ORCA Local - East Dulwich

[Huguenot]

Just had a bizarre friend request on Facebook from a young lady called 'Autumn Ridlon'.

Since she referred to herself as both Christian and a Democrat, I assumed she was probably from the US.

Not being one to agree to befriending strangers in the digital sense, I had a look at her profile and didn't recognise her chums. She only has 12.

However, she had a personal website listed which, when I clicked on it, diverted to the ORCA Local East Dulwich fan page, and from there to ORCA Local East Dulwich itself.

Oddly though, the OLED fan page wasn't owned by Autumn Ridlon at all, but by Jennifer Ferguson - this time listed as a London resident. Jennifer is listed as a graduate of 'Charterhouse' Secondary School, rather than the Charter School which might give a local link. The real Charterhouse doesn't refer to itself as a Secondary School, because it's not.

The actual OLED site itself was a sales promotion site, for a local loyalty card offering deals at various East Dulwich places including the carpet shop, the LL vets and the garden centre.

What's this all about? How and why did these guys get in touch with me?

None of my own friends were on either lady's list, so she couldn't have found me that way. Since I'm not based in ED anymore she couldn't have diverted me to an ED site by checking my IP address. However, on the forum I don't use my real name so she couldn't have associated me with ED that way.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I had the same invite from the same person today. Good work with the investigations so far... I was curious myself

[Fuschia]

Weird. Jennifer Ferguson has asked to friend me. My email address on this site isn't the same as my FB ac, but I am in an ED specific FB group.

[Fuschia]

FB is clever though. I have a long lost friend and periodically I have looked for him and looked through the friend lists of friends we used to share.

Today he popped up as a friend suggestion! I figured he must, after all, be on the list of a friend of mine, But no, he has just 3 friends, who I don't know.

So how did FB know? I guess he just joined and maybe he has requested to be friends with some of my friends? Or FB remembers I haver loooked for him.. but his name is VERY common and FB has never suggested anyone else with his name!

Spooky.

[Fuschia]

If I search on FB for "East Dulwich" several of my friends appear...

[Huguenot]

Aha...

I'm a member of two ED related groups - the Dulwich Mum Appreciation Society, and East Dulwich is the Coolest Place in London.

I notice that Jennifer has recently posted on the DM site about: "all the exclusive offers I will be bringing you over the coming months".

So it seems that Jennifer's bought an ORCA franchise and is using FB to promote it.

Well done on having the initiative, but shockingly bad show if you fabricated the Autumn Ridlon identity in order to start spamming members of FB groups.

No-one likes SPAM, and no-one likes fake IDs

[SimonM]

Oh I too had an invite from this "person" But I get so many from strangers anyway I paid her no attention...

[Fuschia]

I contacted her to ask how she had found me to "friend me" as I thought my privacy settings were quite good and her response was: "It would have been just an educated guess .... sorry if you felt you had your privacy invaded, I know nothing!!! "

Which doesn't really answer my question.

Anyway, I hate spam. Puts me off her website!

[jennse23]

I would like to allay any concerns there may be that I am spamming!

Like you, I am passionate about Dulwich with the fantastic range of shops and community spirit. As mum who has lived and worked in Dulwich, Herne Hill and now Forest Hill for the past 30 years, I chose to start Orca Local Dulwich as I wanted help local businesses and the community survive what is potentially the worst recession we have ever experienced.

I?m sure you appreciate that I have to use various means to promote my business, and Facebook is just one of the many avenues that I am exploring in order to raise awareness for ORCA Local Dulwich, and the businesses on board so far. Initially I did this from my personal profile but being an exceedingly slow laborious process, a friend of mine suggested I find other potential Facebook participants to help grow the Facebook Group. This frees up my time allowing me to work on other spheres of Orca Local Dulwich for the benefit of the community and businesses, (unlike Coke I am unable to pay for expensive advertising or use models to promote the business!)

Also there is nothing untoward about the way you were tracked down on Facebook. I simply searched groups related to Dulwich and invited them to join my group or fan page. In some cases I added friends of people with links to Dulwich.

As I stated it is for the benefit of the community (yes a franchise, albeit a new one, that has already been endorsed and adopted by some local councils), and you can use the loyalty key card in other participating towns.

