The current free ebook is located at this link:
http://haggishell.com/ridgeproject.pdf

For details about the ebook, click here.

131026. A Baby Coder ponders the merits of Blanket Code Coverage, Python Bottle, and OOP (Object Oriented Pacifier).

Posted with permission. The license is Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). For more information on the license, visit:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

131026. This is a friend who has offered help over the past year. Like Kappelin, Phenek, Tactician, Aequus, Teco, and others, he is calm and sensible. I wish that I had known more people like these over the decades.

Kiraly Family Associates, who are involved with prosecutable felonies as they attack the Christ Follower websites on the DDoS front, may wish to consider whether or not it is wise to mess with this one in such contexts.

131025. This is a screenshot that I received recently. It appears to be demonstrating three old but fun Linux programs: Xsnow, XPenguins, and XBill

Posted with permission. The license is Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). For more information on the license, visit:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

131025. This is a copy of a letter that is going out to a number of parties. It started out simply as a letter to John Perrott. However, I decided to extend it and send it to reporters, anti-abuse people, etc. Waste not, want not.

To the EFF: I think that a Botnet intended to take down my web sites might qualify as worthy of review.

To the anti-bullying people: Part of this story may be of interest to you. The person who diagnosed my autism feels that the bullying I encountered and the resulting physical injuries would be classified as severe by today's standards. I simply assumed that it was normal.

To the Daily Cal staff: I'm a Berkeley alumnus. Best years of my life. To the Private Investigators who receive this: I'm looking to hire you. I'm hoping to negotiate exchanges of services to reduce costs.

To Akhil Amar: There's a brief personal note to you included. To TV reporters: I'm offering to do something interesting on-camera for you. For details, keep reading.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

FOR MORE INFORMATION: If you're curious, simply Google the following three words:

Jim Kiraly abuser

If you type the three words above into Google, you'll see a number of related links.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you're a reporter or an anti-abuse advocate, this document wasn't originally intended for you. It started out as a letter to one of my attorneys. I figure the situation is unusual enough that I might as well copy things to other parties who might be interested. Sort of like putting a message into a bottle and tossing it into the Sea:

Here's a bulleted outline of what's going on:

* Key concepts: Abuse of Process, Activism, Amazon Kindle, Autism, Bullying, Child Abuse, Christian Fundamentalism, Computer Hacking, Controversial Websites, Failed Families, Freedom of Speech, Justice Department, Spousal Abuse, Website Takedowns

* Locations: Silicon Valley (one of my Brothers and I live and work there), Santa Barbara (our abuser lives in Pismo Beach), Texas (family members are connected to an illegal Botnet that is based in Dallas), Walnut Creek, California (the four Brothers involved grew up in that city), and multiple cities in Kentucky and Florida (another Brother is the Vice President of one or two major medical corporations that are headquartered in those states).

* Family members involved: This is a family kerfuffle with a number of interesting twists. The family members involved are as follows:

Jim Kiraly, Father, abuser, obsessive-compulsive, and Vice President of Transamerica Corporation. Grace Kiraly, Mother, creative, self-absorbed, and a self-described “Christ Follower”. Ken Kiraly, Brother, high IQ, Lead Engineer at Amazon Lab126, and the inventor of the Amazon Kindle. Tom Kiraly, Brother, a bit dull, and Vice President of Sheridan Healthcare. Scott Kiraly, Brother, obsessive-compulsive, possibly autistic, and believed to be working at a blue collar job.

Note: When Jim was age four, his own Father Frank punched his own Mother Ann through glass. I believe that Jim may have internalized violence starting at that age. But the genesis of abuse is a subject that requires thought. Jim's side of the family has been aggressive and even violent for over a century. If a family is “like that”, how much weight should be given to nature (genetics) and how much weight should be given to nurture (psychological factors) ?

Ivan Kmeta, deceased, Grace's Father and a leading religious figure of the 20th Century Ukrainian Diaspora. Russell Kerechanko, deceased, a cousin whose death at age 30 a few months ago (drug overdose) has added new dimensions to the situation. There are additional cousins, aunts, etc. tangled up in all of this.

* Me: Robert Kiraly. I am an autistic Coder. I have no claims to fame but during my career I was responsible for some interesting projects. This included the software that handled half of the U.S. Vote in the early 1980s. Also the machine that the U.S. Government used to convert its old microfilm into microfiche.

