Private Messages Disabled due to abuse & solicitations

[Mike]

It has come to my attention that a member of this board has been using MACCA Central private messages to recruit members for a their own private message board. I am very disappointed this abuse wasn't brought to my attention earlier then I could have stopped it. Was wondering why the amount of posts have decreased as of late. I have spent over 10 years building up this community and just to have the membership list raped in this manner is very hard to take. I'm devastated by this and feel so betrayed and very, very sad right now.

As a result of this massive abuse of the goodwill of this board and it's members, private messaging will be disabled until further notice.

[Mike]

Just to let you know, I did register at that board under my real name and before I even got to post, I was banned. So much for free speech I didn't say a word and I was banned from the site. I have appropriately banned him from these forums.

[Laura]

Hopefully he won't come back here.

[Mike]

Unfortunately the damage is done many, many regular posters here, have been recruited and now post there. That's why I'm disappointed several months went by during this time many of the members received solicitations via private messages which is why there is the rule no spamming, solicitation, recruiting. It took this long for someone to tell me about the raping that was going on.

[JimmyMcCullochFan]

hope I'm not being too nosy or anything but who is it?

Hope they don't come back!

Don't let this get you down Mike. Macca-Central is and will ALWAYS be the best Paul site

[Cologne girl]

Don't let this get you down Mike. Macca-Central is and will ALWAYS be the best Paul site

Totally agree here Come on, let's face it, there's lots of other Macca, Beatles and solo Beatles sites, and I suppose most of us know a couple of them, but since this one is so very good, I think sooner or later people will stop straying and "get back to where they once belonged". If there have been few posts lately, it's probably also (if not mainly) been due to pre-Christmas hassle and the fact that there's neither a new tour nor a new album to get excited about and the Heather bashing (which, like it or not, produced quite a number of posts) has chilled down a bit. I suppose that as the Grammies draw nearer, there will be more posting again.

Anyway, I can only speak for myself of course. I was, for example, a member of the JL forum too and some news reached me about some other Beatles forum (I'm not sure if it is the one Mike is referring to) and registered there just for curiosity's sake - but when I have little time (which is nearly always the case), Macca Central is and will always be my first priority.

If some people abused Private Messages in the way Mike described, I feel really sorry about it and if he got banned from that other site, it's of course a crying shame. Those people really need their heads seen to But I would really appreciate it if at some point, Private Messages could be re-instated. For me personally, it's nearly the only private mailbox where I can be fairly sure that only I get to see messages meant for me. But that's just me and my absurd family relations ...

[jgkojak]

Wow-

I got a message from this dude and didn't think anything of it at the time-- I don't have time to join all sorts of forums- so I'll stick here, thankyouverymuch.

This site is so cool people will find their way back here.

We have had a pretty active Macca year with MAF so its probably to be expected things dwindle a bit until Macca's next release.

Did I say I am SO glad the one thing we don't waste our time talking about here is divorce/gossip B.S.

[Mike]

My problem is not that there is a competing board or site, geez, not at all. I've seen many sites over the years come and go. Some fantastic sites that provide great information for fans and a few wannabies that just copied tons of content, without asking, so it happens. The internet can be a great thing of great original ideas and copies. That's what's so wonderful about the countries most of us live in. Our governments allow us the internet, unlimited. Not all countries do that you know. Sites that allow public registration should allow people, including myself, to join, read or post as long as rules of that site are not broken. It appears though, that what is being implied, is that I have a problem with people posting elsewhere and for them to pick sides. That is far from beyond truth. Please do not put words in my mouth, just read my words and don't add anything to them. Also, please don't misinterpret internet courtesy, ethics, or etiquette as barbaric rules imposed by the evil man at MC. Hey, don't take my word for it, just join any administrator mail-list or board and ask if it is cool to join an established site, start an identical site and using it's private messaging feature, to solicit membership for your new board. I suspect you would be banned for asking such a stupid question, just after you get dozens of responses flaming you as a newbie, some may point you to read this and that, you may even get a straight answer, something like, NO.

Think of this scenario, you want to start a competing store a few miles away from Wal-Mart. You go check some prices and start up a small store with some stuff at lower prices than Wal-Mart. In other words you setup something highlighting what is weak at Wal-Mart. Then you go back to Wal-Mart, and watch for people going to those particular sections. You pick out some people you think you like and target them. You engage in private conversations asking them to come to your new store. Some do, some don't. Don't you think at some point, someone would complain about this solicitation, do you think Wal-Mart would condone that activity or have rules against it? Would Wal-Mart be mad at their patrons and demand them just to shop at Wal-Mart, no, that's silly.

That is what I have a problem with is the method. Nobody asked me before hand, is this ok to do this. I would have said no, and say "good luck, and may have even put a good word in or two as I have done in the past for others.

Again, let me make this perfectly clear. MACCA-Central does not have any rule against members participating on other sites. MACCA-Central does have rules against people coming in and attempting to steal membership for things like spamming, identity theft or starting competing sites. Please keep in mind that this community of McCartney & Beatle friends has been growing on my blood, sweat and tears, the thoughts and emotions from fans for over ten years. Over the years people have come and gone but as always this community is not about me, or anyone's agenda, it's always been about a place for fans to come and grab a chair for while. Be it a few weeks, months or with some, years. As we are now in 2008, a year that may include another Paul tour, we look forward to reading so many wide range topics and insights this fan base offers to this site, it's members and visitors.

[JennyWren]

Well said, Mike. Kudos.

JennyWren

[little lamb dragonfly]

Think of this scenario, you want to start a competing store a few miles away from Wal-Mart. You go check some prices and start up a small store with some stuff at lower prices than Wal-Mart. In other words you setup something highlighting what is weak at Wal-Mart. Then you go back to Wal-Mart, and watch for people going to those particular sections. You pick out some people you think you like and target them. You engage in private conversations asking them to come to your new store. Some do, some don't. Don't you think at some point, someone would complain about this solicitation, do you think Wal-Mart would condone that activity or have rules against it? Would Wal-Mart be mad at their patrons and demand them just to shop at Wal-Mart, no, that's silly.

.

Mike, don't take this as me disagreeing with your position, but its really funny you bring up the wal-mart story, because I actually had a bizarrely similar situation involving Wal-Mart, except an employee of Wal-Mart was in another store I was shopping in, writing down prices. When I asked them what they were doing, they said they were keeping tabs on the sale items, so that Wal-Mart would always offer lower prices on those sale items, and then they told me I could just always go to Wal-Mart (and wouldn't have to shop at this store again) since they would always have the lowest prices.

I was outraged and like most people, have grown to strongly dislike Wal-Mart... though, like in that wonderful south park episode, I just can't seem to stay away from their 3 dollar refrigerators and 9 dollar televisions!