The worrying kind
Now I'm home again, after a nice weekend in Porjus. Since I've been in a bad shape for a while, I didn't have the energy and inspiration stay very long. Instead, I went back home directly after the birthday party yesterday night. But it was still a great night with lots of laughter and a few tears as well. There were old friends of my father, as well as neighbours and of course also family members and relatives of all ages. We all had a great dinner, heard several few of dads classic stories and just had the good time I hoped to have. Thanks everyone for a great night!
Bad shape, yes…
I will write a longer post about this in a few days, but I still want to write a few paragraphs here so that people understand why I have been hard to reach for a while - and why I may be hard to reach over the next couple of days as well.
Since the end of February, one or a few members of an interest group have been contacting me regarding a blog that they were strongly offended by. The blog was not mine, and it was written by an anonymous writer in a language that I don't understand. At first, I didn't know what the site was all about, but I could see that the site was built with WordPress and a theme that was partially based on one of my website templates. It was also obvious that this group did not agree with whatever the blog wrote, and that they thought that it was my blog since my name was listed in the design credits in the site footer.
For about three weeks now, I have tried to explain that the site is not mine - and that I have no contact information for the site owner. I have also explained that I did not even create the theme, only the original website template which the theme was based on. I have repeated the words from my contact page, writing the line "I can't answer for any other site than my own" over and over again. But the group does not accept that simple fact, and their messages have grown from being angry e-mails into being ugly and detailed threats and disturbing images and video clips. They still consider me personally responsible for the content of the blog - even though it makes no sense at all. I wrill write more about this later, for now I'm focusing on the simple background.
I tried to end the communication by explaining that I did not want them to contact me again, as it was a waste of time if they couldn't accept my explanations. But I have got more and more messages - and not only in the e-mail inbox. I have got direct threats over the instant messenger as well, and when the phone started ringing and I started getting SMS messages about that blog, then it had gone too far.
The final notice
I usually don't want to go public with misunderstandings like this, since it is not a fun topic to write about. But with this explanation I am also providing one last chance for the group to stop contacting me. If I get as much as one more message from the group, or from any of its members, or from any other people that the group have asked to e-mail me only to agree with their opinion, I will write out all the details so that all my readers will find out who these people are and how they work.
I know that they don't want that to happen, they have threatened with "punishments" if I would "declare war" (as they call it). Now, no matter what they believe about me, they get this final chance: Stop contacting me, the discussion ends here. Ok? Good.
End of discussion.
Catching up
The stress and all the worrying made me sick, and I couldn't get much work done last week. That resulted in several failed deliveries and disappointed clients, and it has seriously hurt both my reputation and myself. This means a lot of extra work, explanations, apologies, reduced income and lost projects. The next couple of weeks will be rough, no doubt about that. I need to make a number of changes to the templates, to my contact page and to my site in general to make everything even more clear. And I need to deliver the projects that are delayed.
I have no idea when I'll be back by the computer and working as usual again. Hopefully, if the group would step back now, I could be back in a few days. I also hope to get a new mobile phone during the week, and as soon as I get it I will abandon my old phone number and get a new one. I hope that I will be able to keep my e-mail address and the contact form online in the future as well, but if there are still problems with those things I will probably go for an update there too…
As promised, I will write more about this in a later post. I will not write more about the people who are responsible about this situation, unless they continue to waste my time. Don't ask about them, or about the blog. But feel free to write about your own experiences from similar misunderstandings. I know I am not the first web designer who has this problem, it is common among template designers and theme coders. Feel free to post a comment if it has happened to you, and share any tips and ideas that you may have!
Edit (March 20th): Case closed!
I did get one more message from the group, but it was a good one. I did not get any kind of apology, but atleast a promise that from now on they would "make sure to contact the site owner rather than the site designer". They are obviously still believing that I am the "site designer", but the only thing I care about right now is that they leave me out of the discussion for good. I have got their word on that, so I will leave this story behind now and put my energy on better things.
Thanks to everyone who have sent feedback, advices and shared their own experiences! It was not fun to find out that many of my friends and colleagues have experienced similar situations without ever going public with it. This needs to be discussed further to find good ways to avoid similar problems in the future…
Comments
Comment from Web Design Wales
Time: March 19, 2007, 1:28 pm
I understand your situation. The root of the problem is that the people who are so offended don't know their stuff about the technology. Resultantly, you have become their scapegoat. My example is not as extreme: a few years ago I set up a domain name and hosting for somebody, and they added their own website and contact form. Few months later, the form was hacked and the front page of their site changed - just some hacker kids messing around. I get an angry phone call and threats of legal action from the guy because I was the only other person with the password to the FTP server, so it MUST have been me who messed with the site. My assertion that his unsecured contact form led to the hack were interpreted as insults to his nephew's coding skills. So, he changed the password to the FTP server. And got hacked again. Of course, that time it was me obviously getting revenge, so more angry messages and threats of legal action. Some people…
Comment from isecore
Time: March 19, 2007, 4:06 pm
One of the major problems with the internet is that it gives everyone a voice, even the morons and assholes of the world get to shout their voice in whatever direction they see fit.
