Please use this area to vent, slam me, whatever...

How is this different from talking about good/bad restaurants in the area? or talking about which mechanic shop to take your car to? or which orchard has the best apples? or where I can buy a kneblin pin?

The web host was named because it was part of a problem that was affecting thousands of people in the tri-state area.

Just that one certain business webbie?

I don't wanna slam you i don't even know you but the topic title is misleading it wasn't lost it was removed , i always thought the purpose of forumes was for people to state how they feel on whatever topic as long as it is not a racial slur or an attack on a lifestyle choice and the postie is not useing profanity it should not be "Edited"

this is not just "a story about another business" here in town.

this is a story that should be picked up by the Herald. There has been an ongoing injustice comitted and recomitted by the webmaster of that site.

This isn't just a guy with a vendetta going after the webmaster.

This guy sent an email to MY EMPOYER telling them that I launched a DOS attack on his clients website. This has gone was past a simple "oh..i dont like you so Im blocking your ip address". it's now moved into the slander and libel arena and this webmaster is blocking entire domains.

Brush this under the carpet if u will...but I am not thru with this yet. i will not be vilified and not defend myself.

and webbie..shame on you for not talking to me directly. I've sent you a PM and an email.

You at least owe me that much.

Holy Smokes Batman!!!

Something is beginning to stink here in the HM forums. Earlier (Oct 5) there were mentions of an "editor" getting involved in the soccer coach thread. I saw nothing posted there that warranted "editors" asking "moderators" to ask a long-time member to edit her post. The post was not slanderous or libelous IMO.

Now, a whole thread is deleted because someone in the background apparently has pushed Webbie to do so.

The original reason given by Webbie was that we don't allow advertizing -- good or bad. This is false. Many times we either criticize or give kudos and recommendations for various businesses in these forums -- whether for places to eat, get your car repaired, or whatever.

I recently read an article in the HM by a bigshot "editor" or something boasting how the advertizing division would never even think of suggesting to the news division that they should or should not run certain stories -- all in the name of upholding lofty journalistic integrity, of course.

In the same vein, if someone in the background at the HM is giving orders about these forums, and what does and does not constitute an acceptable post, he or she should have the guts to come forward and speak for himself/herself instead of making Webbie do it. Either they are proud of their decisions or they aren't.

But we here in the forums take censorship of posts very seriously.

Someone at the herald needs to step forward and take ownership of this decision. This is a newsworthy event.

Is it because it involves the towns only tv station? is it because it involves a college student who is just trying to make a buck?


You all at the Herald are supposed to be news professionals. I don't see anything professional about hiding the truth.

lol..Webbie..I would'nt dare slam you

I made a post yesterday at the place we're to not speak of.....and guess what????
It's gone !!!!

I was slamming Wal-Mart in a post that is still showing and pushing for people to help out a man trying to open a restaurant in Charles Town gave address and phone number to Wal-Mart and was asking anyone to contact either that Wal-Mart or any other Wal-Mart to voice an opinion so why was that one not removed? It sounds like they leave the ones they don't care about and take out the ones that want to

I don't think we're dealing with a "college student" -- at least not in the traditional sense. The TIC at HCC is a small-business incubator -- they supply offices, internet, phone, conference rooms, and advice for small businesses trying to get a foothold and move on to bigger and better things. A guy named Chris Marsner (sp?) runs the place I think -- there was, coincidentally, an big writeup in the HM just this year about it.

I suspect some HM person will try to use some legalistic excuse to justify their meddling in this. For the record, here are the forum TOS we agree to when we sign up. Maybe someone will show us where the thread violated these:

Please remember that we are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this BB. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this BB.

I'm just one person who is trying to make my case in the public arena. The Herald should see that this is more than just one person (me) making a big stink about nothing.

Where are the investigative reporters who drool over stuff like this?

Maybe a call to my local AFL/CIO office is my next step since no one wants to take on my story.

I think what we need to do, is direct our comments and anger at NBC25 and not the webhosting company.

