Hello Brothers and Sisters

I just wanted to say that for the time being, it appears as though there is nothing currently capable of being done to remedy this situation. That is atleast, nothing any time soon which will bring some order and help in moderating the site and removing these spammers from our forums.

Yes, it's quite the quandry we've found ourselves in here in the forums recently. It is quite disconcerting when reading through any message boards, especially one in a "religous setting" such as here in the ULC Forums. And being subjected to language which has been reduced from sensible even when not agreeable, to down and outright vulgarity as clearly seen here in these postings recently.

Of course since it is openly available to anyone reading through the forums, including those who are not of age. This may be placing those who post such pornographic messages and links to sites promoting such activity in a serious legal situation. Left alone or ignored they believe they have gotten away with something, or believe that it is ok to do so and therefore, so it is. However, reported through the proper channels and of course working with the proper governing authories, we can make a difference, if only at least to the ones we have harrassing us at this time and especially providing indecent material to potential minor viewers. As I'm aware some of the readers and members of this forum site are.

People lets wake up and quit complaining to the moderator or lack of a moderator. I say that if we work together, we do not have to take this anymore. Also, the same goes for when you personally get this type of email. Do not click reply, (it'll come back as undelivered anyway) contact the ISP (Internet Service Provider) of the sender. Contact their webmaster with your complaint. Investigate the originator of the mailing and contact those companies they are advertising, make your complaint known to them and by all means, if you are a citizen of the USA, forward the mailing or even such offensive postings to mailto:spam@uce.gov This will be delivered to The Bureau of Consumer Protection, a department within the Federal Trade Commission handling complaints about unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam).

Think about it, instead of just sitting here watching them bog down our system, waiting and crying out for somebody else to help fix the problem. What if ALL of our members were to reply. I dont mean reply to the post here on the forum. I'm speaking about to the actual server and more particular to the webmaster of said server's in which this garbage is actually originating from or those which it is promoting. Just imagine thousands of emails, all replying to each system operator of those sites, expressing our disgust and concerns of how their clients garbage is not welcomed and will not be tolerated no more.

If We All, could simply contact the webmaster of the offending sites, and state that any future postings from their clientele (any of their customers using their service), will be reported to the United States Federal Trade Commission as it is and will herein be construed as harrassment and that they themselves and their companies, will also be named as a party to any and all future violations. (To the porn sites, if it is clarified to these webmasters, how their site members are spamming their sites material to minors, they will act accordingly and take action, since this is clearly illegal)

Many of those who mail out such unsolicited junk mail are relying on the rule of numbers. Actually the rule of thumb is 1 in 10 place an order, or click on the link. There is an old sales tidbit which is very close to accurate. Basically it is almost a fact that for every 9 NOT Interested's, there is a YES coming next. So then out of 100 people, there are usually 10 who are interested in the product or service being offered. They are hoping and praying more than we are, that we will continue to ignore them and thereby allowing them to continue doing what they do.

In closing, it is my hopes that many or you will find some comfort in knowing, you dont have to take this. It looks as though this site may be going down without a captain onboard or perhaps were all just free falling, so I pray that you all open your chutes and land safely.

Respectfully

Reverend Jack

Rev Jack,

No disrespect, but tracking down spammers is 99.999 percent of the time a useless and frustrating undertaking. Also, for novices to become involved in that side of the net is something I would strongly advise against.

After being involved in computer networks since before I had gray hair I can reasonably assure you that:

Spammers, for the time being, are a fact of life.

There are simple ways to minimize their impact.

Contacting/complaining, or doing anything that involves email addresses or IPs having to do with the spammers will not help and may things worse.
The virtual world has different rules than people world.

I too agree with not complaining, however our names and email are part of this boards database. What I can tell you is by failing to take reasonable precautions in protecting the identity of its members, the admins of this site have far greater liability than that which could be assumed by virtue of the spam content. By not returning emails or PMs, by not posting, by not moderating, and by not offering any sort of purge for thos members who may at this point want to be removed from the forum list, cuplability would be found in most states in the event of any identity theft or damages that may arise.

