Galt kills Stickman

[jpatokal]

There was a news item about the NotStickmanBangkok (http://www.notstickmanbangkok.com/) site a while ago -- now it looks like The Galt(tm) has managed to kill off the site he was aping:

http://www.mangosauce.com/internet/galt_silences_stickman.php

[Sunthorn]

Coming Soon: Read a first hand account of someone who has been through a Stickman Endorsed TEFL CourseThat's the bit that interests me most. Is he talking about a local course? But it seems to me that Galt is even worse than Stickman. Take a look at that bananas article. That's a very cheap shot!
http://www.notstickmanbangkok.com/Weekly2006/TheBananaGirl.htm

[waerth]

I think this Galt is the lowest of the low. Why do people love to be so destructive and kill eachothers fun?

Waerth

[bangyuk]

Stickman was not fun, it was pathetic, but Galt / Notstickman is even worse.

On behalf of farangs and as an ex expat they both make me feel ashamed!

[bangkapiboy]

That's harsh taking away a man's livelihood.

[jpatokal]

...and not a word about the whole saga.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Weekly2006/weekly287.htm

[GWR]

Nevertheless, I suspect that his account of "some young punk" crashing his crotch-rocket into the Stickmobile is allegorical, and that he's really telling us how helpless he feels as a result of the Galt attack.

[BangkokPundit]

Nevertheless, I suspect that his account of "some young punk" crashing his crotch-rocket into the Stickmobile is allegorical, and that he's really telling us how helpless he feels as a result of the Galt attack.

I must say that was also my impression. I can't blame him for not mentioning Galt as that would only add to his traffic. Engaging Galt won't work and I would just ignore him as well.

[GWR]

And there are times when I also think that the whole sorry online incident may be just an attempt to breathe new life into a moribund idea.

[BangkokPundit]

Galt has killed off Stickman's site now and this is from the frontpage:

The strains of working a full-time job and trying to run a website at the same time have token their toll on me and I have decided to take a break from the site to concentrate on my teaching. The most popular parts of the site will remain offline at this time.

I don't want to link to the other person and give him any more publicity, but his latest post well is just disturbing on how he tries to justify his actions.

[ncr]

Galt has killed off Stickman's site now..... I don't want to link to the other person and give him any more publicity, but his latest post well is just disturbing on how he tries to justify his actions....and in the very latest post he has revealed Stickman's identity and place of work. It has to be added that (displaying at least a modicum of decency, or whatever) he decided to disclose his own identity at the same time.

You are right, no need to link to that here; anyone who's interested can easily find it if they want.

No more comments - I think it's quite obvious that this John Galt / Keith Summers is quite a loony. I just wonder what he actually wants? Why would anyone go to such lengths to damage someone else? He must bear a deep unexplained grudge against Stickman. It seems sure they know each other and must have had some (personal, business?) conflict in the past.

Only this much. I have met Stickman on three occasions - twice on appointment (some 4-5 years back, before he was married, and when readers still had a chance to met him in person), the last time purely by chance, when I bumped into him and his wife in the Sukhumvit area, maybe 2 years ago. Therefore I can confirm that Galt is not bullshitting (in this particular case, that is) - the picture posted by him does indeed show Stickman. That is also Stick's real first name, because it is the same name under which he introduced himself to me when we met. (I never knew his family name.)

This, in turn, shows me that Stickman wasn't bullshitting either: He did not make up a name. While I cannot claim to know him well just from chatting with him for 20-30 minutes twice, he came across as a pretty friendly and decent guy. I had been reading the Stickman column regularly since its inception, but have not been following it anymore for about one year as I gradually lost interest (and also was busier here at 2Bangkok and elsewhere).... OK, so the amount of advertising on the site has increased to a point where it may become a bit annoying. He might be employing ghost writers as well, who knows. Is that a crime? No. It's his right to make money with his website and from his brand name, after all.

So what the heck is behind Galt's actions? What is he ultimately trying to achieve with his odd smear campaign, and why? That's the real big question in this dirty affair. Not whether Stickman might or might not be involved in shady activities or illegal dealings, or exploit his readers, as alleged by Galt. (Which even if true wouldn't warrant this sort of basely behaviour.)

[jpatokal]

FYI, here's the latest John Galt double-barreled blast:

http://www.notstickmanbangkok.com/Weekly2006/TheStickmanSyndicate.htm

And there's some pretty WTF stuff in there:

Paul (Stickman --ed.) wanted to negotiate and way to keep his identity hidden, but he failed to accomplish his agreements on a time line as agreed. This is a case where Paul waited weeks and weeks too late to come clean and honest with me and the readers of his web site. Paul is in a mess, but I don't feel sorry for the guy because he created this mess.

"Accomplish his agreements on a time line as agreed"? :confused: So this was all extortion and Galt's admitting to it!? And as for "creating this mess", teaching English as a day job and running around go-go bars as a night job is a bit of an unstable combination... but Galt is still being quite an asshole by doing this. There's some fairly serious money involved too and I'd imagine that quite a few people will not be happy...

[Sunthorn]

Yes, I also remember that same face and first name. I was not impressed when Stickman came to our office. If he had any politeness, he left it at home.

If he has all those business connections, why does he need to teach English? It is a deadend career.

I think both Stickman and Galt are not really telling us the full truth. Those business connections may not pay him enough to stop teaching. And if John Galt has such a good business, why is he taking a risk with his own reputation?

[BangkokPundit]

"Accomplish his agreements on a time line as agreed"? :confused: So this was all extortion and Galt's admitting to it!? And as for "creating this mess", teaching English as a day job and running around go-go bars as a night job is a bit of an unstable combination... but Galt is still being quite an asshole by doing this. There's some fairly serious money involved too and I'd imagine that quite a few people will not be happy...

I am not so sure how often Stick went running around the go-go bars particularly over the last 3 years or so since he has been married. A lot of the information came from various friends/sources.

[waerth]

Well I "Stick" with my first statement. No matter what excuses you have or whatever reasons you have. You do not go around destroying someone's life just because you can.

Sticks personal life is just that ..... his personal life. Nobody's bussiness. We can gossip about him, be mad with him, whatever. But publicly destroying someone's life is just way out there. This Galt guy is imho the lowest of the low, below a cockroach.

Waerth

[numpty]

galt comes across as a loser in need of a bit of publicity

rather like that john karr sleaze recently

[Sunthorn]

It looks like John Galt may have met his match. The promised articles on the Stickman bargirl investigation agency and the Stickman-endorsed TESOL course was originally billed as "Coming Soon!". That moved to "Potentially Coming Soon!" a few days back and now it has just disappeared.

I will be glad to see a major expose on the "Teach in Thailand" scam one of these days, but I hope it comes from someone other than Galt.

[jpatokal]

Mango Sauce goes digging around for dirt on The Galt:

http://www.mangosauce.com/internet/keith_summers_gets_15_minutes.php

For Keith, making an idiot of himself in front of the entire farang community is surely punishment enough and his website is destined to wither on the vine.

Stickman assures me that he hasn't been suspended from his teaching job and that his own website will return very soon.