Well DAMN, shoot the messenger!

An excerpt from an email I received the day after ae7op Art Bell's Antenna web site was removed by ProBoards.

"Do you not feel you have over re-acted to John's little prank? I do, and why against Art's site?Owell."

This email seemed to echo the sentiments of many on-air folks, as I've not only heard comments: "someone whose name begins with an 'e' reported him!"  (Give me a freaken break!)  I've also heard of phone calls going back and forth, MSN Messenger messages, and ditto emails.

Well, no, I do not feel I over reacted. 

What ae7op did by 'slamming' the www.3840HamFans.com site was completely unethical.  It is an action condemned by ANY internet TOS agreement.

A prank?  Perhaps. 
Little, definitely not, as it caused hours of additional work.
And it wasn't 'Art's Site'; it was ae7op's site that was removed.

I acted ethically in that:

• I gave ae7op 48 hrs to come forth; apologize, explain, make amends, whatever.  (He did not.)
• I cc'd a copy of the email containing the 'complaint' TO ae7op.
• By reporting this type of behavior, perhaps OTHER web sites will be spared.

 
I had NO CONTROL of any actions that Verizon, Proboards, or Hotmail, may have taken against ae7op.  I reported the incident; they each reviewed, investigated, and decided on an action (or not).

The email went on: "as I am sure I have not aligned myself with many of your values."
 
Well, ya know what, email writer (and you know who you are!), perhaps you should!!!  As I do not believe in lying (banning folks from my list and claiming I had nothing to do with it and couldn't do anything about it!), cheating, or stealing.

I believe in integrity, ethics, manners, responsibility (personal & social), telling it like it is, freedom of speech, America, AND thinking for myself.  These are not such BAD values...

In fact, ae70p is STILL a subscriber to 3840HamFans@yahoogroups.com !!! 
I did not and will not 'ban' him!

 

 

 

 

3840 Web Site Slammed!

Over the week-end, ae7op decided to add a few votes to the 3840HamFans web poll.  He hit the site 80 times in less than an hour and registered 80 votes for kd7bcw, Ben Gardner.

Now this is interesting in a number of ways:

SITE SLAMMING CIRCUMSTANCES:
He had to manipulate his computer to be able to register more than one vote
(Or the cgi interface on the site.)
It seems that he only voted for Ben
He returned to the site 3 times the next morning
Did he REALLY think no one would notice?

WEB POLL STATUS:
This month's poll has not been compromised
ae7op's votes will just be deducted at the poll's end

LIST CIRCUMSTANCES:
He only joined the 3840 List last May
He hasn't really participated in the list
He joined the list under a hotmail addie

FREQUENCY CIRCUMSTANCES:
He is new to the 3.840 freq.
He doesn't participate there much
He doesn't seem to have gotten on anyone's bad side
He created an 'Art Bell' Antenna Web Site
He got on the 'good' side of Art Bell, who featured this web site on HamCams.com

HAM CIRCUMSTANCES:
He just got his Extra license
He just got his vanity call
Before that he had a General (for awhile)
For many years before that, he held a Tech license

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES:
ae7op HAS NOT come forward to explain or apologize

EVVY CIRCUMSTANCES:
He does not know me
We have not had any interaction, either on or off the list
I actually PROMOTED his new Art Bell Antenna site

RESULTS:
3840 Hamfans reported this incident to:
His ISP
Hotmail
Ben Gardner
Proboards (where he has the free website)

 
QUESTIONS:
Did this 40 something man who holds an FCC Extra License think this was a prank?
Did he really think his ISP wouldn't be tracked?
Why didn't he come forth when urged to do so my a 'list mate'?
Did his NEED for Art Bell's approval and acceptance lead to these actions?
Did Art Bell's attitude towards ME lead to these actions, albeit indirectly?
How, oh how, do these loonies find Artie? 
Why are they drawn to 3.840 like moths to the flame???

COMMENTS ANYONE???

 

 

Art Bell & Steve Wingate 'make nice'

Even though I predicted it; it was too smooth, rehearsed even.

Art w60bb, out of the blue, asked Steve kg6txh to apologize for his actions in recent months. But never offered an explanation or apology of his own! Art Bell did NOT own any of the responsibility for the 'Steve Fiasco'. Nor did he express any concern over what Steve had gone though (even the death of his 22 year old cat!)

Steve, as coherent and focused as I've ever heard him, fell right into line. He spent a good amount of time apologizing for the things he WAS responsible for; over reacting, taking everything so personal, being a newbie on the frequency, etc. Steve apologized to one and all for everthing except being born!

Art accepted graciously. (Wonder if Art would forgive me for being evvy if I were on air??? Somehow I doubt it!).

AUDIO CLIP AVAILABLE AT: http://www.3840hamfans.com/3840/Audio/index.html

And the 'soap' continues to unfold, night after night. What will happen between Art & Steve remains to be seen.

However, I DO know it takes TWO to fight!!!