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January 19, 2004

Scum

I have been blogging now for almost a year (one year on Feb 1st).

When I started the only problem was trying to keep the link to the world up while my ISP tried to be as inept as possible. Solution: use TypePad (short term), get a better ISP (long term).

The next problem that came along was a shortage of ideas and exchange. Solution: read more blogs, introduce friends and relations, encourage other bloggers.

Then came comment spam. Solution: delete it (short term), look for automated solutions (still in progress), use archiving.

All in all, no problem that appeared insurmountable until now.

Some absolute b*stard out is out there. Three times he (possibly she but not so likely) has threatened my family via the comments on the blog. IP banning did not help (three addresses - all unrelated). My other half is very concerned (maybe re-watching "The Net" the other weekend was not a good idea) and I am too. I no longer use my name when I blog (and I change it in the comments if you readers accidently use it) but it is not hard to identify me... It is not hard to find out where I live or how many children I have... It is not hard to threaten me...

What can I do about it? Nothing. The scum does not provide identifying information. It is easy to be "big and tough" and threaten children when you are anonymous.

I am going to make a few changes in the near future. Firstly, I am no longer going to respond to all comments via email (regular readers - no problem, new readers - wait and see). Secondly I will be turning comments off once a post is about two weeks old. If you feel the urge to comment on older posts, use email to contact me and I can refresh the post or submit the comments for you. Thirdly, I will be migrating posts to archive as soon as possible. Currently posts for Feb-Mar 2003 are only on the archive. Posts for April-June are currently being migrated. Long term plan is to keep only the most recent two months on TypePad and the rest in the archive. Why? Because I can do more with the server I own when it comes to tracking down the scum.

If you have any suggestions, please make them. I have been tossing over the idea of stopping altogether and starting again with a more anonymous, less personal blog but I am not sure if I could handle it.

Posted by Ozguru at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Comments

Using MT might also be a viable possibility, if you find a different host platform, as it has far more goodies for managing that kind of problem. DO NOT succumb to threats, for you must stand up to the bullies. There are those of us out here who like you just as you are and will work with you to defeat those scum. They deserve to be removed from the world of the decent.

Posted by: MommaBear at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

You might want to give this a read: http://weblog.burningbird.net/fires/connecting/being_deliberately_attacked.htm

Posted by: Cindy at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

WOW... you started blogging on my birthday... must have been a boring sat. hehe well this year the super bowl is on my birthday... just in case you aren't super bowl savy.. it is the biggest football event of the year.. american football where we wear pads and run and knock the cra out of eachother... never uses our feet like soccer. SO this is the biggest football event of teh year and it declares the best team in the country.... fun stuff and i am looking forward to it

Posted by: TL at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Hold on a minute, a comment spammer is threatening you and your family? (Whatever happened to just selling useless products?) Get in touch, there might be a solution...

Posted by: Paul Jané at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

have you tried telling YOUR ISP informing them of what's happening ? they may be able to help.

Posted by: zed at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

There are some very sick individuals out there, who seem to take pleasure in causing distress. Ride it out, if the sicko is that shy that he/she can't even be open and permit contact through e-mail, they probably are too much the coward to even go out in daylight. Only really pathetic and totally inadequate regressives resort to this sort of nebulous and anonymous threat behaviour. They can be tracked, it takes patience and a little magic software. Keep with it Bro'.

Posted by: The Gray Monk at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

That is sick, but I guess not unheard of. Trolls, they are, nothing but GD trolls!! Definitely report them to your ISP they should be able to track the little weasel and for sure they can offer suggestions. In addition, some of the bloggers I read fairly frequently have had similar problems and have their own ways of tracking with and dealing with them. You might go to Raye @ bysandandsea.com; Phillip @ phillipcoons.com and Acidman @ gutrumbles.com. All of them at one time or another have been very public about their problems with trolls and very happy to assist others having the same problem. I am fairly certain each of them has a place on their blogs to email them directly and privately. Good Luck!!

Posted by: Cyn at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Sad to hear about this Oz :( Hopefully it's some silly kid who has more time than sense.

Posted by: Prasad at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Threats Via Comments First we had email spam. Next we had spam in comments, and now the comments function serves as a handy depository for threats to an individual and his family. Nothing has unnerved me more than this post on GDay...

Posted by: Dusting My Brain at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Blog Roundup I would like to apologise in advance for this weeks review - it is not as polished as I usually try to make it (not necessarily successfully) and it nearly didn't get posted at all. My Boyfriend is a Twat

Posted by: GDay Mate - Reviews at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Odds and Sods .... Today has been pretty busy and I haven't had time to post much. Thanks for all the responses (both public and private) to the Scum post. There is a Blog Roundup albeit a little less organised than usual. Things I would like to have posted about include...

Posted by: GDay Mate at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Right... You know, irritated as I am with the sudden surge in synchronised idioting afoot over here lately, I must admit

Posted by: Paul Jané at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM

Bowing to Peer Pressure This (or the equivalent) appeared over at SilverBlue and also at DramaQueen and probably lots of other places too: If you call me Ozguru you read my blog. If you call me Ozg you comment on the blog and you get mail from me. If you call me Sir, you are ...

Posted by: GDay Mate at January 19, 2004 12:01 AM