I was really surprised to hear about these new allegations that the private messaging system had been compromised. George did contact me after receiving Strato's email, and I'm grateful for the personal touch, but his declaration that my PMs were not compromised falls short of making my feeling of violation disappear. It takes time to build trust, but it can be dissipated in an instant.
I didn't have a real opportunity to read the settlement, and all the posts on the subject, until this morning, as I was flying out of Toronto mid-day on Friday. I probably would have waited to comment anyway. I don't leap to judgment.
I don't know if everyone has seen the actual settlement agreement. It includes the terms of the final Order (as paragraph 29), but also full details of the settlement itself.
It is a disquieting read in places. In my opinion, the strength of this site has always been the people who populate it. I have made some very strong personal friendships with people who I first met here, via text, and then went on to meet in real life. I also feel that I owe Agoracom gratitude for providing the platform for that to have occurred.
I was seriously disabled by medical problems when I first joined Agoracom. No one knew it then (except for one very special friend), and George or Paul didn't know it, but Agoracom provided me an opportunity to rejoin society, to rebuild my life, to form relationships. My gratitude for finding this path to renewal, via Agoracom, is undiminished. And the relationship building, through casual interactions initiated here, continues to grow. The travel I am now undertaking is the fruit of two seeds planted here. I am grateful for the blessings I have received.
And yet, I am not at peace with this. My feelings are quite raw, at the moment. I knew nothing about these new allegations of having had PMs compromised. George's statement that none of my PMs were compromised is just not enough, right now. I need time to reflect, and to re-evaluate my place here.
And so, I again turn my heart back towards the people here. We are a great collection of people, of all walks of life. Every chance I get, I try to meet more of you, or to expand and renew relationships begun with prior meetings. George and Paul built the framework, made it easy to use, and gave it excellent features. But we made it what it is. That has never been more true than today. The lifeblood of Agoracom is the posters. What Agoracom is now, and will become tomorrow, is and always has been entirely up to us.
May God bless you all.
Lar
