Posted by Dana S. on September 26, 1999 at 19:18:33:
In Reply to: Negatives & Positives ... What Else Is New? posted by Rich/Mohican Press on September 26, 1999 at 09:45:24:
: Negatives! Positives! Positives! Negatives! ... Where to begin? As I began with the positives last go-round, I suppose it only fair to reverse it this time. Negatives first!
: First thing you�ve probably noticed is the new statement up on top of the Board. For nearly all of you, it means nothing. Go on as always.
: For a tiny percentage, it's an invitation to go away. We are taking steps to avoid the aggravation of dealing with who we don�t want to deal with. Our little �stunt,� as it has been referred to by one person, of last week, has caused us to reflect considerably on how
: we can make this place what WE, and, obviously, most all of YOU, want it to be. If that means shutting the gates when necessary, shut the gates we will. There's no law that says we have to deal with the same garbage over & over. Of course, we have been accused in the past, and VERY recently, of deleting posts at will. Such a crime! What board DOESN�T delete posts? Especially one that might receive the volume of posts that this one does. It's a necessity as part of maintaining this place.
: Of course, the whole accusation is ridiculous anyway. The inference is that we will not allow opposing viewpoints to "get through." That implies one of two things, maybe both. Either our Board has the capability of pre-approving a post before it is public (it doesn�t - we don�t see them until you do) or we stay glued to our computer 24 hours a day ready to delete a message at a moment�s notice. I don�t think so. If we were avidly deleting posts, SOMEONE would see them!
: Let me explain, to set the record straight, how our Board works. The way our CGI script is set up, we have NO blocking power whatsoever. If your post does not appear, you did something wrong in the posting process, or perhaps you don't have your browser set to refresh every time you access a page. Secondly, unless we delete an ENTIRE thread, evidence remains of a post having been there. If you check the thread in question, "The Challenge," you will note that clicking on any of the follow-ups produces one of two results. Either you go to a posted follow-up, or you receive an "error 404 - URL not found" message. That's a deleted post! How ironic that the only deleted posts in that thread are by our REGULAR posters (and "LOL") ... none from anyone offering evidence to support the charge that we somehow strong-arm people into doing our bidding. NONE! The fact of the matter is, there were none. What a totally ludicrous charge anyway! We have left that window open, along with Elaine's still unanswered question. So funny how we are charged with covering up everything, etc.,etc., yet there is NEVER any valid response when we open the door for the issues to be addressed as a dialogue, here in public, by the "other" side.
: Believe what you choose to.
: We have adopted a similar policy with our e-mail, where we CAN block unwanted mail. We were successful, by the way, in having the first hacker (about 8 months, or so, ago) dumped from his ISP.
: Moving on ... The Porno Caper ...
: While I very much want to believe that we've been "page-jacked" in the manner described in a previously posted message, I maintain serious doubts. Here are some of the reasons I can publicly address:
: - The spam expert suspects not, for various reasons.
: - Nearly all the excerpted links from our site are from the Board or the Gathering Pages, none of which contain meta tags. Almost like they were hand picked.
: - If this was part of some big scam, as described in the articles, why would the hacker leave evidence of the hack in such a blatant fashion? Blinking "Hack! Hack! Hack!" Makes no sense. It makes more sense that someone who doesn't like you would taunt in such a fashion.
: - Why us, anyway? Sure, we show up very high in the search engines when using LOTM-related keywords, but let's face it, where does LOTM fit in the grand scheme of things on the Internet? NOT very high! There are SO many more things out there that an Internet user is likely to be searching for than LOTM ... so many bigger, more visible sites than ours!
: - One should always look at one's enemies to be the most likely culprit in any crime. Not that it would always turn out to be the case, but that's where criminal investigations are likely to begin.
: Positives second, as we leave these issues in our wake ...
: In a semi-Web Site-related matter ... Those of you living in the northeast will have the opportunity to experience a real treat next April. Patriot's Day, celebrated in Massachusetts, I guess usually falls on the Monday closest to the 19th?? April 19 is the date in history when the Battles of Lexington & Concord were fought to open the Revolutionary War. Every year, on Patriot's Day, a superb re-enactment is held to commemorate these events. This year, the event will be held on the Saturday prior, allowing more out-of-state participators to be able to make it. Thus, the event will be expanded to a larger size & include more of the action, including Paul Revere's capture. It's a stirring event, sure to move you, as you "witness" one of the important episodes in American History, right on the historic ground. Be there, if you can! Mark your calanders now!
: You folks amaze me, time & time again. Besides the show of support here on the Board, we've received tons of e-mail, & even letters in our mailbox, that go way beyond the call of duty! It is so reassuring that someone can see the truth for what it; so rewarding to know we have had the impact we have! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And, I really mean that!
: In the midst of all this mess, new folks join in on the posting, the potential Gathering list continues to grow, and visitation has sky-rocketed to beat out last week's all-time high by over 100 visitors per day! Yes, we broke 1100 visitors each & every weekday! (Visits consistently drop by a few hundred on the weekends, especially on Saturday.) It says something for integrity, substance, fortitude ... and it works both ways. We are the recipients of same as much as we hope that we pass it on.
: Speaking of The Gathering, our Biltmore deal has been more or less finalized. That will be the Saturday event, along with the movie. We're not ready to offer packages just yet, but my advice, once we are, is to act quickly. We have more people interested than ever before. The theater holds 75 max, so that would pretty much have to be our Gathering limit, unless we were to switch venues. We are considering expanding to 4 days, IF the River Walk property is once again available to us ... very much up in the air at this point.
: We were linked to by a Language Site. Why? ???? They must not be reading my posts, full of typos & spelling errors! Seems like a compliment, though.
: We mentioned, way back when, an article in "Ladies Home Journal." It is scheduled for the November issue ... perfect timing with the Director's Cut being released. The article actually is about film locations. That's where we come in, and that angle figures to possibly add to our Gathering totals, as well.
: New in the Trading Post are Magua's earrings, made of trade silver. Check them out in the Mercantile Shoppe.
: With the talk of DDL, and some new posters joining in, we direct you to his letter to us as our Oldie Page of the Week!
: Hoping for a completely positive update next time ... Happy Trails! Thanks for carrying on!
I, of course, observed all the negativity going on before I decided to place my first ever post. I was a smidge worried about posting as a result. What convinced me to post anyway? Well, besides falling in love with Rich and Elaine through reading EVERYTHING on this wonderful site, it was the thoughtful concern and class all the rest of you displayed in your support of this fine family. I feel privileged to be a part of this board.
Now, does that guaranty me a spot a the Gathering? Just kidding.
Dana