12 replies to this topic

[Noggie]

Software features and news formerly available at the SpywareInfo main page are now available at http://flyinghamster.com/
Donations to the SWI site are always welcome at http://flyinghamster.com/support-us/
You can help support SWI just by browsing the http://flyinghamster.com/ main page!


Edit:
Donations to FlyingHamster have not been going toward support of SpywareInfo. SpywareInfo bills have been unpaid.
Please see http://www.spywarein...howtopic=113396 if you would like to support the SpywareInfo forum.




I would like to take this opportunity to provide the Spywareinfo community with an update. As you know, there has not been a Spywareinfo Newsletter since early February 2006. Mike seems to have taken a hiatus from his usual Spywareinfo activities. I know that many of you have been worried and deeply concerned - as have I and many people in the computer security community. I have it on good authority that Mike is indeed fine. In fact, a group from the security network (friends of the Spywareinfo site) made certain that no misdeed had happened to Mike. Doing this site is not without its dangers.

During this time while Mike is away, the responsibility falls upon me to ensure that the site continues to operate in an efficient fashion and that the bills are paid. I thank the Spywareinfo Forum community for its continued support. This is what I have done to meet the objective of fulfilling the financial obligations of the site:

* I have moved the Spywareinfo News section to FlyingHamster ( http://www.flyinghamster.com/ ). There, the security news continues to be posted - throughout the day and every day of the week. This move was necessitated so that it is possible to access the site control panel and so that it is possible to change the content.

* The major content change that was necessary is the weekly 'Featured Product'. This is a highlighted premier security program that is offered to the readers at a time limited discount (...go save ten dollars on the present featured program). I have been able to offer that on FlyingHamster. The funds generated there will ensure that the Spywareinfo bills are paid and that the operation of this site continues uninterrupted.

Here is what you can do to help Spywareinfo through this time without Mike. Please tell people about the FlyingHamster site. Please tell people that excellent software programs are featured there, at a discount. Please donate if you can - write to me if you want to donate and I will give you information on how to do so. Contact me at: http://www.spywareinfo.com/email2.php . There is also a donation link on the FlyingHamster site now.

Undoubtedly, these are stressful times for this site - and yes, for operations people of Spywareinfo. Mike Healan is its founder and has been the guiding force behind this site / publication. Hopefully, this time away will give Mike the opportunity and the privacy to do what he needs to do. I am certain that you join me in wishing him well.

Catherine Forsythe

Temporary Director of Operations
Spywareinfo: http://www.spywareinfo.com/

*** Anyone wishing to comment on the aforementioned can send the posting to me first. I will post it for you - on this thread. I am doing this because there are some 'dark forces' who will be gloating that Mike Healan is temporarily on the sidelines. Email Form: http://www.spywareinfo.com/email2.php

Update: (May 6th) Thanks for all your suggestion regarding the news site. I am receiving some wonderful suggestions. I welcome all your ideas. Please just use that email and contact me.

Edited by cnm, 22 February 2008 - 12:55 AM.
Update donation info

[Noggie]

Update about the Spywareinfo Forum:

There will be an update to the Spywareinfo Forum. I am setting the target date for the upgrade purchase as May 11, 2006 (Thursday). CNM is completely aware of developments and will post any messages, if there is a brief disruption of services. Therefore, the first expenditure of donations will be to upgrade this Forum service. I want the Spywareinfo Forum members to be aware of what is being done. And I would ask that you let people know about the discounted software which is available at the news site ( FlyingHamster). You will see that three new 'admin' people have been added to handle the work at Boot Camp, with CNM, who does exemplary work in the Spywareinfo Forum. To our three new 'admin' people, my congratulations and my thanks ... I will continue to post updates here, as we continue without Mike Healan. I hope you do visit FlyingHamster ( http://www.flyinghamster.com/ ) and give me suggestions - as well as using the donation link.

