Just refreshed my connection to RangeRovers.net and got this. I've only sent an invite to Mikeinfrance recently but it looks like someone may be reading PMs too.
In case you can't read the text in the box, this is what it says:
Wow, so they're banning people for sending invitations to this site?
That's ridiculous :(
Yup, just checked and the most recent post I made has disappeared although a previous one is still there but my status is shown as Banned (a thread about ATF leaking with replies from me and Chris). So after almost 4,000, mostly helpful, posts on there, he doesn't like the fact I've sent invites to here to probably no more than 15 people.
Somebody else mentioned that they thought they were also being read but it seems that Private Messages are far from private.
As your sig has disappeared, I'm wondering if he thinks YCHJCYA2PDTHFH club is your personal site and 'cos he doesn't know what it means, thinks you're a damn commie activist or something, or even that the TH refers to him?!! <br>
Pretty bloody shabby, whatever the reasons
I've just sent him an email to his personal email address (rrtoadhall@aol.com, who the hell still uses AOL these days?) feigning ignorance and suggesting that as I'm currently in Latvia it's always possible that there's some spam appearing to be coming from me but with a Latvian IP address. The post that has been deleted is the only one I've sent since being here.
One may presume if he's sad enough to be reading through your PMs, he's probably sat reading this.
Almost certainly. I've just had an amusing thought though. In his FAQ's there's the link to the RAVE download but if you are in the UK it runs at stupidly slow pace so Gordon hosted it on his server. So he's inadvertently advertising.
My guess was wrong! <br>
From the pen of Mr Toad, in the General forum of the other site: <br>
http://www.rangerovers.net/forum/13-general-chatter/248649-gilbertd-how-not-behave-forum.html <br>
EDIT- replaced text with a link. Didn't want to be accused of copying another site's material :-)
Since when is sending PMs 'using contact information'... sounds like a load of bull to me.
So the owners are sat reading through individual PMs on their various forums and just happen to come across Gilbert inviting precious members away? Yeah... I don't see it.
and I've had a reply to my email. See my original and his reply copied and pasted below: A daily basis my arse, as said I've only sent one PM out in weeks. Maybe he didn't like being described as an arrogant, unhelpful, unwelcoming, redneck in a PRIVATE message to another member (one with whom I had already shared a private discussion with too)
Using my personal email for site issues is completely and totally inappropriate. When banned, the link to contact customer service for the site owners is the ONLY appropriate choice for communication.
You were banned due to the url you have been sending out on a daily basis for rrpub. The choice to delete/ban you came straight from the owners of the site and was not the choice of anyone on the mod team. Any IP you have used on RRnet has been registered with the spamming database that most forums and websites use for screening. You will not be welcomed back to RRnet under any circumstances.
I do have to say that on a personal level I find your backdoor spamming of separate little RR site tacky and tasteless even for you. Your actions are petty and puerile much like your back handed barbs and trolling commentary that you have found so amusing. To say that I am surprised would be a lie but I do feel the need to voice that I am very disappointed. Had you handled things above board we could easily have arranged and announcement post and allowed a link in your signature as we have done with other members.
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Gilbert rgilbert07@btinternet.com
To: rrtoadhall rrtoadhall@aol.com
Sent: Tue, Aug 30, 2016 8:38 am
Subject: Gilbertd membership on RangeRovers.net
Carl
I've just refreshed my connection to the forum and got a message saying I've been banned indefinitely for personal site spam. I don't have a personal site and, as far as I am aware, haven't sent anything that could be classed as spam. I'm currently visiting my partners family in Latvia and using their internet connection so there could be something being sent from here that is purporting to come from me.
Can you look into it for me please?
Thanks
Richard Gilbert aka Gilbertd__
What is he talking about? What a complete and utter moron.
How very dare you send him an email!
So far, as a banned ex-member, I've been unable to find the link to customer services he mentions. There's a link to contact the moderator but as the moderator is what caused this forum to exist in the first place, then there's little point in that.
As for trolling the most recent post I made was to the guy that wanted to know how to make his EAS compressor work with a dead thermal switch. I pointed out that it is a 30 second job that involves nothing more complicated than lifting the EAS box lid and poking a jumper wire between the orange and black wires. If that falls within his definition of trolling, then he has very thin skin.
