Stealing from the SDMB? Metatus.com

[Berkut]

I received a spam email today, which I reproduce below:
From: "Suzy Hall" <suzyhall@hushmail.com>
Subject: RE: Who knows you might like it
Possibly the BEST Message Board ever!sex, politics, work issues, religion, hobby, the works

http://www.Metatus.COM

Note: this is not an unsolicited email, if you wish to unsubscribe, write to
suzihall@hushmail.com


I hate being spammed. I decide to visit the site and see what's up. As I scroll through the messages, I notice things look a little familiar:

Do headphones cause ear damage? (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127059)
Do headphones cause ear damage? (metatus.com) (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=646)

Is incest among adopted siblings illegal? (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=129593)
Is incest among adopted siblings illegal? (metatus.com) (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1102)

Lawyers' use of "Esquire" (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127318)
Lawyers' use of "Esquire" (metatus.com) (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1172)

Stolen cell phone: is it worth anything? (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122612)
Stolen cell phone: is it worth anything? (metatus.com) (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=199)

These threads appear to be copied straight from the SDMB (minus any SDMB references)! These are only the first four I stumbled across, and there are many more. Do we have a thread thief on our hands, trying to cash in on the SDMBs popularity, or am I missing something?

I have sent the admin of the site an email asking him about this and the spamming, I will post the results as they happen.

[nashiitashii]

I opened up a thread you didn't have on there, and I pretty much went, "I've read this one before on the SDMB... WTF?!?" I hope something comes of your email.

[Berkut]

Got the reply back. admin@metatus.com told me that I was not entitled to any answers.

Anyone else wanna try? Like, maybe, a thousand of you? :-)

[ladyfoxfyre]

I'm game.

Sent.

-foxy

[Ferrous]

Yep, you're right. At first I thought it might just be people posting the same OP at two sites. But the metatus threads are usually several days older than the SDMB ones. And the OP never checks back in at the copies. The cell phone one in particular: the SDMB version was posted on 6/26. On 6/27 the OP reposted to thank the responders, and was satisfied. The identical metatus thread was posted 6/29.

But is it really such a good idea for a bunch of us to e-mail them? Board wars can get ugly. I think I'll wait until a mod or admin chimes in with an opinion.

[xash]

it would be interesting to know the admin/mods view on this...

at first i thought maybe it's a coincidence, but the wordings are exact... i mean, try "my friend arnold..." in the ear damage thread...

i wonder if this can be considered a copyright violation issue...

i'm sure a co-ordinated visit to the metatus board would infest it with some of our prized hamsters, but i'd rather wait for a mod opinion...

[Ferrous]

Hmmm, this is interesting...one of their members (as opposed to the "guests" who posted the stolen OPs) is UncleAl, who has been trying to shake up the world of physics in GD as UncleAl0 for the past few weeks. Coincidence? Hmmm...

[Lord Jim]

I think it best not to do anything more. Admin has been notified, I'm sure they can handle this.

Joey, that was very good to show the links together like that. Pretty much takes the question out of it whether they were lifted directly from here.

Jim

[Esprix]

Very interesting indeed...

Esprix

[TubaDiva]

Please do NOT go over there and raise hell; you may be righteous but that makes US look bad.

I have referred this situation up the pipeline.

Remember, this is why the Reader has attorneys. They spend a great deal of their time combating this sort of infringement and I'm sure it's nothing new, just more of the same damn thing.

your humble TubaDiva
Administrator

[Smeghead]

Originally posted by xash
i wonder if this can be considered a copyright violation issue...


Scroll all the way down. See this?

No material contained in this site may be republished or reposted without express written consent of the Chicago Reader, Inc., except that message board users retain the right to republish or repost their own work

I'd say the answer to your question is "yes."

[Berkut]

I thought it may have been coincidence too, until I saw the Lawyers' use of "Esquire" Straight Dope post that says
According to SDSTAFF Dianne (Esq.) in www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mesquire.html this is "thought pretentious", but when I mentioned this with a laugh to an American friend was told it was quite normal and proper.

On metatus, it is word for word except for the "SDSTAFF" and the straightdope.com link. He/She removed just enough to hide it's origins.

[Morbo]

Can the Mods post a sticky saying what happened, maybe in ATMB? I'd be interseted to know how this turned out.

Or maybe I'm "not entitled to any answers" :rolleyes:

[Fern Forest]

Wow, how ... blatant.

[Mighty_Girl]

They might as well call their site www.straightpsychoactivesubstance.com

The nerve!

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Maybe they should call themselves doppelganger.com or something more appropriate, like plagiarism.com.

That's pathetic that they felt like they had to steal.

[brachyrhynchos]

Sheesh. In the lawyer thread, not only is the OP lifted, but so is the answer! And it was posted in one minute after the OP.

:rolleyes:

[jackelope]

Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF
Maybe they should call themselves doppelganger.com ...

Or maybe DOPElganger.com? :p

[Batsinma Belfry]

Hey! Now when the hamsters get slow we can dart over there wthout all the waiting. :D

::d&r::

[Batsinma Belfry]

Hey! Now when the hamsters get slow we can dart over there wthout all the waiting. :D

::d&r::

[Berkut]

Found out that they are notorious spammers based in Hong Kong. Do a quick Google or Google Groups seacrh on "metatus.com". They have been harvesting addresses from usenet for some time, apparently.

If they are lifting posts from here, I am sure they have someone who checks this board often. They are probably scurrying around like roaches trying to delete all the stolen material.

I guess that will leave them with about 10 posts, total :-)

[Batsinma Belfry]

Hey! Now when the hamsters get slow we can dart over there wthout all the waiting. :D

::d&r::

[Mr. Blue Sky]

This all begs the question: Why do this?

[brachyrhynchos]

Wow, their hamsters are so fast that they can even simulpost with the OP (headphone thread).

Now THAT'S fast!
Can we trade ours in for one of theirs?

[butter pie]

Perhaps they have some kind of script running that's just automatically grabbing and mirroring the content.

Unless their ISP or hosting is physically here, it may be difficult to take legal action against them.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Oh, I registered there just for laughs. Wanna know what's in the "Members Only" forum?

No you don't. It's all explicit sex talk.

Tuba, get 'em. :)

[astro]

Now hold your horses. This might not be a bad thing. If the SDMB suffers a heart attack again and information is lost, this site is storing it for us automatically and free. ;)

[Ike Witt]

Hey, in their version of The Pit there is a thread that was started by Persephone. Is it 'our' much beloved Persephone?

