Topix
Reviews and Complaints

I was stalked, threatened and libeled on this site for over six month. An unknown female threaded me and wrote terrible things about myself and my family. Topix allowed this to happen, they don't monitor there forums and have no concern for the safety Of the victims being stalked and libeled on there site, thèy protect them. This site breaks so many laws about privacy and freedom of speech, it needs to be taken down ànd topix should have to pay for all the lives it's ruining.

Our paper has ran stories about Topix in the past and after checking it out I was horrified. From what I read, Topix has said it is a news aggregator and community journalism site. I found it to be anything but. What I said was one insult after another and considering I knew some of the people listed on the site, I saw plenty of libel which is illegal. I quickly discovered the simplistic site does not require its users to register for an account which that in itself tells you how trashy of a site it is and they have to have one of the worst feedback systems I have ever seen. From what I read and discovered they only have five moderators for hundreds of thousands of forums and the moderators have been known to post on the site attacking users to increase ad hits. I am also very disturbed at the lack of remorse shown by the CEO of Topix. What really stood out to me was when the media goes after him, he has claimed they were doing all they could to cut down on the libel (yet you won't hire more moderators and won't even make users register, Riiiiiggghhttt) but then would go on Tech sites mocking those who were concerned with the content and the media. As a parent that scares the heck out of me. I have since learned there is a growing number of people that are very worried about this website and many communities have tried to pass ordinances about it. I also learned many states have been adopting cyberbullying laws and many of them have stated it is because of the complaints they receive regarding Topix. They definitely need to make some changes. There are some other sites that concern me but I have never seen anything quite like or as disturbing as the Topix website.

Another Aiken County sheriff deputy has been fired for DUI.
"Corruption & Racism Continues in Aiken County, esp by The Disgraced Aiken Police Department..."
http://www.wrdw.com/crimeteam12/headlines/122
Aiken Sheriff Mike Hunt fires his entire narcotics unit for misconduct in office, misuse of gevernment property, and destruction of evidence. SLED Director Reggie Lloyd & Mike Hunt fail to charge the men for their criminal violations (which they have done many time before, but frequently permit false arrests, and misconduct in Aiken County's Police & Fire Depts...)
NEWS ARTICLE:
Four narcotics officers were fired and a fifth was suspended. The State Law Enforcement Division investigated a drinking excursion to Augusta and North Augusta in an unmarked county car along with other allegations.

Fired officers are Inv. James Crowell, Lt. Jonathon Owenby, Inv. Tim Roberts and Inv. Luke Williams. Sheriff Mike Hunt says the four men drove the county-owned vehicle to Cadillac's off Washington Road and picked up women, then made a stop at a North Augusta place called The Spot. Later they went to the American Hearth Inn motel in Aiken. On the way there, a woman performed a sex act on one of the men.

A fifth investigator, Brian Owens, was suspended. He was not with the other four that night, but SLED investigated him also.

http://www.wrdw.com/crimeteam12/headlines/102

This site irresponsibly allows people to bully, defame, harass and cyber stalk others without any consequences. Requests to remove the comments are granted only sometimes but the bullies just put the comments back up.

I witnessed a horrible experience where a person by the name of Desiree Hill who lives in Las Vegas posted comments using the first and last name of her victims and even the business name of one of the people she was stalking. The worst part is that in her comments she claimed that it was she who was being stalked (but she did a lot of name calling and said a bunch of lies and put downs that made it clear that she was the stalker).

Google has some kind of deal with Topix where their topics come up in searches like almost immediately. So basically, she talked about these women's minor children and put up links to pictures and addresses and everything and only a few hours later it was up on google, like on the first and second pages of searches for their names.

Only a few of thecomments she posted were removed and other than just asking I guess that it be removed 100 times, there's nothing you can do but sit back and watch someone trash another person's reputation with lies and slander.

It was alarming to read that this has happened to many, many people in the past but the truth is none of this would be possible if Topix.com would just put in place some small identifying measures, like requiring a valid email or phone number before a person can make a comment.

They also need to employ at least one person for every forum.

If they can't do that they need to be shut down. When I graduate maybe this will be my first case!

