Diamond Talk Shakedown?

[fire&ice]

Now it seems that one has to be "verified" to post on wedding chat? Anyone know?

 

[Rank Amateur]

I have it on good information that one still does not need to be verified to post on WT.

You could test it by inventing a few (dozen) users and have some conversations with yourself about the various simulant types. No, wait! Make that types of cultured diamonds!

 

[fire&ice]

Well, if you cleaned out all your cookies & effectively log out, you could be blocked logging back in.

I know there are tons of loop holes. Just not worth the effort. I feel sorry for someone having a problem with their dog. Been there - done that - know I could have helped.

Although I would have loved to have a conversation w/ Unclefreddie - what happened to all his posts? He was quite the colorful character.

 

[Rank Amateur]

There are two types of "unverified" users.

One is "those bastards we banned" who can log in but get the: You may be attempting to view a page that has been either deleted, moved to an administrative section of the forum or located in a section where your User Membership Level does not have permission to view the page. Membership level? PPttth!

The other is the fine upstanding citizen who simply has not yet realize that coughing up your credit card is necessary for admission into finer establishments.

The second type may post at WT and in the lovely Unverified Users (aka Captive Audience We've Got You Right Where We Want You) Forum.

 

[babblingal]

So, if I am a "banned bastard" (or is that a banned bastardita?)
who gets that lovely message, this means I cannot ever post on WT? true?

 

[fire&ice]

I wonder if DT knows how absolutely silly they look. Really, banning members? It's like a regular occurance over there. It's almost become like www.welovetheDTadministrator.com.

That said, did anyone catch unclefreddie's posts? Where did they go? He couldn't have been real. Someone had to be messing w/ DT.

 

[babblingal]

I didn't see UncleFreddie's posts. What did they say?

It is worse than www.welovetheDTadmins.com, it is more like www.welovetheDTadminsandletthemthinkforus.com

Of course if anyone challenges DT, they get banned, then humiliated. Again, I have questions about the integrity of some of the vendors if they are willing to just sit by the sidelines and watch as their loyal customers get the axe one by one and their professional colleagues are also banned or choose to leave on their own accord. I mean whom writes the check for whom over there? Is DT not dependent on advertising from those vendors? Or maybe DT has so much financial backing of its own they don't need the vendors and the vendors need them. I've said it before, I would make a lousy business owner because I hold my personal integrity above any income I may need.

I'd rather take the loss and have my integrity rather than make money at the cost of losing my intergrity. In the end, I believe I would make up for it because others would see that I have the cajones to stand up for what I believe in and it would further cement my honesty in their eyes. I know it's a personal choice on how people do things, and this is just how *I* would do it if in the same position as those DT vendors/advertisers.

Although, my 3.5 year old does like to point out that I am a mommy and don't have cajones or the other thing that goes with em.

 

[fire&ice]

That's my issue w/ DBOF. I know many people have used their services successfully. Perhaps they are reputable in their business; but, they sit idlely buy when their client base vanishes from the forum.

I think what clinched it for me - and correct me if I am wrong about the timing - ccheartnurse was not banned until *after* she purchased from them - then poof - gone.

You can't play both sides of the fence.

 

[Hest88]

----------------
On 10/24/2003 11:26:35 AM fire&ice I think what clinched it for me - and correct me if I am wrong about the timing - ccheartnurse was not banned until *after* she purchased from them - then poof - gone.

You can't play both sides of the fence. ----------------

No, that actually wasn't what happened, but DBOF had many loyal customers, including me, who were banned. The kicker is that I thought I knew Jan well enough from all our exchanges to think of her as more of friend than a vendor. Oh well. Business before friendship, I guess.

 

[babblingal]

Even if a vendor felt the bannings were with merit, my expectation is that they would at least point out that the manner in which it was done was not only shameful, but heinous. I would also expect them to state their objection to Gilbert abusing his moderator priveledges and reading private email correspondence from a group he did not belong to and then announcing the contents on his website for all to see.

I won't even go into how he twisted what he read so terribly that it didn't even resemble what was posted, but I know everyone is probably sick of hearing my feelings on that. I'll spare you my rant.

 

[Mikesgirl]

That was absolutely heinous. Someone who would do that is the lowest kind of scum sucking bottom dweller. There is a special place in Hell for people who hurt, slander and gossip about people who cannot defend themselves. I will never visit DT again, nor venture into anything that Gilbert is involved in. Horrendous.

And I don't get

very often.

