Slashdot Mirror
Compensation for Bandwidth Costs is Extortion?
Tha_Big_Guy23 asks: "According to this article, a man who created a website for his local Sheriff's department is being charged with extortion. This was caused by taking down the website after repeated attempts to get compensation from the county to cover the bandwidth costs. As a result, all his personal computer property, and company computer property was seized and he was jailed."
"After being jailed he was charged with extortion, larceny by conversion, using a computer to commit a crime, and obstruction of justice. This website explains in more detail the circumstances surrounding the situation. Has anyone on Slashdot ever had an experience where a client was unwilling to compensate you for either your work, and/or the resources required to do your work?"
While the end result of this situation is a shame, let this situation serve as a warning for those of you who work, without a contract in place. While it is the general hope that people will behave in an honorable manner, sometimes this is just not the case, and contracts exist to protect both parties, when things go sour.
While the end result of this situation is a shame, let this situation serve as a warning for those of you who work, without a contract in place. While it is the general hope that people will behave in an honorable manner, sometimes this is just not the case, and contracts exist to protect both parties, when things go sour.
everyone on his MSN contact list was placed under observation.
"Is this just useless, or is it expensive as well?"
Since the site shut down Jan. 1, the sheriff's office set up its own site, www.macomb-sheriff.com. The new site is bare bones compared to the original one, but Hackel said it provide the most important function -- public communication with his office in the form of e-mail.
I see why they needed somebody else to build their web site -- they think they need a web page in order to receive email!
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Now this is weird, I _just_ took a break to read slashdot from desiging the website for the police service in my city.
Thank god I'm not going to be hosting it.
He's going to be pissed once he realises he's been slashdotted.
If it didn't have the bandwidth problems before, it sure will now!
Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
The only hits this guy's getting now are if he runs a webcam in jail! 300 grand for a website... did he neglect to mention hosting the site on a SunFire 5k with 25 CPU's in it or something?
stuff |
and the law won...
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
...for hosting and their rates have really skyrocketed since their purchase of SCO licenses.
"My shitty site gets in the order of 50-70k hits a month and I know its only my mom."
Should've posted the URL here, dude.
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
Have you seen their website? http://www.macomb-sheriff.com/
Their new web designer should probably go to jail too.
Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
You run a seniors porn site?
"Welcome to the Springfield Police department web site."
"Press YES if you have committed a crime, and wish to confess. Otherwise, press NO."
[Click]
"You have selected NO, which means you have committed a crime, but do not wish to confess."
"A padywagon is now speeding to your location."
"In the meantime, please look at our online store. You have the right to remain...Fabulous!"
Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.
How many before being slashdotted? 10?
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
At what other news site could you exercise your mind to read between the lines, besides Slashdot?
Fox ?
IT BURNS IT BURNS!
I was going to say it looks like a 10 year old designed it. But my 10 year old came in and said "Gee dad, that sure sucks.".
I hope they get this guy before he defaces any other web site.
By another measure, this guy is asking for almost a dime per hit! Did he confuse web hosting and crack dealing?
sulli
RTFJ.
In other words,
Oh, I'm very familiar with North American 'news.' My original post employs what is called sarcasm. It's actually quite useful, but may sometimes be misinterpreted in media which are lacking the ability to convey tone of voice.
I generally tend to ignore American media.
And what have we learned today, children?
Do not attempt to scam people who have the power to throw you in jail. The elderly are a much better target.
Thank you and goodnight.
-B
Only hosipitalised? Well, baby steps I guess..
Welp, I have read over the parent story, the 2 linked stories, and the replies on this site. While there is not enough to make a final judgement. With that said...
Conclusion:
1. Pat ran the risk of any business, investing time and money.
2. He registered the name in his own name, as customers do not understand domains, UDAI, and why am I getting this bill from this odd company.
3. Pat tried to get recompense for 2 years of work
4. Pat is a poor business man who doesn't know contracts, TOS's etc.
5. Pat is inexperianced.
Also from this page, presumably, the average Slashdoter:
1. Is a talented web designer. Not to mention developer.
2. Is brilliant at business, draws up brilliant, watertight contracts for every job.
3. Is paid $1.50 per hour. And wouldn't have it any other way.
4. Believes crimes against soft entities(murdered, raped humans) is a darwinian consequence, whereas being a bad web designer, and business man deserves death( with preliminary torture session for resistering domain name in his name).
5. Is relieved to see IT worker pay structure is somewhere around street sweeper, and lawyers, copyrighters, graphic designers, govt employees are sooo deserving of the high pay they get.
In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
I slashdotted the Sheriff, but I did not slashdot the depute.
The heathens of course! Gooooooooo heathens!
Tiled pink background + oversized US Flag + 3 short columns of centered text + strange rendering makes it too wide for browser initially + animated gifs + blue underlined text that's not a hyperlink + link to where you already are + lame useless joke about dashes = head implosion.
Ah, yes. fountainhead_463@hotmail.com. Nothing like a hotmail.com address to inspire confidence in your professionalism or legitimacy. Throw in "_463" at the end there is no doubt whatsoever.
"When it rains, it pours." --Morton's Salt
Actually, that's 3.5 million users per month...
42 million per year
115.5 million for the lifetime of the site
That's 116,666-2/3 users per day!
And I was one of those 116,666-2/3 users waiting, finger poised over mouse, for that exhilarating first day when the sheriff's site first opened!
Of course, as one of those single users, I was only allowed to send a single "GET" http command. I had to get all my friends to send their single GET command, so that we could see the pictures of all our favorite celebs at the site, too.
One friend misspelled it as "GTE" and was shamed forever. Maybe after another 119 years when all 5 billion humans on earth have had their chance to be a "user", they'll allow him to try again.
He forgot the 285th rule of acquisition: "No good deed goes unpunished."
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Surely this is flamebait. He even admits to running counter to our 'view'.
Burn him!
On the one hand you have a Sherrif that locks up people if they look at him funny. On the other hand you have a scheming web-designer that tries to rip-off the Sherrif's department.
Sounds like a movie remake of the Dukes of Hazzard to me. Well, after the Avengers, Charlies Angels and Starsky and Hutch what would you expect? Have the Duke boys solve the dispute, add car chases to taste and you have a working script.
Have you seen their website? http://www.macomb-sheriff.com/
:) Still, I think that sheriff site has them beat. It's so bad you have to think it's intentional...
Their new web designer should probably go to jail too.
Check this one out. It's a website for a local theatre - gaudy as hell with poorly presented content. I actually emailed them and complained about their poor design... didn't hear anything back though
Magnatune: Quality (DRM-free) MP3/FLAC/
If this had been reported on FoxNews, Richard would have been a member of Al Qaeda trying to create a fifth column in the sheriff's office through his web design skills.
Hammer of Truth
If Pat thinks paying (or "volunteering" as both links indicate) $300,000 in services and bandwidth are tough on him, wait until he gets the bill for his defense website getting slashdotted. Justice4Pat? Yes, it is.
Mr. T pitied this fool on 27 July 1992.