[White Lightning]

Originally posted by jinwicked
Perhaps they have some kind of script running that's just automatically grabbing and mirroring the content.
Not if the stolen posts have been edited to remove any reference to the SDMB.

[Wearia]

WTF?
That is fricken crazy! Why would anyone copy posts onto their own board? I'm scared now...

[zev_steinhardt]

Originally posted by White Lightning
Not if the stolen posts have been edited to remove any reference to the SDMB.

Yeah, but to remove references to the SDMB is only a very short Perl program.

Zev Steinhardt

[Smeghead]

Mods - would you get pissed off if I started a thread about how much Metatus sucks, just to see if it showed up over there?

Wait - I mean, another thread. Besides this one. Aw, crap. Never mind.

[astro]

Originally posted by Smeghead
Mods - would you get pissed off if I started a thread about how much Metatus sucks, just to see if it showed up over there?

Wait - I mean, another thread. Besides this one. Aw, crap. Never mind.

Recursion is a beautiful thing.

[Max Torque]

Gotta love their posting rules (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/policy.php):
By posting on METATUS you must agree to NOT to use our service to:

...

4. forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifying information in order to disguise and/or with the effect of disguising the origin of any Content transmitted through the Service;

5. upload, post, email or otherwise make available or transmit any Content that you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements);

6. upload, post, email or otherwise make available or transmit any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights ("Rights") of any party....

I think that's hypocrisy I hear dripping....

[jackelope]

I say we go over there and throw toilet paper ALL OVER THEIR YARD!

[hawthorne]

Looks like we should have gone with the tin-foil hat smiley.

[Fern Forest]

Actually what would have been funny, although it's much too late to do it, is to go there and repost this OP only minus all SDMB references. Certain hilarity.

[SpaceDog]

I was just checking out the site and I saw this ...

The newest registered user is Thread thief

... anyone willing to own up to that ?

SD

[jjimm]

I wonder if it's connected to the one before that, "truth will out"?

[jjimm]

I think the SDMB is in deep trouble. Check out the standard of debate we're up against.Sorry to inform you but Euros are not liked. They are considered arrogant, effeminate, and lazy. And, they complain and whine too much about nothing. Nobody likes an uppity whiny bitch. Fury Unwired
Guest
Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:20 am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard TAWNN wrote:
1) America's dependance on economic imperialism (International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization).
2) American protectionism (steel tariffs, tariffs on Canadian lumber, ect.) while we go around the world preaching free trade , hypocricy.
3) American Industrial Complex and never ending bombing.
4) America's low level of education and high level of retards.


Didn't I tell you to suck my dick, you faggot Euro pansy!
Richard TAWNN
Guest
Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:25 am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem is: You don't have a dick.
Guest

Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:27 am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, so you admit to being a faggot. You need to carry your monkey ass out of the United States. We need less pansies like you.

[Jonathan Chance]

Originally posted by jinwicked
Perhaps they have some kind of script running that's just automatically grabbing and mirroring the content.

Unless their ISP or hosting is physically here, it may be difficult to take legal action against them.

That's why God made mercenaries, guys. Have Gunther and some of his 'boys' pay a visit. That should get some results.

[Coldfire]

Originally posted by Smeghead
Mods - would you get pissed off if I started a thread about how much Metatus sucks, just to see if it showed up over there?

Wait - I mean, another thread. Besides this one. Aw, crap. Never mind. Nah, not worth it. Looks like they stole a couple of columns, but the message board is independant anyway. Not that it's a particularly amusing one, mind you.

Let our legal eagles deal with it.

[Hemlock]

Metatus is (AFAIK) based here in HK. They started up around the time the main English language message board here (icered.com) re-launched themselves, with a highly user-unfriendly interface (why didn't they use vBulletin? I don't know). Icered also expelled some spammers at that time, or something like that, and Metatus sprang up. In both boards (should you check them out - I wouldn't bother), you'll find the bulk of posters have English as a second language and little of interest to say.

Anyone who needs to cut and paste other boards' threads deserve sympathy. How sad can you get?

BTW, piracy and other forms of copying are standard here. You can hardly buy a legit piece of software or DVD, let alone designer label bags and all that junk. (Largely the fault of the marketing people who overhype and overprice the stuff to start with, but the principle of intellectual property suffers.)

Remember - Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

[Venoma]

Just looking at the majority of thread titles wanes any desire I would have to open them - I think we're spoiled :) Perhaps their own userbase wasn't keeping up the motto of "I.I.I." and they were desperate for all three? Hee hee.

How pathetic.

[RickQ]

Interesting to note that they only have one Admin, no moderators and several of the forums are completely unmoderated.

[Mangetout]

I'm still not entirely sure whether it's just a case of some of the members here posting on more than one board, but it seems like there are rather too many such posts for that to be the case.

As far as I can tell, there's no validation of user names over there, in fact it seems that there's not even an obligation to supply one when posting; the opportunities for abuse (particularly sock puppetry and ghosting) are wide open.

Is there anyone reading this thread who has posted their own OP over there too? (Mods: would it be OK if we compiled (in this thread)a list of SDMB user names who have had OPs duplicated, then maybe they can confirm/deny...)?

[yojimbo]

There's a thread about it now over there

http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1572

[yojimbo]

Maybe this thread should be removed to try and stop any "nastiness"?

[Mangetout]

I do not wish to presume to speak for the powers that be here at the SDMB, but I believe that it would be wise to strongly caution against any action that might result in 'board war' (spamming their board, posting insulting material, links to the SDMB etc). Don't do it, please.

[jjimm]

Something's just occurred to me: why should we really give a monkey's? It's not like anyone's losing any money because of it, and that message board is a pile of pants anyway.

[belladonna]

Why are Jews so Hated? (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=129996&highlight=Jews)
Duplicate thread on MeatTits (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1170)

Things you Hate that Everybody Else likes (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=124988&highlight=showtunes)
Duplicate (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=480)

Favorite Examples of Poor Reasoning (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=120967&highlight=Favorite+Examples+of+Poor+Reasoning)
Duplicate (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=21)

They're everywhere. All of them posted a day or two after their debut here. What really galls me is that they're stealing the replies too. MonkeyLickers. :mad:

And jjiimm, I can't speak for anyone else, but if it had been one of my OP's, I'd give a HUGE monkey. Plagarism sucks.

[RTFirefly]

I guess I care because it's kinda slimy, someone's passing off our brilliant repartee ;) as their own.

But Tuba referred this one up the ladder yesterday, and the CR and their legal beagles really are the best ones to deal with it. Let's just leave it be.

[Berkut]

Originally posted by jjimm
Something's just occurred to me: why should we really give a monkey's? It's not like anyone's losing any money because of it, and that message board is a pile of pants anyway.

