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Last Updated: Saturday July 14 2012 - 06:07:58

The Cheeky #%? at ers!!

Poster: Andy
Dated: Saturday November 8 2003 - 10:30:21 GMT

Take a look at this file to see a classic case of menu abuse.

http://www.bi-lo.com/menu/menu_array.js

Since when was it part of the license agreement that the link to milonic.com can be to yourself?

In case you miss it and they take it down, here's the original statement:

Quote:

/*
Milonic DHTML Menu
Written by Andy Woolley
Copyright 2002 (c) Milonic Solutions. All Rights Reserved.
Plase vist http://www.bi-lo.com/ or e-mail menu3 __at__ milonic.com
You may use this menu on your web site free of charge as long as you place prominent links to http://www.bi-lo.com/ and
your inform us of your intentions with your URL AND ALL copyright notices remain in place in all files including your home page
Comercial support contracts are available on request if you cannot comply with the above rules.

Please note that major changes to this file have been made and is not compatible with earlier versions..

You no longer need to number your menus as in previous versions.
The new menu structure allows you to name the menu instead. This means that you can remove menus and not break the system.
The structure should also be much easier to modify, add & remove menus and menu items.

If you are having difficulty with the menu please read the FAQ at http://www.bi-lo.com//faq.php before contacting us.

Please note that the above text CAN be erased if you wish as long as copyright notices remain in place.
*/

And here's another copy of the file: http://www.milonic.com/bi-lo.com_abuse_menu_array.js

I'm also having trouble seeing mandatory links on the pages that use the menu. Can any of your guys see it?

Regards
Andy Woolley - CEO
Milonic Solutions Ltd

Poster: John
Dated: Saturday November 8 2003 - 18:34:51 GMT

Andy, the crap in the comments is still there as of this message, and there are no links to be found on their pages. Looks like a large commercial outfit - go get the (*&^&$#& :!:

This, folks, is exactly the kind of stuff I was talking about in my ramblings yesterday, and is what is going to cost you the free menu status.

<personal>
Anybody happen to know of these folks, or more importantly, do business in any way with them? If so - don't. Find a reputable outfit to spend your money with.
</personal>

Poster: fredlongworthhighschool
Dated: Monday November 10 2003 - 8:18:43 GMT

One might be tempted to suggest a mass email campaign from the other members of the board........

Poster: Andy
Dated: Monday November 10 2003 - 15:31:01 GMT

Quote:

<personal>
Anybody happen to know of these folks, or more importantly, do business in any way with them? If so - don't. Find a reputable outfit to spend your money with.
</personal>

To be honest, it's probably not the website owner who are to blame.

Mostly these things are done by a spotty web designer who builds the site, includes the menu then passes of the work as their own. Then they get paid ridiculous amounts of money for doing very little.

It's all very difficult to deal with.

Cheers
Andy

Poster: John
Dated: Monday November 10 2003 - 15:50:46 GMT

While that's probably true, the ultimate responsibility still lies with the company represented on the site. Folks need to take responsibility - especially the big idiots, since they're the ones who seem to get away with stuff so often.

Poster: Andy
Dated: Monday November 10 2003 - 16:03:22 GMT

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more.

-- Andy

Poster: fredlongworthhighschool
Dated: Tuesday November 11 2003 - 15:22:43 GMT

Did they apply for a menu? Have you been in contact with them or them with you?

Poster: Andy
Dated: Tuesday November 11 2003 - 15:27:25 GMT

Nope, none of the above.

This is quite common but usually people have the decency to leave the copyright alone. Now, anybody that grabs a copy of the menu from their site will think that they have to link to them and not us. Crazy crazy people.

-- Andy

Poster: kevin3442
Dated: Tuesday November 11 2003 - 16:15:10 GMT

fredlongworthhighschool wrote:

One might be tempted to suggest a mass email campaign from the other members of the board........

Andy! A mail bomb? I'm shocked!

But just in case... here's a whois lookup, with the email addresses linked. Also, their customer relations dept. phone is 1-800-862-9293, in case anyone would like to give 'em a call, and their so called webmaster may be reached from this page.

