Administrator: Please help.

[iLikeWeen]

HI.
You may have seen the thread that I started in the Bman 2005 / Theme Camps section titled "Warning: A theif and a MAJOR self Advertiser.". I realized that this site doesn't deserve to be filled with what is inside of that topic any longer than what it has already. It served its duty, got the attention of the subject and I think it would be best that it now disappears for good. Orion(the subject) recently sent me an e-mail that gave me a sense of his understanding/apology, so I am now glad to feel a breeze of reassurance. So please, whoever you are that has the power...go ahead and erase that thread when you have the time. Thanks, Smile and Slay on.
~Matt

[spectabillis]

topic deletions/mergings cant happen at the moment, but this is a pretty open board so things are a bit more complicated. I recently caught a bunch of flack for even hinting that a personal based attack topic be locked, I tried to drop hints that people should not post in it and let it sink, but nope.

you can always try to tell whoever posts in the thread to please refrain from doing so, and hopefully it will sink away. I strongly recommend doing this just because I feel a sense of retribution in showing others how much of a pain it can be to get some things done around here, and the inevitable flack you get in return for each attempt to improve things.

[iLikeWeen]

Thanks.
However, the person is threatening to "Sue me for SLANDER" reguarding the post. I don't take much of what this person says serious, but I definatley don't have time to play "childish-adult" games outside of my life. Again, thanks for the advice.

~Matt

[spectabillis]

would't be the first time.

[Captain Fuckwit]

HI.
You may have seen the thread that I started in the Bman 2005 / Theme Camps section titled "Warning: A theif and a MAJOR self Advertiser.". I realized that this site doesn't deserve to be filled with what is inside of that topic any longer than what it has already. It served its duty, got the attention of the subject and I think it would be best that it now disappears for good. Orion(the subject) recently sent me an e-mail that gave me a sense of his understanding/apology, so I am now glad to feel a breeze of reassurance. So please, whoever you are that has the power...go ahead and erase that thread when you have the time. Thanks, Smile and Slay on.
~Matt

Dear iLikeWeen,

So, you posted on the Internet (the World Wide Web) a mugshot of someone you don't like and (essentially) wrote "theif" beneath the photo. But now you're worried about, possibly, a retaliatory lawsuit against you for slander (libel). Meanwhile, your initial request to the Admin here to delete your mistake is couched in your self-recitude about how your thread 'served its duty', given that your mark sent you an email that provided you with a sense of 'his understanding/apology'; And now that you feel all better, you want this mess that you have created to be made to disappear.

Well, the most you've really succeeded at, so far, is to highly embarrass yourself. Anyone who reads your created thread will probably feel embarrassed for you. 'Bet you won't do that again!

Maybe this guy, your mark, is no real gem himself. Regardless, we here are self-reliant and we don't need your help 'saving us' from people that you find 'undesirable': If the guy's as obnoxious as you claim him to be, we'll figure it out on our own, soon enough. From this distance, we can't substantiate whatsoever if this person is a "theif", or for that matter a "thief". You have no business libelling persons across the Internet with captioned photos, regardless of your opinions of them. All the same, we don't need thread-locks or thread-erasures to save us from your irresponsible claims of a big bad world of obnoxious people and unproven allegations.

Eplaya users reading your libel will probably benefit from your mistake, reminded to know better than to publish another person's headshot on e-playa and label it with- 'Litterbug', 'Low-Talker' or 'Axe-Murderer'. Live with it: If you've truly damaged this person's life somehow with your libel, then let it go to court where adults can adjudicate the matter and where both sides get a fair opportunity to speak. You've made your bed, now lie in it.

Hopefully, your thread will be left to stand, unlocked, and we can all learn a lesson from your humiliation, lest we humilate ourselves by repeating such a mistake. We'll let BBS nature take its course and hopefully the thread will sink into obscurity. Thanks for your contribution: We can all learn from your mistake.