The thing that really torqued my gourd was the fact that he spammed me, several times. I made a nice (really) post over there in the appropriate forum asking about the spamming. Their board has an automatic script that changes the word "spam" in a post to "enlighten". After my modified post was up for about thirty seconds, it was deleted and I was banned.

That got my curiosity up even more, so I used a different IP address block and started checking out the site a little more closely (Yeah, I know I was banned, but I was just looking with no intent on posting). That's when I saw the SDMB copies and decided right then and there to post it on the SDMB, and let the wrath of the mighty Chicago Reader rain down upon them :-)

I haven't gone to the trouble of checking it out again. Are there any SMDB posts left over there, or did they manage to delete them all?

[Berkut]

Oops, Belladonna answered that right when I asked it.

[wayward]

I like how one of their forums is called Unique Cafe. Nice touch.

[wayward]

Originally posted by yojimbo
There's a thread about it now over there

http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1572

Not any more there ain't. Curiouser and curiouser...

[jjimm]

I posted about S.P.A.M. and got banned (presumably by IP). It did indeed turn the word "SPAM" into "enlighten".

[jjimm]

Without meaning to sound like too much of a crawly bumlick, that site is a shining example of why strict rules and moderators are so necessary.

[dorkusmalorkusmafia]

LOL Yojimbo, that thread has mysteriously disappeared. I personally like to know where all my postings go to rather than having them show up somewhere else. However, I couldn't find me over there so it wasn't that bad. :)

[Max Torque]

This is unreal...

Do a search over there for "opal". You'll find (at present) three different threads (though they're all the same; apparently it was so good that they stole it three times) containing a "Hi Opal!" in a list in the OP. I wonder how they'll explain that....

And in a bizarre twist, they swiped OpalCat's "Your Favorite Fonts" OP (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=497). Why did they steal this? Is it really that hard to write your own list of fonts? This boggles the mind....

[Coldfire]

Presumably, they have a random script that steals our threads or something. The stuff that pops up there seems random enough.

[Mighty_Girl]

Originally posted by jjimm
Something's just occurred to me: why should we really give a monkey's? It's not like anyone's losing any money because of it, and that message board is a pile of pants anyway. As the webmaster (or rather webmistress) of my humble (not so little) site I have to disagree with you. The hosting may not cost me money (I am a guest in the server of the site that I'm a moderator of), but everything else did. Like software, domain name, camera, computer and countless hours of work. If that happened to me I'd be VERY mad. :mad:

[Smeghead]

I poked around their registration agreement, and the impression I got was that the sole reason for the existence of the boards is to harvest emails for spam. Many references were made to "metatus.com products and offers".

So I think what's going on is that they're stealing content to make it look like a real message board in order to entice people to join. This would also explain the spam people are receiving. In addition, you can't register without giving them a valid email address - a confirmation code is sent to the address you give them.

[Mighty_Girl]

Spammers: what will they think of next?! :mad:

[TwistofFate]

To hell with them for stealing our thoughts.

[Tripler]

The worst part for me is that they've completely murdered and butchered the Queen's English. (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewforum.php?f=8)


To those of you who like to placing ad


Ach, the travesty! :eek:

Tripler
Yeah, I'd like to placing ad. . . :mad:

[Tripler]

Just found out why there isn't a Channel One on TV. (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=184)
Which I thought was already answered. (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_372)

Yep, now they've got the Archives.

Tripler
I feel so violated.

[iampunha]

Why not post, like, $pam, or sp@m, or something like that? I know that beats the language "filters" (that allow faggot but don't allow shit) on battle.net...

[mblackwell]

Maybe if we sue them we can get enough moola to buy a really nice server.

[Myrnalene]

Originally posted by Tripler
Just found out why there isn't a Channel One on TV. (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=184)
Which I thought was already answered. (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_372)

Yep, now they've got the Archives.

Tripler
I feel so violated. :eek:

They would plagiarize our UNCLE CECIL?!
Da noive! Get the hounds out after those bitches!

[Quonk]

Man, I cracked up when I saw the thread title:What's it like to be cremated while your still alive

[Airman Doors, USAF]

They just lifted my National Guard thread, and some tosser intimated that I was a party to murder. At least they had the courage to repost my screenname, but I don't want anything to do with them. They also cut out my links and my real name, and i put a lot of time and thought into that OP.

Ask me if I'm just a little pissed off. :mad:

[Arnold Winkelried]

Originally posted by Mangetout
I do not wish to presume to speak for the powers that be here at the SDMB, but I believe that it would be wise to strongly caution against any action that might result in 'board war' Did you see what TubaDiva posted on page one of this thread?

[Exgineer]

Seriously, folks, please let the legal beagles handle this.

If the Chicago Reader gets a sniff of a rumor that they might have trouble over this board it would be in their interest to just shut us down to protect themselves. It's the Reader's job to sue for copyright infringement, or to take any other action they deem necessary.

Please. Do not go off half-cocked and start a board-war that might endanger my happy playground.

Remember Left Behind?

[5 time champ]

Is our old buddy KayKay standing up for the SDMB? teabagging puddle of fuck (http://www.Metatus.COM/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1557) :confused:

[hardygrrl]

Originally posted by 5 time champ
Is our old buddy KayKay standing up for the SDMB? teabagging puddle of fuck (http://www.Metatus.COM/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1557) :confused:


If she is, that's ironic. IIRC, I used that phrase towards her in a Pit thread.

[waterj2]

What the hell? That site claimed KayKay, Wildest Bill, and peace. Or something. Seems like someone knows this site fairly well to put those names in a thread. Either that or our former members get really bored and lower their standards after being banned.

[Esprix]

Oh, great - now it looks like they're using our screen names to post as us, too.

Charming. Buncha choads...

Esprix

[Tamex]

Hey, look next to KayKay--it's Wildest Bill!

Is metatus the "Island of the Banned"?

[Skeezix]

"The Island of Misfit Posters?"

Who'd ever want a Wildest Bill-in-the-box?

[Tristan]

http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=13445#13445

I wonder, out of curiousity, how long it will last.

[jjimm]

Originally posted by Tripler
The worst part for me is that they've completely murdered and butchered the Queen's English. (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewforum.php?f=8)



Ach, the travesty! :eek:

Tripler
Yeah, I'd like to placing ad. . . :mad: This is classic Hong Kong English (AKA Chinglish). My Honkie friends used to say: "My hobby is go to shopping".

The spam trap theory is spot-on.

[Atreyu]

The cheek of these guys is amazing.

