This Forum has a Duplicate!!??!!

Oh no, not again.

Thank you for the information, getmewild! Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this happened. "Someone" already tried and copied the entire "Ballerina on Ice", including all the images usernames, and kept posting messages under those fake accounts.

I think you should contact the admin and ask her/him not to use your work without permission. If they refuse to comply, I'll post a warning on my YT account (and all those with frequented YT channels could help as well). I was going to do this when the previous dupplicate forum appeared, but I felt uncomfortable doing so, I was hoping that the person will stop stealing on her own. I have too meek personality for an admin!

But it's really sad that this happens again, and I think it will keep on going if we don't warn the other Mao fans against the "forum thiefs". I even think it might be the same person.

Apparently a person who does all this is quite ambitious.

Ouch! Some people really have too much free time.

It's also good to have a lot of forums for Mao... but duplicating is a different issue.. can't they just make a new one... tsk tsk tsk... I hope they stop doing that....

getmewild wrote:

but duplicating is a different issue.. can't they just make a new one... tsk tsk tsk... I hope they stop doing that....

I agree. Just in case, I blocked the access to the "Be Creative!" forum to guests and users with no posts to at least discourage the lazy pseudo-fans from stealing other people's artwork and showing them off as their own. Too bad - I wanted the entire forum to be open for all fans... Hopefully the new precaution won't be too much hassle for the real fans.

It may be similar to yours.

But its about time someone did somthing to you, like you did to me!

I worked soo hard on my forum. And you made your own, and just left mine, and all the members that got to know each other of mine, left and just trasfered to yours! With no considertion to how hard I worked.

I am not saying I agree with this person 'duplicating' your forum. But maybe it will make you realise what its like, for someone to just make a new forum, the same as yours! Though, I hope you are fortunate enough for all the memebers to remain here! Unlike hey did for me!

I have no words.

At the time when I posted the link to "Ballerina on Ice" on the suddenlaunch forum the suddenlaunch site was malfunctioning and the users were worried. So, I posted the link I clearly stated that I had no interest in being an admin and I was willing to give the admin's password to this one. I used to be an user at suddenlaunch, but I was disappointed in how slowly it run and how bad the layout was. (I know that some users offered to help you with this, but you refused.) The forummotion forums are simply better and more stable, and offer more customization options. I think all of the users would like the forum to look good and run smoothly. (Why do you think the users moved to this one?)

Furthermore, I haven't stolen anything from you. Every single graphic here was created by me or Okami. The only thing that might resemble yours are the forum categories (which I named this way purely because I was preparing to give you this forum). I doubt it was such a difficult job to think them up, either - all fan forums are constructed in a similar way.

If you acted maturely, this could be your forum now. I was not really interested in being an admin (I'm always running out of time), I don't think it matters who runs the forum as long as it runs efficiently and without problems. I have no problem with giving the admin/moderator status to anyone who I consider trustworthy - anyone who asked for it (yukinosnowflake, Okami) or agreed to my request (Oscilla) have been granted the moderator/admin status.

You, however, ignored my message. Instead you sent me a rather nasty PM and then tried to convince me that it wasn't you who sent it. I was rather hurt, because, as I've already said, at the time when I posted the link I stated that all the admins/moderators of the old forum needed to regain their status was to PM me. There was no need to lash out at me when all I was doing was trying to help.

As if wasn't enough, you made a shadow copy of "Ballerina on Ice", with fake user accounts. You made innocent users severely upset because you kept posting insulting things in their name.

Don't try to pretend it wasn't you. The IP address gave you away. It allowed me to track your location. You happen to have a stable IP, which meant that all your accounts - here, at suddenlauch, at fake "BoI" - left behind the same IP address. Web security is a part of my studies, so tracking an user is not a challenge for me.

Even then, I hesitated to report you to authorities. I was hoping you'll come to your senses. I didn't even post your username/Youtube username/real name and address/ etc. here, though I discovered them pretty quickly when I was searching for the person who copied bibi's username (I only told bibi, because she was the one hurt. And she did nothing to hurt you, either, which you should appreciate).

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But maybe it will make you realise what its like, for someone to just make a new forum, the same as yours!

There is a difference between creating a totally new forum (new host, new artwork, new layout, new smilies and avatars) with an intention to give it away and stealing someone else's artwork and identities. You severely upset bibi, getmewild and others. Why did they do to deserve it?

I'm not upset with someone "copying my forum" - the forum is NOT mine. It belongs to all the Mao fans and they all have say in how it is run. I do my best to grant the wishes of the users (like the request for a new banner). It seems like you treat being an admin as being a some sort of celebrity. Well, it isn't - with so many forum hosting providers it's almost childishly easy to just create a forum. It's a matter or a few clicks.
It's how the forum looks like and its atmosphere decides whether or not it will become special. If it wasn't for Okami's art, icons and avatars, Oscilla's, coconut's summervie's and others' translations, bibi's reports, mao1985's news and photos from Japan and great help from many other users, this forum would not exist.

I was, however, upset with the fake identities and stealing the artwork of users. This is just plain wrong. Wouldn't you be upset if someone wrote nonsense while using you name?

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Though, I hope you are fortunate enough for all the members to remain here! Unlike hey did for me!

If you are not willing to cooperate, never consider other people's feelings and resort to petty revenge, don't be surprised that people leave you.

To all the users - I apologize for all the troubles and drama. I just don't really know how to cope with this. It would never came to my mind that someone would go to such lengths to copy a forum which could be theirs in the first place.

Thank you, inskate!

I decided to lock this topic for now, because I need to go to sleep ,, and I don't want this thread to turn into an angry one (and previous experience has taught me now that anything is possible).

All thoughts are replies are welcome through PM.