So what's the real story?

[Johnny1967]

By Stryke (Forum Administrator)
Ed and AJ were not banned, they chose to not post. So be it, it's their choice. JJ and Daren were banned for reasons known to them. Yes, we received much information that was not intended for us to see. Apparently their "allies" weren't all such great allies after all. You want a democracy, go to Baghdad in a few years. You are in someones private domain which has management which has done a phenomenal job bringing this site to where it is in the past few years without any form of advertising or generating profits. If you are so miserable here then you are free to do as you wish, just as Ed and AJ have done. No one is banning you and no one has banned them!

[dman]

I saw in the forum rules where it said that you could not bad mouth turd or any of the prickcranium admins in email or any place on the earth. That is reason for banning on that horseshirt place.

Starting in the fall of 2005 they are gonna start banning people for mere thoughts, so be careful.

[Johnny1967]

What really pisses me off is this:

A very good source told me they have been selling email addresses for quite sometime. I have received a large amount of SPAM to an email address that is rarely given out. If this is true, it upsets me deeply as I have trusted them. Has anyone else heard this?

[dman]

It can't be coincedence that it has happened to others. I would not put anything past them at all.

Again, using banning people for complaning in private not on the forum shows the type of low life dirtbag scum they have running the joint.

[Johnny1967]

Well, I for one am glad to see another decent forum come around. Hopefully the management will NOT be on POWER TRIPS EVERY SINGLE breath like our dear friend Alan.

[dman]

Is there someone there named Alan?

[Johnny1967]

Well like I said, I have a friend who told me they have sold our email addresses. He was forwarded a private email that they didn't want him to see. I am just hot as hell thinking our privacy would be violated like this if true.

[dman]

I don't know about the emails, like I said though, the slime over there would do it just to make some extra cash.

[JJ Irani]

I don't think I understand any of this BS.

Firstly, why would anyone want to "BUY" someone else's e-mail address and what was the buyer to gain from it???

[padi56]

Well I have noticed lately my daily spam has increase,if that is right they have sold our
emails I would be very angry.

Gents, it is a fact that the mods at the other place, in particular an admin from NYC who told me personally on the phone yesterday... that they have complete and open access to the email accounts of everyone who has ever registered at their forum.

Yes they have 100% access to every email you ever sent or received from that 'sign-up' email address.

Doens't that give you a warm fuzzy?

[singh]

Would you pls elaborate. Thanks.

[BruceS]

I'm sure we have some in our midst. Isn't it a crime to hack someones email account? I would think that with enough probable cause a prosecutor could obtain search warrants and seize the computers of the admitted criminal.

Being racist, homophobic, and an out right asshole isn't a crime. That just makes you a prick. But, when you start committing criminal acts that's a completely different matter.

I would really love to see one of our legal guys follow up on this.

Originally Posted by singh

Would you pls elaborate. Thanks.

He told me point blank, he has a software program (available free off the net) that allows him to recieve all emails that are sent and received from the accounts of anyone who registers an account via email on TURF.

This is how they know when someone is cutting and pasting threads from turf to email and sending them about, and how members get banned from what looks like no apparent reason.

He also told me how easy it is to 'spoof' an email account, i.e., send emails posing as someone else. This is all very bizarre, and I'm stepping well away for a while.

[Rockrolex]

Johnny, if you haven't been banned from TURF yet, you are no doubt going to be shortly. You just copied a post from Gil that was part of the thread that led to my banning (without warning, I might add). And AJ was shortly thereafter banned for no apparent reason.

It's unfortunate that some of the mods at TURF have become overly sensitive to criticism and dissention in the ranks. We are studiously trying to avoid that syndrome here at TRF.

I know nothing about e-mail stealing programs that the admins or mods over there might be using. It would be illegal if that were occurring, but you would need to prove that was the case to take action. As far as an increase in spam, I personally haven't seen much of an increase. Spam is a constant annoyance which I ignore.

[Manatee]

John, that's ridiculous. They know your e-mail address, just like anyone else does, but they don't have the password to get on to your mail server, wherever that may be.

I hope you're not just trying to create FUD.

Originally Posted by Atomic

Gents, it is a fact that the mods at the other place, in particular an admin from NYC who told me personally on the phone yesterday... that they have complete and open access to the email accounts of everyone who has ever registered at their forum.

Yes they have 100% access to every email you ever sent or received from that 'sign-up' email address.

Doens't that give you a warm fuzzy?

[BruceS]

I don't know who's right. I believe John when he said Gil told him that, and there is enough circumstantial evidence to make one believe it's possible. But who knows.

It seems to me that those guys are intimidators by nature. Saying they can read anyone's mail could just be an attempt at intimidation. We know they are good at it.

Frankly guys, I've had enough of these fights. The guys on Turf, no matter how much I dislike what they did to others, never did anything to me personally, other than ban me after the fact, but who cares. I left.

For the past several months I've found myself in the middle of this mess, and even after swearing I'd never publicly say anthing against Turf, I've found myself stooping to that level. Now I don't even like my behaviour. This isn't who I am. So it stops now.

I come to watch forums to talk about watches and to learn. I don't come to them to gossip, bicker and fight, or even chat. I appreciate the friends I've made, and you will remain my friends.

I hope someday everyone gets over this. It's just not worth it, from either side.
Cheers,
Bruce

Originally Posted by Manatee

John, that's ridiculous. They know your e-mail address, just like anyone else does, but they don't have the password to get on to your mail server, wherever that may be.

