Just recently, it came to my attention that a person (or persons unknown to me) hi-jacked a page from my Tattler web site and cleverly incorporated it into another blog to give the impression that I was somehow associated with that Internet presence.
Because the site contained “questionable material”, I immediately fired off a communication to “google” (since the site in question – and my own – are sponsored by blogspot) to request that an infringement on the copywrited material be halted.
Concerned individuals (including one journalist at the Los Angeles Times) have complained on record that it is usually a difficult task to reach staff at google to raise issues in respect to glitches (and oversights) on various websites they own and operate on the Internet.
In fact, I have usually encountered the same problem whenever I have tried to rectify problems with the loopy edit bay on blogspot, publishing screw-ups at the Tattler, you name it.
Imagine my surprise yesterday, when I not only received a response back in twenty-four hours, but also a confirmation that the “google team” had deleted the offending material from the web site in question.
So, today, I am thankful that google rose to the occasion in a prompt professional manner.
Since I am often quick to criticize their shortcomings, I think it only appropriate to give credit when it is also due.
As to the “identity theft”, well, I have my suspicions as to who the culprit is.
Tattler readers may recall that I published a couple of posts this past year when it came to my attention that a demented individual I crossed paths with years ago (though I do not recall the alleged encounter) was publishing false statements about me on the Internet.
Originally, the writer (I use the term very loosely) contacted me on the premise that we knew each other at Rochdale College during a one-year time frame (1969 – 1970).
In his e-mail, which arrived out-of-the-blue one day, he noted that he was writing a book – at which point – he began to quiz me about facts and information that I was privy to. At one point, his answers were a little off-the-wall, and I sensed immediately that he was pumping me for information with a private agenda in mind. So, I cut off communications.
Obviously, the man had psychological problems and couldn’t deal with rejection – because shortly after I cut off ties – third parties contacted me to inform me that he had proceeded to write bold-faced lies about me on various web sites on the Internet.
I tracked down the false statements, thereafter, and proceeded to publish rebuttals.
Well, the wacko was so demented, that he proceeded to publish another post in which he now alleged that I had libeled him when I threw a spotlight his outrageous conduct which included bald-faced lies about me!
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I was simply setting the record straight.
If you call a person a liar -and they are - you can’t be sued for libel on those grounds.
Duh!
So, I was forced to post another rebuttal in a deliberate effort to toss the spotlight on this man’s wacho behavior (which was not only outrageous in a civilized society - but sick – by any human or moral standards).
At this juncture, other Rochdale students – who stumbled on the posts by accident – contacted me to inform me that they – too – have been victimized. According to these individuals, “Wolf's" mental state was seriously deteriorating. And, because he was lashing out at everyone viciously, the Rochdale web site banned him!
In their e-mail correspondence they asked me not to mention to their names because they also feared retaliation.
One student also sent me a copy of an e-mail "Wolf" zipped off in which he wildly boasted that he had “destroyed” me on the Internet (by posting the false statements that discredited my name and reputation).
“That’s what he gets for f**king with me,” he gleefully ranted to the third party, in so many words.
“They don’t call me the Wolf for no good reason,” he ranted.
At this point, in view of other comments he also made, I seriously considered lodging a criminal complaint against him for engaging in hate crimes.
Bottom line?
When folks talk about "sickos' on the Internet, he's on the top of the list of when it comes to the usual suspects.
I expect that one day that I will pick up the newspaper, or turn on the nightly news, and hear that he died in some unspeakable manner at the hands of another.
Heh!
If you live by the sword, you die by the sword, eh?
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