Ugly -- Email Pyramid Scheme from one of our favorite dealers

I find pyramid schemes right up there with pig droppings and telephone soliciting BUT...Mark has apologized and I think his intentions to begin with were not malicious. I'm glad this is out in the open. Now maybe we can get past this. I've never had any dealings with Mark but only until very recently, I've read nothing but glowing things about him. Hopefully we can all return to better times and put this behind us. Mark, if you are still following this thread, you really do have a lot of friends here. I saw a lot of people stick up for you when you were having personal problems. Yeah, you've ticked some people off but show me a friend you never ticked off before. I think if you hang around, you'll find things will return back to normalcy in short order. At least I hope so. I think people here are a pretty easygoing lot. The internet is a pretty roly poly ride sometimes and that is just the nature of the beast. We can say anything about anybody and not worry about a poke in the nose. Considering that, we seem to get along pretty well here. So there's no reason to suspect you can't keep on keeping on around here. Whaddya think?


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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
Let's do the math. 4915.00 from x number of people at 5.00 each. That comes out to 983 people. Doesn't sound right to me. Even creating that size of a list seems far fetched. The time involved would have taken days to produce such a large volume of different participants.
Sounds like bunk. If not, dubious at best.
 
I'd just like to clarify one thing -- it is not possible for spambots to harvest addresses from a UBB forum (and the same applies to the ezboard knife forums). Some people seem to be afraid to give an email address in their profiles for fear of being spammed -- don't worry about it.

-Cougar :{)
 
I have a "huge" problem with this particular thread!

Why is it that "a few" feel that it's their responsibility to be a "BladeForums Self Appointed Police officer(BFSAPo)?" "Demanding" that the culprit come forward immediately with their version of "the real deal" and least we forget...."give me a public apology......"

Jezzzzz......

So here's my questions:

1. When did you receive this particular e-mail? (According to Paracelsus he received his approximately a week ago).

2. Did you attempt to handle this particular situation with MJS privately (either by e-mail or phone)? Ya know, to air your concerns directly with him?

Every post in the GB&U needs to be considered carefully. While it's fine to enjoy the freedom of speech, that freedom does not come without taking responsibility for the ramifications which result from your post(s). Each person sitting at his or her keyboard has tremendous powers to inflame, insult and cast aspersions while they are perched in front of their glowing screen anonymously. The initial question (and demands) posted here turned out to be loaded with implications. Several subsequent responses, some of which were very impulsive, were full of implications and accusations.

There is an old saying, "Write it, let it cool for a while, re-read it, and then if your heart is so strong ~ post it." How you phrase your questions, comments and demands can make all the difference in the world. What's most important (IMHO) is to first communicate privately. To cast aspersions on anothers integrity without one iota of proof is egregious in the extreme!

I didn't receive one of these e-mails, I don't know MJS nor have I dealt with him. And I honestly don't see what the big deal is!

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I'll tell you how simple it is:

You get an e-mail + you don't like it = you delete it!

Before or after you hit the delete button = send a "poop-o-gram" to "da sender" and express your displeasure with the e-mail that you've deleted.

WOW! That was real hard!

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GigOne
"Livin' Life - Full Throttle"
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"Happiness is a belt-fed weapon & a Walter Brend Model 2!"
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[This message has been edited by GigOne (edited 10-19-2000).]
 
Gigone,
I'm sorry. What proof was I lacking? I received the email, it was from someone who had promised to use my email address for his knife business only, and it involved a highly questionable pyramid scheme.

I thought then, and I still think now, that everyone who received that email deserved an apology. Which we've received.

Seems to me that this is now a dead issue. Any moderators care to lock this thread?

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Dave

Let no one ever from henceforth say one word in any way countenancing war. It is dangerous even to speak of how here and there the individual may gain some hardship of soul by it. For war is hell, and those who institute it are criminals. Siegfried Loraine Sassoon
 
dsvirsky, what gigone wants and a couple of others is for all of us to settle our problems privately first. If that doesn't happen, then escalate. If you didn't email or phone mjs first, and ask for an apology for yourself and the others on the mailing, that's the problem as well. This forum, gb&u is for escalation, not the first call! It appears to me that you must have felt that this offer was so heinous, that everyone should know about it, like Clinton and Monica! I don't care that Clinton got a hummer from Monica. I care that he lied after it all hit the fan. I get pyramid schemes and chain letter crap all the time. That's why I use my Yahoo acct. They protect against spam much better than any isp I've had. I just use my delete button. These things are just as annoying to me as the various "amway" pyramid marketing routines that exist. One or two are a small business. 10 and up become a chain! Then you can franchise! It's all so similar, but as far as I'm concerned, equally annoying, but not something to lose friendships over. And Flash, do the math! If one guy sends out 25, then those guys each send out 25, then those guys send out 25.....it adds up quickly!

Hank
 
dsvirsky,

You misunderstood my inquiry. I have no problems with people receiving an apology nor did I state that your "proof" was lacking?

I'm just pondering over 2 issues.

Paracelsus stated that he received his e-mail approximately a week ago.

So I ask you, "When did you receive this particular e-mail?"

After receiving the MJS e-mail..... "Did you attempt to handle this particular situation with MJS privately (either by e-mail or phone ~ prior to opening this particular thread)?