Here's some more evidence for the Chicago Reader lawyers:
From Metatus:Recommend some good non-fiction books (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=66). Compare it to this Cafe Society thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=121055) of the same name. Notice that even the reference to Dopers is preserved intact.

From the SDMB: An independence question for Brits and Yanks (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123972) authored by TV time.
From Metatus:An independence question for Brits and Yanks (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=354) authored by someone using the very similar handle TV Times.

From the SDMB: I ask this as a Christian (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=130172), OP authored by Joel.
From Metatus: I ask this as a Christian (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1171), OP authored by someone using the nick Joel.

From the SDMB: What do Christians think of other religions? (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126864), OP authored by fatdave.
From Metatus (cursed be their name): What do Christians think of other religions? (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=754), OP authored by someone using the nick fatdave.

From the SDMB: How long before widowed people can/should start "seeing" people? (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=121402), OP authored by WSLer.
From Metatus: How long before widowed people can/should start dating again (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=36), OP authored by someone using the very similar nick WLer.

From the SDMB: Children and responsibility.. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=120965), OP authored by bobkitty.
From Metatus:Children and responsibility (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=94), OP authored by an anonymous Guest. However, the OP bears the same title as the SDMB original, references to "the Kitty family" abound, and there is a direct request for "Doper input."

As far as I can tell, none of the few paltry threads that I've started lately have been swiped, but I'm still pretty darn pissed. Here's my wish that the Powers That Be sue their asses off.

[Mangetout]

Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried
Did you see what TubaDiva posted on page one of this thread? To my shame, I somehow completely overlooked it; Sorry Tuba. (and thanks Arnold).

[Coldfire]

Originally posted by Tristan
http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=13445#13445

I wonder, out of curiousity, how long it will last. WILL ALL THE VALIANT KNIGHTS WHO APPARENTLY WERE TOO BLIND TO SEE THE PREVIOUS SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS KINDLY STOP POSTING AT THAT OTHER MESSAGE BOARD?

Thank you. Yeesh.

[dantheman]

Ow. I'm blind.

[clairobscur]

Originally posted by Exgineer
It's the Reader's job to sue for copyright infringement, or to take any other action they deem necessary.



Wait....What if one of *my* posts was lifted? Surely, it's my business too. I wrote it, and never allowed them to publish it....

[Hemlock]

Welcome to Hong Kong......

Please, everyone, you're taking these people much too seriously....

[Lute Skywatcher]

Originally posted by Joey G
Do we have a thread thief on our hands, trying to cash in on the SDMBs popularity, or am I missing something?

Our content is still here, ergo Metatus hasn't stolen anything. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2405459#post2405459)

[DeadlyAccurate]

Being ignorant of server-side stuff, could this thief site be the reason for the board slowdowns?

[DeadlyAccurate]

Being ignorant of server-side stuff, I'm wondering if this thief site be the reason for the board slowdowns?

[Smeghead]

Originally posted by Coldfire
WILL ALL THE VALIANT KNIGHTS WHO APPARENTLY WERE TOO BLIND TO SEE THE PREVIOUS SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS KINDLY STOP POSTING AT THAT OTHER MESSAGE BOARD?

Thank you. Yeesh.

You know, it's possible that that post had nothing to do with us. If they're stealing from our board, they're probably stealing from other boards, whose members may be less inclined to hold back. Just a thought.

[Tars Tarkas]

I'd post in this thread but they'd just steal it.....

[Coldfire]

Somehow, someone calling themselves Tristan here and Isoldes Man! over there seems a tad more than a coincidence, Smeghead.

[Guinastasia]

GRRRR...get 'em, Tuba!!!

I want to see the developments!

[hajario]

If Gucci can't stop people in Honk Kong from knocking off their hand bags, and Fox can't stop them from pirating their movies, what the hell makes you think the Chicago Reader can do a god damned thing about stealing content from the SDMB?

Haj

[zev_steinhardt]

Originally posted by hajario
If Gucci can't stop people in Honk Kong from knocking off their hand bags, and Fox can't stop them from pirating their movies, what the hell makes you think the Chicago Reader can do a god damned thing about stealing content from the SDMB?

Haj

Well, for one thing, we have something Gucci and Fox don't have: The Perfect Master who can do anything... :)

Zev Steinhardt

[Mangetout]

Originally posted by hajario
...Honk Kong...This is just crying out for something witty said about it, but I can't think what it should be.

[ShibbOleth]

I just wonder, if they take what we write, then we post about what they've taken, then we comment on they're taking what we've written about what they've taken, then could we end up in an infinite loop?

[KellyM]

It's hard to believe that I'm saying this, but this is exactly the situation that the DMCA was written for. The Reader has some really good legal remedies in its quiver and I'm sure their lawyers will have just a heap o' fun shooting them at this travesty of a board.

I just hope they report back to tell us about it once it's all over.

[Esprix]

Great honk!

Esprix

[Smeghead]

Originally posted by Coldfire
Somehow, someone calling themselves Tristan here and Isoldes Man! over there seems a tad more than a coincidence, Smeghead.

*blink* Must be a reference there I'm missing. But I'll take your word for it.

[scott evil]

Hmmm... maybe it's time to start some new safe-sex pile-ons. :p

Quick, someone ask me if I've ever heard of AIDS???!??!!?!??!?

j/k

[Silentgoldfish]

I think my dead horse has aids. Stop beating it.

[Coldfire]

Originally posted by Smeghead
*blink* Must be a reference there I'm missing. But I'll take your word for it. It's a French medieval legend. (http://www.metopera.org/synopses/tristan.html)

[Eutychus]

I have also noted at least one instance where, because none of the screennames that are being copied from here are actually registered over there, some one has taken over the screenname and registered it and began posting. This leaves the impression that the same person who is posting under that name now is the same one who posted here.

So ... let's not be too quick to accuse any of the posters here of causing trouble over there since that may not be the case.

[Zyada]

Really. Can you imagine our beloved Persephone saying this?

[quote]I don't encourage meeting people I talk to online, unless it's in a well-lit, public place, somewhere that is usually busy & only during daylight hours. Since I work graveyard shift and sleep all day, this usually puts my hours of activity beyond my own restrictions for meeting people.
I don't get out much. [/b]

:snicker:

From the thread with the "teabagging" bit mentioned on page 2. Which BTW, has been severely pruned since this morning.

[Baraqiyal]

It would be funny if their own bot gets banned for posting this very tread.

[brachyrhynchos]

I'm waiting for them to take a dopefest thread:

A Dopey* Getogether! (* changed by their bot)

<scene cuts to getogether place in the future>
I am Persephone!
No, I am Persephone!
I am Persephone!
I am Spartacus!

