To lock or not to lock?? (POLL)

[Simon]

Recently, this thread (http://www.vocalcafe.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=239) was reported to me by the owner of another website. It was reported because someone posted a chunk of text copied from that website (to help someone who needed information!).

Now here's the thing. It's impossible for google or other search bots to scan and list such info within a couple of days, so the owner of this website was TOLD about this post by someone. Referrer information seems to point to a guest viewer (referred here from a 'rival forum', according to session information). You'd think they would have better things to do! Obviously not a particularly clever individual either.

Anyway - was considering locking the forum from being viewed by guests. Essentially, only people registered will be able to view. And then, if someone snitches on us again - i'll know exactly who it is. The downside to this, is that there will be less new registrations. On the plus side, it means we can say nasty things about anyone we like! lol......

So lets see a show of hands through the miracle of voting......

[Simon]

To start off, i've posted to lock the forum. Though im not sure.

It's no hardship for me to remove segments of posts if required

[Michelle]

I voted not to lock, not yet anyway! I think by reading this the person who reported us will feel like the dick that they are!
feel free to give us ur opinion on this lifeless moron! :D

[Alpha]

I have voted to not lock it, but you would think that in so much as it was a helpful thread not anything malicious then its doing no harm.
I can't understand what people are trying to achieve here by going back to the site owners, surely the fact that it is on the internet puts it firmly in the public domain and people should be able to read it.
I think name and shame as it appears to be a rather petty and nasty thing to do....lets just hope the individual who did it nevers needs this type of advice or is in this tragic situation.

[Simon]

I can't understand what people are trying to achieve here by going back to the site owners, surely the fact that it is on the internet puts it firmly in the public domain and people should be able to read it.

I can totally understand the owners point of view, which is why I made the edit. They prepared the information and someone just copied it! :lol: It shocks me more that some saddo has the time on their hands to keep an eye on my forum, to report these things! Well, to be honest - im actually a quite flattered too! They are spending all this time checking my forum for me! That kinda makes me the master!!! Like a jedi!

[Alpha]

Yoda?
I could lend you Lukes lightsaber if needs be. God I would love a real one!

[Simon]

how much fun would that be! I mean, seriously!

:12:

[Alpha]

i think I would end up on the darkside...but would give almost anything to find out.

[Simon]

Lmao..... brilliant. Suspect i'll see you over on the darkside then!

[Matt]

http://www.noparachute.co.uk/images/funny_21.jpg

Sorry JT, could not resist!! wOOky :P

[Michelle]

Pmsl thats a good one, I like this one :lol: :D

[attachment=0:fd8b8]darth.JPG[/attachment:fd8b8]

Sorry totally off topic......back to the poll!

[lyn]

to the person who reported the post. i just showed this to my friend who lost her beloved son last saturday and needed help. like everyone else on this forum she is disgusted that someone could/would stoop so low. the information was posted in good faith and i'm sure there was no intention to do anything other than help her.
my personal feelings for this person (and i think i know who you are) goes beyond shock. i could rant and rave about it but thats what you want isn't it. well, i send you my love coz nobody else seems to need it more. not even my friend who's son died.
i truly hope you are never in such a situation and if you are, i hope you have some friends left willing to give you support. you should be ashamed of yourself.
simon i voted to keep us public. but i hadn't read the post just the poll. now, i'm not so sure. i wouldn't have been bothered if it had been anything else that was reported but whoever did it is sick and needs help. i worry we are being stalked by a mad person.

[Michelle]

Well said Lyn http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Respect/respect-039.gifhttp://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Respect/respect-039.gif

[Alpha]

I completely agree, it is really petty and ever so slightly deranged behaviour. I can just imagine them smirking when they thought they had got people into trouble.
I have found that people like this are often bullied by there peers or partners and it is a way for them to try and even the scales. As cowardly as it is you do have to feel sorry for them as they must have such a terrible life thet they resort to such childish behaviour.

[jools]

Much as I would like to vote to lock the forum, I think we should leave it open for now in order to attract nw members. However, I think you should review the situation going forward.

[lyn]

ok i am recovering from the shock of just how low some people can go. just reminded me why some other forums are so shite. kind of proved us right in the end without us even trying.

[Simon]

I have found that people like this are often bullied by there peers or partners and it is a way for them to try and even the scales

You know, from a psychological viewpoint I I was gonna say exactly that. Sometimes even as far back as school bullying. But then you said it first, which now makes me look like a cheap copycat! :13:

[MightyMouth]

I posted it to help. I didn't realise it would cause all this. Sorry. I haven't a clue who or where this person came from or their reasons for doing what they did. Heartless. Just heartless :cry:

[helen1]

Ok sorry being a bit thick here, but what is this post all about,? I have seen this thread on 'another forum' infact i think i commented on it something along the lines of condolances.

What am I missing hear? No offence intended honestly I just think I have missed something out or mis read a bit of post :|

[MightyMouth]

I copied a load of info from a site that was intended to help Lyns friend whose son had died and posted it on a thread here. I should have posted a link. Somebody from somewhere got in touch with the site I got it from and reported that it had been copied (i guess it isn't allowed :oops: ) onto Simons site and they in turn got in touch with Si. At least I think that is what happened.

[Meerkat]

to the person who reported the post. i just showed this to my friend who lost her beloved son last saturday and needed help. like everyone else on this forum she is disgusted that someone could/would stoop so low. the information was posted in good faith and i'm sure there was no intention to do anything other than help her.
my personal feelings for this person (and i think i know who you are) goes beyond shock. i could rant and rave about it but thats what you want isn't it. well, i send you my love coz nobody else seems to need it more. not even my friend who's son died.
i truly hope you are never in such a situation and if you are, i hope you have some friends left willing to give you support. you should be ashamed of yourself.
simon i voted to keep us public. but i hadn't read the post just the poll. now, i'm not so sure. i wouldn't have been bothered if it had been anything else that was reported but whoever did it is sick and needs help. i worry we are being stalked by a mad person.


