One last post on the current path before reaching that turning point.
The one thing I have been repeatadly reminded of is that I trust people too much. I suppose it comes from a generation where someone's word meant something. It meant that a handshake or simple "you have my word" was enough for all parties to keep their agreements.
Trust also meant that when someone sent a Personal Message, it was just that. The cardinal rule of the internet since the on line experience began was that ALL personal messages and e-mails were kept private.
That is no longer the case and has not been for quite some time. This is a generational thing apparently. The standard of behavior often referred to as nettiquite apparently has not taken hold with the new subscribers of the internet.
I experienced this breech of trust, first with the many volunteers who came forward with the standard "I want to be a mod" "can I help?" to which requests I had first turned down.
When I started the broadcast streams on the road, I had not intended to have my own chat. I had arranged to use existing chats on Topix and a number of message sites rather than to run and maintain my own chat site.
When I opened the Ustream chat at the urging of the members back then, I did so with me as the sole moderator. This worked out well until the trolls arrived. One thing led to another and I finally gave in to the flood of offers and brought aboard my first group of moderators.
This was the start of a series of problems of one kind or another with these volunteers as it turns out they either came aboard with the single minded purpose of sabatoging the chat or, not having the kind of leadership skills necessary to operate a chat room properly, made policy and ran the chat according to their personal agendas and personality conflicts with other members.
Trust also proved to be my weakness when it involved the transfer from one server to another when the owners and staff , again, volunteered to be the hosts of the chat and administer both the stream and broadcast sites.
This again proved to be a serious error for it turns out there were a group of individuals who liked nothing to do but ruin someone's hard work for the sake of LULZ.
That trust cost me a lot. It has also taught me that the internet is no longer a gathering place for the enlightened and friendly groups who gather in our virtual rooms and persue our interests.
Instead the internet is nothing more than a toy.A place to read comics, listen to music and watch viral videos.
The internet is a place where someone logs into a chat room as someone they are not.
The internet is a place for pranks and threats and "getting even" for being banned or denial of entry into a room.
The internet is a place where a no to a request or the turning down of an idea leads to cyber stalking and personal smears, again, to get even.
The internet is now a place of virtual vandalism, cyber terrorism and cyber bullying.
Before I go on I must take this time to thank all the GOOD Administrators, and moderators that have assisted me in the operation of the broadcast sites, message sites, and chat sites during the 5 months I have operated them. They volunteer their time and effort for nothing but my thanks and I will always appreciate them.
This then brings me to the close of the post with the one incident that has taught me the final lesson regarding Trust.
The administrators and I had a group private chat session where we discussed certain problems that had been ocuring on the board for about 2 weeks or so during the absense of a key admin.
In that session I made the remark to all that "When push comes to shove, in the end I do not trust completely ANYONE but myself." All the participants of the chat understood full well the meaning behind this statement except one.
As it turns out, that one individual proved to be the one person I could not trust as I learned later on what this individual's true motives and actions were.
So, that last lesson that I have learned is this. "I will never, ever, trust anyone on the internet again."
Now for the turning point that is approaching.
Stay tuned
MURT
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A TURNING POINT
In the last few hours have led to some interesting developments have caused me to decide to take a different direction with the blog. I have decided that some efforts from this time forward that need to be done are going do be done without the need for discussion here.
The blog will move in an entirely different direction that is more in line of the way I wanted it to go back when I started broadcasting.
From now on, all comments have to be in line with the topic of my posts. Any off topic comment will not be published.
Stay tuned
MURT
The blog will move in an entirely different direction that is more in line of the way I wanted it to go back when I started broadcasting.
From now on, all comments have to be in line with the topic of my posts. Any off topic comment will not be published.
Stay tuned
MURT
Benched:
One of the old accusations out there stems from the Memorial Bench project. In a repeat of the same lobbying effort that prevented my billboard project from going through a couple of years ago in regards to the Trenton Ducket case, the same thing happened again.
The town I live near had a program where someone could buy a park bench for $500.00 and have a small brass plaque with three or four lines inscribed on it.
