinatr code, and the fix I posted, you'll see I'm not trying to hurt anybody.
I'm sorry if you all took this farther than it was intended.
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Mark McElroy said 4:55PM on 6-21-2006
Brian Sutorius, whom you can see in the tired little photoblog at bsuto.com, is a 20-year-old junion at Pomona College in California.
He's the sort of guy who thinks dressing up as Terri Schiavo is a cute Halloween prank.
His email, according to the school website, is brian.sutorius@pomona.edu. Perhaps we should write him and let him know what we think of him and his program?
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ejk said 5:04PM on 6-21-2006
I haven't run procrastinatr, but I imagine to correct the event times you would want to set the STARTTIME back one week first, and THEN set the ENDTIME back one week, not the other way around.
So it should be this:
set timeBack to (-1 * weeks)
tell application "iCal"
activate
repeat with allCals in calendars
repeat with myEvent in events of allCals
set (start date of myEvent) to ((start date of myEvent) + (my timeBack))
set (end date of myEvent) to ((end date of myEvent) + (my timeBack))
end repeat
repeat with myTodo in todos of allCals
if (due date of myTodo exists) and not (completion date of myTodo exists) then
set due date of myTodo to (due date of myTodo) + timeBack
end if
end repeat
end repeat
end tell
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David Chartier said 5:08PM on 6-21-2006
Also: for anyone trying to tinker with solving this at all:
- 10.4 stores your calendars in ~/Library/Application Support/iCal.
- 10.3, if I recall, places you calendars in ~/Library/Calendars.
I'm on 10.4, and the iCal folder is what I'm duplicating and recreating to test out solutions. I'll post more asap.
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David Chartier said 5:10PM on 6-21-2006
#41: ejk, thank you. I'll test this right now.
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Mark McElroy said 5:10PM on 6-21-2006
While Brian has posted a sort of apology at bsuto.com (and whisked away his photo blog and other materials), he has yet to disable the procrastinatr.com site.
Wouldn't that be a good idea, Brian, old chap?
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MikeK said 5:12PM on 6-21-2006
Gosh Brian you might just make the papers with this one. Popular Apple Blog site promotes Mac trojan" The seemingly virus free Mac computer was once again the victim of a malware trojan. ScoJons or Socially Networked Trojans are increasingly the malware of choice for victimizing easily duped and gullible Mac users. These trojans need only be promoted by the likes of once credentialled Blogger David Chartier and thousands will install them. Mr. Chartier comments "Guys, I am so, so sorry about the havoc this has created." The Mac community quickly outed the creator of this Trojan. It would seem Brian Sutorious, a Junior at Pomona College in California, was better at created the trojan than he was at hiding his identity. When asked Brian commented "I'm sorry if you all took this farther than it was intended." College officials were unavailable to comment on Brians continuing status at the college. Attorneys for the victims had no comment until they know the scope of the damage. Authorities at the FBI's criminal computer crime unit would not comment on an investigation in progress. Film at 11, back to you Matt.
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Fred said 5:12PM on 6-21-2006
The reliability of TUAW has just decreased incredibly. After this, I think watching re-runs of Friends a better way for me to get my mac news. You have been lowered from somewhat popular apple blog, to irresponsible and unreliable post whores.
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Pablo said 5:14PM on 6-21-2006
YOU ALL NEED TO GET OFF BRIAN'S BACK. It seems this wasn't intended for you TUAW users.
Fact is, regardless of the intent, the damage looks easily reversible and it's an easy lesson learned for all those stupid enough to blindly download stuff from the Internet. Especially those that think by having a Mac they are safe for malicious software.
If you don't screen the software you install then you are just as guilty for being foolish enough to run it. A simple use of Network Utility's Who Is feature would have shown the domain was newly created.
With any luck, you will take internet security a little more seriously now.
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Brian said 5:23PM on 6-21-2006
ejk - Thank you. I updated the file on the site.
Mark & Mike - I guess I can't apologize enough. This was never meant to be a trojan or malware of any sort.
I ask that everybody reading these comments please use the fix, accept my apology, and continue to support TUAW. While David should have checked the contents before running it, that shouldn't excuse everybody else from having to. Even without the threat of 1000+ hits, there was a disclaimer written on the site and a warning in fine print in the Read Me. I can't understand how despite this, people assume that this was a malevolent gesture.
I also ask that you please not abuse my school email address - this has absolutely nothing to do with them.
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David Chartier said 5:25PM on 6-21-2006
After testing and re-testing ejk's solution, I am confident that it works. I tried this 3 times on my own calendars and it worked flawlessly each time. I'm working on a new post right now with ejk's modifications and instructions on how to create the script, and I'll post the compiled script as a download as well.
Again: my sincerest apologies for all this trouble. I am deeply, deeply sorry for this.
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Justin Mazzi said 5:26PM on 6-21-2006
You lost your credibility with a lot of people you tool.
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B. Minich, PI said 5:27PM on 6-21-2006
It seems to me that David did a decent amount of due diligence here - he checked it out on his own system, and after seeing that it caused no problems, posted it for everyone.
For something meant to be somewhat of a joke, I can see why he wouldn't test it on a side system not synced up to Google Calendar. I see no reason to fire him, really.
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MikeK said 5:28PM on 6-21-2006
Pablo, Just exactly who's back should we be on? He created this tripe for any unsuspecting person to use. While David did unknowingly promote it, and deserves a figurative kick in the buttocks and some sort of censure, Brian committed a fraud. He intentionally promoted the use of a malicious piece of software knowing full well what it would do. His statement refusing responsibility because this was a beta does not absolve him. I hope he is prosecuted.
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B. Minich, PI said 5:29PM on 6-21-2006
(Also, notice that Brian has taken down the application itself - looks like he never meant for it to get quite this big.)
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Mike R said 5:30PM on 6-21-2006
FIRE DAVE CHARTIER.
This is STRIKE 3, DAVE. Your irresponsible blogging this time hurt many Mac User's machines. Why don't you just stop before the first real mac virus is launched by you.
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Mark said 5:30PM on 6-21-2006
TUAW readers don't subscribe to this site's content for a lesson in "taking internet security a little more seriously now."
David and the TUAW staff are adults. They're working for a relatively high-profile media outlet. To post an article recommending Procrastinatr without investigating it first was unprofessional and irresponsible.
The staff *is* responsible. The person who posted the article *should be* held accountable (and fired).
Mr. Sutorius (who was kind enough to reply to my email message and verify his email address in the process) should also be held accountable -- perhaps in court -- for creating and offering the code.
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A. Childress said 5:43PM on 6-21-2006
Look at what's up now:
http://www.procrastinatr.com/
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