There was some anti-terrorism work, BIOS for computers, network software of different types (this ties into “hacking” allegations against me), a word processor that used to be the primary competitor to WordPerfect, new operating systems, and software development tools used by Boeing, the CIA, Disney, Rockwell, etc. I essentially did any project of any type that was handed to me.

* Twisted Time: One person deserves my heartfelt thanks. Twisted Time, the code name for a quadriplegic who runs a foundation in Silicon Valley. Twisted Time was a friend from four decades ago who stepped out of Time and helped to derail the legal cases discussed below. He did this despite severe health issues whereas others from the same period chose to remain silent.

* Other parties: During legal actions, John Perrott of Thomas Chase Stuzman in San Jose, California was my attorney. Michael Bonetto of Hoge Fenton in San Jose, California was my abuser Jim's attorney. Akhil Amar, head of Yale Law School and a former classmate of mine, plays a minor but mildly interesting role. So does his younger brother Vikram Amar, who I believe runs U.C. Davis Law School. Nancy Grabow, Kevin King, and other former 1970s classmates of Twisted Time and myself play small roles.

* Note to Akhil Amar of Yale University: Akhil, if you see this, Nancy (Meyer) Grabow urged me to call you. I had no intention of doing so. I knew that it was pointless but perhaps you recall how Nancy is. I don't owe you any further explanation. It's safe to say, on the other hand,that Kevin King and you owe me a bit of closure. However, it's not exactly a priority for me. You know... even Kern King was willing to give me the wonderful metaphor about Life and the Bookshelf. Ask Kern about the metaphor and consider it. Then you may understand part of what happened to Twisted Time and me.

* Brief summary of events: I am an adult survivor of abuse. Autistic and didn't speak much to people outside work for decades. I made about a million dollars in the stock market in the 2000s. This was long after the Dot-Com Crash. I saw a new trend in the market and I capitalized on it.

I went into semi-retirement after that, but I lost the money for reasons connected to health issues and the Crash of 2008. There were no doctors or painkillers. In mid-2011, I ended up immobilized on my living room floor without food for two weeks. I couldn't move but nobody would come to help.

Eventually, somebody did come. I received food, my wheelchair, and injections to save my hand. It took months to recover. An acquaintance of mine killed himself during this period because I wasn't able to keep a promise. I started to talk to more people about my life, including my Parents. They never once asked me not to call them.

After Thanksgiving 2011, I felt confident enough to ask my Parents to work with me on my book. My Father, who is my abuser, went to the Police immediately. The Police dismissed him and never contacted me about the matter. Over the next six months, my abuser became increasingly angry about the book, made escalating threats against me, and ultimately filed legal actions that cost me most of my possessions and financial assets.

Presently, my abuser is focused on taking down my websites. Family associates have set up an illegal Botnet based in Dallas, Texas for this purpose. It was difficult to survive the past two years. It's been two years as of Thanksgiving 2013.

However, I'm feeling better physically. I've started to talk to more people. I go to have meals with others or just to walk with them. A former coworker who remembers me as the “best software engineer” he'd known has created a job for me. And I'm fighting back. My websites are going to stay up. I'm mirroring them around the world so that my abuser can't take them down. My abuser won't stop my book. I won't be the frightened boy who simply did as he was told again.

* Amusing point related to Botnet: The Botnet architect is what is known as a “black hat” hacker. He isn't very good at it. He started by sending me anonymous threatening letters demanding that my websites be shut down. I was able to “geolocate” him in Texas — that means determine where somebody is — and to track his movements across the State. I posted a picture of this person's building on my websites. He set up the Botnet a week later. The thing is, he put the Botnet core only about 1,000 paces from his building. So it wasn't too difficult to connect him to the crime.

* Legal actions: Jim, a respected Vice President of Transamerica Corporation and an abuser, used a hole in the legal system, not civil litigation or criminal law, to bring legal actions against one of his victims. The victim in question was Robert. I am Robert, of course. However, to minimize confusion, I will write in the third person. The legal actions sought to place Robert in a violence database. Robert was autistic, in a wheelchair at the time, did not own a car, and lived 200 miles from his abuser. Robert was not asked to do, or not to do, anything at all before legal actions were brought.

* Unusual nature of cases: Robert's abuser made no specific and relevant accusations save for a false claim of non-consensual phone calls dated half a year before the legal actions were filed. Discovery Evidence proved the claim in question to be false. The legal cases focused after that on attempts to suggest that Robert had “hacked” multiple corporations, had “hacked” multiple individuals, had made allegations of sexual abuse against his Brothers, had demanded money for medical care, had made non-consensual phone calls to his Brothers, and more.