This site is horrible. Full of racist, sexist & dangerous people. I never bother to log in anymore because I was once threatened by a middle-aged man cause I refused to give him my email address. This forum has no supervision at all...everyone can comment freely and explicitly, especially in the human sexuality forum...I thought I can do some intelligent discussions about sexual health but NO! lots of perverts lurking there... Stay away from this site!

My ex - wife of 10 years has put on site my job listings, where i went to school, and threaten my family. I want this stopped. I have reported abuse on site but it is still there. Her name is pam martin, her husband is called country boy, she is mark's angel eyes, and even my son chauncey martin is on there, i want it taken off. I am married for 2 years now and she can't seem to stop.

Topix.com needs to be stopped. Recently the New York Times ran a story on how the website Topix is damaging communities. A few days later the Today Show ran a similar story discussing a lady who basically has been forced to hide in her home because of lies told against her on the Topix website. Topix is not what freedom of speech means. It claims to be a journalistic site. Journalism requires facts and research of which Topix does none of. The site is designed for users who do not have to even register to go into a community, post lies and destroy people's reputations and in extreme cases lead to society. The Topix management team has been quoted as saying they find attacks on people as being humorous. Seeing a child commit suicide because cowards are going to a sick website that has no moral integrity is not humorous at all it is deadly. Much of the blame lies agains the Topix company because they continue to lie. The site has claimed they are trying to stop cyberbullying yet have only a handful of alleged moderators to look over 350, 000 plus forums. With those numbers it not possible and the moderators in many cases have been shown to go into a forum and bully others as well to add webhits. That is unethical. The website refuses to make users sign up to post on the site which has led to many of the problems as well. This is because the company fears that when people are held accountable they will stop posting on the site. This is ridiculous. Users who want to contribute something positive will have no problem registering, it only takes a minute or two. What is amounts to is a lack of Ethics but Topix management team. Many of the comments made by Topix management are appalling and the company has decided to go the unethical route and have often challenged media and government to try and stop them. In some cases, they have had an attorney send threatening emails and letters to people who have contacted Topix advertisers stating they are boycotting them because of Topix refusal to clean up its sick forums. In many of the forums people have lost their businesses and reputation and because of Topix refusal to do anything, they have destroyed thousands of people. It is obvious that Topix is in need of finding a heart and need a change in management unless the company starts showing ethics. Topix is the most dangerous company on the internet and is a danger to all.

You need to gone this website and look at the blobs and topix forum and look for Alamo, tn to see what people are allowed to post on this site about people and their families. They have slandered my granddaughter very bad and they talk about her little baby son. This site has caused people to lose their jobs, get divorced, and cause trouble for everyone. Go on the website, type in Alamo, TN and look at what they say about people for everyone to see. The person I am writing about is Jamie Reed, which is my granddaughter and her son. My name is Carolyn Davison, [protected] and my email address is [protected]@ymail.com. This is the only thing that is wrong with the the site but it is very disturbing, and I am not the only one upset with this site, but i am sure everyone would file a complaint if they knew who to file with. We just need some help with this.

I want to report a website called Topix. This site has placed forums for every zipcode and has managed to destroyed just about every community you can find. The website is set up to encourage cowards to attack one another. There are disgusting topics that include calling people pedofiles, drug users, and physical threats against people. This website continues to make the news but Topix refuses to do much to improve their site. They have five moderators to manage 350, 000 forums and often refuse to remove most of the content. The forums often are attacks on children and there is illegal activity that occurs on Topix on a daily basis. Thousands of people including some of its own users have asked for more moderators and a registration process such as Disqus. Topix refuses and then when they receive bad press claims they are "doing all they can." If that is the case more moderators and registration would be a good start. Sites like Topix have forced many states to begin adopting new, stronger cyberbullying laws.

The first amendment was intended so people can have a voice against government, freedom of religion, etc. The framers of the Constitution established the first amendment for a reason. Libel and destroying others was never what was intended and they would be disgusted if they knew what is occurring on a website called Topix.

This website has caused the destruction of many people including the loss of a marriage, business, or reputation and no one has that right. Even if you try avoiding the site, because of their lack of moderation your name can be tarnished or even worse. There has been numerous cases where I have seen people's names posted and then their addresses and accused of horrible things.

