I saw this advertised on eBay (a sponsored link):
http://www.aussiefrenchcars.com/?gclid=CNCU8LiV76QCFQjObgodeVG01g

Did the founder of this new forum know about AF? Perhaps he/she has friends at Godaddy?

I see mlb has also found it and has the distinction of being the first (apart from the mod) to post there!

Nup. Staying loyal to the original. There's only one aussiefrogs and nothing could replace it.

and 'aussiefrenchcars' doesn't exactly roll of the tongue...sounds like a poor imitation...not that it's on its lonesome in that (must be the week for it)

checkout the Wanted add...heheheheheh

http://www.aussiefrenchcars.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2055





dino

Agree with Di!

how in the stuffing hell am i there ??

and to the point RB is there as well

i smell something and it not very pleasant

I assure you, neither of those bearing my name have anything to do with me.

Addo is already playing my part for me too.... So that saves me time

could be an alien conspiracy we are now on a paranormal web site and saying nasty things about a yank site the hair on the back of my neck is standing up now or could that just be the a/c or jess under my desk doing what she does best

This looks bad news - Trace route reports the hosting server as

ASN 26496 which is
http://www.robtex.com/as/as26496.html

So it's hosted by GODADDY ?

It ends up being: http://www.infiltrated.net/blacklisted

So someone more savvy me should investigate it.

I hope it's not an attempt to steal traffic from us.

It looks more like a (rather sad) attempt at attention seeking and ego compensation to me. If someone feels so inadequate that they have to create ficticious accounts impersonating people....they obviously have issues

it's a pretty infantile attempt really.

It looks infantile now. But only a few people who have heard about AF need to bookmark it and we have potentially lost them .

Great time to do it with the Familiar Forum Logo out of action and being hosted by another (generous) site.

I believe it needs serious investigation.

I know if someone put an AD in a magazine with rip off logo and similar products I would be doing all I could to get some intelligence.

It's a bit unnerving to see so many screen-names hijacked.

If it's a test forum created in good humour, I for one would appreciate knowing this ASAP. All will be forgiven.

Other scenarios may not make me so happy.

or its John Howard and his CIA mates where is my shoe

I have to tell you all that I am now totally confused as to what is going on!

It looks like the domain name was registered on October 24th, therefore definitely after the loss of Aussiefrogs and it wasn't a long term project but obviously designed after the event. (Not bad for 2 days work)

It's templated off the "AussieSmarts" website.

Hmm...

Wasn't the site for sale before all this?
Perhaps the owner got the shits and gave us the big raspberry.

I don't know , but it seems to me that a whole new thing is needed.
This site right here is slow and over complicated.

We need to have a new creation.

Forumcircle might be a good one. But the bottom line is that someone needs to do something to get the show back on the road. This is the pits.

g'day,
had a look at that site, a Smart car with a MR2 engine seems to go quite well.
regards

G'day,
I went there in order to save my name.

regards

Heck pugnose...hope you're wearing your flameproof suit!

There is a LOT of work going on behind the scenes to get everything back up and running at the AF site. You just have to be a little patient as if you read the threads, you'll see that this is a lot more than an ordinary reconstruction.

we are being very graciously hosted here at the moment and most of us are simply grateful for some temporary place to hang together whist the major repair work goes on.

It wouldn't be the owner.

I'm a bit surprised you say this site is slow and the old one fast, i often gave up on the old aussiefrogs site and guessed correctly (obvious now) that it was on a big US virtual space.

This site i guess has less traffic but has always been super fast for me.

There is a clear thing to note here, while the big US companies are cheap they have REALLY crap customer service and stupid automated systems, you wont necessarily know until it bites you.

ALL (well 99%) hosting review sites are made and run by big US hosting companies, put negative comments about a hosting company up and notice how it disappears, go to whirlpool.net.au for real advice.