Catherine

[cnm]

Donation link: http://flyinghamster.com/support-us/

Unfortunately donations to FlyingHamster have not been going toward support of SpywareInfo. Bills were not paid.
Please see http://www.spywarein...howtopic=113396

Edited by cnm, 22 February 2008 - 12:56 AM.
Update donation info

[Noggie]

Update: May 12, 2006

The software update to the Spywareinfo Forum has been purchased. "Thank You" to the people who sent in a donation so that this could happen. I wish I could say that resolves the financial issues, but it doesn't. Nevertheless, it is a step. CNM, who spends countless hours administering these forum pages, has posted the donation link in the previous post. Please consider using that link and supporting the work done here and on the news site. The Spywareinfo Forum will be upgraded this coming weekend - and the interruption of services will be kept to a minimum.

To those who have sent in suggestions about FlyingHamster, "Thank You!". I really appreciate your support and your comments. I have started writing for that site and have posted a few articles. I will try to add an article every week. If you have penned an article or would like to contribute an article, please do not hesitate to contact me ( contact_us@flyinghamster.com ). I know that there is a huge talent pool here; and FlyingHamster ( http://www.flyinghamster.com/ ) can be a place where you have a 'voice'.

You will forgive me if the email that you send through Spywareinfo and FlyingHamster is not answered until Monday, May 15, 2006. This situation has been very intense - and I am simply exhausted.

Catherine

[cnm]

SpywareInfo forum has now been upgraded to IPB 2.1.6.
Thanks to Maddoktor2 and to Joe at Dixiesys.net for their work on this.

[Noggie]

Update: June 13, 2006

This is a monthly update that I would like to provide to the Spywareinfo Forum members. First, Mike Healan is still 'unavailable'. There have been numerous attempts by many people to contact Mr Healan. For example, Paul (from CastleCops) and Tom (from TomCoyote) have tried to reach Mike by telephone - without any success. Registered snail mail that I had sent was not accepted and returned. And, numerous emails go unanswered. Therefore, the final responsibilities for this site still rest with me. I thank all the people here for the emails and kind support. If you have any comments and/or thoughts, please contact me through this form: http://www.spywareinfo.com/email2.php .

I am continuing to post the daily security news at FlyingHamster ( http://www.flyinghamster.com/ ). You will see that the site is undergoing some improvements. Hopefully, this will help develop more traffic and provide a source of revenue to maintain Spywareinfo and FlyingHamster itself. You can help by telling people about the FlyingHamster news site. Revenue generated by FlyingHamster funded the recent improvement to the Spywareinfo Forum. Therefore, I cannot stress how important it is that this news site find an audience and have consistent traffic.

The software suppliers have been wonderful. Many of the software suppliers are allowing me to run product promotions on FlyingHamster. I am truly grateful for their kindness. These suppliers are extending themselves and going far beyond expectations in helping Spywareinfo and FlyingHamster. Not only do they have wonderful products, these suppliers are being good friends to this site. I will not forget their assistance to this site - and to me personally.

The issue with which I am struggling is putting advertising on FlyingHamster. It may be a means whereby the site can generate sufficient revenue to continue. Frankly, I really don't know. The thought of advertising does not sit well with me. However, I simply cannot continue to 'go into the red' with this. To those who think this may be self serving and think that this is personally profitable, it is not. It is just the opposite.

Meanwhile, I do welcome your thoughts and comments - and let's keep a good thought for Mike Healan.

Catherine Forsythe

[Swandog46]

This week's software promotion is $10 off a year's subscription to Webroot SpySweeper, an award-winning commercial antispyware application. It is an excellent program, and a good deal. If you are interested in SpySweeper please consider purchasing through this special offer, as SWI receives a portion of the proceeds. See http://flyinghamster.com/ for more details.

Please visit http://flyinghamster.com/ and check out the news, updated daily by Noggie. Your visit alone helps to support SWI.

Also see Noggie's Portal in the forums for information about the latest software promotions and FlyingHamster news.

Our greatest thanks go to Noggie for helping to keep SWI operational, and also to all of our readers and forum visitors who continue to support this site. The current donations link may be found at http://flyinghamster.com/support-us/.

[cnm]

Noggie asked me to make her a forum like Pacman's. The promotion for Spy Sweeper is announced there: http://www.spywarein...showtopic=78817.

Feel free to post new topics in the Noggie forum.

