Chinaman serves it up to the BBC

Dear Ms Hallett (Rachel Hallett - BBC Data Protection Officer) and Mr Trickett (Alex Trickett - BBC Sports Interactive Producer)

Thanks for you email dated 25 June 2008.

Ms Hallett, you write to me -
"I can confirm that the BBC Sport office received and processed a written complaint in relation to the Silly Point blog. I apologise that you were mistakenly told the complaint was received via telephone".

I can argue it was not a mistaken information. It was Mr Trickett's response to my complaint enquiring why the link had been removed. He wrote in his email of 11th June, "I agreed to put your link up in good faith last year I believe and was forced to take it down when I received a complaint (via telephone I believe and certainly not via 606)".

Mr Trickett, you received the complaint, it is not hearsay. You must have seen/read the complaint - which Ms Hallett confirms was a written complaint. It could not have been a telephone complaint as you wanted me to believe.

As it was a written complaint, which was processesed and action taken, which I perceive as a negative action against something that belongs to me, I am entitled to that complaint under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Any member of public is also entitled to know what information you hold about the website "The Silly Point" and its owner Chinaman. That is under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I had asked for it under both legislation.

I again, and for the final time, request that I be sent a copy of the complaint. The only logical explanation for withholding it is, you do not wish to disclose the name of the complainant. As you had already acted on the complaint, you no longer can do that.

Disclosing it does not prejudice the independence of BBC editors - it may prejudice their claim to unbiased and impartial working. That is not a valid reason to refuse me access under either of these Acts.

I think it would be best if we start afresh on this issue. This is to avoid things spiraling out of control.Mr Trickett is in possession of irrefutable evidence of what I have complained about. You must have realised, I do know about my rights. There is one outcome I will not accept - that is evasion or a cover up.

As I have written to you mr Trickett, I now know you yourself run/moderate the 606 feedback forum.I showed you the details of when I wrote on that forum alleging of biased moderation and defamatory posts that was being written against me on 606 by one particular member called "LBW" and his friends. You deleted my post, did not send me the explanatory email, and failed to take action.

This repeated deleting of my articles, my comments, my profiles and persistently ignoring my concerns and complaints by 606, Mr Trickett, constitutes Harassment. You have been part of it.
I am surprised that Ms Hallett has written, "I confirm that the BBC does not have a specific policy relating to harassment of members of the public."

It is a public service.The BBC team, moderators, editors and it includes you too Mr Trickett as one of the producers, have direct communications with members of the public. It is a gross failure of the BBC not to have a clear Harassment Policy. Thanks for this information, I shall raise it in future to appropriate authorities.

Mistakes have been made, they can be corrected. Those mistakes have caused me harm, the least BBC can do is to repair that damage. It does not take any money or much effort to put up your hand and acknowledge the truth.

I hold BBC responsible for the damage caused to my website and my reputation by one of your members, in writing on one of your moderated forums. I have listed to Mr Trickett, a short list of desired outcome. I have said I do not wish to burden the taxpayers.

It is for you to decide if you are brave enough to correct the mistakes made by your team and yourself. Before I write to the Complaints/Litigation divisions, I believe you should discuss with your legal advisors which is the easier outcome.As I have said before, this will not go away. This email can be the last, but can also be the first of the complaint against 606 and yourself, Mr Trickett.

Have a good day,
Chinaman

Cricket tipping: Round whatever-it-is

Sportsfreak's cricket bloggers' tipping competition is going well.

I am in second place.

English people are winning.

The leaderboard looks like this:

King Cricket 30
Republique Cricket 30
Miss Field 29
The Silly Point 26
Well Pitched 26
Sportsfreak 25
Beer and Sport 25
Ben from Mike on Cricket 25
Sport Review 24
Mike from Mike on Cricket 22
Cricket With Balls 20
Cricket Action Art 20

Here are the questions for the next round.
1. ODI at Portishead Park: Winner
2. Portishead Park: Highest run-scorer
3. PP: Most wickets
4. ODI at Fosters Oval: Winner
5. FO: Highest run-scorer
6. FO: Most wickets
7. ODI at Lords (no funny titles appropriate there): Winner
8. Lords: Highest run-scorer
9. Lords: Most wickets
10. Shortest innings in terms of balls faced excluding not out batsmen.

Now, Leg Break who usually posts the tips on the Sportsfreak site, is going away. But don't be sad, he'll be back soon.