I had a site taken off line once by an auto system at 3pm saturday with no warning and no-one capable of fixing the issue (bandwidth overuse) until Monday morning. ie. the account went into whatever state, we couldn't just pay for the extra bandwidth or upgrade, they just turned it off and didnt care less. Thankfully they at least could give me ftp access to get the latest data off 1 hour later and auto refunded the money.

Spot on Di.

It's not our place to judge nor comment. We been "thrown" on totally different a Forum package for a few days. Everyone seems to get around and it's solid and reliable.

So we should be very grateful that David et al has been kind enough to help us out.

Pugnose, whilst I can see your unfamiliarity is causing frustration, after a few hours it gets easier. Just accept the situation and remember we are GUESTS!

i just remembered the irony of our site being taken off line, we were on a medium / high end 12 month plan with unlimited data and got whacked without notice for excess bandwidth. lol

Hardly surprising since this site is hosted by IInet in Australia.

It's like lightning for me with Optus docsis3(100mbps)

Unfortunately I'm speed limited because of exceeding my cap at the moment courtesy of M$ automatic updates yesterday...

This forum is being hosted from Davés place!
This is something we need to look into if I can get an NBN 1GB/s connection here, then there's No Daddy or mummy to worry about.

Joined up there as Fingers, before somebody else does!

The nerve of them!

Wonder what else they're trying?

Well one of the posts has the audacity to say "welcome to the new aussiefrogs". Whoever it is knows aussiefrogs and the personalities well. The whole thing is anonymous. Definitely mischief afoot.

So is it best to totally ignore Aussie French cars, or join up (but not actually participate) and thus prevent misuse of "our" familiar user names.

Are mlb, Pugrambo, Double Chevron et. al. concerned about someone else using "their" aliases - is this "real" identity theft, or just a bit of a laugh?

On balance, I'd prefer not to register, as I don't know how safe it is to give these guys my email address etc. - could be identity theft going on whether you register or they do it for you!

Can't speak for the others, but having the same real-life nickname since 1990, makes me a little precious when it's appropriated for an unspecified end.

I was wondering the same thing Armadillo. A fellow aussiefrogger told me they saw my name listed as the newest member earlier this arvo so apparently my aussiefrog username has already been taken. I tend to feel "don't feed the trolls" as far as participating on their mock forum. When the new aussiefrogs forum gets going I might eventually ask to change my username anyway.

I think it has derogatory undertones, but hidden under the facade of 'humour' thus giving these fools an exit strategy should they be caught out.

I actually pity them as something is obviously lacking in their lives. Maybe they have been ostracised or bullied throughout their lives, or haven't had much success with the opposite sex. So in order to boost their fragile egos they decide to deride others behind the safety of their keyboard, without even the confidence to use their own identity.

I'm not worried about my good name being sullied - I can do that without the help of others - this sort of childish crap just sh*ts me. Fair enough to make an arse of yourself, but have the balls to do it in your own name.

It's all a bit pathetic really.

Matt (the one and only)

Yes Kaye, you're name is there unfortunately.

I have also noticed that some 'true' members have registered there also unknowingly. I'm pretty sure it won't take long before they realise that it's a load of rubbish.

It's only a temporary problem though. Once the full site is back up and running then there will be no need for anyone to go to the other site, even unknowingly. The Aussiefrogs domain name is still ours - well, Gerry's - and with the ability to resurrect a lot of the database then search engines will still point to AF. If there's no content of worth at the other place, then it won't attract traffic.

I suggest that we still monitor it though, and if we find anyone actually making a serious post there then we direct them in the proper direction.

Matt

Plus: I cant register there anyway. My name's already taken

Total idiots do this and one would have to suspect that they might have had something to do with the demise of the old site.
Maybe if they were 14 years old you might eventually forgive 'em but I bet they are a lot older than that.

Nothing short of a public flogging is fit for that kind of treason. Bastards stuff peoples lives for fun. I hope the archives are brought back to life despite these creeps, but if they are caught, they should be made to pay for the trouble.