[Berkut]

I doubt it's a bot. Configuring a bot to selectively rip posts from the SDMB, and get only the interesting topics while removing SDMB references would be so difficult as to be impractical. Besides, they have gotten into the column archives too.

It's a person doing it. A sniveling, weaseling, spineless, gutless, small-penised person of questionable parentage, the type who pees on public toilet seats and rips the tags off of mattresses.

[Turbo Dog]

Originally posted by Coldfire
WILL ALL THE VALIANT KNIGHTS WHO APPARENTLY WERE TOO BLIND TO SEE THE PREVIOUS SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS KINDLY STOP POSTING AT THAT OTHER MESSAGE BOARD?


Thinks cuz he can push us around in here that he's cool enough to boss us around on where else we can post.

Damn power mongering egomaniac.






















I'm kidding! Hold the torture kind sir!

[Purd Werfect]

Hopefully, after this is cleared up, we can go after the vile scum who have illegally aquired mp3's on their systems. It's about time to clean this internet thingy up.

[iampunha]

Originally posted by Turbo Dog
I'm kidding! Hold the torture kind sir!

Can I have his, then?

What? Well, no, I didn't do anything to deserve it, but ... pleeeeeeease? I'll post in l33t if it makes you feel better:)

[Berkut]

If a mod was curious enough, he/she could see if anyone posts or reads the board with an IP address in the range of 203.194.245.11 - 203.194.245.14

It is likely they would be using one of those IPs.

[Enderw24]

And they don't even talk about female masturbation over there. I could stand to read about that twice.

[Captain Amazing]

I like this thread over there and the response:

http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=115

[LIONsob]

Just a little marginal thinking here.
There is the phenomena here on the Internet called "The Slash Dot Effect ", it has been noted that when a web site gets cited in either a positive or negative way over on www.slashdot.org that it can drive so much traffic to the web site that it actually knocks it off-line similar to what happens when somebody performs a D.D.O.S attack. Now it seems to me that with as many registered members as we have on this site and how even before the other site started borrowing some of our bandwidth, that the hamster that powers the server was stressing during prime time ,that may be the smart thing to do considering that they are copying all the threads from this board would be to continue to post here but do all of our reading there. It seems to me that doing so would balance out the bandwidth load between the two boards. We can even call it the "Slash Dope Effect ".
Peace
LIONsob

P.S. Be Sure to Click the Refresh Button Frequently While There Boys and Girls, You Don't Want to Miss Any of the Action.

[Anubis]

Apparently, whoever is doing this has either read this thread or found his/her mistake in leaving the word 'Doper' in the copied threads:
Here (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=66&highlight=doper) we have an OP that says
...and I trust my fellow HC'ers to come through...
and later has a quote of the OP except with HC'ers still as Dopers and someone asked, "what's a Doper?" And I could have sworn that someone later said that a doper was a member of these boards, but that post is now gone.

[dantheman]

<waves to the thief, then moons him or her> Copy this

[butter pie]

I believe what you're referring to, LIONsob, is a distributed denial of service attack (DDOS). If more people try to access the site at once than the server can handle, the server will go down. But that isn't a permanent solution to the problem, just annoying to the owner of the site. Well, unless you did it every single day, I guess.

[butter pie]

Whoops, sorry. I didn't see that you mentioned that. I really need to learn not to post when I'm reading in three windows and just woke up.

BTW, we could always hire a 7337 script kiddie to just DOS the site until the owners give up. (Not really.)

[Berkut]

Saw this over there this morning, but it's gone now. I copied it before it got deleted:
Topic: references to drug use on message board "dopers"

Angry Hamster
Guest
Sat Aug 31, 2002 2:12 pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a new user of this message board, and message boards in general. I am concerned that I see so many posts where addicts (I assume they are addicts) are asking opinions of their fellow addicts, and they make no attempt to hide it! I submit the following posts for your examination:

This person wants robot building advice from drug users
http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=13898
--

This person says "So here's the point of this post. I want Doper input on the questions raised by the poster " ... This is a thread about raising children!!!!!!
http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=13687
--

This person says "I would like to attempt to restore, or attempt to create, a positive perception of the National Guard throughout the Doper community." ... Who cares what the drug users think about the National Guard? The National Guard is against drug use!
http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=11376
--

This one is obvious. Very obvious. Note the how he uses words like "insatiable" and "mind-blowing". Here is a quote: "I trust my fellow Dopers to come through on this. Thanks! "
http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?p=658
--

I am upset about this! It seems what all these people have in common is an addiction to something that they think expands their mind or somehow provides them with entertainment! Something so addictive that they have to have it every day, even to the point of doing it at work! Whats next? Are these people going to start having group meetings in real life? So called "doper-fests"?!?!?!?!?

I guess I am old-fashioned, but I am still shocked


Must be one of ours :-)

[Berkut]

Oh wait, maybe I shouldn't have copied that. Hummm.

Mods, please erase it if I messed up by quoting that entire deleted OP.

[Myrnalene]

Yeah, we wouldn't want to go around lifting copywrited material. :snerk:

[Anubis]

Yep, they definitely realized they're mistake. All but the National Guard thread linked to in Joey G's post no longer exist. COVERUP!!! :foil smiley here:

[Berkut]

Tubadiva, here is another one to send up the pipeline. This appears to be a fairly dead board, and this is the only stolen post I recognized. It's based in Hong Kong also (same people?).

Why is the US so opposed to the International Criminal Court (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123463)
Why is the US so opposed to the International Criminal Court (Law99.com) (http://www.law99.com/t.php?t=45)

This is starting to get weird.

[Berkut]

Holy Crap.

Online dating: how to blow off a guy politely? (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126890)
Online dating: how to blow off a guy politely? (HiCow.com ) (http://203.194.245.125/hk/viewtopic.php?t=7701)

HiCow and Metatus have a lot of posts in common. I can't tell who is copying who.

[Berkut]

Holy Crap.

Online dating: how to blow off a guy politely? (Straight Dope) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126890)
Online dating: how to blow off a guy politely? (HiCow.com ) (http://203.194.245.125/hk/viewtopic.php?t=7701)

HiCow and Metatus have a lot of posts in common. I can't tell who is copying who.

[Wearia]

So how many boards are stealing from SDMB? This is justs sad.

[zev_steinhardt]

I just got a spam from Metatus today. Coincedence?

Zev Steinhardt

[Troy McClure SF]

Well, aside from the obvious problems, this is kinda cool... I feel like I'm in the exposition to a Twilight Zone episode.

