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Mailbag: Email Flood on THG Byline Scandal

Posted By Kathy Smith

Date: March 18, 2002

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Subject: RE: THG Slander...

Van, all I can say is that I’m very sorry for what is happening to you. When I was thinking about creating a site, I looked at other for guidance and your articles really helped.

You can count on the backing of my site (although it is still small) for whatever you need, and as moral support.

If you need anything, just ask.

Sincerely,

-Aron

www.aselabs.com

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Subject: Goodbye To Tom's Hardware

To whom it may concern,

 Given the light of recent events regarding Tom’s Hardware and poor journalistic practices towards Van Smith, I cannot in good conscience browse your site any longer. I refuse to support anyone with such a blatant disregard for even common journalistic integrity. I will be forwarding copies of this letter to all advertisers on your site and encouraging all my associates to do likewise.

I would hope that this out and out theft and slander (of Mr. Smith and his articles) will cease in the very near future. Until it does, Tom’s is out of my favorites.

Sincerely,

Jeff Mills

Site Supervisor

Electronics Maintenance - Saskatchewan Penitentiary

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.

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Subject: You still exist at Asian sites.

I know you have a lot of mail but this is strange ...just checked for your article on Intel Q1 '00 and found this.
 
http://www.big5.tomshardware.com/cpu/00q1/000228/
 
Chinese, Big5.  By Van Smith
 
http://www.gb.tomshardware.com/cpu/00q1/000228/
 
Chinese, GB.  By Van Smith
 
http://www.tomshardware.co.kr/cpu/00q1/000228/
 
Korean.  By Van Smith
 
http://tom.g-micro.co.jp/cpu/00q1/000228/index.html
 
Japanese. By Van Smith
 
But in Poland,
 
http://www.pl.tomshardware.com/cpu/00q1/000228/
 
Polish language.  By Tom Pabst
 
Mark

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Subject: A Scoundrel By Any Other Name

Sunday March 17, 2001
 
Mr. Pabst,
 
Honor is one of the most important attributes a man can have. Journalists should hold their honor above all else, something I guess you never quite learned.
 
While I've known for some time you were an ornery, angry and generally distasteful man, I would never have thought that you would sell your honor so blatantly as you have in the case of past articles written by Mr. Van Smith while working at your site. This is the lowest from of thievery in the journalistic arena and one that will, I hope, lead to your downfall.
 
This "theft" cannot be condoned and i believe the reasonable reader will come to the conclusion that you can no longer be trusted. Your views and opinions, and those of your writers, are not worth a thing any longer.
 
What a shame that you think so little of your self to ruin a career in such a backhanded and mean-spirited manner but I guess that's your nature.
 
I can only say, walk away now...or rather slither away, and do not show yourself again for you have shown no respect for anyone who has read and supported your site. How little you must think of your readers not to understand the petty nature of this action.
 
By Bye Mr. Pabst...you are a scoundrel of the worst kind!
 
Kurt Tusher
"OCmadeEZ"

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Subject: Slander at Tom's Hardware

Hi van Smith,
glad I could help, I recon it was the least I could do. Searching the German and the English pages at THG seemed to reveal to me that the so-called "Udo Schroeder" 1) Doesn't "exist" anymore and 2) Was used until all of this started showing up on various news sites. The articles you wrote, simply have no author now! That being except for the one, you linked to me. I'd say this one is a real bad one for thg. Hey, for the others, he could always claim, some sort of policy, that after a few years, the author name is taken of (Though if he did it, I could show screenshots of another article still having author...). You should definitely screenshot the two links, you sent me, and perhaps try forwarding them to him or considering some sort of legal action. My point is, he might get away with taking the name of, but putting his one name there instead is nothing but plain stealing. I'm in shock!
 
Regards,

Anonymous

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Subject: Slander at Tom's Hardware

Hi van Smith,
just to back up your case against thg, and give you the credit you deserve for you articles, I tried the following. Trying to trace some of the old webpages at tomshardware.com through archive.org. Surprise: the page is taken off the system:

"Blocked Site Error.

Per the request of the site owner, http://tomshardware.com is no longer available in the Wayback Machine. Try another request or click here to see if the page is available, live, on the Web."


Well, then I tried tracing you on the German page tomshardware.de, where a lot of the English articles appear within days of their original release in English. Guess what, I found you! Your name appears on atleast two articles (I didn't research any further) (I have screenshots) together with the German name "Uwe Scheffel" - the translator I presume. The thing is finding these pages in english is no problem - but your name is gone - the article simply has no author (I have screenshots), any longer that is....

Feel free to contact me, if you wish to obtain the screenshots or further elaborations on my "research".

Yours sincerely

Anonymous

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Subject: cheap!!!!!!!!!

To Tom Pabst:

Imagine that I never thought that you could do such thing as removing the bylines of an author.!!!

This is the lowest damn thing that I have seen...

And I agree with Van, Your site is worth nothing in regard of objectivity any more.

So let me hereby inform you that you have been deleted from my favorite list in my browser. ...for what it is worth..

To Van Smith:

Keep on the good job that you are doing!!!

BTW. Now I remember a mail that I sent to Toms Hardware regarding the mod of ASUS A7V, w/o multiplier switches. Shortly after my mail to him, there was an article at Toms HW regarding such a mod......coincidence only??

Best regards

Tomas

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Subject: Slander at Tom's Hardware

Just wanted to express my support. Before I heard about all this, Tomshardware was one of my fav's because of the vary articles you say you're responsible for. You've got my best wishes and I'm sure thousands are finding out and turning over as well. Hang in there.

-Cyrus

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