A piss-poor DoS attack

Yesterday, Blogger.com got in touch following a false report that this website was a 'spam blog'. For roughly 24 hours, the site was suspended.

The case was quickly reviewed by a human being working for Blogger.com who determined quite rightly that it wasn't a spam blog at all.

This was the only Blogger.com-based weblog of mine that was targeted in this way, so I think it's fair to say that this was probably the work of someone acting in the interests of Alisher Usmanov, Schillings, and/or Fasthosts.


Whoever was behind the false complaint, I have a short message for you:

1. It was dishonest.

2. It was pathetic.

3. It didn't do you any favours.

4. And now you've got my attention all over again.

Well done!

Read words

Justin has a lovely piece about the Usmanov affair to date published over at the IOC website...

Index on Censorship - Britain: Bloggers unite against intimidation: It must be emphasised that this is not about bloggers claiming the right to say whatever they like with impunity and without fear of sanction. Bloggers are, rightly so, as accountable for what they write as journalists. Craig Murray is on record as saying he wants Usmanov to sue him for libel so the allegations can be put on the record. In a statement to the Guardian newspaper, a spokesman for Schillings said that they were not about to sue Murray because ‘they did not want to give him a platform to express his views’. Instead of fighting the case in the courts, Schillings tried to make the story go away completely. The allegations may be true, they may be false, but in the absence of a libel trial testing their veracity, thousands of people have formed their own conclusions.

Video (I)

Mike Power has used animoto to good effect to create a video for anyone who wants to wallow in the joy of the recent link storm.

Also (steel yourselves) I'm about to bring to your attention a discussion on this topic from 18DoughtyStreet.

My video is on the way; it needs to gestate just a *little* longer.

UPDATE - Having watched the relevant exchange, I think I should point out (again) that the account in question was held and managed by Clive Summerfield (who is now back online).

A note on cross-spectrum support

(Note - I'm using the term 'cross-spectrum' instead of 'cross-party' to include the many non-aligned bloggers who are in on this.)

One thing outsiders appear to be struggling with is how significant the level of cross-spectrum support is on this issue. Unprecedented is a perfect word for it.

I found this post to be particularly striking; what's right is right:

I must confess that I am a couple days late to this fight for the inexcusable reason that I simply cannot abide Tim Ireland, but in truth that has nothing to do with the outrageousness of some jumped up plutocrat throwing his weight around like this. However much I might dislike the notion I am forced to support Tim Ireland unequivocally.

That's the most honest and compelling thing I've read on a blog in a very long time. Perry de Havilland, who wrote it, also blockquotes Mr Eugenidies' thoughts on the subject, as many other bloggers have:

And let's be clear on this point; these blogs are down not because Usmanov has been libelled, but because he says he's been libelled, and has a room full of paid monkeys sitting at typewriters firing off threatening letters to that effect.

I don't give a shit about this character, or Arsenal FC (no offence to any Gooners out there); nor do I share all or even most of Tim Ireland or Craig Murray's politics. But that's far from the point. If you can be silenced for calling a businessman a crook, then you can be silenced for calling a politician a crook, too. Then it's everyone's problem.

Quite.

There's also this from Harry's Place:

Tim Ireland is a manic sort, whose politics I often find a bit odd. He is also one of the longest serving of the British blogging community.

Craig Murray, as readers of Harry's Place will know, is a man who is sometimes right and sometimes not. He has inspired some of us, and has been a tremendous source of fun for others.

Bloggers cannot operate if they are bullied by rich plaintiffs. Defamation law in the United Kingdom is both farcical and unfair, and is in desperate need of fundamental reform. Errors on blogs can easily be remedied: particularly where they permit open commenting (a libel risk in itself) which allows postings to be criticised, facts corrected, and arguments opposed. I know what it is like to be at the receiving end of a well funded threat of defamation proceedings, and it is no fun at all. It is outrageous that the law of defamation should be used to break bloggers: like butterflies upon wheels.

Frankly, we might as well shut up shop altogether if we do not stick together on this issue.

For all these reasons both of them deserve our support, and we should give it to them.

And you can rest assured that I for one won't be pissing it away in pursuit of a personal or party-political agenda.

Watch for significant changes to this weblog and a cross-spectrum evolution of this campaign once the fact-finding process nears completion; if you're hesitant because you think you'll be marching under my banner or Craig Murray's, think again.

