News Flash! The Cafe has uncovered the identity of ‘Webpolice’ and turned his name over to the powers that be.
Readers should not presume the identity of ‘Webpolice’ based upon the language used in the email sent to Dr. Baran below. Cafe Admin
Citizen’s view of the value of the Cafe
“In Woodstockistan…” touches on fascism in Woodstock also.
Once again, it would appear that someone is apoplectic at the sheer anonymity of this site. This time the form of this bully’s rage is in an email sent from the so-called “webpolice” to the superintendent of Woodstock Public Schools (and copied to others) accusing the superintendent of being irresponsible for submitting a press release approved by the board to the Cafe. The reasons stated are that this Cafe has no accountability, is not a legitimate news source, and is an aberration. If the Cafe is “unaccountable”, “not legitimate”, and an “aberration”, what should we call the “Webpolice”?” ‘Webpolice’ goes on snorting in righteous indignation remininscent of fascists of the 1940′s, trying desperately to supress whomever he can identify that has a different point of view, in an attempt to impose his twisted beliefs on the rest of us to quell the distribution of information and discussion.
“…there’s a difference between someone anonymously providing a forum/service for others to openly communicate and debate local politics and a pathetic, bullying ignoramus who uses Internet anonymity as a launch pad for personal attacks. My official answer to your question is go pound sand.” Theron Parlin
The Cafe is not surprised at this new development. It is another verification in our belief of the value of providing an arena for people to exchange their opinions and views without putting individual faces to those interactions. Mind you, we are fully aware that some choose to identify themselves, others remain faceless, and some cannot hide their identity regardless of what they call themselves. In fact, we all recognize the tone and verbage of the ‘webpolice’. The only question we have is why did ‘webpolice’ limit himself to the world-wide web? Isn’t ‘webpolice’ really the ‘thought police’.
We regret that Superintendent Baran has had to bear the brunt of this most recent attack. We also regret that someone calling himself ‘webpolice’ has attacked the personal life of someone completely uninvolved in the machinations of Woodstock and the Cafe. However, these attacks corroborate the true nature of this bully. This person is beyond reason or restraint – a brazen bully dependent on the restraint and civility of others. We consider these continued attacks to be psychotic.
Once again, the Cafe provides a meeting place for free expression of ideas and information. The Cafe encourages electronic discussion on both sides of issues. Some of these interactions will be heated, passionate and, yes, some will cross the line of civility. Knowing the breadth of human expression, we exercise restraint in our editing - using editing only as a last resort. We who visit the Cafe are learning as we go. The Cafe began without a blueprint or a defined goal, other than the free exchange of ideas. As individuals we do have our varied points of view. We appreciate the comments and articles from Cafe participants as they allow the discussion to flow in different enlightening directions. Keep talking!
This email sent by ‘webpolice’ to Dr. Baran was forwarded to the Cafe from an reliable source (copies of emails tend to spread due to the slippery slope of the Internet):
“From: “Web Police”
To:
Subject: The Cafe
Mr. Superintendent:
I find it appalling that you would submit official business statements to a website with no accountability that is not a legitimate news source. What exactly is your agenda in doing this? Is it politically motivated? Whatever the reason, it is irresponsible. How dare you add legitimacy to this abberation.
Have you checked into the operator/owner of the site? If not, here is some information for you-
This is the registered owner of the site:
www.theronparlin.com
and a little background on this individual:
http://www.theronparlin.com/2005/06/14/motivations-dirty-secret/
Nice, huh? Are you so desperate for approval that you would associate the school system with the likes of this? What is his motivation for being involved in our town? What is the motivation of the unidentified ‘Administration’ of this site? WAKE UP! This goes for other officials of this two bit town as well.”
Recognize this language? Admin
I don’t get it, you want to encourage anonymity and present your site as a free exchange of ideas and information. Yet if you do not like the exchange or the poster you try to out them and resort to slamming and bullying yourself. It is a blog and you can run it as you want, but you are not bound by , nor are you following the rules for a journalistic enterprise. It is wonderful if the board wants to post here, but in America it should be wonderful if someone questions that decision.
Adm. , The new format is taking me some time to get used to, but “the latest article ” title is helpful. As far as webpolice goes, he has a right to his opinion and the freedom of speech to voice it. However, we have learned that one cannot take the written word at face value. Truth may not be as powerful of a motivator to write as the desire to influence is. Fortunately, a clear thinker can intuitively make conclusions on the character of the writer by the language he uses. To argue the truth with someone who does not value it is not worth the effort. Dr. Baran had the fortitude and wisdom to recognize this site as a means to communicate with a broad, intelligent audience and for that I am grateful. Ken Goldsmith is another upfront kind of guy that I respect because of his informative participation here.. Ironically, we have not heard from any of the selectman at this site. I wonder why? I view this skeptically as unfortunate. Oh, and lastly, I love Citizen Cain.
