Pasadena New Progressive, a blog under attack

[Image: The first post from my blog, the Pasadena New Progressive, launched December 5, 2007]

Wow. What an ordeal.

The posts below are what no blogger in the world wants to have happen. They detail a blog under siege by trolls. Trolls who build attack blogs and attack forums on Topix. Trolls are disinformation agents and bullies, they are a part of unethical internet media.

Two full attack blogs, sixeen Topix attack forums later, my blog, the Pasadena New Progressive was shut down.

These posts were written in September of 2009, after I had been forced to shut down my blog, I was attempting to document what was happening at that moment. Nothing can describe what I went through, it was a harrowing ordeal. If the writing in these posts sounds strained, I can verify, I was strained to the max.

Chronology:

Pasadena Newer Progressive is launched

Pasadena's Newd Progressive is launched

First (of 15) Topix attack forums are launched

Of special concern regarding the Topix attack forums, was when the troll hacked my real-name username on Topix and posted three comments as me:

Virginia Hoge's username hacked on Topix

My blog focused on media and the alarming rise of right-wing blogs I was witnessing in Southern California. I also adopted the unpopular cause of supporting our public school district.

Was the tone of my blog often more "Brooklyn" than "Pasadena"? Yes. Did I upset some people with my blog? Yes. Does any of this matter? No. None of this is reason for the vicious and unethical character assassination attacks I have endured that served to shut down my blog, and also to shut down my right to free speech in Pasadena.

I want to alert other bloggers to this new danger they face from trolls with malicious intent. Companies like Topix, whose forums link to newspaper articles, need to address this threat via their internet forums. They are nothing less than partners in these attacks. As you will see in the posts, I filed countless complaints both with Blogger and especially, to Topix, all to no avail.

Blogger and Topix need to make attack blogs unacceptable.

I add that despite the considerable risk in opening this blog (the same trolls who attacked my blog are still very much active), I have chosen to do so in order to expose what has happened.

My goal is resolution of this nightmare so I may be able to open the Pasadena New Progressive again, and get back to my work there.

Virginia Olive Hoge
April, 2010

© 2010 Virginia Hoge



-

Terrorized on Topix (is #15 the last??)

NOTE: this post was written September 29, 2009

[Images: #15 Pasadena Star News Topix attack forum built by the same troll on Topix; number "who knows??" attack forum; my user profile on Topix (my username was hacked on one of the forums as you can see from my top comment)]

Oh my God! Topix has been used against me and my blog as a terror tool.

15 Topix attack forums have been built by the same troll, attacking me and the poor, beleaguered Pasadena New Progressive blog.

I mean come on!! Fifteen of the things?

In each one, the troll lifts copy from something I have written and re-posts it, skewing it slightly. She also posts annoying, serial mocking comments - samples of which are in the visuals.

I have filed countless complaints with Topix, who after days and days and dozens of complaints, will finally delete the latest forum, only to have a new one spring up in its place. I call this blackmail.

Here is a letter (one of the many) I wrote to the Topix Administration, to try and get them to stop this practice and stop this troll:

Dear Topix:

All of the Topix attack forums have been deleted by the Pasadena Star News Forum
except for the most recent one. However, I have had to fight days and days,
filing complaint after complaint for them to finally remove them. I am glad they
were finally deleted, however it should NOT have taken days and days to do so.

Each day each attack forum was up, was too long. Why did I have to file
countless Feedback reports before they removed the forum I had asked them to
(when I and my blog were clearly being attacked)? I have suffered headaches,
loss of appetite, sleeplessness and extreme stress from this situation.

Attack forum #12 is the LeftWord link below. It is of the most concern, as the
troll has hacked into my Topix username and posts 3 comments with my real name
and picture. Topix must prosecute this troll for hacking my username. This is
illegal and identity theft. The Pasadena Star News Topix forums did NOTHING to
address this, left the post up for 3 days despite my numerous complaints, and
have allowed this same troll to open yet another forum.

I have screen shots saved of all 14 of the attack forums built on Topix by this
troll and would be happy to send these in to Topix. Let me know. I also have
some of them posted on a private blog, if you give me an email address I will
lead you to it.

The total of attack forums this same troll has built is now 14.

