RSS Feeds

**Norm** · 03-02-2015, 04:32 AM

I am disabling the site's RSS syndication feeds as they were being used by a forum to illegally violate member copyrights and they have refused to stop. The OP of every thread in the free area was being copied, duplicating the threads here on another forum. Unfortunately these days, sleazy people take advantage of technology conveniences often destroying those conveniences.

**Blitzkrieg** · 03-02-2015, 10:38 AM

You moved the other thread to the subscription area. I enjoyed reading it. From an observational standpoint I guess there is truth to the saying, "Loose lips sink ships"

**Norm** · 03-02-2015, 10:53 AM

Scraping the free forums is a copyright violation. Scraping the subscription area is also theft of services, and a case can be made for trespass to chattels.

**Blitzkrieg** · 03-02-2015, 11:10 AM

If they are in violation of copyright infringement than why is the forum still operational?

**Norm** · 03-02-2015, 11:18 AM

I have not yet made any complaint to the host. As always, I am trying to get them to understand that what they are doing is wrong. But, even if and when I do, the law hardly works at lightning speed. It took years to put the Pirate Bay founders behind bars. Kinda like asking, if drunk driving is illegal; how come there are so many drunk drivers.

**Blitzkrieg** · 03-02-2015, 11:29 AM

So in a way you have made a complaint to the host of that site. That is if you have sent them an email explaining your point.

**Norm** · 03-02-2015, 11:32 AM

To the owner of the site. Not to the host.

**Norm** · 03-02-2015, 02:31 PM

I am questioning the rational behind having any public forums. I now have two sites constantly copying posts. One of them adding nonsensical, slanderous comments for two years. This is absorbing too much of my time. I only have so much time on this planet and would like to spend more of it productively instead of dealing with malevolent people that enjoy causing havoc. What is the point?

**MJGolf** · 03-03-2015, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Norm

I am questioning the rational behind having any public forums. I now have two sites constantly copying posts. One of them adding nonsensical, slanderous comments for two years. This is absorbing too much of my time. I only have so much time on this planet and would like to spend more of it productively instead of dealing with malevolent people that enjoy causing havoc. What is the point?

Please don't quit this site.........it's one of few that I can go to for discussion and conversation with others as "crazy" as me. But I have seen on some public forums I have been a member of that they set up a board or committee to assist monitoring and to spread the time constraints or requirements around. I know life is TOO short to deal with meatheads or info thieves but perhaps you have a good enough nucleus of a crew and members that might want to assist.

**tjr5259** · 03-03-2015, 04:07 PM

Yes please don't give up on this site. Then I would have nothing to do at work! But seriously this site is great and I can't even imagine the amount of time you spend doing all of the behind the scenes stuff that is necessary. Without this site I would probably be a ploppy and am very thankful for all you do for this site.

**Norm** · 03-03-2015, 05:11 PM

In some ways, it is actually too late to close the site. I'm just trying to determine whether it makes sense to close the public section. This would reduce the effort and lessen the constant criminal activity by other sites as well as enormously reducing my exposure to people that have repeatedly expressed a desire to cause harm.

My ethical dilemma is, as a part of the AP field for decades, I feel a responsibility to inform gambling addicts, and simply uninformed people, of the massive bad advice that exists regarding gaming. One of the sites that is currently stealing posts from here, is only taking the OPs, and not the answers. About 85% of the posts are ripped from other sites. Most of the rest are from scammers or addicts posting voodoo about trends, progressions, stop losses, and dice control. And the most recent poster, banned from here, is stirring the pot as usual, bringing up clumping and other voodoo nonsense (as well as conspiracies). This is a site that is running a PR campaign claiming that it includes BJ HoF experts, numerous math PhDs, and on and on, to convince people that they tell the “truth”. To convince people of this “truth”, they copy posts from here, and other sites, along with the member names as if these members are actually posting there.

What I am saying is that I would hate to give up on our ability to respond to those that have accidentally purchased one of the 99.9% of bad books on the subject or run into scam sites like these.

**Norm** · 03-04-2015, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by Norm

However, CloudFlare is a U.S. company and would respond to a subpoena.

Turns out, didn't even need a subpoena. I just asked CloudFlare and they gave me the host (UKWEBHOSTING-PA1, AKA Tsohost) and told me how to get the IP. Hopefully, I'll be able to restore RSS functionality.