I can reveal that this site has indeed been set-up by someone heavily linked with Derek Draper. Adrian McMenamin, a former Downing Street advisor and the man that headed up Labour's rapid rebuttal Excalibur system prior to 1997 appears to be behind the site. What's more, his attempts to hide it were not quite good enough.You see, they've managed to use a privacy provider for the Whois record to hide the ownership of the toryparty.net domain, unlike when hatemytory.com was set up, but a fundamental mistake has then been made you see.
dizzy@dizzy-laptop:~$ host toryparty.netYes, that's right, instead of getting it its own IP, the site has simply been pointed to the same named addressed for his other, main Labour site, "transpero.net". This is the same as the the set up for "hatemytory.com". Transpero.net, for those who don't know, is a site "devoted to developing internet based resources for Labour Party members and supporters."
toryparty.net has address 88.198.44.150
dizzy@dizzy-laptop:~$ host 88.198.44.150
150.44.198.88.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer transpero.net.
dizzy@dizzy-laptop:~$ host www.hatemytory.com
www.hatemytory.com has address 88.198.44.150
dizzy@dizzy-laptop:~$ host 88.198.44.150
150.44.198.88.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer transpero.net.
Nice try, but they got caught out. I do wonder if those bloggers on the Left who are obsessed and outraged by fake anonymous sites will pass comment on this. Here's the bottom line though, it has been well reported that Derek Draper is heading up some kind of online rebuttal strategy for Brown.Suddenly an attack blog appears that uses the name "toryparty" around the same time, and it's set-up, hosted, and pointed to the site of one of Draper's former
If Derek Draper, Adrian McMenamin, and the Labour Party really want to have a war online then they're going to have learn some better tricks about concealing their tracks. Alternatively don't bother concealing your tracks, none of the high traffic right wing blogs that you fear so much are anonymous, why not just be proud of your own arguments and go for it?
Update: Adrian is insisting that he promoted the site when he set it up but the post got spammed with comments so he deleted the content and he says "You’ll have to just take my word for it."
Update: A cached page has been linked in the comments from Transpero which appears to link to the site in July but there is no "spam" which is the reason Adrian claims he deleted the content in the first place. Make of that what you will.
28 comments:
The Transpero page provides the most honest statement I have seen from a labour organisation in 15 years. All the Tories need to do is link to it.
Excellent spot! Best laugh I've had for ages. Got me thinking.
Good spot Dizzy. Looks like Adrian has got some 'in' with a hosting outfit in Nuernberg Germany. Wonder what that is all about?
I see that transpero.net also is hosted at the same 88.198.44.150 IP address.
But the most interesting thing I can see is that transpero.net is designed by newmediacouncil.com which seems to be heavily involved in 'Teen Sexcam'.
Newmediacouncil.com leads to a deadend itself, apparently being German based, but uses a Panamanian whois proxy service.
Is Transpero "official"? Just thinking that the message on the site isn't very "on message"! Thanks for pointing it out. Talk about negative campaigning - doesn't it border on defamation?
hatemytory is laughable. Imagine how difficult it would be for me to go to the site and rate each Tory with a 1 (don't really hate them much)...
The premise of the site is deeply flawed...
You'd think Hazel Blears would have something to say about this site...
Dizzy wrote: "If Derek Draper, Adrian McMenamin, and the Labour Party really want to have a war online then they're going to have learn some better tricks about concealing their tracks."
The very fact that they are trying to conceal their tracks says it all about the state of mind and the fundamental deceitfulness of the whole New Labour project. Socilaism is an honourable philosophy - fundamentally flawed of course - but honourable. Why they do not just launch a serious blog and have the argument can only mean they don't believe in it themselves.
lola...they won't do that because they'd get slaughtered...far, far easier to drip their poisonous invective onto every blog they can.
Some facts. It's not a secret. I advertised it in July. Sadly the blog entry that did that was destroyed by a spammer. Serves me right for not keeping the wordpress software on the server up to date.
Secondly, Derek never worked for the rapid rebuttal unit at Millbank. Derek can look after himself but while we have known each other for nearly 25 years we certainly have not been busom buddies. I have seen him three times in the last two years and two of those occasions were random encounters at Labour Party conference.
He didn't ask me to set up the blog.
What interests me is that Tories are so frightened by the prospect of people asking questions about them that he go mad about one amateur with little or no resources criticising them.
Of CCHQ want to have a go, let them. The idea that David Cameron is so frightened of me that he would want to take down a site called "toryparty.net" that discusses the Tory Party quite tickles me.
Over on Al-Jabeeba, one of Dolly's sheep called hoddles is virtually calling you a liar, dizzy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbfivelive/AddThread?inreplyto=71412444
Are you going to stand for that?
Peter Grimes
"Some facts. It's not a secret. I advertised it in July. Sadly the blog entry that did that was destroyed by a spammer. Serves me right for not keeping the wordpress software on the server up to date."
It's a fact that you had evidence to the contrary that got destroyed but that you can't prove? That's not a fact at all, it's a conjected argument.
Secondly, Derek never worked for the rapid rebuttal unit at Millbank.
I stand corrected, he worked in/at Millbank during nthe same election camapign and was well connected at the top as you were.
