The Internet has been doing “report abuse” wrong, because its admins are corrupt.

The most recent report filed in the Predator Alert Tool for FetLife alleges abuse on the part of a FetLife Carebear:

It reads, in full:

Fetlife caretaker FAIL. This lady could see that I was being harassed and not only failed to help me, but suspended my fetlife account when I screencapped the abusive crap I was being messaged with to show people, and then issued fake copyright violation notices to get the evidence removed from being hosted. Fetlife do not care if you get abused, they do care to make sure no-one knows about it.

Anyone familiar with my work already knows that FetLife used numerous improper copyright violation notices (DMCA takedown notices) to try to wipe Predator Alert Tool for FetLife off the face of the Internet, and failed. I even sent FetLife an application to become a Caretaker touting how familiar I was with the process of DMCA notice and counter-notice (which I credit them for forcing my hand to educate myself about). For more than a year now, FetLife’s been smart enough to stop engaging with me.

But this report is interesting. Firstly, it’s a good idea. Report the site admins. I should’ve thought of that earlier.

More importantly, however, this showcases exactly why the Predator Alert Tool suite is what we actually really need: the “report abuse” button on websites shouldn’t go to the site admins, it should go to the rest of the user community.