There is a growing number of news reports coming out about this company and now Topix is claiming they want to enter the world of political commentary. This is a potential disaster, especially after what happened in Arizona. Many psychopaths who hate the government or certain individuals often will post rants on Topix. Since Topix controls nothing, many people thinking it is funny will post support and that can cost someone their life. On the other hand, if Topix does indeed start getting into the political arena, perhaps politicians will take notice and go after this evil company.

The best advice is to avoid the site whenever you can and not try and defend yourself, that is what they want and it brings the internet trolls out in force. Be aware of what is being said and report it to the police, attorneys in some cases, the FBI, and legislators. By the way, Topix hates Attorney Generals and often accuses them of grandstanding because they have the audacity to try and protect the innocent. Topix has chosen to be a site of hate for profit and anyone who believes in human decency, morals, and family values should do all they can to stop this destructive site.

Topix claims to be a journalism site. With journalism comes responsibility and Topix doesn't show much of that. Topix basically is nothing short of an excuse to bash other people for profit. The company claims to have over 400, 000 forums yet employs under 50 people. When Attorney Generals or a growing number of news media question them about moderating their forums, they claim they 20 percent of their staff are dedicated to keeping the site clean. LOL, even if that is true, if you have less than 50 employees and only 20 percent work on the forums, does anyone see how that might be a problem?

The forums are among the worst on the internet with a ton of racial slurs. In fact it is so bad, the NAACP needs to be involved. Many people have lost their jobs and had their reputations torn apart by this site who always claims "freedom of speech." One does not have the freedom to harm another person and that is what Topix constantly does. In fact their policy is people's feeling don't matter. Apparently people's lives don't either.

Speaking as a parent and hopefully a productive member of society, I have been very concerned about the company called Topix for a long time. This company has long taken the lowest road possible claiming freedom of speech. What people fail to recognize is the first amendment was written so people had the right to voice their views toward government. That is a right I think we all support.

However, the first amendment never protected all speech. Libel, defamation, and other attacks are not protected speech and the amendment only applies to government not to corporations. In other words, Topix is basically an excuse for people to attack one another. Recently the press has began to catch on. When someone attacks you, Topix response was to go on their site and fight back. That is the worst thing a person could ever consider doing. It makes them more money, gives them more traffic and you are inviting even further attacks when internet trolls gang up on you. You are wiser to try and ignore that, don't post and simply report it. One cannot help but notice that many newspapers and tv stations realize how out of control Topix is and are going to different commenting systems such as Disqus and others where one can still voice their opinion but (gasp) have to take a little responsibility. With freedom comes responsibility. I cannot help but think about this country during 9/11 and how together we all seemed to be. Now, as is usually the case, we are back to fighting among ourselves.

Cyberbullying is a very real problem which is leading to death in some extreme cases. The old adage "sticks and stones" has never been true. How would you feel if your child killed themselves or someone else. Topix as a business has a responsibility to protect and it does not. It claims to be a source of news yet Technorati has given it the lowest rating possible for information. It is a cyberbullying site and basically not much else.

The tragedy is it could have been really great but ultimately decided it would give up ethics for a few more comments even ones that are illegal.

What is interesting is now the state of California has passed a new cyberbullying bill where someone can be fined and jailed if they claim they are someone else in a profile. Topix does not require registration BUT people can go in and claim they are someone else which is the exact same thing and if anything is easier on a site like Topix. That makes them and any other company that does not require registration extremely liable and means police contact and attorneys are likely to hound Topix even more than before.

Cyberbullying laws are changing and one needs to hope that someday the company itself can be sued. Topix has become a menace to society. I highly recommend you avoiding that site at all cost. Do not ever post on that site, you contact the police, attorney generals, sponosors and the media and ask for them to research and investigate this company. All one has to do is take a look at some of the community forums, their AFAM forum, their drug forums (which drug sales occur) or their human sexuality forums which condone beastality, rape, incest, prostitution, and sexual predators in some instances and that will tell the media what they need to know.

One must also take action. Don't sit back and expect others to do it. Write your newspapers and contact anyone who can help. Topix could still be of same value if they will go back to being a newssite with accountability and that means closing some forums down, moderating their site, and requiring responsibility of their users through registration and other measures.

