Far from Over
If you didn’t notice, the blog was on hiatus for the last two weeks. Two weeks ago (when I dropped the latest installment of Brilliant Bites), I was super busy between work and buying a house. Last week, Cassie and I took a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico for five days of some much needed rest and relaxation.
It’s going to take me some time to sift through my pictures and stories, but rest assured that I have plenty of anecdotes from Puerto Rico.
A major highlight this time for me was the coffee.
For now, I want to update the people who read this blog on a situation that has been developing over the past couple of weeks.
About two weeks ago, I received an email from a name I didn’t recognize who claims they “represent multiple local bloggers;” their email urged me to “end the derryX blog.” Although I shared this tidbit on twitter and facebook, I wasn’t going to bring it to the blog because it was weird and because all of the technical prowess of MetalFrog couldn’t help pinpoint the source of this.
One thing I’ll mention is that just about everyone has been super supportive about this on social media. I think I had something like 20 (mostly positive) replies on twitter and the comment string went 66 deep on facebook. Most of the people who responded are themselves “local bloggers”.
While I was away in Puerto Rico, I received another email, and I’m sharing the body here to raise awareness of something fishy going on.
(I went through redacted a few points)
My associates have requested that I contact you again in hopes that you will reconsider the first request to terminate the derryX blog immediately. If you would like to continue on this domain, transfer $(Redacted) to (Redacted) via PayPal or alternatively via Bitcoin. Failure to comply with either request will result in the loss of your domain.
Weird, right?
Another part of the story is that similar emails were sent to MetalFrog who hosts the blog and takes care of whatever web design stuff I ask him to.
After the first instance, I was going to let it go. The latest email has me a bit concerned, though, just because it seems to be pretty targeted and specific. The blog has been drama-free for a while (mostly by design), so I’m having a little difficulty wrapping my head around the situation.
Not too much difficulty though, because it’s not completely unfathomable that there are “multiple local bloggers” who want my blog to be gone. I generally try to be positive lately with the online community, mainly because I’ve noticed quite a bit of irrational volatility and insecurity out of some otherwise rational people. But, as derryX.com has grown, from the beginning, there have always been detractors and people who see me as a threat to their image. There have been people who have tried to take me and the blog down in the past. Some new trash people have been talking about me has gotten back to me, so I certainly have an idea of who some of these “multiple local bloggers” could be, but I’m not going to start calling people out just yet.
The one thing I will say is that I’m not going anywhere. I’m just getting started! So, if my being here pisses you off, get used to it or get lost.
When I’m ready to end this blog, I’m going to do it on my terms.
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