The most recent one attacks me by stealing a comment (#3) I wrote elsewhere,
skewing it, and re-posting it on this forum. It is also mocking the name of my
blog. This is a tactic this troll has used in ALL of their Topix attack forums,
lifting content from my blog (when it was open, the trolls have shut it down),
comments and commentator names from my blog, and re-posting them on Topix. Other
attack forums have threatened me and my family. Since they shut down my blog,
the trolls now lift comments from other sites, this one is from the Foothill
Cities blog, where a troll posted a scathing attack on myself.

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/pasadena-star-news/TC24N4L41SFE7JUSN - Comment
#3

I need Topix to delete this latest forum asap. I also need Topix to stop this
troll from posting any more attack forums. I need Topix to intervene here. I
also need some sort of investigation conducted into the unethical practices of
this troll.

The troll attacks on Topix were the reason I had to shut down my blog, to keep
them from lifting any more content or comments from it. Therefore, Topix is
partner in the disruption of my free speech in Pasadena.

I do not believe that Topix wants anything to do with this. I believe Topix
exists to encourage free speech and not to shut it down. And so I ask that Topix
prove this by enacting the restraints on this troll and the Pasadena Star News
Topix forums.

I need to know that this cannot happen again.

I am going to be sending a copy of this email to the other investigators I have
helping me with this nightmare.

Please get back to me with your results or further requests,

Sincerely,
Virginia Hoge
Pasadena New Progressive

Well, they didn't listen.

© 2010 Virginia Hoge




-

Troll on Topix, defends hacking of Virginia Hoge's username

NOTE: this post was written September 23, 2009

The same troll that has issued at this point 13 attack forums on me (Virginia Hoge) and my blog (Pasadena New Progressive), has dug up the LeftWord post I made yesterday concerning Topix allowing this troll to hack my username and post comments as me.

Topix is libel for allowing the troll to hack my username, and now they are libel for allowing this troll to post yet more cover-up.

© 2010 Virginia Hoge

-

Virginia Hoge's username hacked by trolls; Topix refuses to remove comments

NOTE: this post was written on September 21, 2009, right after this attack happened

[Images: screen shots from the latest troll attack, comments #5, #6 and #7 are not mine, the trolls hacked my username on Topix.]

The latest here is that the trolls have hacked my username on Topix and are posting comments as me!

My blog, the Pasadena New Progressive was shut down by the unethical tactics of these same trolls a few weeks ago. They continue to harass me.

Topix is (currently) refusing to remove the post Who won Pasadena blog war?, even after I have filed 6 complaints with them.

I will continue to file complaints until they remove it, but I cannot understand why they won't remove a post (or the comments) that I tell them are NOT MINE.

This is a total breach of justice AND identity theft on the part of Topix, and especially, the Pasadena Star News Topix forums.


[follow-up, after 3 days, Topix removed the post. Topix has yet to address this issue]


© 2010 Virginia Hoge


-

Pasadena Newer Progressive was shut down by Blogger

NOTE: this post was published September 21, 2009


Contrary to what Ann Erdman or her supporters have said, Blogger removed the Pasadena Newer Progressive blog following a complaint I had launched.

This means that that Blogger found this blog, unacceptable (and they accept almost anything).

The screen shot I took on the day the blog was shut down, proves what happened.

© 2010 Virginia Hoge


-

Topix attack forums

NOTE: this post was published September 17, 2009

At this point, 15 Topix forums have been launched by trolls, attacking the PNP.

Simultaneously to opening the second attack blog, the trolls (primarily troll Kelly Russell, who openly identified herself as author of the first attack blog) opened 15 Topix forums, one after the other.

Each one was extremely harassing, with serial commenting by this multi-personality troll, biting commentator names (sometimes stolen from my commentators), and content lifted from my blog or, when my blog was shut down, comments I had written on other blogs.

I have filed countless complaints with Topix to intervene here and halt this troll, to no avail.


© 2010 Virginia Hoge


-

the Pasadena's Newd Progressive is launched

NOTE: this post was published September 17, 2009

The Pasadena's Newd Progressive blog,

launched 3 days after the Newer Progressive blog was removed by Blogger.

After 2 1/2 weeks of posts, the Newer Progressive blog was removed by Blogger. Three days later however, the trolls launched the Pasadena's Newd Progressive, a lewder, cruder attack blog, openly authored by troll Dianne Patrizzi who featured several pictures of herself on it.