That’s puzzling Matt as you have to be registered to be able to see any member details so maybe you are but not as mlb? I only know my name was being used because a friend saw it on the front page as the newest member this arvo. I have not registered and don’t wish to.



Also Matt please don’t take this the wrong way as I am not suggesting you have anything to do with creating the mock forum but something you posted earlier suggests it could be connected to someone who has access your Facebook page.

That's where I saw it to. Under the 'latest member' heading. I was just confirming what your friend told you. As well as the other 'innocent victims' I've seen.



Yep, hence the reason I think it's more than people just having a joke. Simple minds have taken it upon themselves to see it as a means of having a go at me in part. The fact that they even know my real name shows that it's not just sh!ts and giggles - it's personal.

Matt

yep, but dont you sign all of your posts as matt?

its hardly going to ruin your career.

I've dealt with bigger fools in the past - but not many lol

Maybe I'm just getting sensitive in my old age

Matt

if this isnt a friendly jibe (nothing untoward is mentioned that i saw) then let me just say there are many fools on the internet, dont be disturbed by them, keep your distance.

Thanks for your concern spar, but all good. I'm not worried about it all, I just have little tolerance for those I consider beneath me. Especially when they use me to give themselves false feelings of adequacy.

Regards

Matt

I have been known as Fingers since 1979.

[quote=FingersI have been known as Fingers since 1979. [/quote]

Dare one ask why?



Mike.

Dare one ask why?



Mike.[/quote]

please no

my head can't take it today lol

i reg'd at the other site to show that the fake pugrambo is not me

but i also gave a few posts

I see some cheeky barstard pom has also posted.

I just can't think who that was.



Mike. aka hopeless.

PS. If there is an AF with the username hopeless I'll apologise now.

It had been intimated to me that a particular AF member was behind the ring-in.

I've been in contact with them, and they deny any involvement. In a way, I'm pleased. Saved me an airfare, LOL.

Also Mike, that two smilies with pots of beer thingy, reminds me of Smiffy, our Bristol member (other than Doc Chevron)...

[quote=Mimis_dadI see some cheeky barstard pom has also posted.

I just can't think who that was.

[/quote]

Meant to say, please feel free to comment in a similar vein. If they ban us all they're stuffed, right?
I'm looking forward to Friday night and very much doubt I'll still be a member when I wake on Saturday.



Mike.

It is better NOT to join.

Every added member, whether legitimate or not, adds to their site traffic, as does posting their link in here.

What a crazy thing to do, especially if you don't want a rival of any sort to get the better of you. (I realise the person who posted the link is not the owner of aussiefrogs, and possibly has no real interest in seeing aussiefrogs resurrected.)

How can you stop them using an alias? If they register "pugrambo" and the aussiefrogs pugrambo registers as "pugrambo_real" someone else can then register "pugrambo_fake" or whatever, and on and on you go.

The site will die without users.



It certainly is not identity theft. An alias or nickname on a website is not a true identity. If no one else registers, the fake/stolen aliases will all die a natural death.



It's probably attempted site-loyalty theft. It's not a joke, or not one in good taste.

Cheers ;-)

The T

I certainly am interested in seeing AF resurrected (although naturally it's not a financial interest)!

I posted the link to keep froggers informed of what is going on, and doing so has led to the discovery of a suspicious connection between this new site and Godaddy. People were definitely going to discover it for themselves anyway, as it's advertised on eBay, and goodness only knows where else!Discussing it here means that people are better informed and are less likely to stumble across the new site accidently and possibly mistake it for the real thng (especially as the number of fake posts builds up...).

I agree that the best policy now is to keep right away - don't even look, as that would keep the traffic counters ticking over, and defer it's inevitable demise.

I tend to find all the best jokes are in bad taste.

Jo

Dare one ask why?



Mike. [/quote]
Ask my brother, his name is Toes.....

