Editor’s note: My dear friends over at Australian Perfume Junkies are going through every blogger’s worst nightnare at the moment, so the Cookie Queen is here today to let everyone know what’s happening.
‘READ ALL ABOUT IT, SHOCK HORROR, HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS’ – Shock Horror by Mick Farren & The Deviants (1977)
“There is some corrupted code that allowed malware to enter the APJ site. We have worked so hard but its proving resistant to our efforts. The places that offer a fix are expensive and not even failsafe, so we are seeking other avenues.“ – Portia Turbo
Australian Perfume Junkies as we know and love it has gone. Like the proverbial parrot. As some of you may know, APJ has been having some serious issues over the last months. Portia did think for a moment that they had been resolved, but sadly to no avail.
You would think in this digital day and age, where everything is there to find, and it is virtually impossible to remove anything from the Web, that there would have been a way to have at least kept the content of APJ hovering in cyberspace . But no. The only way to even start to fix things is to have the slate wiped. Where did it go? We have no bloody clue. I managed to screenshot what I considered my three best posts, so I have something.
I know how sad Portia is to lose the Scent Diary, her personal journal for over a year. Not to mention the hard and loving work from all the other contributors.
But yeah, APJ will regroup in one way or another. In the meantime Tara has offered to let me carry on with my twice monthly posts here on A Bottled Rose. I couldn’t be more honoured. And excited.
“The parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not ‘alf hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein‘ tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.“ – Monty Python
APJ is merely resting.
Bottled Bussis
CQ
A Bottled Rose 
OMG – what is going on? Scary stuff.
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Frightening. Don´t think we really know tbh. We can talk in London! Hugs xxxxx
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Bloody hackers.
At least I get to have you here while all this is sorted out, CQ.
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You have no idea how happy I am to guest here. xxxx
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You have no idea how happy I am to be here.xxx
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So happy I seemed to have written it twice. 🙂
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Hi CQ,
I don’t get it. How can content just disappear? It would have to be somewhere, right?? Argggg.
I have my posts in word format so I’ve got my stuff. And I just found that my email subscriptions to APJ have some content so I’m going to see what I can find for Portia’s Scent Diaries. 😦
In the meantime, thanks Tara for welcoming Val over!! Glad to see you both here.
Lots of Love,
TinaG
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Thanks, Tina. Val has a home here for as long as she needs/wants it.
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Hey TinaG! If I had learnt to use Word I would have mine I guess. I still have a lot of the emails with my stuff that I sent Portia, but yeah. I always said blog posts are mostly are here today and gone tomorrow, but I never expected them to be totally gone! Nice to see you! xxxxxx
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What a nightmare. I hope your work is out there somewhere hiding in a cloud til it’s safe to come out. Meanwhile to quote Churchill ‘Keep buggering on” please.
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Hi Bee! “Keep buggering on” is exactly what we’ll be doing, sure as heck not gonna leave it hanging! Thanks so much for caring, it means more than you realize. Bussis Val xxxxx
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What a crying shame! I hope that it gets resolved very soon. Glad to see Val here for the time being.
Fingers crossed.
Sandra xoxo
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Hi Sandra! I think we should al keep our fingers crossed, it is about all we can do at the moment. Portia has the headache ……. xxxxxx
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😦 We miss you guys so much. I can’t even imagine how distressing this must be for Portia and the rest of the crew. Hang in there because we will be back when you are. We love you guys. Lillibet Xx
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Lilibet! Ahhhhh – thanks a million, it is nice to be missed. 😉 I truly hope we don’t lose a single soul. Stay tuned for latest updates! Mwah. xxxxxxx
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Thank you, Lilibet for sending me over here 🙂
I would not have known otherwise.
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Thank you both! I’ve been so concerned about the whole shebang and everyone who has made APJ a home for us – first and foremost our beloved Portia, and the contributors and commenters as well. Sending love, hugs, gratitude, support and good vibes out to all affected. I’ll follow your lead, dearest Val, and look forward to what’s to come. xo
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Hello Holly, good to see you. I cannot tell you how wonderful that people feel the APJ is a kind of home. Somewhere to drop in and have a read and a chat. We will take everything thanks, from the love to the good vibes. 🙂
Yep – whatever is to come will surely be exciting! Hugs, Val xxxxx
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OMG! I can’t believe this! I wouldn’t have thought that it’s possible to lose everything irreversibly.
I am so sorry to hear that, but I have no doubt APJ will regroup.
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Hey Ines! Bits and bobs are turning up, but not 6 years worth. But blogs are kind of here today and gone tomorrow. We’ll be back. Sort this shit out, as you say, regroup, and carry on as ever! Sorry for the late reply? Hugs and love, Val xxxx
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Tara and Val,
You girls are the freaking bomb. What would I do without your love and support? The chips are down and you are both here cyber hugging me.
Everyone who is reading and commenting, thank you.
As Val says, APJ will return in the near future. Now is a short regrouping and we will be back in the fragrant fray ASAP.
Missing you all so much.
