Toubab Exotics - John Yezeguielian

Actually, this is a kind of odd situation, in that I'm not sure I should post this as me, or as admin of this site, as the situation actually came about because this guy just refused to comply with the full name rule here, and then spiralled out into being related my reptile business. But in any event, I guess this is instructive as to the kind of crap I have to go through quite often.

I wasn't even going to bother posting this publicly until this guy started up his own site to blow this one out of the water, and naturally slammed me on it. So I guess presenting my side of the story is in order now.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 4:30 PM
Subject: BOI

Rich,

Tried phoning you. If you'd like me to take over the BOI, let me know?

Meanwhile, your moderators seem to have turned into the signature Nazis. TWO moderators gave me infractions for the same post... within minutes of placing it, even though I signed it, because it wasn't the way they wanted it signed.

I've explained to them, it doesn't seem to matter.

The BOI can't be effective if they're going to harass everyone like that. People who are reporting Bad Guys are trying to help others. If they get harassed by the staff, they'll just stop posting. it's one thing to promote responsibility for allegations and entirely another to be so anal that one becomes afraid of posting because the Moderators are going to badger and cite you for not fitting into their pigeonhole. When I wrote you, I wrote as JT. When I paid you, it was JT and Toubab Exotics, LLC. NOBODY has an issue with this but your mod staff on the BOI. A bit of moderation in their moderation is in order.

JT
Toubab Exotics, LLC
970-980-6050 (cell)

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 5:01 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Sorry, but they are just enforcing MY rules. Which state a FULL name when posting on the BOI. Does your driver's license say "JT" on it for your actual name? This has been the rule from day 1 there, and has seemed to work well for all intents and purposes. And actually, I don't believe that the same post can be given more then one infraction. Not according to the design of that code, anyway.

And sorry but no, I'm not going to just GIVE the BOI to anyone. Was on the phone with Connie, who is up in Delaware during a snowstorm.

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Rich,

I think I'll just bow out then. You don't seem to want to hear what I've got to say (or are choosing to ignore it.)

The BOI -- you suggested it was costing you too much.. Kathy Love said as much to me as well. That's where I got the impression that you wanted it off of your hands. I didnt' realize it had a value to you (other than performing the service of helping people to know who the bad guys are.) I was offering to take it on as a charitable thing. You don't want to "GIVE" that burden to someone, that's your call.

I got two letters for the same post. Dunno about the code.

Something to think about: How would anyone know what my driver's license says on it, one way or the other? I don't know with any certainty what your last name is either. But within the ONLINE world, we know who Rich Z. is, and people know who JT is. Toubab Exotics, LLC is a registered entity within the State and has an EIN issued to it by the Feds. That's far more accountable than me saying I'm John Taylor.

All the best,

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 7:32 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


P.S. Looking at the Infractions, seems I got two, one for each of two posts. The first was about the confiscation (didn't even raise an allegation, but I guess under that dictatorial rule it doesn't much matter,) and the other was for reporting a guy who has been a royal pain in the ass about a $85 3 year old sand boa.l

Why would my company name not be valid if I'm the only one with access to the account?

You may take this badly, but if that rule stands as is, I won't be involving myself or contributing in any fashion. Sorry, but such heavy-handed tactics don't meld with my principles. They seem far too much like tyranny to me, no matter how well-intended they may have been in the first place. I'm no newbie; I've been online since it was BBSes back in the early 80's. I've written code, been god of a couple MUSHes, wizard on several more. That's just not the way to govern people online. You'll never even know how many people the rule and the way it is enforced has stifled growth, turned people off and away.

Did you have any suggestions about the need for an Ashy male or a 100% het Ashy male? It seems the small visual male I bought from you isn't at all interested in breeding, and Mark is ignoring calls and emails now.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


As for the BOI, the "costs" mentioned at *potential* costs that could result from a lawsuit.

As for the doubled infractions, no you are incorrect. What happened is that you got a "warning" for a post, then when Clay noticed that you had already received a notice about the full name and apparently ignored it, he rescinded the warning and made it an infraction. Infractions accumulate points whereas a warning does not.

I will tell you that if you do not provide your full name as requested by the mods, then your posts on the BOI will likely be deleted. Regardless of your take on the matter, that IS a requirement for posting there.

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


The full name rule has been in place to help positively identify the PERSON making a post on the BOI. Sorry, but it has been a rule there since day 1, and your likes or dislikes are not going to change that. That rule will stand AS IS, regardless of your desires to participate or contribute. Without the rule then people can make anonymous posts that can really harm someone without the fear of litigation caused by their damaging statements. My opinion has always been that if someone doesn't have the balls to put their real name on their posts, then they have no business engaging in the kind of conversations that will take place on the BOI. As for me taking anything "badly", quite honestly your complaints about this rule are the most strident I have ever heard in all the years the BOI has been in existence.....

