There comes a time when I make a mistake. I have made a huge one. When I read blogs it is for the intent of broadening my knowledge-base and for the love of GW2. I don't even have the add thingie turned on because this blog is fun! It is a place where I can come out of my weird closet and share my thoughts and feeling with people who, like me, just love to talk and play GW2.
About a month or so ago, I ran across a blog - Guild Wars 2 Riches - and promptly signed up for the email option, added it to my blog roll, and gave it some *at the time* well deserved kudos. It had everything. Good intel on the TP, great user guides, and an informed blogger and host.
Then I went and looked at the sister site*edit- After asking the owner of GW2TP they refute the sister site moniker -- edit 2 there is a site www.guildwars2tradingpost.org that IS the sister site. The .com is ok.* - Guild Wars 2 Trading Post - and came across an interesting article. Here. Take a good long read at this: SHENANIGANS!
I am so sorry my friends. It is possible that if you followed my ill advised comments about following this *sigh* blogger, that your email account addresses could be sold. *bows deeply* I had no clue as to any of this until this morning. And I have put a post on his stickied guru thread. Here is the LINK. *edit still no reply as of 10am I posted the last comment i will post in that thread. Don't want to give out publicity, i just want to make sure the fans are informed.*
As of 9am I am still waiting for a reply. Please dude get back to me. Tell me that this is just a prank. Tell me that you didn't USE the community that loves this game and the people who play it. Just to get 8,000. Which by the way is not nearly enough. Pride, courtesy, and honor. Those are the things you put up for sale. Hell I even downloaded your pod casts. Which were good.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not above folks making a living. But you don't use people in this way. We are not your sells gimmick. We are not fodder for gold selling, spamming, account stealing asshats whom buy intel from people like you.
Explain how I can still support you and your site? Explain how I tell my friends online and in RL how I have potentially put their information into the hands of the bad guys? Because right now I feel like I should be wrapped in a trench coat with stolen watches dangling out the inside pockets.
To my readers: I am very very very sorry....*bows head in shame* If anyone needs any help to unsubscribe or anything please comment. Anything that is in my power to do to protect you all, I will do!
Ah, crap. I didn't expect this. If you hadn't pointed it out, I would probably be unaware too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Siadina!
Now time to make a public apology and delete that blog from my Blogroll too. *sighs*
I am sooo sorry! I can't apologize enough. Thanks goes to the very nice fella over at www.guildwars2tradingpost.com he wrote about it in his blog or I would have been just as clueless.
DeleteIt is ok. I am going through the same feelings as you are going through now and feel just as used.
DeleteOh, well. Hopefully people can at least take out their e-mails out of that mailing list (assuming it is automated and he doesn't sell a version of it older than this whole mess).
Right now there are no bids, but if you look at the guru thread i linked, he has some very nifty stuff he wrote about his blog being 100% free and that he is doing it for the good of the community and not for profit.
DeleteI just don't know Rakuno...how man? I couldn't sell out another gamer, not for any reason. *sadpanda*
Here is the post I promised to write explaining what is REALLY going on. I anticipated this day the day I posted the site on Flippa and vowed to ignore Markco. it was just a matter of time.
Deletehttp://www.guildwars2riches.com/2012/09/this-site-isnt-going-anywhere-and-your.html
One does not vow to ignore someone but then post content in a place where that same someone is likely to find it with the intention of them finding it. That doesn't make any sense.
DeleteWOW, OK I promise not to respond to any more of this on here. Sorry Siadina.
Yeah. That is pretty much the same kind of talk I read when I was checking his blog at first too. I was just a fool to believe it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I couldn't do it either. This whole thing is just wrong.
I'd recomend reading his forum post about it being on flipper. There is some bad blood between the 2 sites and the owner of guildwars2tradingpost.com has a history of attacking the owner of guildwars2riches in forums and thorugh email.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guildwars2richesforum.com/updating-the-site-forums-sept-t23.html
I am writing a post about all this right now. it should be up within an hour. You are very much correct. I didn't do this secretly by any measure; nor did I ever have aspirations that the site would actually sell. I will explain more in my post.
DeleteI am very much looking forward to reading it. Thank you for replying to this matter. More in my reply below.
DeleteI advise all of my readers to read that and make their own decisions. I may just be a no-body bumpkin of a blogger, but in all of my travels online have I ever come across anything like this. My decision to exclude gw2 riches still stands. Until the listing is gone, I am going to not read it.