Actually, much more. Hundreds of pages of paperwork were filed with the Court. But in those hundreds of pages, there was not a single specific accusation of such things. There was simply a lot of paperwork which implied that such things had happened.

* Filler material: The Court paperwork consisted largely of filler material. Typical points read like this: “Bob thinks he is smarter than the Law” and “Bob is a danger to himself and others”. It's not clear how one is supposed to respond to stuff like that.

* Involvement of the Police: One unusual example of filler in the Court paperwork is a lengthy story that one Brother, Tom, tells. This part might be considered comical and sad at the same time. Tom's story implies that the Police had phoned Robert to warn him about vaguely suggested actions. Tom does not actually assert that the Police had phoned Robert. The reason is that no phone call of this type ever took place. So the story is worded somewhat awkwardly. It says things similar to “I assume that the Police called Bob”.

But the only discussions between Robert and the Police were those that Robert initiated himself when he sought the advice of the Police. At one point, Robert asked the Police if it was all right to send postcards to his abuser Jim. The postcards were going to request that Jim stop making aggressive threats. The Police agreed that the postcards were fine. So Robert sent the postcards, with the permission of the Police. Naturally, Robert's abuser cited the postcards later on as evidence of harassment.

* Legal cases were about a book: The legal actions were triggered by Robert's research for a book. His abuser Jim feared that the book would mention him. Jim expressed rage related to the book. Jim told people, “We must present a united front against Bob” and “Don't be afraid to give me something to prosecute Bob”. Jim, an actual abuser who will not deny under oath that he is an actual abuser, then started to talk about charging Robert with “blackmail”.

* Nature of the book: Robert's book was intended to be a positive work related to relationships. Research for the book included a single consensual discussion with a Church that Robert's Mother Grace attended, conducted with Grace's permission, and a single consensual discussion with a volunteer group that James was involved in, arranged through the Chamber of Commerce. The subjects of the discussions were the nature of a “Christ Follower”, the responsibilities of a Christian in the Temporal World, and the meaning of altruism.

* Lack of service: Robert was not served in the legal cases or even notified that they existed. He did not find out about the legal cases until days before Court. Robert ended up in the hospital less than 24 hours before the first Hearing. He spent most of the day in the Emergency Room. This was due to a physical issue as opposed to stress. Robert appeared in Court the next day regardless. He had to go alone. Due to the lack of service, Robert appeared without representation.

* Demands that abuser made: Robert's abuser Jim declined to settle unless Robert signed an agreement never to “discuss” family members with reporters. Robert was also required to agree to go into the violence database if he continued to work on his book. Robert flatly refused to give his abuser the right to put Robert in the violence database over the book. Therefore, the cases lasted 11 months.

* Consequences to Robert: Robert lost 75 pounds, his life savings, job opportunities, and most of his possessions. He is employed now but he may lose his apartment shortly. He has lived in the same apartment for 25 years and does not wish to lose it.

* Evidence: Robert can demonstrate that the legal actions were about stopping the book and nothing else. Evidence includes a Stipulation that Robert voluntarily signed halfway through the legal cases, written demands that his abuser Jim made and is presently trying to take down from the Web, Discovery Evidence which confirms that his abuser committed perjury, and additional material.

* Comical threats from Amazon Corporation: One of Robert's Brothers, Ken, inventor of the Amazon Kindle, is exercised regarding voicemail that Robert left for a division of Amazon Corporation. It was considered inappropriate to speak to the division, but Robert felt that he had little choice.

Ken has also expressed anger about the fact that Robert has referred to him as the “Kindle Kid” though this was intended humorously. Robert received multiple threats subsequent to leaving the voicemail for the division of Amazon. One such threat was “stop fighting or Amazon is going to grease your ass”. The only serious death threat against Robert is believed to have originated directly with Ken but there is no conclusive proof of this.

* Happy Birthday call: Another of Robert's Brothers, Tom, Vice President of Sheridan Healthcare, joined Robert's abuser Jim in the legal actions. Like Jim, Tom sought to place Robert in the violence database. The violence database aspect seemed especially odd in Tom's case as Robert was not only in a wheelchair but lived about 3,000 miles away from Tom. Additionally, Tom was the only one of the two Brothers to threaten physical violence after childhood. Tom used to talk about shooting people in the face and laughing as their brains leaked out.