Well said Lyn (Si I know you let swearing but I daren't start or I'll never stop :11: )

I'm just in total shock that someone has reported this when the OP was trying to help Lyn's friend in her awful situation (Lyn tel your friend I'm thinking of her at this awful time she is going thro ;) :13: )

(Note to Mightymouth, I also may have copied and pasted, but after this I will be very careful and post links only )

[Simon]

Yeah, you can also (in many cases) simply attribute the copy to the site you found it on. Easier just to create a link though to be honest.

If it weren't for the skulkers, we probably wouldn't need to. I especially like the way they were brave enough to step up to the plate and admit it. :-) The mark of a true coward.

[happydog]

I also voted not to lock -at the moment. Think it should be reviewed periodically though.
That person (and I think I know who it is too) really needs to get psychological help, and a life. I am sure that part of it is simply attention seeking behaviour and they will be quite excited to read that we are giving this latest escapade such attention. I actually feel quite sorry for them because all this exploit has done for me is to ensure that I have no time for them at all in future and I shall not be bothering to comment on any post of theirs. I have no time for such pathetic, infantile and underhand behaviour.

You really should be ashamed of yourself. It was petty behaviour in the extreme and I am particularly angry that you chose to do this to a post which was genuinly about getting help for someone in dire need after such a tragedy. May doG forgive you.

[Jan/Billy]

Referrer information seems to point to a guest viewer (referred here from a 'rival forum', according to session information). You'd think they would have better things to do! Obviously not a particularly clever individual either.


Erm... Can I just say that i have been a "guest" for the last few days. The reason being that things were getting a bit too heated for my liking so I decided to stay away & I also lost my new password :15: . I am also a member of t'other place but I can hand on heart swear on my doggies life that IT WAS NOT ME!!!! :o

For what it's worth ( which probably ain't much :lol: ) I don't think it could have been anyone from the other place. I don't think there are any members who are vindictive & thoughtless enough to do this. Not considering that the thread was about a young life that has been tragically ended. I just can't believe anyone would be so thoughtless. Whoever it is mustn't have children of their own.

Is it not possible it could be someone else? I really hope so :04: :04:


I'd prefer it to be an open forum , but with a section that is for members only. On the "to pass the time " forum that Cathy runs that's what she's done & I think it works really well :D

[Ladylola]

I think the person who did this has to much time on their hands. After all the OP was only trying to help someone in great distress. Get a life I say. Good Idea to have a members only bit though.

[Simon]

I'll get a members only forum up tomorrow

Someone remind me!

EDIT: Need some forum titles for private member only forums tho. Please let me know! I think i'll allow people into the forums after X amount of posts too, so people cant just sign up to see whats in there.

[stumpy]

I'm for not locking it as well. If others are so low as to do this type of thoughtless crap they'd only become a member and get in that way. It's like all the security on your home isn't it, if the bastards want in they'll find a way.....if it's locked it could portray there's something inside worth stealing [or reporting in the sad gits case]......unbelievable what another human being can do to a person during a time of grief.

[Jan/Billy]

I'll get a members only forum up tomorrow

I think i'll allow people into the forums after X amount of posts too, so people cant just sign up to see whats in there.


aaahhhhhh good idea! :D

[jools]

Locking part of the forum is a great idea. Just one thing. The original thread that lead the person to report us was, IMO, the least offensive thread ever - and someone still saw fit to report it.

Great to have a private area, but I don't think it'll stop this person, or others trawling through every word of every post.

[Meerkat]

I'll get a members only forum up tomorrow

Someone remind me!

EDIT: Need some forum titles for private member only forums tho. Please let me know! I think i'll allow people into the forums after X amount of posts too, so people cant just sign up to see whats in there.


I think this is a great idea too ;) Only one thing tho - do you really want to spend time on your birthday doing it :?: Happy birthday ;)

[NinjaMaster]

Leave us public. That way VC gets the publicity it deserves.

I personally don't see what the big woohaa is about anyway. If memory serves MightyMouth has just copy and pasted a heap of legislation info and regulations from a website which I'm guessing the web owner had also copied from a book or somewhere. I doubt the web owner made up the info themselves?

Anyway. Keep us public. With our own members only forum where we can rant against the numpties. (Sounds like a bad Rage Against The Machine tribute band!)

[Simon]

For what it's worth ( which probably ain't much :lol: ) I don't think it could have been anyone from the other place. I don't think there are any members who are vindictive & thoughtless enough to do this.

If you consider the fact it was impossible to google this page (2 days isn't long enough for a listing in any search engine!) and the fact there are about 20 billion unique webpages out there, the chances of the owner stumbling across this are slim. Also, the lady who contacted me told me it was reported. Which means, the 'perp' actually googled the content of this page, to find the source - in order to report it. Together with referrer information, i've no doubt in my mind who was behind it.



I personally don't see what the big woohaa is about anyway. If memory serves MightyMouth has just copy and pasted a heap of legislation info and regulations from a website which I'm guessing the web owner had also copied from a book or somewhere. I doubt the web owner made up the info themselves?

In all fairness, the lady who contacted me about this was very pleasant - so I had no problems with altering the post. I think it's a registered body, so likely it IS their own information (she did also speak about that particular article being out of date and in archive)

[Bon Jovi]

rise above it I say.. private forums are always a good thing but if someone comes knocking.. bitching about content lifted from elsewhere (which i gather this whole mess is about), if it aint copyrighted or intellectual property theft ... tell 'em to go fuck themselves :12:

if it IS copyrighted/potential property theft - credit and link.