Discontinuing County Court Claim, Leaving ICO Running

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

The Witchfinder has annoying, but necessary news.

I will be blunt. As everyone knows, I started a County Court claim against James Billingham on 24/04/2015. However, on 06/05/2015 (Wednesday last week) the Information Commissioner’s Office (a part of the UK Government) decided to wade in by announcing they were taking action, whereas before I only knew they were investigating [Edited for clarity 09/05/2015]. There are a lot of people in on the matter now and I have taken further advice over the last week.

The short version of the advice is that circumstances have changed – there will now be a significant investigation and anything I can achieve with my claim is now achievable via the ICO. The claim is obviously not meritless as the ICO have agreed to investigate, but the investigation is likely to be complex and create large, risky costs in County Court because of the very large number of people involved. It is extremely likely that the claim would now not be allocated to the Small Claims track. If it was ever suitable for Money Claims Online it is not now.

Fortunately, up until now the Defendant and his employer have refused to reply to correspondence or take any steps in the proceedings (thereby flouting the costs rules) which means they would normally be sanctioned and in any event would be hard pressed to gain costs of discontinuance. Conveniently the same would apply if it was struck out via MCOL. So now is a good time to refocus on the efforts via the ICO and minimise personal risk.

Also, I have been conducting this matter responsibly and it is important to take legal advice when it is given – to do otherwise really would be ‘harassment’. Having cleared my name once I do not wish to do so again.

Regarding the GoFundMe. I will hold the monies against any risk and then use them as promised for entertainments at the next GamerGate meet up. To be clear – so far no money has been drawn and I will produce accounts.

The ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) complaint remains running, we are also still able to campaign against the Block Bot by (for example) email campaigns and should they engage in further objectionable conduct we can look again at legal proceedings. There are likely to be significant sanctions if the Block Bot transfers the data abroad.

Heroes! – Shapps Spectacularly Vindicated by Outright Conservative Victory – Mensch Vindicated Over Vote Tory Not UKIP

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

Grant Shapps MP Leading a Team of Conservatives to Spectacular Victory

Victory requires no explanation. Defeat allows none. The Witchfinder praises Grant Shapps and Louise Mensch for their work. Now we must reform Parliamentary boundaries without delay to undo the system rigged in Labour’s favour.

If the Conservative Party had lost, or had a mediocre result, the knives would be out. “Shapps not up to it”, they would say, the rivals, the haters, those with grudges. Instead the Conservative Party had an unlooked for victory.

Fundamentally the Conservative Campaign nationally was a mirror of the local campaigns in Welwyn Hatfield – disciplined, inclusive, organised and effective. For that Shapps should be praised. He has proven an incredibly effective campaign leader.

Of course, the victory would have been a lot less close were it not for the rigged constituency boundaries which currently mean many Labour seats have less voters in them than Conservative ones. The slim Conservative majority must not be wasted – a first goal in the new queen’s speech must be to complete the boundary reform attempted in the last parliament.

Shapps has also shrugged off many trivial attacks such as the allegations he ran a sockpuppet called Contribsx on Wikipedia – his accuser revealed as a Liberal Democrat with no evidence other than ‘behavioural’ aspects of the account.

At the same time Grant has taken the time to help less glamorous but still important campaigns such as the condemnation of Gawker for its recent Nazi stunt by online ethics activism group #GamerGate. Whilst he has not expressed any explicit position on GamerGate, he has made clear that Gawker’s despicable stunt with a Twitter bot programmed to automatically tweet passages from Mein Kampf was indefensible.

This has led to curious fringe benefits for Grant. One might call it Karma. #GamerGate sympathisers have made great strides in removing rule breaking editors from Wikipedia, via disciplinary resolutions passed via its supreme dispute resolution body, ArbCom. Shortly after the wikipedia story broke a formal case was opened against the administrator responsible, Richard Symonds, via ArbCom. Your author imagines there will be many voices sympathetic to Grant on Wikipedia now. Symonds is at great risk of losing his administrator status.

Louise Mensch, Conservative media mastermind

The other hero? Louise Mensch. Your author happens to believe Louise, whose personal following is rapidly approaching a cool 100K, has a massive political influence in the United Kingdom.

However today I am praising her for her focus on winning Conservative votes and her criticisms of George Galloway. The Witchfinder has no doubt that Louise contributed greatly to Galloway’s election defeat.

Block Bot Court Update #2

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

The Witchfinder has further news.

So I called the Court this morning and I got to the bottom of James Billingham’s correspondence with them. Apparently he is unrepresented by a solicitor, whether his own or his employers’. Perhaps he was fronting when he said they were supporting him? If so they must be really delighted with him for dragging them into this and associating them with a project that actually at one stage blocked Barack Obama as a ‘harasser’. I have offered to completely cut them out of the matter if they confirm. Until then I encourage everyone to continue with Project Untechnica.

In any event on 01/05/2015 James contacted the Court, not entering a proper defence nor an application to strike out. He asked for the Court’s opinion on my claim which he feels is vexatious. Court officers are not allowed to give legal advice so they sent him a standard email saying so advising him he needs to take legal advice. I would add my own suggestion of an actual lawyer (instead of his friend MAMelby).

