The Meaning Of Life ...

[Torchy]

Everyone on this forum deserves an explanation about recent events. You also deserve an apology which I make now.


As my vero site became more popular I started getting requests for layouts. These posts were  very polite and I did as many as I could, as quickly as I could. Every forum member who asked was fantastic, and the support was tremendous. But, for some reason I started getting abusive emails. Not just complaints that layouts hadnt been done, but abuse and insults, that I wasnt up to it and I was falsely making myself out to be a forum 'guru'. Now Im big enough and ugly enough to delete and ignore these, but the volume of mails started to annoy me. Then they started to get to me. Some of these emails also contained threats, which got worse over the weeks. One of them contained some personal info that I had never given anyone, and I got a little worried.

The final straw was a threat of legal action. Apparently the rate at which I was doing layouts was too quick for someone, and as an example, sales of his Tubescreamer pcbs had "fallen thru the floor" once the layout was verified. Other layouts of extremely popular schems had started to bite his profits, and sales of his mods, kits and other pcbs had allegedly been hit. I explained my position. The mails got more serious. They now contained threats of legal action against me, my ISP, photobucket, and most importantly, a veiled threat about this forum. The legal-ese appeared genuine and I was scared. An (allegedly) legal requirement in the mails stated I was to lock down the photobucket site and remove all references to both it and any help I had given people to make the layouts. Ok, so now Im seriously worried. Im not a businessman, I dont understand the law very well, and I started to feel very small and vulnerable.

So I gave in. I zapped as many posts as I could and took the vero site offline. The emails stopped. Trouble was, I had sorted one problem by creating another even worse - I offended and p***ed-off the very people I was trying to help. I then found out that my site was "site-of-the-month" on a german diy forum, was getting rave reviews on a french forum and so on. A very good man was receiving disgraceful treatment for trying to help. I pm'd Aron immediately to explain, and anyone who sent me a pm got the same explanation.

I have now taken legal advice of my own and you will find the vero site back open as of Monday. This "person" actually doesn't have a leg to stand on and relied on (very effective) scare tactics. Now, you can call me stupid or spineless, but this hit me hard and fast. I am trying to be "big enough" to admit what I did wrong, I hope he does the same but I wont hold my breath.

I WILL NOT name, shame or participate in any form of "witch-hunt" - that goes against everything this forum stands for. The person that threatened me is probably still here, and we both know who we are. I have kept the mails and threats, and if it happens again to anyone on this forum they will go straight to Aron and Peter. The people that sent abusive emails in several languages will be ignored now and in the future.

I want to thank everyone for the supportive messages and mails I got. It means a lot to a crabby old git like me. I also understand the negative views about what I did - for that I apologise unreservedly. It probably looked "childish" but I hope you can understand why.

Finally I would hope that this is an end to the matter. I would ask that those who started threads on the subject ask Aron to move them or remove them and hopefully get back to normal. I would also ask Aron or Peter to delete/move this post after 48 hours. I may post again in the future but I think I have unwittingly done enough damage for the time being.

Now haven't you all got stuff to build ?

Paul H.

[inverseroom]

Hooray!!!  Welcome back, Torchy!  To make matters better still, Steve at Small Bear plans to start stocking stripboard this spring...

[mikeb]

Your post contains a number of surprises, the biggest being you appear to have actually found a lawyer who understands what happened / is happening, and could give you pertinent advice. Congratulations on that, if nothing else... oh, and welcome back!

Mike

[TheBigMan]

Great to see you back Torchy.  I hope I can contribute a few layouts of my own in the future.

Andy.

[David]

Torchy,  we're glad you're back!

[stm]

It's so good this has come to a good end! Welcome back Torchy!

...just keep up the good work. And, yes probably you are a guru, a legitimate one due to all the time and effort spent in helping others for free.

Man, I'm glad there is a rational explanation and we have you back.

Cheers,

STM

[amz-fx]

Welcome back, Torchy. Thanks for the explanation.

regards, Jack

[Toney]

Welcome back Torchy.
I'm sorry that you've copped so much stress and grief for your truly excellent contributions.
Who have thought that good work and good will could bring such a pile of poop down on you ?
I think you have pretty close to unanimus support around here , mate.
Good on you.

[dosmun]

Glad to hear you are still around.  I am behind you 100+% with whatever you do.   I am another of the guys that is very thankful for your layouts.

Rawk On

[mlabbee]

Welcome back!

I want to thank everyone for the supportive messages and mails I got. It means a lot to a crabby old git like me. I also understand the negative views about what I did - for that I apologise unreservedly. It probably looked "childish" but I hope you can understand why.

After reading your story, I can find nothing there for which you need to apologize and you hardly behaved childishly - you were being threatened, which in this day and age can mean trouble even if you are in the right.  Pulling everything until you could get good legal advice was the prudent thing to do.  It's a pity such an enjoyable hobby could be turned so sour by one thoughtless person.  Again, welcome back!

[Paul Marossy]

I admire your honesty and openness in this matter. Glad to see you back.  

[R.G.]

I don't know if you saw my advice or not; the important thing is you took it.

