Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/06/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]THIS is in response to the 70 or so emails I have received over the past 48 hours about the whole incident: I DO NOT appreciate ANY of the bad-mouthing going on over me, my site, my photography, those who have supported me on the LUG, or my ideas for a web site for the LUG. I made an offer out of the goodness of my heart and look what I get for it. If there are a few LUGnuts out there that don't enjoy my style or genre of photography, so be it. No one is forcing you to visit my site, and I have NEVER posted (in my YEAR on the LUG) ANY endorsement or advertisement for my site on the LUG. This groups is for things Leica-ish, period, and that's all I bring to this group and all I would expect to take from this group. And as to these TOTALLY UNFOUNDED allegations of me being the guilty party in some comic-book story of "blackmail," this is ridiculous. I have nothing to do with this WHATSOEVER.....I do not know Alf, I have never met Alf, I have never corresponded with Alf.......how could I blackmail a guy I know nothing about???? Wake up people! Don't jump to conclusions and don't assume......you make an "ASS" out of "u" and "me." With the mentality of some of the memebrs of the LUG, I am surprised no one has accused me of being in the Mafia since I am Italian. I thought the average age on the LUG was over 40? From some recent comments, it seems the mental age is somewhere around 6. Grow up and act like adults! Everyone keeps reposting this stupid article written by Ms. Macavinta of CNet, written over a year ago! Come on.....this is old news! Let it go already...... Playboy won their case, this is true. Their attorney's fees were OVER $100,000 while mine were UNDER $20,000. I do not have a wallet as big as Playboy's. With their bigshot lawyers and a conservative judge on the case, I was destined to lose. The whole thing just became a big publicity stunt for Playboy. It also appears legal experts are not expert enough on how news servers and NNTP news services operate. They incorrectly assume "if it's on your server, you put it there and you know what it is." This is far from the truth. There are GIGABYTES of kiddie porn, beastiality, and all other kinds of illegal images residing on servers operated by YOUR ISP right at this very moment. Did you know that? If you don't want your LUG photos on a server that is connected to the server that hosts my very tasteful, and very legal glamour photos, then how can you STAND the FACT that YOUR ISP assists in and MAKES POSSIBLE the distribution of hardcore and illegal pornography????? It's a fact of life on the web. Come on people! Educate yourself on the basic workings of the Internet before you make yourselves look more like ignorant children that you already have! And to those of you who have voiced your support for me and my cause, or at least have acknowledged my basic rights, I THANK YOU very much and appreciate the kind words. You have proven yourselves to be great friends and I look forward to discussing things Leica-ish with you for many months to come..... That's all I have to say....... Francesco