Continue reading →

Block Bot Court Update – Billingham Being Naughty

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

Just a quick update. I have been informed by the Court that James Billingham has emailed them without copying me in. This is usually against the rules. I have requested the document. The mail has been referred to a judge to consider whether the claim is suitable for the online system.

Likely outcomes are –

nothing the claim will continue
transfer
strike out as unsuitable for the online system with a direction it may be re-issued via the old-fashioned paper system

Either way he will only be delaying matters. (This only applies to my County Court claim not the ICO investigation).

Your Author Has a Fan in Blockbot Admin @MAMelby (Creepy, Creepy, Creepy)

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

The Witchfinder has an obsessive fan.

Not so long ago, members of the Block Bot team tried reporting me to the police. That did not work out so well for them. However one argument they advanced was that if they block someone and that person continues to try to contact them, that is harassment. So under their rationale if Betty blocks Bob and he keeps trying to contact her (e.g. by @ messages) directly at her then that is harassment.

Understandably then I was surprised, having blocked Block Blot Administrator @MAMelby, to be repeatedly tagged in to a whole bunch of tweets. Melby tweeted me 8 times on 01/05/2015 alone! Which I archived. She also knows she is blocked. Talk about stalker movie.

I do not mean to be funny but you really can go to prison in the UK for this crap. My explanation for unwanted contact with Billingham and Brown was litigation but unless you are suing someone or have some other good reason it really could be harassment. Melby has no such lawful reason so maybe reporting me for something and doing worse was unwise. If she was doing it on behalf of someone else they could be in trouble for it too.

Having been blocked Melby Tweets me like, 8 times in one day alone! 🙂

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A Useful Information Graphic for Project Untechnica and the Lawsuit Fund

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

A #GamerGate Information .GIF About Project Untechnica and the Fundraiser

Project #Untechnica http://wiki.gamergate.me/index.php?title=Projects:Operation_Untechnica

GoFundMe http://gofundme.com/suzeb3w

KotakuInAction Reforms – We Came for the Games, Now we Must Stay for the Politics

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

Vivan James has been called the daughter of #GamerGate. Will she become mother of a new political movement against the authoritarian left?

The phenomenal success of KotakuInAction has revealed the spectacular groundswell of dissatisfaction and rage not just against gaming journalists but against the oppressive and increasingly extreme ‘Social Justice Movement’. As the population of KotakuInAction grows larger its moderators have recognised the need for change. The Witchfinder agrees and urges them to seize this opportunity.

KotakuInAction, a Reddit forum less than 9 months old. has been spectacularly successful. It now boasts over 34,000 members. At slow periods it always seems to have at least 500-600 users logged in and at peak periods there are thousands.

KiA, as its members know it, is a forum that was set up in relation to the #GamerGate scandal, which is broadly about the corruption of journalists in computer games and in particular their attempts to shill extreme left wing ideologies that normal people rightly reject.

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GoFundMe – Back My Claim Against the Block Bot

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

[Important Update 09/05/2015] – The claim against the Block Bot is being discontinued because the UK authorities are taking action. As the Defendant ignored the costs rules there is negligible risk of costs against us so you may continue to donate, but only the second goal of the campaign, funding entertainment etcetera at a KiA meetup is now active. Supporters may donate to that if they wish. I will produce accounts of how the money was used.

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It is time to put up or shut up. Your author has decided to put up.

I have started a Small Claim against the Block Bot creator James Billingham in the County Court. I ought not to comment further in order to comply with Court rules however, I would like to blatantly fundraise to defray any costs. Whilst I am representing myself and costs are not awarded in Small Claims usually there are risks in any litigation and an enormous slush fund would help.

If there is any money left over it will be spent on a London meet for KiA members, specifically (subject to funds) hiring a venue, food, drink and entertainment. The priority shall be drink. 🙂

Litigation is never certain but you guys know what I have done in the past and I took three second opinions before issuing the claim. If successful, any UK based person who was added to the Block Bot previously may be able to sue the existing team, even if they move it abroad.

Go Fund Me here, now!

Cambridge Police Are Awesome, Rescind ‘Harassment’ Notice, Exonerate Witchfinder

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Matthew Hopkins

Your author has been very impressed with the diligence and professionalism of Cambridge Police and also with its Professional Standards Team. The Block Bot team have recently boasted online, using my real name, that I have been served with a Police Information Notice. The police have now completed a thorough internal investigation and revoked it. I have therefore decided to publish the rescinding letter to set the record straight. Screenshots below. (NOTE – the police were informed I was publishing this article and have not objected).

Your author is a Christian. Every so often there is something so good it restores your faith and requires thanks. This is one such occasion.

You would think that if you run an online database like the Atheism Plus Block Bot that describes people as ‘racists’ or ‘child abuse apologists’ you would expect to be sued. But no, on 05/03/2015 having received pre-action correspondence from me (checked by awesome solicitor Stefano Lucatello), former Block Bot administrator / blocker @AuntySarah turned up at a police station in Cambridge in tears claiming she was being harassed.

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