When you relogged in this time Marguerite, you possibly missed getting a capital in there. But, then again, maybe not.

I know I did. It will let me log in either way, don't know what is up with that, but it is causing hiccups all over. A couple of folks were prevented from logging in with their long time user names and passwords, so had to pick others in the interim.

Lots of trouble, not just with you.

Most people who had to create a new account because they couldn't log on are having that problem because they have had more than one name attached to GW in the past.

Hmmmm.

I have to type in an initial capital "0" in order to log in, which I never had to do before. I found myself locked out for a couple days, and wondered why -- I was quite sure I'd been well-behaved! Then I noticed others were signed in without their usual initial caps, so I tried the opposite with my login, and it worked. Odd, but whatever works, I guess.

I'm posting this on behalf of someone who was unable to post for himself, due to the sign-in garbage that has been going on. -- Jen

This is the fellow who used to post as Pennsylvania Pete. I have only had one user name since registering and have been on GW since 1996 (the former name i posted with was retired when registration was made mandatory by Spike. I cannot post anymore either. I hope to never need to post here either. I think that the final Hmmm from Mr Brown is snide and unwarranted. There IS a problem with this site. iVillage decided to change something so basic to the site as the registration of its members, and didn't even bother to let the members know. There is an explanation in Suggestion Forums. For someone to suggest that only those who have used multiple names are having a problem is uninformed at best or arrogantly snide if the poster knows anything about Marguerite.
GW has been on crusade to maximize the profits and ignore the posters since they Mar04. Emails sent are not answered, the pleas in the Suggestions Forums for explanations go unsanswered. This is not the first time I have seen a few days of electronic upheavals followed by a visible change (the fonts, the homepage, just about everything). No advance warning of "You may see some changes in the next few days...", no explanation or apology afterwards. Absolute disregard for the people who post.
The reason one could get a sense of betrayal is that on this site the content is given to the owners. We, you and me, provide the reasons that somebody in Singapore or Romania or anywhere else would seek out a site so dominated by ads. The number of hits is directly related to the ad revenue. Assuming the rates have stayed about even, then judging by the number of ads nowadays this site must be making serious coin. That said, the owners are entitled to a profit of course, but the site was already profitable enough that iVillage was interested. Spike made a living at it. I think many of the changes are driven by greed, that the owners feel that no matter what they do we will put up rather than walk. Me, I'm walking. I am tired of providing content for an outfit that can't be bothered to either answer my email or post advance notice of the turmoil they knew would ensue from their changes. Pete

I couldn't figure it out and I had to go through a few combos until I relaized I coudln't use any caps in ym name or my password.

Oh dear lord in heaven, Pete.

The "hmmmm" had nothing do to with what you read into it. That's completely absurd. The "hmmm" was because I've noticed it happening to a lot of people and even posted about it in the C&S forum so seeing yet ANOTHER person with the same problem kind of proved to me that my "theory". Was correct, even though I don't run iV I do run a forum of my own. And I've come across a problem like this and have had mini disaster like iV is having now. When I replied to the orginal post I was sitting here scratching my head, wondering if they're having the same problem I've had. Look at my post from earlier in the morning, fromC&S forum:

RE: Update -- Saturday 1/7

* Posted by: mrbrownthumb z5 Chicago (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 12:30

Thanks for working on the problem

I've read in various forums posts from people who can't access their accounts, or a different name is showing up. You may have already figured it out; but I've noticed that a good portion of the people reporting this problem have been people who state that they've changes their names. I know there used to be the option to change your name one time, after you signed up. So the mix up could be coming from there.

Good luck with getting the rest of the issues with the upgrade resolved, and getting things back to normal.

Now look at the reply from the GW to my comment;

jessy, mrbrownthumb

* Posted by: gwtamara Cyberspace Zone (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 16:28

The problem does indeed lie with members who've changed their names at some point. But, it has been reported and tech is working to restore the display so that it shows the most recent name. Nothing like a blast from the past, eh? ;)

And now my reply to the gw staffer;

RE: Update -- Saturday 1/7

* Posted by: mrbrownthumb z5 Chicago (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 16:45

gwtamara

Aha! Looks like I was right with my theory. I'm available for consultations and will work for plants. :o)

Good luck.