Portia xx
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I cannot wait to sit under the table and have you teach me all you know. 😉
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And we’re missing you so much, too. But you’ll be back, Arnie-style💋
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Love you and miss you 😦
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Missing APJ madly, so it’s good to have an update. So sorry that these bastard hackers have left digital devastation in their wake.
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Hi Crikey! Yeah – its a bitch. 😦 We’ll stay in touch of course. Love and hugs, Val xxxxxxx
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Hope your travels are going splendidly 🙂
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hey cM, back home and back to the quotidian reality, but they were *wonderful* thank you.
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This is really annoying ! Poor Portia, one cannot replace the sentimental value of things/blogs. I hope the re-creation of APJ makes lots of fun and that can be a sort of comfort for founder and contributors.
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Hi LJG! Whew – got my posts out just in time to collect my Oud!! 😉 Yep – APJ 2 will be even better, of that I have no doubt. London Bussis, see you very soon! xxxx
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Sorry to hear this. However, a lot of the posts and photos seem to be accessible via feedspot.com, for a small monthly fee.
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Hey Jane EP! Thanks for the info. The kindness of people helping out has been staggering. I guess a number of lessons have been learned though! Love, Val xxxxx
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I kept faithfully checking the address hoping that whatever was happening would get resolved quickly 😦
I’m soooo sorry it’s happening to Portia (mostly) and everybody on the team.
I know that a lot of the content is gone, but a lot can be saved from the wayback machine (Internet Archives), e.g. https://web.archive.org/web/20170910052053/http://australianperfumejunkies.com . There are a lot of captures for the previous years, only the most recent one is bad. Unfortunately, the last good one captured is in September 2017. But regardless of having those posts in archives, it’s not like someone can do anything with them rather than look at them or save for personal use.
I could never understand people who would waste their time and knowledge on breaking something created by others instead of building something great themselves.
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Hey Undina! Wow – that is so cool, I had no idea about that site. That is exactly why you have to feel sorriest for Portia, she halal the shite to do and look at and find. Yeah, I dunno if it was a person or an organization or a political party who messed it all up. Guess we will never know. Thanks a lot for that link. As for people who break things ……. thanks for dropping by – will keep you updated. Love, Val. xxxxxx
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It is a wicked, horrible thing to have happened to Portia, and I am just glad that the family that is APJ plans to rise from the ashes as it were and not let the bastards get you down. It is good that there is such a supportive team of contributors itching to go again, and meanwhile individual contributor ‘refugees’ can be welcomed on other blogs – as you with Tara, Val
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Hey dearest Mme Bonkers – thanks for the sympathy. It really is such a shame. But I know Portia will resurrect us, bugger and better, but it’ll cost him some nerves. Yeah, I am over the moon not to be out-of-work, I was very sad. 😦 Bis bald. xxxxx
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Refugees😂 Love it!
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I was wondering….I kept emailing Portia that I was going to an Asian shopping site every time I went to the web page. I’m so absolutely bummed. I have saved all of those posts. I guess that means that if I go back and revisit them I’ll probably go shopping in Asia again, but they were a little slice of vicarious life, as well as wonderful to catch up on all the perfume info and find out what people were wearing. I used those as a reference as well, and I realized something was super wrong this weekend when I was reaching for my morning, cuppa and there was no post. I’m so sorry for him and all of us, but I’m glad you’re here now. Thank you!
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Hi shiva-woman 🙂 I never ended up at any strange shopping sites, but everything was incredibly slow, including answering comments, which I have only just realized now as I read through these. My comments are posted in a split second – it took such longer on APJ. I thought it was normal. Glad you missed us! Stay tuned. Bussis. Val. xxxxx
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How awful! As a perfume blogger, I give a little shudder and a big hug of sympathy. APJ will rise again! xx
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Hi sam! I am sure portia shuddered enough for all of us. The phoenix in us will surely rise. Good to see you! Lots of love, Val xxxxx
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Val and Portia, the Internet is just not the same without APJ. Sending you a ton of warm wishes!
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It’s not, is it? 😉 We are not far away though, and accept all warm wishes. Thanks for checking in Diana! Bussis, Val. xxxxx
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Hi Val,
So glad you have a temporary home here. And THANK YOU for the update. I had no idea of any of this til last week. I feel sick to the bottom of my soul. Poor Portia. How can we help? I have kept a few of my posts, but still… Malicious indeed.
My love to you all,
Kate xx
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Morning kaptionthisblog! Oh yes, I am so thankful to be here, and hope a piece of me will remain in one way or another. Tara being a very dear real life friend makes being here very comfortable. Number of posts are showing up now, thanks to people who know about these things. A totally cool perfumista mailed me links to more than 15 of my posts last night – hidden in some Pinterest cloud. Whoohoo. You are smart Kate, I am sure I have emails of some of my stuff, but I never properly kept a thing. That will change now. Lots of love, Val xxxx
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Thanks for updating us, I feared the worst when I stopped getting emails from APJ. Please do hurry back, I miss you so much!! APJ is such a great place to hang out and feel the love Portia puts out. Wishing the APJ team all the best for getting things sorted asap!