This is a sad case of a bunch of morons who want a scapegoat, and they're either blind to the reality of how the internet works, or willfully ignoring it. Either way it's a huge pain to have to be on the receiving end of a group of idiots shouting at you and insisting on barking up the wrong tree.
Comment from Ian
Time: March 19, 2007, 4:07 pm
It sounds like someone has angered a very unreasonable group. I never imagined that this sort of problem would be possible.
I agree with the above poster… I'd say that you should release all info on them. After all, they are freely sending you this info, and you're under no agreements with them.
Comment from joe
Time: March 19, 2007, 4:21 pm
My guess is either a Christian or Muslim group are the ones terrorizing him, they are known for doing things like this.
Comment from Andreas
Time: March 19, 2007, 5:51 pm
Thanks for the comments and e-mails, it is a relief to see that you understand why this is bothering me. As promised, I will not write out any more details about the blog or the group if they accept that the discussion is over. And I have actually not got any more e-mails since I sent a copy of this entry to them. A good sign, I hope.
Comment from Alberto
Time: March 19, 2007, 8:22 pm
I noticed your templates are very popular on wp-based blogs, so the total amount of footer-links is huge. In this large amount it could happen that somebody not-practiced could confuse your name with the one of the administrator of the specific blogs. Anyway it's curios that they don't understand (or don't want to) after you explain…
Comment from Thomas Williams
Time: March 19, 2007, 8:26 pm
Hi Andreas.
It's a shame that this group can't understand the simple fact you do not own, or have any authority over that blog.
Lets just hope the emails stop here.
Comment from CoolGoose
Time: March 19, 2007, 9:05 pm
Some people are f***ing idiots. If they can't f***ing understand basic IT s**t they should go and f**k themselves.
Comment from Thomas Williams
Time: March 19, 2007, 9:22 pm
CoolGoose, - I don't think you needed to express it that far
Comment from Sandra
Time: March 19, 2007, 10:31 pm
Jo, det var allt en upplevelse att tillbringa en dag på skolan igen, man blir verkligen nostalgisk och minnen från lågstadieåren passerade i huvudet. Även om dom har gjort om en hel del, bytt klassrum och liknande så är det ändå samma saker som finns kvar, till exempel bänkarna. Man får i alla fall hoppas att skolan får vara kvar så länge som möjligt.
Tack så mycket för bilden, kul=) Och hoppas att det löser sig med dom där puckona!
Comment from Calaf
Time: March 20, 2007, 12:07 am
Hi Andreas,
maybe the blog author has changed the theme and let "the group" finally be enlighten. I hope "the group" will do something meaningfull…go to school for instance…or to group therapy.
By the way, do you intend to port Andreas01 v. 2.5 to WordPress?
Comment from LobsterMan
Time: March 20, 2007, 1:27 am
I can understand someone being confused about it at first, but after you explaining that it's not your site, what don't they understand?
Comment from Andreas
Time: March 20, 2007, 1:53 am
They have "substantial evidence" that I am indeed responsible for the blog in topic. The fact that the theme was updated within one day after they "found out" and my name was removed from the footer, means that I "tried to hide my tracks". The fact that the site had been online for almost one year with another theme (by another designer) did not mean anything.
But I still haven't got any new e-mail, so I hope that this story can be left behind now.
Calaf: What part of andreas01 v2.5 are you missing in the WP-theme? It is basically the same design already. v3.0 of the template will be released soon, by the way, but it is mostly a sample content upgrade. The only new feature is that the menu buttons now work in the right sidebar as well - just as it does in the theme version. A sample 2-column layout with a right-hand menu is also included.
Comment from studio7designs
Time: March 20, 2007, 8:19 am
Hey Andreas,
Just sent you an email about all this… know this… we love you man!
Comment from Studio-Owens.com
Time: March 20, 2007, 8:24 pm
I just stopped by to let you know how much I like your themes.
Then I read the post. Wow. It is kind of sad that there are so many people in this world that force themselves to be so dense, they project a gravitational field of ignorance, in which others are sometimes trapped.
I wanted you to know that I am using a modified version of andreas08 at http://www.bsa757.org
Comment from Kristin
Time: March 20, 2007, 8:56 pm
I've read about other theme authors who have been through sort of the same thing before, blaming the designer for the content of a blog.
Maybe you should ask them to google your name next time (I got about 1 790 000 hits) and then ask if they think your able to run that many websites.
Comment from Andreas
Time: March 20, 2007, 9:21 pm
I've updated the post, the discussion is now over. I trust that I won't get any more disturbing messages, and I will not write anything more about this specific situation.