So the 'hmmm' was nothing personal and not even directed at the original poster. It was me just thinking typing out loud. I'm sorry that you (or anyone else) read WAY too much into it. I've spent the past couple of days trying to help people across this website configure their ad block to remove ads, and fix their profiles, and find their e-mail links, just to keep the peace and sense of normalcy in a community I feel part of and help people find answers and ease their confusion.

Quite frankly should anything like this happen again, I won't do a thing but sit back and watch the fires. Because this is now the second time that someone has attacked me for no reason simply because they can't direct their anger at appropriate targets and stop projecting onto their feelings others.

If you found something offensive about what I wrote you could have easily have e-mailed me from my page, or from the last e-mail I sent you. Instead of sending someone in to do your dirty work.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU, PETE.

MBT

Here is a link that might be useful: LINK TO THE THREAD I COPIED AND PASTED FROM

I just double checked my last post and realized that when English is your second language. Having a spell checker could really improve your typing skills. LOL sorry about all the typos and gramatical errors.

Second I noticed the title of this thread was "Case sensitivity".

LOL Case sensitivity, indeed.

Unless I'm gone really forgetful, I don't recall ever changing my name since I came here. Larry reports that his new name was changed back to his old, and mine is still the same, so I'm sure that's not it. Nothing much to worry about either, I suppose, when all's said and done! Thanks for the replies.

Another day, another snide aside from MBT. I had no idea I could ever get back on, after trying many things since Thur. night, and I asked Jenn to post for me. As you can see, I am on under another name, but this is still PA-Pete. Thanks to people like Cena and Jen and others who gave clues, I found that all lower case letters and underscores allow me to come back, but under another name only. And the administrators want to blame this on me? Can you say chutzpah? If you go to Hortiplex, there is a clue, here it is:

PLEASE NOTE: This site is being moved to a new server and users are currently unable to use this feature.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
GardenWeb

So for all the nice little tea chats you had with them, they still did not level with you MBT. Feel used now? Feel like you really aren't valued any more than those of us who are running for the Exits?

It is so hard to explain the past to those who waltz on here and think the party started the day they registered. Especially for somebody who wants to be prima donna, emcee and interlocutor all rolled up into one. You paint yourself as a victim very adroitly, I must say. You obviously don't see the frowns and furrows in your wake, sort of how the admins of this site see us too. You see, MBT, accusing somebody of using more than one name always was considered tacky at best or malicious if the purpose was to get somebody booted to Disney. Marguerite has always been above board and sympathetic, and I am fiercly loyal to honest people. That said, it appears that you were not arrogant, just uninformed, but, since you do not expect honesty or humility from your new friends who run GW, you will get no apology from me.

For the owners to say
"Posted by: gwtamara Cyberspace Zone (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 16:28

The problem does indeed lie with members who've changed their names at some point. But, it has been reported and tech is working to restore the display so that it shows the most recent name. Nothing like a blast from the past, eh? ;)"

THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM, WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, they are moving stuff around, by their own account, elsewhere. So that makes your "theory" preposterous. Theory as evidenced here:

"And now my reply to the gw staffer;
RE: Update -- Saturday 1/7
* Posted by: mrbrownthumb z5 Chicago (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 16:45
gwtamara

Aha! Looks like I was right with my theory. I'm available for consultations and will work for plants. :o)"

So natter away with your anonymous staffers. When they bought GW in March 04 they said nothing would change. That was a lie. Worse than a change is the fact that they don't announce it, don't warn, and give no clues on how to fix it. We have to rely on unpaid members for real info and the likes of people like you to spout the party line. It is the depth of depravity to blame US for problems they loose. If I went to a restaurant that burned my food and then blamed me for it, I would not pay, nor would I ever go back. Many of the posters who provided first rate content in the Trees Forum have gone to Davesgarden.com, and I intend to follow them. Not sure what I'll find, but this site has shown how valued we are. There are a multitude of plant sites on the net. Cactuspro.com has an English (unused) section in their Forum for instance.

So far as their getting back to you and not me, I sent 2 small notes asking if the problem was on their end or on mine. One was sent to 'Letters and Comments", one to "Technical". Neither was replied to. Even something as simple as the notice they post in Hortiplex would have gone a long way to salvaging any milk of kindness I had for them. Instead we get nothing from them and you quoting their "You are to Blame" malarky. Shame on you, 2 uninformed opinions in one thread. (Marguerite had posted under another name, and the problem is with the people who are posting, that's 2.) Perhaps you should take a rest and allow the truth to emerge, that way you won't seem like a shill for iVillage and get your feelings hurt.