It would be perfectly reasonable to see if your attorney thinks what you got contains criminal content. You don't have to pay a DA to prosecute for you.

[mrsage]

It would be perfectly reasonable to see if your attorney thinks what you got contains criminal content. You don't have to pay a DA to prosecute for you.

Yeah, it sounds like harassment to me.

If it continues, it might be a good idea to report it to more than just the moderators.

[Hal]

oh man I know what stuff like that is like.

but PLEASE stay at the forum!  

I may post again in the future but I think I have unwittingly done enough damage for the time being.

just forget about the whole thing, and come back to your old normal self?

[bryantbr]

Welcome back Torchy.  You're a GURU in my book.

[gotdabluz]

well that's just freakin' stupid . . . I am constantly amazed by the sheer volume of audacity and lack of veracity with some people.

Anyway . . .

WELCOME BACK TORCHY!!!

I for one am grateful for the BSIAB II layout I asked for . . . I'm gonna start building it this weekend in your honor  

[NaBo]

Good to see you're back, Torchy

Whoever thinks a dip in their ready-made PCB sales is a direct result of vero layouts is a moron. :lol:

Keep it up.  Even for someone like me who either etches or perf things, it's a nice resource to make really easy to solder perf layouts from... with no bending!  

[Connoisseur of Distortion]

Welcome back, torchy!

i think that coming back after facing limb and lawsuit gets you a bit closer to guru-ship. and, for with holding the individual's name ( i wouldn't have. i am a vengeful person.  :oops: )

no good deed goes unpunished, unfortunately...  :cry:

[Karmasound]

Welcome back man. Always remember this......


“a cruel and shallow trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men lie like dogs. There is also a negative side”.

Hunter Thompson on the music biz. RIP

[Dragonfly]

Everyone on this forum deserves an explanation about recent events. You also deserve an apology which I make now.


As my vero site became more popular I started getting requests for layouts. These posts were  very polite and I did as many as I could, as quickly as I could. Every forum member who asked was fantastic, and the support was tremendous. But, for some reason I started getting abusive emails. Not just complaints that layouts hadnt been done, but abuse and insults, that I wasnt up to it and I was falsely making myself out to be a forum 'guru'. Now Im big enough and ugly enough to delete and ignore these, but the volume of mails started to annoy me. Then they started to get to me. Some of these emails also contained threats, which got worse over the weeks. One of them contained some personal info that I had never given anyone, and I got a little worried.

The final straw was a threat of legal action. Apparently the rate at which I was doing layouts was too quick for someone, and as an example, sales of his Tubescreamer pcbs had "fallen thru the floor" once the layout was verified. Other layouts of extremely popular schems had started to bite his profits, and sales of his mods, kits and other pcbs had allegedly been hit. I explained my position. The mails got more serious. They now contained threats of legal action against me, my ISP, photobucket, and most importantly, a veiled threat about this forum. The legal-ese appeared genuine and I was scared. An (allegedly) legal requirement in the mails stated I was to lock down the photobucket site and remove all references to both it and any help I had given people to make the layouts. Ok, so now Im seriously worried. Im not a businessman, I dont understand the law very well, and I started to feel very small and vulnerable.

So I gave in. I zapped as many posts as I could and took the vero site offline. The emails stopped. Trouble was, I had sorted one problem by creating another even worse - I offended and p***ed-off the very people I was trying to help. I then found out that my site was "site-of-the-month" on a german diy forum, was getting rave reviews on a french forum and so on. A very good man was receiving disgraceful treatment for trying to help. I pm'd Aron immediately to explain, and anyone who sent me a pm got the same explanation.

I have now taken legal advice of my own and you will find the vero site back open as of Monday. This "person" actually doesn't have a leg to stand on and relied on (very effective) scare tactics. Now, you can call me stupid or spineless, but this hit me hard and fast. I am trying to be "big enough" to admit what I did wrong, I hope he does the same but I wont hold my breath.

I WILL NOT name, shame or participate in any form of "witch-hunt" - that goes against everything this forum stands for. The person that threatened me is probably still here, and we both know who we are. I have kept the mails and threats, and if it happens again to anyone on this forum they will go straight to Aron and Peter. The people that sent abusive emails in several languages will be ignored now and in the future.

I want to thank everyone for the supportive messages and mails I got. It means a lot to a crabby old git like me. I also understand the negative views about what I did - for that I apologise unreservedly. It probably looked "childish" but I hope you can understand why.

Finally I would hope that this is an end to the matter. I would ask that those who started threads on the subject ask Aron to move them or remove them and hopefully get back to normal. I would also ask Aron or Peter to delete/move this post after 48 hours. I may post again in the future but I think I have unwittingly done enough damage for the time being.

Now haven't you all got stuff to build ?

Paul H.

Amen to ALL of that Paul....

im glad youve decided to come back...this whole situation really got me more "worked up" than i shouldve been, but i found it offensive that someone would take for granted and/or abuse you like that...

if theres anything at all i can help you with in the future, just ask...if i can do it, i will....


and yep...definitely time to build something !
Andy