Hacking is cowardly way to fight criticism

As we do every weekend, we paid a visit to one of Boston's more outspoken websites to find that it had been hacked and trashed.
The site is one that combines an unusual dual role.
One one hand it goes to a lot of trouble to promote the town and its businesses and attractions - far more enthusiastically than most of the people whose job it is supposed to be.
On the other hand, its news section rigorously attacks the borough council, and has produced a number of interesting "exclusives" - particularly about the Princess Royal Sports Arena.
This site cannot be accused of ambiguity in any shape or form, and despite the fact that a number of its stories seem strong enough to pass a lie detector test, as far as we are aware neither of our local "newspapers" has ever taken the trouble to investigate their veracity and follow them up.
Whatever one may think about this website, to attack it this way is cowardly and malicious.
As the policeman could have said in Casablanca, there are probably not many people who would fall into the category known as the "usual suspects."
Presumably, one of the subjects criticised on the site has decided that the best way to answer those criticisms is to behave in an even worse manner and try to destroy the source of criticism.
A number of bad people and evil organisations have gone down that route over the centuries whether the subject of their wrath was books or people, but in the broader test of time they have failed in their mission.
Free speech is free speech - no matter how badly spelled or punctuated.
We hope that the site in question is back in business as soon as possible.
Sadly this is not the first time that a local website has been pressured.

Another stopped publishing some while ago after physical threats were made to the operators.
If by any chance, you know which miserable piece of human detritus was behind this latest intellectual vandalism, then please let us know.

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