As for Mark, sorry, but those are his snakes now, and any business concerning his animals necessarily has to be between you and him. I believe Mark was in Hamm last weekend, so perhaps he extended his stay in Europe.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Rich,

Thanks for the reply. I left one of your moderators a more lengthly explanation of the reasons why I prefer to be identified under my company name, but it really is irrelevant, in light of your expressed position.

That I am more "strident" in my objection doesn't offend me. I am better able to articulate the objection than some, and in a bit more unusual a position than most. You have your policies and I have mine. We can agree to disagree, but I won't be posting on your site under those circumstances, for the simple reason that I see no answer to how putting up a NAME (some name, unverified) is somehow valuable when my company name, which is what really matters in the reptile world, is unacceptable. I won't lie about it, and I won't fight over something that really isn't going to make or break me.

I wasn't expecting you to tell Mark to get back with me, just wondered who else might have the genes available, that you'd recommend. Mark has been "in Europe" for weeks, and was supposedly back to receive the snakes. Regardless, we are pretty much stuck with half a Project on them, after he'd made commitments to my partner to go through with the rest of the snakes we were talking with you about.

Enjoy your retirement. I won't bother you any more.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 12:39 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


Sorry, but under these circumstances, all posts you made within the BOI will be deleted.

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 2:33 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


Yeah of course. They couldn't possibly be valid points. The signature wasn't done to somebody's delusional standards. Without that signature, it's better that they be deleted, even though you and everyone else knows who it is who wrote them.

If you verified the person's identity, I'd see a point to your rule. So long as it's still just whatever someone chooses to call himself on the Internet, it's no more than a power trip. Under those circumstances, I want nothing to do with your BOI. Just how reliable can it be when I could have signed John Smith and nobody would have been any the wiser if I hadn't made a point of refuting this? Sorry, Richard, but your rules don't make any real accountability. If you were to give it an honest examination, you'd already know that. So it becomes a muscle-flexing contest.

Really tired of dealing with this BS, Richard. You seemed like an intelligent guy. I expected more. At any rate, I just don't need the aggravation.

I'll be starting up another similar resource without the Nazi attitude, so you won't have to worry about continuing yours. Hell, I won't even charge anyone or threaten to take it down if they don't contribute.

Enjoy your retirement. Bye.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 3:03 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


Suit yourself. Good luck with your endeavor.

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 3:32 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


Pretty amazing, Rich. Even when faced with undeniably sound refutation, you try to put it on me with that "Suit yourself" line. Heaven forbid you admit you just might be wrong, huh?

I'm sure I'll do fine. After all, I won't be after $25 a person. All I'll have invested is a little bandwidth, and we have plenty of that to spare. Since my intent is to help people out, not to profit from every little thing, I won't be at all disappointed, no matter how it goes.

I really did enjoy the discussion over the phone, but on a professional basis, I'm still getting the short end of the bargain. I bought that visual Ashy at a greater price than a het because it was expected to be a better breeding snake for the Ashy project. You should have sold him as a pet and you know it. You knew of our breeding plans. You SHOULD have said "Be better off getting the het, the Ashy isn't quite right" but you didn't. Instead, you sold me a runt with the caveat "Small for its age." That, too, ought to have been beneath you.

I'd like us to have parted on better terms, but ... you make it hard to do that when you refuse to take responsibility for your decisions and actions.

Good bye, Rich.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


Well, now it is easy to see why Mark doesn't want anything to do with you. I certainly can't blame him at all. It appears to me that you have some very deep psychological problems that surface just as soon a things don't go the way you want them to.

After all this derogatory crap you have thrown at me, please don't expect to be welcome on any of my sites. Yeah, I know, you are going to build your own and blow mine out of the water. Well, good luck with that. You are going to find that it isn't nearly as easy as you apparently think it is.

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Talk about deep-seated psychological issues? Someone doesn't think you're all that and a bag of chips, and you decide they have deep-seated psychological issues? You mislead me to believe that the snake was "small for it's age." That's what MOST people call a lie, Rich. And you may not care to admit to it, but you're rather infamous for it. Just about EVERYONE that I spoke with and mentioned buying snakes from you warned that you sell your cast-offs. But I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

You know exactly NOTHING about the communications with Mark. He spoke with Darin, made an arrangement, and then disappeared. We wrote emails, much the same as I wrote with you. Unlike you, though, he didn't reply. When weeks had passed, I phoned, and was told that he was out of country, that email was the only way to reach him, but to email him again with the urgency (that we needed to know if we were going to be able to get the snakes or if we had to look elsewhere for the genes.) No reply, not even the basic courtesy of an email or phone call, to myself or Darin. You want to categorize that as "Mark doesn't want anything to do with you", and you think *I* have issues?