ReplyDeleteBad blood or not, I went from feeling safe to the possibility that my readers could/can be sold to the highest bidder. It expires in 10 days. We will see, but me and many others feel like this happy, totally free and just doing this for love of the game site turned into a fiasco.
Like I said I was a total fan of Adam. But I have a responsibility to my friends that take my word for advice, and stand by what I have written. And for a humor blog about nothing but the ramblings in my own head...that is saying something.
I am also going to remove the other site from my blog roll as well. If there be a fued brewing I want no part of it. And I refuse to bring any of my awesome readers along. To all of you who took the time to read this blog post today, please know that I was only looking after my fellow players and bloggers. I have no ill will or hard feelings, I am just going to take the honor road and remove both links.
DeleteThe only battles I want a part in are against harmless little rabbits and dragons.
I would also like to add that Markco is claiming that I am doing something he never would. He too has sold an e-mail list of over 8,000 people before so there is really nothing to make a big deal out of. Especially since I had no belief my site would sell and I made that clear from day one with the post on my forum.
ReplyDeletehere is his JMTC listing where he did the exact same thing he is chastising me for doing.
https://flippa.com/2640812-incredible-revenue-3-yrs-established-pr4-gaming-business-in-a-box
And thank you Adam for posting. Let me resay this. I adore your posts they have helped me in-game very much. But I Refuse to be part of blog/blogger bashing. I am not ashamed of my post, because I wrote what I felt. I am new to blogging, but the readers that I get are precious to me. I consider anyone that reads what comes out of my head to be special *giggle*
DeleteAs to your intentions with your site. You created it and have every right inthe world to do with it what you like. I am and will always look after anyone who reads my advice, as silly and insane as it may be.
I really really really hate to be the one to remove links. especially ones that have excellent advice. But I have several medical reasons to avoid stress. Which is why I have my blog and play GW2. I understand that there are people who arn't very nice online. I do understand that any kind of fued reguardless of cause or effect is damaging to both parties. So I will with all respect, not comment on that aspect.
I will comment about my post which I have put out there not as a slam to you, but as a warning to the few loyal readers that I have that something was looking hinky. I have zero compassion for people who use regular online joe's to give gamers a bad rap. Selling account info to me is just one step below gold sellers and botters, which should all be burned as previously posted on.
It was only concern that prompted my post, nothing more.
I will say again that I will take a good long sleep over this matter, and confer with my buddies as to the long road to take. I am nobody really, just a chick that loves to make fun of the silly in GW2 and in my life.
I link to sites based on their value, and I like your blog so I will be leaving your link up Siadina regardless of what you decide.
ReplyDeleteYou made the right call. As I stated already, I sold a site and gave fair warning to all those involved. If Adam didn't want his site to sell, then he wouldn't have changed the price of it multiple times on flippa, as well as edited the contents of his pitch.
IT COSTS MONEY TO LIST A SITE ON FLIPPA. ONE DOES NOT PRETEND TO SELL A WEBSITE THERE.
I didn't know that....And ty for the reply Markco. I am very happy that you posted the link because to be informed is the best way to protect yourself online.
DeleteI will do this, I am going to go in-game a slay bunches of stuffs. I am going to sleep on the matter and listen to a bunch of Queen. I wont make a decision as to your link yet, because I really really want to do the right thing here. It is like my very first test as a blogger and I want to ace it. Flying colors and all.
I will end this the way I started this, with how I feel:
ReplyDeleteStepping in dog poo would have been an easier mess to deal with. The online forum is a blessing and a curse. Unlimited sharing, even if the people sharing are dicks. *which I am as guilty of as the next person...see no roses hanging over me*
I have done quite a bit of poking and prodding, reading the sordid back and forth between two gentlemen, coming to the conclusion that some disputes are unsolvable. For shame you two. You both are intelligent well respected bloggers that have great content, but are lacking the one thing that makes me decide that I cannot endorse either of you.
The love of the game. When all is said and done, both of your reader bases are gamers. Geeks, nerds, fan-peeps, and total nut bars like myself. We want to know about you, your gaming style, your tips, your feelings about the game. And it is sooo sucky that this petty fued is depriving us of the brilliance of YOUR opinions.
I am so very sorry that I stumbled across your battlefield. I wish you both much luck and a bit of respect for your fellow blogger. The internet is fantastic, and an open forum as it was meant to be. I just hope with all of my crooked little snarky gamer heart that you two can find peace and balance within yourselves.
After this, as a great friend said, we will be going back into the uncharted, silly world of Sia's brain and GW2. I have yet to tap the fantastic laughable qualities of the skritt. Shiny! Mine! Wait? Shiny Go Boom!