hjalti

He updated his blog post about the DCMA notice with a screenshot. Seems to have sent an e-mail to "neilgodfrey1@gmail.com" at 6/26/13 at 12:56 PM, which translated from the barbaric notations of the Americans as "2013-06-26 12:56".

The e-mail is a request, but doesn't say anything about a takedown or something like that.

Grog

I posted a complaint on the wordpress forum.

http://wordpress.org/support/forum/r...s-and-feedback

stephan huller

Apparently a friend has noted that some of Vridar is available here

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://...wordpress.com/

Robert Tulip

Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut!

Earl Doherty's critique of Bart Ehrman published first at Vridar is an important scholarly contribution. These extensive threads have also been removed from public view as collateral damage to this spat.

The censorship of Earl's great material by Wordpress because some dumb fool cannot tolerate being exposed as an idiot is a scandal and a disgrace. The internet should promote freedom of speech.

Wordpress failed to ensure that a complaint was received before taking extreme measures. This is something they will regret and learn from. An alleged small copyright violation is no reason to remove a large and popular and scholarly website from the internet without due process. To limit its reputational damage, which is already quite bad, Wordpress should immediately restore Vridar.

neilgodfrey

I have checked my email and spam folders and there is nothing -- no warning or take-down notice of any kind from Wordpress or Joel Watts. Nothing.

I have asked Joel on McGrath's site to produce copies of any email warning he sent with evidence of time sent and address to which it was sent.

The only take-down notice I received is the one from Wordpress AFTER I requested it and after Vridar was deactivated. They did not provide any evidence or indication of when it had been initially sent or to what address. I have also requested this information.

stephan huller

But of course since you are you and Joel is Joel the 'biblioblog community' has already decided you are lying and Joel is telling the truth - even though he never mentioned any of this in the lead up to your conversation with Wordpress. He was just like 'hey, it's really hard to bring down someone's blog; I've tried to do it to friends but never enemies.' And even with that the kangaroo court said 'we believe him, we believe him.'

Vallhall

No allegation, no formal communication, no rights or even simply the slightest sign of any warning.

At least people learn how useful, and reality of what the still expanding "anti-piracy laws" are. Yarr yarr...

Strange that people seem surprised about these new laws, and how they function when they are put in action.

neilgodfrey

I believe I can piece together a partial explanation for Vridar's deactivation.

A few days ago there was one blog post of mine that was made "Private" and I thought that my co-author had accidentally put it in this status, so I made it Public again. It now appears -- given what Joel Watts is now saying online -- that Wordpress had made that post "Private" at Joel Watt's request.

When I changed the status of that post back to "Public" it appears that Wordpress and Joel interpreted that as a blatant violation of their requests.

But I did not receive any warning notice at all. Joel has produced an image of an email apparently establishing that he did send me warning, but I can assure you that a thorough and repeated search of my gmail account, including trash and spam bins, produces no evidence at all of this email.

Nor did I ever receive any take-down notice by Wordpress. The first I saw that notice was after I requested it after the blog was deactivated.

Had I received such an email notice I would have modified my post to be sure I avoid any breach of copyright. At the time I copied his post for purposes of legitimate criticism and I acknowledged and linked to his original all in good faith.

Roger Pearse

Neil, have you completed the form at

http://en.support.wordpress.com/suspended-blogs/

Apparently this is what you need to do in order to talk to the staff.

If I may? -- I suggest you don't complain; merely explain that there has been a misunderstanding with use of public/private on the post; that you didn't see the DCMA notice, or you would have actioned it. Ask politely whether they can give you back access so you can delete the post and carry on? Failing which, can you have an export with images?

Remember the staff member reading it will spend only 30 seconds on your request, so keep it brief.

Never mind the recriminations; just focus on getting your content back.

hjalti

Joel's blog seems to be marked as cc:

See this screenshot.

Am I missing something?