Hopefully we won't be wished into the cornfield.

But yeah, these guys suck.

Then again, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you might as well steal from the best, yadda yadda...

[Derleth]

Spammers are tough to fight. Foreign spammers can well be impossible to fight. Even if you can track them down (as we have here), getting the ISP to do anything ranges from Very Hard to Really Fucking Hard to Beat Your Head Into The Pilings, Son, It'll Feel Better. Hong Kong, and Asian countries in general, are notorious for long-lived, nigh-untouchable spamhauses, where spammers of every stripe buy email access and spam unmolested because:

The ISPs obviously aren't going to stop them, and
The local governments either aren't aware of the problem, aren't convinced it is a problem (some see spamming as a Free Speech issue, which is isn't), or have been paid to look the other way.
In the world of Usenet and email, the vigilante remedy, used when the official channels are ineffective, has been RBLs, or Realtime Blackhole Lists. RBLs ensure that those who subscribe to them do not pass along anything from a blackholed domain. There are various ways to get blackholed, which vary from RBL to RBL. Spamming, obviously, but also running on open relay, a system configured to allow anyone to pass email through it. RBL makers, such as MAPS (http://mail-abuse.org/rbl/), probe for open relays and add domains to their list as appropriate.

Is the practice of RBLs legal? Yep. Is it open to abuse and capriciousness? You betcha. ORBS was, at one time, MAPS main competition. But it was run by a complete asshole who would add domains for purely personal reasons and refuse to remove them. Result? Those who subscribed to his service did not get information for really stupid reasons. Upshot? ORBS is dead, long live MAPS.

MAPS RBL Rationale (http://mail-abuse.org/rbl/rationale.html) --- MAPS defends themselves. It reads like a manifesto of sorts, a common-netizen's Declaration of Independence from unsolicited email of all stripes.

MAPS for DISASTER (http://profitmall.sysop.com/MAPS_for_DISASTER.htm) --- A CAPTIALIZATION ADDICT who HATES the MAPS CONCEPT. A fun read if you keep in mind he's a loon. Related in the MAPS-hate-a-thon is Combat HQ (http://www.combat.org/). A good list is provided by MAPS itself (http://mail-abuse.org/anti-rbl.html).

Contentious issue, but MAPS is on the Right Side.

[Ashtar]

This is all very wicked and weird.
I hope the proper authority on the board will keep us informed as to the developments of this very interesting debacle.

[Gozu Tashoya]

OOC, are they getting our double-posts too? Because that would be...um, kinda funny.

[Captain Amazing]

Originally posted by jjtm
Well, aside from the obvious problems, this is kinda cool... I feel like I'm in the exposition to a Twilight Zone episode.


This is Jjtm, an ordinary user of an ordinary message board. But Jjtm will see something...something that will cause him to question the world around him, and even his own identity. Because this message board...is in the Twilight Zone

[chula]

Originally posted by Anubis
Apparently, whoever is doing this has either read this thread or found his/her mistake in leaving the word 'Doper' in the copied threads:
Here (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=66&highlight=doper) we have an OP that says

and later has a quote of the OP except with HC'ers still as Dopers and someone asked, "what's a Doper?" And I could have sworn that someone later said that a doper was a member of these boards, but that post is now gone. The response is still there, near the bottom.

[Anubis]

Ah. I have a short attention

[Fenris]

Originally posted by Esprix
Great honk!


You mind your phraseology!

Mayor Fenris Shinn

[OpalCat]

They now replace "straightdope" with "law99.com" on their board.

I really don't appreciate them posting my threads in my name, and I said as much.

[TV time]

...And when they cloned me they add an "s" to my username. It's like these Hong Kong knock off jerks don't think my username's good enough as it is. I know I shouldn't, but I resent that.

Can Bush declare them part of the "drivetrain of evil" or something?

At last count, I counted 15 stolen threads currently posted.

(the real)TV*

*except for Veb, of course, and that newer TVguy.

[Coldfire]

*sigh*

People, I know the SD Staff has no authority whatsoever over what you post on any board outside of this one. However, we have asked numerous times in this thread not to post on these other boards, and to leave the matter to the legal experts at the Reader.

If you feel this request is ungrounded, and you MUST post there anyway, please don't talk about it here. We really don't want to look like we're fuelling the fire whilst our legal team is on their backs. I hope that makes sense to those of you whose personal grief is obviously more important than the credibility of the Straight Dope Message Board.

Thanks a lot.

[OpalCat]

Eh, whatever. I won't mention it here then, but when they copy my posts *using my name* I'm damn well gonna say something regardless of what the moderators of a different board say.

[Coldfire]

Posting about it here is the part we CAN control, so yes, kindly knock it off.

As for anyone's decision to post there anyway, knowing that a) they're a bunch of thieves who delete any criticism, and b) it conflicts with the interest of the legal stance of the SDMB: thanks so much for your consideration. "Eh, whatever", indeed.

[OpalCat]

I believe I said I wouldn't mention it here again, didn't I? My "eh whatever" was in response to your attempt to tell us where we can/can't post. I hadn't seen a previous request to not mention it here (but I may have missed something)

[Tristan]

Coldfire- Yes, I must admit that Isolde's Man was me. I was curious to see what sort of response they actually have, if any. It would appear that there are some real folks there that think it's a real board.

If I could figure out a way to do it, I would send those deluded folks a message and try to send them here, to the one true faith.. (hehe) but I don't think it's a good idea.

I will cease posting there, because if it indangers legal efforts, I don't want to be the party that means they can't be stopped.

[Lute Skywatcher]

Originally posted by brachyrhynchos
I'm waiting for them to take a dopefest thread:

[b]A Dopey* Getogether! (* changed by their bot)Take a look at the thread (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1557&highlight=meet) with the post that Zyada quoted.

[Algernon]

I respect the request to not post here, but I'm assuming that the following witticism worship is still allowed...

Originally posted by Anubis
Ah. I have a short attention
Originally posted by Fenris
You mind your phraseology!

Mayor Fenris ShinnI hate this overused phrase, but these posts made me laugh out loud. Anubis, Fenris, it's witty gems like these which make me proud to be a Doper!! (er, HC'er that is) Bravo!!

[Anubis]

Awww, no one's ever said my posts have made them laugh before. :o

Thanks, Algernon, you made my day.

::kisses Algernon on the cheek::
Muuuuuuuuuuuah!

[capacitor]

This metaus site is supposed to be insightful? They got millitant atheists that make Fred Phelps look peaceful by comparison.

[reprise]

You have to admit that their disclaimer (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/disclaimer.php) is somewhat ironic.