[Noggie]

I have attempted to post on this thread on a monthly basis, in order to allow the Forum community know what is happening with Spywareinfo. As many of you know, Mike Healan is resuming his role here, as the director of the site. I have had several discussions with Mike and am bringing him up to date on some of the steps that I took in his absence. Things will return to more of a routine gradually - and, I am glad to report, a fresh Spywareinfo newsletter is being prepared.

One of the consistent themes of the correspondence that I have received over the months has been a strong suggestion that I not be the one handling site business. The comments were that I have not the years, experience nor the technical expertise to hold the responsibility here at Spywareinfo. Indeed, some of that is absolutely true. Therefore, I have asked Mr. Healan if he wanted to use this time to transition to a new team and if my time at Spywareinfo should come to an end. I have neither wanted nor relished the responsibilities of this year. - Mike's answer is that he wants me to remain with Spywareinfo.

In the coming months, I will resume my 'less public' functions with Spywareinfo. One of the main foci will be to put Spywareinfo on a more sound financial footing. Spywareinfo remains a free resource for the internet community through the sales of premier software and through donations. Unfortunately, those two revenue streams were impaired during Mike's absence. Although the FlyingHamster did help, much more was and will be needed. Therefore, a main responsibility for me will be to increase traffic and increase 'featured product' sales. I hope that you will assist in reminding the people who find their way here that this site and FlyingHamster does rely on donations - and everything helps. I realize that increased traffic will tax the Forum even more. We will need more people joining the 'boot camp' training program.

FlyingHamster will remain a separate entity from Spywareinfo. There are various reasons for not folding the news site back into Spywareinfo. Mike is in complete agreement that it remains a separate and related site. It simply works in the best interest of Spywareinfo - on many levels. And Mike will have an active role in the news site.

Finally, in this update, I would like to say thanks to two groups. Thanks goes to the software suppliers. They have been simply wonderful to me. They have gone far beyond any business model and have offered me (and this site) absolute stellar support and friendship. Not only do these suppliers have excellent software, the people who run these firms are good human beings. So my thanks to them - and I hope Spywareinfo can shows its appreciation with support of their products.

The second group that I want to thank is you - the Spywareinfo community. Your support and loyalty for the site were inspirational to me personally. And your support of me personally was simply amazing. It is something that I will long remember, when the trauma and drama of these recent months are long forgotten. Thank you so very much... it was a privilege to see how a group of like-minded people from all over the planet could rally together. I am absolutely certain that this group is the envy of many other security sites.

Finally, I have kept this thread closed. I did not want any unbecoming comments on this thread while Mike was away. However, we are starting anew - and I will open this thread for your comments and suggestions. And, welcome back, Mike!

Catherine

[Kirstin]

One of the consistent themes of the correspondence that I have received over the months has been a strong suggestion that I not be the one handling site business. The comments were that I have not the years, experience nor the technical expertise to hold the responsibility here at Spywareinfo. Indeed, some of that is absolutely true. Therefore, I have asked Mr. Healan if he wanted to use this time to transition to a new team and if my time at Spywareinfo should come to an end. I have neither wanted nor relished the responsibilities of this year. - Mike's answer is that he wants me to remain with Spywareinfo.

Noggie,

I'm glad to hear that you are staying.

Kirstin ^_^

[dave38]

I have neither wanted nor relished the responsibilities of this year.

Maybe not Noggie, but you have taken them on and discharged then valiantly! much good karma to you!

[jedi]

Catherine, over the past months you've been part of the glue that held this place together through some really tough times, you know the saying 'the proof of the pudding...?' Well, you've proved yourself, and I was here to see that. I wonder how many of your critics can say the same? So I'm really pleased to hear you are going to stick around, you'd be sorely missed otherwise. And thank you.

Best wishes,
jedi

[Chancellor]

Catherine, over the past months you've been part of the glue that held this place together through some really tough times, you know the saying 'the proof of the pudding...?' Well, you've proved yourself, and I was here to see that. I wonder how many of your critics can say the same? So I'm really pleased to hear you are going to stick around, you'd be sorely missed otherwise. And thank you.

Catherine,

I couldn't have put it better myself!

I am absolutely delighted to hear that you are staying ^_^