Posted by Harry [NR] on 4/22/12 2:05pm
Msg #418530

Negrete Post

For those of you who don't understand the removal of Tony's advertisement...

First, hundreds of signing services use our site every day to find notaries. In the last two weeks, we've had two others that have contacted us privately to let us know they'd landed major new clients. In one case, a service was looking for E&O. In neither case were they wanting to advertise their businesses, which would not be fair to the hundreds of other services using our site. New client? It happens all the time. Go tweet about it.

Next, it seems that no one is aware of the Negrete history. Many years ago, Tony had approached me about using our workflow platform. We spoke in great detail about features we were working on, but nothing became of it. Some time passed before I learned that Tony had been working with a competitor. From our initial conversations to this realization, I ran a query to determine how many notary profiles Tony had "viewed" on our site. It was on the order of 8,000.

Tony had systematically siphoned a chunk of our notary database into their database. That happened after the same competitor approached me about using our database for their signing platform and I told them I'd rather not share it. The competitor? Notary Software. Quite a few signing services use their hosted signing platform. They later released a site to compete more directly with us, which you probably know as Cafe.

For those of you who still do not understand, unless Tony has severed all ties with Cafe, he is essentially an extension of the competition and was instrumental in getting them their start by populating their database with our notaries. While that is a clever model that benefits them (the competition) and benefits you, it is not good for us or anyone else who has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising fees to promote you.

I find the fact that Tony would try to create buzz on our site completely bizarre. Maybe he’s stopped working with our competition?

Harry
Notary Rotary

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/22/12 2:11pm
Msg #418533

I see, said the blind man....thank you, Harry... n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/22/12 2:38pm
Msg #418535

Thank you.

Reply by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 4/22/12 3:14pm
Msg #418536

Thanks for the insight, Harry

That paints a greatly different picture of Tony than most of us, including me, have come to accept. Because of that, I hope you will give Tony the opportunity to respond. I'd like to hear what he has to say. Virtually anyone who participates in this board with any frequency has come to appreciate your contributions to our business and our individual businesses, and your uprightness. We also have come to respect Tony. I'd really like to hear his reasoning.

Reply by Frank/NC on 4/22/12 4:22pm
Msg #418539

Harry, you have absolutely made a straight forward and, I believe, honest statement as well as allowed for criticism and reply. Nothing is better than being honest and conducting your business with pride and intelligence.

Reply by MW/VA on 4/22/12 4:28pm
Msg #418540

Thanks, Harry. As always, it's your website, and IMO we

don't need to know all the behind-the-scenes workings of your business. We have come to know the honest & integrity that comes from the operators of this site. It's good to have that sense of trust in an industry that doesn't lend itself to that. Thanks for always being honest & above board.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 4/22/12 4:43pm
Msg #418542

Thank you, Harry, some background really helps. I hope

NR and Tony can work this out.

Reply by Les_CO on 4/22/12 5:11pm
Msg #418544

Does that mean that all of us here that have listings (paid/free) with Notary Café must sever our connections with them (and others, like “the numbers” site) in order to NOT be in competition with you?
I have a (poor) web site. I advertise my services. No other, just mine…Am I your competition? I say if it were not like me and many other Premium Members here you would be doing something else.
If you believe Tony “mined” your notary base, and helped some other completive site get into business… take it up with the courts… If you don’t like him, and think he is using you, your site, and all of us in ways contrary to the purposes and rules here… CANCEL his membership, and be done with it!
I will say that your post explaning these recent actions does shed some light on why some views/posts were deleted and some not.
I like and enjoy most of the interaction that takes place here, and although this post may not sound like it..I am a fan, and will continue my membership here…God of the board willing?

Reply by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 4/22/12 6:29pm
Msg #418551

***although this post may not sound like it..I am a fan***

You're right, Les, it does not sound like you are a fan. It sounds like you are someone who took a position, then discovered the position was ill-founded, and has trouble accepting that.

Reply by Les_CO on 4/22/12 7:31pm
Msg #418555

I took a position founded upon what knowledge I was privy to at the time…and posted a response that altho may have been uninformed was still true...UKCowboy _CA is still in my opinion a no-nothing wanker.
But you are most correct in your assumption Huge, that I had NO knowledge of any “personal” prior animosity or ‘hard feelings’ between Harry and Tony. I assumed that MY posts were deleted because of MY opinion or posted response that differed with ‘someone’ in charge.

Reply by jba/fl on 4/22/12 8:12pm
Msg #418560

Why do little question marks in black diamonds appear in

your posts? what causes that? Is this the beginning of an aneurysm? or something.

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/22/12 8:17pm
Msg #418562

Jba - are you using Firefox? Maybe Les is.

I have that same experience when I use Firefox. Drove me crazy...then, I realized it was the difference between the browsers that posters and readers were using.

