Hi! Some might have seen my rants on the UsefulScripts Blacklist. Now that I'm not so angry and more focused I'm ready to proceed.
After review of their website which apparently hasn't been updated since 2001 and many links are outright broken I was finally able to locate a phone number (+44 (0) 1732 773 723 ).
Its slightly before lunch in the UK. I have called the number of Inet Publishing (the purported owner of Usefulscripts) which is a cellular phone answered by a female who hangs up when the caller (me) inquires whether this was Inet Publishing. A second call was also hung up on without further inquiry as to why I was calling. A third and fourth call went unanswered. I'll try back again later but so far I don't expect much responsiveness. That's fine I was only calling to find out who if any their legal counsel was.
You can't successfully sue a foreign national in the US. Not true. Actually its very easy particularly if you have fairly decent initial skills to get the ball rolling which I do. What will happen is that I'll file suit in the local federal court which if Useful Scripts has a pot to piss in (which I doubt) they'll hire a local attorney to defend. If they don't show up I'll receive a default judgement. Can't collect a judgement on a foreign national you say. Actually not true either.. there are some tricks to doing this too. However, no matter, there is no limit to the amount of collateral trouble you can cause when you have judgement in hand. A judgment gives great legal authority for accumulating information and developing additonal actions.
I was greatly encouraged by my emerging plan when I fell upon by the recent precedent setting $11 million rulling against SPAMHAUS the anti spamming company and right here in Illinois which makes it easy for me to get all the legal filings from our electronic docketing system.
I'm all for a well run blacklist that captures cheaters and the like. What I'm not up for is a BL that is not administered correctly, unresponsive, and a list that has no verification or notification process and is a tool that allows petty WM's to blackball competitors without process. Furthermore, I need to do a little more research but I'm pretty sure that a civilian can sue a private company under US Racketeering statutes, that means that all of you webmasters that contribute to it under the blanket of secrecy will be actionable under a default judgement as well.
One of my domains is on this list for having "vid caps". I've seen many other posts from WM's who were on this list becasue their site scrolled past 800px or other some such crap. If you've been on this list and had to turn cartwheels to get off, or tried to get off and was ignored or not responded to, or other such perceived injustices, please PM with your story and details about how you found yourself on the list, how long if ever it took to get a response or get off. All PM's will be kept confidential. I am only trying to build a pattern of behaivor from your information. If this BL list doesn't change its practices on its own to be more formal and proper, I will change it one way or another. It may not happen tomorrow but it will happen.
Thanxxx