Please note that METATUS does not monitor the contents of posted messages and is not responsible for any messages posted. METATUS hereby expressly disclaims to the fullest extent permitted by law any and all liabilities in relation to the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and is not responsible for the content of any message. The messages solely express the view of the author of the message, not the views of METATUS or any entity associated with METATUS. METATUS disclaims all intents to publish any of the messages posted on the website. (bolding mine)

Their About Us (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/aboutus.php) section is also perversely amusing.

Having waded through a lot of the trash over there last night, I got the the impression was several posts that the SDMB might not be the only messageboard whose threads are being ripped off and republished on Metatus/HiCow.

[reprise]

Oh yeah. There's a thread there right now supposedly started by Cecil.

Stealing From the Straight Dope (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1848&PHPSESSID=b7ae96ec727ce2dd6d407c808da27345)

[Hamadryad]

Wooooooooooow, was that ever blazingly stupid.

[Buck The Diver]

Why, how VERY odd. That thread has now vanished into the electronic ether.

[reprise]

Originally posted by Buck The Diver
Why, how VERY odd. That thread has now vanished into the electronic ether.

They seem to be doing the occasional bit of moderation. It seems like stuff posted overnight my time (I'm GMT+10) stays up for most of the morning (they are GMT+8) and then gets deleted.

What's really galling is that their mods/admins aren't posting any threads telling people to stop it.

[Atreyu]

Originally posted by reprise
What's really galling is that their mods/admins aren't posting any threads telling people to stop it.

I strongly suspect that the mods/admins are the ones doing some, if not all, of the pilfering.

[t-keela]

Guys, I'm new here but I'm loyal!
It's obvious to me we're dealing w/ a group of people who are jealous and lack originality.

I surfed their turf shortly and found several threads which were stolen, many that were just friggin' ignorant, and a few which somewhat alarmed me.
http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=17777

Some threads were simply bigoted and biased opinions which were posted as fact and not rebutted. The current affairs forum reads more like the rantings of madmen. Worse yet, they seemed to have the approval of the mods.(I'm not arguing their validity, just making note that neither do they)

Perhaps they are our Nemesis, you know...
"Fighting for Ignorance since ?" (anybody got a date?)

If we truly are in service to the cause, this ignorant ass bunch must be stopped or "enlightened"

Peace...:)

[TheLoadedDog]

Also deleted: Why are you stealing posts?

Then there's this:
" he newest registered user is Coldfire (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1864)"
:eek:

[TheLoadedDog]

t-keela, they've removed the thread you linked to. I guess someone over there is monitoring this SDMB thread closely.

I've registered over there because when I tried to open the "why are you stealing...?" thread, I was prompted to log in, rather than getting a "thread does not exist" message (it's definitely gone though), and also so that we have somebody in a similar timezone who can watch all the forums including the Into The Night one which is members only (and also rates highly on the ewww scale). I don't think I'll be posting.

[TheLoadedDog]

Aaah... just seen Coldie's request not to post there on page three of this thread. Seems reasonable enough. I won't.

[reprise]

I registered too - although not with this nick - mostly so I can keep an eye on the closed forum.

Haven't posted and have no intention of doing so.

I'm not sure whether their software stops people using a registered name altogether or whether it allows the use of name with the status "guest" underneath it instead of "member" (if you've checked out any of the profiles or gone into 'options', you'll see just how stripped down their software is); I'll check it out tomorrow.

[TheLoadedDog]

Like you reprise, it's not my intention to play the vigilante Doper on Patrol, and possibly get in the way of the Reader, but I think the registering and lurking idea is a good one. Sure, they can probably find out I'm a doper without trying too hard, but I think if they know that some of their own members are quietly monitoring them, yet not causing trouble, they might rethink a few of their current practices.

[reprise]

OK; just tried posting over there using the name you just registered TLD and it wouldn't let me use the name, so registering does secure the nick.

[Hamadryad]

Uh, they don't care, from what I can tell. They're stealing content to look like an active area, and roping people into becoming members this way. When y'all register, I'd imagine their numbers go up so they look even MORE active. And when you post, you add even more to their numbers.

It's DNFTT on a site-wide scale. Then again, the good and intelligent people on here stun me constantly with their inability to leave the trolls alone without someone holding their hands, so the fact that people keep on registering over there (with names like "Cecil Adams," no less) and posting and generally making it more difficult for the Chicago Reader legal staff to do their job doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

It stuns me every time I see this crew of remarkably intelligent people acting in such an abysmally idiotic way.

[Coldfire]

Originally posted by TheLoadedDog
Then there's this:
" he newest registered user is Coldfire (http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=1864)"
:eek: Not to worry, that was me. If you see any other staff member names, chances are it's them, too. Just making sure no one else takes our names.

[johncole]

Originally posted by White Lightning
Not if the stolen posts have been edited to remove any reference to the SDMB.

Well, they missed this reference:



thread:> A Human being should be able to ....

post:
A human being should be able to
1.change a diaper
'wear a diaper'
2. plan an invasion,
3.Hi opal!
4.butcher a hog
5.conn a ship
......

post:
How do you do Hi Opal? Can someone explain what this means to me? must be my poor english?

post:
Your English is excellent. No one does a "Hi (hello) Opal" unless one knows a person named Opal.

[RTFirefly]

What Hamadryad said.

Or, to quote Coldfire from about two pages back:Originally posted by Coldfire
WILL ALL THE VALIANT KNIGHTS WHO APPARENTLY WERE TOO BLIND TO SEE THE PREVIOUS SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS KINDLY STOP POSTING AT THAT OTHER MESSAGE BOARD?Sheez Louise. Maybe the mods should just close this thread, and post a sticky reminding people to not post over there.

There really isn't anything more that can be said about this subject that isn't just plowing the same old ground. Other than to list still more copied threads, and we've already listed plenty of those, so why bother? Meanwhile, the continued existence of this thread seems to encourage smart people to act stupidly, as Hama has pointed out.

[t-keela]

I have not and will not post anything on their site. I have and might be back to visit, maybe. But, until the mods. here say different, I'll let the BIG DOGS do their thing first.

I'm not a PCgeek, so maybe someone here can explain:
Some advertisers pay sites per click. There ARE ads running on the "evil ones" site.

Could this be somebody's scam to run up their "visits" to make money?

[reprise]

t-keela, it could be a scam to increase their registrations (people WILL register their nicks to stop them being used by others) so they can claim a large membership or just to attract more hits so that they can inflate the numbers they show advertisers.