Sincerely yours,
Captain Fuckwit

[spectabillis]

shiny caped crusader...

wheee

[iLikeWeen]

Thanks Captain.
What's been done has been fair. Would you want a lawyer calling you up due to someone else's mistakes? I did something that I felt would create awareness throughout a generally peaceful community. I apologize that you became tangled up in the solotion that I attempted at creating due to the negativity caused by another. I don't enjoy threats including a lawyer possibly as much as the subject didn't enjoy seeing who he is on an internet site. Was this the appropriate way that I should have handled this situation? I am not sure, but I certainly feel it has served its purpose towards the person and possibly to the reason that there is this discussion board for the Burning Man Community. Again, I apologize if my actions have offended you. We learn something new everyday.

~Matt

[Badger]

We learn something new everyday.

Looks like you might be learning something in court.

BTW, SWOONING over Capt. Fuckwit's reply.

[Kinetic IV]

The odds of this making it to court are about 20/80. 20% chance it will, 80% chance it won't. There's some actionable stuff but the hassles of going to court, paying the attorneys and going through the drawn out process over comments posted on one measly BBS is usually not worth the time for all involved. Now I may be wrong but it sounds like someone's doing some sabre rattling and little else.

My hunch...an attorney will look at this and say don't waste your time. Unless you've got money to burn or are doing it for the sheer principles involved...and if the man's having to sell his product at Burning Man his finances may be iffy anyway....this is likely going to just blow over. But if it doesn't file a countersuit and make it as financially painful as possible for him as you can. Once he sees that you're not going to roll over that may stop this in it's tracks. In any event good luck to you.

(I've been down this same path and when my attorneys looked at the comments on here they started snickering and said you want us to work off this? Puhleeze! YMMV though)

[iLikeWeen]

I am not sure who is an Administrator / Moderator that has posted in this thread. However, it comes across that there are certain posts in this thread that are basically saying they hope that a fellow burner goes to court from Chicago(where I live) all the way to L.A.(were the subject lives).


Here is a personal message from the person my "controversial post" was based on. . . .

"I am over this dude, I don't have time. I am burying this hatchet if you will do so..

1) Take this slander off of the web it is illegal. BM is a part of my life and even though you do not care for me there are people who enjoy my company

2)I never stole anything from you if anything I found shit for you that blew away and besides you have no proof of thievery so you can't blame

3) Anything I did borrow from you I gave back and I even gave your friend a pair of nice boots

4) If this is not taken off of the web I will have my lawyer contact the web master and alert him of the mess you are trying to create, under the california penal code (slander) is a felony, your files will be seized and you will face possible prosecution(I've already looked into it)

5) I did not go on the web and disrespect you man. You started this by not talking to me on the playa. If you knew anything about me you'd know that I'm not gonna go fighting on the playa, if you approach me in a diplomatic way and talk plainly."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a nice person and this was all started by a rapid fire of inner emotion, not a rapid fire of legal jargon. My words involved in all of my posts are accurate and I have self proof and proof from around 12 other people. I, like yourselves have a life to live. Dealing with this persons legal threats has no place to fit inside of my life. This isn't about me being afraid of my word, because everything to this point has been 100 percent accurate. This is what is real, this is what it is.
Thanks again,
~Matt

[spectabillis]

The active administrator is Emily.

ChaiGuy and myself are the active moderators.

[Isotopia]

The active administrator is Emily.

ChaiGuy and myself are the active moderators.

And I am actively HOWLING at this silliness - especially at some of the other responders.

[spectabillis]

How so?

[spectabillis]

you can always try to tell whoever posts in the thread to please refrain from doing so, and hopefully it will sink away. I strongly recommend doing this just because I feel a sense of retribution in showing others how much of a pain it can be to get some things done around here, and the inevitable flack you get in return for each attempt to improve things.

see what I meant? 5 days and still being elevated...

... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ...

[spectabillis]

Still going... so how many days so far?

guilty of a post myself, but it was only after I have seen it elevated again

[iLikeWeen]

oh well at least the thread attracted some pretty humorous people including yourself.

[Fat SAM]

Hey Spectabilis, was that the post I wasn't supposed to post on? I know you wrote me about something, but it was never totally clear which post it was and I think I forgot to ever ask.

[spectabillis]

Thats funny, and I dont remember.

[iLikeWeen]

i could go for a cheese omelette right now