I'm amused by the threat that any IP address I've used will be barred. As I use BT as my ISP at home and I don't have a fixed IP address, it will change on a regular basis. The IP address is traceable as far as BT but no further so anyone else that uses BT is likely to find themselves barred as well just in case it's me.
Banning by IP address is such an empty threat its comical.
I was tempted to reply to his post with some fairly legitimate questions, but he'll probably just ban me for having the audacity of questioning the almighty one.
You could try emailing cmsupport@verticalscope.com - depends if VerticalScope are as bigger tossers as he is. I really dislike the whole conglomerate ownership deal.
\<puts the great big wooden spoon away>
Richard, I was surprised that I haven't got the same message when I signed in, I sent an invite the other day,, how pathetic is that site, were not poaching business away from them, just helping out local p38 loons like us,, biting my tongue at the minute as really can feel a major rant about to hit the other site, but I'm sure they'd pull it off anyway. How does it make sense to ban someone with the knowledge you have,, oh I forgot, were always wrong, there always right even when there not !
I've found in the past that the best time for a rant is in the morning UK time. As the States are 5-7 hours behind us, it gets seen by quite a few people in Europe before he gets out of his bed and deletes it. Oddly, I've only sent out one invite recently, the last one was in early July so what has caused him to suddenly react I've no idea.
I've just used the ask a question of admin to send Mr TH a reply. See below:
I presume this will go to Carl, RRToadHall, but if it doesn't could it please be forwarded to him. Having read, and had time to digest, your email to me and the current thread running in General Chatter, I only have one question. Where has this spam on a daily basis come from? I admit that when the rrpub forum first started (back in December last year), I did send out invites to a number of people. I picked those that were knowledgeable and with a sense of humour, the sort of people you would mix with in a real, rather than virtual, pub. As far as I am aware, all of those that received the invite have since joined so would not have considered the invite to be spam.
However, more recently, I sent a PM to Mikeinfrance last week mentioning the forum as an aside to informing him of a breakers I had found in France with 3 P38s in it not 10 miles from where he lives. Prior to that, the last invite I sent by PM was back in early July. Hardly a daily basis by any stretch of the imagination so where this has come from I have no idea. Some of the private messages I have sent have been entitled New Forum but the most recent was entitled CassAuto 06 so if not admin on the forum someone must be reading these PRIVATE messages for the content to be known. Or are Verticalscope really worried about a little forum run by a man in a cottage in Scotland with just over 30 members? I can't see how they can be but why would they, if your assertion that my ban came on direct orders from them, be seen in any other way? I work for the UK equivalent to your FCC and if I wish to apply a sanction or prosecute someone for a wrong doing, my boss expects to see some evidence. As I appear to have been severely sanctioned, I too would like to see the evidence that has led to this sanction.
I appreciate anyone that spends their time working to keep the older cars on the road as you and I both do. I also feel we are very similar in our attitude in that we don't suffer fools gladly. The difference is that I respond with sarcasm, something which appears to go over the heads of the average American, while you respond with a short and to the point retort. To anyone not familiar with you or the site, this comes over as unwelcoming, unhelpful, condescending and arrogant. I would like to think that you are not that way in person, but the written word, without the benefit of intonation, makes it sound that way. I would think that, to anyone not used to British sarcasm, mine just come over as plain rude, hence your reference to trolling. For this reason I have, in the past, sent invites to new members that are in the UK and have obviously not received the welcome to the site they expected. As Gordon has pointed out, there is a difference of culture between the US and UK, so some of my witty sarcasm and use of language that is in normal everyday use here, may cause offence there. Hence my anger when I was banned previously for using language that would not cause the slightest offence in the UK.
One reason why rrpub has not been widely publicised is that we would prefer to keep the membership to people that have a modicum of technical knowledge and have respect for their cars. Hence not wanting those that insist on removing the EAS to lift their cars or having the need to ask how to clean a bulbholder of join two pieces of wire together. The butchering of cars seems to be widespread in the US whereas here we like to keep them as the designer intended. It is a public forum and is open to anyone, but has always been intended as a friendly place for a natter with no profanity filter and the minimum of editorial control. As a founder member I have moderator status but have never felt the need to edit or delete a single post and it will hopefully remain that way. Although with the publicity you are now giving it, rrpub may soon be a rival, who knows?
I look forward to receiving copies of the spam I am alleged to have been sending on a daily basis at your earliest convenience.
Regards
Richard (Gilbertd)