My ISSUES are founded in facts: 1) You screwed me over on the Ashy, knowing that he was pivotal to our success and to the acquisition of the other snakes. When I objected, you excused that you had put in a caveat about him being small "for his age." At his age, the only HONEST description is that he's a runt, and probably shouldn't be used for breeding. So we can add lying to me to the list as #2. 3) Your rule is blatantly arbitrary, in that anyone can create an account there with ZERO verification, post all sorts of things and put two words down as their name. You think that's some sort of being responsible for one's words? Nah, it's just you having a power trip. It does NOTHING to assure that the words are from that individual, or even that the individual exists, let alone that it is their LEGAL name. Yet when I put up a legal, verifiable LLC that has been acknowledged by both the state and Federal government, you say that's not good enough. The only reasonable explanation for that would be that I'm not bowing to your will. Sorry, I don't acknowledge your authority to tell me what to say, how to say it, or how to represent myself. Directly contrary to your presumptions, I take both right and responsibility for that upon myself.

To summarize, you've ripped me off, screwed up my breeding plans (you might have told Mark that the other snakes were in negotiation, if you cared at all about the project, this paying customer, or anything else but the money going into your pocket,) and now demonstrated that you're behind the power trip over on the board. Then you get all armchair psychologist and start trying to psycho-analyze based on someone deciding you're not worth dealing with. It'd be a bit hard for you to be objective, "doctor," under the circumstances. BUt don't lose sleep over it. I have a good friend who has retired from a very successful practice who assures me that my mind works just fine. I just don't tolerate bullshit very well. Seeing as you seem to sling it rather readily, perhaps that's the real reason for our conflict.

You like reading what you want into things. I never said it would be easy, but I DID express plenty of experience. What I DID express is that I won't be disappointed or out anything because I'm not trying to snag $25 out of people's pockets. Your threats to shut down the BOI are apparently just so much empty rhetoric. Of course you're not going to just GIVE it away, you make money off of it. Like just about everything else, it seems, the bottom line with you is money, greed. You may be an alright guy so long as we don't do business. Talking snakes, genetics, whatever, you might be just fine, as our conversation went over the phone. Stepping back from that and looking at you overall, though, you're a bit of an ass, and you respond only to the parts you want to respond to. Those issues that you have no ready retort for, you ignore. And now you're trying to suggest I have "deep-seated psychological issues" that surface when things don't go as I like. Nah, no basis at all. If that were the case, I'd have torn you a new bunghole when you screwed me over on the snake. I took that one, mentioned it, but got no sign that you had any intention of being responsible for it, and kept on going. Very much the realist, I recognized that I had taken a chance with you, against advice, and gotten screwed on one of the animals I bought. It's not a huge financial screwing. He's probably still worth as much as I paid, just for that he's a visual morph. But it does mess up the breeding project. Did I go off on you then? Nope, kept on keeping on, moved on to trying to get the snakes from Mark. It was only when you demonstrated this behavior on the governing of the board that you got served. Why? Because you, sir, have no valid justification for the rule. That leaves no other explanation but that you're on a power trip. That board is your "kingdom" per se. Now that you have no other coin, having sold off the snakes, you're all the more territorial over the little bit of ground you have left. That ring true inside? If it doesn't, do some honest soul-searching and it will. If you REALLY wanted out of it all to retire, you'd have gotten rid of the board as well.

You mentioned that nobody wanted to buy SerpenCo from you. I could be snitty and suggest that I now see why, but the truth is that I don't know for sure why people don't. Perhaps it lacks the good will. Perhaps your asking price is too high. There are lots of possibilities. Regardless, you're using it to flex your muscle, try to use and control people. It's likely you don't see it that way. I don't really care.

I'm not going to blow you out of the water. You're largely irrelevant, and about to become all the more insignificant. People don't go to Fauna to sell things, they go to Kingsnake. Some go to both Cornsnake and Kingsnake. Some support The Source, myself included, because Charles is a decent fellow and provides a valuable service to the community without trying to get filthy rich off of it. I've yet to find anyone who doesn't describe you as self-serving. So I won't be welcome on your sites? Whatever will I do? How will I survive? How did I live without you all of these years?

Rich, you may be an alright guy, but right about now, you're coming off as a big fish in a very small pond. All I said was that I wanted nothing more to do with you. That's my prerogative. I didn't presume to start in on your psychological make-up, claim to know why people won't deal with you (and a LOT of them won't, not just me telling you about Mark going incommunicado,) or attack you in any other vague and generalized way. Yet, after telling you that I won't have anything to do with your BOI, you tell me that I'm not welcome on your sites. I have to laugh at you firing me after I've already quit. Just further proof that your ego is way too involved in this Internet stuff.