NBC25 contracts with the web company to maintain their website. Thus, the web company is an agent of NBC25.

If someone is messing with access to the NBC25 website, that is ultimately NBC25's responsibility. If NBC25 didn't post who did their website, we would never know, and would have to assume they maintained their own site.

Emails and letters to the general manager of NBC25 would be more effective than emails and letters to the web company.

Emails and letters to NBC25's advertisers would be extremely effective. If thousands of people can't access the NBC25 website, then they also can't click on the advertising links. And NBC25 can't make any money from the advertisers.

Cost to place an ad link on a website is in direct proportion to the number of people who access that website. If 3,000 people can no longer access that website, then costs go down.

Complain to NBC25 and to their advertisers.

Let's not blame the Herald Mail.

Not so fast, Yoss. Someone in the shadows at the HM is suddenly forcing their will on this forum in the form of trying to limit expression here. First on WVD for a rather innocuous post in the coach thread, now ordering the deletion of an entire thread, and using a wimpy excuse like (paraphrasing) "we don't allow advertizing - pro or con" in the threads. Gimme a break.

As a moderator I try to be fair and balanced, and whenever I edit a post I come right out and say who did it and why. And it is not a decision I take lightly -- almost always in consultation with other moderators. But if some higher-up in the HM is gonna start pulling strings in the background for reasons I cannot understand, and he/she is not willing to communicate these reasons openly and clearly, then I have a major problem with that. These recent actions smell very much like selective application of rules for certain people/companies and I doubt the paper would tolerate such meddling in the news division.

If the person or persons in the background behind these recent events is not willing to come out of hiding and explain their reasoning, and I no longer understand the rules that I'm supposed to be playing by, I will resign my position as moderator. I won't just go along to get along when I see somethign unfair.

I don't disagree with you Snoop.

But we've mentioned before, that this is their playground, their rules. If they have to protect their butts from lawsuit, then that's what they have to do.

I don't agree with censorship for political purposes either. And I think that is what is happening. I think someone from the web host or someone from NBC25 made a call to someone high up in the management of the Herald Mail.

The Herald Mail is a conservative newspaper, in a conservative town. Hagerstown is not large enough to support another newspaper, so until that happens we have to live with it.

Censorship sux. But million dollar lawsuits suk even more.

I doubt we'll see the H-M publisher posting anything here. I doubt that we can expect to see him justify his actions.

Well the "other place" has now banned me. I PM'ed the admin and asked why
some of my posts have been deleted. I believe the post was in response to someone asking why they don't increase the min. wage $3 an hour. I posted
my response without profanity and actually tried to explain why that would
never happen. today it was gone so i PM'ed and now 1 hour later I am banned.
In the meantime Buckaroo is on there calling elected officials liars and snakes
and he's still posting??? I hope this isn't going to happen here. As for Webbie. everyone has a boss and I guess hers has spoken. No need to be mad at her

it's unfortunate that the Herald feels that they have to CYA and delete the thread.

i feel sorry for Webbie that she gets stuck in the middle and has to bear the brunt of everyones censorship ire.

Since there is now talk of potential legal action against the web design company and NBC25 it's probably best that it not be talked about any more until the lawyers figure out the best road to take.

thanks to everyone for their support.

oh and webbie...please don't delete that thread...the hearld may be subpoenaed for it.

Samy, that's not surprising. The other web site admisistrator reads this forum, I'm sure. He probably saw your critical remarks here and banned you for your H-M remarks and not your NBC25 remarks.

I stopped posting there long ago. When I realized that they had a very immature, very inexperienced webmaster who doesn't know a proxy server from a denial of service attack, I decided it wasn't worth my time or effort.

You can criticize anyone you want over there. But make one critical comment about NBC25 and you'll be banned faster than a speeding bullet.

As soon as NBC25 advertisers learn that thousands of people can no longer access their web site, the sooner that webmaster will be fired.

There are no forums there now.