Right after Caylee was found, everyone wanted to have some kind of monument in her memory. Remembering the memorial bench program, I brought it to the attention to the room. Everyone decided that, rather than have me fund the bench on my own, that they wanted to participate.
I first went to the city and talked to the manager of the department that ran the program and discussed the project. He was confident that we could get the bench and even took me down to the park and discussed several areas as to where to place it.
All seemed fine until after the bench was paid for and the time was fast approaching for it to be placed.
There had been a meeting of the committee who oversees the approval of the benches after some people made a number of phone calls to the city protesting the placing of the bench and my sponsership of it.
The committee decided that, in light of this and the fact that there was a lot of negative publicity about the case in general, they were going to deny the placement of the bench with Caylee's name in any variation.
Needless to say the offical I met with was stunned. I was then told that it would take a week or so to get refunded and that the funds would come into a single check to me rather than in the individual payments made by each member who contributed.
After telling the contributers what had transpired, all but one agreed that the funds should go for the search for Haleigh Cummings. After calling the Putnam county Sheriff's office, it was determined that the funds should go to TES as this was the family's wish at that time.
I then went to the vigil tent in Satsuma and personaly made the donation on behalf of the group to a representative of TES.
I was then sent an e-mail followed up by two letters from TES:
The TES representative also went on the blog and posted the following:
The town I live near had a program where someone could buy a park bench for $500.00 and have a small brass plaque with three or four lines inscribed on it.
Right after Caylee was found, everyone wanted to have some kind of monument in her memory. Remembering the memorial bench program, I brought it to the attention to the room. Everyone decided that, rather than have me fund the bench on my own, that they wanted to participate.
I first went to the city and talked to the manager of the department that ran the program and discussed the project. He was confident that we could get the bench and even took me down to the park and discussed several areas as to where to place it.
All seemed fine until after the bench was paid for and the time was fast approaching for it to be placed.
There had been a meeting of the committee who oversees the approval of the benches after some people made a number of phone calls to the city protesting the placing of the bench and my sponsership of it.
The committee decided that, in light of this and the fact that there was a lot of negative publicity about the case in general, they were going to deny the placement of the bench with Caylee's name in any variation.
Needless to say the offical I met with was stunned. I was then told that it would take a week or so to get refunded and that the funds would come into a single check to me rather than in the individual payments made by each member who contributed.
After telling the contributers what had transpired, all but one agreed that the funds should go for the search for Haleigh Cummings. After calling the Putnam county Sheriff's office, it was determined that the funds should go to TES as this was the family's wish at that time.
I then went to the vigil tent in Satsuma and personaly made the donation on behalf of the group to a representative of TES.
I was then sent an e-mail followed up by two letters from TES:
I am the one who personally received a donation check made out to
Texas EquuSearch from Murt on Saturday, Feb. 14th while TES was in
Satsuma, FL searching for Haleigh Cummings. The check was for $500.
Murt made it very clear that the donation was from his group and not
just from himself. Murt has received a letter of thanks from TES on
letterhead regarding the donation. I am sure he would be happy to
share that letter which even includes the check number with any that
request he do so. I believe he could even offer his cancelled check as proof,if need be. I have received his permission to release any/all
information regarding the donation.
Tim Miller has asked me to convey that TES has been putting in 20 hour
days on searches for the past several days and continues to receive
calls for help from around the country. Taking time to resolve issues
such as the one above takes time away from helping families in need.
TES is grateful for all types of support and we ask that all pray for
those missing and their families.
Sincerely,
CT
Texas EquuSearch
_________________________________________________________________
Rather than accept this explenation, the blog members went on not only to accuse me of forging the letter but incurred their wrath on the representative of TES questioning her judgment.
This is by far, a clear demonstration of the TRUE direction of that blog. They are less about the plight of lost children and the violence against them as they are in cyber bullying and cyber terrorism when it comes to those that they either disagree with or dislike.
The incident has left and indealable mark with TES and the staff there who know realize the kind of problems I had while assisting them in Orlando. I received several apologies by senior staff members of TES over the misunderstandings that ocured when they were in Orlando.
They made it clear that I would be welcome with open arms to any TES search in the future.
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