I don't much care what you think of me. You've given me no reason to respect your opinion, and plenty of reasons to think you just happened to be there first, and bred a lot of snakes and got lucky a few times (while making quite a tidy sum doing so.) Do us both a favor and let the acquaintance pass gracefully. Talk trash about me, try to turn others against me, or malign me in any way, and you'll have cause to be worried about legal responsibilities for your words and actions. As far as I'm concerned, we were done knowing each other with my last email. I had no intention of giving you any more of my time and energy. You came back with these grand presumptions and armchair diagnosis. I retorted and gave you the reaction you obviously wanted (otherwise you wouldn't have Fired me after I'd already Quit.) Now I'm going to go on to do what I do, and hope you have the good sense to do the same. I held no real malice for you before, because I took responsibility for being bitten after I'd been warned. You escalated it to this point with your ego and baseless presumptions.

Since you're now officially out of the snake business, don't own even one, etc., you really have no business or need to be involving yourself with those of us who remain. Enjoy your retirement. Go embrace it. But stop taking your issues out on people who dare to challenge you, okay?

Hope Connie's alright up there in Delaware.

Sincerely,

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 1:37 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Thanks for proving my point about those psychological issues of yours....

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Thaks for proving MY point by banning me from all of your sites, ego-tripping control freak.

Should have done your homework first, Rich. NEVER wage Internet war with a guy who has been writing code since 1976 and owns a SEO company.

You could have left it at us parting ways, but your ego couldn't handle someone telling you he didn't want to deal with you anymore, so you felt you had to strike back, to try to bring me under your control. That's ALL this is really about. People have already told me about your banning me on CS. They can't see a reason why, because I haven't done anything wrong. I'll be telling them why. You can't possibly come out looking at all good with this. Tyrants never have, throughout history. Might want to learn from that.

I'll give you about an hour to get your ego in check and stop making this personal disagreement into a professional war (in a profession you CLAIMED to be out of anyway.) Then it's on, and you will not like the results.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Ah, threats. Like that was unexpected. You expected me to allow you to use the resources of my sites after the derogatory statements you made towards me?

Go ahead, start your "war". If you want this all posted publicly, you may want to read over your own emails to me with an objective point of view first. You will DEFINITELY come out on the short end of the stick.... Your statements are so full of logical inconsistencies and purely emotionally based derogatory statements that I definitely stand by my opinion that you have some very serious psychological issues. So go ahead, make this public so this will all come out. I think a lot of people would really like to see this side of you.

And tell you what, bub, if there are ANY difficulties experienced with my sites or servers, this evidence will be doing directly to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Division. You have already displayed motive, and bragged of the means to inflict damages. So you just go right ahead and do that..

We've got nothing more to talk about, fella.

Rich Z.

But of course there is more....

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 4:16 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


You're really out of your element, Rich. I never threatened your server. SEO = Search Engine Optimization. That's called competition in the online world. If I had any ill intent, any intention of attacking your server, I sure wouldn't have said I was going to do it. But don't be too surprised when people start finding my site when they do a search for Cornsnake, while yours sinks to obscurity.

Derogatory statements, Rich? You flat out lied about the snake you sold me, and in all of these volleys, you haven't even once addressed that or even apologized. You took my money and left me with half a project. That's not a derogatory statement, it's a factual one. Same thing with the lack of valid cause for your power-plays on the signing of posts. Valid point that since no one is verified (unlike on Kingsnake) signing JT is no different than signing John Taylor, and also valid point that my registered, licensed and acknowledged LLC is far more verifiable and valuable than what people PRESUME is someone's name. Are you really Rich Zuchowski? Or is your name Richard? Or maybe Rich is your middle name, and you're legally Paul Richard Zuchowski... if Zuchowski is even your actual last name. How would anyone know for sure? That was my point all along, and if you weren't busy being a control freak, you'd have realized that what I was saying was spot-on correct. As to the rest, sorry that it hurts your feelings, but you DO have a reputation for selling junk. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, but you didn't appreciate that. And you ended up screwing me over on the Ashy. So what is derogatory that isn't earned or accurate, Rich? These aren't my opinions of you (unlike your armchair psychiatrist diagnosis,) they are facts, events and points with firm basis in reality.

