Scoots

Thank you but I don't use words I don't understand. That's not what has surprised me. That's what I meant Jacqui, thanks it was taking up a lot of the mods' time. Personally, I haven't sidestepped any questions. I have tried to stick to correcting factual inaccuracies. I just don't see any need to answer most of the questions posed in this thread. I am aware that will not be a popular view.....

I can't believe you said that. I would say I can't believe you were allowed to say that but this thread has surprised me in many ways. Carol and I are the only two DP mods posting on this thread, so it is obvious that vitriol will come our way. I have no problem with members of the Refuge hurling as much in my direction as they wish but to make a comment like that about Carol is completely out of order.

It's my recollection that we decided to stop posting poundies for rehoming on the main boards because although the people posting them may have said in the posts that they wanted rescue places, the mods were constantly having to deal with ordinary members ignoring this and trying to rehome the dogs straight from the pound - something that also wasted lots of time for organisations like RDR. (Carol, Jacqui - is that what you remember too?). It was confusing for everyone having the poundies listed in the same place as the assessed dogs in rescues.

See my deliberately italicised emphasis. ......... Sorry, just seen Sherlock Bones' post - I haven't twisted anything. I was responding to a very specific point made by Reikiange. I can't justify why I can post here - that's for Rick to decide Just as Ray decides what happens on DP. You can verify pretty easily, though, that I only post here on threads like this, and I don't think anyone could accuse me of trouble-making. In answer to your last implied question, as far as I'm concerned it's won't rather than don't. I've said all along that I feel no need to justify anything to another forum, be it the Refuge or Gardeners World. I just want to correct inaccuracies. Also - and now I really am going to bed - Cheryl, you might want to double check that statement....

Just a quick reply to this before I go to bed. There simply would not be a similar thread on DP. It is entirely up to Rick how he runs this board, just as it is entirely up to Ray how he runs his. If enough Refuge members feel that Carol and I should not be able to post then tell Rick (I think it's only Carol and me who aren't banned here but I may be wrong....). It's his board and he can stop us posting if he likes. However, I hope that the ex DP mods here will confirm that we simply would not allow a thread criticising another forum on DP. It just doesn't happen. What happens here is up to Rick, but I am quite happy to say that I would immediately pull any thread like this on DP, whether it related to the Refuge or any other dog rescue forum. Not a criticism, just a statement of fact. That, just for clarity, is also true for the Sponsors' Lounge and the Rescue Xchange.

Just to pour a little cold water on the speculation, DP is working fine for me and has been all morning except for about 10 seconds when it disappeared.....

I meant he doesn't ask rescues to pay to use DP which is what I inferred from your previous post. Do you mean me? I've explained my reasons for posting on this thread. I'm just here to correct factually inaccurate statements about finances.

He doesn't ask rescues to do that.

But it's not the same - Ray is not asking to use the resources of this site to help his own organisation, which is what the rescues posting on DP do. The server message probably just meant the server was busy. As for the other comments, I really don't see what else I can do. If people don't want to give me their DP usernames, I don't see how I can help them. I've explained who I believe can legitimately ask questions. This is getting way too grassy knoll for me. My offer stands.

OK. If there is anyone who contributed to the auction, has any concerns and cannot access DP, they can PM me here and I will get in touch by email (I should have their email address from my auction spreadsheet). I very much doubt it, and in his position I wouldn't either. Why on earth would he feel the need to defend himself to anyone here?

I'm big enough and ugly enough not to worry about feeling picked on I know the costs involved and I feel happy that the money raised is not excessive. We are certainly talking much bigger costs than are involved in the Refuge (according to your figures). If anyone reading this took part in the auction and feels unhappy with any aspect of it, I am happy for them to contact me via DP to discuss it. I'm afraid I just see no need to justify any of it to random members of this site.

I'm not sure what you expect me to do about that? I've posted a link that anyone should be able to use who can still post on DP. The money from the DP server auction was not raised by false pretences. That has already been made clear in this thread. If you mean that you think I am dishonest and untrustworthy, well, that's your prerogative.

If it's broken, it's broken by the Refuge. It's all still there on DP in full public view - nothing has been removed/deleted/changed since the auction. All the threads are still there, including my announcement of the total. To keep the fundraising completely separate from the sponsorship donations in order to have the greatest financial clarity. From a personal point of view, I am not prepared to take responsibility or accountability for any accounts that I do not fully control. I don't think that's unreasonable.