The content was harsher and semi-pornographic (for instance, it pictured a tampon). Just like the Newer Progressive blog, it lifted content, images and comments, skewed them and re-posted them. It also was launched with several posts, complete with comments, in place.

The image above is (or was) my drawing lifted from my blog that was tampered with in Photoshop and re-posted as you see above. In a nightmarish sequence of events, I shut my blog down and made it private to keep the troll from lifting any more of my artwork.

The trolls also made a YouTube video of my second speech before the City Council and posted it. (shouldn't I have signed a release if my public comments before the council can be posted all over the internet?)

A few days after this blog was launched, the first Topix attack forum was launched.

© 2010 Virginia Hoge


-

the Pasadena Newer Progressive is launched

NOTE: this post was published September 17, 2009

The Pasadena Newer Progressive blog,

launched by trolls on July 1, 2009.

The first attack blog launched against my blog came a couple of days after I had spoken on the public forum of a Monday night city council meeting. I had asked there, that the council open an investigation into the associations of Aaron Proctor with our press. I mentioned that it seemed to me that Ann Erdman, the chief information officer for the City of Pasadena, was supporting him also. This had been recommended to me to do. It was supposed to be an effective way to get help for this situation.

But exactly the opposite happened. I knew the meetings were filmed, but it was shock when I first saw the Pasadena Newer Progressive blog.

Authored by a troll calling itself “Caroling Logue” (who turned out to be the guy from Philly himself) the blog was built on Blogger to exactly match the look of my blog. It used the same fonts and colors and even provided the same links. There on the top post was me, standing behind the podium of the council meeting. The troll had made a YouTube video of my speech, and posted it on the blog.

The blog opened with several “posts” in place, posts which mocked the issues on my blog but not only that. The blog lifted content, images and comments from my blog and re-posted them, at random and often skewed.

The blog was also “live”. As I wrote new posts on the Pasadena New Progressive (I posted there once a day), the trolls would lift content minutes after I had posted it, skew it, and re-post it on their blog.

I was also “trolled” (trolls sending in frequent harassing comments*) day and night.

*For example, I was sent a page copied from a mental health guide. I was called names, I was threatened, etc. etc. etc.

In the most public display of abject lack of care for the rights of other bloggers, the trolls would snatch up my commentator’s names, and write in comments using them! This resulted in confusion and annoyance on the part of my commentators, who resented (of course) something being posted in their name that they did not write! The intent was to scare them off and it worked. By separating me from any support, the trolls could harass me unimpeded.

The most alarming part of all was the fact that Ann Erdman, Chief Public Information Officer for the City of Pasadena (who was the subject of an investigation on my blog into her associations with trolls), openly posted the link the the Pasadena Newer Progressive (after taking down the link to my blog) on her Pasadena PIO blog, commented on the blog and allowed herself to be pictured on it several times. Much of the copy was written in her defense.

Erdman was deeply ingrained with the trolls and blogged with the worst of them all over the local blogsphere.

The sham blog was also, extremely politically incorrect.

It attempted to "parody" the issues on my blog, the primary one being was Racism. In a series of unbelievably insensitive posts, the author of the blog mocked Martin Luther King and Jackie Robinson! Robinson came in for special assault, as I had mentioned him (and his memorial) in by speech to the City Council. The Jackie Robinson memorial in front of City Hall, was pictured several times with mocking commentary.

Carolina also attempted to defend the Star News, which I had often criticized for its focus on the crimes committed by kids of color rather than their common humanity.

She posted a picture of a Star News reporter Frank Giradot and one of his columns about a drunken Mexican involved in a shooting (the usual portrayal of Hispanics by Frank), as if to somehow "prove" that Mexican's were in fact, dangerous criminals and not human beings.

It was lunacy on parade, Pasadena's right-wing bloggers defending their indefensible positions,

and by attacking me, serving right-wing power (Ann Erdman herself, who happily participated).

I was trolled so frequently, I set up a defense system on my blog. For every troll comment, I posted another picture of Ann Erdman and Aaron Proctor at his birthday party, naming the post "A picture for every troll comment". I offered the guilty troll and "commemorative pic" for their comment.

Of course I followed every option available to me, to address this ugly, unethical attack. I wrote to Blogger. I attempted to file a police report, but was turned down (as usual) and told to find a lawyer. I could count on no press covering this (I had been writing press critiques for years).

I was starting to realize that my options were few to none.


© 2010 Virginia Hoge



-