I visited the web site of theronparlin.com…and must agree with its author.- “webpolice” is a complete jackass! I also found it interesting that the idiots whom we have elected as “selectmen” do not come out of their closets and address this site- or maybe they do- calling themselves “webpolice”? Woodstockctcafe continues a long American tradition of communication- and my hats off to Dr. Baran & Ken Goldsmith for reaching out to its audience. Unaccountable? not legitimate? Go to a selectmen’s meeting- or town meeting. Want honest discussion?- read the cafe. Viva la Cafe!
That I will not surface -
Named and known to you -
Is not what you fear.
That I refuse to give
Public target to you
Is not cowardice.
It is your frustration -
The worm in your wood
That rots inside you.
That my discourse is
But information
And ideas is enough.
I’ll not bow to you,
Your haughty rancor
And vile distemper.
You’ve not a leg or crutch
With which to stand
In want of comity.
You besmirch and stain
All those you touch.
You cannot stand with me.
If the Villager printed exactly what people said, and not just what they thought they heard people say- they would get more information.
If “Comings and Goings didnt exist and torment and harass this region for over ten years with lies and slander and innuendos, then we wouldnt need a blog like this.
Font King
With all due respect, the problem isn’t Comings & Goings (may God Bless Gus- rest his soul). He had some points, both good & bad, but he tried to get the “word out” and was he identified idiots & special interests in our government and he made an issue out of it. God knows how many special “deals” were made without any paper, any web sites, a complete lack of transparency and information. The existing powers in Woodstock thought it was “their” town with their own rules. The beauty of Woodstockctcafe is that it is all about the information, and its open for everyone to add their 2 cents. There has been a lack of honesty within our little government of Woodstock that is all coming to light. This is all positive. The Villager is like every other one way media – they print it on the front page and make corrections on page 4-in small type. Also- consider for a moment the pay scale and quality of reporters working for a small paper like this – who in one’s right mind wants to sit through our selectmen’s meeting even if you get paid for it?? The Villager isn’t the NY Times or Boston Globe and even those folks get it wrong. Lighten up on Chuckie, lest he is demoted to serving up tacos or hamburgers for possbily more money, but not all the prestige of being a “reporter” for the Villager! I truly believe the mistakes in these articles are a reflection of the individual reporters lacking bias but simply due to a lack of experience, knowledge, and motivation to do much more for the “minimum wage”. Hey- why do you think the editor of the Villager was a staunch republican? The democrats are goign to screw up his entire “slave” wage policy!
Bottom line- MORE INFORMATION can only be positive. It is important for everyone to use your intelligence in reading any source!
Nameless- Preston Schultze is the last person to author Gus’s creation, and he is is no literary giant. There are plenty of things going on in government and lots of hints of impropriety happening right here on this site. Yet- he insists on charting the teacher’s path to the bathroom for example, and he insists on crying corruption with the school system insurance plan etc. He needs to move on from the empty slander.
Thank you “Webpolice”.
Through your anonymous communication criticizing anonymous communications, you have reinforced the need for the Cafe’s anonymous public forum. First, its a small town, so one person may wish to criticize another whom they know in the community. Second, CPS has a well earned reputation for intimidation and recrimination. Third, the Academy itself has a (quieter) reputation for rewarding its friends and punishing its enemies through their children.
From what I can see, the truth gets gradually distilled through ongoing debate on this site – debate that could not take place without anonymity. So, the Cafe has taken on a curative role in slowly healing what ails us. Keep it up!
Marty, You have said a lot of things about … (deleted by Admin). We’ve decided to eliminate that information from your comment for now. Admin
To the subject of the lead article, anyone and everyone could have or should have known from the beginning of this webblog that Theron was the person that registered it, that’s all. He is an un-degreed computer wiz that happens to live in Windsor, so what! There are many web site management companies that do the same thing everyday. The way the site is operated is under the guidance and control of the person(s) that input information to it. In the case of this site we refer to him, her or them as the administrator(s).
Marty’s comments require an extremely high level of malevolence to raise these personal issues given their irrelevance to the Town of Woodstock – perhaps someone motivated by a bitter personal experience. Second, they require detailed, very recent knowledge of the inner personnel and technical workings of WPZC few outside the commission would have, understand or even care about. Third, they require a penchant for misinterpretation of land use law as the legal points – each and every one – are entirely incorrect. Fourth, they require a capacity for recharacterization of events after the fact with which many members of WPZC would be very familiar. Finally, they require petulance, immaturity and poor judgement common to young people.
Any idea who this could be?
[...] In Woodstock some recent concepts seem to parallel the ‘decider’ concept so I thought I would take this opportunity to explore the connection. For example, there was the November incident when a ‘sort of’ anonymous person calling himself “Web Policeâ€? emailed the Superintendent of Woodstock schools and members of the BOE to angrily warn them (conceptually) not to use the Café to publish community notices. This warning was in a statement that ended with “This goes for other officials of this two bit town as well.â€? A Café writer responded with “Fascism Rears its Ugly Head in Woodstockâ€? an article published on November 18th. One polite response to Web Police was “…. there’s a difference between someone anonymously providing a forum/service for others to openly communicate and debate local politics and a pathetic, bullying ignoramus who uses Internet anonymity as a launch pad for personal attacks. My official answer to your question is go pound sand.” [...]