I apologise if my desire to grow the awareness of Orca Local Dulwich through Facebook has raised a few eyebrows, but I am also grateful for the opportunity to reply to these concerns. I hope that you will now feel comfortable in supporting this local initiative which was launched by having a stall at the Dulwich Festival Fair in May, where over 300 people signed up for the loyalty key card, together with more local business expressing the desire to come on board. The feedback has been very positive, with most understanding that the scheme will benefit Dulwich shops and the community and could in some cases even prevent the closure of businesses and loss of jobs as suffered by many high streets around the country!

I thank you for your support and appreciate all the help you can give to assist in spreading the word about Orca Local Dulwich.

Jennifer

[Huguenot]

So is Autumn Ridlon, our friendly Democratic Christian, a real person with only 12 unrelated ORCA friends?

I notice that Theodore Salzman is also a friendly Democratic Christian and a bizarre friend of ORCA Dulwich?

They actually both have the same biography phrase..."I would love to be friends with lots of people. So I would love to be in your friends list. "

So was it just a way of raising your position in search results through link farming? Google will flay you alive if they find you've been cheating the system.

Or were you hoping to set up a chain of fake personas who, by taking advantage of people's goodwill, could constantly spam their 'new friends' home pages with facile comments about what a good deaal they got on ORCA this week with a link to the offer?

I appreciate spamming Facebook is a laborious business, but there's a reason for that. Spamming destroys online communities.

Besides, it looks more like multi-level marketing to me. I don't see how it can benefit the community. It may mean people from ED prefer to spend more in ED than West Dulwich, but it also means people from West Dulwich will prefer to shop at home also.

It doesn't create any more wealth, it just skims off the top for the franchise pyramid.

With those little cheats you've been caught out with above, it seems Jenn that you have less of a socialist ambition, and more of a flair for manipulation and deception?

[pk]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> I'm not based in ED

i am surprised by that

[ontheedge]

nor does jenn i imagine, her user name would imply forest hill shame she hasn't chosen there to improve as ED seems to be coping with recession pretty well but SE23 less so

[GinaG3]

Fuschia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> FB is clever though. I have a long lost friend and

> periodically I have looked for him and looked

> through the friend lists of friends we used to

> share.

>

> Today he popped up as a friend suggestion! I

> figured he must, after all, be on the list of a

> friend of mine, But no, he has just 3 friends, who

> I don't know.

>

> So how did FB know? I guess he just joined and

> maybe he has requested to be friends with some of

> my friends? Or FB remembers I haver loooked for

> him.. but his name is VERY common and FB has never

> suggested anyone else with his name!

>

> Spooky.

Facebook uses the email address you sign up with. Any email address you ever have communications with (via your email client) is stored and if someone on facebook has such email address as a log in they assume you know the person and suggest them to you. Same way you can put your email address into facebook and it will then find all contacts via your email client... Assuming of course that you do 'actually' know them. It can also suggest people local to you, via your facebook network.

Technology is marvelous!

[jennse23]

Facebook is a social media facility where we are all entitled to invite friends to join our own personal profiles or groups. The group I have created is for those who live in the whole of Dulwich and surrounding areas who wish to participate in encouraging and fostering businesses, as well as anyone who has a general interest or family connections in Dulwich. It is personal choice if an invitation is accepted or not to join a group or connect with a friend.

The concept of Orca Local Dulwich as well as other local groups is to ensure that Dulwich survives the recession and in fact grows at this time. I know from speaking with local businesses that times are hard.

Therefore the aim of ORCA Local Dulwich is to assist local people and business. The key card is free, and the only cost involved is a subscription from those local businesses wishing to promote their company or shop on the site. To do so is considerably less than an advertisement in the local paper, or other forms of advertising which means they can keep their costs down, again to the benefit of the local people and therefore the economy.

I am somewhat confused by the comment about Multi Level Marketing, or pyramid selling because as stated above there are NO incentives to join, only the chance to advertise a business and to attract more customers, locally and from surrounding areas. Speaking to those who signed up at the Dulwich Festival Fair, the concept is fully appreciated and understood to be for the benefit of the community.

Facebook as I said is a means of connecting, the group is to advertise Dulwich to the world as well as locally, those from overseas may chose to visit if they are made aware of what Dulwich can offer to them and their families. Leading to more revenue to the local area! You only have to visit other high streets to realise how fortunate Dulwich has been in comparison - and that continuation of growth will benefit the whole of the area.

[pk]

ontheedge Wrote:

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> her user name would imply forest hill

so does the bit where she says "now forest hill"!