Kevin

Registrant:
Bi-Lo, Inc. (BI-LO2-DOM)
P.O. Box 99
Mauldin, SC 29966
US

Domain Name: BI-LO.COM

Administrative Contact:
Horton, Barry (BH3165) [url]chrisp __at__ AMERICA.NET[/url]
BI-LO, Inc.
208 INDUSTRIAL DR
GREENVILLE, SC 29607-3243
US
(864) 234-1600 fax: (864) 675-5456

Technical Contact:
Grant, Dean (DGB431) [url]dgrant __at__ AHOLDUSA.COM[/url]
Ahold Information Services
1200 BROOKFIELD BLVD
GREENVILLE, SC 29607-5762
US
864-987-5637 fax: 864-987-3017

Poster: fredlongworthhighschool
Dated: Thursday November 13 2003 - 10:56:04 GMT

Nothing as drastic as a mail bomb, but a simple "shame on you, we pay for our menu, spoiling it for the rest of us, won't buy from your site, etc etc" from the other forum users.

Poster: John
Dated: Thursday November 13 2003 - 13:38:05 GMT

It would certainly help if we could get folks in that area of the country. Who knows? Maybe they'll listen.

Poster: Hergio
Dated: Saturday November 15 2003 - 20:05:25 GMT

Andy,
Are you going to contact these people or should we? I hope you let these people know they are infringing. I just need to point out, I have been to NC and SC plenty of times and this is a relatively large supermarket chain in the area. I think if you contact them, they should take it down. I am telling you, you gotta say something...its so goddamn blatent...if I am heated, I can imagine how you feel. If you dont call them I sure as hell will! :evil:

Poster: John
Dated: Saturday November 15 2003 - 22:03:19 GMT

I think it's way past time for a legal threat. Just talking here ain't gonna do squat to get this stopped.

Poster: Hergio
Dated: Sunday November 16 2003 - 6:13:43 GMT

Hell yeah, man, this is so blatant disregarding, its nausiating. I already fired off an email using their feedback page on their site. I was polite, but I definetly got the point across that they were disgustingly infringing on someone elses property. I also made sure to state I was not affiliated with Milonic so I dont go getting andy in trouble...hehe. If I dont get a response in a couple days, I will be making a phone call for you. Again, I will not affliate myself with Milonic, just let them know they are infringing and it would be in their best interests to get it taken care of immediately.

Poster: John
Dated: Sunday November 16 2003 - 6:17:03 GMT

Given how ballsy they've been with the changes they made, are you really expecting a reply?

Poster: Hergio
Dated: Sunday November 16 2003 - 6:25:40 GMT

Well then I am looking forward to my phone call. :evil:

I can't believe how heated I am about this....I think its because of the way they did it. Not just using the menu, but using it and putting a bunch of bullsh*t in it and calling it their own. Ugh thats rude.

Poster: John
Dated: Sunday November 16 2003 - 6:28:28 GMT

Trust me, I'm as hot as you are. Just haven't been spouting off here because I know if I get started on this one I'll probably take it too far. But I'd sure like to 'reach out and touch somebody'... :roll:

Poster: fredlongworthhighschool
Dated: Monday November 17 2003 - 10:13:40 GMT

Is there any way that a 'switch' can be incorporated into the code so that Andy retains some level of control and can turn it off, regardless of where the menu is?

Poster: Andy
Dated: Monday November 17 2003 - 10:20:00 GMT

I could do but it will add extra code to the menu and would need to send a request to our web server for validation for each instance of the menu.

This would eat bandwidth and CPU time like anything. It could also break the menu for others if our website was ever unavailable.

It's a nice thought but it would be more trouble than it was worth.

Cheers
Andy

Poster: John
Dated: Monday November 17 2003 - 14:05:01 GMT

Good thought, AndyD, but the other problem with that is it would do nothing to deter the clowns who are already using the menu illegally.

Nevertheless, I've got 6GB bandwidth that could act as a mirror if you change your mind, boss.

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The Cheeky #%? __at__ ers!!

The Cheeky #%? at ers!!