A post, the 4th, timestamped "Posted by QLDPCS, Sunday, 30 September 2007 11:12:53 AM" was made to the comments thread to the article "Queensland's burning - local government amalgamations Beattie-style" by Scott Prasser, published 27/9/2007. See: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=6435

As at the time of submission of this topic, "False Flagging? Electoral deception online?", that post was still up on the thread in question, so I reproduce its content here for information of viewers. On the face of it, this post may well contravene OLO acceptable usage policy, but I have refrained from requesting its immediate deletion as I am interested in OLO contributors' views on it. OLO Forum administration may well subsequently remove it of their own volition: I suspect they would have good cause. My reproduction of it is of the nature of a warning to viewers to exercise caution, not as an endorsement of its content or an attempt to pre-empt or frustrate any subsequent OLO action.

The post says:

"Here is your chance to say NO to amalgamating, which will cause a big mess and people who know nothing about our communities.

The process to get Labor and Co to put an end to this nonsense is with people's votes.

By buying a No Qld Don't ALL Want Our Councils Amalgamated. we can collectively give Qld ALP the result they don't want or dread

Go to : www.qldpcs.com.au Next to: Add to cart then press Order then View Cart then Checkout.

Fill in the info marked with an asterix and this will be used ONLY for the NO votes to land on Beattie's desk.

Please remember to hit Place Your Order to get the vote to my secure server."

Whilst I might well agree with what the poster, QLDPCS, represents as their view on amalgamations, and what the website may imply, how would I really have any idea what my money was going to support, should I be so possibly foolish as to contribute or 'buy an item'?

I take the opposing view to that post, that is I think all of us should be free to think as we wish.
Also that it is far from the first post of this nature and the limited replies often prove we know what is behind them.
It is also my view the uniting of some councils may be for the better, while I do not fully understand the Queensland issue NSW has gone through the process.
I have no faith in local government, the less we have them the better developers, real estates and self interest drive them.
In fact local governments are in some areas prone to corruption more than any other form
Free speech has its faults but remains worth defending.

Now here's an interesting little conundrum. An OLO user who had, as at 12:03 PM Monday 1 October 2007 only ever made one post (curiously, although not necessarily improperly, to a thread nearly a year old) appeared in the "Users currently online" panel: that user was userID "cu_cullaign".

The new userID "cu_cullaign" was not showing up in the "Newest Users" panel, however.

Presumably, the new OLO userID "cu_cullaign" must have been registered some time ago for it not to have appeared in the Newest Users panel today.

The reason I comment is that a similar OLO userID, "Cuchulainn", was notified in a post entered under the OLO userID of "National Forum Administration" on Monday, 24 September 2007 at 3:10:55 PM as having been banned from this forum on the basis of being a duplicate forum identity. See: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=989#18788

The point of my observation is that nowhere on the "User details" page of the OLO site does the time of REGISTRATION of the OLO userID appear. Such might well help viewers assess whether orchestrated joinings of the forum were occurring, with concommitant likelihood of distortion of true aggregate expressed opinion. Its a bit like printing the date of the entry of a name on an electoral roll: it provides some basis of assessment as to whether any orchestrated manipulation may be going on.

At least in respect of providing recorded information, OLO is streets ahead of the Australian Electoral Commission. The last time a hardcopy printed electoral roll for a Commonwealth electoral division could be purchased by a member of the public was 1983! OLO may improve its already good credibility by adopting publication of registration, both on the "User details" page, and in a yet-to-be-designed sequential listing of joinings (and suspensions) page.

I trust that it is not possible that some mischief-maker has found a way to register an ID without it appearing in the "Newest Users" panel. Also check out userIDs "bugsye" and "QLDPCS" in relation to that banning.

The website given in QLDPCS post referred to above contains the following particulars under the "Contact us" tab:

"Qld PC's Pty Ltd
ABN: 19 090 108 295
Phone: 0411 874 063"

and this email address:

Ian Moses ian@qldpcs.com.au

If you follow the steps given in the QLDPCS post you will be solicited for a contribution of $2 and a whole heap of personal (and identifying) information. Qld PC's Pty Ltd has the appearance of being a business engaged in the sale of personal computers. Assuming it to be genuine, I feel sure that it is against OLO forum rules to use the Forum for advertising purposes.

It may well be that Qld PC's Pty Ltd is a genuine business that has been the subject of online corporate identity theft via the hacking of a website. How would anyone know?

My suspicion is that not just Forum rules are being broken by userID "QLDPCS", but that offences of fraud and deceptive electoral advertising may have also been committed in this connection. The interweaving on the website of "QLD People with Common Sense", "www.QldPC's.com.au", and "Qld PC's Pty Ltd" all smacks of deception to me.

I would be extremely surprised if, for example, Yvonne Chapman had approved of the use of her name and photograph on this website and in this context as a sponsor. She didn't acquire the nickname of "the Stainless Steel Tulip" for nothing!

My point in raising all these concerns is not merely to defend Forum rules, but, by exposing some of the deceptions attempted here, to alert viewers to possibly quite extensive deceptive practice within the real world of elections in Australia.

BTW, I note that userID "cu_cullaign" now appears in the "Newest Users" panel. My screenshots confirm that that userID was not showing at around 12:03 PM on Monday 1 October 2007 when its first Forum post was made. It had appeared in the "Users Currently Online" panel before its first post was made. I wonder why the delay?

Lets clear this up right now. I am Ian Moses owner of a Micro Company Qld PC's Pty Ltd and in this forum as QLDPCS. I have put my name and neck on the line to take this to a referendum and ask for a $1 dollar commitment in the process. I have running and living costs.

Yes I have been a Computer wholesaler since 1999 and yes this is a revamp of my site which has been running since 2003. I am not in it for the money, however why ask for something for free. Ask Anna Bligh and see what she'll tell you about Amalgamating the Councils and your chance to say NO. Good luck.

I am telling probably too much or little at the moment, but Forest, if you have anything to ask of me, ring me or email me. All details are in the site as I have nothing to hide. This forum was the wrong place to bring all this up, but I hope I have cleared the situation up?

I have risked all and at the moment have nothing to show for it. What has anyone else done to say NO to amalgamating the Qld Councils?