Topix forums, are the number one internet community forums, linked to newspapers across America.
From their website:
"Topix is the leading news community on the Web, connecting people to the information and discussions, that matter to them in every U.S. town and city."
The three biggest newspaper corporations in the country, are heavily invested. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., Topix LLC is a privately held company with investment from Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and Tribune Company.
These three corporations invested $15-million dollars in Topix. "November 6, 2006: Topix Receives $15 Million in Additional Funding from Tribune, Gannett, and McClatchy"
From Local Media Watch: Indeed, its potential was deemed so great that Gannett, Tribune and Knight Ridder paid $60 million for it in 2005, expecting it to play a key role in the future of local news.

Topix and Google

Topix is affiliated with Google, whose search engines give Topix, the highest priority.
These forums have become notorious across the nation for the number of trolls clogging their threads and the degree of repugnant human conversation going on. They recently changed their user terms of service, stating only that the the company is not responsible for anything published on it, no other rules for behavior are given. Yet for many small towns across America, Topix has replaced their local newspaper.
I have been investigating Topix for a year and a half and recently interesting and disturbing comments, have been posted on one of my Topix posts, ironically entitled:

Something way funky is going on over at Topix.com
If they are accurate, they are saying that Topix is gathering user's personal data, in conjunction with the NSA, to use it to, "spy on citizens, profile them [and] invasion of privacy":
"The "Tolles Trolls" can observe the habits of millions of Americans, perhaps report them to law enforcement, mess with their credit report, etc."
The comments declare that Topix has allowed the National Security Agency, to breach their encryption codes, to access users private information.  They point out the background of Topix founder Rich Skrenta, as the creator of a computer virus that is "widely believed to be the first large-scale self-spreading personal computer virus ever created."
The NSA has been working with internet companies, in the Silicon Valley similar to Topix, to gain access to their encryption codes, to access the private information of users. Topix CEO, Chris Tolles, at the time with Sun Microsystems said this:
 "Everyone in Silicon Valley, including us, has to have specific staff, highly paid experts, to deal with (the NSA) them, " said Chris Tolles, security group product manager at Sun."
I have written about Chris Tolles here:
Speaking out to Chris Tolles, CEO of Topix.com

This article goes into more detail on the NSA:
The long, strong arm of the NSA
 "Back in the days of the cold war, Washington insiders used to joke that NSA stood for "No Such Agency." The government denied the very existence of this group, which is dedicated to intercepting and decoding foreign communications.
That was then. Today the National Security Agency is well known, and spends a lot of time leaning on software, switch and router vendors, pushing them to re-tool their products. The agency's goal: to ensure that the government has access to encrypted data."
This post also discusses this issue:
IP: While cda-II diverts attention, end run around clipper
"The NSA wants software vendors to make sure that any product with strong encryption have some way for the government to tap into the data. And because practically every commercial network application, router or switch these days includes encryption or an option for it, almost every vendor now has to answer to the NSA if it wants to export."
I posted my concerns on Topix, on their main board and to the Topix moderators, to either confirm or deny whether or not, they were collecting user data. There was no response. Instead their meanest trolls have been hounding me. This has been the case my entire time on Topix and its only gotten worse since I published this post. Topix has not once contacted me to deny my claims, only further persecuted me with their trolls.

I have watched, with interest, several programs as of late talking about the dangerous affects of cyberbullying. People are committing suicide over brutal and often untrue attacks on the internet. People who libel and defame others are committing criminal acts. That is why I am reporting web company, Topix.

Topix is an alleged news site, that has basically given up on news and contains brutal, hostile cyberbullying primarily because they do not require registration and refuse to moderate their forums. The forums are some of the worst things I have ever seen on the internet and the company seems to have no problem with that. That is because they are making money off of trash. Several attorney generals went after them and the company claimed it was going to do a better job of moderating its forums. Of course, they have done nothing. The forums are worse than ever and the attacks on people especially children are getting worse and worse.

There are forums that even talk about incest and rape. There are a bunch of racial slurs and many other horrible things. This company with its lack of moderation condones and has criminal activity occurring, yet the media seems terrified to cover them. This company is far worse than companies such as Facebook and Twitter. There needs to be something done about their lack of moderation and registration which most decent companies require. What is most shocking is the company is partially owned by Gannett, Tribune, and McClatchy. That probably explains why the media is afraid to go after this cyberbullying site. In the meantime the innocent suffer at the hands of cowards. Criminal acts are not what was meant by freedom of speech.