I'm not threatening you. I was trying to give you a chance to step back from your "in the moment" and realize that you were mixing personal with business, and blowing things way out of proportion. From me saying I won't deal with your BOI on those heavy-handed terms, and then that I don't care to deal with YOU since you were the one who issued and continues those heavy-handed rules, to you going out of your way to ban me on two forums, that's decidedly overkill. You will affect my business partner as well, over this personal issue. It should have stayed personal.

And you wonder where I got so low an opinion of you? Remember when I first wrote you? I didn't know you as well back then, and I thought that you were a really cool guy who cared enough about the projects he'd been working on to pass them along to another generation at prices people could afford. When people talked about the bad dealings they'd had with you, I said "Well maybe he was getting rid of what he didn't want before, but now he's getting out of it altogether, so he'll be selling the stuff he kept, the good stuff." I gave you the benefit of the doubt, while they said "Maybe you're right, but we'll see." The low opinion I have of you has grown from your actions, Rich. I admired you at first. Turns out, you weren't ever interested in helping people to carry on the projects. You were just selling them the best way you could. The hypo female is a nice snake, and if she's actually het Ashy/Cinder, she'll be worthwhile. The sunkissed male is another nice snake. But the Ashy was not a snake that should have been sold for breeding. You knew that when you sold him, and you knew I'd be stuck with half a project, and you couldn't have cared less. Then there was the power-tripping on BOI. The signature thing isn't about anything more than making people do things as you command. It doesn't guarantee their identity. And pulling my posts because I didn't bow down, then banning me because I didn't BS you (like so many others have done over the years) and kiss your butt? I got the opinion of you from your own actions. You earned that opinion... and went a LONG way down from the way I saw you when I first came in contact with you. Think on that a bit.

I'm pretty solidly convinced that you think you're right, and don't even stop to consider that you may just be out of line. Even in this last, you don't have the foggiest idea what SEO and the rest are, but there you are, running off at the fingers with some paranoid nonsense.

The resources of your sites aren't important to me. I gladly pay Kingsnake for their services. I give Charles my support as well. I didn't give Cornsnake or Fauna any money though. Why not? Because it doesnt' deserve it, Rich. YOU think it's valuable, and some may enjoy chit-chat there, as a sort of "me too" social forum," but you're not hurting me any by banning me. You're just making another enemy... unnecessarily.

I wasn't threatening you. I was just giving you the chance to get your head out of your butt and realize you'd crossed personal with professional. You should have taken the opportunity to stand down. I won't do anything illegal or immoral. That's not my way, and you're delusional to think that I'd jeopardize my world over you anyway. But I will come into the marketplace, per se, and compete, and you won't survive that battle. Why should anyone put up with your Nazi attitude and pay for the privilege when they can come to my site for free and get the same benefits without the heavy-handed control freak nonsense?

Go enjoy your retirement, Rich. Really. Do yourself that favor. You've worked a long time, you deserve it... and people deserve better than some self-proclaimed demi-god who decides things based on how the person offends his ego.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 6:14 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Please tell me what the description was I provided for that Ashy corn you bought. Seems to me all I had for a description for those last remaining male Ashy Corns was something like "Small for their age". Please tell me how that was inaccurate or misleading. Since this seems now to be the focus of your verbal attacks now, and the fact that you somehow believe you should be above the rules on my site has now taken a back seat in this discussion.

So you are PISSED because that male Ashy won't breed for you and you somehow believe that this is my responsibility, and I am supposed to be psychic to know that this would happen? Well yeah, if that is your complaint, then guilty as charged. I never tried to use any of those smaller males for breeders. Didn't have to as I had larger ones for that job this past year. And you go ahead and find other people selling animals that will guarantee that the animals you buy will breed for you. The responses you get should be interesting, besides being predictable.

As for bad dealings with me you say so many people have had, yeah right...... Sure didn't seem like it when I was selling animals hand over fist these last couple of years...... LOL!!

Actually, I'm not worried one bit about a site called "CornSnakes.com" sinking into obscurity for that subject matter, no matter what you think you can do with the search engines. That will be one of the first things someone tries for a URL without even having to go to any search engine. So again, good luck with that.....

As for what sites you spend your money with, seems to me that you weren't doing that for my sites from the beginning, so those other sites are welcome to your "fortune" now. I'm sure I will get along just fine without it.

So, good luck with your business. Sounds like you have a solid plan firmly in mind....

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 7:47 PM
Subject: Re: BOI


Rich,

Though your question seems rhetorical, I'll answer it. "Small for its age" is misleading. This is an '05 snake. It's the proper length, but the diameter of my index finger. It is not eating well or readily, which may account for its size. My objection isn't that it's not breeding, no one can guarantee that. It is that it is too SMALL to be breeding, and you had to know that. In summary, the snake is small for ANY age. But you phrased it as though it was just a bit behind the curve, rather than that it was a runt/dwarf/stunted.

