Saturday December 6th 2003
The Snake Strikes Again { Zandervix }
As some of you may know, ProjectMagma and Udog's sites are down. What you may not know is why. Well, I can't pretend to know for sure either. Now, what I'm about to tell you is unconfirmed at this point. However, given everything that has happened in the community lately; and given what I do know for sure at this point, I'm inclined to believe this.
It seems that "Blades" has gone off the deep end again, and decided to be the jerk-hole that most everyone thinks he is. I've tried to be neutral, I've tried to be nice, but this is just too much. This guy just needs to leave the community, and now, never to return. When he departed from admining at PlayMyth, many thought that he was stepping back and leaving all alone. But no.
I know, I know. I haven't gotten to the meat and potatoes yet. Okay, here it is. Let's take a look at an "alleged" letter sent to the University that ProjectMagma and the Udogs site is hosted at from Blades, shall we?
I am sending you this email because I think you should know that the Pennsylvania tax payers are paying to support an abusive, non-school related borderline hate web site on the school's bandwidth. The name of this web site is "projectmagma.net". It is being hosted on a computer somewhere on the school district's internet-available network. This web site offers downloads of copyrighted software without permission from the publisher and also has a forum filled with hate-filled rhetoric. I know, because I am the subject of this rhetoric. I would invite you to look at several links below - knowing that I am the person referred to as "Blades" in many of their posts.
http://projectmagma.net/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl?read=5062
http://projectmagma.net/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl?read=5114Also be sure to check out the files ares which offers unlimited free downloads at the school district's expense:
http://projectmagma.net/1.4downloads.shtml
(Their "The Fallen Levels v2" is actually a copyrighted work that they do not have permission to distribute)
Because this non-scholasic related web site is on the school district's bandwidth - it is being paid for by the Tax payers of the state of Pennsylvania - which happens to be the home state of my family. I myself am in Tennessee.
I would welcome an investigation into this before I contact the ISP about shutting down this web site. I'm always available for any further information that you need.
Thanks;
Michael R. Bagnall
Powertools Productions, LLC.
mbagnall@powertools.net
615.453.1141 / 800.444.1563
http://www.powertools.net
Don't worry about trying the links, the site is gone, remember? Now, supposedly, jerk-ho.. eh.. I mean Blades, sent this letter. And now, "poof!" The sites are gone.
Now here's the interesting part. Many sites are hosted by the University's out there. I'm not sure where tax dollars come in. Sure, there are tax dollars involved in the schools, but what do you think tuition is for? Schools give you server space for a reason: To use it. These sites weren't doing anything they weren't supposed to. Let's look at it this way:
- Server Space:
- Given to you freely by the school (as long as you pay your tuition).
- Bandwidth:
- Schools have multiple T1, T3, or faster lines. The bandwidth is there, baby. I seriously doubt the amounts used by these sites even dented it.
- Copyrights:
- What the hell is he talking about? If there was a concrete copyright on Third Party creations, we would all be fined. He tries to use vTFL as an example, but it falls under a third party creation.
Suffice it to say, the school buckled under the threat and pressure. They were just playing it safe. I don't know if they ever check out the content on their servers, but I'm sure they are aware of it. And these sites had nothing except the [sometimes not so] occasional flame. Good grief, what about freedom of speech?
Well here's my freedom: If this is true, then Blades is nothing more than a conniving, low-life, worthless piece of [CENSORED]!