[Fuschia]

GinaG3 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>> Facebook uses the email address you sign up with.

> Any email address you ever have communications

> with (via your email client) is stored and if

> someone on facebook has such email address as a

> log in they assume you know the person and suggest

> them to you. Same way you can put your email

> address into facebook and it will then find all

> contacts via your email client

Yes, I know that.. but I lost contact with him long before the advent of the internet and have never known his email address or exchanged mails...

[GinaG3]

... Well, that is truly is weird. Technology found your long lost friend though.

[louisiana]

Dear Jennse23 aka Jennifer Ferguson

We know what FB is.

What we want to know is whether or not you are 'Autumn Ridlon'.

So: are you?

And if so, you are aware that FB does not permit false IDs, aren't you?

[jennse23]

I think you will find that I have already answered this question in my first post. Jennifer

[Huguenot]

No you didn't jennse23

You said you 'found other Facebook participants'.

Autumn Ridlon and Theodore Salzman are fake IDs which you/your mates set up to parasite on well meaning victims.

As for not knowing what MLM is, are you promoting ORCA for free?

So far as I can tell you paid, 6,950 pounds for the franchise? So where are you making it back sweetie?

I think the only success you're likely to attract is an appearance on Watchdog alongside timeshare sharks.

[jennse23]

I am not sure what axe you have to grind or why you are so intent on trying to discredit me and my business, but I suggest you reread my posts because you will find I have in fact answered all the relevant questions.

It is an excellent franchise, nothing to do with MLM, I repeat the businesses pay to be part of the scheme and many are benefiting already despite being early days. The feedback from local people has also been fantastic but you always get the odd doubter or pessimist.

Unless anyone else has any further questions I think we can now close this thread. Thank you everyone else for your support and sharing my enthusiasm for ORCA Local Dulwich.

[Huguenot]

jennse23, you must be crazy. Setting up fake IDs to your personal financial advantage is a confidence trick. It's simply a confidence trick.

Whether you like it or not, or whether you're willing to admit it or not, that makes you a con artist.

I'm fully prepared to accept that everyday people can sometimes make mistakes, and commit major crimes without even realising what they've done. However you only get redemption if you're able to look yourself in the mirror and accept that what you've done is outrageous.

If you can't do that, it's because you feel that what you've done is acceptable. That would make you a hardened crim, which I'm sure you're not.

Having used these IDs to 'befriend' ED citizens you intend to spam them with junk, and you've also put yourself in a position where you can steal their personal data.

You've done this so you can make money out of them.

I need do nothing to 'discredit' you. You've done all of these things. All I've done is exposed them.

Saying 'close this thread' is like a burglar who says that the solution to crime is to close down the police.

[jennse23]

Anyone who knows me even a little bit, knows that I a one hundred per cent honest, hardworking, and well intentioned. You do not know me, I do not know you. Perhaps you would like to tell me exactly who you are, what your real name is and what axe you are grinding. Who are you to judge me?

Like you say we all make mistakes and if people felt I invaded their privacy (or crossed the line by using sponsors) on Facebook I do indeed apologise. However, you are crossing the line with your accusations and judgments on me by inferring that I am a con artist when there is nothing further from the truth, as I suspect you full well know. I could be justified in calling you a 'cyberstalker' in the circumstances.

I'd like to know who you really are. Private message me, and let's meet face to face for a coffee over the weekend seeing as this is just a two way conversation now. I look forward to hearing from you.

[HAL9000]

jennse23

Don't bother arguing with Mr Huguenot - he'll destroy you and your business reputation given half a chance. I'm sure you've learnt a valuable lesson from this experience. Set up an ORCA Local Dulwich FaceBook page and invite people directly and openly - get your friends to act openly too.

Meanwhile, PM the Admin and ask him to remove this thread because it is defamatory and libellous.

Hint: post new offers in the classified section under 'ED businesses, restaurants and trades' - but don't over do it.

Good Luck with your new business venture.

[Huguenot]

Despite HAL9000's convictions I wish you every success with your venture jennse23.

As you may have worked out, I have no axe to grind with you or your business - and have no desire to destroy you or your business reputation.

I have very strong views about spam, about fake IDs, about online data theft and about taking advantage of vulnerable people because of their goodwill. I don't think these should be entered into casually.

I appreciate this may not have been your intention, and take you at your word.

Best of luck!