To all members,

It has come to my attention that many of you have been starting HP forums of your own, in one way or another, advertising your site. Getting members messenger screennames and saying "Hey check out my site" is wrong because you wouldn't have met that member unless you were a member here at the LC. Therefore you are using the LC to get members and that is horribly wrong.

What's upsets me even more is that many of the sites created are carbon copies of the Leaky Cauldron and that is not fair to me at all.

- Original ideas such as the HP claims item program, I created
- Threads such as shops in Diagon Alley (straight copy and paste from the LC!)
- Sorting hat questions (straight copy and paste)

Those are just a few things, to name a couple. I feel like I'm taking a test and people are copying my answers, recieving the same grade as I am. DO NOT use the LC as a vehicle for you to promote/get members to joining your forums. DO NOT come here asking or PMing other members for help with your forums. This is rude and you should be ashamed of yourself for doing this.

I don't think you guys really realize how much it takes to run a successful forum. It has literally taken almost 2 years to get to this point now. Also, I'm sure all of you who are doing this know how much time you've been spending at the LC lately, and even though you say you won't leave and will put the LC first, you will eventually not do this and leave the boards. Is this really what things have come to? Why not focuse those energies in making the LC better?

I know the names and the members who have been doing this, and I am seriously debating if they will recieve an official warning, suspension, or permanent ban altogether. They continue to do this and even some of our newest members are recieving advertisement PMs. If this applies to you, please stop, if not, bypass this. but the sudden increase in the breaking of this rule has forced me to be firm on this and I can not hide my disappointment.

~Professor Rogue

I've been muling over these words for half a day now and I'm must say that I've never been more ashamed of myself in my entire life. Yes I participated in one of these sites and I need to say that I am SO sorry. I don't know how to say it effectively enough, but the Lc has become a home for me so much more than the one I'm at now, in Alaska. I know people here and I love them all, and I feel so terrible for jepordizing the site like I have. I'm willing to do whatever necessary to rectify the situation, and I assure had I been told the entire truth from the person who created the site, I wouldn't have joined at all....

Leona, thank you for being the only one brave enough to reply in this thread. I totally accept your apology. You just got caught up on someone elese's doing and yet, you're the only one brave enough to actually reply and apologize publically. Again, I appreciate it. :)

One thing that I would like to make very clear so please listen: Read my first post. If there is anything in that that applies to you, please take it and act accordingly. If it as nothing to do with you, do not worry about it

I'm getting flodded with PMs and such with people saying that they didn't do anything, they're offended, this and that. . . ..if what I wrote doesn't apply to you, no need to get defensive or worry about it. This was something that I saw, not 1 or 2 times but enough to make this public and try to address EVERYONE. My post was not directe to 1 specific person, but to address the entire situation.

It's simple, if you were copying from the LC, stealing members, advertising your site, stop doing it. It's just not fair.

i just wanted to let you know that i was approached by someone inviting me to another game the first day i was here. i wanted to let you know publicly so that the person who did it would think twice about doing it to the other newbies. i think you have got an awesome site here and you dont deserve to be ripped off. if you want the name of the person pm me and i will give it to you.


--ladeeknight

I probably got the same PM as Ladeeknight. I deleted it, and didnt even bother going to there site. This site has become a place for my to chat with my friends, meet new people, write and talk about HP. I dont know any of the other sites like this one, and have no reason to look for them. I just wanted to show my support and tell u about the PM!!

Emma Potter

I got the same pm as Emma, but I deleted it instantly. Who would resort to this kind of low, selfish, tactic? I dunno, but I think whoever does this deserves to be banned from whatever site they're on.

This is horrible... :(

I also got a PM a little while ago. I deleted it though.
It does bother me when people advertise other sites via this one. :no:
It just doesn't seem fair to everyone who uses this site, especially Rogue who works so hard to keep everything going here. :cry: