I just received an email from our web host, Hosting Matters, containing their side of an exchange with internet harpy Kathyn Cramer in which she demands LGF be shut down because (she alleges) we’ve been “inciting organized attacks” on her web site.

This is how Hosting Matters’ stellar support team responded:

This reads a bit like a non-sequitor. What does any filing you may make anywhere have to do with showing where the site holder has been “inciting organized attacks” against your site? If you are unable to provide the information to back your claims, that’s perfectly fine, and we will treat this complaint accordingly. However, if you are attempting to have us take action against the site holder because of your unsubstantiated claims of this activity, that is not perfectly fine. Since we have unearthed a request from the site holder that specifically requests that any visitors to your site from his not engage in any untoward activity, it makes your claims sound a lot less like those made in good faith as a report of abusive activity and more like someone who is blaming a party with whom they have some dispute for the actions of others. This is not acceptable to us. We will not take any action against our client because of it, nor will we involve ourselves in disputes or this nature.

We have also read your claims of DOS attacks against your site. As someone noted in a comment to your site, a DOS attack renders a site or network unusable due to massive amounts of traffic directed to it: it is, as the term “Denial of Service” term means, an attack designed to make a site or service inaccessible to anyone. Based on our research of the entries and comments made on your site, it does not appear that your site was inaccessible in any manner. If you make us a party to any filings by providing us with copies, and make this type of claim in those filings, we will contact whatever parties or agencies with which those claims are filed to advise them of the improper use of this term. We will further advise them to request the logs from your service provider to review the traffic to the site, along with the logs or MRTG graphs from the network equipment that show the actual transfer levels to and from your site and the server on which it resides. This will be done so that they can adequately assess whatever claims you may make related to this particular issue.

Note to a certain deranged owl who I’m sure is obsessively watching: I direct your attention, Kathryn, to what I posted on April 7:

And please note, Kathryn, since I’m sure you’re watching this site like a deranged owl: I am not calling on LGF readers to harass you.

To the lizardoid hordes: if you go to her web site, be polite. You will not help the situation by threatening or posting pr0n links. (Not that any of you have; I just feel it’s necessary to point this out, because Cramer is a complete loon.)

Big ups to Hosting Matters, who demonstrate again why everyone who needs a web site should use them.

I’m just curious; has anyone ever heard of a blogger or other citizen on the right side of the aisle demanding that a left wing site be shut down, by making false claims of TOS violations? Has anyone heard of a blogger on the right side of the aisle trying to find a home address and phone number to encourage their readers to harass and stalk the owner of a left wing site?

Anyone? Bueller?

(Note: By the way, I have a policy here of immediately deleting any such personal information, and did so within 5 minutes when someone posted a phone number for Cramer. Cramer, on the other hand, allowed a post containing what purported to be my home address and phone (it wasn’t) to remain for a full day at her blog — then removed it, but posted a link to the Google cache with a suggestion to her readers to go there.)