The who-dunniting is a tad amusing coming from some who joined up leaving us to guess who they were.

I said which aussiefrogs member I was when I joined but have taken it off my sig. now ........ it might get pinched again.....

I, like many, don't like the thought that someone else could become me. Whilst only an AFer since late last year it has been a great ride.
Met some new faces, renewed friendships and got the odd part. Helped where I could and suffered the odd brain snap.
If at all possible when the new and improved AussieFrogs re-launches I would like the pseudonyms to be correctly assigned. Nothing lifts my spirits more than a post from "some Yorkshire gas fitter" as I know it will provide entertainment.
The thought that others could use "our" good names for mischief and worse abhors me. Not being that tech savvy and/or conversant as to the nice way to protest disapproval of cyber identity theft. I like my 'name' and would not like it besmirched.
Possibly another task I've just burdened GibGib and the leading lights with!

[quote=Mimis_dadI see some cheeky barstard pom has also posted.


[/quote]

Well, how surprising, some person has deleted my thread.

Doesn't do much for the self-esteem when a bunch of half-baked dickheads think you're not good enough.



Mike.

You're not related to the judge who hasn't got any fingers by any chance?

You must know the guy I mean,.....Justice Thumbs



Mike.

Not that I am aware

I confess to going over and having a quick look at the other forum. To save you all the same trouble there's FA going on. The posts are crap and 19 of the 35 members have made 48 posts in 14 forums. About 47 of those are rubbish

Hi everyone
That other site is not an issue anymore, popped in to check and they have closed down due to lack of support!!!!! although I like many others have appreciated being hosted here it will be great to have AussieFrogs back and really great to have as much as possible data retrieved. keep up the good work everyone.
Neil

Hey guys, I signed up to the forum and made a post under the name of "The sceptic". I just received this email from the website.

Hi,

Thanks for joining AussieFrenchCars.com

The Australian French Car community has made it clear to us that there is no requirment for another internet forum on the topic of French cars in Austrlalia.

We accept this position with grace, and wish AussieFrogs a speedy recovery.

It was never our intention to "compete" with or "hijack" or "muscle in" on AF, we just felt that as that site was up for sale / up and down all the time and now gone altogether the community might want an alternative.

You've told us that no you don't so all good!


Here is a link there:

http://www.AussieFrogs.com



Thanks

Hayden

They are


There is an email address, we need to send an email a day to them from every single one of us to fill their inbox and really piss them ORF.

aussiefrenchcars AT gmail dawt com

not sure I'd waste the 30 seconds to bother emailing them as I don't exactly want to give them my email address

but I will take 30 seconds to say that closing that site was probably the best decision they've made all year.

i dunno i found the whole thing rather amusing.

Maybe you're missing something.

Forget the humour a minute, even leave out the social functions. Right at the "guts" of AussieFrogs was a committed group (by no means a static collection; people came and went) - who shared what they were doing, with the idea it might benefit or inspire others.

David_S and the Xantia antisink valve. Magic and his incredible "lobster back". Double Chevron and his CX respray. Dino's shed. Gibgib and his 2CV rebuild. Owen Wuillemin's CNC mastery. The list could go on for ages.

To me (and a good few others, who may or may not post much), that was the kind of stuff which kept people coming back. Mocking it by assuming usernames and engaging in pretend antics, was a petty spoiling of the good bits.

That's why some of us got a bit irate! It's a three-dimensional thing, with real people, real cars and real grime and that element deserves respect.

Good post Schlemiel, you said it so well, thank you.

I’d also like to add that the overall true enthusiasm and goodwill of the majority of aussiefroggers
and the very kind help here from the AUS-City folks by allowing us to share their space
(that's not meant to be a pun ) more than makes up for some of the not so pleasant stuff that can happen on the internet.

Couldn't be bothered. I suspect they have learnt their lesson along with the wasted expenditure in time and webhosting.