By: Editors [2007-08-14]

Letters, we get letters

A peek inside the thingsihate mailbag.

From: "Pamela Backstrom" <XXXXXXXXXXXXX@XXXXXXXXXXXXX>
To: editors@thingsihate.org
Subject: Fictious Post Removal Request.

There is a fictious post using my name, with a link back to Greekchat.com as
the contact.

Remove it immediately, OR I will be left with little recourse than to sstart
litigation.

The post is found at this URL

http://thingsihate.org/article/559/alpha_delta_pi_tip

This is the post:
you bitches are crazy [2007-04-30 04:45:10] sageofages - pam furlong and Phi
Mu means "Eternal Friendship"

Respectfully,

Pam

Pamela K Furlong Backstrom, CPS/CAP

Delta Psi 1981, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
Central Iowa Alumnae Chapter, Des Moines, Iowa

***************************
www.myspace.com/indysage
XXXXXXXXXXXXX@XXXXXXXXXXXXX
***************************


From: Sean <sean@thingsihate.org>
To: "Pamela Backstrom" <XXXXXXXXXXXXX@XXXXXXXXXXXXX>
Subject: Re: Fictious Post Removal Request.

Oh no!  Please don't fire up the vast legal machine at your fingertips!  Please, Pamela, please have mercy on us!  Please don't "sstart" litigation!  (Though maybe you do want to "sstart" your spell checker!)

But if you decide to show us no mercy, you know, if you want to really get us over a barrel, if you really do want to show us who's boss, if you really want to take us down to Chinatown, do please read aloud this selection from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to your team of lawyers (I imagine you've got at least 20 of them, right?  Am I right?  Is it 20?):

"[no] provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider," and "[n]o cause of action may be brought and no liability may be imposed under any State or local law that is inconsistent with this section."

If they need some bathroom reading, the full text is available here:

http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/tcom1996.txt

You may also want to mention to them that in "Universal Communication Systems v. Lycos", the First Circuit Court has affirmed that:

"Congress intended that, within broad limits, message board operators would not be held responsible for the postings made by others on that board. No amount of artful pleading can avoid that result."

The entire masterpiece can be read here:

http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/06-1826-01A.pdf

Man, why am I doing all this work for your lawyers?  You should hire me, Pamela!

We've removed the offending comment, because we're nice people, and we wouldn't like it if someone used our names online.  We recommend you also try the "nice people" approach next time, instead of making demands about what we do to our website, and threatening to take the legal recourse to which you are certain you must be entitled.

Your friends,

Sean & The thingsihate.org Editors


From: "Pamela Backstrom" <XXXXXXXXXXXXX@XXXXXXXXXXXXX>
To: Sean <sean@thingsihate.org>
Subject: Re: Fictious Post Removal Request.

yes but identity theft is pursuable.  And this person pretended to be
me..and in pursuing them, I could tie up the instrument of his deception to
prevent further such acts.  I don't have a team of lawyers.  I just have a
district court judge who is my son's godfather who I asked about what I
could do.  (using a different hired gun)

I appreciate your kindness in removing the offending post, and when/if I
find out who it was that posted it -- I will deal with them (I do have an
idea of who it was on greekchat).  I shall also share with others your
thoughtful cooperation in uncovering deception by identity theft.  It was
appreciated.

Pam

[Ed.: Luckily for us, she didn't "tie up the instrument of deception," kind of like how they shut down entire banks when someone steals your identity to use your credit card.  Huh, they don't?  Well, then she did succeed in scaring the hell out of us, but only because her son's godfather the district court judge apparently either doesn't know the law or doesn't feel it applies to everyone equally.]
Afterthought. [2007-08-14 01:37:14] Antwan
I don't get it. Are all the Antwans and Posthumouses (Plural of Posthumous?) going to send you guys angry letters too? Also, I miss Hieronymous Biscuit.
Now now now... [2007-08-14 11:37:24] Sean
I deleted some comments. Let's not get too juvenile. Though I can entirely understand how merely reading the above email could temporarily lower one's IQ.
Oh come on now [2007-08-14 14:43:33] W
I'm not juvenile, I was just extemely intoxicated. Plus, I thought posting her email was a general call for ridicule.

This would never have happened if Hatless was here.
Hey! [2007-08-14 19:37:18] The_Cheat
That was uncalled for. Atleast somethingawful wouldn't pussy out and delete comments.
Your punishment should... OH! You must forward all hate/complaint emails about thingsihate to Antwan and have him answer them. It could be a new series! On Sundays!
Somethingawful [2007-08-15 01:31:59] Antwan
You've obviously never poked around the Somethingawful forums.
no [2007-08-15 02:09:32] The_Cheat
I'm not a forum loser.
Hieronymous Biscuit [2007-08-15 20:40:27] Hieronymous Biscuit
I have been remiss in postage as I have experienced a cataclysmic rilly big dislocation of air-time of late. So, I am keen on getting Wi-Fi and more mobile in my operations.
Tau Kappa Epsilon [2007-08-15 20:46:00] König Prüße, GfbAEV
Erm...Ad Pi, huh? Maybe I should get Tau Kappa Epsilon involved in this!
Strike-Out! [2007-08-15 20:48:23] Hieronymous Biscuit
What have I done?!?! Everthing is crossed-thru now! maybe I shouldn't have done it in caps...
Oh no! [2007-08-16 06:53:16] Sean
It's strikethrough everywhere! We'll never be rid of it now! What have you done?? OH GOD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!
worry not [2007-08-17 22:46:37] posthumous
I shall free you from the strikeout...

[/s]

Like so!


Did it work?
I am an idiot I am a hero! [2007-08-17 22:47:16] posthumous
one more try...

I'm not wishing hard enough [2007-08-17 22:48:57] posthumous
if I close my eyes real tight....



There!
i wonder if this would work [2007-08-17 22:51:40] posthumous
if I shit on a shingle... knock on wood....
hmmmm... [2007-08-17 22:53:44] posthumous
let me just fiddle with this knob here....



yes I am out of my mind....
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