Don't know why it wouldn't if you can still post on DP......it's a real link!

See my link above for the amount raised. To be honest Rick, and I really don't mean this rudely, although I know that's hard to convey on a forum, I don't think the other questions are any of your business. As the last one directly concerns my integrity, however, I will explain that the money was paid by winning bidders into a Paypal account that I controlled. I then transferred it into the DP account. Not sure where the two different third parties idea came from? Obviously, I could have just pocketed half the money, but short of getting the accounts independently audited, the people who paid just had to take that on trust... Sorry, but that's just nonsense. The amount of sponsorship donations came nowhere near to covering the running costs, let alone making a surplus.

I am not here to defend policy decisions taken by Ray. DP is his board and he makes the rules. Yes, as long as the money is voluntarily given (it is) and it is clear what it is for (it is). Well, yes, apart from the thread that has been at the top of the relevant auction forum since December last year I suppose you could say there's no mention of it. http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=157984 I think there are several answers. I've already said I am not going to discuss Ray's policy decisions. Some other questions to do with accounts I feel are frankly no business of the people asking them. I don't remember being told that. I remember choosing to give money to DP as soon as the facility was set up. When the off topic lounge was introduced a few months later it was an added bonus.

Those are personal choices made by Rick and Ray. Rick is free to stop me posting here if he wants. Did you read my post?

I just wanted to make a couple of points, apart from mentioning that Carol has not been 'told' to post anything here I should also clarify for anyone who doesn't know me that I am a mod on DP, I am not affiliated to any rescue, and so cannot possibly be held over any kind of barrel by Ray, as some of the wilder conspiracy theorists on this thread seem to believe is the case with DP mods. Firstly, whether you agree with the way DP is run or not, it is a privately owned and run forum. Nobody has a right to post there; it is not a state-provided service open to all, any more than this board is. Secondly, the one area I cannot not comment on is money, not least because I have been responsible for the fundraising accounts for the last couple of big events on DP. Re the donations, what people are told is this: Donations from sponsor members haven't even made a dent in the running costs, although they have obviously been welcome. People donate because they want to make a contribution. There is no entitlement to anything as a result. There is an off topic lounge open to sponsors now but when the donations started, there was nothing except golden paws. The fundraising auctions and competitions we have held have all been for named rescues, except the last one, which was clearly presented as being to raise funds to cover the running costs for DP. As Ian said, people were free to bid or not bid. In all previous auctions, all money raised has gone to the rescues. Nothing has been held back for DP. I am only posting this as a point of clarification for those members (hopefully the majority) on this forum who have no interest in the point-scoring/politics but may be wondering about the financial side of things. Any members of DP reading this who have donated money and have any concerns are of course free to contact me to discuss them

Sorry for the ambiguity, Bunnygirl/Rykat, no - that meant that they were not allowed to advertise their dogs on DP. You read it wrongly but maybe I could have been clearer

I know it's bad form to quote yourself, but I wanted to be clear that this is the reason I won't be posting any more on this thread.

Pre-mod does not stop anyone posting, it just means that posts have to be approved. Maggi did not attempt to post at any stage. Helly, I can't see the post you are referring to, but it doesn't matter. The facts are that Maggi has always been able to post and has chosen not to. That is obviously her perogative, of course. I am making no comments on the general discussion on this thread and I am not going to be drawn into further debate. However, as a member of the DP moderating team, I am also not going to let completely false statements go unchallenged regarding Maggi not being able to post on DP. I come here rarely enough for most people (hopefully) to realise I'm not picking a fight. Just setting the record straight on a point of fact.

That's not true, Mel. Maggi is and has always been able to post on DP. She just can't advertise her dogs there. Anyone who says otherwise is, quite simply, wrong.

I'm not sure there's any conflict of interests here tbh. The RSPCA petition is concerning the next legislative tranche of the Animal Welfare Bill, which may or may not include regulation of greyhound racing. Can't remember the timescales offhand but the industry was given a period to self-regulate and clean up its act. The Animal Welfare Bill exists and there will be resultant secondary legislation. Don't see why that should stop anyone campaigning for an end to racing as a separate issue. Hope that made some kind of vague sense...