A parting shot here, for MBT. My first day all in English was the day I entered kindergarten (we went all day). I was kept in the slow class until 4th grade (although I had been reading English since I was 5) because of my accent (all but gone now). I too make spelling errors and typos, but I do not blame them on my having another mother tongue. I accept them as part of the written word. I have that wonderful book called Dictionary that helps me when I am unsure of my spelling. I do not blame it on something else, I am not a victim, if you will. Some play the victim to the hilt, some shoulder what comes their way without ascribing it to some other condition and claiming not to be able to do anything about it. Goodbye. BTW, for the first time, loading GW caused my system to lock up. Must be some good changes coming to GW with their new servers. A bigger pipe for more ads. Yippee!

Pete or Pinette, get off your cross we need the wood.

You paint yourself as a victim very adroitly, I must say.

Thanks. But you see it's easy to do so when others who see it too. Rational people like, sjv79736 who posted this on Friday in the Cacti&Succulent board.

Posted by: sjv78736 austin texas (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 06 at 21:28
MBT - thank you for your link. I appreciate your attempts to help make IVill's GW experience more palatable. I noticed in other posts where your efforts were blasted. I am sorry for that. I feel like the reaction was due, in no small measure, to the fact that it does not address the deep-seated angst many at GW are feeling at having their favored daughter sold like chattel to the street corner pimp.

I'd allow room for your view on me IF there wasn't confirmation from an outside party the day before I even mentioned it here. See how that works?

You see, MBT, accusing somebody of using more than one name always was considered tacky at best or malicious if the purpose was to get somebody booted to Disney.

Now, this is rich. I already told you that your 'theory' was crazy. But what I find ironic is that if you take a moment and think back, you and your friend theorized that I was littledanni (trying to make waves) in the Cacti&Succulent forum. So please note that the moral highground you're standing on is nothing more than an ant hill.

"...you will get no apology from me....

That's ok. Being right is it's own reward.

THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM, WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, they are moving stuff around, by their own account, elsewhere. So that makes your "theory" preposterous. Theory as evidenced here:

Did you see Greenlarry's name reverted to his old name? Oh dear, does that mean that my theory that GW's system is mixing up the names associated to particular e-mail accounts? By gosh maybe me and gwtamara are right! And once they figure out the problem they'll be able to get people back to their current name.

Unlike you who expects the worst in people, I understand that people outgrow their names from time to time and want to change them. I know this from experience running my own forum and having the names get screwed up when I changed servers.

It is the depth of depravity to blame US for problems they loose.

No one is blaming you(or members), for anything. It is simply and explanation for the reason that the names are going back to what they used to be. A lot of people are curious how they got back to the name they were years ago.

So natter away with your anonymous staffers.

She's not anonymous. I believe her name is Tamara. You can find her in the Comments and Suggestion forum answering questions trying to help out with problems and taking the brunt of the blows being directed at iVillage.

I'm begining to see why they probably wouldn't answer your direct e-mails. If you're addressing me like you have in this thread I can only imagine how you address the people who you're really angry at. BTW people who are posting in the comments in suggestions in a rational and respectful tone are getting direct replies from GW in the threads they're posting in. So if anyone is having a problem...it's better, quicker and easier than sending an e-mail to post there.

...I too make spelling errors and typos, but I do not blame them on my having another mother tongue...

Yeah, thanks for the tip. Here's one for you; Try to get a sense of humor, preferable a self-depricating one. I find that having one does wonders for the personality. I'm able to laugh at myself and do things like point out my own spelling errors.

Dam, I'm tired of logging in. Every time, I click that "save this info on my computer" icon, hoping that this time it'll work. But it never does. It never does...

Anyway - Pete, mbt - guys, cool it, for everyone's sake. Brown thumb, you clearly had no idea what kind of inferences regular long-time users would make from comments about multiple identities. GW had issues in the past with a few users who would troll and cause problems under multiple identities. Spike often had to rely on members to identify these people. It was nasty. Pete, clearly MBT thought he had an idea of what was going on, and wanted to offer support to people who didn't. So he was wrong. We all are occasionally.

