TheSecondWeb and MrLeN - In Defense of my Name and Reputation - The TRUTH!

This is a post that I should probably just not make. I mean -- it would be easier if I decided to just say nothing. However, I am going to risk being falsely accused of being a part of some sort of some big spam conspiracy; in hopes that if I pull everything out into the light, the majority of people will actually believe me -- making this post worth while. Those few people who want to accuse me can't accuse me if I've already laid everything out on the table. The accusations will become redundant. It is only a minority of people accusing me around the forums I am a member of, but there's a trend developing where they're planting their accusations into more and more of my threads (as words gets around). If I don't say something, I can see it's all going to get out of hand -- and I have not spammed anyone or participated in any spam campaigns, so it would be unfair if these few people eventually succeed in making me out to be a royal spammer. Basically, I just can't stand being falsely accused of "anything" -- as I am sure most other people don't. So please take that into account as you read what I have to say.

Firstly (this has to be said), I am an AVID fan of Internet Marketing methods; even borderline obsessed with it. I am particularly interested in overnight success stories. I am also personally, constantly creating new websites, trying to see if they'll take off with only a small shove -- without any real promotion at all, besides a couple of safelist mailouts and a forum post or two. I love the idea of Viral sites. I have not quite succeeded in constructing an idea that took off all by itself -- without the need for sustained promotion, but I continue trying to make such sites; and I WILL continue to make such sites until I finally learn the art and can repeat it It's a hobby of mine (of sorts). I wont say I am any good at it, but then again I don't think 99.9% of people are. It is VERY hard to create such a site - I am sure you will agree. At "best", the traffic I have been able to achieve is to build a site that "almost" perpetually retains the traffic it receives, according to what ever initial marketing efforts I gave the site; (the traffic) declining at about 5% each week until it finally falls flat on its face. One such site is in my signature (zeriouz). I guess I am trying to build an Internet version of perpetual motion. But without going on all day about it, suffice to say, I am a major fan of Viral marketing and Viral ideas. That need to be understood before I continue.

So the weeks ago, I came across a website called "thesecondweb". I am sure most of you who read this will remember this post, and I am sure that some of you reading now have seen the very same post on other forums -- as this is a small world. From time to time (not all the time), if I get really excited about something, I go through all the forums I am a member of - and I will make a post there so that I can start getting responses tight away. I don't like sitting here waiting half an hour between responses. I like the action, so that is why I posted about thesecondweb all over the Internet. I didn't just post in forums, but I researched what other people were saying about thesecondweb, and began responding to people's opinions on OTHER websites that I am not even a member of, such as Yahoo! Answers, various blogs. Etc. All the posts I made was sincere. All the involvement I had with this website was a genuine interest in the idea. I recognize thesecondweb as being a great idea, and I got excited about it. That's the truth.

However, a handful of people realized that I was posting all about this on various locations. Then some accusations started. Some people were insisting that I had copied the post from another forum , because they saw it somewhere else and wanted me to provide the "source". Some people made blunt one line responses, insisting that I should not spam my website there. One forum even pulled my posts about the site, more than once - even though I explained (more than once) that I have no association with the site, no association with the founder of the site, or any financial or vested interest in the site whatsoever. However, this was not believed, and I was pulled into a support ticket system and "interrogated". I got upset with the interrogation by "three" forum staff members, who flat out accused me of spamming and would not back down - no matter what I said or how I explained it. I defeated their accusations against breaking their "rules", and they had not a leg to stand on - so finally resorted to making up a new rule e specially for me: "You can talk about Julian's site here". Of course, after being put through all that and then being treated like a spammer (which I categorically deny), I blew a major circuit (admittedly, I really lost the plot with those people) - and I am now banned from that website: "WHT" , which I am FURIOUS about! I am worse than that - I am ropable, because I was a member there for MANY years! ..and I was falsely accused of things "constantly", which is all the more reason I blew a fuse. I just had enough of being victimized, accused, having threads deleted, signatures edited -- usually on some false or made up grounds; and there's never any way to fix it. At WHT you just get "told" you're a liar -- and you're expected to sit there and admit it. Do that to someone one to many times, and you get a reaction.

Now, all of the sudden, threads which were running perfectly fine - free of accusations are slowly turning the other way. I wonder if there's a reason for that? I wonder if prominent people haven't decided to interject on other forums to promote their belief that I am spamming and have my threads pulled down on other forums as well, all driven by the incorrect belief that:"they are right" -- and I am spamming? Well I have to make this post, because when what I have to say comes to light, there's going to be flurries of: "A-Ha!!" - "See! SPAMMER!" - "We were right all along!" - "MrLeN you are one big spammer!" ETC ETC.

So here's the deal. I am saying this because I want everything out in the open. I am telling the truth, exactly as it happened. I am guilty of no lies and no "spam conspiracies". I absolutely had NO association with thesecondweb at the time I made all those posts. But..

I recently got into a discussion with Julian (the creator of thesecondweb), and because I have such an interest in Viral websites - I offered to run a highlights blog for him, because I feel that thesecondweb would do very well to have such a section. Julian had seen all the posts I had made all over the Internet, and all the praise that I gave his website -- so he was extremely receptive toward my offer -- and he accepted. So I have to tell you that although I DID NOT have any interest in thesecondweb, I do now. I am making a public announcement on all of the forums I made the initial post at, because I know that when it comes to light that I have become thesecondweb Highlights Administrator, it could very well look REALLY bad after I made all of these posts. Even "REALLY" - "REALLY" bad (x 100). But I swear, I had no association with Julian when I made those initial posts - and I just can't BARE the thought that anyone will be able to say "See! He's a spammer" .. and get away with it, making me out to be a big liar. I am not a liar and when I am accused of being one I don't handle it very well. All my patience goes out the window -- and it's "on". Someone who goes out of their way to be honest in life gets extremely and profusely offended when being accused of lying -- because although honestly is the best policy, it is a higher road to take. Honest people really to have to take more of a beating in life (it's true), so when I have to take the beating for being a liar as well (when I am not); where do I win? This is why I get so angry when I am accused of lying. Just as it is hard to make this post -- I know it could backfire (I am aware).. but it is the truth, and I am going to stick with the truth and even declare the truth! This post contains not one lie. Not one fabrication. Not one twisted statement. There is no conspiracy here.

So I have to state, and I am sincerely speaking out of nothing but genuine honestly. I absolutely did not have any association with thesecondweb in any way shape or form. If ANYONE makes ANY posts, ANYWHERE stating something to the contrary, please 1). Don't believe them and 2). Direct them to this thread and tell them that you believe me (assuming that you "do" believe me), which I sincerely hope you do. I am not lying, I am not a spammer. I just got excited about (and still am excited about) thesecondweb at the very start because I am a big fan of such websites and such ideas. I have enough experience trying to create such sites to recognize when one is taking off. I could see that thesecondweb was a good idea and that it was taking off, because I looked at the Alexa rankings and searched for what people were saying online from the very start. Also, there is no other twist or information that I am omitting. ie: Don't believe I am guilty of "something", but have found a way to twist my words around into some sort of damage control. I am guilty of nothing. All the posts I made were mate "utterly" out of a genuine interest in thesecondweb and a sincere admiration for the idea.

I can't say more than that. I will not argue with anyone that wants to claim anything different. No accusations can me proven. Therefore, this is my official exit to entertaining any such talk.

Thanks for reading. I hope you will understand.

God is my witness!

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P.S. In anticipation of those that still won't believe me: This is all I have to say -- end of story. Get over it.