Will he breed one day? I sure hope so. But so far, it looks like he's just not ever going to get that much "weight" on. Corns that are just 2 years of age are bigger, and will breed. This one isn't likely to ever breed... and with all of your experience, I've got to think you knew that. But you didn't describe him as a Pet, Not For Breeding. Had I known, I'd have bought the het male instead, and we'd probably both be a lot happier right about now.

The biggest issue is still that of the board. As you can see, I had bit my tongue on the Ashy and let it go. The Ashy only came back up when I started to revisit and rethink the concept I had of you, after you insisted that the Name rule must be obeyed or else. That's the sound of a tyrant, Rich. If you verified those names, I'd feel a lot differently about it, but so long as anyone can sign up with anything and there is no proof that they're even that person, my company name is exponentially more solid a statement than Joe Smith, who may very well be Frank Birch for all we know, or may be the friend of the accused on the BOI, etc. By putting my company name on the line, I'm putting up the entire ball of wax, per se. My credibility with the snakes and the Herp Habitats is on the line. How is that in any way less than someone joining as whatever unverified name?

When we spoke, we got along fine. I felt you were a bit misunderstood, maybe, or that you'd ruffled feathers by not sugar-coating things. As you may have figured, I'm guilty of that myself sometimes. But this stubborn insisting of signing your name, (when there's no proof that the name even belongs to that person,) OR ELSE seems to have only one motivation. Nobody likes to be power-tripped.

That's when I revisited things. You'd said the BOI was costing too much, that it might go away after Jan 1 if people didn't pitch in. You said you might release the snakes into the wild if nobody bought them. Oral Roberts said God was going to take him up to Himself if he didn't raise X million dollars. All three are the same tactic... and I wasn't terribly impressed with motivating people in such a negative fashion.

When I added them all up, I had the runt Ashy, the volume of people all saying to watch out when dealing with you, the BOI thing (and I really did think I was doing you a favor by offering to take it on,) the threats to shut the BOI down, to release the snakes (something the USFWS used to get people during Operation Falcon too,) and that people have posted hoping that you don't ban them for disagreeing with you. In the overall, I saw someone who has been in this a long time, become powerful and, like any other power, been corrupted by it. You wield that authority with an iron fist within your domain. Power is something that one should wield gently, and only when truly necessary.

Kathy tells me that you're consistent in the application of your rules. I would have given you that one. EVERYONE was forced to comply with the same rule, even if it seems quite arbitrary. At least it's not capricious. But then you crossed the line between personal and business, and I was left to wonder how many other people pissed you off and ended up banned because of it.

I got to thinking of it all, and decided that I just didn't want to put myself through any more of it. What *I* said was that I wouldn't participate in the BOI while the rules were so slanted. The way I see it, they ARE slanted, don't actually provide any accountability... but nevertheless, MUST BE OBEYED. Not becoming... so I'd just have left myself out of the BOI. You took it way beyond that, escalated things, by banning me altogether from both Fauna and CS. Why should you let me benefit? Because you let lots of people benefit who have either not been as candid, not had dealings with you personally, and/or not sold things to. My money is in your pocket, and you ban me for being honest on a personal level? I didn't go out into the world or on the board and trash you. I was emailing you privately. My business partner wasn't even aware of it at the time... and you flexed your muscle in what is otherwise a forum open to the public. I had not broken major rules. I hadn't deceived anyone or ripped them off. I just didn't get along with you on a personal basis. That's not a valid reason to ban someone.

I'd have left it at that I didn't involve myself with your BOI and that I didn't think much of you on a personal basis anymore... but you crossed the line, took something personal and abused your power as moderator/owner of a forum that is open to the public. You broke your own rules by doing so. If one of your moderators had banned someone because they just didn't like that person or didn't get on with him, you'd have been less than pleased, but that's exactly what you did. It is no more Right to do so because you own the board. Fact is, all the less Right for you to do so, for a number of reasons.

The main issue is still the arbitrary BOI policy and the heavy-handed enforcement of it. Secondarily, I think you were a lot less than forthright in describing the snake as "small for its age," because it is going to be small at ANY age. Nice enough creature, but not a good idea for breeding, and you had to know it. I figured since you still had it and had described it that way, you still deemed it breed-worthy. In an earlier email you admitted that it is not something you would breed to, because you have bigger males. Wish you'd told me THAT instead. We'd still disagree about the BOI policy, but at least I wouldn't be seeing you in this unbecoming light overall.