Anyway, I've been to davesgarden. I know a lot of people like it, but (I'm almost afraid to say this) it's very, well, vocally christian. Whenever I would open up a forum, there would be post upon post asking for prayers for loved ones or some poor soul read about in a newspaper. Of course, this was YEARS ago - like five years ago, or so. And maybe things have changed since then. But I found many of the regulars unfriendly unless users offered up said prayers for the unfortunate. It made me feel uncomfortable. But again, many people are fine with that, and find that davesgarden is a helpful, entertaining, and friendly site. Certainly, I remember that many helpful, entertaining, and friendly people from GW were also members of DG. I think it just sort of depends with how comfortable you are with the religio-spiritual atmosphere. I wasn't. But maybe you will be...

Pete,

I think the only thing I agree with you on is that they should have announced the changes better.

Thursday night when I tried to log onto GW I got a message that said the site was undergoing an update and to try my request later. They should have also left a message in the S&C forum...but they didn't. When I couldn't log in, noticed my page was gone and was having problems with the site. I rubbed my two brain cells together and sort of figured it had to do with the message I got on Thursday night, and worked around it.

But I wish that they had because it could have saved the GW community a lot of ridicule. A lot of gardening forums are all gossiping about what is going on in the S&C forum and how people are reacting to the update glitches. I occassionaly post on another small gardening forum that is dominated by a handful of 'professionals' and elitest who go to great lenghts put down hobby gardeners who share pics or 'don't have good taste'. I'll often steer the people who I see are getting bashed by the 'pros' to GW, because people for the most part are nicer and helpful.

Do you know that because of the reactions down in S&C people across the internet are talking about GW? Even sites that aren't about gardening are talking about the people in S&C that they termed; "Freaks, whinners, desperate housewives, wackos, conspiracy nuts" So I too wish they would have announced the upgrades and I wish they would have done something about the S&C forum. Because what happened down there simply could have been avoided.

MBT, your post is so full of errors, I don't know where to start. I am not blasting you for trying to help, so that part of your victimization complex should take a rest. For you to insinuate that is more of your martyr complex. Find me one word, one phrase where I denigrate you efforts to help. Not about your links, not about your suggestions. I am blasting you because you are lying and grovelling.

If you can find one reference I ever made to you're being anybody other than mbt, you can post it here. Your thinking that I was somebody who accused you of being somebody else is crap. Because somebody else said that on a thread I replied to doesn't mean I am complicit in the thought. You are lying when you say that I ever said that. Just because somebody may have agreed with me and accused you of having an alter ego doesn't mean I said it, but if you want to suffer, go for it. Just don't lie about the reasons. I do not concern myself with whatever other name you may have or have not had. I would recognize your abject grovelling for iVillage anywhere.

And your being right doesnot include the fact that some people who have never changed names are bothered. You don't have truth and justice with you there either. You are so full of yourself that you hop all over the forums trying to be a hero. Go for it, but please stay within what the facts are. If only one person who never changed her name is having problems, that shoots the stupid theory you concocted to cover up for GW. If you listen to those who sing only your praises, your vanity will cause you problems, but I don't give a whit about that.

"She's not anonymous....". And last month we had Josh, and next month somebody else. Are you that naive to believe that this Tamara is anything but a paid (as opposed to your unpaid status) apologist for GW? and not a good one at that. My first e-mail to her/it was a 2 line missive explaning my problem and asking for information. ("Are there technical problems preventing my logging on?") I guess if I gushed to her about how smart I am that I figured out that it is the posters who brought this problem onto themselves she would probably agree.

If you don't think they are blaming the poster/users, why would they write "The problem does indeed lie with members who've changed their names..." and not "We are having technical difficulties because we are switching servers?" So, your theory that I have ever accused you of changing names is a lie, that only people who have changed their name are having difficulties is a lie. You have no credibility with anybody who will read this. They can go to the C&S Forum and dig up the post (wasn't it your debut post or something?)and read for themselves what I wrote. Nowhere does it include questioning your ID. So fess up and quit lying. And so far as posting in Suggestions and Comments, two things:
1) How long are the people there waiting for an answer? Most of those threads are unanswered from management. Whether the question is a request for a new forum or a question about technical problems, I would like you to find one topic addressed by Tamara within 3 days of its posting.
2) They still have not clued anybody in to why there are all these problems, instead telling us that we have the problem because 4 years ago when we made our registration permanent we gave up another old name.