Unfortunately, however, some naughty people have not yet submitted their tips, so he can't publish the whole list. However, so that everyone knows he isn't cheating (as if anyone would have thought he's cheating - he's a Kiwi not a Pom) here are his tips:

New Zealand - Surely then anger levels are high enough to break the duck?
How - Surely, one of those starts gets converted.
Southee - With a stronger bowling line-up, they are going to target him.
England - Win one, lose the next etc.
KP - Flat track bully on flat track.
Luke Wright - Do not adjust your set.
New Zealand - Too little too late
Prince Brendan
Vettori - Too little too late
An east one - Daniel Flynn.

Anyone who hasn't submitted their tips as yet should should be advised that the deadline was a few hours ago, so expect to lose a point.

Let's see, who hasn't submitted theirs as yet... Chinaman and Jrod. I'm sure they're either saving lives or rallying on the steps of Cricket Australia to get some old guy selected; both very important reasons to be held up.

Oh, and else's name do I see that hasn't submmited as yet? Ahh, Suave.

I think he's watching the Hoobs. Shame. It could have been great. Because at the moment he's equal first. But not for long.

I must say, I'll be quite disappointed when this is all over, it's been great fun. Who votes Leg Break should maintain ongoing cricket tipping?

When the world lets you down

While the largest island and smallest continent in the world is partying for one of our own, a drama has unfolded over here.

Now, Chinaman, who created this site, maintains the forum and writes the blogs, has not had an easy run with this page.

People who were supposed to be helping were plotting against him to take over the site, they failed and the situation resulted in a hate campaign against Chinaman. Subsequently he lost a number of members and was removed from a BBC Sport blogroll (among other nasty things).

As there was no reason for his initial removal he was recently added again. However, the BBC producer who was investigating the situation wasn't happy with him using posting An Ode to The England - a post from this blog which he particularly liked - as the words 'fuck' and 'twat' were used.

Although the Silly Point link is still there, according to this producer, this particular post can potentially warrant the removal of the Silly Point link (again!).

The most galling aspect of this is that Chinaman is committed to maintaining a site that does not tolerate bullying and pointless profanity, and yet one blog post that uses two contextualised 'swear words' is unacceptable? People like Chinaman are what this world needs more of, they should not be ostracised.

Personally I think the BBC producer is annoyed because the post made fun of the English team and Andrew Flintoff. Had it been written about Ponting and Co this would not be an issue.

I urge everyone, regardless of whether you support England or not, to get over there, discover what a fantastic site The Silly Point is, show your support for Chinaman and your disappointment with the BBC producer's attitude, for surely if we scour the other blogs linked, we wouldn't have to look too hard to find similar words.

Blog demons

I don't know why this has taken as long as it has, but it's exhausting making stuff up for real people. Because Graeme Smith and co are not actually real, didn't you know? I'm going to bed before I start raving like some mad lunatic.


Suave and Brenyth have their photo with Santa at Christmas every year. They love West End musicals, especially Dirty Dancing, and imitating politicians, especially Mags Thatcher. Occasionally Brenyth will tell Suave that he swears too much on his blog, to which he replies "fuck off, Bren" in a very suave manner. Brenyth adores the Gris.


The next daemon is from Victoria, of a very rare breed, and of course is nocturnal. At first may seem a bit scary but only to pretty poor judges of character. I'm talking of course about Cantabrigian, a leadbeater's possum, the fauna emblem of Victoria and Jrod's daemon. The pair are creative geniuses on the road to global domination.


David Barry and Cyri, a green tree frog. When overseas, David often gets stopped in the streets by people commenting on how beautiful Cyri is. She is possibly the most calm creature on the planet and would need to be, with David often away in a parallel universe that involves calculus and other such horrid things, she's one patient frog. Lately she has taken up sodoku.


Here is Ashrai, the daemon of ©hinaman. Ashrai is peaceful and quite the healer. She is a wanderer. The pair don't say much to each other because they don't need to, they can read each other's thoughts. Quite often they wish they had more jalebies.


Then there's Miriam, who's so cool she doesn't even need a blog to be a blogger. Political parties will be recruiting her for her infiltration techniques, just you wait. Miriam and Sabian are leaders of their world, poised, dignified and talented.


And last but by no means least, Bronte, the coolest badger in Britain. If you've ever wondered who's really behind the viddy-blogs, now you know. Bronte and The Atheist are as loyal to England cricket as Hester and Lee were to Lyra. Bronte knows The Atheist has the best blog in the world, but all she really wants is a herb garden to amuse herself in while he works on the madness.