This is a risky game and there is precedence. Politics has no bearing on doing the right thing.

How can you begin by saying NO DISRESPECT, and then post the same message to each and every post I made.

Secondly, Your telling others NO dont do this, just contact the church...
So let me just say that there is more to that post than I am at liberty to speak of. At this point I am trying to help others on this site, to help themselves.

Tracking down spammers is not a waste of time. What is a waste of time is allowing them to continue to do what they want and sitting back and taking it. Would you tell a rape victim to shut up and face the fact that rapists are inevitable? Should the victims not try to describe their attacker to the police, instead choosing only to complain that the city has done nothing to catch this violater whom there is no description of?



Are you kidding me??? KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

There is nothing on either side of the Net that is going to bite.

I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST WITHOLDING POWER FROM THE PEOPLE

There is absolutely no reason why the members of this site cannot contact the webmasters of those offending sites and make known just what has been happening and request some remedy.

It is no different than someone contacting their apartment manager and complaining about the noise coming from the party in the apartment next to their own.

Therefore I invite those interested in learning how to report the culprits spamming this site, to contact me personally.

Respectfully

Reverend Jack

That was rude too!

What is going on here? Why are the moderators out to get the users? Why are Moderators engaging in arguments?

Have you read the TOS?

How interesting that back in October I receive an email stating this topic had recieved a new post, however upon following the provided link, there was no new post found.

And then just now this morning I received yet another email again, because I'm watching the topic, "patience, understanding and cooperation" at http://www.themonastery.org.

As usual I'm notified that : This topic has received a reply since my last visit.

At any rate, I noticed the date on this newest post was also from back in October and this seem's odd considering I'm just now being notified of it. Especially when considering that I check my mail several times daily as well as checking in here on the forums.

Anyway, while interesting, that is maybe not as odd as the message left by yerbuddy. Perhaps it was placed in the wrong thread? Since this thread is more or less null and void. I mean it was posted back in August, to express how it appeared as though there was nothing capable of being done at that time to remedy the situations occurring on this forum, from no moderator activity, especially to deal with all of the obscene spam which was being posted at that time (coincidently, I've began to notice more of it appearing here again recently).

The intention of posting this topic, which not only was this topic posted in each and every thread on this forum, it was posted to politely suggest that everyone consider having and showing some patience, understanding and cooperation until some sort of order was restored and the church could again continue their efforts in moderating this site. As well as that message, it was also providing useful information, free of charge, in order to help others, help themselves.

While some may not have understood the point of the topic, or ignored it's message in it's entirety, while yet others while apparently not having the aforementioned patience, understanding for the needed cooperation, even made a point of discouraging others from seeking knowledge, atleast according to some of the feedback it recieved.

However look as I might, I see no violation of the TOS. Furthermore at no point did I see any "moderators out to get the users" much less "engaging in arguments", in fact there is no comment from a moderator anywhere in this thread. It's my guess that anyone who has actually read the post would clearly see that. Afterall, you should understand that was the point.

Respectfully

Reverend Jack

This site is in a sad state of affairs. If it is any reflection on the status of the monastery itself, it may be best for folks to seek elsewhere. SAd, but it looks as if the monastery is becoming a memory.

Rev. John Soriano

Sorry but i am a new user to this site and recently ordained. I was wondering what this spam thing is all about? Something tells me that i should just stay away from it though...any way i hope that ULC will have alot to offer and i am happy to be part of the community.
Sincerly,
Rev. Handel

This may result in theis message either being removed, or my being banned, but with thing running as they are, you may want to look at ordination elsewhere.

Rev. John

There is a simple way to rid this site of this, unfortunately I don't know how to do it. But I know a site that does and is friendly enough to tell you how.
chaoticage.com when you try to get on the forum you must go through the window.