He didn't ask me to set up the blog.
And this means what exactly? Who said he did?
What interests me is that Tories are so frightened by the prospect of people asking questions about them that he go mad about one amateur with little or no resources criticising them.
Gone mad and frightened about people asking questions? Did you miss the bit where I said "don't bother concealing your tracks....why not just be proud of your own arguments and go for it?"
It's a fact that you had evidence to the contrary that got destroyed but that you can't prove
Actually, if you go to Technorati you can see a record of the entry.
Sorry to have burst your bubble, but there you go.
Guys, why not pile on over to http://toryparty.net/wordpress/?p=595#comment-119 and leave your comments? I am sure they will be desperate for the traffic.
I wouldn't like to think that mine would be the last comment over there...
Ho ho ho. "Secret" rebuttal concept - about time too - mused about in open to any man or woman jack fringe and covered by Marketing Week's David Singleton (?) and now Dizzy crying wolf about some potential anti-Tory friction online?
Better domain names are out there. Though I don't suppose tracks will be covered when they're brought in to action. Rebutting Tory crapulence is an honourable thing. It's not as if anyone is trying to pass anything off as true blue now is it.
"I advertised it in July"
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:AU0wX_fBiWMJ:transpero.net/blog/%3Fm%3D200807+%22not+dead+yet%22+transpero&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=uk
Best way to judge any blog is to see what comments it allows.
Oh, does this McMenamin thing not allow comment?
Why might that be?
well I WANTED to leave a comment on that site - along the line "draper you are a C***" but I cannot find any means to do so. IF though Draper is prepared to meet me - anywhere - I'll happily bash the bastard;s brain to a pulp (it probably won't be in much less a state than now.
Come on Adrian you've got form when it comes to dirty tricks
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/01/30/new_labours_internet_dirty_tricks/
"Among the postings were accusations that Plaid Cymru was racist, wanted to put controls on English immigrants, was propping up Tory administrations, was responsible for future industrial action and was full of hypocrites.
Plaid Cymru representatives are furious and have filed a motion in the Welsh National Assembly asking the first minister to distance himself from the messages.
The party has also called for the resignation of Adrian McMenamin, a "special advisor" to Welsh secretary Paul Murphy. McMenamin - a protégé of fallen Labour spin supremo Peter Mandelson - has been heavily implicated in ongoing investigations."
@unsworth I am leaving comments over there with "gay" abandon.
@Unsworth @17:32pm
Neither does Ms. Kerry McCarthy, MP for East Bristol, after receiving an Old Holborning wrt 1984. She turned the democracy setting from On to Off.
http://kerry-mccarthy.blogspot.com/2008/11/1984.html
What is it with ideologues?
"I do wonder if those bloggers on the Left who are obsessed and outraged by fake anonymous sites will pass comment on this. "
The last discussion we had that involved your accusations about Labour sock-puppets ended with you (a) being wrong, (b) publishing my unlisted home phone number in a clear attempt to intimidate me, and (b) calling me at home and shouting at me to "get a grip".
So if this is an invitation of sorts; thanks, but no.
(But I will pause so long as to point out that you and Harry Cole are in no position to claim moral superiority over the deliberate use of false faces to attack others.)
Why are Dolly's lot so illiterate - Adrian can't even spell "bosom" correctly? Go figure!
That is the most pathetic blog website imaginable. Not only is it utterly ineffective, it is also repetitive and completely dull.
Gordon Brown and Labour personified.
That site is so... dismal.
Appalling design and dreadful layout.
Filled with old fashioned synthetic rage.
It looks like it was designed by the student Rick in "The Young Ones."
As in: "Neil, the bathroom's free, unlike the country under the current Thatcherite junta." Etc. etc., cont. page 94...
Adrian, ignore people who say you should grow up and start being professional. No. You just carry on in the same way as before.
The Conservatives will appreciate you more if you do that. Trust me. I am a floating voter.
Correction Tim, I published two separate numbers in relation to a television show and channel with no indication that together they formed your number.
As for your whole "unapololgetic user of sockpuppets" line this little one needs correcting too. What you actually mean is "refused to apologise to me for posting with the name "sockpuppet" and arguing with me once on Paul Linford blog therefore from now on I am going to assume that all anonymous or anti-me/pro-Iain/pro-Guido comments are probably you".
Incidentally, I wasn't talking about you specifically in this post. I was talking about self-righteous morally superior hypocritical twats in general. The fact that you think it's all about you is sweet though. A bit like when Dale "deliberately" included the votes for you in a poll was all about getting at you.
Now off you run and link about me "rewriting history" there's a good fellow.
Excellent story Dizzy! Good to see you uncovering some more Labour dirty tricks....
For extra fun click on the link to the designer of the Transpero website, NMC at the bottom of the home page. Wholesome references abound to matters - could they be websites - such as "Teen Sexcam" and "Hardcore Sexcam", which says something about the likely quality of other NMC offerings...
Could Mr. McMenamin care to explain why he, a supporter or an employee or whatever, of the Labour Party, is setting up websites in the name of another political party?
Especially when this kind of, what might be described as bogus or fraudulent registration, is very much frowned upon by the Internet authorities?
Post a Comment