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GigOne
"Livin' Life - Full Throttle"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Happiness is a belt-fed weapon & a Walter Brend Model 2!"
icon82.gif
 
I recieved the e-mail at 8:22pm on Wednesday the 18th of October. And Mark did mention that he had tried this previously. So Paracelsus may have recieved a message earlier from Mark, or from someone else - he did say he did not remember who the sender was.
To make the record straight, I did not feel the need for an apology from Mark, I saw no harm in his e-mail. To some these things are an opportunity, to others they're an annoyance. I'm sure Mark just hoped the people he sent it to would think it was an opportunity.
Troy
 
I thought that this forum was for use as a last resort only? If you were so mad about the situation why didn't you call MJS and get your expanation directly from Mark? Maybe he would have posted his own thread making an apology. I have not always been supportive of MJS in the last few months but this is IMHO an attempt to put a dealer out of business. It's easy for us to attack one antother sitting behind the keyboard. Things would be different if you were there in real life. If I remember correctly Mark just gave away a MT LCC the other day, so he can't be all bad. As for his spamming, I am a BF member and a MJS customer and I never received an email regarding the paypal subject.

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EXCUSE ME WHILE I WHIP THIS OUT.
**Blazing Saddles**

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[This message has been edited by aflatfoot (edited 10-20-2000).]
 
Um, two points:<UL>[*]Most people who participate in (and thereby disseminate) pyramid schemes are innocent dupes. (A few are <EM>lucky</EM> innocent dupes who break even or better.)[*]If the authoriies read Mark's admission, then he's in trouble. Mark, I suggest that you give that money to charity or something.
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[This message has been edited by Athanatos (edited 10-20-2000).]
 
Mark, GigOne, HankS, others --
No, I did not give Mark a chance to "settle this privately." So, I am guilty as charged, and for that I do apologize.

This post edited so that I can get a life.
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Dave

Let no one ever from henceforth say one word in any way countenancing war. It is dangerous even to speak of how here and there the individual may gain some hardship of soul by it. For war is hell, and those who institute it are criminals. Siegfried Loraine Sassoon

[This message has been edited by dsvirsky (edited 10-20-2000).]
 
dsvirsky,

Please don't take this the wrong way but.......GET A LIFE.

Regards

hy
 
dsvirsky,

I can understand your frustration(s) with receiving this particular e-mail and your distaste for "pyramid" scams... But, you don't owe me an apology. Nor have I charged you with anything that would require you to plead guilty. And really don't care what MJS' statement(s) were (which by the way was made after some very harsh demands and stiff accusations).

Still don't understand how you came to the conclusion that "you" felt that this was a public matter and not a private one.

Strongly feel that you could have achieved you ends (an apology from MJS) in a private venue. And "I feel" that this could have been handled ALLOT better than the way it was.

But hell.......like I said in my first post to this thread...... "Why is it that "a few" feel that it's their responsibility to be a Blade Forums Self Appointed Police officer (BFSAPo)? Or is it Blade Forums Self Appointed Police Officer, Judge, Jury and Hangman (BFSAPoJ2H).........

I'm just a firm believer that "this forum" is a last resort kinda thing! And generally, problems can be solved and or resolved when communication is held out of public view. Threads like this one just looks bad and leaves a bad taste.......

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GigOne
"Livin' Life - Full Throttle"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Happiness is a belt-fed weapon & a Walter Brend Model 2!"
icon82.gif
 
Since I made the mistake of getting involved in this thread, and folks keep quoting me, I would like to set the record straight. I am NOT at all sure that Mark was the person who sent me the email being discussed. I did receive a Spam email recently which was sent to a large number of BFC forumites. My error was that after seeing this thread, I assumed the culprit was Mark. As someone pointed out, if Mark sent 25 emails, and they each sent 25 emails, a very Large number of folks got the forwarded email. But I'm not even sure that it was Mark's email that I received. This is the text (complete) of an email I sent to Mark last evening:

Mark, as I said in the thread, I do not remember who sent me the email. Since I deleted it right away, I can't refer to it now. All I remember was that it was sent to a number of BFC members. Possibly I received downstream email from someone else forwarding your email to me. That recent email was the first 'spam' I have ever received where someone had used BFC to cull names. Maybe it wasn't even your email at all, and was actually from someone else. I'm not sure. I apologize for getting involved in that thread. I wish I had not. I was not completely aware of the problems you have had recently in the forums and do not want you to feel I was piling on. I do not want to be your enemy, as you and I have never had any interaction at all, positive or negative. I hope you do stay as a BFC member, and continue to sell knives. I am very sorry if I confused your mailing with someone elses.

Best wishes Mark.

Brad Hiltbrand aka Paracelsus

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 10-20-2000).]
 
Originally posted by dsvirsky:
Mark, GigOne, HankS, others --
No, I did not give Mark a chance to "settle this privately." So, I am guilty as charged, and for that I do apologize.
Click to expand...

dsvirsky,
Like gigone just said, you don't owe me an apology, though I appreciate the honor and forthrightness you show. Since you're just on the other side of the hill (Mt. Diablo!) I'm hoping a get-together or knife show will happen where we can bend an elbow and shoot the breeze about our common affliction, knives!
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Hank
 
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