Your inability to see that they set this in motion shows your level of objectivity. If you are willing to swallow their line, go for it. And so far as a sense of humor, I have a very good one. Most people who know me will tell you 'funny' if asked to describe me. Your arrogance and belief that you hold the only truth brings out all the bile I can muster. I am hoping that I may never have to address you again, but I don't plan on letting you get away with your lies either.

One more thing, if you should answer this, please start by qouting and citing where I made reference to you being anybody else. Otherwise it will just be more lies. This is your victim complex writ large causing your memory to have problems.

I think things are getting better. I do not see ads and I did not have to log in. I have no caps in my name and I am only known as tootswisc. I did unclick my email address yesterday.

I wonder how many people are working on this site. I wonder if this site has the capability to make an entry into every forum. I wonder how many people are logged in here right now. Is this a machine problem that can't handled humanly. Is this machine making us humans act strange and I say that lovingly not to be critical cause I am probably the strangest.

Pete,

I don't even know why I'm going to bother with this but here it goes....

Find me one word, one phrase where I denigrate you efforts to help...

Both of your posts in reference to my original comment...are as you put it; 'blasts' to my trying to help.

Because somebody else said that on a thread I replied to doesn't mean I am complicit in the thought...

Oh now that's rich. So now you don't believe in guilt by association? I wouldn't have figured that from your views on my 'shilling' for GW. I'd go find the post for you (not by debut though, you're wrong about that)but I believe it's been deleted. I was going to go back and quote it...but it wasn't there which is why I put 'theorized'. But I believe it was addressed directly to you and the line was something like; "...If the truth were known...i'd bet MBT and lilttledanni are one in the same..." And then that other person resurected the thread just to attack you in it. If you didn't agree with it or believed it and since apparently there was a big history here with trolls, why not say something like; "Let's not jump to conclusions and accuse someone of having multiple handles yadda yadda yadda"..if you cared so much about GW and the people here?

If only one person who never changed her name is having problems, that shoots the stupid theory you concocted to cover up for GW.

Wow are you a big conspiracy buff? You see it's not one person there are a lot of people all across GW who are reporting going back to old handles. In the seed exchange & plant exchange, the garden party, the winter sowing forum and TONS of them in the S&C forum. Just the ones I can rememebr reading people wanting their new names back. It's not just one person...what's that saying about 2 is a coincidence 3 makes it a trend? Is that how it goes?

I would like you to find one topic addressed by Tamara within 3 days of its posting...

There are tons of replies from her all around S&C. I think this one was a reply to this poster within an hour (or two) of her posts. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/suggest/msg0122094429833.html?9
I don't know why I even bothered finding that for you, because I'm sure you'll find something wrong with it or call me a liar or a shill. But there are MANY replies (and update posts) from Tamara in the forum...you just have to open up your eyes and look.

They still have not clued anybody in to why there are all these problems, instead telling us that we have the problem because 4 years ago when we made our registration permanent we gave up another old name.

Wrong. There are many posts addressing the issue(s) and updates informing people that they are working on it. Maybe they're not working on it fast enough for our liking but it's being done. The information is there you just have to LOOK and do so in a calm manner and wade through a lot of junk. Seperate the seeds from the chaff, if you will.

as a sense of humor, I have a very good one.

I'd hope so, I wish I could believe you. But after you replied to the e-mail I sent you before Christmas with this
...There is no need to apologize, I harbor no grudges over a couple of sharp elbows caught in the passing....
Anything you say is taken with a grain of salt. Because it seems from your posts here that you do harbor ill feelings.

Does it make any sense to you that I e-mailed you to apologize over the previous time you 'blasted' me because you got caught up in that mess? I wrote to you and apologize to you because I felt bad that you didn't post in C&S anymore and because you got flamed in that thread...and then you accuse me of accusing the original poster of this thread of "trolling". I don't know about you, but if someone wrote to apologize I would give them the benefit of the doubt before I started 'blasting' them or accused them of infering someone else was "trolling" with multiple names. But that's just me.

(an aside)
Do you remember what I told you in the e-mail? About why I got sarcastic with the first person, and then you took offense? Well there is another thread in the bonsai forum by someone else who took offense with the person I got sarcastic with.

I may have a martyr complex but you sir have a messiah complex. You and I have only addressed each other in two threads, both times you 'blasted' me because you can't stop projecting or internalizing.