Somebody (or maybe several somebodys) over at NBC25 is a hot-headed jerk with little to no appreciation for freedom of speech nor tolerance for dissenting opinion, and they're obviously good at throwing their weight around and used to getting what they want. They quite obviously have no qualms about threatening whomever runs things at the Herald-Mail.

So they get to censor everyone, not just on their own forums, but here too. Who cares? They aren't worth expending all of this effort fighting. Better just to ignore them, tune them out, and hope they go bankrupt eventually.

What is the point having a legal-eagle put legalese in the forums TOS saying the HM is not responsible for the comments here if they buckle like a bunch of scared mice the minute someone threatens them about a post made by someone who has nothing whatsoever to do with the HM aside from posting on the forum? If such lawsuits were so easy to bring and to win what entity could ever afford to have a forum like this?

Everyone threw a fit about the NBC boys censoring stuff, and our own BMIC censoring stuff. If you're not equally upset now I gotta wonder why. This isn't about Webbie - it apparently goes higher than that. I will not hold her responsible for a decision she is not allowed to make, but I will ask for whomever made the decision to have the guts to live up to the concept of journalistic integrity and explain their motives here.

Storm -- best not to talk about it anymore?

things have escalated. I can no longer comment on this topic per my legal council.

Let's go storm the castle!

I think its all Tom Immers fault!!

The forums are back up over there, but I have also been banned.

OWNED

OWNED SOME MORE

ol' skool owned

wow I'm so lost
what the heck went down??

StormChaser was posting at the NBC25 site. He got into a spat with their powers that be. They contacted his place of employment. Prolific posting by the masses ensued here. Certain specific and personal information was posted about the person that contacted StormChaser's place of employment. Someone at Herald Mail instructed webbie to yank the entire thread about it here. Groans and moans from Herald Mail posters about censorship/advertising. Thread came back, only edited by webbie.

Everything falls apart when we're not around, FIB.

wow!
talk about your Reader's Digest condensed novels!

Heather, did you ever write for Cliff's Notes?

wheres it at now?

if it is back i can't find it

It's not back. I hope you-know-who gets theirs.

i am a firm believer in "what goes around comes around " they will get thiers

evil grin...

I have already set actions in motion that will have a definate impact....

I was mistaken. It's gone. Sorry for the misinformation.

It's not about lawsuits, it's about careers. Webbie is not going to stand up to somebody else over something as trivial as this, and neither is the person above her who made the decision to order censorship of the posts here.

Yes it sucks, but let's face it, none of what is posted here is ever REALLY worth putting any of our jobs at risk. As much as we may dislike it, I think we can all understand that one has to choose one's battles wisely.

speaking of lawsuits. If I'm stormchaser and someone contacted
my work I think i would have to as Greedy says "own them"

B,

Why do I get the feeling you'd be feeling MUCH differently if it was one of your threads/posts that you felt strongly about that was deleted? You've blown a gasket in the past over issues like this. Why so calm this time?

I take exception to your logic. This was more than just 1 person having a problem with another person.

This was about several, dare I say dozens, of people who have been denied access for no reason. And in my situation, if someone sends me an email directly saying "well Im just going to have to let the powers at be at your work know what you're doing when you should be working" and then sends an email to several email addresses at my corp office in an ATTEMPT to get my fired, written up, disciplined, or whatever..let me pause for a second...ahem..

Let me make it crystal clear that anyone who screws with my income and how I provide for my family will be dealt with quickly and painfully. If someone wants to make accusations of actions that NEVER HAPPENED then that my friend is the simplest definition of 'slander'. I will not have my character nor my reputation maligned by anyone. i don't care who they are. If they tell lies about me in an attempt to shut me up then I am going to talk twice as loud and to twice as many people.

This issue not over.

wow!
thanks for filling me in Heather!
You're right, we do miss all the fun stuff!

Hey. I found out where "that other place" got their cool avatars! hotavatars.com.
theres alot to look thru but i saw alot of theirs on the site.