Well, I am happy and relieved to report that Dan seems to have taken down T-Rage! My hope is that it's permanent. I am in the process of transferring the content, which I retrieved myself the old-fashioned way—by cutting-and-pasting—to this blog's archives. That is a somewhat painstaking process which would be made easier by Dan's exporting the content via SQL (whatever that is), which he offered to do in an email to me:

What kind of format would you like your content in? I can export it in SQL very easily, and if you're using wordpress you can just import the entries, I'm pretty sure i can do XML easily also. Additionally, I added your name to all the posts. Regardless of the rest of the drama with the site, and my lazyness, it was never my intent to remove your name from the content. -Dan

...but, typically, has yet to follow through on.

This, after near six months of silence, which began with him not responding to a simple request for server maintenance (which was one of his responsibilities). When there was no response on that issue, and I was unable to post to the blog or receive comments for over two weeks, I informed Dan of my intention to start a new blog, and suggested in a series of civil emails several alternatives for T-Rage! that would safeguard my content, and allow me to continue with the "brand" I had spent over a year building.

Despite numerous attempts to discuss and resolve the matter, Dan never responded.

He finally contacted me when I posted my last installment of "The Dan Zarrella Experience". He posted the following comment to the blog:

You do own the content, but you gave me exclusive weblogging rights to it. So, if you want it, you can have it. And since the 30 day exclusivity clause has expired you can even republish it online; i have absolutely no problem with that.

If I removed your name, that was an inadvertant attempt to fix the template problems that arose right before you stopped writing on it, and absolutely not an attempt to expunge you from the site.

Can you say "passive-aggressive"? Yee-ikes.

Honestly, as I've said, all I ever wanted was a resolution to what was, after all, a minor matter.

When I saw today that the site was down, I breathed a sigh of relief that maybe, just maybe, I would never have to deal with Dan Zarrella again.

But somehow I wanted him to follow through on his last unkept word (offered to me two weeks ago now). Just as a matter of principle. So I wrote the following email:

Hey Dan

Anytime you can pass that content along as you offered in your last, would be great. As always I am willing to accommodate you in any and every way.

Just to clear something up. The "drama with the site," as you put it, stems completely from your lack of communication. I wrote you September 15th about problems posting. I heard nothing back until March 2nd. That's nearly half a year, Dan. That's a clear breach of your contract with me.

All I wanted, as I have said, was to have the matter resolved. First was the matter of simply being able to post to my blog. Then, when I realized that was not going to happen, to make sure my work—such as it is—was not altered or misused, and that control of it was in my hands.

Despite your assurances that removal of attribution was unintentional, that too was a breach of both the spirit and the letter of our contract. I don't recall giving away rights to you to alter content or remove attribution. That's a serious matter, and I think you realize that.

Of course I have the content, Dan. But it would be nice if you very simply did what you said you would do. I've been waiting for that for six months. That's really all I've wanted from you. Whatever your personal feelings, I would have expected more of your professional ethics.

Whatever you decide, no further drama is required. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Take care, buddy.

Mike

I have not sent it yet, because I don't honestly know if it's worth it. Especially right when it seems this minor ordeal might be over. I'm afraid he might react by perpetuating the "drama" he seems not to know he's responsible for in the first place.

I think I'm going to sit on it for now, and hope this is the last installment of The Dan Zarrella Experience.