However, since this appears to be a common problem in the template/theme design world, I will probably write about the problem itself in the future - and how we can avoid these misunderstandings. Feel free to post comments and ideas here, or send me an e-mail.
Thanks for your support, it has been a great help!
Comment from Xsss4hell
Time: March 20, 2007, 10:45 pm
Hi!
Oh, I feel with you! Had similar probs with stalkers. Oh yes, the Internet..
Hey Andreas, better forget about them and remind on better times =)
I wish you good luck in the future and a happy new day.
Comment from Thomas Williams
Time: March 21, 2007, 12:10 am
Hi Andreas.
Prehaps you should consider a footer message like the ones I use:
http://www.trwilliams.net/images/01pre.png
Prehaps this message will help those who misunderstand, and believe the website is maintained by you, when really it isn't.
Comment from Calaf
Time: March 21, 2007, 12:24 am
Good news in the "group case"!
Andreas 14: I miss subpages in the pages menu (as it is in WP-Andreas00).
Comment from Design
Time: March 21, 2007, 12:38 am
I am glad, that all has ended well and people have understood the mistake. At me the similar situation too was, but with ecash when have cracked my mail box. To me constantly threatened, have learned where I live, house number. To me it was terrible, because I have a small child. But I would tell that came and waited for them, but they and have not appeared also their threats were empty. Though sometimes such threats come to an end badly. Therefore I completely understand you, and I advise, constantly to be quiet and to search for decisions of problems with a clean head, instead of filled by emotions.
Comment from Luka
Time: March 21, 2007, 1:10 pm
I'm really sorry you had to go through this. I had similar situations but luckly the other party accepted the fact I was only the creator of the template. Copyright violations of written material and images, offensive content - these are the just some of the common problems. Not to mention all those link exchange requests for sites you don't even own and have never heard of them.
I guess this is the ugly side of fame :)
Comment from Andreas
Time: March 21, 2007, 1:44 pm
Copyright violations, the classic "legal action" threat, link exchange requests, bug reports and common comments like "your site does not validate - please fix it!" or "your spelling sucks!" are things that I see in my inbox almost every day - always for other sites than my own. I am sure most template designers who have similar footer credits recognize these misunderstandings. But that is no big deal, it is easy to sort out. In this case, the incorrect details could not be sorted out for some reason, and that (in combination with the sensitive topic) is what made it a problem…
Writing a better credit line would probably help, although I wouldn't want to make it as long as Thomas suggests. The credits should be short, unobtrusive and simple. It is of course tempting to write out a long disclaimer, but I don't want the credits to take up too much space in the design. However, I may possibly add a longer text in a HTML comment, I haven't decided about that yet. I'll find some good way to change it as soon as I can start working again!
Comment from Thomas Williams
Time: March 21, 2007, 3:20 pm
Hi Andreas.
Whatever your solution is to the problem - lets just hope it works ;)
Comment from Andreas
Time: March 21, 2007, 8:35 pm
You could always change the url in the template footer link to a disclaimer on your site - and not to the root as it is now.
Comment from Tim O'Brien
Time: March 21, 2007, 9:07 pm
What a terrible situation.
Do template designers have to start going under pseudonymns and registering their web sites with hidden ownership details?
Comment from web tasarimi
Time: March 22, 2007, 5:02 am
Thanks…
Comment from Web Design Ireland
Time: March 22, 2007, 7:45 pm
I recommend your themes to many people
Great themes by the way
yes its not right that there are so many people in this world that force themselves to be so dense
Comment from Andreas Fabis
Time: March 23, 2007, 9:20 pm
Hi there from Texas…
Your templates are awesome! Very nice work.
Andreas
Comment from Mircea
Time: March 24, 2007, 1:28 pm
Hi Andreas.
I've been reading this blog for quite a while now but this is the first time I write.
Sorry to hear that something like this happens… something similar happened to me a while ago but things did not get that far.
Usually these are people who don't have the slightest clue about what "www" really means.
I am glad you're back … have a nice .. relaxing weekend.
Comment from Niko Neugebauer
Time: March 26, 2007, 4:35 pm
Simply ignore them, you are doing a good job. There will be always some people, who won't like what you are doing, or envy your success. No one can be a friend of everyone, nor will you ever have time to explain to everybody that it is not your fault.
Just proceed forward =O)
Comment from Boris
Time: March 28, 2007, 1:17 am
Simply ignore them, you are doing a good job.
Comment from nadeem
Time: April 1, 2007, 1:55 am
joe, (#5) that's a silly comment. You might as well as say "My guess is a human being is the one terrorizing him, they are known for doing things like this." Please don't be so prejudiced.
Comment from Linda
Time: March 19, 2007, 11:03 am
Sorry to hear about your problems.. Maybe you should make this public so it is clear and there might be someone else that could help you with an advice..