Tom made only one specific and relevant accusation in the legal cases. Tom asserted under oath that a Happy Birthday call made by Robert in 2012 was “stalking”. Tom neglected to mention that the Happy Birthday call was scheduled in advance, that Tom took the call with apparent pleasure, that Tom invited Robert to call back and indicated the date for the next call, that Tom and Robert talked for months thereafter, and that Tom never once asked Robert not to call.

* Monty Python level humor: Tom, the Brother who was Vice President of various medical corporations, made one other specific accusation. It does not appear to be relevant. Robert left Tom a voicemail message regarding books of religious poetry that had been written by Ivan Kmeta, the Grandfather of both men. The Grandfather had been a leading religious figure of the Ukrainian Diaspora. As Tom was Executor for the family, Robert sought to leave the books to Tom in Robert's Will. Tom told the Court that the offer of the books of religious poetry was an attempt to harm Tom's livelihood.

Robert is not clear about how the offer of the books is connected to physical violence or is in any way inappropriate or objectionable.

* Resolution of legal cases: Robert's abuser Jim is believed to have spent the better part of six figures in legal fees while seeking to stop the book. In the end, the money was wasted. Jim lost the fight to stop the book. Robert signed basic Agreements that gave him the right to research the book and to discuss his family members in every conceivable venue.

There is a point that seems ironic. Robert had offered repeatedly to sign Agreements that were far less favorable to him. He made the first offer before the first Court date a year before. However, Jim refused every such offer to sign Agreements for the entire year of the legal cases. So Jim may have spent $50,000 to $100,000 and ended up with something that was much weaker than what he could have gotten for free.

* Google search rankings: Robert now has much of the first page in Google Images for some of his family members. Family associates have expressed anger regarding this issue. A Kiraly Family associate in Dallas, Texas has set up a Botnet to take down Robert's websites. A Botnet is a violation of CFAA, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and a highly prosecutable felony.

* Proposal to Reporters: Due to the Botnet and other factors, Robert repudiates the Agreements. He asserts that they are not valid or enforceable. Robert would like to violate the Agreements with a Reporter present to observe or photograph the event. Or an anti-abuse advocate. After Robert violates the Agreements, he will phone the Police in the observer's presence. He will then offer to surrender for arrest if the Police determine that any law has been broken.

* Autism and Bullying: Robert is neurodiverse. He was notified of this fact by his abuser's wife about 45 years ago. The issue is believed to be either Autism or a parallel condition. A formal diagnosis of Autism has been obtained. But during the Court cases, Robert's abuser Jim fought to deny that Robert was mentally different.

As a related note, during school days, due to mental differences, Robert was cut with a knife by peers, knocked unconscious repeatedly, struck with objects, suffocated, chased up to one-quarter mile by small mobs of three to six peers, and injured physically in other ways. This happened both at school and at random locations in public.

* Brother Scott: Jim's denial that Robert was different was complicated by the fact that another Brother, Scott, was similar to Robert. Scott's speech patterns suggest that he and Robert share Autism or a condition that is parallel to Autism. Unlike Robert, Scott is obsessive compulsive as well and he was considered potentially violent as a young man. It is interesting to note that Scott inherited his obsessive compulsive tendencies from Jim.

As a related point, Jim and Grace ultimately came to fear that Scott would kill Ken. They sent Ken to stay with Robert while they moved Scott into a sort of Christian Prison. Robert was the only Brother who visited Scott while Scott was there.

The rest of this document is a copy of a letter to my former attorney.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

This is a courtesy copy of a letter to John Perrott, Family Law, of Thomas Chase Stutzman in San Jose. The usual disclaimers apply. In particular, any relevant responses or actions connected to this document, or any relevant responses or actions that are not connected, may be, and most likely will be, blogged, mirrored, and distributed in a number of venues. It is possible that claims of confidentiality or attempts to use intellectual property measures such as DMCA or trademark law in this context may not work out entirely as expected.

Attorneys at Hoge Fenton, in particular, are invited to review and consider the following terms before they formulate positions or remarks: Abuse of Process, Barratry, CFAA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act), Criminal Conspiracy, Free Speech, RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), and SLAPPback (note that there are two “P's”).

As a side note, it may be worth noting that violations of CFAA are highly prosecutable and that Hoge Fenton clients are most likely connected now to multiple such violations.

Attorneys at other firms are advised that referrals to torts specialists who may be interested in unusual situations are welcome.

If people ultimately receive more than one copy of this document, including printed copies or copies that are served, I trust they will understand that the situation is unusual and that they will therefore excuse the redundant copies.

