A gift for Andy Ray

Below is a thread started by someone posting as Andy Ray (at Debunking) on how to participate in forums on Greenspun forums. I will leave it to your interpetation in regards to his well meaning posts.

You folk more than likely have no idea how bad his can get. You can screw with the main board on Greenspuns forum. All that is needed is to have someone drop black background gifs on there and we are [the f-word in past tense]. And yes I believe this is JUST ONE WAY to majorly disrupt the forum. There are others.

Did you know that you can post gifs on the main board. I have even figured out a mini Prep form that can be posted on the Main Board. If someone is really creative they can do REALLY BIG DAMAGE.

Andy, yes, there's lots of ways to render this forum unreadable. And, yeah, it's a matter of degree on how disruptive it is. The temporary outages don't bother me much. Like right now, eventually, every post of the past that's important to me will again be available.

So, Andy. I offer these three easy "rules" for life. I keep them in mind as an adult trying to raise healthy children in a healthy home, in a healthy neighborhood, in a healthy community. Here they are:

Take care of yourself

Take care of this place

Watch out for each other

Works for me.

Critt who still remembers what it is to sleep under a bridge when it's raining

-- Critt Jarvis (newground@critt.com), July 29, 1999

Answers

I noticed while writing a response to the thread "Green" suggesting a delete that somehow my answer was forwarded to the "A gift for Andy Ray" thread.

I would think that anyone who hacks and disrupts this server in anyway would be subject to Federal prosecution considering where Greenspun.com is located, how they are funded, etc.

Should be an interesting next few months.

Mike

================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), July 29, 1999.

Michael & Critt,

Been spending time tracking and deleteing the HTML code that does that, and noting "who" is doing it. (BTW, some are DB'ers and some are not--to my current knowledge).

Of course, over on their DB site, *some* (not all) including Paul Davis are discussing further ways to cause Greenspun disruptions.

Just a general warning... I'm quite sure Inside The Web has a location for abuse complaints. In fact, they can COUNT on my filing one and notifying Phil Greenspun.

Very tacky behavior, Andy Ray, et. al., IMHO.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

(And Mutha, please DO cross-post the link so the "boneheads" can read the warning).

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

And just so they know,

This works both ways. I know plenty of people who could return the favor, and would do it just for sport, probably do it better, and definitely could do it totally anonomously.

-- Youve been warned (dont_even_think@bout.it), July 29, 1999.

I also want to say, to be fair, I DO NOT think Andy Ray started this-- at least with the HTML code thingy--however, he and the others "appear" to be threatening to continue it and do worse. That is what I take issue with on their end right now.

On this end, the "Andy Ray clone troll" and some additional copycats have been leaving quite a trail... be warned... STOP IT! NOW!!!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

Diane, You can always cast a spell on them (LOL).

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), July 29, 1999.

Mara,

Don't do the Wicca stuff... that was a complete Chicken Little fabrication... but I WILL ask that their personal guardian angels to remind them about karmic results of personal actions.

;-D

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

Diane,

Your warning has been noted. One of the reasons I quickly asked that the "Green" thread be deleted is because of the reasons you outlined above.

Bottom line, from one who has no clue about html, please just stop messing with it. And, to the person who wrote the warning above, please don't mess with the other forum either. This isn't going to get us anywhere and it seems it could get worse before getting better, if that is even possible.

As I wrote in my response to "Green" which was then diverted to "A gift to Andy Ray" I hold no ill feelings towards him and because I've been guilty of a lapse in sanity on occasion I hope we can find some common ground soon.

Critt has offered three rules that I feel are very essential now and always. This is our cyber neighborhood and although feelings, opinions, sentiment and motives may diverge we still have to live and exist together. Maybe the trick is to see the beauty in diversity.

Mike

=========================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mt4design@aol.com), July 29, 1999.

Diane:

You're much more forgiving of Andy Ray than I. If someone posts instructions for a home-made bomb on a public forum, would you NOT hold them responsible if some unsupervised teenagers decided to try it out? I understand there's no LEGAL responsibility, but I, personally think there's MORAL responsibility.

-- Anita (spoonera@msn.com), July 29, 1999.

Anita,

That's a good way of putting it.

I'm not forgiving him exactly, and most certainly "others" will watch him. About his "morality," or lack thereof, I have no doubts.

We'll also see if Doc Paulie or cpr have any "morality" in stopping or snipping those discussions and/or that code. Certainly, their forum provider *may* be "interested."

What I find curious, is that their continued support for trolling actions (optimistic/polly is fine and not at issue) will definately push the forum into become more heavily moderated (not to their advantage) and/or a new forum could get started with another Y2K niche market focus. (Do understand marketing issues and complimentary forcus rather than competitive focus).

I'm quite sure that's not what they intended, but the end result of their actions, could just make this whole thing bigger and bigger.

Interesting growth patterning, huh?

The Y2K Prep Forum is going stronger than ever.

;-D

Diane

BTW, we're discussing ways to respond to concerns voiced here...

TB2K Tracks Y2K Neatly and An Offer

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 0019Ol

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

Mutha Nachu,

I can only say something here to ya'll. I very stongly feel it would be inappropriate for me to post on your board when I don't support your opinions or your tactics. That's why I won't... ever. (That includes Paul Davis's BIFFY place too). I also wouldn't go over to any other forum and flame or troll for the same reason. Just tacky behavior and poor nettiquette (-1 sp).

Besides, there are several posters from De Bunkers *NOT ALL* who clearly troll here. And I do mean... "clearly." I really don't take issue with the bump-in-the-road crowd posting here; many have opinions worth discussion. It's the TROLLING that is causing the bulk of the TBY2K problems. And to be fair, it is not all on your side. But frankly, you'd be surprised how much "is." I know, I am.

So, all this will just result in "different approaches" so we can just keep on discussing "what's important" ...Y2K.

The continued trolling actions force more concensus here... than you have any idea of... or any desire for. I do suggest you encourage your compatriots to... STOP.

Thank you.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

So Muthu,

What is 99.9% of five (besides your IQ)?

-- ariZONEa (desert@sw.com), July 29, 1999.

Well, at least one good thing happened as a result of all of this.We haven't seen Andy Ray in a whole day! If we ever do see him again, man, is he going to get a few words from me... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), July 30, 1999.