Hi, Dave,

Disclaimers don't work. I have had two of the most vile and vituperative emails, ever, from people who seem to think my disclaimer is aimed directly at them - and I don't even know them!!!

"some are LOOKING for an attack on their person" - - - Got it in one!

I refer to them as 'the official offence takers'. I dread to think what sort of a life they lead. Dare they sleep at night?

England had a lady called Mary Whitehouse who started a viewers and listeners association. She, for the most part, did a good job but I often had to worry about the state of her mind when I saw some of the things she classified as 'obscene'.

A direct attack I can cope with - I think Neil is one of the under appreciated members here at Adland. If he does not agree with you, he makes no bones about telling you in no uncertain terms. He would never sneak behind anybody's back to 'get even'. You also know exactly where you stand with him - far too many people here swing with the tide - and the tides are unpredictable!

The Old Coot

 

DISCLAIMER

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS POST ARE THE HONESTLY HELD OPINIONS OF ARTHUR WEBSTER. (aka THE OLD COOT) THEY ARE ADDRESSED TO ALL OF THIS COMMUNITY AND, IN NO WAY, CONSTITUTE A PERSONAL ATTACK UPON PERSONS LIVING, DEAD OR FICTIONAL. IF YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ATTACKED AND YOU CAN LOOK INTO YOURSELF AND SEE THAT IT IS NOT PARANOIA THAT DRIVES THIS THOUGHT - CONTACT HIM AND TELL HIM WHY. 

Hi Jason, While I understand why people take people to court for making slanderous statements about themselves, it's certainly not an action I would take. In the online world, especially, negative publicity can be just as valuable as positive publicity, or even better. If someone is going to email all their friends and post on boards everywhere telling everyone what a skunk I am, think of all the people who are going to visit my sites to see who they're talking about! Think also about all the search engine spiders who are going to pick up the threads and raise my online profile! Some of the most successful online entrepeneurs, today, have had a HUGE amount of bad press, and it has done them practically nothing but good. I don't worry about personal attacks on me, but am sad that people feel it necessary to do so. Perhaps they need more hugs. God bless, Dave

Hi Dave, for some reason I do not get invites to your threads for the ranting forum.  Does someone hate me or what???  Can I be included please? Thanks for a great post, David.    I like your idea of special days for different pics.  We could have dog days (Arthur's scamp would win), cat days (we used  to have some of those pics here), spouse day, car day (show off your expensive, I earned it car with my first million earned with my internet business), house day, look alike, and switch  pic day (I put up you and you put up me in profiles). But honestly I like the present rule as it keeps us all honest.   David, if you are a member of Adlandpro you gave me permission to send ads in your personal mail.  Now get over it and get with the program. I have not received an ad from you....what you don't like me enough to care to send the very best ads to ME???  Make them long, I love to scroll!! The bigger the ad, the more you love me and  show you know what is best for me.   Your paragraph about hating reminds me  of a slogan "Care enough to send the very best".  Those that we hate the most we send flowers, poems, slander, etc. Be sure to praise them and by all means make them your partner.  It is easier to hate a partner than a community member.  We certainly should list the people who have the most enemies (ooops I mean friends).   Why not split Adlandpro into 2 groups.  We do this in society.  It's called incarceration and members of society (those out on bond).  We could choose up teams like we did in grade school for baseball. We could wear uniforms or post something under our pic to signify which team we are on.  Of course one would not intermingle with the other team so that we can hate them more. In closing I need to remind you of the rules about rules: 1.  rules are to be broken 2.  rules are necessary but only for other people 3.  if you are better than everyone else, you are above the rules 4.  Everyone else is breaking the rules, so its not a rule anymore 5.  That used to be a rule, society has now changed that view 6.  If I broke a rule, I didn't mean to and I'm so sorry 7.  I didn't know it was a rule 8.  rules are for those who can't make good decisions   I don't have a disclaimer as no one likes me enough to bother being upset. However, if I find those 8 rules anywhere on the internet someone is in BIG BIG trouble.

Hi Dave,

I do not class this post as a rant.
I would class it as a call to members to do the right thing and follow the rules.

However how can we expect members to follow the rules when management picks and chooses who they force to follow the rules.

We cant throw the rule book out. It was thrown out long ago with the failure to enforce the rules.

Personally I couldn't care less if  someone chose to use a picture of a pile of Llama dung (thank you Brian for that excellent example)  as their profile pic.
What I DO care about is everyone being treated equally.  
Why after the last few days of posts in various forums about this are there still people that have not been made to comply?

As for the software so we can send thousands of ads to all our friends don't forget to also make it so it can post ads in your feedback as well as this seems to be a target for spamvertising as well.

With reference to posting in various forums if we don't like someone. Don't forget they also have the  use of private messages  and the various instant messenger services like yahoo, Skype, MSN AIM and so on to discredit people as well.

 
"quote"
It's very audacious of the OWNER of the community who has spent a tremendous amount of time and effort building it to actually expect the membership to follow rules. Why, who, on Earth, would want to join? As a businessman, why would he want to create something that people would actually pay money to be a member of? That's downright GREEDY of him... isn't it?
"unquote"
In a word yes it is when the rules are not applied equally.

"quote"
OK - I'm raving...but from what I've seen in a lot of places, including places OTHER than this community (shame on you - you know who), that's the way some people think this community should be run, and they're all too quick to jump all over members who think the rules SHOULD be followed!
"unquote"

You are not Raving Dave i will not be supprised if everyone that posts in this and the other threads that relate to this subject will be jumped on by those that want to stay blind or just do not have the wherewithal to stand up and be counted, or are frightened that they will be the next target of those that do these things.

Arthur
Excellent disclaimer  but a pity that you feel that there is a need for it.
You will always get one (or more depending on how many they can get to back them) that will claim they are being attacked when it is just a case of someone p'd in their breakfast wheaties and they are still upset about it.
The fact that it wasn't you wont matter, they will just be looking for a target.
How anyone can justify sending you malicious emails because of your disclaimer is beyond belief.

Jason.
I agree more should take action but you have people that cant/wont either because they are not in a financial position to do so or their health would not stand the stress, or they just cant face the stress and turmoil that such an action  brings with it.

Jenny
You bring up a very valid point as well. Too many people jump on the band wagon and start attacking someone when they only have one side of the story, which usually has been distorted and put out of all context.

As for the Plagiarism what a fiasco that has turned out to be. The victim getting support only from a few but not from the most important people that should have supported him, and the perpetrator getting away with it.

 

Disclaimer. Copyright Bill Brown aka Bj.
I post what I know to be true. If the truth hurts do something to make it no longer true so that it does not have to be reiterated. I will always stand up against unfairness.