Also in order to register you must provide an email address and confirm your registration from that email address, so I wouldn't be surprised if the email addresses people used to register (you DID all create webmail accounts solely for that purpose, didn't you) start getting a lot of 3rd party spam.

[DMark]

Re: Copyrights and Trademarks
(real simple 101 class notes:)

Sometimes the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Let's say you open a porn shop in Butthole, Wyoming called "Sex In The City".
Now some of you think, who cares - it is not like anyone is going to think HBO owns it or confuse it with the series.
True.
BUT - if HBO didn't go sue your ass for opening the place, they are leaving an opening for someone to open a porn shop in NY called Sex In The City, or open up a chain of them around the world.
The problem is, if there can be proof that you did nothing the first time you were made aware of an infringement, a case can be made that you did not care, and do not care, enough about your trademark/copyright to protect it. Thus, everyone is entitled to use the name.
That is why Disney is put in the unfortunate position of having to sue Aunt Mabel's Day Care Center for the picture of Micky Mouse out on the garage. That is why DreamWorks, MGM, Universal etc etc all have teams of lawyers cracking down on "little" stuff. Do you really think they give a damn if someone opens some cheesy Indiana Jones Cafe in Peoria? No...but they have to sue to save the name.

The upswing...by letting the other board come in, rip off threads at will and doing nothing, SDMB is saying they don't care....maybe they don't, but it is hard to undo the damage later if they don't hop on the problem now.

[Berkut]

Originally posted by t-keela
I'm not a PCgeek, so maybe someone here can explain:
Some advertisers pay sites per click. There ARE ads running on the "evil ones" site.

There was one business that had a banner ad. I emailed them to let them know that I wouldn't shop there for that very reason, and they emailed me back saying that the banner ad was not authorized and they were in the process of having it removed. They were successful.

It appears they are crooks in every sense of the word.

[Sam Stone]

Is there any way we can check to see if they all have beards? It may, after all, be the evil SDMB.

[Caught@Work]

Hmmm. I have never visited 'that other place' after reading everything that's going on here, but it does appear plain that they are harvesting email addresses from the SDMB as I received a SPAM email this morning from some bozo.
It's obvious they're up to no good otherwise I would have expected an email address with metatus.com as the domain and not hotmail.
I wasn't overly grumpy until I received this, now I'm grumpy.


Publish your article, share your thoughts
On line Journalism, Metatus.COM
Lots of Talk, Little Censorship & No Registration.
sex, politics, work issues, religion, hobby, the works
http://www.Metatus.COM
if you wish to unsubscribe, write to mandy24k@hotmail.com

[Mangetout]

It is like watching a serious accident; I know it isn't good, but I can't drag my eyes away. There whole place is just such an overwhelming smorgasbord of trollery, bigotry and flawed logic.

If anyone is in any way dissatisfied with the SDMB, the Mods should prescribe (read only)visits there to see exactly how lucky we are.

[t-keela]

Been away...any news on the "Evil Ones" website?
Cecil sic the dogs on 'em yet?

[TubaDiva]

Haven't heard back from the Reader, but I'm sure they're on the case.

Y'all keep monitoring if you like -- maybe you should send me email instead of stirring up this pot on the board. That's TubaDiva@aol.com.

I'll pass on information as it comes to me.

your humble TubaDiva
Administrator

[t-keela]

u betcha...:D

[Dark Monkey]

Interesting... I hope they get sued and knocked off hteir high horse!

[EasyPhil]

The site seems to be down now.

[kitarak]

Did anyone else get a counter-spam E-mail asking you to boycott Metatus? I got one from someone with the e-mail address 'Saber Girl'.

[xash]

they've even started stealing our humour!


OP:

Would you rather have sex with an octopus or the admin of Metatus who is a lying 5pammer?

reply:

The octopus sounds good, could satisfy a few orifaces!

reply:

Yeah. The admin at metatus is only a single orifice. An asshole. So if you're into anal, he's the better choice. The octopus is a better choice otherwise.



http://www.metatus.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?t=2079

i wonder how long before the thread will get deleted...

and, from a whois search, admin name is listed as Carmen Tsang / Carmen Chen +8529364 4569 hong kong.

[Hamadryad]

Way to give them more posts and pageviews, you rebels.

You'll surely teach them to leave the SDMB alone and stop their spam at this rate.

</sarcasm>

[Tinpo]

bad business practice

[hajario]

I registered my SDMB username on Metatus so that it won't be appropriated by someone else. I have no intention of ever going back to that place. I signed up for a new throwaway Hotmail account for my registration. Just for the hell of it, I logged into that Hotmail account today. In the last five days it has received over 70 pieces of spam. They are definitely an email mining operation.

Haj

[zev_steinhardt]

I can't get to the site now. Maybe the legal beagles did something?

Zev Steinhardt

[Caffeine.addict]

I registered my SDMB username on Metatus so that it won't be appropriated by someone else. I have no intention of ever going back to that place. I signed up for a new throwaway Hotmail account for my registration. Just for the hell of it, I logged into that Hotmail account today. In the last five days it has received over 70 pieces of spam. They are definitely an email mining operation.

Haj

I think that is just Hotmail. I registered there to see what was in the hidden forum with a throwaway yahoo account and it hasn't received any spam.

[Tristan]

Someone from there is monitoring here. My posts as "Isolde's Man!" are gone.... and continue to disappear. Even though I didn't pull a "Spammers!" attack.

However, I can still post as "Guest".

[Berkut]

I wonder how much their workload has increased, trying to check each and every message for clues that they are thieves.

[Berkut]

I noticed that for the past 3 or 4 days metatus.com has been unreachable for me.

Am I the only one? Have they been shut down?

[poohpah chalupa]

Originally posted by Joey G
I noticed that for the past 3 or 4 days metatus.com has been unreachable for me.
We shut down for a few days, they shut down for a few days....man, don't these people do anything original?
:D

[Mangetout]

Metatus is gone (as far as I can see), but something strange happened...

I did join up at Metatus, primarily to prevent anyone stealing my (internationally renowned) identity, I also posted once or twice (carefully avoiding making any reference to the SDMB) (they banned me almost immediately for an innocent aside that mentioned their content filter changed 'spam' to 'enlighten').

Yesterday I got a message saying that the thread I was watching at HiCow.com had received an update, but [i]I had never signed up at HiCow[i] - it looks to be a very similar site to Metatus, both in terms of membership and quality of content.

[t-keela]

Originally posted by poohpah chalupa

We shut down for a few days, they shut down for a few days....man, don't these people do anything original?
:D

Whew! I thought maybe I shut down and didn't realize it...glad to be back.