 

[Rank Amateur]

----------------
On 2/23/2003 6:16:50 PM Mr. E. Mann wrote:

Does DiamondTalk pressure the trade people who post there to shell out ad dollars to stay? Look at how many people are banned already: Martin of USACerted, Kirk of DiamondOptics, Iceman of Midwest Gems. Now it looks like Jonathan of Good Old Gold is being threatened by the administrators over there. What do these people have in common? They are all vendors who posted regularly but didn't buy ad banners on DiamondTalk (except Martin who is connected with a competing website). Or is there some other reason for the bannings and threats?----------------

Who is Mr. E. Mann anyway?

Show thyself you coward.

 

[Rank Amateur]

----------------
On 2/23/2003 8:03:30 PM lawmax wrote:

Those vendors have more than that in common, but I will not speculate. Why not ask the moderators on DT?----------------

And what does this mean?

 

[StevL]

----------------
On 2/23/2003 6:16:50 PM Mr. E. Mann wrote:


Does DiamondTalk pressure the trade people who post there to shell out ad dollars to stay?
-----------------

Well I'm not nearly as active on any forum as I once was(just too much going on right now), but I have never been asked to spend one dime in any manner on any forum. Or do any type of favor, endorsement, etc. As I type this I have access to all of the popular forums.

 

[babblingal]

----------------
On 10/30/2003 1:13:37 PM StevL wrote:

----------------

As I type this I have access to all of the popular forums.----------------

Show off!

 

[AGBF]

----------------
On 10/30/2003 1:13:37 PM StevL wrote:

----------------



As I type this I have access to all of the popular forums.----------------

Ah...but can you see *Diamond Talk*?

 

[winyan]

*LOL* I guess they are really p****ed at me. I seem to be totally banned. Asked too many pertinent questions I guess...like who's paying for the hype on "lab-created" diamonds that ends up at the top of the heap and never leaves.

I missed the 'Uncle Freddy' posts. What were they about?

win

 

[Rank Amateur]

I don't think there are levels of banning. Either you are or you aren't.

 

[babblingal]

Not sure about the R/A. Winyan seems to be locked out entirely. There are others who can read and not post, even in the unverified and then there are some who are listed as "banned" near their name and then those who are only listed as "offline".

I'm not sure if DT has *levels* or they just have too many former members and they have lost track of who got what done to whom and why.

 

[Rank Amateur]

I suppose they might ban an IP but it would hardly be worth the effort. What do they care if you read but can't post? Heck, for them more readers are a good thing.

If you don't clear your cookies and DT still recognizes who you are you won't be able to get to the forums at all.

 

[winyan]

Nope, cleaned out the cookies, and got spybot to clean out most of my registry. I still show as 'winyan' when I log in.

They must have a bug buried so deep in my registry, I can't even find it.

win

 

[AGBF]

And when you log in you cannot *read* the forum, win? (Not that *I* read it, but one always likes the option of doing something one is told she *cannot* do, no matter how unappealing that something might be!)

 

[Rank Amateur]

When Rank Amateur logs in he can neither proceed on to the forums to read them nor can he become "verified" by providing his credit card #. All he can do is log out.

Which isn't such a bad option.

 

[winyan]

Actually, all I can get to is the main window showing forums listed on wedding talk. I can't get to the main DT window, nor can I get to 'chit-chat'. If I try, I get a window saying my IP has been banned. If I try to log out, by clicking on log out button, next time I try, even after clearing cookies, history, and running a spy bot on my hd, I still show logged in as winyan. I think they planted something really deep in my registry. Shouldn't this be illegal?

win

 

[babblingal]

Win,
If it is illegal, it wouldn't surprise me if they were doing it.

 

[Rank Amateur]

They must have banned your IP to keep you from re-registering as a different user. I guess it wouldn't need to use your registry if it just looks at your IP and thinks "its winyan, don't let her in".

I presume it's not too hard to mask your IP if you really have a mind to.

 

[winyan]

Nope, it's not hard at all, but the fact I find most interesting, that is, if it's just looking at my IP, they are cutting off their nose to spite their face. I use dial-up which *doesn't* have a static IP address. Therefore if they are banning my IP, it means they are banning everyone who uses ********** as a carrier.

That's why I think it's more likely something is planted in my registry. Banning a large ISP's traffic would be really stupid.

win

 

[Rank Amateur]

Veddy eenteresting. I am now most curious.

 

[babblingal]

I am curious too.

I feel like Alice.

Of course Gilnat is reminiscent me of the Red Queen...

 

[Hest88]

----------------
Banning a large ISP's traffic would be really stupid.

win----------------

As if that's ever kept GilNat from doing anything?