As to SEO, you're #6 on the list for cornsnakes, lower than that for the singular version. It only defaults if you use the plural form and the .com. How could it sink further? LOL! How could you make a Lavender or an Ashy and refine them (even if your names for them weren't used)? Some of it is being around this stuff long enough to learn, the rest is knowing how to get the job done, but if we can bury a guy's reputation BY NAME five pages deep in a matter of weeks, we can certainly bury cornsnakes.com if we want to. I won't tell you how to breed snakes, you don't tell me what can or cannot be done with SEO, okay? If you hadn't been pushing your weight around, I wouldn't ever have even said it, because there would have been no reason to push back.

You can choose to put your head in the sand about your reputation. That's your decision, and mostly irrelevant now, since you're out of the breeding business. I'm not making it up though, just telling you what just about everyone said when they heard I was buying snakes from you. Kathy didn't speak ill of you, she was the single exception. I went on with you anyway, figuring that sometimes strong people make enemies, and you seemed pretty decent when we spoke on the phone. In everything but the Ashy, I can still say that you were square in your business with me. That still leaves me with half a project though... and a lot of people who say dealing with you is a crap shoot.

When left to do so, I believe in win-win solutions, in creating constructive solutions. When I came to you about them BOI rule, I was doing so because the rule was arbitrary, dysfunctional, and being imposed with unnecessary zeal. I would have expected you to be glad to be shown the error. But you reacted defensively, then pushed your weight around, instead of hearing what I was pointing out. My way of dealing with situations is diametrically opposed to a control-based method. We aren't likely to ever see eye to eye on that difference. You're about to retire. I'm going to put up my forum. People can use it if they choose to. I won't be offended if they don't. I feel people deserve the liberty to express themselves as they see fit so long as they're not intending deceit or libel. We'll see where that goes. If it serves the community, that's great. If not, that too is their choice. All are welcome, including you.

Unless you say otherwise, I won't visit your forum intentionally again. Whether this becomes a big deal or just a misunderstanding is up to you. No offense intended in this, but I don't have any more time or energy to give to this negative circumstance. If you won't see where I'm coming from by now, it's not likely that we'll be able to get past this. I still appreciate all you've done with the snakes over the years, but still can't find my way to it being okay to push one's weight around, let alone ban someone because of a personal matter. Ball's in your court.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 10:39 PM
Subject: Re: BOI



See, the entire crux of this matter can be shown in one statement you made in this post:

" I would have expected you to be glad to be shown the error."

You apparently just cannot conceive of the possibility that YOU may be in error. That YOUR way is not the best way. Which is why you are fighting so hard over this. As far as I can tell, you have NEVER run something like the BOI, and yet here you are telling ME, who has run this BOI for, heck, I don't know, something like 7 YEARS now, that I'm doing it all wrong and YOUR way is absolutely and positively THE way I should run it. That's the pschological issue I was referring to. You are just blind to reality. You cannot grasp a perspective different from your own. You cannot accept even the premise that perhaps you just don't have a clue about what you are talking about. I'll bet you haven't even taken 20 seconds to THINK about why a real name requirement, even if contrived by the member, is better LEGALLY on posts made in a controversial environment, and yet you lash out with insults and statements simply to try to hurt someone you disagree with. You can't THINK of a reason why I want to have that rule in effect, so you just reject it out of hand, and KNOW that you have to be right in this issue. So therefore you have a RIGHT to dismiss it out of hand and refuse to comply. Well let me give you a hint. I want someone to have LEGAL ownership of what they say on the BOI personally. If it is a business, then that legal ownership can be dodged simply by the claim that it must have been done by someone ELSE in the business, and heck, you don't know who it might have been. That and businesses will fold up or change hands at any time, and along with those changes in status, so goes the actual OWNERSHIP of those words that were posted under that business name. See, you haven't even considered for a fraction of a moment that I gave this issue a LOT of thought and got a LOT of legal advice on it, now have you. Go ahead, talk to your attorney about this kind of website and see what is recommended to YOU in how to run it.

Oh and while I'm thinking of it, I guess it also never crossed your mind that with the cycles I have been putting my corn snakes through, they don't breed until normally late January at the earliest, and some don't kick in until even March. But I guess you know better about how to do that too, eh? The thought never crossed you mind that perhaps that male just isn't READY to breed yet now has it? Ask anyone breeding upper keys corns about when they normally breed in relation to most of the rest of the corn snake lines and see what you find out. Probably didn't THINK to do that neither, now did you?

As for the banning, it has, is, and will be my policy to deny people who demonstate animosity towards me and what I have done the ability to use the resources of my sites to better their own person or business. And I also will do this for those people who denigrate my moderators if they do not step in to protect themselves from that crap themselves. Go ahead and ask any of them if they are restricted in any way from banning a member who attacks them and calls them derogatory names like you have to me. Or would that provide evidence that YOU ARE WRONG, and cause you some REAL distress about your view of reality?

