Archives for May 2007

WP-Members 2.0 beta release

I have been done with the 2.0 release for some time now, but haven’t had the time to finish final testing (mostly of the installation process), put together the readme file, and get it uploaded. I know there are a lot of people that have been waiting for this release so I sincerely hope it meets (and exceeds) expectations.

2.0 is a quantum leap forward for the plugin and involved a ground up rebuild. There were a lot of quick fixes and work arounds in the 1.x releases and I never got it to be what I really wanted in the beginning. Also, usage got to be too tricky for basic, non-techie WP users. I wanted an easy to install product that would meet the needs of the most basic WP user.

We are getting much closer to that goal with this release. Not all the features I want to eventually include are in this version, but it is close. One thing that is lacking (and will be completed in the 2.1 update) is admin functions. However, this is not too critical for user managment since we have moved to using the WP users tables rather than building our own.

That brings up another important point. If you are upgrading, you are going to have to move existing users from the WP-Members tables to WP users tables. I am finishing up a migration script at this point, so if you are upgrading rather than doing a clean install, you might want to wait for that.

Here is the download: wp-members-2-0.zip

Why Washington “Judge” Roy Pearson Owes Me $2,595,000

By Chad Butler 3 Comments

(But I’m willing to settle out of court for $1,000,000.)

It seems that Washington “Judge” Roy Pearson is suing his dry cleaner for losing his pants. The problem with this? The suit is for $65 million!

Part of Pearson’s request for damages includes $500,000 in emotional damages. What about the emotional damages sustained by the Chungs fighting this ridiculous lawsuit.

And what does this say of Pearson’s character? This man has chosen to destroy the lives of three people (the Chungs and their son) over a lousy pair of pants – a pair of pants he could easily replace, mind you.

So why my demand for $2.5 odd million?

This case has infuriated me to the point where I am considering filing a lawsuit against Pearson. To begin with, his lawsuit is so absurd, it calls into question his suitability as a judge. In my mind, that amounts to fraud. From what I understand in reading his case, fraud in Washington is a $1500 fine per infraction. Using Pearson’s math, that’s $1500 per day per person. I don’t really know what kind of person he was before this case (although I am certain we can make an educated guess), so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and only look at the time from when this incident began. Two years X $1500 X one judge comes to $1,095,000. In addition, I am so upset about this, I will need to include damages for mental anguish. $500,000 should make that go away. Pearson’s request for legal fees in his suit comes to $542,000. Since he is representing himself, I am certain I won’t be able to get such a bargin. I would guess I need to allow for at least $1 million in legal fees to fight this.

All told, my case against Pearson comes to $2,595,000.

All kidding aside, this is flat out abuse of the system and Pearson deserves to be punished. Is disbarment to much justice? At the minimum, he should be removed from the bench. This is a man that has the power to hand down decisions based on competent and fair interpretation of the law. This case tells a story of his suitability (or lack thereof) to don the robe.

Also see: Kick in the Pants

If you find Pearson’s claim to be absurd, ridiculous, and a mockery of our legal system, please consider helping the Chungs by donating to the Custom Cleaners Defense Fund.

WordPress Compressed All-Inclusive Ping List

By Chad Butler 2 Comments

WordPress Compressed All-Inclusive Ping List

This site keeps an all-inclusive ping list. If you are using WorPress and want to get the most traffic possible, keep up to date with this list of ping sites.