I am presently dealing with an associate of two Hoge Fenton clients. The associate in question seems to be a black hat. Not a very good one but a black hat regardless.

There is some irony in this as Michael Bonetto of Hoge Fenton destroyed my life based partly on hacking accusations. But, irony aside, if the black hat or his friends know what they are doing, though it appears that they are inept, they will move to block mail from my known accounts. I will need to take counter-measures. This will include rotating accounts and the use of registered mail or process servers.

As a side note, Michael Bonetto, you should have asked me more at the Kiraly Cases Deposition regarding “hacking”. Not about the ridiculous fantasy that your idiot clients vaguely imagined based on TV and movies. About how the modern world actually works.

For example, about the distinction between white hat and black hat. What it is that the two types of people actually do. You were a fool to badger me in a fruitless fishing expedition when you had not even learned the names of the fish. At any rate, this aspect of the situation is likely to lead to complications. I am not especially pleased. Gee, Thanks, Son for your role in all of this

Dear John,

1. If I remember correctly, I asked you recently for a copy of a Stipulation that you had me sign a little over halfway through the Kiraly Cases. This was the Stipulation that agreed to essentially all of the demands that my abuser Jim Kiraly made except for the violence database. As you may recall, Michael Bonetto's clients rejected the Stipulation. I wished to post the document as it was, and remains, part of a pattern that tends to support claims of Abuse of Process.

Upon review, it appears that not only do I already possess a copy of the Stipulation, I have already posted the copy online. Oops. As the kids say, my bad.

The request is withdrawn. I regret any confusion. However, as you yourself have pointed out repeatedly, there is a lot of material to go through, post, and analyze. Therefore such errors are going to happen.

2. The process is tiring but it will continue until everything is online. When I say everything, I mean everything. Not simply biographies of everybody involved. Everything to do with me. I am considering putting up some of the voicemail recordings as well as the voicemail transcripts.

I have the disk space and the bandwidth to handle multimedia. Audio now and possibly video later. I will be pleased to post the audio recordings as they may help to demonstrate that Hoge Fenton not only fought to help a violent abuser silence his victim, but that the firm violated many of the Professional Standards that it helped to write.

3. By the way, you said that you wanted to discuss disposition of the mountain of paperwork that Michael Bonetto of Hoge Fenton generated during the false and fraudulent actions in question. The paperwork that contains, despite what you characterize as startling volume, not a single specific and relevant accusation against me that is not outright perjury.

This is one of the points that remain for you and I to address. Let us schedule lunch at your convenience to discuss how to proceed.

4. Moving on, periods of difficulties on this side come and go. It appears that difficulties will slow things down but only to an extent. The appropriate steps are clear. And, looking into my heart, I am able to observe objectively my own determination.

By the way, I am in fact able to use metaphors such as “heart”. That side of me has come back.

Determination will be needed. There are so many threads to follow. Just as a sampling:

* The State Bar Association document. It should not be rushed. And there should be Good Faith attempts to allow Michael Bonetto, Hoge Fenton, you, and Thomas Chase Stutzman to comment on or correct the document before it is filed.

* The unusual behavior of Chris Burdick of the SCCBA. Connections between Hoge Fenton and Ms. Burdick. Such connections, if they exist, ought to be explored.

* The odd connections between Michael Bonetto's clients, the hacker in Dallas, Texas, multiple highly prosecutable felonies, a tangled web of companies large and small, and Kiraly Family associates who are searching for a way to do something that has been a frequent goal of the rich and powerful since Biblical times; silence the truth.

* Discussions with District Attorneys in California, New Jersey, Texas, and other states. I don't have the energy to handle this part without help. However, it is possible that help may be forthcoming.

* Examinations of Hoge Fenton's contributions to anti-abuse efforts. Discussions with the anti-abuse organizations involved regarding Hoge Fenton's contributions and the role that the firm plays in society.

* Discussions with anti-abuse organizations and groups of other types regarding the Kiraly Cases. A situation where a violent abuser used a hole in the law to hurt one of his victims, somebody in a wheelchair at the time, again in a failed attempt to stop a book.

The procedure involved was intended to protect victims. The irony involved is remarkable. I feel that it may be possible to build consensus as the years pass. And ultimately to work towards changes.

* Discussions with members of the SCCBA regarding the Professional Standards that the organization upholds and the purpose of the Standards in question.

* Justice Department. This one is likely to be long-term. It is not a simple matter to navigate at the national level. However, I am getting better at this sort of thing.