Reply by jba/fl on 4/22/12 10:40pm
Msg #418579

I use Firefox....his is the only one I see that way. n/m

Reply by MikeC/TX on 4/23/12 5:52pm
Msg #418659

Re: I use Firefox....his is the only one I see that way.

Click on View->Character Encoding - what are your settings?

Reply by jba/fl on 4/23/12 6:15pm
Msg #418661

Re: I use Firefox....his is the only one I see that way.

Western (ISO-8859-1)

Reply by Les_CO on 4/22/12 10:50pm
Msg #418582

Re: Why do little question marks in black diamonds appear in

Could be? I sort of have a headache? I use Internet Explorer w/windows 7, and sometimes write in office word and copy/paste…Or not. If there are many spelling/grammatical mistakes in my post I probably did not use Word first.

Reply by jba/fl on 4/22/12 11:03pm
Msg #418586

Do my post appear odd? Is this just one of those

great unexplained computer god things?

Reply by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 4/22/12 8:15pm
Msg #418561

***But you are most correct in your assumption Huge***

Feels good to be on the side of the angels, Least.

Reply by Les_CO on 4/22/12 10:32pm
Msg #418575

A Freudian slip based on your ‘old’ moniker. I apologize! And may I commend your apparent change in style? You are now posting just interesting, thoughtful posts without any mention of ladies undergarments, or demeaning comments directed at a some here. That said ...please feel free to critique my poor comments in your old cantankerous style.

Reply by UKCowboy_CA on 4/22/12 7:03pm
Msg #418554

"although this post may not sound like it..I am a fan, " and also an ignorant, arrogant moron.

Reply by Les_CO on 4/22/12 7:31pm
Msg #418556

TWIT!

Reply by Buddy Young on 4/22/12 7:51pm
Msg #418557

Are we reduced to name calling now?

Reply by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 4/22/12 8:17pm
Msg #418563

***Are we reduced to name calling now?***

No, Buddy, with Les that's not a reduction in stature. That's where he's always been.

Reply by Les_CO on 4/22/12 10:39pm
Msg #418578

" and also an ignorant, arrogant moron." I think that's my description by... what was it ? Oh yes THE UK Cowboy!
Yup! Just answering in kind.

Reply by John Tennant on 4/22/12 9:45pm
Msg #418570

In over a year you have never posted a positive post. No post to contribute to the knowledge of the others on this forum. You hide behind an alias. All you are is disruptive and disrespectful.

I am asking Harry (NR) to consider blocking your posts so this forum can get back to what I have found (over the last 5 years) to be sharing of knowledge and support when needed.

YOU PROVIDE NONE OF THIS.

Reply by KODI/CA on 4/22/12 9:46pm
Msg #418571

My post was in reference to UKCowboy-Ca"s, not Hugh's.

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 4/22/12 10:32pm
Msg #418576

just curious John--why do you have two profile names? n/m

Reply by KODI/CA on 4/22/12 10:35pm
Msg #418577

Re: just curious John--why do you have two profile names?

I have my real name and my profile name, as all premier members have. Depending on my mood, I change back and forth. They are linked so anyone can always identify me. Problem???

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 4/22/12 10:44pm
Msg #418580

curiosity and problem are not synonyms :)

sometimes a question is just that. someone wanting to learn. sorry if you took offense. I'm a premier member too so I guess I better get on it! Donna

Reply by jba/fl on 4/22/12 10:49pm
Msg #418581

Re: curiosity and problem are not synonyms :)

When you click on the arrow next to your name, you will see your real name (I guess you will - depends on how you listed yourself.) It is not limited to premier members as there are others who switch back and forth as well.

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 4/22/12 11:04pm
Msg #418587

and just when I thought I was getting to know

some of the personalities on here!! thanks for the tip.

Reply by kathy/ca on 4/23/12 11:38am
Msg #418611

I seem to remember something about this a few years ago and

have so much respect for Harry and his group and his running of this board and also for Tony who I have worked for over the years and have had nothing but utmost respect for him as well. I wish both of them nothing but the best!

Reply by KODI/CA on 4/22/12 10:51pm
Msg #418583

Re: curiosity and problem are not synonyms :)

Absolutely no offense taken. Sorry if my response indicated so.

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 4/22/12 11:07pm
Msg #418588

it was the: problem???? that had me wondering, thanks! n/m

Reply by Stephanie Santiago on 4/23/12 12:33pm
Msg #418615

Who is UKCowboy_CA?...I guess I missed something... n/m

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 4/23/12 2:58pm
Msg #418631

I think that is what everyone is asking, who is he?

As with most who don't link their profile I give them not much of my time or thoughts.

Reply by NJDiva on 4/23/12 3:36pm
Msg #418635

Lol..good answer Dorothy...which is why I always encourage

people who want any type of credibility to link their post and identify yourself.