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Dearest Tara C – an indispensable APJ family member! Hope the worst is overand this is another beginning, just like life huh? Stay tuned please. Lots of love, Val xxxxxx
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We are all here waiting for APJ to return to our screens, but in the meantime ….I am missing it like crazy really! Portia will return in perfumed triumph over these smelly hackers!
Good on you Tara for having Val yay!
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anicasunny – you are so kind. 🙂 I a m missing it too, that friendly ping of the email landing in the box! Portia will most certainly return triumphal, of that I have no doubt. Bussis. xxxxxx. Val
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So sorry to hear this! I love APJ and the warmth of its community. I look forward to hearing more from its regulars, wherever they show up!
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Hey Old Herbaceous – nice of you to drop in. None of us are gonna lie down easily, keep your eyes open! APJ will be back soooooon, I am sure. xxxxxx
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Oh my Gosh, this it terrible! To wipe such a passionate perfume website out of the web in just one click!?
I’m terribly sorry for Portia and others! Hopefully we’ll see them really soon in a new place. Sad thing is that it’ll never be the same again, with so many years of writing lost…
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No worries Mr Chemist – the writing are starting to turn up again. Hidden various places, and with great thanks to a number of people who have. been helping APJ out. We don’t need to b e the same again – we will be even better. 🙂 xxxx
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Val, APJ’s posts are on Bloglovin’ right now after having disappeared. Maybe that will help someone retrieve something…
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https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/australianperfumejunkies-3807499
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Good to see you, Val. And a big shout out to Tara for giving over her space to you. I’m missing APJ like mad but I know that Portia and the team are beavering away in the background. We will see you all again soon. It must be so disheartening to lose so much content though, and for what? Hopefully some of the comments here can point Portia in the right direction to recover some of what’s been lost.
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Hi casieflower – yep – there has been quite some success in locating some of the stuff. And the content got “lost” because the site was taken down. I just thought even with it down we could Google APJ and get the old stuff. But what do I know? Nothing. A very kind perfimista sent me link to all me Vero posts …. that I can open. Hurray for the technically aware. AndPortia has had offers of help – so brilliant. Beavering away …… Hugs. xxxx
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Forgive typos – I tried to correct the, but it wouldn’t allow me to, without posting first. Shoot me. *cassieflower *perfumista *my Vero posts. xxxx
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I am waving hello to you 🙂
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Oh, have been busy last few days so only catching up now. Helloooo back.
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Due to being too busy, and then a much needed holiday, I didn’t miss AJP till reading this! Thank you Tara for posting and CQ for bringing us the news. What a bizar thing to happen. I’m in Spain at the moment in a place which is scented with orangeblossom everywhere, gardens, indoors, streets, as the orange trees are blooming. Sending all the comfort this scent brings to Portia (and Jin and the dogs) and the AJP crew!
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Hi there Hamamelis! So nice to see you! I would sooner a ticket to join you in Spain, but yeah, I love orange blossom, we all do. Thanks very much! Stay tuned please. Have a wonderful holiday. Bussis. Val xxxxx
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A thank you first to Lillibet for directing me here. Cookie queen, thank you for the update. I love Portia,APJ, all the contributes and commenters to bits and I am extraordinarily sad about this news. However, I don’t think we have heard the last of APJ and I have faith that we will all be together again.
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chez Marzipan! My gosh – no worries. We are onto it. Don’t be sad. You have not heard the last of us. Hahahahahaha. You kidding? Thanks for dropping by and ALL the support. Bussis. Val xxxxx
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and thank you Tara for “hosting” cookie queen and allowing this APJ reunion of sorts 🙂
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Missing all the APJ crew and family, and thank you Tara for updating us and getting Val the Cookie Queen on board here.Hoping to see Portia and APJ back in action shortly and meanwhile sending hugs and support. xxx
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Anne T – Thanks so much for the hugs and support, I wonder if people realize how much that means to Portia and his crew? Nice to bemused, as I have said we will be back!! Lots of love, Val xxxx
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What a disaster! I can only imagine how Portia must feel. I make a point of not only saving everything I write in word, but making hard copies as well. But this is only the text – not the wonderful art and comments. Such a loss. 😢😢😢
Gail AKA Azar
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Hey Azar! How great you dropped in. I need to learn to use Word. No wonder there’s problems when you are as dumb as I am. But that is my techninal goal this year, learn to use Word. I am meeting up with Portia in a couple of weeks in London, and between him and tara there might be a chance. Might. Hugest of hugs, Val. xxxxxxx
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I’ve been desperately looking for APJ every day and am so sorry that this has happened and glad to know you all will be back!
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Hi Amy! Yes! That is exactly the problem and actually what I was referring to. Although some of the techies know where to find stuff, the average person does not. And if you Google APJ nothing comes up. Nichts. And that is because the whole site is down, hopefully to reappear. But no fear, something will happen. I am sure Portia is regularly smacking her head against the wall! Meanwhile stay tuned here. Hugs, Val xxxx
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I bet there are several head-shaped holes in the walls in Portia’s house at the mo.
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