Read back through the emails and tell me who is the one slinging derogatory slurs at the other. Go ahead, but do it objectively if it is even possible for you to do so. Then once you do, just go away. You made your own bed, with no one's help but your own.

Take care,

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 12:00 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


Napoleon, the emperor has no clothes. I thought about all of those things. I also spoke with others who know you, and with people who know the Cinder/Ashy gene well. I gave you and this far more thought than you and it are worth... and you still came up sorely lacking.

The snake has the diameter of the smaller joint of my index finger, Rich. I've got a male '08s amel in my lap right now which is EXACTLY the same width and head size (though not as long) as this '05. Want a picture of them side by side? That's not small for it's age, it's small for ANY age adult. The het female is ready NOW... and those snakes that came with them came up out of burmation spewing pheromones, brought my Miami trio in the same rack into full cycle. The snake is simply too small. it shouldn't have been sold except as a pet. If I can get him to eat more, perhaps he'll put on enough girth but it'll take at least a year, probably two, if it ever happens.

As to the rest of that, the excuses for why you require a name, you need a better attorney. If you take no steps to ensure that it's really the person, you'd be better off to have declared up-front that this is the Internet and you have no control over what people say or call themselves, that they agree to that by using the BOI... and then set it up so the BOI is not found by web crawlers, so no one can say they got there via a link without agreeing to the disclaimer. When you claim to be taking steps to assure that it's the person's full name, THEN you incur the responsibility for assuring that it really is that person. If you really wanted to do it right, you'd establish an identity verification process, perhaps even charge for that. (May as well, you're charging for most everything else.) Kingsnake does it. CouchSurfer does it. Not a novel approach, and definitely superior to that constant badgering that you've got your moderators doing.

Regarding the company thing, you're correct. Companies can change hands. LLC members can change as well. But the obligations of that company change hands with them; Just as they get both assets and liabilities, they get both good and bad will along with the purchase, and still have to stand behind those responsibilities, to the extent that anyone ever does.

Let me let you in on a little something. I was taking college classes at 15 years of age (concurrently with high school classes,) and attended Cornell at 16 on a full scholarship. While I don't think I know everything, I know quite a bit about several subjects, and my rational abilities are a strong suit. Not bragging on myself, I give that to my parents' genes and perhaps that they raised me to have a thirst for knowledge and understanding. Meanwhile, you have no idea whatsoever what my life experiences have taken me to, but you presume that I don't understand the BOI, legal responsibilities, etc. That presumption is both an error on your part and also a sign of your unchecked ego. I realized that you would have thought of such matters, and probably consulted an attorney... but your actions and policies still don't reflect sound advice or functional policies. This is pointless. We'll find out, both of us, in due time.

I told you before that you're out of your element. It seems you're also out of your league. Did it ever dawn on you to wonder why you've gotten into it with so many of your peers?

You're not going to take responsibility for misrepresenting the snake. That much is clear. You're not going to acknowledge that you were out of line to ban someone because of a personal disagreement. That much is also clear. I concede that I've been trying to teach a pig to sing. The one thing I should have been thinking about that I didn't give enough weight to was the sheer volume of people who warned me to be cautious in doing business with you. I should have realized that with that many detractors there had to be something to the stories. Thanks for the life lesson. The price of the Ashy male was cheap tuition.

The problem is now resolved. I've found another visual Ashy male and have entered into agreement to purchase it, along with a couple of het females. The one you sold me will be a pet. He's got a rather sweet disposition, and I'm concerned about his appetite, so I'll want to pay close attention, make sure he eats.

You're delusional if you truly believe you've been falsely accused. You're even more off base if you truly believe that most people think highly of you. YOU have made YOUR bed over the years. For my part, I'm just fine with my accommodations, and look forward to enjoying the best possible revenge, which is simply to live well. Remember the words you put to me. Recite them to yourself in the mirror when you finally realize how thoroughly you alienated someone who used to think highly of you.

As I said several volleys ago, good bye, Rich.

JT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Zuchowski
To: Toubab Exotics, LLC
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 12:39 AM
Subject: Re: BOI


For all of your highly inflated self esteem and grossly distorted personal opinion about your intelligence, you still haven't figured out what "good bye" really means, have you?

Rich Z.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toubab Exotics, LLC
To: Rich Zuchowski
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 12:49 AM
Subject: Mail Refused


Your email has been filtered; it was unwelcome, so it has been deleted unread. You must have worn out your welcome. Move on, there's nothing to see here.

I have to say that I can't recall EVER corresponding with someone who had quite as high of an opinion of himself as this guy does....

What a bonehead.