Helium.com
Complaint about censorship, intellectual theft and intimidation at Helium.com
Big Brother is alive and well, and, apparently, flourishing at Helium.com, online marketplace for writers, “where knowledge rules”. (Their slogan now strikes me as particularly ironic.)
Before I delve into my own complaint, do a quick Google search on Helium complaints, and it’s a gold mine. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a major article in a newspaper or magazine, given the extent of the complaints against them.
Helium is a website where writers can post articles, have them rated, and, perhaps even earn a few cents. Since the substance of my complaint is in the correspondence below, I’ll not detail it here, except to summarize it. About a week ago, I asked them politely to remove an article I’d written, three years ago, which was now damaging to my reputation. After much back and forth, they not only locked me out while keeping all my articles online, but censored another article I’d written which was critical of their behavior, and then, threatened to report me to the FBI!
The correspondence follows below, and the whole, ugly affair is recounted in more detail on my blog article (http://brokenwholeblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/censorship-tyranny-and-intimidation-at.html).
Sincerely, Keith (last name protected) – see correspondence below.
Would you mind explaining this to me? What have I done to receive this threat? First you claim the right to keep my article up despite the fact that it was written when I was not in my right mind. Then, when I follow your suggestion of leapfrogging the article, and criticize you in it, you come down on me like Big Brother. I’m completely at a loss. You’re saying that you can’t be criticized. What kind of operation are you running. Free speech is the cornerstone of writing.
I’m going to consult with a lawyer, and I’m going to do everything I can do to publicize this behavior through the blogosphere, and writer contacts.
Keith (last name protected)
From: Helium Help [mailto:help@helium.com]
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 8:20 AM
To: Keith Adams
Subject: RE: Site-generated_help_request He:0094807
Further attempts to access helium.com or any Helium computer systems will be considered malicious and reported to local and state law enforcement, the Internet Crimes division of the FBI and your internet service provider. Your account has been disabled and the original article restored to the title.
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Helium Security
help@helium.com
Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.
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