* Legal actions. For legal actions, the patterns must lock into place. When this happens, I will know it. If I had had time for this last year, things would have gone differently. But I need a torts specialist who can be trusted. More about that below.

* The original book, of course. There is so much more to say now. So many new and interesting characters as well.

5. I don't know how to evaluate torts specialists in the most important regard. How does one determine if an attorney is trustworthy?

I mean no offense, John, but as an attorney you are not to be trusted. I have evaluated your explanations of what happened during the year- long cases and the explanations are false. This point will be addressed at a later date.

And it appears that Michael Bonetto may have attempted to cheat his clients. By the way, Michael, this point is qualified by “appears that” and “may have”. Additionally, this point is represented as nothing more than one possible interpretation of a single issue that arose during the Kiraly Cases. But the issue seemed odd to me.

And I am all about noticing odd threads that lead to interesting places.

At any rate, John, I do not want a torts specialist who is like Michael or like you. And one of the promises that you made to me but never kept — this was sort of your trademark — was that you would help me to identify a torts specialist who was a good match. I do not believe that you will keep this promise. But I consider the matter to be open.

6. As a closing note, you have expressed concerns regarding the fact that I am now speaking openly to everybody about everything. But I am done with the old ways forever.

A violent abuser, Jim Kiraly, to be clear the one who was a resident of the La Gaviota area in Pismo Beach, California, haunted my dreams for decades. I never did any of things that he lied about under oath. But Jim Kiraly employed his wealth to smash my life. To make this possible, a smug young man, Michael Bonetto, broke the Professional Standards which list his own firm as the primary contributor. During the cases in question, the facts meant nothing. Not even to you.

I am not going to be silent about any of this. Or about anything that matters ever again. I will do everything that I said publicly I would do. I was telling the truth about what I would do. And what I could do. I generally tell the truth. I understand that this is a novelty in some circles.

Regards, Robert (the Old Coder, and he is old indeed)

131024. Phenek in Finland has acquired a Cool Car. Here is a photo. Note: To frustrate attacks by the Kiralys, people who seek to harm, the license plate has been modified.

Posted with permission. The license is Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). For more information on the license, visit:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

131023. These are some photos of a christening that took place reently in St. Petersburg, Russia. BTW It has been reported to me that the baby started to walk subsequently.

Posted with permission. The license is Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). For more information on the license, visit:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

131023. This is a copy of a letter to Jason Silverglate, a gentleman who has a small role in the Kiraly Cases. Edited for length.

I wanted to mention something interesting to Jason Silverglate and the folks at Solar VPS and Fortress ITX. On Wednesday, October 23, one of the Fortress ITX people accessed one of my sites at about 4:25pm Eastern Time. The interesting part is that they used an anonymous gateway that wasn't secure.

Jason, whether that was you or one of your subordinates, I thought you'd like to receive confirmation that Fortress ITX was visiting and that anonymous gateways can leak information. Am I “blowing smoke” or did I in fact detect an anonymous visit? Shall I be more precise about the matter? And do you really wish to continue this game?

The facts seem increasingly odd. You told me that you'd “never heard of” Avaste Web Hosting. It may be true. But you shared a POP with them in Dallas. There is somebody who has subnets with both companies. He may live or work just 1,000 paces from the POP. And there seems to be a correlation between activity in New Jersey and activity in Texas.

Jason, is the person who is associated with the two companies not a client of yours, but somebody you might know? Or is he associated with one of your subordinates? It is simply a thought. Regardless, the fact is that I have not asked your firm for anything but a statement of policy. And it looks bad that the request has been ignored.

Mind you, it's not that you've said “We do not disclose our policies”. Despite the likelihood that a felony has been committed, you have declined even to respond to that extent. Even if the person I have mentioned is not associated directly or indirectly with you, it might be advisable for you to review the situation objectively.

You should have stated policy to begin with. It might be a bit late to do damage control now. By the way, an offer I've made to you related to the District Attorney is sincere.

I'll add another point. Supplemental identity evidence exists that transcends the usual records which you are planning to destroy. One of your people seems to have acknowledged this. If you destroy the supplemental evidence when you have not destroyed similar evidence in the past... well, rare as it is, I believe it's possible that you might actually face legal consequences.

Am I mistaken, Jason?

As a related note, what's up with all the little firms that have you at the heart? How many of these things *are* there? Are there tax issues involved? One of my associates has checked you out. As I understand it, the two of you may have spoken but I'm not sure. He believes that you personally are legitimate. But I am starting to doubt this.