Everyone should have the right to take part in open and honest debate online; this is going to be your best chance to fight for that right, secure it in law or precedent, and finally establish the importance of blogs in general.

UPDATE - This, from Justin McKeating:

291 people now linking to and blogging about this story... I've noticed one or two people apologising about 'coming late to the party'. Please, don't. This isn't a race, this about sharing views and showing solidarity. If you haven't blogged this yet and would like to, or have but haven’t let us know, please do.

Summaries

I saw this excellent summary of recent events earlier that focuses admirably on Schillings:

Here's a new proposal for a case study for Schillings' prospectus:

The problem
Our client was a lardy foreign oligarch looking to take over a leading British football club. The former British Ambassador to his country had published allegations about him which he considered to be false and defamatory.

The solution
We put the frighteners on the former Ambassador's webhost to such an extent that it shut down not only his blog, but also other high profile blogs which had nothing to do with it, including that of the Conservative candidate for London mayor, and others in elected office. The allegations then spread around the internet and the mainstream media like wildfire.

I need more summaries. Impassioned or neutral, and maybe a bit in bewteen.

A useful summary could focus on Alisher Usmanov, Arsenal, Schillings, Fasthosts, the law etc.

A more useful summary would rope it all in and tell people why they need to care about this issue in general, because that's where we're headed.

(I'm trying to do the same myself, but am cutting it straight to video, which can be helpful but time-consuming. I also tend to get impossibly long-winded when I'm mired in detail as I am right now.)

I'll set a limit you can regard to be soft if you like; 10-20 word introduction paragraph, 200 words maximum.

I may dig some prizes out of the Special Cupboard if you bring me something really nice. I have treasure.

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PROGRESS:

Blogroll: On its way

Translations: Please check in if you have or wish to make a translation of the (ahem) detailed text summary in this post.

Schillings: Later this morning.

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Immediate plans for this website

Fasthosts

We're still missing some key facts from the case, primarily due to Fasthosts' reluctance to share the relevant Schillings correspondence with us.

Fasthosts should take note of the following while considering their options:

We were extremely reluctant to have the role played by Fasthosts highlighted until we had the chance to retrieve our data from their servers (we're not entirely sure why; perhaps they struck us as the panicky sort). Regardless of this, several key bloggers and assorted web publishers have already identified Fasthosts independently and questioned their actions in an entirely spontaneous fashion. We expect these people and those who are as yet unaware of the role played by Fasthosts to be even less impressed when we publish the timeline (hopefully later today).

Fastshosts' response (or lack thereof) is also likely to have a significant impact in and on the wider UK web hosting industry. We urge Fasthosts to take this matter seriously and to accept responsibility for where they went wrong; the alternative is a genuine risk that popular feeling will swing against hosting in the UK in general.

Summary

This site is badly in need of a summary as the audience shifts from those in the know to those who are just now finding out about all of this. A summary is planned to coincide with the timeline. (If we're forced to leave some unknowns in place because Fasthosts choose to suddenly go quiet, then so be it.)

Foreign Languages

A foreign language hub is planned for the sidebar, with external links to translations of the summary. Spanish is covered, and any offer to translate the summary into other languages would be welcome. Offers via email or under comments, please.

Blogroll

A blogroll will follow; this will primarily involve links to the relevant *category* pages of key supporters; i.e. bloggers who are actually generating new content regarding this matter (but if you are generating new content and categories/labels are a problem for you, do let us know). Link support is equally appreciated, and a centralised page of link supporters (that allows for rolling updates) will follow the blogroll.

Banners and Buttons

When the facts are in, or we are as close to the facts as we are going to get, we will then look at the use and promotion of new and existing banners and buttons.

Video

Ditto. A soundtrack has already been selected, and permission has been granted for its use; all that needs to be addressed before editing is a few pesky gaps in the script.

Over to you, Fasthosts. We'd love to hear from you before 12:30pm today.

Why we're here

Bloggerheads now has new hosting, but it will take a while to adapt the MT platform to the new server. This special weblog has been set up on a Blogger.com platform so I can address this matter in a more timely fashion than would be possible with a complete restoration of the original MT platform.

Because of the nature of the initial take-down comment moderation is on and only those registered with Blogger.com may comment.