I hope you're not just trying to create FUD.

Peter, it isn't ridiculous because I'm just reiterating what Gil told me. That he has 100% access to everything we send and receive in our email (that was used to log on to TURF). He said he gets a blind copy of everything going in and out of our email, turf related or not.

I don't know if it is an intimidation tactic, but that's what he said. Don't kill the messenger. Since you still (I believe) post over there, who's to know what stake you have in posting what you did.

For me, this is waaaay too over the top and I'm not having fun anymore. Like Bruce, I'm fed up with the shit that's been going on with watch forums and I'm stepping out.

I'm gone. Thanks and to my friends, you know my email (you too Gil).

Bye

[Manatee]

I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean to stir things up. I just wanted to assure you that it's very unlikely that your e-mail is being "tapped". It can be done, but it's far from simple, and virus/spyware checking software can prevent it.

Really, no offense intended.

[Manatee]

Bruce,

I didn't mean to rattle any chains. I was just trying to bring some emotions back to Earth. I was/am also a bit peeved with John over his satirical (yes, I admit it was witty) post where he started exactly the sort of thing he says he wants no part of. It was rather hypocritical. Also, he's doing to someone else exactly what he doesn't want others doing to him

Anyway, I'm sorry if I upset anyone. I really just come here to visit with friends.

Peter

Originally Posted by Manatee

I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean to stir things up. I just wanted to assure you that it's very unlikely that your e-mail is being "tapped". It can be done, but it's far from simple, and virus/spyware checking software can prevent it.

Really, no offense intended.

You mean that he could have told me this making an untrue statement?

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Atomic

You mean that he could have told me this making an untrue statement?

Why would you think Gil would not be absolutely and totally up front with you.

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

Why would you think Gil would not be absolutely and totally up front with you.

If that's the case, he played me like a stradivarius.

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Atomic

If that's the case, he played me like a stradivarius.

Ah but wasn't the music beautiful?

Actually no... not my favorite tune.

Don't I have egg on my face then? Is it really THAT difficult to hack emails? I just don't know what to think now.

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Actually no... not my favorite tune.

Don't I have egg on my face then? Is it really THAT difficult to hack emails? I just don't know what to think now.

Well, let's put it this way. It ain't easy to do that. You have to get to the e-mail program, you have to know the user ID and password, and then there would likely be trails left to identify you. It's generally not worth the risk of trying to do it unless you are going to disappear shortly thereafter.

[BruceS]

Bruce,

I didn't mean to rattle any chains. I was just trying to bring some emotions back to Earth. I was/am also a bit peeved with John over his satirical (yes, I admit it was witty) post where he started exactly the sort of thing he says he wants no part of. It was rather hypocritical. Also, he's doing to someone else exactly what he doesn't want others doing to him

Anyway, I'm sorry if I upset anyone. I really just come here to visit with friends.

Peter

I just sick of this discussion. I was never involved in any crap like this prior to Turf or WTF and it's all somewhat tied together. We just keep going over and over it, and the nastiness continues. I'm tired of hurt feelings on both sides and it needs to stop, for me anyway.

No offense to any of you guys, because I like you all. I just don't want to do this anymore. I'm going back to places where they talk about watches and watches only. Some think that's dry, but that's why I do this.

Peter, I just didn't want you to think that you had anything to do with it, because you didn't. This has been building up in me for weeks. I'll stay in touch.
All the best,
Bruce

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by BruceS

I just sick of this discussion. I was never involved in any crap like this prior to Turf or WTF and it's all somewhat tied together. We just keep going over and over it, and the nastiness continues. I'm tired of hurt feelings on both sides and it needs to stop, for me anyway.

No offense to any of you guys, because I like you all. I just don't want to do this anymore. I'm going back to places where they talk about watches and watches only. Some think that's dry, but that's why I do this.

Peter, I just didn't want you to think that you had anything to do with it, because you didn't. This has been building up in me for weeks. I'll stay in touch.
All the best,
Bruce

Bruce, I agree with you that it's time to end this discussion. We are turning into that which we have been fighting all along. I say we end the discussion and sniping at TURF. Let them be and we will go on our merry way.

The only thing I somewhat disagree with you about is whether we should talk only watches. I think most of us come here for more than watch talk. Certainly that's what brought us together in the first place, but let's face it, most of us have broader interests and like to share them with others. I say let's keep the watch talk and the general talk and keep them both in perspective so that we can get the maximum amount of enjoyment from this forum.

[JJ Irani]

Watches? What watches? Let's talk about dames....LOL!

[dman]

Guys,

I have just been reading all day and not posting at all. We are getting bigger as a forum, but I am not sure we are growing. We can have a end in mind, but we need to enjoy the ride and one anothers company, not just try to destroy another place. If we continue to work as hard as we are worrying about them, we are gonna be come them and we don't want that.

I think that we need to put the other stuff to bed and move on with this forum. We have a very well rounded and diverse group that is all here because we want to be. I think that if we really want to live up to our proclaimed title as the friendliest forum we need to accept all new comers till they show a reason why not to trust them. We also need to be able to understand why some of our friends feel a loyalty to another place and can't be here all the time.

Guys the neverending bickering is getting really old. I have as much dislike for the certain people over there as any of you, but that needs to be in the past. We should turn our attention to improving and making this site everything that we wanted the other place to be.

This is just MHO, but if we continue down this path we are gonna slow our own growth, our not changing is the only thing that I see that can possibly slow this place down.